《Youjo Kodama》


 Prologue

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 Chapter 1

    Surrounded by the surreal feeling of gentleness and warmth, ¡°it¡± enjoyed a brief moment of peace.


    This warm, yet slightly prickly sensation could ultimately make one forget oneself.


    Right, as if something was lost, but what was it?


    What was the thing that has been forgotten?


    Before even thinking about it, ¡°it¡± started to tremble all of a sudden.


    After a short moment of delay, ¡°it¡± ¡¯s mind began to comprehend the feeling of coldness.


    A coldness that could penetrate the skin, just like a newborn baby feeling cold for the first time.


    However, the subject in mind didn¡¯t have the luxury to experience it in full.


    With the consciousness murky and the sense of self a mess, ¡°it¡± opened its eyes to a dark metal skyline crisscrossed with lights and windows facing ¡°it.¡±


    A blurry world ahead of ¡°it¡± ¡¯s vision.


    No, perhaps it was only its vision that was blurred?


    It was a twisted world seen through unfitting spectacles.


    The outlines were blurry, and there are many chaotic movements and sounds around ¡°it,¡± even ¡°it¡± who had not felt as many emotions in all those years began to sense the unease.


    After what ¡°it¡± felt to be a hundred years long, ¡°it¡± finally started to gain back its consciousness and form, feeling only pure confusion.


    Just what the heck is going on? What happened to ¡°it¡±?


    ¡°It¡± entered a vessel that was unable to maintain consciousness for an extended period, and still couldn¡¯t rightly recall this information.


    After that, although still confused, ¡°it¡± had finally gained a general idea of the situation ¡°it¡± was currently in, yet even then, it only further added to its confusion.


    ¡°It¡± clearly remembered that ¡°it¡± was at home lying on a bed, surrounded by loved ones and feeling pain all over until the pain gradually disappears and ¡°it¡¯ finally felt peace.


    However, after snapping back to reality, ¡°it¡± found itself inside a large, metal-built utilitarian enclosure with a series of radar dishes facing ¡°it¡± ¡¯s way and blurry images of what looks like a group of people in white scientist coat holding and carrying a multitude of scientific equipment.


    Now and then flashes of light can be seen from one or two of the blurry people and ¡°it¡± wonders what the commotions are all about.


    ¡°It¡± gazed down and looks at ¡°it ¡°s hands and curiously found that it looks smaller, more slender compared to what ¡°it¡± is used to and realized that ¡°it ¡°s hands are covered in tree barks with a round gem, the color of its surrounding bark, lodged into the back of each hand.


    Continuing from ¡°it ¡°s hands unto her body, which looks like normal skin, ¡°it realizes that ¡°it¡± is naked and with surprise ¡°it¡± realizes that ¡°it¡± has lost an essential part of itself that used to be in between ¡°it ¡°s legs, the legs which are also smaller, slimmer and covered in barks compared to what ¡°it¡± s used to.


    Feeling a brief sadness for the loss and then swiftly disappears into indifference and lack of concern.


    ¡°It¡± starts to remember ¡°it ¡°s life before ¡°it¡± came into consciousness,¡°it¡± has not been using that which has been lost for reproductive purpose for more than half of ¡°it¡± s life or around 120 years more or less but ¡°it¡± can concede that it made it more convenient to relieve ¡°it¡± self in daily life, so it¡¯s loss will be missed.


    However, when ¡°it ¡°s eyes could finally begin to see clearly of its surroundings, all that was in view under the lights were the figures of scientists wearing futuristic-looking outfit and gears.


    Some are taking notes into a tablet-like device, and more than a few are staring at ¡°it¡± with eyes fully open and alert, watching and following every small movement ¡°it¡± made, especially ¡°it¡± s head and limbs.


    ¡°It¡± realizes that having barks as the skin on ¡°it¡± s limbs may be beyond normal, but some of the scientist¡¯s eyes became focused on something behind ¡°it.¡±


    Perhaps what ¡°it¡± felt of the dim light and soft warmth on ¡°it¡± s back is part of the reason so many scientists are gathering and observing ¡°it.¡±


    Curious about the intense interest of the scientists ¡°it¡± rotates ¡°it ¡°s body and found to its surprise and delight a mesmerizing sight that ¡°it¡± can vaguely remember to have never seen in ¡°it ¡°s long life of 200 years.


    They are there standing in front of ¡°it,¡± as wide as three adult men standing tall on top of each other and as tall as a ten story building, a large and towering tree reaching to the roof of the enclosure and softly glowing with what ¡°it¡± can say genuinely felt magical.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.From the way, the warm light felt pulsing into and out of the tree like inhaling carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen like a regular tree.


    ¡°It¡± can felt a change when the warm light went into the tree and what light came out of the tree feel richer and thicker.


    The cycle continues as ¡°it¡± felt the process looping and filling the chamber of the metal enclosure with the warm light feeling.


    It is a different feeling compared to anything ¡°it¡± has ever experienced, a sense of fulfillment, of the drive, of life, strengthening of what it felt as it¡¯s soul¡¯s connection to its body.


    Memories start resurfacing, of what he was and with it came knowledge and understanding.


    ¡°He¡± was a human man, who has lived his life and expected to be rewarded with everlasting peace with those that have passed on before him.


    And in a way, he did experience peace looking at the tree that must have been the same tree that he instructed to be buried in when he passed away.


    Significant time must have passed for the tree to be grown to such a size.


    Perhaps it was something like an incubation, and the body he is inhabiting is grown as a reflection of the tree itself.


    As he felt the branches on his back suddenly retracting back inside without his conscious action, soon after he felt something covering his body from neck to bottom.


    Turning around, he sees one of the scientists has taken off her white coat and putting it on his body to protect his modesty.


    The scientist looks to be around middle aged with black hair tied in a ponytail, she looks at him nervously and can be seen trying to be friendly and non-threatening in its gesture and body language.


    The rest of the scientists are behind her giving an ample space, and now that he has the time and no longer in a state of confusion he realizes that most are young looking individuals and are probably just only starting as a scientist.


    That makes the woman in front of her, their instructor, or someone of a more senior position.


    ¡°Do you understand me? Can you speak English?¡±


    He can understand her correctly, thank you very much but since he was not a talkative person even when he was still alive as a human man.


    So he stared at the woman and nodded slightly.


    He doesn¡¯t know what he has become now, but surely it was not human anymore, but he can still have common decency and politeness as a former human.


    Who knows maybe they can help him figure out things, but if they start cutting him up to find out more about his body, he can perhaps find out how strong his new limbs and body instead.


    The woman in front of her looks glad and more confident as the ability to communicate are an excellent prospect for sentient beings to understand each other and cooperate.


    Unknown to him, the lesson of the first contact war burdens her mind heavily before the confirmation of shared language he has given.


    ¡°That is good. Do you have a name young miss?¡±


    Once again, he was reminded of the current gender of the body ¡°he¡± currently has.


    Which means that it would be for the best to accept that starting from now he has to accept the fact that he is now no longer a man, not human withstanding, and refer to itself appropriately for his sake of mind.


    And he would prefer not to clarify or to explain every single time why he insists he is a man when it is evident he is not.


    His name as a human man and the name as a female of indeterminable species should be different as he would like to keep his memory of when he was once human, and the new memory after his rebirth should be different lest he forgets what he once was and replaced it with new memories.


    Some of those old memories are valuable and precious to him, damn it.


    ¡°Yes, my name was once Rocky... But please call me Raine instead.¡±


    After introducing herself, she starts walking forward towards the group of the young scientist as she can see a closed door behind them, leaving behind the middle-aged woman behind her.


    It¡¯s time she finds some answers.

 Chapter 2

    Who knows how long the red tape would need to run until someone tells her anything?


    It would be better to explore while she still can and know something rather than nothing.


    Talking about the white coat, how small was she that the edge of the lab coat could reach her ankle?


    Fidgeting a bit at her coat and lamenting her bare-footedness, as the ground are slippery, and the grip of her soles are less than ideal, but the bark on the bottom of her feets is doing its job as she would have complained about the gravel if she still has her normal human skin instead of bark.


    Looking at the group of young scientists ahead of her and assuming that the standard adult height now is still 170 cm or 5 foot 6 inches for an adult male.


    Then extrapolating the angle that she can see from her eyes to the distance between them she roughly gauges her height to be around 120cm or 4 foot tall, which is the average height for a nine years old girl.


    It would be a problem if she needs to overpower someone, but her small stature should make it easier for her to hide if need be.


    Unfortunately, she was so focused on calculating the height that she has gotten careless.


    She slipped on the wet ground and resulted in her falling face first on the ground.


    There was an awkward silence after she slipped, and there was a faint feeling of embarrassment, but after a while, she lifted her head, and everyone that she can see is shocked at her sudden movement.


    "Umu..."


    She pouted and puffed her cheek, and even though she realized it is childish to do so.


    But she cannot help it.


    It is because while she is unhurt from the fall, her pride is another matter entirely.


    After standing up and brushing off the dust coating, her white coat has become a bit stained.


    She tried to save what pride she had left by quickly schooling her facial expression into a stern and commanding one and quickly pointing straight at the group of young scientists with a flourish.


    "You did not see that."


    Not knowing what to do the group of scientist awkwardly looked at each other as if asking what should they do in this situation from their colleagues.


    None of them dare to laugh at the subject of their interest and nervousness.


    Chance!


    While everyone is distracted, she quickly rushed towards the closed door by going through the group of people in her way.


    Shocked, some people jumped out of the way and capitalizing on the path which has suddenly become clear, and dodging the reluctant attempt to grab her, she maneuvers through them like an expert.


    In a short time, she managed to exit the group, and the way is clear to the door.


    She prays in her heart that the door is automatic, as she made the short distance, and is glad to be rewarded as the door automatically opens as she enters the brightly lit and utilitarian hallway.


    As the door moved to close, she can hear the shout of the middle-aged woman whose white scientist coat she wore.


    "Don''t just stand there like an idiot! Catch her quickly!"


    Before the group of people can react, the door has closed, and she moved quickly again, not waiting around for them to catch up she runs through the hallway like greased lightning.


    "Pisha...Pisha...Pisha."


    She murmured random words, even though she''s unsure why exactly she is saying those words, but it seems appropriate when chased and needs to escape in haste.


    She had distanced herself quite far before the closed door opened again, and a mob of people rushed out looking for her.


    They managed to spot a glimpse of her as she turns to the left of the intersection.


    She sees a closet nearby, she rushed in and closed the door behind her.


    She looks around, and she can see cleaning supplies as well as other random tools inside the cramped room.


    Behind her, she can hear the thunderous stampede of panicked mob chasing after her.


    Reacting with quick reflexes, she jumped and used both of her hands and legs as she holds herself horizontally above the narrow space above the doorway.


    She can hear someone shouting curses from behind the door as she tensed her body and trying to be quiet.


    "Shit! I don''t see her anymore! She runs fast for a kid! Come on! I saw her going this way! We need to catch her, or it''s our head on the line guys!"


    After that, she can hear the mob running down the hallway towards the direction they believe she has moved.


    As the sound grows fainter with distance, she congratulates herself for her brilliant idea and quick action as she began to relax.


    "Sigh the boys have certainly landed themselves in big trouble this time. I have never seen our instructor be that mad before."


    She heard someone''s conversation and footsteps through the closet door and started tensing again.


    "True, but the guys are chasing after her like the hounds of hell themselves are chasing them you know?"


    "With the importance of this project to the managers, do you blame them? I know the management also pressurized the instructor for this project. I wouldn''t be surprised if the culprit or culprits of this fiasco are dumped into deep space as punishment."


    "You''re kidding. Anyway, do you girls think the guys have missed checking this closet in their rush to chase her?"


    Shit, cold sweat starts to pour out of her like a waterfall as she hears a group of them approaching her hiding place.


    "I don''t know, it could be, but it won''t hurt for us to check again."


    Please no, please don''t open the door.


    She prays fervently to anyone who will listen.


    Looking down, she can see the doorknob turning, and the door opens as a young woman walks in through the door looking around.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "No, there isn''t anyone here. It looks like the guys have checked this place already."


    Don''t look up, don''t look up.


    Cold sweat starts collecting at the tip of her nose as the young woman below her turns around to look outside the door.


    Don''t drop, don''t drop.


    However, no one answers her prayers as a drop of sweat falls from her nose and to her perspective it''s like seeing the water droplet fell in slow motion as it starts to approach the top of the woman''s head below her.


    As the drop impacted the top of her head, she screams, and her heart drops to her stomach.


    "Ewww! I''ve got dirty water dripping on my head! Let''s look somewhere else. Everyone is looking for her, so it''s only a matter of time until she is found."


    As the woman below her turns, exit the closet and closed the door.


    By using all her willpower, she managed to stop herself from sighing as she can hear footsteps becoming fainter as the group moved farther and farther away from her hiding place.


    She did not dare to move from her place as she calms her beating heart.


    Wait...


    She can''t feel her beating heart!


    She dropped down to the ground, and she presses her hands towards her chest, trying to feel around for any heartbeat.


    After a while, she gives up and feeling her wrist for a pulse instead.


    Which also resulted in the conclusion that there is no pulse that she can detect!


    Schooling her facial expression and calming her mind, she tried to feel what else is different about her body.


    In the total silence of the closet room, she ponders and considers.


    Wait... Total silence?


    She cannot hear the sound of her breathing!


    How is it possible?


    Then how does she move if there is no process of using oxygen to convert food matter into energy through the chemical process and the distribution of said energy and oxygen throughout her body!


    As she sits cross-legged on the ground, she tried to think about this logically.


    Isn''t she at least half plant?


    So how do plants breathe?


    She knows that plants exchange carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen, and with photosynthesis, there is the creation of energy and water for the nutrient distribution within the stems.


    While rooted in thought, she unconsciously resorts to twirling her hair.


    She then freezes and stares at her hair, which is a leaf she realizes that the leaves are her method of air absorption!


    She breathes through her hair, which is leaves!


    Nodding with the revelation, she files it as part of her new body information but laments that this means she has to keep her hair long if she wants to breathe better and that means cutting her hair short to be her natural manly hairstyle to be out of the question.


    Now that is settled, she tries to think about what she should do now while everyone is out searching for her.


    From the words of the young woman earlier, they sounded very confident that they will find her eventually.


    That means where ever she is now would be a secure place, and in the event of her escape, the facility would be under lockdown with no one being able to come in or going out of the facility.


    If everyone expects her to flee, then they would seal the exits and do a sweep of the entire facility while looking for her.


    Then what can she do?


    What can she use in this closet room, and what does she have available to her right now?


    Standing up and looking around once more, she sees cleaning supplies and cleaning equipment which is worthless to her in her current situation.


    Then what does she have with her now?


    The white coat the woman gave her earlier, but there is nothing in the pockets and maybe her small body for hiding.


    Her small body.


    An inkling of a crazy idea starts forming inside her mind.


    It is so crazy that it might just work!


    She didn''t have any better idea, and the alternative is capture and whatever it is they are going to do to her.


    If everyone expects her to try to escape, then she will stay nearby the place where she started instead! While staring at a medium-sized carton box of cleaning supplies on the rack near the floor. She lifts it, opens it, and takes out all the large bottles of cleaning solution inside it.


    After taking out a dozen of the large bottles, the available space is enough for her to lay herself inside the box.


    She slides the cleaning solution bottles sideways under the rack and puts it tidily and nicely as if the janitor is trying to conserve available space.


    Next, she puts the empty carton box back on the shelf where it originally was, though she put the empty box sideways with the top box opening facing her.


    As she calculates in her mind, she took a step back and then jumped in the opening of the carton box while tucking in her arms and legs.


    The force of her action pushed the carton box in and rotated it back so that the cardboard box opening is back on top again.


    She did this because there is no space even for her small body to squeeze through if she tried to enter it the usual way in between the different layers of the rack.


    Even though it is a bit cramped inside, she wiggled her body to make it more comfortable for her and closed the opening of the carton box by crisscrossing the flaps to seal the box from the inside.


    Feeling secure, now she needs to wait it out while everyone is looking for her in vain.


    She cutely yawns as she became sleepy.


    Maybe she will sleep first and when she wakes up surely everyone who is looking for her would have given up already.


    "Good night everyone..."


    As her eyes flutter to a close, she wills herself to sleep while waiting for her chance to move out again.

 Chapter 4

    Well, suffice to say that after the grand exposure in the cafeteria and without any other escape route besides the one in front of her, she was swiftly and without fuss captured by the guards.


    One of the unnamed guards escorted the relieved scientist somewhere else while the other unnamed guard put both of his hands on her shoulders and sternly steered her forward until both of us enters an executive office.


    Thankfully, they didn''t take anything from her, and her disguise is still on, so she attracted less attention from everyone that she passed on the way to this office.


    And based on the plaque on the door and the luxurious setting it¡¯s fair that the personshe will see is undoubtedly an important person in this place.


    Inside the office, the first thing she saw was the back of a swivel chair facing the large window in front of her.


    ¡°We have her. The scientist is being held in her quarter for now. What do you want me to do next, director?¡± Said the unnamed guard who is holding her captive.


    The swivel chair turns around, and she can see sitting on the chair, a woman with gray eyes, with blonde hairs tied into a ponytail, wearing a black long sleeve sweater with one hand under her chin and the other hand stroking a white Persian cat, purring on her legs. The sight reminded her of a cliche James Bond villain. If she wanted to convey the image of villainy and power, then she has certainly achieved that.


    ¡°No, thank you. You can leave us and go back to the scientist quarter, inform her that I will reinstate her position and convey my apology to her for the trouble.¡± said the cliche James Bond villain.


    Her guard stood at attention and fisted his right hand over his heart as he crisply turns around and exits the office room, leaving her behind with the woman in front of her.


    ¡°Greetings honored ancestor, you have given us quite the scare by disappearing on us last night. However, now that you are here with us I suppose all¡¯s well that end¡¯s well. Oh, where are my manners? Let me introduce myself, my name is Alakoni Ishanoya, the CEO of Lai Dai group of companies and I will be the host for your esteemed being while you are here with us. Please come closer and take a seat¡± Said the woman as she genuinely smiled at her, then gesturing at her from across the large executive desk.


    Raisingher eyes, she approached her and took a seat on one of the chairs on Alakoni¡¯s opposite.


    ¡°Honored ancestor? No offense. But you don¡¯t look Asian to me.¡± she said with uncertainty.


    ¡°Ah, I apologized honored ancestor for my appearance. However nowadays everyone is of mixed-blood, there are very few pure-blooded people nowadays. I am afraid pure Asian, Caucasian and other races of the past are a rarity in today¡¯s society.¡± Said Alakoni Ishanoya.


    ¡°No, that is not an issue, I apologize for asking such a question in our first meeting.¡± She said with politeness.


    The woman across her then let go of the cat sitting on her leg, as the cat hissed at her while raising her tail and walked away with an annoyed pose. She then picked up a tray from her desk and offered it to her by placing it in front of her.


    ¡°Are you hungry? You can eat this if you wish.¡± Said Alakoni as she lifted the cover of the dish.


    In front of her she sees a plate of golden nuggets with a side of dipping sauce beside it, feeling hungry, she reached out, dipping it in the sauce and eats it with gusto. Feeling bliss at the taste of the golden nuggets, she continues stuffing the golden nuggets with alacrity.


    ¡°I am glad you enjoyed it, honored ancestor. My daughter also enjoys eating it so I suspect you might as well.¡± Mrs. Alakoni said with relief.


    ¡°Hmm, it is good. What is it called?¡± She said as she chews with a mouthful of food.


    ¡°It¡¯s called protein delicacies, honored ancestor.¡± Mrs. Alakoni said with respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice, but I don¡¯t recognize the taste. What is it made of?¡± She said as she swallowed the food in her mouth.


    ¡°Mostly organic waste, honored ancestor.¡± Mrs. Alakoni said with a straight face.


    She was stretching her hand to take another nugget before what she said registered in her mind, and she freezes, looking at her in horror. Mrs. Alakoni seems to take a look at her and laughs softly.


    ¡°Oh, that never gets old.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she reached out, took a nugget, dipping it in sauce and promptly throws it into her mouth, eating it.


    She stared at Mrs. Alakoni while looking bewildered at the fact that it''s made of organic waste, but she still can eat it like there is nothing wrong with it.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly safe to eat honored ancestor. Protein delicacies are safe for human consumption, it went through a strict safety process in a sterile environment and made using advanced bioreactor by the Sukuvestaa corporation. And above all, it i nutritious, cheap and in abundance. The flavor can also be adjusted inside the bioreactor.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she swallows the food in her mouth.


    ¡°Even if it is, what would force people to make the decision to resort to this?¡± She said in confusion as she stares at Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Well, it''s because it is no longer possible to grow food in a wasteland, honored ancestor.¡± said Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Wasteland? What sort of wasteland?¡± she said with curiosity.


    ¡°The kind of wasteland with an everlasting winter. The whole world is covered in snow and ice, even now outside this facility there is a blizzard raging.¡± Mrs. Alakoni answered.


    ¡°A blizzard in South East Asia?!¡± She said with shock.


    ¡°Yes, and the climate is still milder here under the equator, compared to anywhere else.The difference is we have more blizzard than other places.¡± Replied Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Why would there be winter wasteland across the world? Did we have a nuclear war and bombed each other into oblivion during my absence? What happened to Global Warming?¡± She said mildly as she calmed down and shot a barrage of questions.


    ¡°Oh, nothing of the sort I assure you. And I forget that in your time global warming was still an issue. Alright, so at one point global warming has worsened and as ocean level rises and extreme weather event was happening once a month. Keep in mind that at that time we already have spaceships in orbit and was colonizing Mars after the moon was fully developed as a colony. Well, the current governing body of the world at that time have the brilliant idea of making a large hole in the ozone layer using the spaceships in orbit. The theory was to let out the greenhouse gases by venting it into space, for comparison, it''s like opening the lid of a pot which is boiling over. The plan was to do it over the Atlantic ocean and done during the nighttime so as not to be exposed to the sun¡¯s radiation without an ozone layer.¡± said Mrs. Alakoni like a lecturer.


    She nodded, and from the sound of it, it does make some sense.


    ¡°What went wrong? She said as she realizes that something was missing from the equation.


    ¡°Well, they miscalculate how the ozone layer will cover the hole after we made the hole in the first place. It was assumed that the hole would be covered fairly quickly after the build up heat escapes to space. At first, the plan works, as the temperature rapidly dropped as the built up greenhouse gases escaped to space. What we did not consider at that time was the same built up greenhouse gases was blocking the ozone layer which was trying to fill in the gap in the atmosphere. Like trying to close a balloon which is deflating and expecting the opening to seal itself while air is still escaping. Long story short by the time the ozone hole closes itself 12 hours later, there are no more greenhouse gasses inside the planet atmosphere, the Atlantic ocean became one big chunk of ice, forming the new central pole, this was after the north pole, and south pole disappears mind you. You can imagine what this does to agriculture, with the temperature dropping, harvests failed, and there was a food shortage. It would have been a problem to feed so many people, but unfortunately billions perished in the cold, frozen to death in the aftermath. There are survivors, but they are faced with starvation as we cannot grow food with the weather condition as it is. Back then, the decision was made to use bioreactor to feed our population by recycling our waste. Ironically, another effect was that overnight this killed the green industry as we would need to add more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere instead of reducing it, that means more coal powered plants needed to be built and cars using fossil fuels needed to be used to restore life to the planet. At first, people resist eating such food, but faced with starvation and death, people¡¯s perception changed as well as priority. Nowadays even after the crisis has passed, we continue production as people¡¯s perception changed and as culturally it is something which is considered as something that has saved our species from extinction.¡± said Mrs. Alakoni still in her lecturer mode.


    She nodded and filed it in her memory as something which is considered common sense in this new world.


    ¡°Now that you have known some of our histories, you now know one of the major change that happened during your absence, honored ancestor. May I know what is your plan now?¡± Mrs. Alakoni asked her.


    ¡°I am not a prisoner?¡± She asked with a tilt of her head.


    ¡°Oh no, we would never dream of holding an esteemed person such as yourself as a prisoner. Everything you see here now and everything the Lai Dai group of companies has achieved can be traced to the seed you gave to the clan more than three hundred years ago, in the form of the inheritance you have given to our ancestors. Even now the Lai Dai group of companies is the only family-owned company among the mega-corporations of the state, free from the pressure and demands of public shareholders as the Lai Dai is not publicly listed on the market. As far as I am concerned, as the CEO of the Lai Dai group, the rest of the clan and I would be behind your wishes one hundred percent.¡± Gushes Mrs. Alakoni.


    In awe and feeling some pride in her descendants and everything that they have achieved.


    She¡¯s happy as they have seemed to make something of themselves with the assets and cash that she has given them so long ago.


    ¡°Plus, I wouldn¡¯t dare charge anything to you. Do you know every one of us is married in front of the tree you are buried in? The tree is very important to us, and every generation gets married in front of the tree as a witness to the union, with everyone of import and family member attending. To us, the tree is considered sacred and holy because it''s related to you honored ancestor. You who is considered the progenitor of the clan and the mighty Lai Dai group of companies.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni with passion.


    She is now getting embarrassed from the high praise she is receiving and nervously rubs the back of her head, but her hand is blocked by the sombrero hat she is still wearing, so she removed her hat and shook her head to straighten out her leaves on her head.


    ¡°Amazing, I have heard of it from the scientists, but seeing it for myself makes a difference.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she stretches her hand and touches her head feeling the smooth leaves.


    ¡°The fact that you are not human must never be widely known. Thankfully you have the presence of mind to disguise yourself, so not many people know that you are inhuman. With members of the science task group under house arrest, we will take measure to keep the information from spreading. Publically, it''s not their business anyway and any knowledge regarding yourself we can make it as a company secret.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°How are you going to do that? I can¡¯t wear this hat forever, and it''s not like it''s appropriate to wear my current outfit all the time.¡± She said with trepidation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry honored ancestor, I have an idea, though it will take time and some resources to implement. Tell me, have you heard the expression, to hide a tree you must put it in the forest?¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni with a grin.


    ¡°I have, what do you have in mind?¡± She said with a schooled expression.


    ¡°If you will allow me to scan your head with this Omni-tool. I can start in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of Lai Dai newest product. The Dryad leaves wig. We will market it and make sure it became fashionable enough that it will be popular in schools as a fashion statement. With some of our population wearing this, when the time comes for you to be seen in public eyes, no one will bat an eye as they will assume you to be a student wearing one of our product.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as her arm suddenly glowed and what looks like a holographic control panel appeared and solidified on her arm.


    ¡°Sounds devious..¡± She said as she stretches her hand at the glowing device on Mrs. Alakoni arm, the device scanned her head and sounded a ping of completion as the process finishes in a few seconds.


    ¡°Oh, are you interested in my Omni-tool? Just a minute¡­¡± Mrs. Alakoni said as she opened the drawer beside her and took out a device which looks like high-tech vambraces and stretches her hand offering it to her.


    ¡°This is a new 8th generation Orange Omni-tool that I have purchased for my daughter, it just came out today, and I was going to give it to her, but I suppose you need it more. I will purchase another one for her next time.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she holds the device in front of her.


    She accepted the device and attached the vambrace to her right arm, with the help of Mrs. Alakoni, she turned on the device, and the device glows with holographic control panel and display.


    ¡°An Omni-tool is a handheld device that combines a computer micro frame, sensor analysis pack, and a mini fabricator. It¡¯s very versatile and reliable, Omni-tools are a multi-purpose diagnostic and manufacturing tools as well as computers used for a variety of civilian and battlefield tasks, such as hacking, decryption, or repair. I will help you register with this unit, use it well.¡± Explains Mrs. Alakoni as she helps fiddle with the setting and registering herself as the primary user and opens all the function to be available for her.


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like an apple smart-phone from my time?¡± She said in childlike wonder.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t compare an apple with an orange. Again, haven¡¯t you heard the expression before? Apple is an ancient brand of computer and would have been obsolete nowadays if it comes out in the market today. No, this Omni-tool is manufactured by Orange, a subsidiary of one of the mega-corporation. Their product is the leading brand of Omni-tool in the market as I¡¯ve said and there is legion of loyal customer for their product. There should be a long line of them today waiting for the chance to secure the same device you now wear on your arm.¡± Mrs. Alakoni said as she fiddled with her Omni-tool.


    ¡°Hmmm..¡± She nodded and let her do her work.


    ¡°There, you could use it now. Just type on the solid holo keyboard, it uses hard-light technology, so even though it looks incorporeal, you can touch it with no issue and would feel solid to you.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni.


    She marveled at the active and glowing device on her arms and played with it checking the available function on the menu displayed on a holographic screen.


    ¡°Just remember to charge it once a week, more often if you used it heavily.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she nodded absent mindedly at Mrs. Alakoni words.


    ¡°Anyway while we wait for more people to adopt your look, you can go to the laboratory later for a more¡­ sophisticated look compared to the mishmash you are wearing now. And while the Dryad wig project is ongoing, we can discuss what do you plan to do in the meanwhile, and there is the matter of arranging your bodyguards.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni


    She stopped fiddling with her new toy and shifted her attention entirely to Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Hmm, I am not certain what I am going to do now. What do you recommend?¡± She said uncertainly.


    ¡°Well you can enroll in the school of applied knowledge, we are the majority investor in the school with 60% share, so arranging your enrollment would not be an issue. The School of Applied Knowledge focuses mainly on technical studies and is considered the best school for aspiring engineers. The school collaborates with many leading Caldari corporations, which benefits the school, the companies and not the least the students.¡± Explained Mrs. Alakoni


    She imagined going back to school and interacting with the students every day while listening and practicing new things to learn and memorize. She considers but is still uncertain whether that is something that she want to do without knowing other options.


    ¡°Hmmm, can you give me time to consider before I can make a decision?¡± she said with some thoughtfulness on her face.


    ¡°That should be fine, but the matter of bodyguards should still be arranged no matter your decision on the school.¡± said Mrs. Alakoni while nodding.


    ¡°Umu.¡± She nodded and gave consent on the issue of bodyguards. She''s a 4-foot tall girl with no power to speak of. Is it any wonder she would accept some bodyguards while traveling here and there?


    ¡°Splendid. I will make the call. Please wait here while I make the arrangement outside.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she stands up and exits the office room, leaving her alone inside the office.


    Finally alone, she used the chance to explore her Omni-tool more.


    Seeing an app named Scope News, she tapped on it.


    The holo display grows larger on her arm as it became a television screen with just the right size and an amazing full-colour resolution. There she can see a person serving as a reporter facing her just like a real television back in her time.


    ¡°...And now live from the street, we can see a long line of customers, some of which has waited in line for days just to get the new 8th generation Orange omni-tool which has just been released today. We are now speaking with the person who has the honor of receiving the first ever product available to the public from the Orange store and has also received store vouchers for all his effort. And get these folks, this person has queued for days naked under the freezing condition and has gotten not one but two Omni-tools which he has worn on both arms. We will now speak with this person to know more.¡± Said a young looking woman who happens to be the reporter for Scope News. The camera then shifted towards a buff and naked looking man, with teal colored hair and strangely appropriate orange colored eyes, and on his buff and chiseled chest are tattooed a large full colored orange fruit.


    ¡°Hello there sir, may I know your name?¡± Asked the young woman journalist to the naked man.


    ¡°Hello there! Yes! My name is Jeremiah Gottwald! 29 Years old, blood type A, status single and my sign is Leo!¡± Exclaimed the naked man loudly.


    ¡°Wonderful sir! May we ask what makes you decide to wait in line naked and for days for the new 8th Gen Orange Omni-tool? You even go so far as tattooing your chest with the company logo.¡± asked the young woman journalist.


    ¡°Yes! My goal is to promote the company, who produces this amazing product! If I can get on the news with what I have done, then it''s a small price to pay! The Orange tattoo on my chest is the mark of my loyalty! Being naked under this blizzard is nothing compared to the storm of my loyalty! ALL HAIL ORANGE!¡± Exclaimed Jeremiah Gottwald naked and raised both arms to show off both 8th Gen Orange omni-tool attached.


    ¡°... And there we have it from a loyal fan of Orange! Let¡¯s get back to you in the studio!¡± said the young woman reporter while looking at the screen.


    The screen then switches to the Scope studio with a middle-aged man as the newscaster staring straight ahead with a serious expression.


    ¡°Ahem! There we have it live from the official opening of the new Orange 8th Gen Omni-tool which is available starting today, looks like the company can again express another profit this year with loyal customers like Mr. Jeremiah Gottwald there. Next, we will cover the coronation of Empress Jamyl Sarum the 1st from the Dwarven Amarr Empire, and her proclamation from her Abaddon class battleship as the proceeding is underway. Can we see the recording of her proclamation again?¡± Said the newscaster as the screen behind him showing the recording from the Amarr Certified News of the event.


    The screen then changed to a recording of a regal looking female dwarf, wearing a royal gown, looking stern, dignified and beautiful as she stands on the podium looking straight ahead and starts proclaiming.


    ¡°I... am the harbinger of hope. I am the sword of the righteous¡­ And to all who hear my words, I say this! What you give to this empire. I shall give back unto you.¡± Said the dwarven woman who identified herself as Empress Jamyl Sarum the 1st.


    The screen then changed back to the newscaster man still looking serious and straight ahead.


    ¡°Now everyone who has heard the new empress proclamation are wondering what does this mean for the whole galaxy as some has been reporting that the empire is declaring a new reclamation. Especially considering the fact that the new empress with her Abaddon class battleship has single-handedly destroyed a whole elder fleet belonging to another separate faction of the Orc¡¯s Minmatar Republic with a new, never before seen, Amarr super weapon. Speculation has been rife that¡­¡± Said the newscaster before she cuts him off by closing the control panel of her Omni-tool as she could see that Mrs. Alakoni is back from outside the office.


    ¡°Alright, the arrangement for your bodyguards is complete. They will arrive here tomorrow, and I will be there with you and introduce you to each other as well.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni while walking closer towards her.


    ¡°Umu, thank you Mrs. Alakoni for everything.¡± She said bashfully to Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, honored ancestor. Ah, one more thing before we leave for the laboratory. In public, it''s not like I can refer to yourself as honored ancestor. And we need to register yourself in our database, and for that, I need to give you an ID name so we can recognize you whenever you are in our company network. What name would suit you? Maybe Mithril? As you are as precious and beautiful as one?¡± Enquired Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Mithril? Can I be registered as Being Y instead?¡± She said with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind since it''s your decision, but why being Y?¡± Asked Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Well, since I don¡¯t know what I am, I think being called a being is appropriate. And since I look like part of a plant, I think the letter Y is appropriate because just as a seed sprouted and grow into a tree, it first started as a sprout, which resembles the letter Y. So I think the name would suit me, plus it doesn¡¯t say whether I am a male or female so it would be harder for people to guess my identity.¡± She explained.


    ¡°It is as good a reason as any other, honored ancestor. Let me register it within the company database.¡± said Mrs. Alakoni as she opens the control panel of her Omni-tool and starts typing into her database.


    ¡°Done, I have ranked the ID name as a VIP within our network, and our people will address themselves appropriately when you need assistance. Now I will make a separate ID. This one would be for your everyday name and usage during your travel. We will make sure that this ID is not linked to Lai Dai, as this ID will be registered inside the State network and available for everyone. What name would you want this one to be?¡± Asked Mrs. Alakoni as she continues typing on her Omni-tool.


    ¡°I have already decided my name to be Raine.¡± She answers Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Alright, any family name? Or do you want to use your old family name?¡± Asked Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Hmm, no I don¡¯t want to use the old family name, lease just put it down as Sioux as it is close enough and it sounds more modern.¡± She answered Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Alright, so your full name would be Raine Sioux. Can you confirm that? And what age would you be?¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Hmm, put me down as nine years old.¡± She nodded, confirming the name selection as she answers.


    ¡°Alright, I will save this inside the State database, your age is nine, and I have taken the liberty of classifying yourself as an orphan being funded under State stipend. This stipend is fair and will still make you independent from the influence of any mega-corporation, at least until the stipend expires when you reach the legal age of 17 under State law.¡± Explained Mrs. Alakoni as she finally finishes typing into her Omni-tool and closes its panel.


    ¡°Now that everything is done and over with I hope you will forgive me for addressing you as either Raine or Sioux from now on while under the public eyes, honored ancestor.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she bowed towards me.


    ¡°Yes, it''s fine with me. Thank you, Mrs. Alakoni.¡± She said politely.


    ¡°And even though it¡¯s not relevant to us now, I would like to inform you of our unofficial clan motto and what every clan member has adopted.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Umu, alright what is the clan motto?¡± She asked with curiosity.


    ¡° It¡¯s, we are Lai Dai! Come and die!¡± Answered Mrs. Alakoni with mirth.


    ¡°... why is that the motto?¡± She asked with confusion.


    ¡°Well there is a bit of wordplay as the word ¡®lai¡¯ in Chinese means ¡®come¡¯ and the word ¡®dai¡¯, when spoken, can be taken as ¡®die''. So essentially we are saying to our enemies who we are and that we are asking them to come at us and die under our might. Though the interesting part is that we can use it in the event of defeat, by saying that we are willing to come and die fighting our enemies.¡± Answered Mrs. Alakoni with a smile.


    ¡°That is witty and morbid. I like it.¡± She said with approval.


    ¡°I am glad that our honored ancestor thinks so as well.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni with a smile.


    ¡°But enough about fun facts, let''s go to the laboratory now, I am sure they can whip up something for you to wear instead of that horrid thing you are wearing now.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she gently lifted Raine''s small bodyfrom the chairto the ground.


    Next, Mrs. Alakoni took the sombrero hat from the top of the desk and making sure all the leaves are inside it, then tied it securely.


    After that Mrs. Alakoni offered one hand facing upward for guidance to the laboratory.


    As she took Mrs. Alakoni hand, she was glad that everything turns out alright.


    Compared to the bleak future being presented at the end of the previous chapter of her life, this is much better.


    Now she is simply excited about where would future chapters of her life will take her.

 Chapter 5

    After leaving the director¡¯s office, both Raine and Alakoni are subjected to curious glances from the surrounding personnel of the facility. In the subordinates¡¯ mind, they find it unusual that they would see the highest authority within the company spending time babysitting a minor during working hours.


    Nevertheless, both Alakoni and Raine disregarded the stares and continued forward along the hallway on their way to the laboratory. Both of them have already passed multiple checkpoints and offices on their way to the lab, and finally, they could see an entrance with the laboratory sign above it, flanked by a pair of guards.


    Alakoni nodded slightly at the guards, with Raine following behind as both of them passed through the entrance to the laboratory.


    Inside they can see many scientists and their assistants working on a variety of scientific instruments, the purpose of which are not clear to Raine.


    Alakoni then lets Raine¡¯s hand go, and then approaches one of the more senior looking scientist around, leaving behind Raine who is marveling at the equipment and computers around her.


    The scientist that Alakoni is approaching looks to be around 40s, with curly red hair, a pair of glasses, wearing the same white lab coat like the one adorning Raine currently, a pair of black boots and wearing a pair of purple gloves.


    The same scientist looked up from his data pad as the director approaches him.


    ¡°Greetings Professor Dexter, I am the director of Lai Dai group, my name is Alakoni Ishanoya. I trust you have already been informed of myself coming for a visit and the purpose of said visit?¡± Explained director Alakoni.


    ¡°Yes, I have been updated director Alakoni. And the girl behind you must be the fascinating guest who have stalemated some of my work. No offense though director, our security personnel could use some work if they are not able to resolve the emergency quickly, and maybe next time I would have the pleasure of working in peace.¡± Said Professor Dexter lightheartedly at Alakoni as he smiled kindly at Raine.


    ¡°Indeed professor. The matter of retraining our security personnel notwithstanding. I hope you don¡¯t mind spending some time and effort to outfit our recalcitrant guest with some of our more properly¡­ advanced equipment?¡± Asked Alakoni quietly.


    ¡°Certainly, now if the young lady can make herself available here with us we can proceed.¡± Said professor Dexter as he nodded and placed his datapad on the nearby desk.


    However, interrupting both of the professor and the director¡¯s conversations, an explosion suddenly rings out and shocked both of them and the next thing they know the emergency sirens activated and loudly broadcasted throughout the laboratory. The alarm is followed by scores of hovering drones flying over above their heads toward the burning engine on an open testing ground, and then the drones start to douse it with synthetic foams.


    ¡°My lab!¡± Shouted professor Dexter in panic.


    Both the professor and the director turned their attention to Raine only to find her frozen with her finger on a glowing big red button, which is on a computer panel near her.


    Raine freezes having been caught in the act, with a deer in the headlights expression on her face.


    ¡°I was curious. Sorry...¡± Raine said remorsefully.


    ¡°Sigh, I really should have learned to label the self-destruct button and cover them with a glass panel. The nightmare with my sister is happening all over again.¡± Lamented professor Dexter as he took off his glasses and pinched his nose above the eyes.


    As guards and personnel stream in from outside the laboratory trying to salvage the situation and save as much data and equipment as possible.


    ¡°I am sorry about her action professor. Perhaps this is not the best time for a visit. We will be back again in the future. ¡° Said the director as she picked up Raine and exited the laboratory hurriedly.


    Outside the laboratory, besides the entrance door, Alakoni put Raine back on the ground as the older woman shakes her head at the destruction and the cost that this will reflect on this month¡¯s balance sheet.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Raine apologized again.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine we managed to identify another safety risk with this, so it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a total loss.¡± Said Alakoni while trying to smile at Raine and failing.


    ¡°Although, now that the professor will be pre-occupied for a while. I am at a loss on how we can outfit you now.¡± Said Alakoni as she looks around for a solution.


    ¡°I can help you with that director.¡± Said a voice out of thin air near both Alakoni and Raine.


    Both Alakoni and Raine looks around but are unable to spot anyone nearby, Alakoni then sighed.


    ¡°Mrs. Ashi, how many times have I told you not to wear the Light Frame Scout Dropsuit with the cloaking field active?¡± Said Alakoni with exasperation.


    ¡°20 times now, but who¡¯s counting?¡± A voice said as the figure materializes in front of them, wearing a silver-coloured full body, form fitting cybernetic armor with a full reflective faceplate. A handgun holstered on her right leg and a short sword sheathed on her left leg.


    ¡°Ms. Raine, let me introduce you to Mrs. Ashi, she is the bodyguard and also wife of our private security contractor.¡± Explained director Alakani.


    ¡°Please director Alakoni, call me Ashi. My husband and I are not much for formalities between friends.¡± Said Ashi, her voice clear even though her face is covered by the faceplate helmet she is wearing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind Mrs. Ashi. Although what is this about something that you can help with my charge here.¡± Said Alakoni as she gestured towards Raine¡¯s direction.


    ¡°If she does not mind I have a spare undersuit she could wear inside my husband''s office and I. It''s the advanced version with enhanced profile dampening, and it¡¯s even breathable! Plus I have a couple of ideas that I think would be perfect for her. Teehee¡± Said Ashi with some glee at the end.


    ¡°Why not, it¡¯s not like she can wear anything worse. You can go ahead Mrs. Ashi. I know the way to your office, and I can follow behind you.¡± Alakoni said as she gestured towards the direction of Ashi¡¯s office.


    ¡°Wonderful, I¡¯ll see you there then. Toodles.¡± Ashi said while waving her hand as she jumped back while doing a 360 degrees flip and engaged her cloaking field as she was about to reach the ground.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention that she is also a ninja.¡± Alakoni said as an afterthought.


    Raine¡¯s eye sparkles with admiration as she saw how cool Mrs. Ashi was, now she cannot wait to reach her office. She starts pulling on Alakoni¡¯s sweater so they can reach Mrs. Ashi¡¯s office faster. As they walked ahead, they found themselves in front of a traditional looking office with old Japanese stone lantern and artificial pond with koi fishes swimming in front of the office entrance.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Said Alakoni as she slides the traditional door sideways and enters the office.


    Raine rushes past Alakoni and looks for Mrs. Ashi but instead found a Japanese looking man sitting on the floor drinking hot tea from a cup with a pot of said tea beside him. The man was wearing a white robe and white leggings with gray combat boots, and his hair is also tied in a ponytail just like Alakoni.


    ¡°Welcome to my humble abode director Alakoni. How may I help you today? I am afraid my dear wife just went past me without explaining anything to me. But where are my manners? Please.. Sit down and have a cup of tea with me.¡± Said the man with a calm and pleasant tone as he put down his cup of tea and starts preparing tea for two more people.


    ¡°As always it is a pleasure, Mr. Jack.¡± (Editor Note: Ayy, Samurai Jack) Said Alakoni as she enters Jack¡¯s office and sits cross legged on the floor opposite him.


    ¡°Ms. Raine, please come and sit together with us. Please introduce yourself as well.¡± Alakoni said as she gestured towards an empty spot beside her.


    Raine obediently follows Alakoni request and sits in a proper seiza beside Alakoni as she recognizes the ancient tea pouring ceremony from the far east.


    ¡°Good day Jack-san, my name is Raine. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Said, Raine, as she bowed her head until it touched the floor in front of her and raised her head again with back ramrod straight as she stares ahead toward Jack.


    Jack stops making the tea for a moment and then moved again as he continues pouring the matcha or green tea powders into the cup, took a ladle of hot water from the pot and pour it into the cup as he whisked it firmly with one hand, while the other is holding the cup.


    Jack then passed the steaming cup of hot tea to Alakoni.


    Alakoni accepted the cup of hot tea while looking beside her with curiosity at Raine¡¯s sitting position and mannerism.


    ¡°What a charming girl you are, I was sure that there are no more people in today¡¯s day and age, that have the knowledge of the ancient art of tea-making ceremony customs. And Raine, such a precious name, just like rain (Editor Note: Puns, lol), I have never felt natural rain again beside the showers. Your name also reminded me of the blooms of the flower and the scent of wet plants after the rain has passed. Yes, it is a good name.¡± Said, Jack, as he starts preparing another cup of tea for Raine.


    ¡°Nope, I am sure I am but a novice compared to you Jack-san. But perhaps if you will permit me to make a cup of tea for you?¡± Said, Raine, as she outstretches her hands as if requesting the tools to make the tea.


    ¡°I suppose I can let you try Raine-chan, I would love to drink the tea made by you.¡± Jack said with a smile as he passes the whisk, the ladle, the long spoon for the matcha powder and the empty cup to Raine¡¯s outstretched hands.


    To Jack¡¯s surprise, Raine arranges the tools correctly according to custom. The tools arranged perfectly beside her as Raine sits in proper seiza position. Every movement is smooth and done in one continuous motion, flowing from one step to the other without pause or hesitation. From the position of the empty cup in front of her, the pose she has adopted while pouring the matcha powder, the pouring of hot water and to the whisking of the matcha until it is ready. Raine then passes the completed hot matcha tea to Jack¡¯s hand.


    As Jack stares at the cup of tea in his hands, Raine proceeds to close the ceremony by cleaning the tools and drying them with a piece of cloth and arranging them appropriately for the next person to use. Jack then took a sip of the tea and marvels at the texture, the taste and the temperature of the tea, for it is a tea made by a master.


    ¡°You have the skills of a master, Raine-chan. Tell me, how did you manage to make this tea and who teaches you how to do it?¡± Jack asked with wonder and delight.


    Raine then puts both hands on the floor in front of her as she bows at Jack, and then she lifted her arm and proceed to remove the sombrero hat still on her head.


    As her leaves became free from its containment inside the hat, Jack was looking in even more wonder at Raine.


    ¡°I have no master, as I have learned the knowledge myself through observation and participation Jack-san. I have lived for two hundred years already, and that was three hundred years ago, I may have some tricks up my sleeves because of that.¡± Raine answers as she sits still in seiza position.


    ¡°I see. I thank you for the tea you have made for me. It has been so long since someone else has shared their tea with me.¡± Jack said as he put both his hand in front of him and bowed slightly, an action mirrored by Raine.


    Raine and Jack then close their eyes and sit in seiza position facing each other without saying anything else.


    As the silence continues, the forgotten Alakoni beside Raine awkwardly raised her hand in confusion.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Asked Alakoni, bewildered.


    ¡°Director, now it is a time of peace and reflection. Please, wait while I meditate together with Raine-chan.¡± Said Jack serenely.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Peace Mrs. Alakoni, we will meditate until Mrs. Ashi returns to us.¡± Said Raine with serenity.


    After 10 minutes have passed in silence, the sound of footsteps descending on staircases can be heard from where everyone has gathered.


    Alakoni, Raine, and Jack stir and looks toward the direction the sound is coming from but failed to see anyone until a figure suddenly materializes and hugged Jack tightly from behind.


    ¡°Jack! Husband, did you enjoy having my little kitty cat here as a guest?¡± Said Ashi as she rubbed her faceplate against Jack¡¯s face repeatedly.


    ¡°Ashi! Please, not in front of our guests!¡± Said, Jack, as his face gets redder and redder in embarrassment.


    ¡°Again, you¡¯re such a prude dear husband. It¡¯s fine there are only friends here.¡± Said Ashi as she takes off her helmet and shakes off her hairs, which are black and of short length.


    Ashi looks beautiful, and to Raine¡¯s surprise, she looks like she has a pure Japanese ancestry as well, the same ancestry as Jack.


    Raine then shifted her attention towards Alakoni, with an expression looking for an explanation.


    ¡°I did say that purebloods are a rarity, but the pairings of Mr. Jack and Mrs. Ashi is considered very rare and should they have children, their children would also be considered as purebloods.¡± Explained Alakoni as she sipped her hot tea.


    ¡°I am still waiting for that child, by the way, husband.¡± Said Ashi with annoyance.


    Jack then put one of his hand under his chin, and with a thoughtful expression, he then shifted his attention towards Raine then at Ashi before finally nodding his head.


    ¡°I suppose you have waited long enough Ashi. I am open to have that child now after seeing Raine-chan. For some reason, the thought of having someone like Raine-chan of my own to spoil and teach is something that became very appealing to me now.¡± Said Jack with conviction.


    Ashi then squeals and proceed to shower Jack¡¯s face with kisses and hugs.


    ¡°Oh, kitty-chan! I cannot thank you enough for convincing my husband for a child! I love you even more now! I promise you can even be one of the godparents when we have the child!¡± Said Ashi as she switched target and latched to Raine, to Raine¡¯s fear and horror.


    Raine is lifted from her seiza position by Ashi, and her cheeks are rubbed by Ashi¡¯s cheeks until she can feel them getting redder and tender.


    ¡°Uuuuu, let go of me woman! Also, my name is not kitty!¡± Complained Raine while trying to escape from Ashi¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Uhuhuhu, not yet you aren¡¯t. Let¡¯s give you the reason why you are here in the first place.¡± Said Ashi as she let go of Raine and took out from her inventory a black colored, skin tight undersuit.


    ¡°Tadaaaa! As promised, Raine chan''s new outfit! Now let¡¯s get rid of all the junks you are wearing now!¡± Said Ashi as she approaches Raine slowly like a predator stalking her prey.


    Raine started to back up slowly and was going to run, but she was too slow compared to Ashi¡¯s reaction speed. Ashi then starts stripping her Omni-tool, clothing, gloves, and boots until she¡¯s stark naked on the ground.


    ¡°Noooooo!¡± Raine screamed with mortification as she laid on the floor while trying to cover her exposed privates.


    During the commotion, Alakoni and Jack retreated to the second floor as they left the pair together to their own devices.


    ¡°Hold still will you!¡± Ashi said as she grappled with Raine, trying to force her to wear the suit.


    Raine resisted, but was no match for Ashi¡¯s strength, until finally, Raine was wearing the black skin tight, turtle necked undersuit, which is covering her from her neck to the tips of her fingers and toes.


    Ashi then forces Raine to wear the black colored reinforced combat boots and the black colored reinforced combat gauntlets. And as is the standard for the equipment Raine has encountered now, all of them adjusted their size to fit her perfectly.


    Ashi then attached back Raine¡¯s Omni-tool and secured it on Raine¡¯s right arm.


    Finally, Ashi covered Raine¡¯s head with something that looks like a ninja mask made from the same material as her undersuit. Ashi is also making sure that all her leaves are inside the material, which is thankfully breathable as she breathes from her leaves, thank you!


    Now Raine looks like a scuba diver, with some part of her face and eyes the only thing left uncovered from her whole body.


    ¡°And now the finishing pieces!¡± Said Ashi as she raised a black cat ears hairband from her inventory.


    Raine took one look at the black cat ears hairband and shook her head rapidly, rejecting it.


    ¡°Aw come on Kitty-chan. I¡¯ll give you this black cat tail belt as well if you wear it for me?¡± Said Ashi with a pleading voice and a puppy dog eyes with fake tears streaming down as she dropped to one knee with one hand in a begging position under her chin and the other hand holding the belt with an actual black cat tail attached to it.


    Raine takes another look at both the black cat ears hairband and the black cat tail belt, then proceeds to give Ashi an unimpressed stare.


    ¡°Oh, it''s a shame if you refuse. You see, inside the tail are hidden multiple discs of high explosives. See for yourself.¡± Said Ashi while pointing at the source of the tail where there is an opening. Ashi inserted her hand and took out a disc with a button on top, as she presses it the disc starts beeping rapidly before she quickly presses the button again.


    ¡°You see the explosive discs are stacked on top of each other inside the tail. The tail itself is made from a durable and fire-proof material as a precaution against the explosives. The belt itself also has some pockets lining its side for you to keep anything small put inside, as well as a couple of slots for knives. How is it? If you keep wearing the cat hairband all the time, I will continue supplying you with the explosive discs for free!¡± Said Ashi while she dangled the tail in front of Raine¡¯s eyes.


    Raine psyche is conflicted between the humiliation of wearing the black cat ears hairband and the pull of her need to see something explode.


    In the end, her manly psyche wins out and forces her to accept the deal.


    Plus Ashi said that she would replenish the discs every time she sees Ashi again.


    Raine thinks that this will also ensure her to visit both Ashi and Jack more often. Something that both Ashi and Jack seems to look forward to.


    However, as the decision was already made, she nodded and took both the black cat ears hairband and the black cat tail/explosives belt from Ashi¡¯s hand.


    With forced grumpiness, she wore the black cat ears hair band on her head and next, with genuine cheerfulness she wore the black cat tail belt as she stroked it lovingly.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    The sound of a camera from Ashi¡¯s Omni-tool sounded as she pointed her Omni-tool at Raine and forever immortalized the moment she lovingly stroked her cat tail.


    ¡°Oh, how adorable! You look just like an actual kitty cat!¡± Gushes Ashi as she rubbed her cheeks again against Raine¡¯s cheeks.


    Now Raine looks like a demi-human of the black cat species if there are such a thing as a beast people anywhere in this universe.


    With the full body change from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, her skin tight black undersuit, her black reinforced combat boots, her black reinforced combat gauntlet, her black cat ears hairband and finally her black cat tail belt.


    Raine just stands there silently enduring the humiliation looking both adorable and deadly at the same time.


    After a while of Ashi¡¯s petting session, to Raine¡¯s relief, she can hear the sound of Alakoni and Jack coming back from upstairs.


    As Alakoni and Jack approach closer, Jack tried hard to hold his laugh while Alakoni laughed hard without holding back at Raine¡¯s new outfit.


    ¡°Amazing, she looks both adorable and deadly at the same time! I couldn¡¯t have picked a better outfit for her!¡± Said Alakoni with admiration after she finishes laughing at Raine¡¯s expense.


    ¡°You have done well Ashi. She is very. As you say, cute.¡± Said, Jack, as he holds his laugh.


    Raine pouted and puffed her cheek angrily as she sits cross-legged and turns her body, so it turns around and facing away from all three of them.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that Raine. I know what will cheer you up! Jack and I have discussed a matter related to you upstairs, and we have decided to give you a weapon to protect yourself. We will be there with you as well as the bodyguards who will be arriving tomorrow, but we have decided it¡¯s always good if you can fend for yourself if need be.¡± Said Alakoni good-naturedly.


    ¡°With that said, it is my honor to present you with this blade. It belongs to me, but I have confidence that you will be able to use it well.¡± Said, Jack, as he took out a blade and offered it to Raine.


    Raine accepted the offered blade and marveled at the dark metal coating and the honed edge. As she inspected her new blade, the grip looks high tech and is heavier than expected.


    ¡°That is an Advanced Nova Knife, specifically the ¡®Blackprey¡¯ ZN-28 Nova Knife. To explain it to you Nova Knives are a close-quarters melee weapon. The Nova Knife is as deadly a weapon as anything on the battlefield. Its name derives from the heated plasma edge of the blade formed by a thermic igniter and linear gravity condenser that, in skilled hands, can be used to carve through even the thickest drop suit armor.¡± Explained Jack as he observes Raine inspecting her new weapon.


    Raine, satisfied with examining her new weapon, proceeds to sheathe her new blade on the available slot on her belt¡¯s left side so she can use it when she needs it.


    ¡°That is the most advanced Nova Knife you can get in the market, with a damage output almost double compared to the standard Nova Knives available in the market. The only thing more advanced than a ¡®Blackprey¡¯ Nova Knives are the Nova Knives used exclusively by Ishukone corporation operatives, and even those are only 33% more powerful compared to the ¡®Blackprey¡¯ Nova Knife.¡± Said Jack further clarifying the capabilities of the enhanced knife he has gifted to Raine.


    ¡°As an addition, as a personal gift from me. I wish to pass to you something which belonged to me and has a deep history for myself.¡± Said Ashi as she stood beside Jack and offered what looks like an onna-men mask from a traditional Japanese Noh play.


    On Ashi¡¯s hand lies a white mask with a feminine expression and a small and light red lipstick where the lips are supposed to be.


    ¡°Ashi, that mask!¡± Exclaimed Jack as he looks worriedly at his wife.


    ¡°No, Jack. I am ready to let go of the past. This part of myself must go, and I cannot imagine a better person to pass this to other than Raine-chan.¡± Said Ashi with serenity.


    Raine accepted the mask from Ashi, and she can feel that the mask is no ordinary mask as her hands shuddered when she touched it.


    ¡°The mask is enchanted through a process that I have no knowledge of. What I know is that the mask will somehow increase your speed by another 50 percent and increases your stamina regeneration to twice compared to normal. I entrusted this mask to you, together with the knife from Jack, I hope you can use the mask and the blade well.¡± Said Ashi with faith.


    Jack still looks worriedly at his wife but look resolved to stand by her decision.


    Raine, still holding the mask on her hands decided not to wear it over her face but decided to secure it on top of her head.


    So a part of her face is still uncovered, and with her nose and mouth covered by the ninja mask, she looks like a mini hunter-ninja from the anime Naruto franchise.


    ¡°I humbly thank both of you for the hospitality.¡± Said, Raine, as she bowed deeply once more.


    ¡°I humbly thank you for the tea.¡± Said Jack.


    ¡°I humbly thank you for the cognizance.¡± Said Ashi.


    ¡°Well, I am just going to give a standard thank you.¡± Said Alakoni.


    Both Ashi and Jack returns the bow and back to standing side by side after completing the bow.


    Both Alakoni and Raine then said their goodbyes as both of them left Ashi and Jack¡¯s office.


    Inside Ashi and Jack¡¯s office, both Ashi and Jack are discussing their plan.


    ¡°So.. about your promise?¡± Asked Ashi with a nervous undertone.


    Jack smiled and kissed Ashi full on the lips, which Ashi returned.


    ¡°Of course, dear Ashi. And I apologize for taking this long to decide.¡± Said, Jack, as he stroked Ashi¡¯s cheek and as both their forehead touching each other.


    ¡°Oh, husband.¡± Said Ashi as she happily snuggled Jack back.


    Jack then separates himself from Ashi, and then he bent down to pick up Raine¡¯s previous outfit. Raine¡¯s sombrero hat, white lab coat, rubber gloves and rubber boots from the floor.


    ¡°What do you want to do with Raine chan''s old things, Ashi?¡± Asked Jack.


    ¡°Hmmm, I will burn the hat, use the rubber gloves and boots for housecleaning. And the white lab coat. I have something special in mind, so I will wash it and wear it so we can play doctor.¡± Said Ashi happily.


    Jack looks blankly at Ashi as he nervously rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°Forgive me Ashi. I do not quite understand the last part. Can you explain it to me?¡± Asked Jack with confusion lining his face.


    ¡°I will repeat what I said, husband. You are such a prude.¡± Said Ashi annoyedly while rolling her eyes.


    Moving forward to outside Ashi and Jack¡¯s office, both Alakoni and Raine are walking without a clear destination as everyone they have passed now draw not a curious gaze but a shocked one instead, while lingering on Raine after the initial look.


    Unknown to both of them since then, there would be rumors on the corporation grapevines which states that director Alakoni has created and funded a project with the goal of transforming children''s into a perfect weapon of war.


    Years later, this rumor would continue to persist and even started numerous copycat projects from the other Caldari mega-corporation and pirate groups.


    ¡°Now that you are outfitted worthy of your stature Ms. Raine, would you like to retire and rest? A guest room is ready for your stay and should you need anything I can have a maid available for you.¡± Offered Alakoni.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer Mrs. Alakoni, but I would like to return to my tree and rest there. I feel that I would feel more comfortable resting there.¡± Answered Raine.


    ¡°Very well Ms. Raine, it¡¯s a long way back to your tree from here, but we can go there now. If you would please follow me.¡± Confirmed Alakoni.


    ¡°Talking about Mr. Jack, how could he have married a ninja as his wife in the first place?¡± Asked Raine with curiosity.


    ¡°Mr. Jack claims that when he was a samurai, both Mrs. Ashi and he are involved in some dispute. A dispute which they have since resolved.¡± Explained Alakoni.


    Raine giggled hearing Alakoni¡¯s answer.


    ¡°What is funny, Mrs. Raine?¡± Queried Alakoni.


    ¡°Oh, a samurai and a shinobi marrying each other? It was nothing, just an old joke.¡± Said Raine with a smile.


    ¡°If you say so Ms. Raine.¡± Said Alakoni with a nod.


    Both Alakoni and Raine then proceed forward, passing through offices and checkpoints and still along the way they would be under stares from everyone they passed.


    Until finally, they reached the entrance to Raine¡¯s tree, director Alakoni then authorized herself and Raine after talking to the pair of guards by the entrance to be cleared entry into the secure cavern.


    As Alakoni and Raine enter the large cavern, both of them could already see the entirety of the large tree, glowing somehow, even from a considerable distance from the entrance, which is behind them.


    ¡°So... I am finally back to where I first started..¡± Said, Raine, as she gazes longingly at her tree.


    ¡°Indeed, Ms. Raine. How does it make you feel?¡± Asked Alakoni as she stares at the same tree beside Raine.


    However, before Raine could answer, both Alakoni and Raine are distracted by someone¡¯s exclamation from a distance.


    And as they looked ahead, both of them can see the middle-aged scientist woman who Raine first met when she first woke up and were wrongly convicted of her escape, fast approaching them looking murderous at both of them.


    ¡°I feel that some things stay the same Mrs. Alakoni.¡± Answered Raine with some mirth.

 Chapter 6

    In no time at all the female scientist Raine first met when she woke up as a little girl reached the place where both Alakoni and Raine stands.


    ¡°Director! I have to protest most severely for the treatment I have received while under the employ of the company! I am quite sure that there are no clauses that suggested that I would be subjected to bodily harm while serving the company¡¯s interests when I signed the appointment letter!¡± Complained the scientist loudly as she stand in front of both Alakoni and Raine while folding both of her arms in front of her breasts.


    Raine just quietly stands there looking at the scientist, wondering why the scientist in front of her became so upset because of losing an employment position.


    Could it be that the job has good pay and benefits or is she serving a house mortgage or student loans without any reserve funds or savings? Or maybe both? Man, that is the worst.


    Raine nods to herself, imagining the most likely scenarios while trying to understand the position the woman in front of her is in right now..


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said through my personal guard Dr. Vahlen, I have apologized for your mistreatment and I have since reinstated your position. If it¡¯s a matter of financial reimbursement for your trouble please let us discuss this in private at a later time.¡± Sighed Alakoni as she puts one hand on her forehead and shakes her head in exasperation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the money! You can¡¯t expect money to cover my distress at almost being terminated!¡± Protested Dr. Vahlen as she rest one of her hand on her hips and the other hand pointing at Alakoni.


    Raine raised one of her hand which attracted the attention of both Alakoni and Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°Sorry for disrupting your argument here... Dr. Vahlen, but it shouldn¡¯t matter how bad your situation become as long as you are alive you can do something about it, then things will get better, right?¡± Advised Raine as she just want to hurry things along so she can return to her tree.


    Dr. Vahlen looks close to exploding but before Dr. Vahlen can retort, Alakoni stepped forward from beside Raine, therefore blocking Raine¡¯s view with Alakoni¡¯s back. Alakoni then proceeds to slap both her hands on Dr. Vahlen¡¯s shoulders and then grabbed it firmly.


    ¡°Now-now Dr. Vahlen, Raine here is right. As long as you¡¯re alive then you can definitely do something to make things better right? Hahahahaha!¡± Said Alakoni with an unusual tone of voice and a bit of forced laughter at the end.


    ¡°Of..Of course director! I agreed with both of you completely! Hahahahaha!¡± Said Dr. Vahlen in an equally unusual tone and also with a forced laughter at the end.


    Raine then stares at the awkward atmosphere, somehow both Alakoni and Vahlen are acting weird and their laughters sounds forced. Raine have a feeling that she was missing something but at the same time she also didn¡¯t care enough to find out more.


    Still, Raine is a bit curious why Dr. Vahlen¡¯s face is pale after Alakoni moved aside so she can see Dr. Vahlen¡¯s face, but shortly after Dr. Vahlen is dragged away by Alakoni towards the base of her tree, leaving her behind.


    As Raine follows after both Alakoni and Dr. Vahlen, both of them seems to be in some sort of heated discussion ahead of Raine but she¡¯s unable to hear anything they say since they are speaking in a low volume with each other.


    After walking for a while, their group reach the base of tree. Looking around, Raine noticed that inside the secured cavern there are only three of them so it feels emptier than usual compared to the time when there was a group of young scientists gathering in front of the tree.


    Both Alakoni and Dr. Vahlen was waiting for a short moment for Raine to reach their location and from what Raine can see, Dr. Vahlen¡¯s face has regained some of her colours back.


    ¡°Ms. Raine, I apologize for the unsightly conduct from earlier. First my name is Dr. Vahlen, I serve as the science officer in this installation. Earlier in the lab you have met Professor Dexter, he is the Chief Engineer in this facility. Basically if you need some engineering or mechanical work, you can approach professor Dexter as that is his field. Everything else, you can approach me. In your case my field of study is biology and genetic engineering, that is why I was tasked to study the tree and the phenomena surrounding it. I am also an expert in other fields of study as well.¡± Said Dr. Vahlen while she stands in a rigid fashion.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well Dr. Vahlen, I am sorry that you have to be troubled because of my escape yesterday.¡± Said Raine as she gather around the base of the tree with both Alakoni and Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°Yes, about that. I would consider it even, if I could be allowed to collect some body fluid sample from your tree. You see, the higher ups are loathe to allow it and I have met a dead end in my research by limiting my research to observation and deep scan. To progress in my research I would need biological samples. So please give me permission..¡± Said Dr. Vahlen with a pleading voice at the end.


    ¡°Dr. Vahlen! This is highly inappropriate request to ask from Ms. Raine!¡± Said Alakoni with a glare towards Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°But she¡¯s basically the tree! Surely as long as there is the permission from the party involved then it should be permissible!¡± Argued Dr. Vahlen with some vehemence.


    Raine tilted her head at Dr. Vahlen, wondering should she give permission? Perhaps she can allow it if she get some concessions from Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°Dr. Vahlen, I will allow it but I have some conditions before I give permission.¡± Said Raine flatly.


    ¡°Anything.¡± Said Dr. Vahlen with relief on her face.


    Alakoni became deflated after Raine herself voiced her agreement with the idea.


    ¡°First, you share everything you have learned about the tree with me. Secondly, and I think this is a condition given by Lai Dai as well, that you keep any knowledge you gained as confidential and it cannot be leaked outside. And finally, this sample is the only time it¡¯s going to be free of charge. In the future I will charge for any further sample request, and this is subject to discussion and change if there is new information available to both of us.¡± Explained Raine on her conditions to allow body sample to be taken from her tree.


    Dr. Vahlen then turns her attention to Alakoni.


    Alakoni looks happier with Raine¡¯s terms and she nodded willing to allow it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fair Ms. Raine, I can fulfill the first term now if you wish, by sharing with you what we have learned about the tree so far.¡± Said Dr. Vahlen in a more positive mood.


    Raine nodded giving Dr. Vahlen the go ahead to share the knowledge about the tree with her.


    ¡°Well what we know for sure is that the tree is somehow have the ability to connect to a different plane of existence or different dimension if you will. We can measure a time-dilation effect around it, in which some of our research group experienced different time while in the vicinity of the tree. By that I mean when we set up a specific time to meet back at the base of the tree, say at three o¡¯clock, and then separates in order to collect samples. We would never meet up again at the base of tree at the same time! Some would be back in minutes, some would be back hours later after the specified time has passed for everyone else! The curious thing is the missing group¡¯s time stamp on their omni tool shows that their perception of time is accurate to the affected individuals. We can see them! But trying to communicate with them while they are moving in slow motion is like trying to pull teeth and delay their return! And anyone we sent out from the base would be affected by the same phenomena if they happen to be in the same area.¡± Explained Dr. Vahlen with consternation.


    Raine nodded, saving Dr. Vahlen¡¯s words in her mind.


    ¡°Next, the tree is also capable of affecting the space around it. So we can say for sure that the tree can affect both time and space. The effect on space is more dramatic. As once in awhile we would have random animals suddenly appear inside the cavern even though the entrance and exits are secured and monitored. Furthermore, we are sure the animals did not just stumble inside the cavern from outside the facility.¡± Explained Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°Oh! Like the facehugger the guards mentioned earlier! That animal came from here?¡± Said Raine as she looks around trying to spot one of them.


    ¡°Ah, yes! The only specimen which have escaped the secured area through the ventilation vents and killed a guard. The only thing alerting us of its existence is through the alerts sent by the alarms and cameras we have installed in the ventilation vents leading to and from this area. Otherwise we would have lost it. But once the bodies of both the specimen and the guard are secured during the security sweep, we have to cremate the body of the guard and the specimen in hazmat suits. As who knows what sort of biohazard would be unleashed in the population if we didn¡¯t take such precautions? The guards have resorted to childishly calling it a facehugger but we, the scientists, have referred to the specimen as the ¡®alien¡¯ due to it being the only non-native specimen of Earth to appear in this facility.¡± Explained Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°Then what sort of animals usually appear?¡± Asked Raine while putting a finger on her chin.


    ¡°The most often cases are usually small rodents, some cats and dogs, a few bats though curiously never birds and one more unusual case, a long extinct Javanese rhino. In fact the appearance of the rhino adds credence to the theory that the tree is connected to different plane of existence. As the Javanese Rhino have been extinct for close to a thousand years, long before the advent of genetic engineering. We have since cloned the rhino, market it and sold it to rich and influential families as a status symbol. I suppose it¡¯s as if someone cloned a dinosaur in your time and selling it as a pet for a comparison. Especially after the second mass extinction event that have frozen everything on the world. A lot of animal went extinct but we have been slowly reviving the native species well adapted to the current cold through cloning and genetic engineering. The most common animals in the world now are seals, penguins, polar bears, arctic wolves and snow hares.¡± Droned Dr. Vahlen in lecture mode.


    Raine keeps nodding automatically as she absorbs the information shared by Dr. Vahlen.


    ¡°Which is why studying the tree is so important as it can give us a better understanding of the law that governs space and time! Why, one application is to research a better method or improving our current Faster Than Light or FTL travel technology! The possibilities are endless!¡± Said Dr. Vahlen with excitement.


    Dr. Vahlen then bent down closer to one of the exposed tree roots and with the omnitool on her arm, she activated a circular saw app. At the end of the omnitool a circular saw made from hard light started to materialize and spin rapidly making a buzzing sound.


    ¡°With that said, can I start making the cut now? I assure you I will seal the cut afterwards.¡± Asked Dr. Vahlen to Raine with some eagerness.


    Raine shrugged and gestured at Dr. Vahlen to proceed. As Dr. Vahlen brings down the blade the sound of grinding and the smell of burning can be sensed. It took a while for Dr. Vahlen to cut through the bark but she manages to do so after a few inches of going deeper from the bark surface.


    Raine then noticed that some liquid that looks similar to blood started seeping out from the cut.


    Dr. Vahlen then sucks the liquid using her omnitool and then discharges it inside a single large erlenmeyer flask. Dr. Vahlen then repeats this process multiple times until the flask is full and proceeds to seal the cut using an organic sealant derivative which hardens very quickly and stops the bleeding.


    Dr. Vahlen then lifted the flask high above her head as she inspected the liquid inside and sighed happily as she proceeds to seal the flask and labeled it with a biohazard sign.


    ¡°How do you feel during the procedure Ms. Raine?¡± Asked Alakoni after watching the procedure with some nervousness.


    ¡°It was itchy at first, then it starts to sting but I can feel it like an echo from a distance compared to a more direct pain if it happens to me directly.¡± Explained Raine as she rubs her feet as if the cut was made directly at her instead of the tree.


    ¡°Fascinating, the tree can transmit sensation to Ms. Raine somehow! Is this physical proof of quantum entanglement at work? Just imagine if we can recreate this artificially! Communication between vast ranges of star systems can be done instantly!¡± Said Dr. Vahlen excitedly as she cradled the filled flask like a precious baby.


    Raine, seeing that she has completed her part of the deal then proceeds to sit and laid her back against the base of the tree. What is unforeseen to her is that the moment she has done so, her body starts to sink in against the tree. She managed to see Alakoni panicked face and Dr. Vahlen still cuddling the flask and cooing at it like it¡¯s her first born baby.


    Raine can feel herself surrounded by darkness as she fell backward horizontally.


    Secondary body docking...docking¡­


    Raine can register some words crossing her mind, yet no sound can be heard in the emptiness of the black space surrounding her. In panic, Raine willed herself to return back outside to where Alakoni and Dr. Vahlen are standing.


    Docking aborted, secondary body being towed to the entry point.


    Raine can feel her body motion being reversed as she can see the light of the entry point, she can feel her body approach it faster as the light source is getting bigger. Her head first exits the darkness surrounding her only to feel the pain of her head impacting the face of another.


    As Raine held her head in pain, she lifted her face up and she can see Mrs. Alakoni cradling her face as her nose can be seen becoming bloodied from the impact with her head.


    ¡°...Sorry about that, turns out I can stay inside the tree and go in and out freely.¡± Said Raine as she hold her hand in a peace sign as half her body is suspended inside the tree as her top half floated around chest area of Alakoni.


    ¡°Never mind, I am glad you are alright Ms. Raine. I will go to the infirmary for some medical treatment and I am bringing Dr. Vahlen with me. Please remember that tomorrow you have a meeting with your bodyguards and I will be there as well waiting for you to resurface again to meet us.¡± Said Alakoni, as impressively she is still able to articulate perfectly even though her hand is holding her bloodied nose.


    ¡°Yes, I will be there. Once again forgive me for injuring you Mrs. Alakoni.¡± Said Raine as she bowed her head at Alakoni. Raine then stares at both Alakoni and Dr. Vahlen¡¯s retreating back until both are about to exit the sealed door. Raine was going to dive back into her tree before she heard a loud exclamation.


    ¡°Raine! Your new outfit is very cute by the way!¡± Shouted Dr. Vahlen in praise.


    Raine turns her attention back to the door and saw Dr. Vahlen waving her hand and the other hand beside her mouth to amplify her voice. Raine happily waved back and hurriedly dived back in, not wanting them to see her embarrassed face.


    Secondary body docking...docking¡­


    Raine once again register the words in her mind but this time she let the process runs. Which she may have regretted it later as her point of view suddenly shifted and Raine can see her own body from somewhere on top of her head. With a detached mind, she realizes that she is currently experiencing an out of body experience.


    Docking complete...Primary body active...


    Raine can see, in a 3rd person POV, her new outfit from top to bottom and both eyes are closed from what she can see through incorporeal eyes.


    Curiously her current sights are orbiting her current form, which is an orb of light surrounded by darkness.


    Engaging mana lattices...Spreading mana particles¡­ Amplifying internal and external mana level¡­


    The darkness surrounding Raine are swept aside as she can now see the cavern surrounding the tree, and the range of her sight kept increasing as visual inputs are being received from the spreading mana lattices.


    Raine can see the tree itself growing brighter and the light starts pulsing as something seems to be happening to the tree itself.


    Yggdrasil drive online¡­ Connecting to the multiverse network¡­ First time user detected in the multiverse network... You have received a friend invite from the Yggdrasil Council¡­ Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Raine registered the new information in her mind with some confusion. Tentatively she tries to project the response in her mind in order to accept the friend invite.


    Since it¡¯s a friend invite, surely it can only be a good thing to have more friends. Raine was thinking that as she sent out the ¡®yes¡¯ response through the multiverse network.


    First time user has accepted the friend invite from the Yggdrasil council. Yggdrasil council has acknowledged and setting up a face-to-face meeting, secondary body is being prepped for immediate transfer to the citadel for a face-to-face meeting...


    Raine can only stare blankly as her orb of light form is sucked into her humanoid body and as she opens her eyes, she was back to being able to see only darkness surrounding her.


    Secondary body active¡­ Neural core linked¡­ Priming yggdrasil drive for transport sequence, destination: The Citadel.


    Before Raine can shout in surprise, her whole humanoid body is being converted into particles of light. And unknown to her, the tree¡¯s glowing pulses start to become faster, until with a flash, a pillar of light shoot out of the top of the tree towards the sky and disappears before it even reaches the ceiling of the cavern. The whole event are leaving a bunch of dazed security personnels inside the security control room, staring at the CCTV screens while recording the whole thing.


    To Raine¡¯s point of view, she is travelling at a faster than light speed with stars, suns, planets and moons passing her by inside the tunnel which reminded her of a spaceship traveling through a wormhole tunnel from Sci-fi movies.


    At the end of the journey, which to her senses did not take more than a few minutes, she can see a large station, titanic in size with six separate open arms, connected with a ring at the base of the titanic station. The six arms are rotating slowly together with the ring on it¡¯s base. Those are the last details she can see before her incorporeal form shoots straight to the ring at the base of the station.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The next thing she knows, her incorporeal form materializes and starts to become more solid and real like she was being transported by a sci-fi teleporter and are now being constructed in real time layer by layer. The process is done almost instantly and she wasn¡¯t able to feel pain from the whole process.


    Although, Raine made sure to stand still during the process and only started to move once she is sure that it¡¯s reasonably safe to do so. Lifting her right hand, she marvelled at her real flesh and suit, travelling at the speed of light and reconstructed thousands of light years away seems very much magical rather than regarding it as a simple mundane advance of technology.


    Looking around, she can only see whiteness around her and eventually she is getting edgy waiting for something to happen.


    ¡°Scan complete¡­ Rematerialization successful¡­ Disengaging lock...Welcome to the citadel nexus¡­ C-137¡­¡± Announced an automated voice which reverberates across the white space surrounding Raine.


    A door suddenly appears opening nearby Raine and tentatively she approached the door, as she let out her head first she became shocked with what she can see outside the enclosed space.


    Raine can see a lot of people coming out of other white round room made from a shiny reflective material, it kind of looked like a snow igloo but more high-tech compared to the one made from ice and snow. Raine has no issue being transported across space like a spaceship, neither did she have at being surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar space. No, what bothered her so much is that every single individual out there looked just like her! The same face, the same body, there are some differences as some are taller and bulkier and wearing different clothes but essentially they all have the same face! Most are wearing casual clothes and they are either checking their itinerary, making small talks or queuing to be processed through a counter manned by another of her clone, the whole thing looks like going through airport immigration to her.


    Raine did not know how long she has spent just standing there inside the strange room but it certainly must have been too long as she suddenly hears a high pitched whistle coming from outside. When she turns to take a look, she spotted one of her look-alike, although taller and with a more solid build, stationed within an armored guard post, with a whistle on her lips, wearing a security guard uniform and carrying an assault rifle slung over her shoulder.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the hold up over there! Disembark from your teleporter and proceed along the line please! We have more incoming from the multiverse network and they can¡¯t materialize if you are still inside the teleporter!¡± Exclaimed an older Raine¡¯s look-alike.


    Raine then lifted one of her hand slowly and looks at the more adult version of her, with her longer leaves and fuller breast and rounder hips and everything.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ Can anyone explain to me what is going on?¡± Asked Raine fearfully with a loud voice.


    ¡°Oh! A sapling! Come along to me miss, we¡¯ll get you sorted out!¡± Said the security guard as she motions at Raine to come closer.


    Raine then slowly exits the teleporter and went down the ramp leading out of the teleporter into the hallway towards the guard.


    Raine have to spend some effort maneuvering through the throng of recent arrivals to the citadel nexus until she reach the place where the security guard is stationed.


    ¡°Hi, thanks for coming. As you can see I can¡¯t exactly go anywhere.¡± Explains the older Raine look-alike as she pointed down to inside her armored guard post.


    Raine lifted herself up the guard post and peered inside, she sees that the legs of the older version of her are connected with the floor of the guard post.


    ¡°I have expanded my roots to this area already and it will take a while for me to uproot myself. With my roots spreads out underground though I can monitor and control every aspect of this building remotely through this guard post. In case we ever get invaded through this facility, which is called the citadel nexus by the way, as this seems to be your first time here, I can spike the invaders to death with the ground itself. Although some prefer using other elements, earth is the only element with a physical attack attribute strong enough to pierce shields.¡± Explained the older version of Raine bragging about her chosen element.


    Raine nodded in wonder and deliberately drop down from the post guard edge to the ground floor.


    ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯re here, you must have accepted the Yggdrasil council friend invitation. Good job! That¡¯s the best thing you can do in the multiverse. The yggdrasil council are great I tell you! They are very wise as leaders and they are very helpful with newcomers and the very young saplings. Ah! Your Guardian escorts are here to lead you to the council chamber itself! See you later Sapling! If you¡¯re here again, look for me! My designation is F-035!¡± Said F-035 with a cheer as she bent down the edges of the post guard and waved at Raine.


    Raine turns her attention towards a few more of her look-alike, though obviously these individuals are better equipped and looks more capable compared to F-035 in front of her. As the group walk through the citadel nexus hallway, other versions of her make space for them to go through the packed hallway towards Raine. The group reached the guard post where both Raine and F-035 are standing waiting for them.


    ¡°Greetings, are you the new arrival C-137?¡± Said one of the more senior looking version of Raine.


    Raine nodded at the more senior version of her, while making sure she is standing still and observing everything she can regarding the new group that have arrived.


    ¡°Good, we are the Yggdrasil Council Guardians and we are here to bring you to the Yggdrasil Council for naturalization. My designation is N-007 and my partners behind me are M-014 and M-007. We will be your escorts and guides during your stay in the citadel. Please follow me.¡± Said N-007 in a strict and disciplined voice.


    Raine stares at N-007 before resigning herself and make a move to follow behind them. With an escort ahead of her and a pair of escorts on each side, the foot traffic become clear for their group and they can proceed faster. But Raine cannot help but to feel that she became a criminal and are now being arrested by the police.


    ¡°I am sure you feel uncomfortable being strung along like this, but believe me this is for your own well-being. You could¡¯ve been taken advantage off by older arrivals if you look uncertain, worried and not knowing what to do when you first arrive.¡± Said M-014.


    ¡°In fact, you should be thankful. Ever since the Yggdrasil council the council was first formed, they impose a rule for newcomers to be escorted and guided by Guardians. Because of that ruling, we have been getting steadily more prosperous and happier as a community. Plus, it is a tradition for the council to always make time for newcomers¡¯ arrival and to personally bestow upon them gifts so that newcomers can excel, grow and contribute to our community. Truly they are wise, only wise leaders would know the importance of youth and education. We set aside a generous portion of the whole community earnings towards developing our young and new arrivals. In fact, we always joked about those society that cut fundings from education to spend on military affairs that they would eventually lose both and they would have no one to blame but themselves.¡± Said M-007 with a light cheer.


    Raine didn¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful, but after being sufficiently informed she certainly feel like an ungrateful person. She hope that the meeting with these Yggdrasil council is everything her escorts claim to be and the gifts that she would receive being an amazing one.


    Raine¡¯s mind is filled with these thoughts as she contemplate deeper while automatically following her lead escort N-007. However it seems that she gets distracted and before she know it, she bumped into N-007¡¯s back, N-007 then turns around and looks amusedly at Raine.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute, you reminded me of myself when I first arrived. I also bumped into my lead Guardian escort when they bring me to the Yggdrasil council. Too much information, too little time to process everything right? I have been there, so no worries little sapling. Let me bring you down to earth, behold we have arrived at the Citadel Tower. The residence of the Yggdrasil council!¡± Said N-007 while flourishing both her hands dramatically in front of the large and tall tower in front of their group.


    Raine rubbed her forehead before moving to N-007¡¯s side and shifted her attention to the building in front of her¡­ And then she look up¡­ and up¡­ and up¡­ The tower is unimaginably tall and it seems that it is connected to the other side of the ceiling, rather than a tower she would more accurately called it a pillar as it connected both the base and the ceiling of the massive station.


    ¡°... I have no words.¡± Said Raine looking back down to the entrance.


    Raine then can feel a hand slapping her back.


    ¡°Just so! Now let''s get you an audience with the council C-137! After that we can bring you somewhere to eat around here!¡± Said M-014 cheerfully.


    Raine moved forward again, pushed from behind by M-014. As their group enters the citadel tower and through the lobby near the citadel tower entrance. When Raine approaches the lobby she can see a large, fancy and beautiful desk manned by a dozen of her younger look-alikes, closer to her current build.


    Raine¡¯s group approaches the nearest available receptionist and her lead escort N-007 showed her IDs by lifting her palm and a holographic image appears on the palm of her hand.


    The receptionist version of her seems to be satisfied with something as she stares at the empty desk in front of her, her hands rooted to the desk, eyes looking around at something Raine and their group cannot see.


    ¡°Welcome back Guardians. Your group are cleared to escort the new arrival C-137 to meet the council now. Please stand closer together as we will send you through the elevator to the council chamber.¡± Said Raine¡¯s version of a receptionist as she fiddle her finger over an invisible control panel in the air.


    Raine looks around but cannot see anything that looks like an elevator inside the lobby with her and her group. Her escort then starts to group closer together with Raine in the center. Raine cannot see as her escorts are locking her view, but she clearly felt it when she was suddenly elevated from the lobby and pass through a hole opening in the ceiling and then her group travels speedily through a maze of dark tunnels. Looking down she can see that her group are standing on a fast levitating disc.


    After a while of traveling in seemingly random directions, Raine¡¯s group ascends once more after a ceiling hole opens up and then her group and the disc pass through the opening slowly. The disc then settled at floor level, leaving Raine¡¯s group at the center of an audience room, surrounded by large dais. To Raine, it looks like her group just arrived in a circular chamber surrounded by high walls and the absence of any staircase leading out of the chamber she just arrived in.


    Looking further up, Raine can see that surrounding her group are six figures. And like all the other individuals Raine has encountered in the citadel, these are also individuals with the same face and characteristics of their own. The only difference it seems, is age and level of power each individuals have over Raine.


    The Yggdrasil council have more leaves over their head, which are being propped up by frames surrounding them where their branches grow over and form a sort of natural hedge around their body.


    Each individual frames have different designs between each council members and because of this it is possible to differentiate each council member to some extent.


    ¡°Welcome, Yggdrasil from dimension C-137, and well met little sapling for accepting our friend invitation. You are here today for the naturalization process, where you will be accepted as one of us in this community, together with all the benefits and the obligation that such a position entails.¡± Said one of the figures of the council as she smiled in a friendly way towards Raine.


    ¡°It is always a pleasure for the council to accept new blood in the community and bestowed upon them gifts that will help you grow into a mighty tree. And today once again we will have such a pleasure.¡± Said another figure of the Yggdrasil council.


    ¡°You are a friend of the council, simply by accepting the invite and showing wisdom and the willingness to interact with your fellow Yggdrasils and realizing that alone you are weak, but together we are mighty.¡± Said yet another figure of the council as she took out a single branch and break it in half. The figure then took a dozen of the same branch yet are unable to break any of the branches.


    Raine then realizes that each figure of the Yggdrasil council will have a turn to speak and then she shifted her attention towards the next council member in line. The next figure smiles at Raine and even waves at her.


    ¡°The first step in this relationship has been taken, next we move to the next stage of the relationship. A bond, a commitment, a pact, perhaps it can even be called accepting you as a family member. The next step is naturalization, by accepting this you will gain immense power behind your back, we will support you just as a family member would. We would only ask that in return once you are grown and are able to stand on your own roots, please decide how best you could support our community.¡± Said the 4th council member.


    ¡°Yggdrasil of dimension C-137, please walk forward and signal your acceptance of the naturalization by adding your blood inside the heart tree.¡± Said the 5th council member as she motions her hand towards the center of the council chamber.


    Raine can see a hole opening on the ground in front of her and a small tree emerged from the opening.


    The tree is small, it¡¯s leaves and bark are blood red in colour and she can somehow feel that there are blood circulating inside the tree.


    Yet for its ominous colour and content of the tree, it doesn''t feel malicious, on the contrary it feels like life is flowing through the tree and is affecting its surrounding with an aura of invigoration.


    Raine feels the joy of life, of adventure and of excitement from the tree as if the tree is the physical embodiment and proof that life is worth living.


    Raine tentatively approaches the tree, leaving behind her three Guardian escorts as they stand at attention paying respect to the naturalization process.


    As Raine approaches, the final figure of the council member took her turn to speak.


    ¡°The heart tree recognizes the sapling of dimension C-137. Approach young sapling and put both of your hands on tree to signal your acceptance within our community and to complete the naturalization process.¡± Said the final figure of the council member.


    Raine stares at the tree in front of her, recognizing that this is an important moment in her life.


    With a deep breath, she lifted both hands, and with resolve she presses both hands against the heart tree.


    Raine felt pain on the palm of both her hands, and she can feel her blood, her life leaving her.


    The tree drains her blood for a few minutes before she can feel her knees getting weak and Raine fell on her knees. Yet, Raine continued holding her hands on the tree surface until she can feel the tree stops draining her. Raine then withdraws her hands and took a few weak steps back, as the tree seemingly satisfied, it retracted back to the hole and disappears from view as the hole closes on its own.


    Looking around, she can see that the surrounding figures of the council member and her escorts are bowing towards her at the waist level and then returning back to a standing position while looking at Raine.


    Raine then saw one of the dais is growing a staircase from near her position inside the chamber, then the first speaker of the council member motions towards Raine to approach the first speaker.


    Raine then feebly walks forward and ascending up the staircase into the circle of dais surrounding the chamber where she offered her blood to the heart tree. She walks slowly and weakly until she stand before the first speaker of the council member.


    ¡°Welcome C-137, you are now our sister and with that each of us will give you a gift that will benefit your life¡¯s journey. We hope you grow strong and tall, walking beside us as an equal as we face life¡¯s challenges and threats. I am one of the council member and my designation is Z-999. My gift to you is access to the Ragnarok System. As it flows through you, learn its secrets, empower yourself and educate yourself so that you can grow and prosper as one of us.¡± Said council member Z-999 as she cupped a glowing orb with both hands and pushed it towards Raine¡¯s breast.


    Raine can feel the hotness of the glowing orb entering her breasts and spreading to the rest of her body as the core at the centre of her being pulsed hotly and stays there until it cools down to a persistent warm glow which she can still feel within her breasts.


    Council member Z-999 then motions Raine to move forward to the next council member to receive Raine¡¯s next gift. Raine then realize that the dais are connected with each other, forming a circle surrounding the chamber below. Raine then bowed at council member Z-999, thanked her before moving on towards the next council member. After a short walk, Raine now stands in front of another council member.


    ¡°Greetings C-137, I am a member of the Yggdrasil council and my designation is Y-515. My gift to you is related to the Ragnarok System, although you would not understand the significance now, I grant you 100 stat points to be distributed when you are back within your own Yggdrasil tree. Choose the path you are willing to walk in life and distribute the stats accordingly, that is my advice to you.¡± Said council member Y-515 as she holds Raine¡¯s stomach and transfer vast quantity of materials which Raine can feel bypassing her skin and into her stomach where it disappears without a trace, yet Raine can feel something is getting full in some corner of Raine¡¯s mind. The council member Y-515 then stops transferring materials into Raine¡¯s stomach and she motions Raine to move to the next council member.


    ¡°Hello C-137, I am a member of the Yggdrasil council and my designation is X-724. My gift to you is also related to the Ragnarok System as I am granting you 50 skill points. Once you have chosen a path, you need to stick to it and develop your skills suited to your interests and circumstances, that is my advice to you.¡± Said council member X-724 as she put both her hands on Raine¡¯s forehead and proceeds to fill her mind with compressed knowledge, at the corner of Raine¡¯s mind it sits like a closed chest box just waiting for her to open it. The council member X-724 then motions Raine towards the next council member in line.


    ¡°Honored to meet you, I am a member of the Yggdrasil council and my designation is W-357. My gift to you is the gift of experience, I am granting you 30,000 units of experience points. Enough points for you to advance towards establishing your first profession. Experience points are the sum generated by the application of all your stats, skills and knowledge. As you develop your stats, skills and knowledge in any way. Whether doing physical training, killing an enemy, studying in a library, devouring anything worth eating, they all yield EXP points. As EXP points accumulate, it will come to a point where you will experience a breakthrough to a new level and this will allow you to improve your own stats and your effectiveness in battle and your chosen profession. I recommend that from the start you choose your build and stick to it and don¡¯t decide otherwise halfway or you will regret it as your chosen build cannot be redone, that is my advice to you.¡± Said council member W-357 as she hugged Raine and a tingling feeling can be felt all over Raine¡¯s whole body as reflex responses are being written within Raine until the feeling passes and the process is complete. The council member W-357 then motions Raine towards the next council member in line.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you C-137, I am a member of the Yggdrasil council and my designation is V-100. My gift to you is a familiar token, this token will allow your Yggdrasil tree to design and create it¡¯s own Guardian Force to guard the well being of your own Yggdrasil tree. The Guardian Force you can create will be limited only by your imagination and the power you are willing to part to maintain the Guardian Force existence, that is my advice to you.¡± Said council member V-100 as she pass a golden token, engraved with the symbol of the yggdrasil tree on both sides of the coin, to Raine¡¯s outstretched hand. The council member V-100 then motions Raine towards the next council member in line as Raine pocketed her token on her cat tail belt side pocket.


    Fleetingly Raine wonders why no one is questioning her attire choice but since on the way to the Citadel tower she have seen some versions of her walking around naked which she decided not to think about it.


    ¡°Well met C-137, I am the final member of the Yggdrasil council and the youngest, my designation is U-000. My gift to you is an elder Yggdrasil branch. You need to break the elder Yggdrasil branch in half when you are in great danger, for it will then summon one of the Yggdrasil council member Guardian Force to your location. The Guardian Force summoned would fight for you until you are safe again and it will be reverse-summoned back to their respective council member yggdrasil tree. Use it only in the direst of emergency as we are only willing to freely lend our power to members only once and we will not give you another once you have used it, that is my advice to you.¡± Said council member U-000 as she took out a blood red piece of a tree branch to Raine¡¯s hand.


    Since Raine has met with all the council members and received their gifts, she is now wondering what is she supposed to do now. The council member U-000 in front of Raine then clapped her hands and motions her fellow council members to join her at her dais together with Raine.


    As all the council members gathered together surrounding Raine, council member U-000 holds Raine hand, the one that is not holding the blood red elder yggdrasil branch and leads Raine down the staircase towards the council chamber where her Guardian escorts are standing by, followed by all the council members behind U-000 and Raine.


    Council member U-000 then pass Raine¡¯s hand to Guardians escort N-007 hand, separating both U-000 and Raine. U-000 then returns back to her fellow council members and Raine standing in the center with her Guardian escorts surrounding her, and in turn are surrounded in a circle by the Yggdrasil council members.


    ¡°The Yggdrasil council hereby declare the completion of the naturalization of Yggdrasil with the designation C-137. From this moment on, we shall consider her as a fellow sisters of Yggdrasil and support her to the best of our ability. She will receive the benefits and the obligations due to her as a new member of our community. Council Guardian N-007, do you accept C-137 as your charge and everything that entails as you guide this sapling to be a productive and happy member of our community?¡± Said council member U-000 formally in a scripted manner.


    ¡°I accept C-137 as my charge and will mentor her in our ways and protect her if need be as she walks in her path of life just as I walk my path of life in the highway that we have built and maintained together.¡± Replied the Guardian escort N-007 as she holds Raine¡¯s hand and recite the formal reply, ending the exchange.


    Raine looks around at the surreal sight, she just arrived at a new and unfamiliar location as a newcomer and the first thing they did is arrange a meeting with the leaders and they have also arranged so that she will be guided and protected by a team of experienced and combat capable individuals who all look like her.


    ¡°Very well, this meeting is adjourned. May our paths cross again C-137, and just so you know... All of our names inside the citadel are Raine, just like yours.¡± Said council member U-000 as she waved cheekily at Raine.


    Before Raine can reply to council member U-000, the disc she is standing on with her Guardian escorts descended from the council chamber and after travelling for a few minutes she founds herself back at the citadel¡¯s tower lobby.


    Raine then absentmindedly walked outside of the citadel tower lobby, followed from behind by her Guardian escorts.


    ¡°Tehe.. Hahahahaha!¡± Laughed Raine as she gets momentarily overwhelmed with information overload and the fatigue from having her blood drained.


    Standing behind Raine, the Guardian escorts looks at each other and wonders what to do in this situation.


    ¡°Alright! That just happened...What do we say for a trip to the Purgatory Bar in the Presidium Commons area? I¡¯d say she needed it more than we do.¡± Offered M-014 as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.


    Raine turns her head slowly behind her, the thought of alcohol at this point is an attractive one.


    ¡°Alcohol sounds good, I just need a break from life.¡± Said Raine wearily as she hold and stares at the blood red elder Yggdrasil branch on her hand with sudden dread at the power she held in her hand and the power inside her breasts still pulsing warmly like a heartbeat.

 Chapter 7

    It is said that at the end of one¡¯s rope, one should make a knot and hang on for dear life¡­ Those are wise words and should be heeded but unfortunately some resorts to alcohol at the end of their rope, which left only one hand holding the rope as they drink from the liquid of doom.


    As more drinks are being consumed, the weaker one¡¯s grip became until their grip on reality became lost and their demise are hastened and ensured.


    Alcohol is an insidious poison for being safe to consume and for the creeping negative health ramification stalking the body until alcohol addiction already rooted firmly in the mind, but above all the most potent poison is for changing the mind into a beast without reason, further isolating them from help provided by those who cared until they can no longer care anymore.


    One should really wonder, if one¡¯s true self can be seen in their action in the face of dire situation¡­ Then what does depending on alcohol say about them? Perhaps a coward? Perhaps one without support from friends or family? Salvation from the demons haunting their memories?


    Whatever it is, Raine has already seen the effect of abusing alcohol when taken in excess and the lucky ones are taken care and watched over by friends and families, the unlucky ones gain an alcohol addiction and their life spirals into a miserable existence and ended in a long time of pain because of liver failures on the streets or on the hospital bed.


    Even the stupid and relatively painless end like a graduate student who drink tainted alcohol and jump off from their hotel room because they thought they can fly, still leaves behind shattered and broken hearts of their friends and families.


    Knowing this, then why does Raine continued walking towards a bar to get some alcoholic drinks? She knows what it can do, even though she thought she know better in her head, her troubled heart still insisted over her head and thus she walk in a mixture of self-loathing and the need to be carefree once more.


    ¡°Why are you brooding Raine? We are going to a bar not a funeral, lighten up or as seniors we will also become troubled.¡± Said N-007 from the front as she turns her head towards Raine while walking forward towards their destination.


    While still walking, Raine touched both her index fingers together, the elder Yggdrasil branch still held in one of her grip. Raine then mumbles despondently to N-007 query, not really answering N-007¡¯s question.


    ¡°Come out of it N-007. Didn¡¯t we hate alcohol before we transcend from humanity?¡± Said M-007 nonchalantly beside Raine.


    ¡°Oh, I forget about that! To be fair, it has been like¡­ Forever since we first arrived in the citadel.¡± Said M-014 walking beside Raine


    ¡°Speak for yourself granny, if you aren¡¯t so scatter brained you would have still remembered the fact about your own life as well.¡± Said M-007 with some venom to her words.


    ¡°What! We are almost the same age! Who are you to call me a granny? If I am, then you are as well!¡± Exclaimed M-014 with indignation.


    ¡°Stow it you two, we¡¯re here!¡± Said N-007 sternly as she pointed towards the Purgatory Bar entrance in front of their group.


    Raine follows the direction N-007 index finger is pointing at and looks at the bar entrance. There are already a long line of people like her queuing in order to gain entry into the bar.


    However, Raine¡¯s attention and eyebrows are raised as high as they can, as she sees the bouncer for the Purgatory Bar is a she-hulking version of herself. At 6 feet 8 inches or 203 cm or close to 2 metres tall, said version of her can only be considered as a powerhouse or a brute wearing a yellow sleeveless midriff, a blue denim shorts, a pair of sunglasses, and a massive pairs of breasts. The she-hulk appearances screams bouncer you do not want to mess with. Raine discreetly hides behind N-007¡¯s back the moment she saw such an imposing figure.


    N-007 though, approaches the she-hulk nonchalantly and greets her amicably, with Raine hiding behind N-007¡¯s back.


    ¡°Yo! Big sister! Good to see business are peaking up. How are things around here?¡± Said N-007 good-naturedly as she raised a hand in greeting.


    ¡°Ah little sister! Things are good, we are getting busy since we just got ourselves a fresh batch of great dragon blood. One of our younger member just slayed the last great dragon in her universe. It should be a good batch since the dragon is ancient enough and powerful enough to earn a name. What was it again? Oh yeah the dragon¡¯s name is Smaug, the one that slays it said he is a smug bastard.¡± Said the she-hulk version of Raine with maybe a G-cup breast, G for Gigantic that is.


    ¡°Badum Tish!¡± Said M-014 with relish.


    Everyone then stares at M-014 with a questioning gaze after she interrupted the flow of conversation.


    ¡°What? She was asking for it!¡± Said M-014 with consternation.


    ¡°Why do I even bother partnering with you I would never understand..¡± Said M-007 with a sigh.


    ¡°Anyway, are you here for business or pleasure little sister?¡± Said the she-hulking version of Raine.


    ¡°A bit of both actually, this sapling here is actually my first charge as a Guardian and she is bit drained from the naturalization process. It¡¯s actually quite fortunate that the bar is able to procure itself some great dragon blood as I think C-137 here needs it more than we do.¡± Said N-007 with some relief as she pushes Raine from behind her back and into the she-hulk¡¯s under cleavage.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say? Where is the sapling though? I don¡¯t see anyone like that around.¡± Said the G cup version of Raine as she swivels around looking for anyone fitting the description of a sapling around the entrance to the bar.


    Raine¡¯s head has become stuck in-between the she-hulk¡¯s cleavage, instead of fat, Raine is certain the she-hulk¡¯s breasts consist of 75 percent solid muscle and is packing such strength that Raine¡¯s body is also lifted from the ground. Unfortunately, as the she-hulk swivel her head and body looking for her, so does Raine¡¯s small and light body. Raine is starting to get a neck pain from the movement so admits defeats and cried out.


    ¡°Nyaaaa! It hurts¡­¡± Cried Raine pitifully.


    ¡°Ohhh, there you are! How cute! I never seen such a cute little cat sapling before. You¡¯re so cute I can just gobble you up!¡± Gushes the she-hulk as she spread apart her breasts, therefore exposing and releasing the vulnerable Raine within, and as Raine fell to the ground, she makes sure to hide her face behind the mask given by Mrs. Ashi.


    Raine then suffered the indignity of being petted, hugged, stroked and smothered by the she-hulk¡¯s affection.


    ¡°Ahhh, it¡¯s been awhile since I have seen another small sapling! They grow up so fast! Who¡¯s the cute one? Yes you are, yes you are! Let big sister Q-001 take care of you alright?¡± Said Q-001 with heart-filled eyes and a wide grin as she rubbed cheeks with Raine¡¯s mask while Q-001 arms and breasts are holding Raine¡¯s suspended body midair.


    ¡°Big sis, so can we go in without queuing? Come on, do it as a favour for me please?¡± Pleaded N-007 distracting Q-001 from her pleasure session.


    ¡°Oh, sure, come on in. Now now kitty, don¡¯t fuss. Remember big sister Q-001 every time you come to the citadel ok? I¡¯ll be right here waiting in the bar for you. Give me a kiss and I¡¯ll throw in a glass of bloody mary for you.¡± Cooed Q-001 with a satisfied voice as she released Raine to the ground and waved Raine¡¯s group into the Purgatory Bar to the groans of the group still lining in queue.


    ¡°Thanks sis! Now let¡¯s enjoy ourselves shall we?¡± Said N-007 as she walks leading the way into the Purgatory Bar bringing Raine and her subordinates in with her.


    Inside the bar, Raine can see the typical dimmed environment with all the typical things that should be in a bar. Freezing cold environment, bright lights from the advertisements, the beat of techno music, the drink bar with the bartenders and stools, the dancing pole with naked versions of her pole-dancing¡­


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look right¡­¡± Said Raine with a pale face behind her mask as she stares at the gyrating naked forms dancing on the pole, moving with great dexterity and grace.


    ¡°Now C-137, you cannot discriminate on other¡¯s choice of profession. Those girls choose a profession with great need for agility and dexterity, this is one method to train those stats. Some are choosing to train with bikinis and skirts instead see.¡± Admonished M-007 behind Raine as she pointed at a pair wearing a skintight black bikini and skirt, pole dancing happily to the techno beat.


    ¡°... Those are even sexier than being naked.¡± Said Raine with her face heating up from mortification.


    ¡° It¡¯s still better than the two girls in the corner there, dancing on one pole together and kissing each other right?¡± Said M-014 unhelpfully from beside M-007.


    ¡°... I am definitely in hell now.¡± Said Raine paling again.


    ¡°Oh close, but we are actually in Purgatory but I can understand the confusion because of the similarity though. The more important question is, when both of them are having sex. Does it count as incest or masturbation, C-137?¡± Said M-014 fanning the flame of mortification into an inferno.


    ¡°Oh God, they¡¯re using tongues?! I think I am going to hurl.¡± Said Raine with weak knees.


    ¡°M-014! Stop teasing her! Don¡¯t listen to her C-137, everyone knows it¡¯s less of an incest and more than a masturbation as far as the rating goes. Rather you should be grateful that we don¡¯t get pregnant if we happen to have relationship with each other.¡± Said N-007 as she slapped the back of the head of M-014.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are helping matters N-007. She¡¯s out for the count now.¡± Said M-007 as she propped up the slumping Raine with Raine¡¯s soul escaping from Raine¡¯s mouth.


    The group panicked a bit, surrounding Raine and dragged her unconscious form to the nearest table booth. As the group propped up Raine¡¯s head on the table, N-007 hailed a waiter and proceed to order a pick-me-up drink for the unconscious Raine.


    ¡°Waiter! Give me an emergency Bloody Mary for this table here! Just human blood would be enough! And give me a funnel with that order!¡± Exclaimed N-007 to the hurried waiter.


    After a short-while, the waiter brings a glass of Bloody Mary and a funnel as requested by the group of customers who just came in. N-007 gratefully accepted the glass of drink and the funnel.


    ¡°Thanks, put it in my tab please.¡± Said N-007 as she holds the glass and pass the funnel to M-014.


    ¡°So I open her mouth and hold the funnel while you pour the Bloody Mary?¡± Asked M-014 as she holds the funnel in one hand and the other hand lifting up Raine¡¯s body so it¡¯s standing straight.


    ¡°Yes M-014, remove her mask first, then hold the funnel in her mouth and finally make sure her head is facing up. M-007, please hold her body replacing M-014.¡± Asked N-007 as she gets ready to pour the drink inside Raine¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Clear.¡± Said M-014 as she removed Raine¡¯s mask and then hold Raine¡¯s head and the funnel in Raine¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Ready.¡± Said M-007 as she holds Raine¡¯s body securely upright.


    ¡°Fire in the hole!¡± Said N-007 as she poured the Bloody Mary down Raine¡¯s throat.


    As the red thick liquid flows through Raine¡¯s throat, the skin of Raine¡¯s face starts to flush until with a start, Raine jolted awake.


    ¡°Ahh! That¡¯s nasty! What did I just drink?!¡± Complained Raine with a jolt.


    The group sighed with relief now that Raine is awake and well.


    ¡°Bloody Mary, just human blood though. We do not want to waste the more expensive blood just to jump start you.¡± Explained N-007 as she reclined against the bar¡¯s sofa.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Asked Raine as she tried to wash down the coppery taste out of her mouth by swallowing often.


    ¡°The easy explanation, C-137, is we run on blood charged with mana. This body we used, beside our tree as the tree is our main body, runs on blood charged with rich mana. Now the mileage we get from the blood depends on the amount of mana being hold by the blood. Rarer and more powerful beings¡¯ blood are able to hold more concentrated and/or more abundant mana in their blood. Just now we have to give you human blood, they are a more abundant source and can hold a decent amount of mana and mana density, as most of the blood in your body was taken by the heart tree for the naturalization process. If not, worse come to worse, your current body dies and you will wake up inside your tree again. Making a new body is inconvenient as it takes time and resource to make after all.¡± Explained N-007.


    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m a vampire as well now? Do I need to suck blood from someone¡¯s neck everyday?¡± Grumbled Raine.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way unless the blood comes with mana naturally, like the great dragon blood we are in the bar for, we need to charge the blood with mana that is generated by the world tree, which is our tree. Once it is charged, then we can store it inside our humanoid body, where it will be used as a fuel tank to move the body, maintain it and used it for spells and magical enhancement. It can get depleted so we have to replenish it by docking inside our tree or store the charged blood inside a magically sealed container to keep it fresh. Drinking blood does almost nothing to us, only a miniscule amount are absorbed on the way down to the throat before it disappears inside our stomach, being stored in our extra-dimensional inventory.¡± Explained N-007.


    ¡°Yes, I can still feel it inside my core an empty void and a feeling of weakness throughout my body.¡± Said Raine weakly as she held a hand over her flat chest.


    ¡°That is so, not to worry a glass of great dragon blood will take care of that. Waiter! We would like to order four glasses of great dragon blood for this table please! Put it in my tab also!¡± Exclaimed N-007 as she waved to attract the attention of a waiter.


    The bar waiter noticed N-007, nodded and go in the kitchen bar to prepare Raine¡¯s group order. After a short while, the waiter comes out again carrying a tray of 4 glasses of great dragon blood inside. The blood are ruby red with a thick viscosity and are glowing beautifully as the waiter passes the drink to each individual in Raine¡¯s group. Raine can smell the coppery scent of blood and the heady scent of alcohol mixed in the blood, her eyes can also sense the fluctuation of heavy and rich mana within and above the sparkling ruby liquid. Yet Raine hesitates to drink alcohol as she hates it so.


    ¡°Now Raine, we didn''t have the time to explain it to you earlier in the entrance but I am telling you now. We cannot get drunk, it¡¯s physically impossible for us. We do not have a brain for the alcohol to affect us, we only added it for the taste and the fact that the alcohol keeps anything we consume from spoiling.¡± Explained M-014 helpfully as she noticed Raine¡¯s hesitance.


    ¡°So we¡¯re heartless and brainless? Not a comforting thought..¡± Said Raine with consternation.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we are without compassion or the ability to think and reason without the organ though. If that is universally true, then when people die and become a ghost, what did they use without a physical body and all?¡± Said M-007 adding the explanation of her partner.


    ¡°Plus the inside of our head are needed for the roots and stems for processing the energy gained from our leaves after all, you know photosynthesis and all that. Just add sunlight, water and dirt in our roots and we get sugary goodness for our humanoid body!¡± Explained M-014 again.


    ¡°We do not need a brain C-137, instead we have a neural core which linked this humanoid body with the neural core in our primary body, the world tree back in our home universe.¡± Explained N-007 helpfully.


    Raine became relieved and assured after she heard their explanation. She then raised her glass of elder dragon blood to her lips in order to drink, but was stopped as her wrist is being held by N-007. Raine then looks at N-007 with questioning eyes.


    ¡°No, I am not having you wasting such a precious commodity by having it disappears within the extra-dimensional inventory in our stomach, C-137. We did it with the Bloody Mary because it¡¯s cheap and abundant, but I will be damned if I let you waste this one. You do not drink this from your mouth.¡± Said N-007


    ¡°No offense, but how else am I going to drink this?¡± Asked Raine with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°You have another mouth don¡¯t you? A lower one compared to the one on your head?¡± Said M-014 with a wide grin.


    ¡°... You expect me to drink this using my genital?¡± Asked Raine with a paling face as she gazes down southward to her crotch.


    M-014 was then slapped behind the back of her head by N-007 as N-007 admonished M-014 for her crude jest.


    ¡°Of course not C-137, here let me show you how to drink this correctly.¡± Explained N-007 gently as she puts the glass on the table and with one hand on the glass, the round bulge at the back of her hand opens as a slit and from inside come out a tentacle, green in colour, with sharp teeth at the edge, it looks horrifyingly like a green lamprey eel is coming out from the back of her hand.


    To Raine¡¯s horror the green lamprey eel tentacle from hell are moving into the glass and starts sucking the blood until the glass became empty, accompanied by the sound of sighs of pleasure from N-007 as her skins glows with vitality from the rich and concentrated mana in the glass of great dragon blood. Once the glass became empty, the green lamprey eel tentacle from hell withdraws back into the the round bulge at the back of N-007 hand and then the slit closed.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Asked Raine once again with surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s our leech vine, it¡¯s in each of our arms and come out from the back of our hands. The blood we consume using the leech vine are circulated inside our body instead of being stored in the inventory in our stomach. Plus when we drink water from rivers on the ground, we can use the leech vine to drink while our other hand is on our weapon, staying alert for danger. In emergency you can also use it as a vine whip as well, but for maximum impact try to move the suckers into the eye alright?¡± Answered N-007 as she let out her leech vines again from both her hands and makes it dance and wiggle in the air in front of Raine¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Plus, you can use the leech vines for something else beside drinking and self defense weapon.¡± Said M-007 suggestively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read enough hentai to know where this is going and my answer is, no thank you.¡± Said Raine flatly.


    M-007 shrugged and stretches her back and reclined more comfortably against the sofa beside M-014.


    M-007 and M-014 already let out their leech vines and are in the process of enjoying their own great dragon blood drink in front of them while gesturing at Raine with the other free hand to let Raine try.


    With some hesitance, Raine puts the glass on the table and with one hand on the glass she attempted to let out her leech vine from the back of her hand. Now that she concentrate on the feeling, she can feel something within that if she relax, the slit can open. As she relaxes, the slit on the back of her hand opens and out comes her leech vine. To Raine¡¯s delight, it¡¯s as easy moving it as if it¡¯s her own human limbs. Raine then move the leech vine¡¯s sucker into the glass of the elder dragon blood and start sucking the liquid into her body. As the hot and throbbing liquid flows into Raine, she can feel it invigorating her and revitalizing her psyche. As the glass became empty, Raine withdraws back her leech vine into the back of her hand and crooned softly with pleasure from the afterglow of the drink currently circulating inside her body.


    ¡°You can get used to it right? Now while you¡¯re lost in the bliss of pleasure, I took the liberty of ordering a barrel of uncharged human blood for you to finish. When you go back to your universe, the tree will store it and charge it overnight with mana generated from the Yggdrasil drive. With your discretion, you can decide how much to store within your humanoid body once you decided to roam outside of your tree again.¡± Said N-007 as the waiter came back and puts a large oak barrel filled full with normal human blood in front of Raine¡¯s face.


    Raine took one look at the barrel filled with human blood as tall as she is and pales as she sees M-014 holding a funnel in her hand and M-007 cracking her knuckles together.


    Suffice to say, Raine went through hell again as her body is being hold tight by M-007 and her mouth and throat are forcefully opened and held by M-014¡¯s leech vines as N-007 is holding the open barrel over her head and pouring it into her open mouth. The blood are flowing like a raging river through Raine¡¯s mouth and going through Raine¡¯s throat, which is being held open by M-014 leech vine lodged deep in her throat. The whole thing took 15 minutes to finish until everything inside the barrel disappears into her stomach. At the end of the ordeal, Raine feels pretty much violated as she equipped her mask back unto her face in order to protect her from further harm.


    ¡°That was hell¡­¡± Said Raine weakly.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good Raine, now remember to charge the blood first as everything in your inventory are sorted and stored by the tree before injecting it inside your humanoid body.¡± Said N-007.


    ¡°Plus we were subjected to the same treatment during our first trip to the citadel as well, so it was kind of therapeutic to be on the other side this time.¡± Said M-014 as she was slapped on the back of her head again by N-007.


    ¡°Now that is all over with, let¡¯s drop you off in the Citadel Nexus for your trip back to home C-137. I think you have had enough for one day. When you are back in the citadel next time perhaps we can bring you to the emporium to do some window shopping.¡± Sighed N-007 as she stands from her seat, followed by her subordinates getting ready to leave as well.


    Raine was the last to stand as she was still queasy from the amount of blood that she drank. As their group exits the bar, their group are thanked by the employees of the bar. Back on the bar entrance Raine is once again hugged and petted by Q-001 but for one she was glad to leave behind the cold air, the loud music, the naked bodies, and the nightmare behind at the bar.


    The group¡¯s next destination is the citadel nexus, on their way there though Raine notices that all the inhabitants of the titanic station are all the same versions of her. She cannot see other individuals beside the one with her face and body.


    ¡°Hey, I just noticed this but why is there no one else around but different versions of us?¡± Asked Raine to the Guardians around her.


    ¡°Oh, that have something to do with this station housing six elder Yggdrasil world tree of the Yggdrasil council. This titanic station have six rotating arms and each arm contains it own biosphere where at the center of the arm resides a Yggdrasil world tree belonging to one of the Yggdrasil council. All six Yggdrasil world tree concentrated in one spot? It forces any living being that enters the station to magically mutate into a magical beast and to find them depends on their type and the environment they live in. As each Yggdrasil world tree and biosphere in each arm specializes in different environment. We have desert biosphere, oceanic biosphere, plains biosphere, forest biosphere, magma biosphere, and arctic biosphere. Perhaps when you are strong enough we can let you hunt in the plains biosphere, the magical beasts and monsters you encounter in the biosphere can be harvested for monster cores and materials.¡± Explained N-007 as she walks ahead of Raine.


    Raine just nodded, filing this information in her mind and continues walking in silence as her Guardians clears the foot traffic to the citadel nexus. Once their group reached the citadel nexus, Raine greeted F-035 again and was cleared by F-035 to enter one of the available teleporter.


    ¡°So, see you around C-137, when you are here again just contact us by using any of the available command console on the wall there to use the chat command, and put our designation first before typing the message. One of us will pick you up in the citadel nexus, if one of us is not available then you can contact the others to see if she can accompany you. Oh before I forget, once you are back in your Yggdrasil world tree, the authorization to use the Ragnarok system that is housed in your breast will run automatically. You should choose your first profession and update your stats and skills accordingly beforehand. As is tradition we will not influence your profession choice.¡± Said N-007 as she said her goodbye together with her subordinates behind her.


    Raine nodded and with the blood red elder Yggdrasil branch on her hand, she steps forward across the hallway and enters one of the empty teleporter pod.


    ¡°Thanks for everything!¡± Said Raine as she waved at her group of Guardians before the door to the teleporter pod closes.


    Yggdrasil universe C-137 detected, micro Yggdrasil Drive spooling up for teleportation. Destination: Yggdrasil Universe C-137.


    Raine stands still as her body starts transforming into particles of light and eventually her whole body and everything on her has already converted into particles of light, but she was still not launched into space. However she can hear the Yggdrasil Drive of the teleporter spooling up and the sound is getting louder until finally she was ready to be launched across time and space.


    Yggdrasil universe C-137 ready for launch¡­ Mana launcher at maximum capacity¡­ Teleportation sequence imminent, destination: C-137 universe¡­ Thank you for visiting the Citadel and God speed to you¡­


    Raine hears the announcement before her incorporeal particles of light body are launched through space and time and just like her trip to the citadel station she can see planets, moons, and stars passing around her in the wormhole tunnel like in a spaceship of a sci-fi movie.


    After minutes of traveling she can see the end of her destination as she slammed back into her tree. And just like before as her humanoid body materializes physically within her tree, she sees darkness surrounding her. Once her body are fully materialized she can hear the announcement within her tree again.


    Secondary body docked¡­ Ragnarok System detected¡­ Downloading.... Ragnarok System patched¡­ Applying patch to the main Yggdrasil Neural Core¡­ Separating secondary neural core during the updating process...


    Once again she can see her humanoid body closes it¡¯s eyes as she went through an out of body experience again as she hovers around her humanoid body as an orb of light. Interestingly, she can see the pulsing core of the Ragnarok System exit her humanoid body¡¯s breasts and into the bigger and brighter core above her, shining like a sun. Once the pulsing core of the Ragnarok System joins the sun, which she assumed to be her main Yggdrasil Neural core. She can feel information directly copied into her being and she notices that it is adding new mana lattices to her own Mana network floating around her main Neural core. Raine can also see everything gets brighter as the mana lattices spread around the chamber where her tree is located.


    Ragnarok System Online¡­ Raw materials detected in secondary inventory¡­ Relocating everything into the primary inventory¡­ Sufficient experience point have been reached¡­ Base Lvl 10 reached¡­ Job level Lvl 10 reached¡­ Novice status can progress into 1st base profession¡­ Profession classes available are: Swordman, Mage, Archer, Merchant, Thief, Acolyte.


    Expanding the basic description for each 1st base profession available.


    Swordmans are disciples and masters of the sword, which is their namesake. They are known to be able to take large amounts of damage without being defeated too easily.


    Mages are imbued with the power of elemental magic.


    Archers are skilled with the bow and have the ability to accurately hit their targets from long distances.


    Merchants are the backbone of any nation''s economy.


    Thieves are quick and clever individuals whose ability to take what''s not theirs their specialty.


    Acolytes are natural healers and supporters with the ability to use Holy magic.


    Awaiting for decision on profession to be undertaken before proceeding to the next phase¡­


    Raine tilted her incorporeal head at the selection, seems that she can choose out of six job class as her first profession. Considering the job class and the description¡­ Archers and Thieves are out since she does not really want to strip naked and dance on a pole just to train her dexterity and agility stats. So that leaves the swordman, mage, merchant, and acolyte available for her selection¡­


    Swordman is out as well since she does not fancy getting in close with a sword against firearms in a futuristic world she is in. Merchant¡­ Is not a bad idea but would not be her first profession choice as she would have difficulty progressing on a non-combat sounding profession¡­


    This left mage and acolyte as her only real choice¡­ Since the only combat role in that selection is only the mage with their elemental attribute magic, she would have to cross out the acolyte as well. This makes the mage as her only real choice. Raine finalizes her decision to choose mage as her first job class profession.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    You have chosen Mage as your choice as your 1st job class base profession¡­ Confirm? Yes / No


    Raine sent a mental confirmation confirming her selection. Raine then can see from her main neural core, red lightnings started to congregate from the neural main Yggdrasil core towards her humanoid body below.


    Secondary body class profession have been updated to that of a mage¡­ You have 100 stat points available and 50 skill points available to be distributed to 6 stats attribute and 8 available skills selection.


    Expanding the basic description for each stats.


    Strength: This stat affects the "melee" physical power of the character, allowing it to deal damage even if no weapons are equipped if a sufficient amount of STR is invested. The STR value is also multiplied to the Weapon ATK value for even more damage increase. Every point of STR increased will also increase maximum weight limit by 30 kilogram per point of strength.


    Agility: This stat affects the speed of the character in many aspects, allowing it to attack faster and dodge attacks more often. Every point of AGI increased will also increase maximum speed by 1 kilometre/hour per point of AGI.


    Vitality: This stat affects the endurance, Hit Points, and restorative power of the character, allowing it to last longer against monsters and to regain more life with healing items. Every point of VIT increased will increase max HP by 1%, healing items¡¯ effectiveness by 2%, reduce chance of getting a negative status effect by 1%, increase the natural regeneration of HP by 1% per point of VIT.


    Intelligence: This stat affects the mental power of the character, allowing to deal magic damage even if no weapons are equipped if a sufficient amount of INT is invested. Every point of INT increased will increase Magical Attack (MATK) by 1%, max Spell Points to use magic by 1%, healing item effectiveness by 1%, decreasing cast time by 1% per point of INT.


    Dexterity: This stat affects the accuracy (HIT) of the character in many aspects, allowing it to land hits easier, among other things. It is also the primary stat for "ranged" physical damage, and the primary stat for decreasing cast time. Every point of DEX increased will increase HIT rate by 1, decreases spell cast time by 0.1 sec, increase success chance when creating items by 1% per point of DEX.


    Luck: This stat affects the fortune of the character in some aspects, allowing it to deal Critical hits more often, luckily dodging enemy attacks more often, among several other small bonuses. Every point of LUK increased will increase critical (CRIT) rate by 0.5% per point of LUK and every 3 points of LUK will raise Physical Attack (PATK) and Magical Attack (MATK) by 1 and accuracy (HIT) rate by 1.


    You have 100 stat points available to be distributed to the six attributes above. Every 10 stat attributes, the cost to increase said stats will keep increasing progressively by 1 stat point.


    Raine memorize each stats function given and contemplates how best to distribute her stats using her available stat points wisely in regard to her chosen profession of a mage. Currently with all her stat points at 1 across the board and with 100 stat points at her base LVL 10¡­ She decided to spread it evenly across five stat attributes, Agility, Intelligence, Vitality, Dexterity and Luck. This nets her stat points to increase evenly across those five attributes to 11, except Strength which remains at 1. Raine decided on utilizing her stat points to the maximum as the cost increased once 10 points has been allocated. Raine noticed that it costs 2 stat points to increase a point of stat at the value of 1, now she noticed that it will cost 3 Stat points to increase the stat point from 11 to 12, and she believes the cost will increase again as she reached the stat point 21. Raine sends a mental command to confirm her selection.


    Confirming stat distributions:


    STR: 1


    INT: 1 + 10


    AGI: 1 + 10


    DEX: 1 + 10


    VIT: 1 + 10


    LUK: 1 + 10


    Confirm: Yes/No


    Raine once again sent the affirmative confirmation for her selection.


    Stat allocation confirmed¡­ Updating the status of secondary core¡­


    Once again Raine sees red lightning arcing from the primary neural core towards her humanoid body and she can see physical improvement to her humanoid body being made in front of her eyes. Raine can see her body becoming slightly taller and more athletic, but she is still thin though, perhaps because she did not spend any points to increase her strength.


    Secondary core status updated¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Name: Raine Sioux</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">Species: Dryad - BaseLvl 10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">STR</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>INT</td>


    <td>11</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI</td>


    <td>11</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>DEX</td>


    <td>11</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>VIT</td>


    <td>11</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>LUK</td>


    <td>11</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Current status will be displayed after calculating secondary core status update as follow:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: Raine Sioux</td>


    <td>Job: Mage- Base Lvl 10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MAX HP</td>


    <td>152</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MAX SP</td>


    <td>105</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>PDEF</td>


    <td>14 + 15</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MDEF</td>


    <td>20 + 5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HIT</td>


    <td>205</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>FLEE</td>


    <td>127 + 63.5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SPD</td>


    <td>11 Km/hour + 5.5 Km/hour</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>P.DODGE</td>


    <td>2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>CRIT</td>


    <td>4 + 20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>PATK</td>


    <td>10 + 140</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MATK</td>


    <td>26</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>ASPD</td>


    <td>154.64</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP REGEN</td>


    <td>2 + 2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SP REGEN</td>


    <td>4 </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Raine noticed some of her status attributes are increased arbitrarily without regards to her stats update. Then she noticed that the status actually take into consideration the equipment she is wearing on her body as well.


    The mask given by Mrs. Ashi is especially good as it increases her flee rate, her speed by another half and her physical regeneration by double the rate. And her physical ATK must be affected by the ¡®Blackprey¡¯ ZN-28 Nova Knife given to her by Mr. Jack as well. There is some minor increase in her physical defense and magical defense but her undersuit given to her by Mrs. Ashi depends more on stealth and although it have some ballistic resistance, it doesn''t give much physical and magical protection for her.


    Raine sent a mental command to check her equipment status.


    Equipment status displayed as follows:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: Raine Sioux - Gender: Female</td>


    <td>Species: Dryad - Job: Mage</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Upper Head: Black Cat Ears Hairband</td>


    <td>Mid Head: Mask of The Daughters of Aku</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Lower Head: Assassin Mask</td>


    <td>Body: Caldari Stealth Undersuit Mk.3 (Black)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Left Hand: ¡®Blackprey¡¯ ZN-28 Nova Knife</td>


    <td>Right Hand: Orange Omnitool 8th Generation (White)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Robe: None</td>


    <td>Shoes: Caldari Stealth Combat Boots</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Accessory: Pyromaniac Black Cat Tail Belt</td>


    <td>Accessory: None</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Raine considers her current equipment and the reflected status does make sense if she considers it with her current equipment. Raine then realizes that she still hasn¡¯t spend her skill points. Raine then proceed to send a projected mental command to update her skills.


    Skill selections highlighted, expanding the basic description for each available skills.


    Cold Bolt


    Launch 1~10 cold bolt(s) to target foe, each dealing MATK*1 Ice-element damage. The higher the skill level, the more damage inflicted and the longer the cast time.


    Fire Bolt


    Launch 1~10 fire bolt(s) to target foe, each dealing MATK*1 Fire-element damage. The higher the skill level, the more damage inflicted and the longer the cast time.


    Lightning Bolt


    Launch 1~10 lightning bolt(s) to target foe, each dealing MATK*1 Lightning-element damage. The higher the skill level, the more damage inflicted and the longer the cast time.


    Stone Curse


    Attempt to turn target into stone, rendering it immobile and turning it to Earth element. The higher the skill level, the higher the success chance and the longer the cast time. Does not work on Undead / Ghost type enemies. At maximum level 10, success rate is at 60% and to use this skill you would need a red gemstone to be consumed in order to utilize the spell at all skill level.


    Napalm Beat


    Deal between 80% to 170% MATK Ghost-element damage to target and all enemies in a 3m¡Á3m area around it.


    Sight


    Reveal hidden enemies in a 7m ¡Á7m area around the user. A skill with 1 level only.


    Increase SP Recovery


    Passively increases SP recovery speed when not moving. Also increases efficiency of SP-restoring items consumed and thrown by an Alchemist


    Energy Coat


    Reduces damage from incoming physical attacks while consuming SP. Special Skill, 1 level only and cost 5 skill points to gain. Reduce physical damage up to a maximum of 50% depending on the percentage of mana available, the less the available mana the less physical damage reduction will be applied.


    Raine is intrigued by the skill selection available to her and with 50 skill points available to her she could really spend it to their maximum level. Raine could be a jack of all trades in her stats selection but in this case she can afford to be specialised in her selection.


    After some consideration, Raine would maximize Lightning Bolt, Napalm Beat, Stone Curse, Increase SP recovery. And Raine decided to take Sight and spend the heavy cost of Energy Coat as well, leaving her with 4 points left to spend on Fire Bolt. Raine then send a mental projection to confirm her selection.


    Confirming Skill selections:


    Lightning Bolt: Lvl 10 (Max Level) 10 bolts maximum, 8 sec cast time.


    Napalm Beat: Lvl 10 (Max Level) 170% MATK over a 3m x 3m area, 0.5 sec cast time.


    Stone Curse: Lvl 10 (Max Level) 60% success rate, red gemstone catalyst needed.


    Increase SP Recovery: Lvl 10 (Max Level) +30 SP/10 sec & +20% SP item recovery.


    Sight: Lvl 1 (Max Level): Nullifies hide, tunnel drive & cloaking effect in a 7m x 7m area.


    Energy Coat: Lvl 1 (Max Level): 80%-100% mana capacity, reduce Pdamage by 50%.


    Fire Bolt: Lvl 4 (10 Level): 4 bolts maximum, 3.6 sec cast time.


    Raine contemplates on her skill selections and are quite happy with her decision. Maximum Lightning bolt for use against futuristic mechanical enemies. Maximum Napalm Beat as an instant cast shotgun when cast at close range and as a Jedi force push analogue when cast over a modest range. Maximum Stone Curse as an elite killer as they became statues. Max increase SP Recovery to keep her casting and keep on killing. Sight as a counter for Mrs. Ashi¡¯s type of enemies. Energy Coat for defensive purpose. And finally some points spent on Fire Bolt in case she need to make something explode. In truth she can spend some in Cold Bolt if she ever need to assassinate someone and leave no murder weapon behind, but that¡¯s not really what she sees herself doing in the future. Raine finalizes her decision and sending a mental projection to confirm her selection.


    Skill selection confirmed¡­ Updating the status of the secondary neural core¡­


    Raine then sees the same red lightning arcing over the primary neural core connecting with her humanoid body. This time she could not see any physical change on her body but she is certain she just need to practice the skill next time she enters her humanoid body again and she would be able to use her skills perfectly.


    Secondary neural core status updated¡­


    <table width="695">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: Raine Sioux - Species: Dryad</td>


    <td>Job: Mage - Job Lvl 50</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Lightning Bolt</td>


    <td>Lvl 10 (Max Level) 10 bolts maximum, 8 sec cast time.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Napalm Beat</td>


    <td>Lvl 10 (Max Level) 170% MATK over a 3m x 3m area, 0.5 sec cast time.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stone Curse</td>


    <td>Lvl 10 (Max Level) 60% success rate, red gemstone catalyst needed.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Increase SP Recovery</td>


    <td>Lvl 10 (Max Level) +30 SP/10 sec & +20% SP item recovery.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Sight</td>


    <td>Lvl 1 (Max Level) Nullifies hide, tunnel drive & cloaking effect in a 7mx7m.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Energy Coat</td>


    <td>Lvl 1 (Max Level) 80%-100% mana capacity, reduce Pdamage by 50%.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Fire Bolt</td>


    <td>Lvl 4 (10 Level): 4 bolts maximum, 3.6 sec cast time.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    New skills gained after applying confirmed skills selection¡­


    Displaying newly available skills, expanding basic description of new skills.


    Thunder Storm


    Foes within target 5m x 5m area are hit 1~10 times, each for MATK*1 Lightning-element damage. The higher the skill level, the more damage inflicted and the longer the cast time. This skill is a higher class of skill, for every level raised it would need 2 skill points to level up.


    Soul Strike


    Ghost-element attack dealing up to 5¡Á MATK damage to a single target. Does additional damage to Undead-element enemies. Does extra 5% damage per SkillLV to Undead property Monsters. This skill is a higher class of skill, for every level raised it would need 2 skill points to level up.


    Fire Ball


    Attack a target and enemies in a 5m ¡Á 5m area around it for MATK*1.6~3.4 Fire-element damage. Enemies at the edge of the area will take 75% of the damage. The casting time for this skill would be 0.8 sec no matter the mastered skill level. This skill is a higher class of skill, for every level raised it would need 1.5 skill points to level up.


    Raine is impressed with the new skills description, as expected of a higher rank skills although it needs to have a higher cost to compensate the benefit as well¡­ She have no more skill points though¡­ So gaining those skills would have to wait until she gains more skill points and the knowledge of what kind of enemies would she encounter in this futuristic world first. Raine then sent a mental projection to skip the skill selection this time as she have no available skill points left.


    Familiar Token available in the primary inventory¡­ Would you like to create your Guardian Force now?


    Raine excitedly send a mental projection to confirm the creation of her Guardian Force.


    Confirming¡­ Checking primary inventory¡­ No Slime cores are available to create the Guardian Force¡­ Aborting process and returning the familiar token to the primary inventory¡­


    Raine became disappointed after the announcement¡­ She really need to find some slime cores soon as she really wanted to create her own Guardian Force. With disappointment, she sent a mental projection to move on to the next phase.


    Uncharged human blood confirmed in the storage in the primary inventory. Would you like to charge the blood with mana and store it within the humanoid body?


    Raine remembers that the charged blood is used as fuel for her humanoid body and as fuel for her spells so she sent a mental projection to confirm her acceptance to store it within her humanoid body.


    Confirmation accepted¡­ Charging the blood with mana would be an overnight process. Would you like to sleep while waiting as the process runs automatically? How much would you like to store the charged mana within the secondary body?


    It seems that Raine needs to wait while the blood are being charged overnight and it will be pumped automatically into her humanoid body. Raine would prefer to sleep rather than wait for topping up her mana charged blood reserve, so she would follow the advice of the notice.


    However for the amount of the stored charged mana capacity within her body¡­ Raine thinks the more she have, the better it would be for her spell work. So Raine sent a mental projection for confirmation to sleep and to set the storing of charged blood with mana within her humanoid body to the maximum.


    Confirmation accepted¡­ connecting neural cores and setting up mana charged blood storage within the secondary body to the maximum. No outstanding notice at this point¡­ Entering sleep mode¡­


    Raine then feels her incorporeal form get sucked into her humanoid body and can feel her consciousness slipping as everything went dark around her. Raine is unsure how long she spent sleeping but she can hear someone calling out her name.


    With a start Raine wakes up and can feel her sluggish body reacting to her name being called. Raine sees darkness surrounding her but can feel her body being heavy and becoming more sluggish after waking up. It takes a while before she recognizes the sound of her name being called as belonging to Mrs. Alakoni. She remembers that today Mrs. Alakoni would be introducing her to her new bodyguards which would be why Mrs. Alakoni is outside her tree calling out for her.


    Hurriedly Raine sent a mental projection in order to exit the tree and to meet up with Mrs. Alakoni and her promised bodyguards.


    Secondary body request for undocking¡­ Notice¡­ Storing of charged blood with mana within secondary body are complete¡­ Capacity¡­ Maximum¡­ Movement speed may be affected when walking and moving on terrestrial land.... Undocking secondary body...Undocking¡­


    Raine can feel her body moving from within the tree, heading for the exit. However she wonders if storing the mana charged blood to the maximum capacity means that her body now has become fat or chubby.


    Raine then wonders if she should meet Mrs. Alakoni and her bodyguards at this point, but the point has become moot as she fully exits her tree and became fully materialized.


    While standing at the base of her tree, Mrs. Alakoni and three new armored individuals standing behind her are already in front of Raine within a short distance away and all of them are looking at Raine¡¯s sudden appearance like a ghost appears from within a tree shell.


    While she cannot see the armored individuals¡¯ facial expressions as all of them are covered by helmets, she can certainly see Mrs. Alakoni reactions¡­ Mrs. Alakoni eyes are bulging and her face is getting redder by the second.


    ¡°Ms. Raine! What in the world has happened to you?¡± Shrieked Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°... So I get slightly taller and more athletic¡­ And maybe chubbier¡­So?¡± Said Raine while she raised an eyebrow at Mrs. Alakoni extreme reaction.


    ¡°Ms. Raine... I have no problem with you getting taller and more athletic as that can only be a good thing in my book¡­ But if you didn''t realize, something else has certainly gotten larger during my absence¡­¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni with exasperation as she pointed downwards toward Raine¡¯s body.


    With a huff Raine looks down, expecting to see a bigger stomach. Only to be shocked when she sees how big her breasts has become! She now has breasts almost as big as her head! Thankfully the black undersuit given by Mrs. Ashi can stretch and adjusts to the change in her cup size and height, but it makes it worse as the undersuit are stretched to their maximum capacity, making her pair of breasts looks sexier as it clings to the fabric looking more tight fitting.


    Raine then pokes at her new pair of breasts and remembers the fact that before she sleep, she did asks the mana charged blood to be stored to the maximum capacity within her humanoid body¡­ So they did store it within her body, but she did not expect her breasts to be used as the storage tanks.


    On the other hand, she feel nothing from poking her breasts. Raine concludes that there is no nerve endings surrounding her breast, hence she doesn¡¯t feel any sensitivity at all as she rubbed her pair of breasts vigorously.


    ¡°Ms. Raine! Are you really rubbing your breasts in front of us!¡± Shrieked Mrs. Alakoni alarmingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, they¡¯re just my fat reserve¡­ It¡¯s fine for them to see anyway as I am still clothed¡­¡± Said Raine with a flat tone as she tries to kill her shame and trying not to make it worse by panicking.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ As you wish Ms. Raine¡­ The reason for me calling you is to introduce you to your bodyguards behind me. I will introduce you to them now. We managed to get a Lai Dai affiliated, Adamantine-ranked Mercenary Squad to serve as your bodyguards under a discreet corporate contract. The Squad behind me are the famous Inferno Squad. Their leader is Iden Versio, a long time friend of the Lai Dai Corporation.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she gestured behind her to the leading figure with black armour and helmet as well as a small drone hovering above said person.


    As Raine watched, the tall and imposing figure steps forward from behind Mrs. Alakoni, approaches Raine and proceeds to take off the black helmet to expose a middle aged woman with black hairs tied from behind in a single bun. The middle-aged woman have dark brown skin and brown eyes. The soldier¡­ As the woman cannot be anything but a soldier with the stern face and a strict countenance says.


    ¡°I waited 30 years for this¡­ The chance to see the mythical Yggdrasil tree long whispered within the halls of Lai Dai corporation since I first heard of it when I was but a teenager holding my first handgun. It is an honour to meet you Ms. Raine and to see confirmation of such an amazing existence in the universe.¡± Said the woman, Iden Versio, as she offered her hand towards Raine for a handshake.


    Raine returns the handshake with no hesitation and look at her in the eyes as is proper within the business community as avoiding eye contact means untrustworthiness.


    ¡°Likewise Ms. Iden Versio. I hope we can get along and work together as you serve as my bodyguard¡­¡± Said Raine as she became calmer and calmer as she successfully mentally grappled with her turmoil caused by her massive breasts.


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, especially seeing such a cute assassin with cat ears and tail coming out of a mythical tree has in fact made my day Ms. Raine. And as you know, my name is Iden Versio and my role within this squad is to act as an Infiltrator Commando. I lead my squad and provide long distance fire support for them. Let me introduce you to my subordinates.¡± Said Ms. Iden Versio with a happy cheer as she turns and gestured for the two armored individuals behind Mrs. Alakoni to join her in greeting Raine.


    As Raine watched, one of the armored individual approaches and took of the black helmet, exposing the face of a man in his thirties with a black hair and brown eyes.


    ¡°Greetings miss. It¡¯s an honour to meet you, my name is Kaidan Alenko. I am a sentinel, if you have any tech problem whether it''s repairing, scanning or hacking electronics you can look for me as I am your combat tech support for the squad.¡± Said Kaidan Alenko with a smile.


    ¡°Likewise Mr. Kaidan Alenko, I hope we can get along¡­¡± Said Raine modestly.


    Before Kaidan can reply, Mrs. Alakoni interrupted both of them by joining them in their convesation.


    ¡°Ms. Raine is often quiet and doesn¡¯t talk much so I hope you can forgive her. I have noticed most of the time she is doing her own thing and lost in her own world ¡­¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni.


    Raine ignored Mrs. Alakoni and just stands there acting like she cannot hear her. It has always worked with trolls and annoying people, so she sees no reason to change her tactic against them now.


    ¡°I can see your point director Alakoni, then let us move along after our last member has introduced himself¡­¡± Said Iden Versio as she gestured towards the final member of her squad, but to her confusion she can see the last member adopting a constipated pose halfway to the ground with both fists clenched tightly.


    ¡°What is wrong? Are you poisoned on the way here!?¡± Said Iden Versio as she commanded the last member with a no nonsense tone.


    As Raine watched the last member of Inferno Squad ripped the black helmet open and Raine can see exposed underneath, a man, also in his thirties, with blonde hair, fair skin and freckled face, with brown eyes. Pumping his fists in excitement and hollering loudly.


    ¡°Hell yeah!!! Life is worth living! I never dreamed I would one day see an actual kuudere loli oppai kuro nekomimi in real life before! Oh if she was actually a meganekko as well that would be even more perfect!¡± Shouted the last member of the famous inferno squad.


    ¡°Ron Stoppable! Explain yourself in english! You are in the presence of an esteemed client!¡± Admonished Iden Versio towards the misbehaving member of her squad.


    Raine happens to understand what Ron Stoppable is saying so she understand that he is one big pervert.


    ¡°Oh! Yes Chief! I was just referring to her as a cute catgirl before and was lamenting that she wasn¡¯t wearing glasses!¡± Said Ron Stoppable as he salutes Iden Versio.


    ¡­ And apparently a decent liar as well since he did not actually lie, he just deliberately decided not to divulge some of the things he actually said.


    ¡°Honestly! Go and introduce yourself first in front of the client so we can move onto more important things!¡± Said Iden Versio as she continues to admonish Ron Stoppable.


    ¡°Yes mam! Sorry for the spectacle there! My name is Ron Stoppable and I am a Combat Vanguard! Master of the martial art Tai Shing Pek Kwar or otherwise known as monkey kungfu! You need someone¡¯s head bashed? Well don¡¯t wait around and just look for me! And as an apology, allow me to sing a rap about how cute you are! I fancy myself a rapper you see and it would take only three minutes of your time! Rufus! Help me out with the beat and recording buddy!¡± Said Ron Stoppable excitedly as the drone hovering above Iden Versio chirped and start laying down a musical beat and starts recording Ron Stoppable dancing and singing in front of Raine.


    ¡°Are you going to allow this?!¡± Protested Mrs. Alakoni watching the spectacle in front of her.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I promised this jerk as his reward for being a Vanguard for the squad. Plus it¡¯s his hobby, let it be, the recording shan¡¯t be a problem as she will travel in public spaces in her current attire anyway.¡± Sighed Iden Versio as she gives the go ahead to the spectacles.


    Raine then looks with bewilderment as Ron Stoppable sings and dance around her, praising the concept of cat girls. To Raine¡¯s delight the beat was catchy and the lyrics amusing so she really enjoyed listening to Ron Stoppable¡¯s performance. After 3 minutes as promised, Ron Stoppable¡¯s singing and dancing performance wraps up and he stands in front of her waiting for a clap. To Ron¡¯s delight, Raine did enjoy the performance and therefore gives Ron a hearty round of claps.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you my lady! I hope you enjoyed the performance and forgive me for my earlier transgression!¡± Said Ron Stopable with a goofy and wide smile.


    ¡°I will! As long as you give me the recording of your performance!¡± Said Raine as she smiled with a lighter heart.


    ¡°Oho! That¡¯s easy! Give me your right arm with the omnitool, and I will send over the link to the recording in the extranet, as I will also upload this to my blog and my followers can appreciate it as well! I am expecting another hit with this rap I can feel it!¡± Said Ron Stoppable as she requested Raine¡¯s right arm where her omnitool is located.


    Raine then offered her right arm and Ron starts to fiddle with the control panel.


    ¡°There! Done! I have saved the link in your control panel! So you can watch it any time if you need any pick me up!¡± Said Ron as he holds the omnitool holographic screen in front of Raine¡¯s face.


    Raine sees the link available inside her omnitool and can see the link saved in her control panel.


    It reads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Im7K8e40hI</a> i</a>t se</a>em</a>s th</a>ei</a>rt</a>ub</a>e st</a>il</a>l pr</a>ev</a>ai</a>le</a>d ev</a>en</a> a</a>ft</a>er</a> t</a>he</a> a</a>po</a>ca</a>ly</a>ps</a>e,</a> i</a>nt</a>er</a>es</a>ti</a>ng</a>.


    Raine laughed happily at Ron¡¯s antic and performance, she got the feeling that she would love traveling with this squad as she travel and explore this universe.


    ¡°Amazing, I have never seen Ms. Raine looks so happy before. I have to say your team is extraordinary. As expected of an Adamantine-ranked Mercenary Squad. I have high expectations for this venture that I hope you can deliver Iden Versio.¡± Said Alakoni as she gazes at the happy face of Raine and the silly antics of Ron Stoppable as Alakoni stand flanked by Iden Versio and Kaidan Alenko.


    ¡°Not to worry director Alakoni, we would take care of Ms. Raine. You have nothing to worry about with Inferno Squad backing up Ms. Raine¡¯s travel. And with how amazing and pleasant the client is and with the reward you have given Inferno Squad, we would even consider doing this contract with the term above and beyond our stated duty as well. As we can see that this would be one magical ride for everyone involved and we have no intention to miss any of it.¡± Said Iden Versio with a grinning face and Kaidan smiling beside her as well, enjoying the spectacle in front of them.


    ¡°That might be so Iden Versio¡­ That might be so¡­¡± Said Director Alakoni as she stares happily at Raine¡¯s childish antics from playing with Rufus the drone and Ron Stoppable in front of her. It seems even an esteemed ancestor like her is childish at heart. Thought Alakoni as she secretly took pictures of her cute ancestor.

 Chapter 8

    Raine is in a happy mood after playing with Ron Stoppable and Rufus, sometimes being young at heart is a lonely business. Unfortunately when you are an adult but maintain your hobby from your younger days you would be branded negatively in the eyes of society.


    There was a time when she went online and the damned so called jocks would automatically imagine her as a fat unemployed slob still living in her parents basement when she mentioned her interests or commented on social issues. The jocks are discriminating her just by looking at her anime profile picture.


    The judgemental stares of friends or relatives also became a bit much sometimes. Even though she was already a working adult, in their eyes certainly that fact mattered less than what you do in your damn spare times. God forbid they know she did write some fanfiction as a hobby, if it doesn¡¯t make money then it¡¯s trash.


    She can¡¯t help it though, the plot bunnies are hopping around her brain and they would not die unless you carbon-freeze them like what Boba Fett did to Han Solo onto a piece of blank white paper. How could she work in peace with the damn plot bunnies hopping around in her head. Damn you bunnies, die! Die, so she could work in peace.


    With a start however she suddenly realizes that she have been getting off-topic in her musings. So Raine re-oriented her thoughts and concentrate on the present time and location.


    Currently Raine is walking together with Mrs. Alakoni, Iden Versio, Kaidan Alenko, and Ron Stoppable to Mrs. Alakoni¡¯s office in order to discuss their next move. Mrs. Alakoni has arranged for her to have bodyguards in her travel to learn more about the current age and what humanity has become in her absence. Raine and her group once again walk the same brightly lit and utilitarian hallway leading out of the chamber where her tree is located and secured.


    Along the way, the personnel and the staff working and maintaining the facility cleared the way for their group and saluted respectfully as they pass. After passing through security checkpoints and the cafeteria, Raine is once again back in Mrs. Alakoni¡¯s office.


    Raine¡¯s group then took the seats in front of Mrs. Alakoni¡¯s office desk, with Mrs. Alakoni taking the director¡¯s seat with the glass panel behind her, showing her staffs working and laboring hard in their respective tasks.


    Once again Raine spotted the white persian cat jump unto Mrs. Alakoni¡¯s lap, purred appreciatively and lay there demanding to be petted by Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Oh Opalescence, you have become too spoiled recently.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni as she starts to pet the white persian cat.


    ¡°Director, you have become the picture of decadence for having such a rare and expensive breed of cat in your possession.¡± Commented Iden Versio as she relaxes on her seat.


    ¡°Oh stop it Iden, Opal and her ilk have been in the family for generations. It¡¯s not an issue at all for me feeding and taking care of her, it¡¯s as much a status symbol for me as well as my stress relief in office so the expense is well worth it.¡± Said Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a cat, surely there are a lot of them around.¡± Remarked Raine as she sat on the chair in front of Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Any pets nowaday are a luxury Ms. Raine, as most pets such as dogs and cats are eaten rather than being a burden during the cold famine when the deep freeze happen. The pets that still existed today are descended from pets being kept by royalty, nobility, dictators, millionaires and billionaires from that time period. Opal here have the same value as small shuttle and if I maintain the purity of her lineage, her litters would have the same value. Of course some genetic engineering work needed to be done in order to keep in-breeding from happening. ¡± Explained Mrs. Alakoni.


    ¡°Alright, but I don¡¯t want to keep talking about the cat. That is not why we are here after all.¡± Said Raine with a huff.


    ¡°Of course Ms. Raine, we should discuss our next move then. As you know, I have hired Inferno Squad to serve as your bodyguard during your travel. Of course you are free to go anywhere but I recommend you to go to our trade hub in Caldari Space. It¡¯s a large station orbiting the 4th moon of Jita IV in the forge region of space. The station is originally meant to be an assembly plant for our Caldari Navy but has since become the largest tradehub in the whole universe. You would find all sorts of individual in all walks of life and practically all the organization in the universe who would be present in the station. I believe you would do well to make such a station your headquarter in between your travels.¡± Recommends Mrs. Alakoni as she petted Opalescence¡¯s head on her lap.


    ¡°Not to mention, that place are packed with beautiful Gallente elves and the gear made by the Amarr dwarves are top notch as well! Why I remember Kaidan here was smitten with one of the elves during one of our shore leave.¡± Said Ron as he sits between Iden and Kaidan.


    ¡°What elves? And what¡¯s this about dwarves?¡± Asked Raine with confusion marring her face.


    Iden, Ron and Kaidan was startled from Raine¡¯s question, with uncertainty they look at each other and then finally sends a questioning gaze towards director Alakoni.


    ¡°Oh did I forgot to mention that we have discovered we are not alone in the universe Ms. Raine¡­¡± Said Alakoni with chagrin.


    ¡°... You could have mentioned that after the apocalypse yes?¡± Said Raine flatly as she stares at the squirming Alakoni.


    ¡°I apologize Ms. Raine, so these aliens.. We have encountered and fought wars with them over the centuries, but currently we are at peace so it¡¯s fine for you to meet them. Think of them as a chance to do some¡­ Extreme cultural exchange. There are only three type of aliens that you would encounter, which is elves, dwarves, and orcs. This is a gross generalization but elves are snobbish, dwarves are stubborn and orcs are bastards. I think that should cover it all yes?¡± Said Alakoni sweetly.


    Raine eyes are twitching but she sighed and decided to move on.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯d complain but I¡¯m not exactly announcing my existence as well.¡± Said Raine with reluctance.


    ¡°Splendid, they just come out of the woodwork one day from the next galaxy to complain about our noise polluting television programs filling their airwaves, some arguments here and there, some fights, some drinking and we have been good friends ever since. Just like real life.¡± Said Alakoni.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really tell whether you are joking or not¡­¡± Sighed Raine again with exasperation.


    ¡°Moving on from all these distractions Ms. Raine, as I have a new ship in orbit above us right now that I can¡¯t wait to get into. Part of the agreement with director Alakoni is Lai Dai Corporation have agreed to trade in our old Cruiser, a standard Tech 1 Caracal, and replace it with one of Lai Dai¡¯s exclusive product, a Tech 2 Heavy Assault Cruiser, the Cerberus. The transferring of our personnel and assets have already been completed and the ship is waiting for us in orbit. A shuttle is ready to take us off if you are ready to go.¡± Interjected Iden Versio impatiently.


    ¡°Of course Ms. Iden. I would love to flaunt about the Cerberus to Ms. Raine, but I suppose work does come before pleasure. However, before Ms. Raine can take offworld in the shuttle we should see Professor Dexter first for her to get her dropsuit and sidearms. Surely you don¡¯t expect us to send out Ms. Raine just with the gear and weapon given personally by our private security contractor do you?¡± Admonished Alakoni as she activates her omnitool on her arm.


    ¡°Yes director?¡± Said the opposite channel as the image and voice of Professor Dexter come out from the device.


    ¡°Professor Dexter, I am currently in the company of Ms. Raine and Inferno Squad. Do you have the equipment ready for her to collect?¡± Asked Alakoni through her omnitool in front of Raine and Inferno Squad.


    ¡°Her equipment is ready to collect, we have prepared the dropsuit and a list of side weapons for her to choose from. As per your order we did not prepare any primary weapons as it is deemed that her physiology is not ready to use it yet.¡± Reported Professor dexter.


    ¡°Excellent, we would be on our way to your lab now Professor. Please prepare for our imminent arrival.¡± Said Alakoni with satisfaction.


    ¡°Understood director, we will be ready for your arrival.¡± Acknowledged Dexter.


    Alakoni then deactivated her omnitool and shifted her attention to the group in front of her.


    ¡°Well then, as you have heard just now ladies and gentlemens. Let us proceed to Dexter¡¯s lab for Ms. Raine dropsuit fitting and then she can take a pick from our side weapons selections before you can fly offworld to Inferno Squad¡¯s brand new ship.¡± Said Alakoni as she put her beloved white persian cat Opal on the ground and stands up from her seat.


    ¡°About time Director Alakoni. I, for one can¡¯t wait to get back to my room in the new Normandy ship. As I would like to try out my newly bought Playstation 45 gaming console. Even though the rotten tomato reviews says it¡¯s an overpriced orange bastard with a lot of marketing hot air, but hey I bought it just to find out whether I should throw out my old black Playstation 44 Pro gaming console and replace it with the newer Playstation 45 console instead.¡± Said Ron excitedly as he stands and stretches his back.


    ¡°Although I was confused when I did some research online before buying the console though, as half are saying orange is the new black and the other half are saying the orange will kill off the company and they should have stick with the traditional black. I have never seen such a divisive reviews online. It¡¯s like the whole internet is on fire with Playstation fanboys and fangirls starting up a civil war. The whole thing has become a messy riot which causes the world to laugh and insult gamers as a whole, but nobody laughed as loud as the fanboys and fangirls of the Xbox Cancer when they see the other side dispute and squabble among themselves.¡± Said Ron contemplatively as he puts a hand on his chin and taking a thoughtful pose.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t mention your hobby during work Ron, it¡¯s simply not professional.¡± Complained Kaidan as he stands from his seat as well.


    ¡°You can berate me when you have slain more zombies than I do in multiplayer Kaidan.¡± Said Ron with some swagger and arrogant expression on his face.


    Kaidan simply stay silent as he do not wish to continue this conversation in front of Iden Versio, their client and a VIP.


    Simply taking Kaidan¡¯s silence as an admission of defeat, Ron leads the way out of the office as he holds Alakoni¡¯s office door like a butler.


    Seeing that their business in Alakoni¡¯s office are more or less wrapped up. Both Iden Versio and Raine stands from their seat as well and together with Alakoni and Kaidan exits the director office and proceed towards Dexter¡¯s lab as Ron closed the door behind them.


    On their way to Dexter¡¯s lab, every staff and personnel they encountered cleared the way again for their group and salutes as they walk past. Although they still need to pass security checkpoints, it is just a matter of time before they reach the entrance to Dexter¡¯s lab. Alakoni greets the pair of guards guarding the entrance and proceed to enter the lab, followed by Raine and her bodyguard entourage behind her.


    Inside the lab, Raine could see Professor Dexter as well as his lab assistants lining up behind the Professor with some side weapons being presented on a metal tray as well as a few of some high tech looking drop suits for her. As Raine and her group walks closer to Professor Dexter, the Professor and his assistants stands straighter and more alert.


    ¡°Welcome back Ms. Raine, I hope you don''t press any more button while you are back here in my lab this time¡­ And I can see somehow you have done some make over a lot of growing up as well. I didn''t realize looking like a cat is considered trendy nowadays by our youth.¡± Said Professor Dexter with some weariness, fear and confusion when looking at Raine¡¯s new gear and cat girl / assassin appearance.


    Raine nodded and made a motion of crossing her heart to show her sincerity not to press any button while in Dexter¡¯s lab and choosing not to comment as Dexter and his assistants discreetly ogling at her pair of breasts.


    ¡°Well as long as you understand Ms. Raine.¡± Said Professor Dexter with some relief and reluctant acceptance, quite used to strangeness from his sister Dee Dee.


    ¡°Well Professor, let us start with the dropsuit first then. What do you have for Ms Raine?¡± Asked Alakoni from beside Raine.


    ¡°Very well then director, for the dropsuit I would limit the selection strictly to the light class of dropsuits as due to Ms. Raine physiology and stature, only this class of dropsuit would suit her best. We have three type for this class of dropsuit for Ms. Raine to choose from. The basic light frame type, it doesn¡¯t come with any role specific customization but it comes with a better shield and shield recharge rate. Next we have the scout class light dropsuit, it have standard shield but it is designed and optimized for covert operations and stealth. And finally we have the pilot class light dropsuit, it have weaker shield, no stealth ability but compensates for that by having the best electronics capability in order to bypass and fly shuttles as well as some smaller class of spaceships. Now Ms. Raine, from among these suits. Which one interest you the most?¡± Asked Professor Dexter as he points at each dropsuits in front of Raine, being held by a lab assistant.


    Raine thoughtfully considers and with certainty she choose the pilot class light drop suit. As she would value the ability to operate a shuttle and spaceship more than having a better shielding or stealth ability.


    ¡°The pilot class light drop suit, a good choice Ms. Raine. The dropsuit would serve you well I am sure of it. Caldari dropsuits are famed for having the best shields and electronics in the whole universe, the one we are outfitting you is one of our better models so please take care of it.¡± Said Professor Dexter with pride and caution.


    With her choice, two of the lab assistants withdrew the light dropsuits type that she didn¡¯t choose. The lab assistant holding the dropsuit she have chosen moves forward, and starts fitting the suit on to her undersuit given to her by Ms. Ashi. As the lab assistant is in the process of fitting the components and armours of the pilot class light dropsuit, a few new lab assistants move forward to present her the sidearms she could choose.


    ¡°Ms. Raine, this time please choose your sidearm. Please choose only one as it¡¯s best to carry one type of weapon and it¡¯s corresponding ammunitions in order not to burden your movement ability too much.¡± Explained Professor Dexter as Alakoni and Iden Versio looks on with interest.


    ¡°Now Ms. Raine, I would be explaining weapons in more detail compared to the dropsuits as a weapon is a dangerous thing and should be respected. Not that dropsuits is lesser compared to weapons you see but you must appreciate your armour and respect your weapon, that is our way, the caldari way.¡± Explained Professor dexter as one assistant move forward and presented a pistol in front of the standing Raine being fitted with the pilot class light dropsuit.


    Raine looks with interest and even took a picture with her omnitool.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°This here is the Flaylock pistol, a mainstay sidearms of the Gallente elves. This snub-nosed pistol have enough ammo for three shots per clip and you can carry a maximum of five clips in combat. The Flaylock is designed to fire one-inch direct attack missiles. Typically, the weapon is armed with pack-loaded dumbfire, or seeker missiles effective against infantry and armored targets, but is fully compatible with a broad range of missile types, making it one of the most versatile sidearm weapons on the battlefield. The seeker missiles utilize pre-launch lock-on and rudimentary self-guidance to track designated targets, though the finite propellant limits the practical engagement zone to short ranges. Although less effective against shielded targets, the tandem warhead allows penetration of armor layers before detonation, amplifying the effectiveness of the narrow fragment stream and maximizing each projectile''s lethality. This weapon is the very image of the race it was born from, just like the elves it is an accurate but impotent weapon in combat. I am making a joke about their lack of ammo by the way as they can only shoot three times. ¡± Explained Professor Dexter as he waved the flaylock pistol away and gestured for the next lab assistant to move forward.


    Raine looks with interest as yet another pistol was presented in front of her, she then took another picture with her omnitool.


    ¡°Next we have the Scrambler pistol, a mainstay sidearm of the Amarrian dwarves. This pistol have enough ammo for twelve shots per clip and you can carry a maximum of four clips in combat.The Scrambler is a semi-automatic pistol originally designed and manufactured by Carthum Conglomerate. A small-scale directed energy weapon, it produces a laser-induced plasma channel capable of dealing short-range pin-point damage to a target. Power consumption is excessive, but is addressed via a rear-loaded, self containing liquid fuel cell, allowing cells to be exchanged quickly and easily once exhausted. Moreover, advances in the polymers used in the weapon''s construction have greatly reduced heat build-up and improved heat dissipation, resulting in improved reliability over earlier modules. This weapon is the very image of the race it was born from, just like the dwarves it is a powerful but stubborn weapon in combat. The weapon need some expertise to handle and if you don¡¯t treat it well it will stop firing.¡± Explained the Professor yet again as he waved the scrambler pistol away and gestured for the next lab assistant to move forward.


    Raine still look on with interest as yet another weapon is presented in front of her, curiously this time it¡¯s not a pistol but it¡¯s a small submachinegun. Raine once again took another picture with her omnitool.


    ¡°And finally we have this submachine gun, a mainstay sidearms of the Minmattar orcs. This submachine gun have enough ammo for eighty shots per clip and you can carry a maximum of 6 clips in combat. Favouring function over form, the SMG is a lightweight, full automatic weapon designed for close-quarters combat. What it lacks in stopping power and accuracy it grossly overcompensates for with quantity. Designed to injure and impede, the hailstorm of bullets the SMG produces is most effective in tight spaces against multiple targets.This original design is a paradigm of Minmatar construction. An inelegant but reliable weapon solution that is simple to produce, easily repaired using almost any available materials, and provides comparable pound-for-pound performance with similar sub-automatic weapons was a result of this design. Although an unabashedly low-tech weapon, it excels at what it was designed for: killing anything right in front of you. This weapon is the very image of the race it was born from, just like the orcs it is an effective but brutal weapon in combat. Since it is quite low tech by our standard, each bullet have low damage and stopping power, you would need ton of ammos in order to utilize this weapon effectively." Explained the Professor yet again as he waved the submachine gun away and gestured for the lab assistant to move backward and join the other two assistant holding the flaylock pistol and scrambler pistol.


    Raine were waiting for the caldari sidearms to be presented to her as well but became confused when nothing happen and they act as if she needs to make the decision to choose from three sidearms weapon.


    ¡°What about the caldari sidearms?¡± Asked Raine with confusion.


    To Raine¡¯s bewilderment, everyone starts laughing at her words.


    ¡°Forgive me Ms. Raine, but you have already carried a fine Caldari sidearm with you all this time. Please pass me your Nova Knife, that knife is our mainstay Caldari sidearm. I can also do the explanation and expose of our mainstay sidearm as well if you¡¯d like.¡± Said Dexter as he extended his hands, requesting for the Nova Knife currently sheathed on Raine¡¯s thigh.


    Raine, with a blushing face, unsheathed her ¡®Blackprey¡¯ ZN-28 Nova Knife and passed it to Professor Dexter outstretched hands. Raine also took a picture of her knife with her omnitool in order to complete the sidearms set.


    ¡°Ah yes, the ubiquitous Caldari Nova Knife, a mainstay sidearms of the Caldari humans. This knife of course has no ammo as it is a melee weapon, you could use it as a throwing knife but I wouldn¡¯t recommend it as it is costly and it is not a disposable weapon. A close-quarters melee weapon, the nova knife is as deadly a weapon as anything on the battlefield. Its name derives from the heated plasma edge of the blade - formed by a thermic igniter and linear gravity condenser that, in skilled hands, can be used to carve through even the thickest Dropsuit armour. This weapon is the very image of the race it was born from, just like the humans it is a resilient but difficult weapon to master in combat. The only downside is that you have to be in striking distance in order to utilize this weapon, but this weapon is the pride of the human race and is featured in multiple coat of arms.¡± Explained the Professor as he hold Raine¡¯s Nova Knife on his hands before he return the knife to Raine¡¯s hand.


    Raine then sheathed her ¡®Blackprey¡¯ ZN-28 Nova knife and direct her attention to the three lab assistant holding each sidearm weapon as if to gauge which weapon to take with her.


    ¡°Now Ms. Raine, we come back to which of three sidearm weapons that you will carry on with you in your journey. Remember that you can only choose one as it will not be possible to carry all three with you on your person. Will it be the grass-type Flaylock Pistol, the water-type Scrambler Pistol or the fire-type submachine gun?¡± Asked Professor Dexter as he gestured towards the three lab assistants holding the sidearm weapons.


    ¡°Grass-type, water-type, fire-type?¡± Said Raine with a confused tone as she tilted her head cutely.


    ¡°Never mind the terms Ms. Raine, it''s something of an inside joke among our lab staffs.¡± Explained Professor Dexter humoredly.


    ¡°Then what is my Nova Knife type in that term? I am just curious.¡± Asked Raine as she holds the tip of her deactivated Nova Knife edged blade.


    ¡°Lightning-type obviously, now Ms. Raine, what would your choice of sidearm weapon be?¡± Asked Professor Dexter once again.


    After some consideration, she decided to take the Amarrian dwarves Scrambler Pistol. Who wouldn¡¯t want to use a futuristic laser pistol like Han Solo from Star Wars? Raine then points at the lab assistant holding the Amarrian Scrambler Pistol on his hands.


    ¡°... I choose the Scrambler Pistol.¡± Answered Raine as the lab assistant that is holding said sidearm weapon moved forward and presented the sidearm weapon to Professor Dexter.


    The Professor then took the offered Scrambler Pistol and fiddled with the control panel momentarily.


    ¡°You have chosen the Scrambler Pistol as your main sidearm in your journey Ms. Raine. Are you sure of your choice?¡± Asked Professor Dexter once again.


    ¡°Yes, I am sure.¡± Confirmed Raine on her selection.


    ¡°Then this weapon will serve you well. I have registered this weapon under your name and by locking your genetic code to this Scrambler Pistol, it will only fire when it is in your possession. We already have a blood sample courtesy of Dr. Vahlen, even though I was told it didn¡¯t come from your body, her scan result has shown that it is the same substance as the one circulating in your body. Please take this CAR-9 Burst Scrambler Pistol as your loyal companion, take care of it well and it will serve you faithfully.¡± Professed Professor Dexter as he passed back the native Amarrian Scrambler Pistol to Raine.


    Raine accepted the offered Scrambler Pistol and holstered it on her right thigh.


    ¡°And before I forget, here are four full spare clips for your CAR-9 Burst Scrambler Pistol. Inside the clips are self-contained liquid fuel cell, if it ever break and spill please do not touch the spill it as it will be harmful to flesh and skin, and be warned it is extremely flammable.¡± Said Professor Dexter as he passed the spare full clips to Raine¡¯s hand.


    Raine accepted the offered clips and stored it in the pouches of her cat tail belt for easy retrieval and storage. Only then she realizes that the lab assistants that is fitting her pilot class dropsuit is no longer tinkering around her. Raine assumes that she already has everything she need from the Professor¡¯s lab and ready to go onboard the shuttle offworld.


    ¡°Is this everything Professor?¡± Asked Raine to Professor Dexter.


    ¡°Not quite, there is one last piece of equipment you still need to complete your gear.¡± Said Professor Dexter as he snapped his finger and one of the lab assistant presented Raine with a black pilot helmet that complemented her suit nicely.


    Raine took a glance at the offered pilot helmet and feel that the design is a bit imposing, and to her chagrin it still looks like a black cat. Raine does not believe everyone here will quit imposing their catgirl fetish on everything she is wearing anytime soon..


    Nevertheless Raine still took the time to take a picture of the helmet with her omnitool.


    ¡°This pilot helmet suit the necessary electronics to interface with a shuttle and the smaller class of spaceships on-board computer and electronics. Just think about what you wish to do and the helmet system will do the rest for you.¡± Explained Professor Dexter as he offered the pilot helmet to Raine.


    Raine accepted the offered helmet and found out that she can still wear her mask under the helmet as the space inside the helmet adjusted to fit the size of her head comfortably.


    ¡°Looking good Raine!¡± Said Ron excitedly.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Raine it¡¯s a good fit for you, and I am happy that you have chosen the scrambler pistol as well as it isthe same model as I am using now. I can show you the ropes later if you would like.¡± Offered Iden happily.


    ¡°Sigh, I was sure that she would have chosen the Flaylock Pistol instead. The pistol have a homing capability that I was sure that would have sealed the deal.¡± Lamented director Alakoni taking the loss as a personal slight.


    ¡°Now director, isn¡¯t it better if Ms. Raine have an expert to show her the ropes for a particular weapon?¡± Soothed Kaidan.


    ¡°I suppose you are right Mr. Kaidan, as long as Ms. Raine is happy with her choice I suppose.¡± Conceded Alakoni looking at Raine¡¯s fitted form.


    Raine can hear the conversation of both Alakoni and Kaidan very clearly even when she can see that they are conversing in a lower volume. It seems that the helmet is also enhancing her hearing and sight, as from within the helmet she can spot various HUD display of her surroundings. Names of personnel, their armour configuration and displayed weapon are also displayed in her HUD display.


    Even the vehicle behind Professor Dexter is labelled as a Caldari Viper dropship, and was clearly marked that the helmet are able to interface and pilot such an impressive vehicle.


    Raine was a bit woozy as her view suddenly zoomed into the Viper dropship and she can see the details of the ship in a clearer and sharper image.


    ¡°I am sure you are currently a bit overwhelmed with the HUD of the pilot helmet now Ms. Raine. If you can just spoke the word ¡®scout mode¡¯ it will revert it¡¯s setting to a more natural feel for your eyes.¡± Said Professor Dexter helpfully in front of Raine.


    ¡°Scout mode.¡± Said Raine clearly.


    Raine view are suddenly clearer now as all the HUD display disappears and replaced with her more normal unaugmented sight. The picture are still clearer and sharper than she is used to though and she is sure that this helmet also comes with night-vision as well.


    ¡°Yes this is better, thank you for the advice Professor.¡± Said Raine with gratitude as she bows slightly in thanks.


    ¡°Your welcome Ms. Raine, that is all we have for you today. However if you have any issue please do not hesitate to come to me or any of my staffs.¡± Replied professor Dexter acknowledging Raine¡¯s thanks.


    ¡°Ms. Raine I can say that you are now ready for your trip offworld. Please follow me to the hangar, a shuttle has been prepared for your party and remember that the support of the Lai Dai¡¯s group are behind you as you traverse the stars. However please try not to cause an incident with any of the aliens you encountered on Jita station as those kind of cases are legally more complicated than your average legal case.¡± Said Alakoni encouragingly as she give an advise for Raine¡¯s journey.


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s about time! Zombie slaying on Playstation 45 here I come!¡± Shouted Ron as Kaidan elbowed Ron none too gently which shut Ron up.


    With that distraction over, Raine says her goodbye to Professor Dexter and his lab assistants. Then all of Raine¡¯s group exits the lab and after walking for some time with Alakoni leading their group towards the hangar. Raine can see the transition of the hallway from bright and utilitarian towards a more metallic and practical design with pipes criss-crossing the rooftop. Raine then passed a large metal gate which leads to a large chamber even larger than the one with her tree in it.


    Ahead of her, she can see a landing platform with aircraft personnels doing various tasks around the ship which she assumes is her shuttle offworld.


    ¡°Scout mode off.¡± Said Raine as her HUD activated again and confirmed her assumption that the ship is her shuttle offworld. Raine¡¯s view are then zoomed closer to the shuttle and make the shuttle have a brighter and clearer image in the dimmed surroundings of the landing pad.


    ¡°That¡¯s our ticket off Earth Ms. Raine, the journey should take around 10 minutes for us to reach my ship in orbit. I hope you are mentally prepared for a serious culture shock when we reach the Jita Station. I will show you around as it is my Squad¡¯s base of operation when trying to find any mercenary work.¡± Said Iden Versio from Raine''s side.


    Raine just nodded and standing around as Alakoni are clearing the red tapes for the shuttle launch offworld with her director clearance. Alakoni then shortly cleared Raine and her group for launch after discussing it shortly with the landing pad flight control.


    Iden Versio, Kaidan Alenko and Ron Stoppable have already proceed ahead without Raine but somehow Raine trailed behind and walks closer to Alakoni as she felt that she have something to say before they say their goodbyes.


    ¡°Ms. Raine, I hope you have a safe trip and return back to us when anytime you want. Know that you will always have a home with us here.¡± Said Alakoni full of emotion like a parent letting her child off at her first day of school.


    Raine rolled her eyes behind her helmet, but decided to hug Alakoni in this instance. As she felt she needs to be the great grandparents instead of being treated like the granddaughter with her hands being held.


    ¡°Know that I am proud of what our family have achieved here and today. Not only you but to all of our family, I hope you can let everyone know as well. And I will be back one day bringing great gifts for the family! Just wait and see.¡± Said Raine returning Alakoni¡¯s heartfelt emotion.


    Alakoni sniffed and avert her eyes as they separated, Raine then walked away through the landing pad and into the shuttle¡¯s ramp where the rest of the group are waiting for her. Raine then turns around on the shuttle ramp and waved goodbye at Alakoni¡¯s waiting figure.


    ¡°Goodbye Mrs. Alakoni! I hope you take care of yourself and the company in my absence!¡± Shouted Raine as she say her goodbye.


    ¡°I will Ms Raine, don¡¯t worry! Goodbye and have a safe journey!¡± Shouted Alakoni in reply.


    Raine¡¯s last view of Alakoni is her standing on the edge of the landing pad and furiously waving her hand in goodbye at Raine.


    ¡°You will see her again Ms. Raine, Separation makes the heart fonder after all. Just make sure you stay in one piece and return home. That¡¯s all that matters and no matter who say otherwise, a mercenary¡¯s priority is not money, it is returning back to a home worth returning to.¡± Advised Ron Stoppable beside Raine in the confine of the shuttle¡¯s ramp.


    ¡°Wise words, Ronald. It¡¯s unbecoming of you, I am surprised.¡± Said Raine quietly.


    ¡°I have my moments.¡± Said Ron as he looked away in embarrassment.


    Raine and her group then moved on from the shuttle ramp and into the shuttle¡¯s passenger seats. As everyone¡¯s buckling on their seat Raine hears the pilot¡¯s announcement.


    ¡°Ready for dust off, we are taking off for docking with Normandy SR-2in orbit.¡± Announced a woman¡¯s voice which is the shuttle¡¯s pilot.


    Raine then felt the shudder of the shuttle¡¯s taking off and when she take a view of the outside of the shuttle from the window, she can see the chamber where she was in with Alakoni earlier.


    Raine can feel the shuttle takes off vertically and keep on ascending until she can see the rooftop opening up if she looks up from the shuttle¡¯s window.


    And with a sudden acceleration she can feel the shuttle exits the opening and she can see the view changed into snow white as they fly into the middle of a raging blizzard and hail.


    The ice from the hail are pelting the shuttle yet the ice and the wind pressures are not impeding the shuttle at all as Raine can feel the G-force as the shuttle keep accelerating faster and faster almost vertically.


    From the shuttle¡¯s window, Raine can see the view as the ground becoming smaller and the world becoming rounder until she can see the sun peeking out on the horizon and the stars appears among the darkness of space beyond that as her destination.


    Raine is not able to see anything beyond the darkness of space but if she look down to Earth, for a moment her thought processes halted as she sees for one beautiful moment the white swirling cloud and the blue roiling oceans superimposed with the sun¡¯s reflection on planet earth surrounded by stars in the darkness of space and she can feel a tear drop from the corner of her eyes from the beauty of the view. Even though the homeworld is ravaged, it¡¯s still living, it¡¯s still beautiful and that makes it worth fighting for.

 Chapter 9

    Raine¡¯s attention is transfixed from the window of the shuttle on the view of the world below. Her attention is broken however when Iden Versio started to speak from the seat beside her, asking for her attention.


    ¡°Ms. Raine, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your musing but we¡¯ll be reaching the ship soon. And I will be asking the shuttle pilot to orbit around the ship so you can see how it looks from outside.¡± Said Iden Versio.


    Raine shifted her attention to Iden Versio and nodded at her words. Raine then sees Iden wearing her helmet and pressing her right hand to the right side of her head.


    ¡°Pilot, this is Iden Versio. Captain of the Normandy SR-2 inside the shuttle. Please arrange for an orbiting maneuver around the Normandy SR-2 at an orbital distance of five hundred meters, set the shuttle speed nice and slow there.¡± Said Iden Versio transmitting a radio signal from her helmet to the shuttle pilot¡¯s cockpit.


    After a pause, Raine can feel the shuttle take a sudden turn and then after a while slightly turn to the opposite direction. Eventually, Raine can see the view of Iden¡¯s spaceship from her side of the window.


    The ship looks imposing and large, Raine can see the missile pods jutting out near the engines and the command section of the plane. So this is the ship exclusively made by Lai Dai Company, the Cerberus, the ship that Mrs. Alakoni is so proud of. Raine took a picture of the ship with her Omnitool.


    ¡°Ain''t she a beauty Ms. Raine? I¡¯ll miss the old Normandy but the Cerberus is too good a ship to miss using compared to the standard Tech 1 Caracal ship which is the original Normandy.¡± Said Iden Versio with a bittersweet tone.


    Raine didn¡¯t answer Iden immediately, instead, her attention is drawn to the older looking ship beside the Cerberus cruiser that the shuttle is orbiting around.


    ¡°I agree Ms. Iden, the Cerberus is a beautiful ship. Why is there another ship beside it though? I noticed that both ships look similar but the other one looks older and have fewer missiles and equipment attached to it compared to the Cerberus.¡± Asked Raine as she tilts her head curiously.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my old ship, the original Normandy, she looks lesser because that¡¯s how it is if you are comparing a Tech 1 Standard Caracal Cruiser with a specialized Tech 2 Cerberus Heavy Assault Cruiser. And regarding your question why they look similar, it¡¯s because the hull of the Tech 2 Cerberus is based on the hull of the Tech 1 Caracal, it is just designed and fitted with better technology. For your understanding, a Tech 2 ship is generally better in everything compared to a Tech 1 ship. Tech means technological level, you can consider that the higher the Tech level then the better the performance of a ship or an equipment it would be. Tech 1 is generally used by everyone and is pretty mundane. The Navy used a different version to Tech 1 which have a better performance as well, which you may call as Military Grade Tech 1, but the Navy version still cannot beat a Tech 2 version. Not everyone can get a Tech 2 item unless you have a very high connection with one of the Mega Corporations and each corporation controls a different exclusive Tech 2 designs so it¡¯s a pretty big deal to get one. I have also heard rumors of Tech 3 being researched floating around but the details are top secret as I cannot get anything from my contacts.¡± Explained Iden as she points out from the shuttle¡¯s window from beside Raine.


    Raine nodded and paused while filing the information inside her mind, but she removed Iden¡¯s old ship from her mind and shifted her focus towards the Cerberus ship still centered in front of her view. Curiously, her HUD display is still active from when Raine turns it on to analyze the shuttle she was boarding back in the landing pad 15 minutes ago. Raine willed the HUD to analyze the Cerberus ship in front of her and then an image of the Cerberus ship took over her whole view in front of her.


    Cerberus - Caldari Tech 2 Heavy Assault Cruiser


    No cruiser currently in existence can match the superiority of the Cerberus''s onboard missile system. With a well-trained pilot jacked in, this fanged horror is capable of unleashing a hail of missiles to send even the most seasoned armor tankers running for cover.


    Developer: Lai Dai


    Moving away from their traditionally balanced all-round designs, Lai Dai has created a very specialized - and dangerous - missile boat in the Cerberus. Many have speculated that due to recent friction between Caldari mega corporations, rumors abound that Lai Dai may be looking to beef up their own police force with these missile-spewing monstrosities.


    Raine blinked away the rush of information from her HUD helmet and willed the Tech 2 Cerberus information panel away from her sight. The information then minimized itself out of her sight and stays at the corner of her vision.


    However, Raine noticed what the Cerberus ship looks like in the information panel HUD and what the same ship looks like in front of her are slightly different... Perhaps a different variant?


    ¡°Ms. Iden, your ship version of Cerberus looks different compared to what is in my helmet¡¯s database. Did you request that your ship would have a different feature?¡± Asked Raine as she turns her head and facing Iden¡¯s direction.


    ¡°In fact I did, I requested for the ¡°Zero¡± Variant. The same taste, ¡°Zero¡± armor. If the shield is gone, we would be screwed anyway so I requested the armor to be removed. On the upside this armor removal makes the ¡°Zero¡± Variant possess way better agility and speed compared to your ¡°Average¡± Cerberus. As a mercenary, I¡¯d rather have the ability to quickly run away or chase down prey anyway. Let the Navy stand down their ground and fight, that¡¯s not our job as mercenary.¡± Said Iden as she shrugged at the different mindset of the Navy and the mercenary.


    ¡°I¡¯d believe it''s because the boys in the Navy wants to live just like any normal person would, that¡¯s why they kept the armor on Ms. Iden... Besides, doesn¡¯t matter how fast you go, I can imagine a missile would have chased your ship down and hit it anyway.¡± Said Raine as cold sweats start to appear and she starts to have a second thought about boarding Ms. Iden¡¯s suicidal ship.


    ¡°Ah..Ah..Ah.. You and everyone else may think that way Ms. Raine, but we¡¯re not stupid. We have countermeasures for that. In fact, I¡¯ll show you myself when we are already aboard the ship.¡± Said Iden Versio as she wiggles one of her index finger in front of Raine¡¯s faceplate condescendingly.


    Raine didn¡¯t say anything in response to Iden''s words but behind her faceplate, her expression became skeptical of Iden¡¯s claim.


    ¡°If you say so Ms. Iden.¡± Replied Raine reluctantly.


    Iden acknowledges Raine¡¯s reply and returns to her seat and Raine can hear her contacting the pilot again.


    ¡°Shuttle Pilot, this is Iden Versio, we¡¯re done here. Stop the orbiting maneuver and proceed to dock with the Normandy SR-2¡± Said Iden as she raised her right hand again and rest it on the right side of her helmet.


    Afterward, Raine can feel the shuttle shifted towards the Normandy SR-2 and from her window, she sees the ship gradually disappearing from her view as the shuttle makes a slow and subtle maneuver to dock beside the Normandy SR-2. As the shuttle slows to a stop, Raine can hear multiple metallic sounds softly impacting the hull of the shuttle. After a few minutes, Raine can feel the shuttle shakes slightly.


    ¡°Greetings valued passengers, this is your captain speaking. I¡¯m afraid we are stopping briefly as for State purpose we are now docked with a combat cruiser next to us for military personnel to transfer over in short order. We apologized for the inconvenience and we will soon resume our flight to Hek Station, Metropolis System, Minmatar Space. Your safety is important to us, hence we will be making another stop at a military outpost as a pair of Caldari Navy frigates will be escorting us to our destination. Thank you for flying with United Spacelines.¡± Announced the captain of the shuttle.


    Raine stands from her seat as Iden, Kaidan, and Ron did as well. Iden leads the way out of the shuttle, followed by Kaidan, Ron, and Raine. Raine walks through the hallways of the shuttle, and then took a flight of staircase up, from there she can see rows and rows of civilian passengers ahead of her.


    Since Raine is the last person of the group she can see some passengers shocked expressions as they see her small and short form fitted with military combat gear and weapon following behind the taller and more imposing form of Iden, Kaidan, and Ron. Raine can feel the weight of the stares of the passenger from behind her and can hear some passengers took pictures with their omnitool.


    Thankfully their group is walking too fast so the passengers only get a glimpse of what her back looks like as they passed by the shuttle aisles, she can imagine where their attention would be drawn to if they could see her from the front. Raine proceeds to walk quicker and crossed her arms in front of her to hide her enlarged breast from view.


    To Raine¡¯s relief, after a while, she can see the front of the shuttle where a door can be seen as well as the flight attendants. The flight attendants politely greeted and say their goodbyes as their group went through and exits the door of the shuttle.


    Raine then founds herself inside a lit and empty bridge, the type she used to use in the airports in her time in the distant past. Raine has to stop though as everyone in front of her is also standing still. Raine was wondering what is the holdup but before she can ask, the opening behind her sealed and closes itself, blocking her view of the flight attendants and the shuttle. Through the sealed bridge door she can hear the shuttle door also closing, she can hear some clicks sound as the shuttle disengaged itself from the bridge and then silence as she assumed the shuttle have moved away from the bridge and continued it¡¯s journey to Hek. True to the laws of nature, she can¡¯t hear anything as the shuttle moved away, the adage "In outer space no one can hear you scream." still applies it seemed.


    What Raine can still hear though is the sound of machinery surrounding the bridge as the length of the bridge contracted itself to return to the Normandy SR-2. When the bridge stopped moving, she can hear the sound of a door unsealing itself ahead of her, but unfortunately she¡¯s not able to see anything past the back of the person in front of her due to her short stature. Before she knows it, the person in front of her moved again and she can see the interior of the Normandy SR-2 as Iden, Kaidan and Ron went in and step aside waiting for her.


    ¡°What are you waiting for Ms. Raine? Permission to come aboard? Well, it¡¯s granted by myself as the commander of this vessel then.¡± Said Iden with mirth as she waved Raine to come in the Normandy SR-2


    Hearing the encouragement, Raine slowly exits the bridge and stepping into the Normandy SR-2 dark and dimly lit halls.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl Raine, now if everyone doesn''t mind excusing me. I have a date with the 45th reincarnation of Sony game console.¡± Said Ron as he salutes and walked away to look for his quarters.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind Commander Iden. I would be looking for something to eat in the mess hall as well.¡± Said Kaidan as well as he salutes and waits for Iden Versio''s approval before he walked away looking for the mess hall.


    ¡°Well, Ms. Raine looks like it¡¯s just the two of us girls left behind by our man to fend for ourselves.¡± Said Iden jokingly as she looks down at Raine¡¯s faceplate in the gloom of the Normandy¡¯s halls.


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say that commander.¡± Said a suave and gentlemanly voice as a bald elderly man shows himself from behind one of the dark space behind the Normandy¡¯s pillar.


    Raine was so startled that she reflexively draws her CAR-9 Burst Scrambler Pistol and pointed it at the elderly man who suddenly appears near her. Looking beside her, she also saw that Iden Versio has also done the same and has drawn the same CAR-9 Burst Scrambler Pistol while pointing it at the head of the elderly man in front of the both of them.


    ¡°Yaaahh!¡± Screamed the unnamed elderly man in fear.


    For a moment Raine thought that for an elderly man, he sure has a shrill and girly scream like a certain, yellow-skinned, bald, fat cartoonish American man from a TV series of her time.


    ¡°Oh Charles, you shouldn¡¯t scare me like that. I almost shot your head off.¡± Said Iden as she exhales, trying to relax her wound up nerves and holstered back her Scrambler Pistol.


    ¡°Duly noted commander, now if you would please help me ask the young lady beside you to lower her pistol from pointing at me that would be much appreciated.¡± Said Charles comically as he still raised both his arms in a gesture of surrender.


    ¡°Oh Ms. Raine you can lower your weapon now, he¡¯s not an enemy. His name is Charles Pressly, the navigation officer of the Normandy SR-2.¡± Explains Iden as she attempts to calm down Raine.


    Raine sighed and holstered her weapon as well, not happy that she was startled so badly.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Iden¡­¡± Murmured Raine.


    ¡°Now that the misunderstanding is over with... Commander Iden, may I ask where would our destination be? The ship is prepped and ready for departure.¡± Said Charles Pressly, the navigation officer, with relief as he lowers both of his arms and assumes a standby position.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh right, set course for Jita IV, Mr. Pressly. We would be heading for the Jita trade hub station in that system. Contact our office at that station and inform them that we will be heading back to HQ for familiarization with our new toys from Lai Dai Corporation. By the way, have Lai Dai''s representatives delivered the new Tech 2 Hornet light drones and the Caldari Navy Hornet light drones on board yet?¡± Asked Iden as she motions for both Charles and Raine to follow in her wake through the Normandy¡¯s hallway.


    ¡°Understood Commander, I will set a course for Jita IV immediately and would update our resident pilot that our course has been decided and have him ready on the ship¡¯s bridge helm. And regarding the shipment of drones, we have received it from the Lai Dai representatives this morning and they have already left for the ground side not too long ago. We are waiting for your instructions on what to do with them next.¡± Answered Charles Pressly as he walks briskly behind Iden Versio and Raine.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That is good, we are ready to depart then. You can go and arrange for our course and go tell Joker as well that I expect him to be on standby in the pilot seat on the bridge later. Regarding the drones in our cargo hold, I will be heading there now to instruct our mechanics to start overhauling and reprogramming the drones to our usual arrangement. I will be showing them off to our esteemed guest behind us and we will be heading to the ship¡¯s bridge for departure.¡± Commanded Iden as she instructed the navigation officer on the ship''s next moves.


    ¡°Very well commander, by your commands.¡± Acknowledged Charles Pressly as he crisply saluted at Iden Versio and splits off towards another path when their party encountered an intersection in the ship¡¯s internal hallway, presumably to carry out the new instruction he just received.


    Raine has been silently following and eavesdropping the conversation between Ms. Iden and this Charles Pressly. She does have some question on some of the term she has heard but chose to bring it up later when they have reached the hangar docks to see these ¡°drones¡± she has been hearing about.


    Along the way to ship¡¯s hangar dock, Raine and Iden have been steadily encountering more and more personnel stationed within the Normandy. Everyone they passed immediately clears the way and salutes at Ms. Iden as both of them passed through, salutes which are returned by Ms. Iden.


    Maybe Raine should be doing the same, and salutes them back like Ms. Raine. But on second thought even though she is on the ship, as she is not part of the crew, Raine is under the impression that she is exempt from such custom.


    However, it was still funny, seeing the adverse reactions of the crews when they saw her. The men gaped and the women get depressed somehow and she¡¯s clueless on why the women¡¯s reaction are very much different compared to the men that she has passed.


    After walking farther than she first assumed in order to reach the hangar cargo, Raine can finally see the sealed entrance to the hangar of Normandy SR-2. Raine knows that the large metallic door entrance is the entrance of the hangar since it was clearly labeled so above it. Hence with Iden leading the way, the sealed door opens automatically as both of them gets nearer to it.


    After both Iden and Raine enters the cavernous hangar, Raine pauses to marvel at the rows and rows of drones roughly the size of a fighter jet inside the cavernous hangar dock of the Normandy SR-2 being manned and checked by the mechanics and technicians spread out around the hangar.


    Raine approaches one of the drone nearest to her, leaving behind Ms. Iden who it seems is currently asking one of the mechanics for someone. While Ms. Iden is distracted, Raine proceeds to analyze the drone in front of her.


    Caldari Light Scout Drone - Hornet II


    An improved version of the standard Tech 1 Hornet, compared to the Tech 1 versions the Hornet II generally have better performance across the board and significantly faster than the Tech 1 versions with better weapon output. Although more resilient material and more robust hardware and computing power also mean an increase in manufacturing cost, so utilizing these drones should be done after doing a research whether the increase in performance is really needed in carrying out the operation. As like Caldari techs in general, Hornet II dishes out kinetic damages using their equipped pair of onboard 75mm Gatling Railguns. Hornet II have a more advanced circuitry so more complex calculations can be done with Hornet II compared to the Tech 1 version. The AI of the Caldari light drones can be considered as the most lethal and the most efficient of the drone technologies available anywhere, and the AI of the Hornet II is on top of the already impressive Caldari drone list.


    Raine reads the information panel of the Hornet II in front of her as provided by her helmet¡¯s HUD. From the information provided, she can consider these drones to be the equivalent of an automated assault helicopter from her time. Although these drones are obviously meant for use in the void of space.


    ¡°Hey, everybody! Our glorious leader has returned!¡± Said a loud voice echoing within the hangar chamber attracting the attention of everyone, including Raine.


    Raine lifted her head from the drone in front of her and looks back behind towards the direction she came from. There Raine can see someone walking towards Ms. Iden, a stocky and short looking gentleman with a long handlebar mustache, wearing mechanics outfit and most amazing of all is his left arm which is mechanical from the elbow down.


    Raine raised her right arm and proceed to take a picture using her omnitool as the person in question stopped and looking at her direction.


    ¡°Woah! What¡¯s a kid doing inside my hangar eh? I will not be having her messing around with my equipment. Can someone take her out? I don¡¯t want the kid to get hurt stubbing her toe on something here!¡± Said the dirty looking man as he gestured wildly towards Raine and looking at one of the more junior looking mechanics near him to get it done.


    Thankfully before anyone can kick Raine out, Ms. Iden intervenes and stop them from carrying out the dirty old man¡¯s order.


    ¡°Belay that order! Honestly, that¡¯s our VIP client this time. It¡¯s because of her we got a contract with one of the mega-corporation and have access to their techs in the first place.¡± Admonished Iden as she raised a hand to stop the younger mechanics from approaching Raine.


    ¡°Are you sure commander? She got the bling for sure but does she got the skills to use them properly? I don¡¯t want her to hurt herself carrying those knife and gun you know.¡± Said the dirty old man as he approaches Raine.


    Raine silently observes the short and stocky man approaching her. In her mind, she is disgruntled because the men in the hangar are looking down on her because their boss has already crossed her out as a snotty-nosed brat. Now she is brainstorming inside her mind on how she can rectify that¡­


    Perhaps¡­ Raine can practice her magic on the approaching man. He certainly looks strong and robust enough to take a hit. Among the spells she has at her disposal, the Lvl 10 Napalm Beat would be the most appropriate to use here as the man gets closer and closer.


    Raine waits until the man is practically standing directly in front of her and when he raised his arm with the real hand attached reaching out for her, that was the moment Raine strike with her right fist.


    Before the blow was struck, Raine can spot the man smirk at her attempt. She cast the spell silently the moment her fist strikes his stomach, as that¡¯s the highest place she can reach while still delivering the power of the blow. From her fist, multiple invisible orbs lashed out and strike against the larger man stomach and with a shout, he was pushed back two meters from Raine.


    While Raine is disappointed that the man did not fall down from her strike, it was still satisfying nevertheless that she managed to wipe the smirk from his face with that strike. Not only that, looking around she saw that the men and women around her are looking at her with their jaw dropped from disbelief.


    ¡°Damn girl! What did your parents feed you? I gotta know, I don¡¯t know how you can punch me that hard. I was practically thrown back from that blow! You a dwarf behind that faceplate girlie?¡± Exclaimed the dirty old man as he pointed at Raine, still in her striking pose.


    Raine lowers her hand to in front of her face and stands serenely while clenching and unclenching it slowly.


    ¡°I have no parents... And I can ask the same of you, I was disappointed that you didn¡¯t fall over from that strike.¡± Said Raine coolly and without care.


    The dirty old man sobered up at that and patted at his overall to clear up some of the grime and dust coatings.


    ¡°I feel that we get off on the wrong foot there girl, I apologize for that. My name is Rory Swann, I am the Chief Engineer of this outfit and the commander come to me when she needs some work done on our techs and equipment. And for sure I won¡¯t fall down from that! I¡¯m a half dwarf you see! Me mom¡¯s a dwarf and me dad¡¯s a human. Mom¡¯s still alive and managing a bakery ground side but me dad¡¯s passed away from old age. Ah, bless his old bones, it¡¯s too bad that human life span is lesser compared to dwarfs. I was still considered a young man by dwarf standard when he passed away at the age of 90.¡± Said Rory Swann as he walks closer to Raine again and offered her hand at Raine as a peace offering.


    Raine looks at the hand offered and with good intent also clasped his hand with both hands as his one hand is enormous compared to her own hands.


    ¡°Likewise Mr. Swann, my name is Raine Sioux and as your commander has said I am here as the client for Inferno Squad. And to answer your question, no I am not a dwarf but I won¡¯t answer what I am as a woman have her secrets right?¡± Raine replied cheekily as she shakes her hands with Rory Swann and let his hand go afterward.


    ¡°Haha! Well with that kind of tits then you¡¯re not an elf for sure! Surely you¡¯re human!¡± Said Rory Swann crudely as he laughed boisterously.


    ¡°Hmm, who says they¡¯re real? I could be an elf who¡¯s sick of being flat chested and decided to put in a pair of water-filled balloons as the replacement. What about yourself? As a half dwarf that means since your mother is a dwarf, she would also look young and short as well right? Perhaps your father is a pedophile that¡¯s why he goes for dwarves?¡± Said Raine teasing Rory Swann back.


    ¡°Whhhhh¡­.Whaaaat!? I¡¯ll have you know me mom was an adult by dwarf standard! She already has a proper beard and everything! She looks beautiful, full bodied, strong and makes a mean draft beer at home!¡± Sputtered Swann in embarrassed denial.


    ¡°Well Mr. Swann, it¡¯s not good to feel that way about your own mother you know? Do you have a mother complex?¡± Said Raine in glee.


    Raine have fun seeing Mr. Swann face becoming redder by the seconds and he lay down on his back against the ground and wiggle his arms and legs furiously in frustration. Raine giggled softly in glee at Swann¡¯s frustration and so does everyone else looking at their boss defeated so badly by a little girl in his own workshop.


    ¡°Grahhh! Commander! This girl is impossible! Stop laughing and come here! Speak your mind and begone the both of you! I¡¯ll be having me peace back and the sooner the better!¡± Shouted Swann in frustration as he stands abruptly and turns towards the laughing Iden Versio behind him and Raine.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Oh, Swann, this is the first time I have ever seen you so whipped. What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re used to dishing it out that you can¡¯t stand to be on the receiving end?¡± Laughed Iden happily.


    ¡°As if! If anything she¡¯s cheating because she¡¯s a little girl! I can¡¯t hit a little girl! What will that say about me being a man hitting a little girl! ARRRGGGGGGHHH!¡± Screamed Swann suddenly.


    ¡°That tells me that you¡¯re a dead man walking when you turn your back to an opponent... Just because I¡¯m a little girl should you really be keeping your eyes off me?¡± Said Raine coldly as lightning arcs around her open hand and omnitool on her arm.


    Swann is still standing but in pain as electricity numbed his limbs and body, but he still managed to turn his body around and face Raine again. Swann¡¯s hair is frizzled from the electricity and his bionic arm is short circuiting and twitched now and then refusing to follow Swann¡¯s command.


    Napalm Beat!


    Another wave of invisible force flies from Raine¡¯s outstretched hand and strikes Swann¡¯s torso, which toppled Swann to the ground again. The spell works better this time as Swann in his stunned state from the electricity coursing in his vein does not have the strength to resist the spell''s effect. To everyone else though, they just saw a little girl force push their chief engineer to the ground.


    Raine leisurely walked to the downed Swann and stepped on his chest just as he tried to rise up.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the little girl now?¡± Said Raine as she looks down on Swann.


    ¡°Arghh me legs. I am, now could you please help me up young miss?¡± Groaned Swann as he gives up on preserving his dignity as he cannot go against his little girl client.


    Raine removes her boot from Swann''s chest and offered a hand to Swann¡¯s face. He¡¯s a bit heavier than she expected but managed to help Swann to stand up in the end. Raine feels that she really needs to raise her strength stat for this kind of situation.


    ¡°Ms. Iden..¡± Said Raine as she turns towards Iden Versio behind her. Humorously the mechanics near Iden took a step away from Iden just as Raine said her name.


    ¡°Kitty got claws, I like it.¡± Said Iden Versio as she whistled appreciatively, Rufus the drone hovering above Iden recorded the whole thing.


    ¡°Do what you need to do here and let us move on. I am impatient to kill something to get stronger already..¡± Said Raine flatly as she walks nearer to Iden followed from behind by the limping Swann.


    ¡°Hmm... As you wish Ms. Raine, hey Swann I leave it to you to reconstruct and reprogram the three Hornet II we have to ignore other drones and ships, have them to focus only on incoming missiles and rockets heading to the Normandy SR-2. As usual, take out their pair of 75mm Gatling railguns and replace them with a pair of Gatling pulse lasers from our warehouse.¡± Instructed Iden Versio to the slowly approaching Swann.


    ¡°Hmph, as you wish commander. What about the three Caldari Navy Hornet we have over there?¡± Acknowledged the grimacing Swann as he pointed to the different pattern drones farther from their current position.


    Raine followed the direction Swann is pointing to and her helmet HUD analyzed the different Hornet Variant.


    Caldari Light Scout Drone - Caldari Navy Hornet


    An improved version of the standard Tech 1 Hornets, compared to the Tech 1 versions these Caldari Navy Hornets exclusively available to the Caldari Navy have the best shield and armor around compared to other variants of Hornets. This makes the Caldari Navy Hornet slower but some feel that the tradeoff is worth it since the improved shielding and armor significantly improved the Navy variant Hornet¡¯s staying power. As like Caldari techs in general, Hornets II dishes out kinetic damages using their equipped onboard twin railguns. The higher strength material significantly increased the cost of the Navy variant construction, as it is the cost to manufacture one of this drone is even higher than the Hornet II variant. In terms of electronics though the Hornet II have the edge in processing power.


    ¡°Have the pair of 75mm Gatling Railgun removed from the three Hornet II to be installed in each of the three Navy variants. Remove the AI chassis from all the Navy variant and replace it with a pilot configuration frame and an upgrade to the power grid to accommodate for the extra pair of 75mm Gatling Railgun. Assign me, Kaidan and Ron as the pilot for each Navy variant. And while I am at it, install an ¡®arbalest¡¯ rocket launcher for each Navy variant, take it from our warehouse. I know we have some there from our last raid.¡± Instructed Iden Versio to the nodding Rory Swann.


    ¡°We can do that, it will take a while though and after that, you can¡¯t really call them drones anymore since you¡¯re practically converting them into a one-man space fighter. What would we even call them when we deploy them in combat?¡± Asked Swann as he brainstorms on how best to deliver what the commander requested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just call them TIE fighter for all I care, they do have Twin Ion Engine strapped to their back in all variants of the Hornets anyway.¡± Said Iden Versio with a huff at the stupid question.


    ¡°Is that what it stands for? To be honest, when I first heard the term when I was studying at the academy I thought the engine was made by Thai people. They even have a video of it...Here let me share the link to your multitool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3acjKWekp4U</a> .¡± Said Swann in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, I am quite sure of it. Now go and assemble your team to start on it already. We¡¯re about ready to depart this system and will be setting out for Jita IV system trade hub to link up with our HQ there for R&R. So do the task on the double, all of you can rest afterward. I will be heading towards the command bridge myself with our client. Next time you see her please behave as I don¡¯t want a repeat of the earlier accident, no matter how humorous it is. Do you understand?¡± Said Iden sternly.


    ¡°Yes, commander! We will do as you say!¡± Said Swann as he salutes stiffly.


    Swann still maintains the salute even after Iden and Raine left for the command bridge. He waited until the coast is really clear before he relaxes and dropped his arm.


    With a stern and red face, Swann turns around to look at all his mechanics and technicians in the hangar and glared at all of them in a smoldering death stare.


    ¡°Anybody ever mentions what happen today to anyone else or if it ever gets out to the other crew about what happen today will know how it feels to have their pubes pulled out by me claw. Kapishe?!¡± Shouted Swann as he threateningly open and closes the metal pincer of his left arm with an ominous click-click-click sound.


    Everyone pales and can only nod their heads rapidly without uttering a sound, except the women who giggled in mirth.


    ¡°And the women will also receive the same treatment. Damn busy bodies.¡± Grumbled Swann as he shift eyes to the paling female mechanics and technicians under his employ.

 Chapter 10

    Raine has a conflicted feeling after she left the hangar so suddenly and disruptively. Especially after she assaulted and disrespected Mr. Swann, the senior mechanic, so badly in front of his underlings.


    On the other hand, Raine can feel elation from the fact that she managed to beat someone from this futuristic and advanced age for the first time¡­ Thus reassures her greatly that there is no insurmountable gap in ability between her and the individuals around her.


    She was feeling timid and unsure all this time, unsure whether the knowledge and experience she has accumulated from her previous life would mean for naught against someone naturally born and raised five hundred years after her time.


    There was a sense of unease that she would have nothing to offer and that she would not be able to make her descendants proud¡­ If the rest of her descendant are like Mrs. Alakoni, then they would also be putting her on a tall pedestal, and the pressure of their expectations weighs heavily on her heart.


    In her distress and to her shame she lashed out towards the most convenient target, which is Swann. Her justification to practice magic was just that, an excuse, a convenient outlet for her inner frustration and anger.


    Raine broods and stew in her negativity as Ms. Iden trailed along behind her silently and letting her vent steam.


    Raine stops suddenly and so does Ms. Iden, before Ms. Iden can ask a question, Raine turns around and bows deeply at Iden Versio.


    "Ms. Iden, I apologized for my unsightly conduct at the hangar earlier. I have no idea how I can make it up to you for assaulting one of your crew members in your presence." Said, Raine, as she maintains her bow towards Ms. Iden, and then raises her head again as she straightens her back.


    Iden waved off Raine''s apology and sighed with relief at Raine''s change of mood for the better.


    "Ms. Raine, what you just did in the hangar was, in fact, the correct way to interact with those entrenched in Dwarven culture. The dwarves are a straightforward and hardy bunch. In fact, they will respect you more if you can beat them in brute force as they prized personal strength and a strong, unyielding character like the mountain rock they symbolized themselves after. Perhaps his pride would sting as Swann sees you as a mere little girl, but with time and as you prevail over more adversaries then he would feel pride instead of shame. Certainly, if we are in a tournament, there would be the shame for a veteran to lose out to a first-comer. But such sentiment would fade the more stage you progress through, and if you emerged victoriously and became the champion perhaps, it would become pride instead that he has faced the champion first before anyone else." Explained Iden as she kneels down and hold both of Raine''s shoulder and gazes into Raine''s faceplate.


    Raine tilted her head at Ms. Iden encouragement, she cannot say that she understood such mentality, but it seems that Ms. Iden is fine with her rough treatment of one of her crewmember. At least to dwarves.


    "Of course I cannot condone such treatment if you treat all my crews like that. Only dwarves and orcish culture would such treatment apply Ms. Raine. I hope you would treat humans and elves differently. Especially elves as they are easily offended and have a superiority complex over the rest of us sharing the universe." Warned Iden seriously as she tapped Raine''s faceplate to hammer in the point.


    Raine annoyedly waves Ms. Iden''s hand away and then she nodded at Ms. Iden''s warning and have kept it in her heart.


    Iden Versio then stands back up and proceed to hold Raine''s tiny hand as she guides Raine towards the command bridge.


    "Now let''s meet up with my bridge crew, shall we? I am sure you''re impatient for us to proceed to the trade hub station to start our adventure together." Said Iden Versio kindly.


    Shyly, Raine follows behind Ms. Iden towards the ship''s command bridge along the dark ship hallways while listening to the hums of the life support system maintaining the environment for the existence of life among the void of space.


    In a way¡­ Raine felt like she just gained a dependable older sister¡­


    The existence of such older sister is an anomaly to her, as in her previous life she was the eldest, and the difference of age between her and her siblings are only a year before the next sibling came along.


    Their parents are more hands-off in their early years, so she has no common interest with their siblings as each of them took on a different coping mechanism in such an environment.


    As the eldest her interest are books, especially the novel kind, light novels of fantasy or science fictions are her favorite, and she could spend hours in the library reading classic books as the famous five or the secret seven are her staple childhood books.


    Her younger brother took a more academic interest and strived to gain the academic achievement, a laudable goal to her, but she felt that such a life is dry and devoid of joy, but she respects his decision.


    The youngest brother instead took the more social route, a highly extrovert and social person. He has built an impressive social network and has become the most street smart among us siblings. However, on the downside, she is worried about the harmful habit he had taken from his interaction in his social circle when he went out with his friends and came back late at night.


    Even though all of us have a different method to cope, have different characteristics and interests, we have a common pet peeve to the suffering of our mother which is our resistance to getting married.


    Raine swears that her mother kept pushing acquaintances daughter at us like there is no tomorrow. When all of us are finally married, her mother weeps tears of joy.


    Shaking her head of old memories, both Raine and Ms. Iden enters an elevator which according to Ms. Iden leads directly to the command bridge.


    The elevator has multiple security scanners, and is reinforced to survive impact and explosion from outside. It can even survive the void of space as it is environmentally sealed and equipped with its own life support system and power generating engine core.


    An advanced elevator meant to be used daily and serve as a panic room during hostile boarding or an escape pod in the event of the destruction of the ship according to Ms. Iden.


    But she has one complaint about this seemingly ¡®advanced¡¯ elevator.


    It''s so damned slow! How far can the command bridge be that it would take five minutes for the elevator to reach the command bridge even if she took the elevator from the lowest level of the ship!


    And another thing! What''s with the damned elevator song? The lyrics are all over the place, some are in German, and some is in English! The engineer of the elevator must be on crack as she received a link for the music playing in the background from the elevator itself sent to her Omni-tool!


    No matter how many times she stares at her Omni-tool screen, it cannot be removed, and the link is still there mocking her. The link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsRrswyAEs0</a> refuses to disappear as she tapped furiously at her Omni-tool screen.


    "Just let it be Ms. Raine, our maintenance team is an avid music lover, and they changed the background music for all the elevator scattered all over the ship every day. And to top it off they made it, so the music itself is downloaded to the crewmembers Omni-tool. You''d have to ask Kaidan if you ever want to remove the music file from your Omni-tool but good luck with that as both Kaidan and Ron are in the whole scheme as well." Said Iden Versio from beside Raine inside the elevator.


    "If they know what''s good for them they''d better." Grumbled Raine as she gets tired of tapping futilely at her Omni-tool screen.


    Afterward, an awkward moment filled the elevator space where waiting inside are Raine and Iden Versio, only filled with the elevator music in the background as both wished the elevator can reach the command bridge faster.


    Unfortunately the moment was broken by Iden Versio before the elevator can reach their destination.


    "So¡­ Did you see any cute boy after you awaken from your sleep?" Asked Iden Versio conversationally.


    Raine stares with horror behind her faceplate at Ms. Iden. She is not having this conversation with her, particularly since internally she still sees herself as a man, her external appearance notwithstanding.


    "Oh, I just assumed since you''re a handsome girl and all I would have thought you''d have approached one of the cute boys back in Ms. Alakoni premises." Said Iden Versio abashedly.


    "Wait, what? Do you realize that in my last life I was a man? And furthermore, even if I am a girl now¡­ Why would a girl at my supposed age be chasing boys? I thought at this age girls would say boys are gross and play with their dolls, pink ponies and such." Said Raine confusedly.


    "Oh right, you''re ancient. Well, this is awkward. I forgot back then it was different. Well then Ms. Raine, I don''t know how to tell you this but¡­" Trailed Iden Versio awkwardly trying to come up with words and fidgeting uncomfortably.


    "What is it?" Asked Raine impatiently as she crossed both her arms in front of her breasts, the pair lifted up defiantly as if saying ¡®Yes. What is it?'' while raising both it''s eyebrows if it have a face of its own.


    "Well for a starter, you do know that hundreds of years ago there was a human-made catastrophe where the whole of Earth is covered in ice and hail because of an early attempt to terraform the planet right?" Said Iden Versio as she became calmer as she explains.


    "Yes, I was informed by Ms. Alakoni in her office, and you were there as well. Get to the point." Answered Raine pushing the issue further to get an answer.


    "Well, we might have made a small side effect when we tried to cope with the extreme cold by using genetic engineering CRISPR procedure to bolster our cold resistance so we can survive in freezing temperature." Said Iden Versio as she laid down the facts piecemeal by piecemeal.


    "Define ¡®small''?" Asked Raine more urgently.


    "Well, we might have accidentally doubled our DNA chromosomes structure, hence for every man born there would be three women born alongside it. So basically for every man, there would be three women competing for his attention." Answered Iden Versio with embarrassment.


    Raine gasped at the stupidity of the people after her time. So in short, to solve a problem they have caused, they dug a bigger hole and then sleep in the hole with the dirt mound piled up on the mouth of the hole above their heads. After a period with no problem occurring and when the whole thing suddenly collapsed on their heads, they found themselves buried six feet under the ground.


    "You''re serious? You''re telling me that the DNA of all humans is now living are composed of a four-stranded quadruple helix, and I imagined, where the Y chromosome needed to decide that a child would be born male are stacked against men being born?" Asked Raine with both eyebrows raised and jaw dropped, as well as her pair of breasts as both her arms dropped in shock.


    "Hmm more or less. Instead of the chromosome XX for females and the chromosome XY for males, which naturally makes the gender ratio of fifty-fifty. We now have the chromosome XXXX, XXXY, XXYY for women and the chromosome XYYY for men after the genetic engineering to bolster our extreme cold resistance. The genetic engineering had become irreversible when they discovered the issue, as the four-stranded ¡®quadruple helix'' DNA structure is a dominant strain when paired against the natural two-stranded ¡®double helix'' DNA structure. When the scientists back then discovered it, it was already too late for the majority of humanity as their DNA structure was already artificially changed as the government encouraged and subsidized the genetic engineering CRISPR procedure to be taken if they want more of their citizens to survive the biting cold." Explained Iden Versio sheepishly.


    "Ms. Iden this is no joking matter! What effect did this have on society with fewer men and more women?" Asked Raine with horror.


    "Well at first nothing, society would continue along as normal for a time and men would still manage the workplace while the women would handle the household. However as time goes and the population ratio reversed, the pattern is slowly changed until now where women administer the workplace while men manage the family." Explained Iden Versio.


    "A world of moral reversal is it¡­ I assume polygamy, the practice of having multiple spouses would be increasingly common as time goes." Said Raine with speculation.


    "You are correct Ms. Raine. There was a time when polygamy has become the accepted practice in society to account for the fewer men available for women to marry. And the practice of monogamy has been treated with contempt as pure selfishness. The uneven gender ratio has created social issues such as teenage girls harassing and assaulting teenage boys in their dormitory and stealing the boy''s underwears and sold them in the black market. Unfortunately, in adult¡¯s cases, it doesn''t get any better as homicide cases where women are fighting for the same man¡¯s attention are quite common, until recently..." Said Iden Versio as she left a slight ray of hope at the end of her bleak words.


    Raine noticed this pause and brightened up to the possibility that Ms. Iden is offering a glimmer of hope to this world that has increasingly made less sense to her 21st to 23rd-century sensibilities.


    "The scientists have discovered a cure for the four-stranded ¡®quadruple helix'' DNA structure and restore it to its natural state?" Asked Raine with happiness and relief as she excitedly holds her hands together under her chin in excitement.


    "What? No, the Caldari State funded an artificial womb program a few decades ago producing male children''s and now possessing a single man to marry is possible for every woman as long as they serve or join the military for a set amount of time before both of them are allowed to discharge. A large part of the men in the Caldari territory is part of the military now, as the Caldari State raised and educated the men with government funds as part of a government program. To be honest, I joined the mercenary because contrary to the Caldari State program; the mercenary men are natural born." Refuted Iden Versio while crushing Raine''s hopeful question with cheerfulness and oblivious to Raine''s despair as Raine falls weakly to the ground.


    Raine cries manly tears of regret as she can imagine the suffering of hundreds of thousands of men as they faced the horniness of teenage girls treating them as sexual objects.


    And from all corners of the world, she can hear female nazi feminist cackled like a demented witch as they continued abusing and raping their husbands without a care in the world under the misguided belief of ¡®making things even with men'' over the courses of centuries under the rule of men.


    "Sniff, your suffering would be ended, brothers. I will help make a better condition for men in this universe, equal to the women if it''s the last thing I do." Promised Raine from the elevator ground.


    "Ms. Raine I''m all for gender equality and everything¡­ But I hope you will not take it too far and became one of those radical masculinists down the road, please. We have enough problem detaining them when they staged a protest. Their shriek hurts your ears, and some of them have made their nails thick and sharp like claws." Asked Iden Versio seriously as she stared down at Raine kneeling on the elevator floor.


    At this point, Raine have had enough of this nonsense. She stood up abruptly and started banging at the elevator doors blocking her way out to freedom and the elusive rationality.


    BAM!BAM!BAM!


    "Let me out! Let me out of this insane place! I don''t want to take it anymore! And that God-damned elevator music!" Shouted Raine as she bangs her fists on the elevator door continuously with the elevator music softly playing in the background.


    Fortunately, someone above answered her prayers, and the elevator door finally opens to the ship''s command bridge.


    Raine rushed out of the elevator and became the center of attention as she lamented while kneeled on the ground.


    "Damn them, damn them all to hell!" Shrieked Raine on her position on the ground as she kneels on the command bridge floor, attracting the attention of the command bridge crews around her.


    "At ease." Said Iden Versio as she calmly exits the elevator and greets her subordinates while playing down the fuss Raine made on the command bridge ground floor.


    "What''s wrong with her commander?" Interjected Charles Pressly, the navigation officer as he made the inquiry in everyone''s mind.


    "Oh, she''s just playing around. You know kids, always exaggerating. I''ve only asked whether she sees any cute boys back in director Alakoni''s office." Answered Iden Versio as she approached Raine.


    "Oh, she''s at the age where she thinks all boys are gross and icky then? Give her time; she''ll grow out of it. In the meantime buy her a soccer ball or basketball to play with other girls her age. Why I remember my daughter did exactly that, but she still became a horndog when she grew up to be a teenager. Eats like a pig, messy room and tried to wear bras two sizes too big with fake paddings to show off her chest to boys in her class. Ahh, that was funny as hell." Laughed Charles reminiscing about old times in his family.


    "Ms. Raine, have you let steam out of your system?" Asked Iden gently as she nudged Raine back into the real world.


    Raine snaps back to reality and with embarrassment stands up quickly and shakes her head to reboot her self-esteem.


    "Yes¡­ I am alright now, and I apologize for my outburst Ms. Iden." Said Raine calmly as she bowed politely to recover as much dignity as she can.


    "It''s alright Ms. Raine, please introduce yourself to the command bridge crews. You''ve met Mr. Charles Pressly, our navigation officer earlier. And then we have our pilot Mr. Jeff Moreau there at the center of the room although he likes to be called ¡®Joker'' instead. Next to him is Dr. Leonard McCoy, our medical officer. And then we have Ms. Nyota Uhura, our communication system officer. Beside her, inspecting her sniper rifle is Ms. Yoko Littner, our weapon system officer. Next to her is Ms. Kiyoh Bachika, our chief security officer. And finally you''ve also already met Mr. Rory Swann earlier at the hangar as our engineering officer but usually, he wouldn''t be on the command bridge but near our power engine core instead." Introduced Iden Versio as she pointed to her bridge command crew one by one.


    "Hello everyone, my name is Raine Sioux. I apologize for the disturbance I caused. It is a pleasure to meet you all since I will be the client for Inferno Squad I hope we can get along well." Greets Raine politely as she covered her groin with both hands and bowed like a maid.


    "Quite alright Ms. Raine, it is no issue at all. Even though we''ve met earlier, my name is Charles Pressly, the ship''s navigation officer. As I''ve said as a father of three, I am quite used to such behavior. It is good to be reminded of a simpler and happier time at my age." Said Charles Pressly, the Normandy SR-2 navigation officer, as he stands gentlemanly like a butler.


    "Happens to all of us. Some days I also want to scream and shout when I watch the news channel nowadays. By the way, my name is Jeff Moreau, the ship''s pilot. You can call me a ¡®Joker,'' but we live in crazy times." Said Jeff Moreau, the Normandy SR-2 pilot, as he shakes his head in frustration.


    "Please come to visit me in the infirmary if you need medical assistance or just someone to talk to Ms. Raine. My name is Dr. Leonard McCoy, the ship''s medical officer. I have been updated about your ¡®unique'' medical condition by director Alakoni herself. We will do our best to take care of you during your time with us, rest assured." Said Dr. Leonard McCoy as he stares at Raine''s medical scan on screen.


    "Charmed, there is nothing wrong with letting loose now and then Ms. Raine. My name is Nyota Uhura, the ship''s communication system officer. Please do not worry about making a disturbance. We are here for you." Said Nyota Uhura, communication system officer, as she shifted her attention from the ship''s holo panel to reassure Raine.


    "Hello there Ms. Raine! My name is Yoko Littner, the ship''s weapon system officer. We have heard so much about you from Ms. Iden through the radio, and we look forward to working together with you." Said Yoko Littner, weapon system officer, as she looks up from the scope of the sniper rifle she is inspecting on the work bench and mirror in front of her.


    <div>


    "Nice to meet you girl. My name is Kiyoh Bachika, the ship''s chief security officer. I''ve heard what you did to Swann in the hangar earlier. If you need a partner to spar with, please look for me." Said Kiyoh Bachika, the chief security officer as she lifts her gloved fist as her badge and dog tag glimmers on her black leather vest.


    Raine has memorized all the command bridge crew member''s name and position. They look nice enough, but what is it with the reversed role.


    The men are navigation, pilot and medical officer, while the women are communication, weapon systems, and chief security officer.


    The chief security officer is even challenging her after hearing her altercation with Swann.


    Well, at least the engineering is headed by a man. That''s a tradition that is still familiar to her. Or maybe it is just her head that is positioned wrongly.


    Then what is the point of her being gender-bent if the world have a moral reversal?


    Oh right, she has a socket instead of a plug now. Well, at least she doesn''t have to cope or adjust to a more feminine mindset if it''s going to make her stand out instead. And perhaps another thing is that she would be worried about plugs coming to her, but there is a good chance that because of the moral reversal then it would mean that the men would stay passive and wait for the women to make the first move in initiating a romantic relationship.


    Raine suddenly realizes that she has spaced out again for a while there and with embarrassment, bowed and greeted everyone again.


    "Ah forgive me for my lapse, I thank everyone for their understanding. And I hope all of us can get along well." Said Raine in reply from her position across the gathered command crew members group.


    Iden Versio then clapped her hands loudly to attract everyone¡¯s attention and start commanding her crew members back into attention.


    "Alright gentlemen and gentlewomen, it''s time we get this show on the road. I am sure Charles has already told you our destination this time would be Jita IV trade hub. Thanks to Lai Dai and the sponsorship of director Alakoni we have traded in our old Caracal Cruiser with this Cerberus Heavy Assault Cruiser. With the upgraded specs of the ship our journey to the Jita IV trade hub would be reached in 48 hours time instead of 120 hours, it would have taken by using our old ship. Joker, man your station and let us enter the wormhole." Commanded Iden Versio as she took the command seat at the center of the command bridge while everyone else straps themselves on their station.


    "Commander, I have cleared our departure with Earth''s space control. We are cleared to go Faster Than Light." Said Nyota Uhura, the communication officer, as she looks up from her screen and with the headset on her head after communicating with the Caldari space control.


    "You''ve heard the lady, Joker. Punch it!" Commanded Iden Versio from her command seat.


    "Aye-aye captain. Worm-drive engaged, the capacitor from our ¡®Graviton'' reactor is being drained. Three minutes until the worm-drive completely drain our ¡®Graviton'' reactor then we can open the wormhole to pass through captain." Reported Joker as he fiddled with the information panel in front of him and held the steering wheel steady with one hand.


    Raine looks at all this with fascination as she gets excited with the sound of the engine humming throughout all the ship as it prepares to go Faster Than Light. In her curiosity, she approached Joker''s station, and her attention is also focused on the screen in front of her showing the stars and nebula outside the ship.


    "Oh hello, Ms. Raine, here to see my work? We''ll depart soon, so if you can wait with the commander that would be great." Asked Joker as he idled waiting for the capacitor to fill the worm-drive.


    "Yes, so we use a wormhole to go FTL? Is it the same for the other races?" Asked Raine with curiosity.


    "Yes, humanity uses wormhole for FTL. Other races do not use the worm drive though. It will be weird if different races use the same FTL method. That either suggests extreme coincidence, or it is done by design. I''d be wary of a trap if somehow different races separated by vast distance and at various cultural and technological level somehow can use the same method. With that in mind, the elves use web way technology, the dwarves use Stargate technology, and the orcs use warp technology. The elves and dwarves build megastructures in each of their star systems while humanity and orcs can use the device within each ship to go FTL. While this means we used fewer material resources compared to the elves and dwarves, the downside of our method is we lose efficiency and stability when we go into FTL. I am sure you realize that to engage the worm drive we dumped all our capacitor from the ¡®Graviton'' reactor into the worm drive to open the wormhole. The energy required to open the wormhole is universal to all our ship sizes as the energy requirement is adjusted based on the ratio to the ship''s mass and size. We need to stop in between each star system and wait for the capacitor to regenerate and repeat the process. We are not able to regenerate the capacitor inside the wormhole as the energy generated are redirected to maintain the energy field around the ship to not be ripped apart by the fluctuating wormhole fields." Explained Joker academically, being a pilot he would be expected to know this information.


    "Interesting. What is a capacitor? And does the orcs have this same drawback?" Asked Raine from beside Joker.


    "Capacitor is the term for the energy requirement used by the ship. It is electrical power generated by the interaction of antimatter and matter in the ship''s reactor. The orcs do not have the same drawback as we do, the moment they exit their FTL they have a full capacitor and are combat ready, while we have to spend some time waiting for the reactor to regenerate the capacitor again since we do not need to maintain the energy field outside the wormhole." Explained Joker academically again.


    "Wouldn''t that mean the orcs FTL is an ideal method to use?" Enquired Raine as she tilted her head.


    "There is a huge drawback to it, a horrible one, but of course to the brutish orcs, it serves as natural selection in culling the weak. Entering the warp is not without risks, as the warp is a separate dimension where demons dwell. Hence, once in awhile demons can enter their ships and attacked the living looking for souls to eat. All other races shunned this FTL method and only the orcs are embracing this travel method." Shuddered Joker as he looks to either side as if expecting demons to pop up beside him suddenly.


    There is minority belief in the supernatural, but compared to the power of technology, the power of supernatural pales in comparison. What use is a flying possessed keris against the might of assault rifles and mechanized armor?


    "Even if something like that appears we should just shoot them back into oblivion right? Don''t tell me you do not have a proton pack like the Ghostbusters?" Asked Raine with skepticism.


    "Real life is not a movie though, although in this case even that statement can be taken as false¡­ There was a movie released when I was younger¡­ It is based on a true story when we captured an orc ship, and an experiment was arranged by the military to do research on warp technology and application. The ship was boarded by some researchers and elite military personnel. When all of them are inside the ship, the ship are made operational, monitoring and recording system installed throughout the ship, and with the higher ups approval they engaged the warp drive and jumped into FTL. What happened next is something that came out of a horror movie. Demons appeared incorporeally and started attacking anything alive inside the ship. Our men, of course, fights back and shoots the demons, only to find that all their weapons are useless as physical bullets, energy blasts and flames pass through their bodies. The movie I told you about uses the actual recording of the event itself during the production of the movie on the director''s insistence. To this day I always got shivers when I remember the expression of the soldiers when the demons ripped their souls out of their body and started eating the souls in front of the cameras. By the time the ship reached their set destination, the demons fade away, the bodies of the soldiers and researchers litter the decks unharmed but lifeless. Ever since then warp technology research are banned, and there was always fear in public with anything associated with the warp. Later on after interrogating orcs pirates we found out that the only way to defeat demons in that state is by using unarmed combat and pure strength as souls can touch each other as shown in the recording. Hence by moving the body, the soul copied the stance and movement of the body. The orcs are always fighting during the warp travel, and they bashed, choked, pummel and decapitated demons using their own hands and feets. That is something that cannot be copied by the other races as the demons itself has supernatural strength, a normal human would not be able to cut it. A dwarf could have the strength, but they have poor reach. Hence they were slaughtered as well. The elves do not want to sacrifice any of their precious life to test it, so we would never know how they would fare." Explained Joker lengthily and academically.


    "Ho, that sounds interesting. I may have something to use against demons if we ever encounter them. Do you know how I could encounter one?" Asked Raine with eagerness.


    "I am afraid the ship they used is destroyed, and the wrecks are displayed in a museum with the banner ¡®Never again!'' being draped over it. Look, Ms. Raine, I''d love to answer your questions again but the worm-drive gauge is almost full, and I need to attend to it. Sorry, but can you take a seat and we can continue this again next time?" Apologized Joker as he starts getting ready to perform the jump.


    Raine could understand Joker''s point of view, so she dropped her line of questioning.


    Looking for a place to sit though she sees that there is a small space in front of Joker''s lap.


    So taking advantage of her small stature and body, she managed to slip in between Joker and the steering wheel.


    Ignoring Joker''s protest and Raine was about to take a seat on Joker''s lap by bending over her ass before it was being blocked by both of Joker''s hand grasping her ass tightly stopping her from sitting on the available space in-between Joker''s legs.


    "You do know back where I''m from. Holding my ass like this would be considered a crime, Joker?" Asked Raine as she looks over to her back with a raised eyebrow as she imagines her position would be regarded as suggestive and criminal back in her time.


    A little girl in a skin-tight suit bending over and with a man holding her ass tightly over his legs? Yes, that''s a criminal offense right there, and she could expect immediate arrest and an angry mob chasing Joker out of town.


    "Nice try Ms. Raine, but that only applies if a woman is doing the same to a little boy where I come from, and you''re in my neighborhood. So too bad, but I would have to ask you not to sit on my lap as I have the vrolik syndrome which causes extreme brittleness in my bones. I don''t want to risk fracturing my legs when you sit on it. So please run along to commander Iden Versio at the back, you can sit on her lap without worry." Admonished Joker as he pushed Raine out of his station and shoo her along to commander Iden Versio.


    Raine, feeling admonished, sheepishly return to Iden Versio''s command seat.


    "Ms. Raine, we are ready for departure. Would you like to see how we travel in space?" Asked Iden Versio, seating on her command console as she typed on the holo panel in front of her.


    "Yes, Ms. Iden. I would like to see it." Answered Raine as she walked and sat on Iden''s lap.


    "As you say Ms. Raine. Joker launch the worm and take us out of here." Commanded Iden Versio as she rubbed the top of Raine''s helmet.


    "Aye-aye captain, launching worm now." Acknowledged Joker as he tapped on a console.


    Raine sees a bright orb launched from the ship on the large screen ahead, and to Raine''s amazement it explodes ahead of the ship, and a hole opens in front of them with energies flowing into the hole and through it. Perhaps it is a hole in the fabric of space and the energies flowing into it like water follows some sort of natural law.


    "Afterburner''s hot commander! We are entering the wormhole!" Reported Joker as he pushed a lever and the ship''s inertia compensated for the sudden acceleration.


    In Raine''s eyes, she can see the wormhole swallows the ship and Joker reported that the wormhole have closed behind them. The ship is now moving on the movement of the energies that have flowed into the wormhole before it closes as the afterburner have been deactivated the moment the ship enters the wormhole. The ship''s method of going into FTL reminded her of entering the huge and tall water park as she slides through the water tube from the top to the pool below.


    According to Joker''s words earlier, the ship''s energy is now being used to generate the energy field around the ship and to maintain the life support system. Raine sees that since the ship enters wormhole, some crewmembers started taking a break and exits the command bridge to their quarters for rest, this includes Joker.


    The only crewmember left in the bridge is Charles Pressly, the navigation officer and Ms. Iden Versio, the commander.


    "Commander, we have a few hours until we exit the wormhole. I recommend you to have a rest first in your quarter. As we will repeat the process every few hours once we reach a new star system and the reactor is full, we would only need Joker''s and my presence then." Reported Charles Pressly from his work station on one side of the command seat.


    "Alright, take the bridge, Charles. I will take a break in my quarter." Said,Iden Versio, she then lifted Raine from her seat and stand up heading back towards the elevator.


    "Hey, what about me?" Asked Raine from her position beside the command seat, feeling alone.


    "Your room is below the command seat, Ms. Raine." Said Iden Versio as she stopped and turned around again.


    "I beg your pardon?" Said Raine with confusion.


    Raine then sees the commander pressing her hand against a palm scanner on the back of the command seat, which causes the command seat to move aside and open a hidden room below with a staircase leading down.


    "Your room is located inside the most secure room inside the ship, which is the command bridge and further secured and hidden below the command seat. The control panel has been configured for the command bridge crews and yourself only. When you want to enter or exit the room then just scan your hand on the control panel near the doorway of the chamber. The hidden room is an extra feature expressly installed when director Alakoni called for our services." Said Iden Versio as she gives the room''s manual to Raine''s hand.


    Raine accepted the manual, and as she gauged the entrance size, it can only fit Raine''s body and an adult certainly wouldn''t be able to enter and easily maneuver inside as they go down.


    "As you see the entrance would make it difficult for us to enter your chamber, so please rest inside while we travel to Jita IV trade hub since it will take two days to reach the trade hub you can sleep first or surf the library we have on the server. If you need anything, please contact Charles Pressly above your room as he would be available on the command bridge most of the time." Explained Iden Versio as she turns around and exits the command bridge.


    Raine stands there on her room''s entrance before she took the steps down. As the command seat closes behind her, she can see the softly lit room and the bed that looks like a modest hotel room with amenities, a small stove, and kitchen with a small fridge and a working desk. There is even a shower and toilet available near the entrance. The whole thing reminded her of a hobbit''s hole.


    With satisfaction of the room''s quality and setting. Raine stripped her helmet''s off and placed it on the work desk. She also took off her black cat hairband, her black cat tail belt, her holstered sidearms, her sheathed nova blade, and finally, she stripped her Omni-tool, armors, and combat boots until Raine is left with only her undersuit. Looking at the shower, she stripped her undersuit as well but was having difficulty taking it off as her breasts are hindering her movements.


    When the whole thing is off, Raine hangs it off the work chair behind the work desk and enters the shower cubicle. After taking a hot shower, she felt renewed and refreshed as she toweled herself dry. She spotted a small cubicle under the sink. When she opens it, to her delight, there are clothing for her and even pajamas.


    Raine then proceeds to wear the pajamas and hopped onto the bed, marveling how soft and fluffy it is. She cannot help but squeal and roll around on the bed. After feeling tired, she stopped and hopped off the bed to wear her Omni-tool again, and she found that Ron has sent a mail to her when she''s in the shower, so she proceeded to open the mail.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.Hey Raine!


    I just heard from Commander Iden that you found out that the moral is reversed compared from your time. I wouldn''t say I know how you feel but I have this manga where a woman from an alternate dimension similar to the moral of your day landed in our current society. To me, it''s quite funny that a woman would act so boyishly, so I recommend you have a read of it to understand better the moral of our society. But the manga depicts some nudity and some topic that may be offensive to some, so if that kind of thing offended you, then I would not recommend you to read it. In the end, the decision is up to you but no worries as the manga don¡¯t have a sexual scene. With that out of the way, here is the link to the manga I mentioned before, the title of the manga is ¡®the world of moral reversal''


    http://www.mangatown.com/manga/the_world_of_moral_reversal/c001/


    With love,


    Ron Stoppable


    Raine is curious about the manga that Ron has given the link in his mail. Moreover, she is also curious about the moral standard of today''s society, so she opened the link and read the manga.


    To say the least that it has flipped Raine''s view of the world is an understatement, but she appreciated that Ron had sent the manga so she can take in this new paradigm better if she wants to adapt and cope with the time. She then writes back a reply on her Omni-tool.


    Dear Ron,


    Thank you for the manga that you have sent me. I appreciate that you have sent this to me before we reach the trade hub so I would not make a fool of myself when we reach there in two days time. How''s your gaming session going?


    With stoic tsundere love,


    Raine Sioux


    Raine sent the reply and was continuing to roll on top of the soft bed before she hears the ping of a notice that she has received another response from Ron.


    Dear Raine


    No problem Raine! Anytime!


    Also, my Playstation 45 is hard to handle. It keeps distracting itself with minor patches or updates instead of focusing on letting me play the game I want. After some time experimenting and with great difficulty I have found that the gaming console itself can work well enough as long as you do not let it connect online or have any internet connection at all. I have no idea why Sony decided to push this product to the market. I think the company was trying to take advantage of an executive order that is in consideration with the corporate board. If the executive order is passed, Sony will be the only console available in the market as Microsoft would have to catch up to make their console compliant with the given executive order. Pass or no pass though, the consumer will still suffer, so I think this is a bad move on Sony''s reputation.


    Ah, look at me prattling on about difficult and complex thing such as the politics of the game company. I hope you can rest well as I have a zombie slaying marathon myself with Kaidan here in my room. Also, don''t tell anyone this but he suck tits playing this game.


    I do not! Raine, don''t believe Ron!


    YES! You should believe gjlf;hgfahjgf,mnvgggmgui


    Raine laughed at the content of the mail, but since Ron already mentioned for her to sleep, the idea has become an attractive one to her. She''s tired and sleepy already, so she supposed it''s about time she dozed off.


    Raine then turns off the light off the room and tucked in on the blanket while the cool air-conditioned room as she proceeds to dream of slaying demons with a nightmare blade while riding on top of a spaceship across the star-studded void of space.

 INTERMISSION - CHARACTER SHEET : TANYA DEGURECHAFF

    INTRODUCTION


    <div>


    <div>


    Tanya von Degurechaff is the main protagonist of the light novel/anime Youjo Senki: Saga of Tanya the Evil.


    Originally a salaryman who died in an accident in 2013, he was reborn as a girl living in an alternate universe version of Europe during World War I.


    At just nine years of age, Tanya enters the Empire''s Mages Division and is promoted to Second Lieutenant.


    Her talents, efficiency, and ruthlessness makes her an asset for the Empire and a threat on the battlefield.


    Since she graduated from the War College as one of the twelve knights, she''s granted the title of von.


    Moreover, she leads her own newly-formed Wing Battalion named Imperial Army 203rd Air Mage Battalion known as V601.


    APPEARANCE


    During her time as a salaryman, she was a man with black hair and brown eyes. She wore a formal suit and a necktie.


    Reincarnated as a girl, she now has blonde hair and blue eyes. She has a small figure and cute face with minimal height and weight of an eleven-year-old child.


    Moreover, as a soldier, she always wears her military uniform including her Silver Wing Badge in civilian areas and a battle suit in the battlefield anytime and anywhere she goes.


    PERSONALITY


    She has a lot of characteristics of a villain which opposes her role as the main protagonist.


    She is ruthless, deranged, cruel, aggressive and sometimes full of madness where her own battalion is terrified the most.


    Although she does all these sadistic things, she makes sure she isn''t breaking any of the rules or laws e. g. sending the war declaration.


    However, she is always considerate of the situation she has to take.


    She is a good strategist and planner.


    She thinks of the best solution first before she acts towards the enemies or any challenges.


    Even though she thinks of humans and her battalion as mere resources and doesn''t care about them at all, she would never let any one of them die under her command because she is afraid it will give her a bad reputation and a terrible record.


    She is sometimes clumsy when being overconfident; e.g during her interview with General Hans von Zettour. Yet, she can easily answer questions correctly and make the right choices.


    PLOT


    Past


    Year 2013 A.D, he was just an ordinary salaryman. He fired a co-worker in order to get promoted and have a carefree life. After his ruthless actions, the fired co-worker pushed him down to the subway track right when the train is coming with incredible speed, causing him to get hit and killed on the spot. Before he died, he met Being X for the first time. Although, Being X failed to presuade him to believe in his existence, he still revives him but in another universe.


    Present


    After the reincarnation, Tanya was born into a blonde-haired girl in 1913. When she comes to her consciousness for the first time, she realized she was in an orphanage. She lived at the church for a long time without changes at her daily life however, it exhume until a group of specialist went to check all the children. Through a magical test, she was listed as a powerful child with incredible amount of mana. Furthermore, she was proven as an unexpectedly born with a skilled set of magic. Therefore, she was chosen to be in the Empire''s Imperial Armed Forces. Enlisted as a prodigy or so-called scholar with special assumption.


    Prologue/Deus lo vult; Chapter I: The Sky in Norden


    At the age of 9, Tanya successfully graduated the Military Training Camp and promoted to Warrant Officer. Tanya took part in her first mission, promoted to Second Lieutenant quickly as an artillery observer to command the artillery firing squad. Unfortunately, she was attacked by a company during the midst of observation. She immediately informed an application for a retreat, however, she was ordered to delay the enemies for giving 600 seconds for reinforcement to came. Without hesitation, she dived into the enemy company and fought. Honored three confirmed kills and two severely injured (one kill and two injured in the LN), however she was admitted to the hospital for aid. She was rewarded a Silver Wings Assault medal and got free insurance in hospital for the impressive and unbelievable performance.


    Deus Vult/Deus lo vult; Chapter II: Elinium Type 95 Operation Orb


    Tanya was assigned to test out the unstable Elinium Type 95 Operation Orb which is majorly invented by Doctor Schugel. At the first flight while using the prototype orb, it exploded when she reached the maximum level (6,000 feet above sea level), Tanya was still unable to control it, taking slight injuries. Therefore, Tanya was really peeved when she was brought back to retest the explosive orb countless times and always fail to use it correctly and normally. After Being X blessed the Elinium Type 95 Operation Orb, it sprouted improvements. When she was pulled back the last time for the final check, she met Being X again while the orb is going to detonate during the flight, the only requirements to use the orb safely is to pray for the God which Being X solely stated before vanishing. Tanya has left no choice but to pray and grasp the control of the orb, successfully utilizing the orb. This made her thought that the orb was cursed equipment and not merely blessed thing.


    ABILITIESA case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Physical Capacity


    As a child, Tanya doesn''t possess much physical strength. However, her physical range was reached out beyond a normal child''s capabilities. She had sufficient strength to lift up a full-grown soldier that was dug deep in the snow. But is unable to escape from Anson Sioux''s grip.


    Air Combat. In live combat action, she is a dangerous killer whose purpose is to eliminate her opponents when ordered by the headquarters. Due to her small body, she can easily avoid bullets and the enemy. She can also fight in closed quarters combat with using a rifle with a knife.


    Prayer/Blessing Magic


    By using the Elinium Type 95, her eyes turn gold and her physical and mental psyche increases beyond the extent of a normal human. Moreover, she has medium accuracy in shooting but is able to cast a high tier powerful explosive spell that could destroy a whole company.


    Strategy and Planning


    Although she has an average record in planning and strategy, she has a special aptitude for analysis and critical thinking skills. Moreover, she can manipulate the plan according to her will. When Tanya gives orders to her subordinates, they can expect harsh punishments if they fail to comply.


    Manipulator


    Due to her extremely dangerous cuteness and small size, she can easily fool someone by using her skills e.g during her short conversation with previously ranked Captain Maximilian Johann von Ugar by persuading him to drop in the selection of being one of the Twelve Knights during War College Arc. Also she has an ability to fool anyone by her voice, e.g in light novel, manga, and anime version (Episode 5) where she used her child voice during the bombing of Dacian Capital.


    QUOTES


    Catchphrase : "Curse you, Being X!"


    (Tanya to Visha) : "If you have time for idle chatter, spend it doing all you can to survive---We are soldiers. If the brass tells us to do something, we do it."


    (Tanya to herself) : "It''s all... Being X''s fault. Until I pound free-market principles into that piece of shit, I won''t die, no matter what! I''m going to live... to live and... I''m going to end this!"


    (Tanya''s Magic Ignition) : "God save the Fatherland."


    (Tanya''s second Magic Ignition) : "Lord, if the day comes when I fly through the heavens. I shall approach thee!"


    (Tanya''s Speech to her Battalion) : "If there is a God who rules this world, it is a stern, solemn, and definitely a good being. A being that is far too great. God keeps forcing us to confront these cruel fates. As those were the rules of this world! Oh, God... I''ll slice you to tiny pieces and feed you to the pigs!Our battlefield is no place for that piece of shit, God! I think it''s time we took over God''s work. We, soldiers will take God''s place. Put the arrogant ass, God, out of a job! All right troops... It''s time for war!"


    (Tanya to Being X) "You win the war but you lose to my human will. Now, let me escape in this world and I''ll promise to keep in mind your proposal as your tool (Apostle)."


    TRIVIA


    Tanya Degurechaff was compared to the Fallen Hero of Germany named ?Manfred von Richthofen a.k.a Red Baron. Both of them are considered as "Ace of Aces" during their own World War.


    Tanya was born on July 18 however her adoptive birthday is on September 24.


    Her first name "Tanya" comes from the Greek word means "Sun".


    According to the light novel and manga, she has a confirmed record of 62 kills and 32 assists after her departure in the Rhine.


    In the manga, she is seemed to be worried about her height.


    Her hobbies include that of drawing maps, carrying a rifle in civilian places and making plans to kill ?Being X.


    She is the only person in their world to be able to fly more than 12,000 feet above sea level compared to an average person like the Republicans who can only fly a maximum of 8,000 feet. The standard battle altitude for normal mages is 6,000 feet.


    According to LN and manga, she has her first thesis at age nine (titled The logistics behind a highly mobile war theater) that the different departments deeply recognized and being useful during war.


    According to LN, manga and anime, although she doesn''t restrict all her men to smoke, she sometimes get irritated to smokers who blow their smoke around the place without care for the second-hand smokers who will smell it, e.g in the anime version where she was called in the meeting where her superiors are smoking inside the room.


    She doesn''t like wearing feminine dresses due to the fact that she was a previously a forty year old salaryman.


    Tanya doesn''t know that she has a lot of men fall in love with her including Loliya.


    Tanya likes chocolates, which Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov also likes, hence she ended up hiding it inside her room.


    Tanya is skilled in playing cards, however the only person who can match her somehow is Viktoriya.


    When fighting, Tanya uses her magic to activate anesthesia. Which can soothe her from the pain of her injuries and escape immediately.


    According to the LN and manga, Tanya took quite numerous of shots on her limbs before self-destruction on her first mission. As in the anime, she was only hurt while self-destructing.


    RELATIONSHIP


    Being X


    Due to being an Atheist, she refuses to acknowledge him as their Creator. Moreover because of his intervention, she loathes him so much to the point where she is ready to kill him anytime he shows himself.


    Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov


    She is always thought of her as a tool for her promotion and achievements. Moreover, she thinks of her as one of the human resources beneficial to the Empire.


    Adelheid von Schugel


    He is the only person Tanya don''t want to ever meet again. She is terrified of his craziest request and insane works.


    Imperial Army 203rd Air Mage Battalion


    She doesn''t care for them at all and thinks of them as human resources for the Empire. However she is apprehensive of earning herself a bad reputation and record, she attempts to keep those under her command alive.According to LN Vol. 5, it was the oppose to the minds of her men because they think of her as their lovable superior due to her being mad of losing some of her troops in the battle. They mistakenly thought she was grieving to their lost comrades.In that event, they become more loyal and make her as their example to become patriotic and ready to sacrifice their lives inorder to protect not only the country but also her.


    Salamander Combat Group


    According to LN Vol. 4, Tanya thinks of them as a human resources for the benefits of the Empire to defeat the mere communist and not entirely the nationalist groups of Rus'' Union.


    Hans von Zettour


    Because of his reputation as her superior officer, she deeply expresses her gratitude and respect.


    Erich von Rerugen


    Her relationship with him seems complicated and has not yet proven if she aware that he is terrified of her own charisma and personalities.


    Lavrentiy Beria


    Also known as Loliya, he fall in love at first sight at her. Loliya vows to do everything in his power to capture her, break her, and ravish her. So he decides that the Union needs to release the prisoners from the Gulag, particularly the mages (who were loyal to the previous Czarist regime), and win this war.


    IMAGE GALLERY

 Chapter 11

    Raine felt that time has passed in a flash since she first boarded the Normandy SR-2 together with Iden, Kaidan Alenko, and Ron.


    Originally, Raine planned to practice her aim using the CAR-9 Scrambler pistol with Ms. Iden, spar with Ms. Kiyoh, continue chatting again with Joker about other races FTL method, run around the ship trying to know the crews of the ship better.


    Yet, all of those plans are flushed down the drain when Ron visits her room the next morning after her first night onboard the ship.


    The reason is that Ron has decided to give Raine his PlayStation 45 game console as he has given up on the reliability of the game console programming. The developer rushed the programming when developing the console and produced a flawed product instead.


    Hence, Raine hesitatingly accepted the gift from Ron and hooked up the console inside her underground bunker. At first, true to Ron''s word, the game console keeps hanging up on her when she is playing and ruining her enjoyment playing the game.


    Raine continues fiddling with the console setting until Raine gets frustrated enough to try something new. She had seen how the older version of her, serving as a guard, back at the Citadel nexus when she first teleported across the multiverse, using her fingers to interface with electronics and she decided to try the same.


    Tentatively she gripped the console and focused on her fingers. To her delight, the tips of her fingers sprouted thin root-like fibers. The fibers are so thin and strong that she can feel her fibers seeping in through the game console casing and spread across the circuitry and enveloping the chip inside the game console.


    With the power of the console already turned on, Raine can feel the electricity coursing through the device and with it, she can feel and understand the data coursing through the game console even though she understands little about the advanced technology of this era.


    Raine inherently knows that the ability on her fingertips are based on intent, and it will do the rest as long as she supplied mana to her fibers. Her fibers will reshape and reprogram the device, and once she is done reshaping the device to her desire, then she can stop the mana flow as the transformed unit operates on conventional power source alone.


    With her will, the device on her hands submitted and unleashed its true potential, unfettered by the madness of its designer and programmer. The color of the surface is transformed as the device shed its orange madness and embrace the green surface of her leaves.


    And then with trembling hands, Raine let go of the transformed PlayStation 45 and redubbed it PlayStation "Successor" as it is with her power that the device transcends its predecessor and as an accolade to the achievement of her descendants. It seems like her hands are trembling due to the heavy mana cost it took out of her to transform the device. She also noticed that her breasts have also shrunk a bit as her mana run out and some of the required mana taken from her pair of reserve.


    Raine then goes through all the games available inside the game console database and decided to play the game "The Elder Scrolls LV: Voidrim." The game where she became the Dragonborn out to save the universe from a great evil.


    Thus does Raine wasted two days of her time playing the game inside her room, refusing to come out and cooking whatever is available inside the fridge and using the bathroom and sleep.


    By the way, Raine did remember to take a picture of her cooking and suffice to say she has some confidence in her cooking skills after living for so long. In fact, Raine has displayed her grilled wild trevally on her PlayStation "Successor" main menu background so she can drool as she chooses which games she should choose like a restaurant menu.


    Raine has proudly made three characters during her two days living as a hermit playing games.


    A dark female elf wearing light armor using a sidearm and an energy shield with a stealth playing style.


    A male high elf wearing heavy armor using a sidearm and an energy shield with a slash & hack playstyle.


    And finally a female wood elf wearing skimpy clothes using a two-handed pulse Gatling gun with a heavy gunner playstyle.


    Regrettably, because Raine only has two days, she did not manage to reach the endgame but started over with a new character once she feels that she already arrive at a major city in each game.


    Perhaps others will criticize her for choosing all elves as her character when she is playing the game.


    However, it looks like the game developer have an elf fetish, then who can blame her? With elves existing in real life, whoever the game developers are it''s possible for them to marry an elf at present. Ahh, she remembers back in her time some people would print an elf dakimakura (hug pillow) and hug them to sleep.


    Not that Raine knows how that feels like of course! As she twirled her leaves in embarrassment, trying not to remember her dark past.


    Nevertheless, from what Raine understand, everybody upstairs has been trying to coax her out of her foxhole, and Ms. Iden is chewing Ron''s out for giving the game console to her and making her a hermit. Too bad for Ron but her amusement is more important than his comfort right now, and she knows Ron is tough, he can handle whatever Ms. Iden throws at him.


    Raine believes in Ron! Oh, but did Kaidan said Iden should stop as Ron is foaming at the mouth? Lies! Kaidan shouldn''t have tried to trick her. She is sure they are trying to trick her by hoping she shows concern at Ron''s condition upstairs so they can grab her as she pops her head out from her foxhole.


    Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as everyone upstairs announced that the ship had reached Jita IV and they wanted to disembark soon, so they would appreciate it very much if Raine could join them as Inferno Squad would like to start doing the job tasked to them by director Alakoni.


    Hearing her many times great granddaughter name. She hesitatingly shuts down her PlayStation "Successor" and equipped back all her gear and weapons.


    Raine equipped everything except her helmet since she would hide her leaves once she exits the ship. Before she leaves her room, she turns off the light switch in the room she has spent two days in and exits her foxhole.


    The moment she enters the command bridge, she was ambushed and dogpiled by every single member of the command bridge crews and mercilessly tickled close to death.


    After that torture, Raine needs to sit in seiza position for close to an hour listening to everyone''s lecture with Ron having the same punishment on her side.


    The only reason the lecture didn''t last longer was that they took pity on her as she unleashed her dreaded puppy dog pout and opened her eyes to the fullest while blinking rapidly at everyone. A trick she learned from her grandchildren''s back in the day when she was about to scold them.


    The women of the command bridge crew member retreated through the cursed elevator to the hallway, since they cannot stand so many cuteness at once. While the men, including Kaidan and Ron, are latching on to her while rubbing their cheeks against her face.


    Raine immediately regrets doing the pout since she''s uncomfortable with men coming too close to her. She wonders why can''t beautiful women rubbed their cheeks to her face instead.


    Raine escapes their cuteness induced madness by wiggling out of the hug pile and wears her helmet again, to the men disappointment.


    With Kaidan and Ron taking a position on both of Raine''s side, they are ready to disembark from the ship and enter the trade hub.


    Raine is preparing herself mentally for the torture of the elevator music again but turns out it''s all baseless worry as Kaidan and Ron explain that it only took so long to enter the command bridge because of the security protocol for the command bridge safety.


    The trip down from the command bridge is very much faster since they skipped the security protocol needed to enter the most secure room in the ship after all. As the common saying back in Raine''s youth says, it''s better for things to come out from your stomach rather than coming in after all when you are not sure what you are eating.


    Raine is glad that she did not have to get stuck in the elevator and endure the elevator music for long. And she did not forget to threaten Kaidan to remove the music downloaded to her Omnitool the last time she took the elevator, which Kaidan did under duress.


    In the hallway, Raine sees the rest of the command bridge crew and Kaidan waiting around for them to arrive so they can enter the Jita IV Trade Hub station.


    "Ah, finally you''re here Ms. Raine. Let us go over the rules before we exit the Normandy shall we? One, we are escorting you so do not go anywhere without us. Two, you are here under the wing of Inferno Squad. Everyone would expect you to be some VIP client as we are listed as an adamantite ranked mercenary, so please behave yourself. And lastly, director Alakoni would like periodic updates from us, so please do not make me report that anything went wrong back to her as I would still like to keep my honored reputation with Lai Dai corporation." Said Iden as she went into briefing mode before disembarking.


    Raine nodded while taking in Ms. Iden''s words half-heartedly because her attention is more focused on the holovision behind Iden.


    "Brought to you by the cutting edge research of the Lai Dai Megacorp, the "Dryad Leaves" wig! Do you feel that your hair has become brittle, lacking in luster and color? Then become one of the beautiful legendary Dryad of old as you wear this medicinal wig on your head. The seaweed extracts contained within the "Dryad Hair" wig are released slowly by nanobots housed underneath the wig to ensure the nutrient from the sea is delivered to each strand of your hair! Making them livelier, shinier and stronger as you wear the "Dryad Leaves" wig! Extended usage are recommended to maintain your hair''s health and beauty! It doesn''t hurt that the wig makes you look more stunning and attract the attentions of everyone around you as shown by our lovely Lai Dai ladies who will be participating in the upcoming beauty pageant this summer! To introduce this latest product, we will be having a promotion for half price during the first week for everyone and anyone! Buy them as a gift for yourself! There is no limit how many you can buy during this extended promotion! But make it quick as the promotion is only available during the first week! Hurry get them from the galaxy famous Jita IV trade hub retails store!" said the marketer excitedly in the holovision.


    "Ms. Raine? Are you paying attention to me?" Said Ms. Iden testily.


    "Um no, I am looking at the advertisement playing behind you." Said Raine quietly.


    Iden and everyone else looked at the holovision on the wall behind them and noted the advertisement for the "Dryad Leaves" wig.


    "Oh, director Alakoni did mention that she would advertise in two or three days after the meeting. That''s fast, too fast even. They must have pulled all the stops to have it available by now. Let''s see one day for the design and production planning as well as the public advertisement. The next day for the actual production run and the last day for delivering the first batch to retail stores in Jita IV Trade Hub. Must have been because Lai Dai has a manufacturing center in the system to make this possible." Remarked Iden.


    "Oh." Said Raine, as Ms. Alakoni did mention this, she referred to it as hiding a tree in a forest strategy during the meeting where she first met Ms. Alakoni.


    "With that said, let us not waste any more time and disembark from the Normandy. For everyone else, this is their long awaited shore leave after all." Said Iden as she waved everyone along to the Normandy''s door.


    Raine walked a fair distance before she comes across the section of the ship where a lot of the ship''s crews are disembarking from the Normandy into the Jita IV trade hub station.


    After waiting in line for a few minutes, Raine found that it is her turn to disembark from the ship.


    Outside the ship''s door, Raine founds herself in the same moving hallway that connects the shuttle ship she boarded from the Lai Dai HQ and the Normandy SR-2 two days ago.


    The station''s security guards excitedly greet Ms. Iden and allow her and her group to pass along with no issue due to their status as Adamantite ranked mercenary. They received preferential treatment since they are part of the highest ranked mercenary on the roster.


    Raine and her group pass through some people doing their things or only waiting for their shuttle to arrive in the waiting room with a window where she can view the planet underneath the trade hub station. The area she is in is quite large as it is meant to process passengers into and out of the station after all.


    She is also wondering how big is the trade hub station is when seen from the outside. Perhaps she would have a better idea if she can exit the spaceport area of the station and view the internal area of the station from the inside after all.


    To Raine''s amazement, it is huge as the area in front of her stretches all the way to the end of her sight.


    Above Raine, she can see the spaceport control tower while being surrounded by gardens of flowers on either side of the pathway leading out from the spaceport with Caldari banners streaming out decoratively from the station ceiling above their group.


    However, instead of a tower, it looks as if it''s a control bridge with two towers jutting out of the bridge and a large statue of a human raising its right arm upwards to the sky at the edge of the control bridge.


    "Ms. Raine? Come in inside the transport please, we''re leaving now." Said Kaidan from inside the driver seat of the most impressive looking two-seater vehicle.


    It looks like Raine was so distracted with the inside of the station that she missed the moment when Iden and Ron took one of the cars in front of the one that Kaidan is driving. And now Kaidan is gesturing towards the empty seat beside him for her to take a seat. Flushed with embarrassment for the lapse she skipped and hopped into the empty seat of the car beside Kaidan.


    Kaidan is satisfied that the client is seated beside him, he then proceeds to give a hand signal to the vehicle in front of him, driven by Ron and Iden sitting in the passenger seat.


    With Kaidan''s hand signal, the vehicle driven by Ron moved forward along the highway leading out from the spaceport and followed by Kaidan''s and Raine''s LLV.


    Along the way, Raine are getting antsy about the trip and asks Kaidan where are they going.


    "Where are we going Kaidan?" Said Raine against the sound of the wind rushing against her faceplate.


    "We''re on our way to Inferno''s Squad office branch here in the trade hub station. After that we can go anywhere you want Ms. Raine. I know a good ramen place nearby the office that I can bring you later if you want." Answered Kaidan kindly.


    "Oh, yeah that sounds good. I can''t wait then." Answered Raine disinterestedly as they passed through the residential districts of the station with offices and houses on both sides of the road with citizens milling around.


    Once in awhile though she can spot the odd elves and dwarves which raise her interest before they left them in the dust.


    Kaidan was about to reply to her dispirited reply before he paused for no reason. Not only that but the car itself suddenly stops without throwing Raine off the car from the sudden stop in defiance of the natural law of physics.


    With curiosity, Raine waved one of her hand in front of Kaidan''s face to no effect. Looking around she also noticed that everyone around her has also paused their movement, it''s as if time has stopped for everyone around, except for her.


    "Well, this is new." Said Raine flatly.


    The situation should be unnatural for Raine. Unfortunately, she is out of fudge to give after experiencing so many shocks in the past few days. In fact, she smoothly walked out of the paused car to look around and try to find the source of this anomaly.


    Looking around, Raine noticed that she felt a pull towards one direction. Trusting her natural instinct as a mysterious race of Dryad, she follows the path where the pull is strongest and walked straight ahead.


    After walking for about 15 minutes passing through frozen pedestrians, she found herself in front of a state orphanage as it is marked so on the entrance of the building. She opens the doors, which are not locked, passing through the drab gray utilitarian hallway she comes across a closed door where behind the door a bright light encompassed the room and its light is seeping through the door in front of her. She can also hear the voices of a group of people arguing about something inside.


    With shivers on the nape of her neck, Raine concludes that the voices must be behind the strange anomaly of the frozen time she is currently in at the moment. Standing behind the door, she unsheathed her ZN-28 ¡®Blackprey'' Nova Knife she received from Mr. Jack and unholstered the CAR-9 Burst Scrambler Pistol she received from Professor Dexter. While holding both the blade and the pistol in each hand calms her nerves, she steeled her resolve for what she is about to do.


    Raine took a deep breath and counted to three before she kicked down the door hard and rushed inside the room with a blade on her left hand and a pistol in her right hand pointing at the center of the room.


    At the center of the room, she can see¡­


    A little girl who looks like she''s nine years old in an orphanage dress reading an article from an old looking civilian Omni-tool on her right arm.


    The little girl has blonde hair but Raine is not able to see her face clearly from the angle she has now. And just like everyone else she has encountered along the way, is also frozen in time.


    However, the little girl is not her concern at the moment. Since she enters the room, she failed to spot anyone besides the small girl in front of her while clearly from the voices she heard behind the closed door earlier there should be a group of people inside the room as well.


    "Well, what do we have here?" Said a voice out of nowhere.


    Raine is startled at the sudden voice and she wheeled her pistol around trying to look for the source.


    "It seems we have an intruder inside our realm¡­ I did not think this was possible in this godless universe when we first projected our essence here." Said another voice.


    Weary at the voices around Raine, she tries to strain her magical perception to their limit to identify the sources of the bodiless voices inside the room.


    With difficulty, she managed to pinpoint one of the plastic toy soldiers on top of the study desk inside the room across from the blonde little girl as one of the sources of voice.


    Raine pointed her pistol at the plastic toy soldier and shot an energy pulse, which misses and vaporizes the wall beside the plastic toy soldier into a smoking hole, as a warning shot.


    "That was a warning shot, and I know you are in the plastic toy soldier. Identify yourself and state the reason why you have freezed time or I will shoot you without missing next." Warned Raine in a clear and authoritative tone as she lifted her Nova Knife in a guard position and her pistol forward aiming at the center of the toy plastic soldier and a ¡®Soul Strike'' spell ready on the tip of her tongue to follow up on her shot.


    After that demonstration, the numbers of voices around the room have increased but it sounded like murmurs to her ears. Raine is about to fire again before another voice said clearly from the plastic toy soldier she is aiming.


    "To answer your question young lady, we are Gods. I don''t know how you can move into this realm, as far as we are concerned there shouldn''t be any other Gods beside us inside this faithless realm. I have answered your question. Now answer mine. What are you?" Asked the voice originating from the plastic toy soldier on top of the study desk.


    Raine tilted her head at the answer. Gods? Well since they can freeze time then that must be true. However, what does that make her, if she could still move within her realm? A God as well? While she did not feel like a God, she must be some significant figure in their eyes.


    The only way to know for sure is to answer them truthfully while not divulging all the information that she has. That is one of the golden rules for a negotiation when both parties are not aware of the other¡¯s capability and position after all.


    Raine sheathed her Nova Knife and slowly using her left hand she took off her pilot helmet. After that, she dropped the helmet to the ground while removing her white mask and held it in her left hand. She left the black cat hairband on her head but they shouldn''t affect the negotiation at this point.


    "My name is Raine. I am a Dryad of the Yggdrasil. I have answered your question, now answer another of mine. Why have Gods come here?" Said Raine with bravado in her heart hoping for the best.


    Raine, faced with silence after her declaration but she felt that they are discussing things in private somehow.


    "Ah, the gatekeeper of this universe then. We apologized for entering your realm, as when we last opened it ten years ago, we did not detect any presence of divinity in this universe. However, now we are in a bit of a bind since we have already invested some of our divinity power to bring this child in front of you to this faithless universe. As part of our new divine project of ours to bring back faith and the power of Gods in this realm which is now ruled by science and logic. They have forgotten the faith and religious fervor. Hence we are here to change that. I am afraid we have plans for this universe and this child. We hope you do not mind for them to be carried out in this universe as in the end, it will benefit yourself as well." Explains the voice of the one who sounds like the more senior God of their group.


    Raine remembers to keep it cool and act like she knows what a God-like being is all about. Fake it till you make it is one of the darker sides of success strategy that she loathe using but she will if she have to.


    "I suppose I do not mind since I was practicing how to hide my divinity in the first place. However, this leaves us with a quandary. I do not mind to let your presence in this realm be, but I need to know exactly what is it you intend to do to increase "Faith" in this universe. And what is the girl''s role would be in this plan of yours." Asked Raine with false confidence.


    "Oho I see, suppressing your divinity is indeed one of the more difficult powers to do for divine beings. Honing your skills are indeed a worthy endeavor for any God worth their salt. However back to our current matter, we plan to increase faith by inducing war on a universal scale and have the sentient being here worship us and offer us their faith. We will introduce magic in this universe after sufficient faith has been provided to us during the war. Heroes and villains will rise in this coming conflict and faith will blossom in the upcoming epic saga of a new age of Gods and Heroes. The little girl will be our apostle for that coming war, we have made her into the physically perfect human and her soul is reincarnated from another realm without magic. She is a faithless and flawed human being who died because of her karma. We see no better punishment but for her to be the instrument of our will in this universe." Confessed the senior God confidently.


    Internally, Raine is horrified with their plan but she could not be sure that she can win if she decided to fight for it. When she is a million years old like they thought she is, then sure she could try. At the moment though, she keenly felt like a chihuahua barking through a loudspeaker at a group of junkyard Dobermans. Impressive but ultimately she cannot back up her bark with actual power. She could try to bluff herself to a better position though. The key is the little blonde girl after all.


    "Oh? That sounds wonderful, and I could use more minions. In fact, I have my group of humans who worship the ground I walked on already. But of course, I could use more¡­" Said, Raine, as she holstered her Pistol and proceeded to walk comfortably towards the standing blonde little girl until she is standing in front of the blonde little girl''s face.


    "Humans? Why would you choose them as your flock? They have the shortest life and the weakest strength among the four races available in this universe. What they have the most for them is the power of their numbers." Said another bodiless voice around Raine.


    "Hence more faiths to be collected with the humans, and you''d do well not to underestimate the humans. You''d be surprised what anyone can do when they believe they are the weakest after all." Said Raine, as she gazes on the face of the blonde little girl in front of her and found it attractive as it reminded her of her second wife after her first wife passed away because of old age.


    "Your words have merit O Dryad of the Yggdrasil. We will take it into consideration. Is there anything else we can do to gain your cooperation for our plan in this universe?" Repeated the senior God voice.


    "Yes, I want your apostle to be part of my retinue. If you are making her as part of your Apostle to bring about an age of change in this universe, then I would like to be a part of it after all. I don''t exactly care about other races besides humans and only a small numbers of them are under my jurisdiction after all. Why not use the time to scout out other races potential and culture before actually bringing out universal conflict. The flames of war cannot be lit without the right fire after all." Said Raine confidently while hoping they took the bait to leave her alone with the blonde little girl for some time as she consolidates her power.


    "You spoke with wisdom on this. Very well, we will scatter and scout the potential of the other races. We leave the development of the apostle in your capable hands." Said the senior God voice as the divine presences fade away from within the room.


    Raine let out a sigh of relief as the divine presences disappear from within the room and with its absence, the frozen time anomaly that has affected her surrounding are removed as well as the blonde little girl in front of her started breathing and moving again.


    The blonde little girl continues to read the article from her Omni-tool without registering Raine''s presence in front of her. So Raine lightly cough to gain her attention, which causes her to jolt up and looks up at Raine in suspicion.


    "How long were you there? I closed the door when I come into this room. You couldn''t have been here from the start." Asked the blonde little girl with hostility.


    "Oh, I didn''t know what to tell you. I enter through the door normally, but you didn''t react at all." Confessed Raine, telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


    The blonde little girl paused and looked at Raine with uncertainty, but her eyes became wide open when she spotted Raine''s leaves instead of normal human hairs like she expected.


    "What is this! You must be related to the Devil that have sent me into this realm and put me into this miserable body!" Accused the blonde little girl with hostility towards Raine.


    Raine curses for exposing herself in this manner. She''s not supposed to know that Raine is not human.


    "Oh, this? The leaves are not real. In fact, It''s similar to the new wig that comes out today you see." Explains Raine with a believable lie, hoping that the blonde little girl will take it as she twirled her leaves nervously.


    The blonde little girl stares with suspicion at Raine, and even though they already face to face, the blonde little girl approaches even closer, that the distances between their faces are only a breath''s distance away.


    To Raine''s surprise, the blonde little girl cupped both of Raine''s cheeks and rubbed them softly. Raine''s embarrassment meter is spiking through the roof, and if she has a heart, then she believes it would be hammering loudly within her breasts.


    Raine found herself staring into the blonde little girl''s bright blue eyes and felt that getting lost in its depth may not be so bad. As the bright blue eyes of the blonde little girl pull Raine in, the blonde little girl still holds Raine''s cheeks on her little hands, when it suddenly moved and pulled at both sides of her leaves until it snaps and breaks.


    Raine felt sharp pain unlike a bunch of hairs being pulled. The breaking of her leaves are more painful than that. It''s to the degree of between having a bunch of hairs being pulled out and having your teeth pulled out without anesthetic.


    Nevertheless, Raine dropped to the floor in pain and rolled around the floor to distract her from her pain again.


    "Chiiiiiiiiii..........!" Squealed Raine in pain from the hard and gray ground floor.


    Somehow Raine feels deja vu that this exact situation had happened before as she rolled on the ground to the left and right in pain.


    "Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.......Chiiiiiiiiiii......Chiiiii.........Chi...." Said Raine once again pitifully as she squeezed the pain out of her.


    When the pain subsides, Raine angrily stands at the blonde little girl, planning to throttle her for the pain.


    "Who the hell teaches you! Who would do that to a person she has met for the first time!" Shouted Raine angrily as she approaches the blonde little girl again.


    "Hmmph as expected of a devil''s servant bringing hell into this. I suspected that you were lying about the leaves being a wig. So I simply took the most logical action I could take in that scenario. Proving my hypotheses that your leaves are in fact not a wig." Said the blonde little girl with contempt as she holds a fistful of Dryad leaves in both hands while staring down at Raine.


    "What?! I am no lackey of the beings that brought you here! In fact, all of them have left you alone on a goose chase because I ask them to do so! I demand an apology and gratitude for doing so!" Demanded Raine angrily at the blonde little girl.


    "I have no reason to do so. In the first place, I do not know you, the only thing I know is that you are not human. That is enough reason for me not to trust you." Argued the blonde little girl.


    Raine sputtered at the attitude of the blonde little girl, Raine is keenly aware that she is a schizoid or in Japanese term a ¡®kuudere, '' but the girl in front of her is acting like a sociopath without care for social convention and tramples them like nothing. While Raine does not care for most social convention, but at least she shows respect by not trampling on them dammit!


    "Sigh, I tire of calling you blonde little girl in my mind. Tell me your name and let us talk about this again." Sighed Raine for the umpteenth time when she spoke to the difficult blonde little girl.


    "Very well, my name is Tanya Degurechaff. Now that I have introduced myself, I expect the same from yourself." Stated Tanya as she pocketed Raine''s leaves without remorse.


    "Sigh, fair enough. My name is Raine Sioux, while it has not been a pleasure to meet you, but I suppose it''s the best I can get now. Now, Ms. Tanya, I cannot let you be under the mistaken impression that I am not human. Regardless of your crude method, I assure you that I am one hundred percent human under this luxurious leaves.¡± Bluffed Raine again as she introduced herself to Tanya.


    ¡°... Do you expect me to believe that obvious lie?¡± Scoffed Tanya as she scowled at Raine.


    ¡°I assure you, Ms. Tanya, I was born with the misfortune of having leukemia when I was five years old. Fortunately, the director of Lai Dai took pity on me and decided to adopt me and use her vast fortune to cure my leukemia once and for all. Unfortunately, because the disease has progressed before it can be cured, I can no longer have hairs. Which is why the Lai Dai researchers decided to try a new treatment through advanced genetic engineering, they crafted a bio-version of the product they are releasing to the market now, the Dryad Leaves wig, which is the mass-produced version of my original ¡®Dryad Leaves.'' This advanced version is maintaining my life by controlling my white-blood cells from going rogue again. So I would appreciate it if you do not rip out my lifeline.¡± Bluffed Raine again.


    ¡°I am aware of Lai Dai as one of the mega-corporation. But why would the director of one of the most successful companies in Caldari bother to adopt and spend resources to help you? What makes you so valuable?¡± Asked Tanya as the seeds of doubt beginning to grow in her mind.


    "... How would I know the director¡¯s motivation? By the way, I bluffed my way when I met the Gods who bring you here earlier and when they left, the frozen time you and everyone else was under are broken. Hence my painful altercation, but the same as yourself I am also a reincarnated person. I am now nine years old, but previously I lived to be quite old you know? And I am still waiting for that apology and gratitude for sticking my neck out for you." Complained Raine as she folded her arms under her breasts, sticking them out again.


    ¡°You said that you managed to communicate with the devil that brings me here. What did they say?¡± Asked Tanya tentatively.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s horrible Ms. Tanya, they plan to bring war and carnage to the whole universe. And they are planning to use you as their apostle to bring about this universal confrontation. But do not worry, as I ask them to bother other people instead. We should be safe for the time being. By the way, they did mention that you¡¯re a reincarnated person, but they did not mention what you were in the previous life. I feel that we could communicate better if we divulge that information first as our experience do not match our current body.¡± Divulged Raine truthfully as she dug for more information.


    ¡°Very well, I was quite a successful HR personnel in my previous life. A single woman in her thirties who believe that marriage is a sin and an obstacle for my career path. Working is my life and passion. The management recognizes that even though I was a woman in a world dominated by men and allowed me to climb the corporate ladder fairly.¡± Reminiscent Tanya.


    ¡°Ah, my condolences Ms. Tanya for your challenging working environment. I understand Japan is a difficult place to work as overworking to death is quite common there. I also understand as I was previously a retired old man who was expected to counsel family meeting so late in the night even though I was supposed to enjoy my hard-gain retirement.¡± Complained Raine as she reminisces about the past as well.


    Somehow Tanya became more amicable after Raine''s complaint. She felt that knowing that both of them are reincarnated person with similar situations has brought them closer together and make her more willing to cooperate.


    There could be other reasons but Raine could care less about them as long as Tanya could show respect to her.


    "Really? Are you Japanese as well?" Asked Tanya politely.


    "No, I was a citizen of Indonesia back in my previous life. But I did spend some time working in Singapore, so I have worked with Japanese before." Answered Raine equally polite.


    "Ah that is too bad, I was hoping you would know how to make Miso paste after all. I missed some taste from Japan after living here for so long. I could only eat protein delicates and processed seafood products. Ahhh I missed eating Miso soup and sashimi." Complained Tanya.


    "Well, I don''t know how to make Miso paste but I do know how to make tempeh and Indonesian sweet soy sauce¡­ Of course provided I can find soy beans in this universe then I can try making those." Said Raine kindly as the topic of the conversation has somehow shifted to food.


    Before Tanya could reply to her offer, the walls next to both of them explode as dust and debris filled the air inside the room and blocked Raine''s vision and coated her leaves.


    "HANDS UP! EVERYBODY LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND SURRENDER OR WE WILL SHOOT TO KILL!" Shouted Iden''s voice as her black armored figure appears out of the debris haze while pointing her own CAR-9 Scrambler Burst Pistol while scanning the room for hostiles.


    Raine and Tanya are kneeling on the ground while coughing out the dust debris and covering their faces and mouths. Raine can also see the second vehicle that has burst open the wall at the same time as the first LLV break-in as well. Raine can see the figure of Kaidan with his assault rifle drawn as he exits the driver seat together with Ron on the other vehicle drawing out his shotgun.


    "It''s clear commander! No hostiles detected!" Reported Ron from behind Iden.


    All three of them then approaches Raine while checking her condition with worry.


    "Ms. Raine, you better explain how you can suddenly disappear from beside Kaidan. From his report, he was looking at you one moment to say something and the next you disappear without a trace. Did you use some magic? I hope this would not be a regular occurrence in the future." Said Iden with an edge to her tone of voice.


    "It''s true. I swear I have a heart attack when you suddenly disappear without a trace. It''s a lucky that director Alakoni put a tracking bug on your gear beforehand so we can always determine your whereabouts in the event of a kidnapping." Sighed Kaidan in relief as he relaxes his grip on his assault rifle.


    Raine can see that Ron suddenly became busy as she can see him holding up and explaining things to the staffs of the state orphanage about their break-in. And while Raine can appreciate their zealotry when protecting her person, she wishes that they could call her Omni-tool before doing anything rash like smashing through an orphanage walls with guns blazing in though.


    "Sorry about that, I can explain it better later on but before that why didn''t you call my Omni-tool first to ascertain my condition though?" Asked Raine as she tilted her head.


    Iden the looks at Raine weirdly like she said something wrong.


    "Ms. Raine, in the event of a kidnapping, calling you would tip the kidnappers that something is wrong. In these type of situation, it is better to jump on them when they are unaware, guns blazing and mow them down after all." Explains Iden as she shifted her attention to the impatient looking director of the orphanage as well as the gathering staffs of the orphanage behind them.


    "Oh, that makes sense. I suppose we could leave the explanation for later after we clear things out with the orphanage staffs then." Said Raine, as she shifted her attention to the orphanage staffs as well.


    Raine then proceeds to wear her mask back and her pilot helmet to hide her face. It should be alright, as her figure is blocked by Ms. Iden''s figure after all, so the orphanage¡¯s staffs should not be able to see her at all.


    Raine then follow along passively behind her group, with Tanya being taken in by one of the orphanage¡¯s staff and returned to her quarters most likely. The director of the orphanage is a pompous fat walrus looking man who doesn''t look like he should be managing an orphanage, but maybe it''s just her. Their group finally reached the man office and all of them took a seat each in front of the director''s study desk.


    "Ahem, so Ms. Iden is it? We would like an explanation on why would a pair of military Light Logistics Vehicles or LLV''s came crashing through our walls for no reason." Asked the fat walrus looking man, while sternly look like he is trying to stare down Iden.


    Iden was looking at Raine instead for an explanation as well.


    "Oh, that would be my fault Mr¡­?" Said Raine uncertainly as she fakes fidgeting to show her vulnerability.


    "Dursley¡­ My name is Vernon Dursley. Humph¡­ And why was it your fault young miss¡­?" Harrumphed Vernon again.


    "Oh, I was adopted by a high-ranking member of the Lai Dai Mega Corp recently and I was feeling terribly lonely. So I happened to see the orphanage when passing by and decided to look for a friend. I did not realize how overzealous my guardian would be when they realize I was missing you see¡­" Lied Raine sweetly.


    Iden, Kaidan Alenko and Ron are staring at her and she can feel their disbelief behind their helmet when they are looking at her. Quietly, Rufus the drone floated from behind Iden and started to record the whole thing.


    Raine cursed Iden in her mind. She can easily see Iden''s motivation in recording the exchange. Iden is creating an alibi for this accident and is covering their asses when they need to report to director Alakoni about it. Well, in for a penny, and in for a pound as they might say.


    "So, of course, my caretaker would happily reimburse the damages¡­ Provided if you can arrange so that we can adopt Tanya as my friend immediately of course." Played Raine sweetly as honey and laced with malicious poison.


    "I am afraid such a thing would not be possible Ms. Raine. For one thing, you look like you are not of legal age. Secondly, I do not believe that you have the authority actually to speak on behalf of one of the mega-corporation. And besides adopting a child took a very stringent progress to make sure that the child are not manipulated for unlawful purpose against the state. I could not possibly allow such arrangement to pass." Scoffed Vernon Dursley with annoyance and scorned at Raine¡¯s words.


    "Oh but you see, it would not be me that would be adopting Tanya. It would be my guardian here, and she''s commander Iden, the leader of an adamantite ranked mercenary from ¡®Inferno Squad'' you know? She once told me that she always like to have a protegee one day. Unfortunately, even though she is such a dashing figure, she hasn''t found that one true man for her to marry. Perhaps by adopting, she would awaken her maternal instinct and strive to have a child of her own." Said, Raine, as she weaves an elaborate lie sweetly.


    Raine can feel killing intent waving from Iden already, but she persists bravely trying to chip away at this fat walrus¡¯s resolve. Give in damn you fat walrus, give in!


    "Oh, she has the backing of Lai Dai for sure Mr. Vernon sir! I stake my good name as an adamantite ranked mercenary on the line!" Interjected Ron suddenly to the rescue, in assistance to Raine''s difficulty in convincing the orphanage director to let Tanya go.


    Raine looks at Ron immediate support with renewed hope.


    "And you are Mr¡­?" Queried Vernon Dursley as he tapped his fat hand impatiently on his study desk.


    "Mr. Ron, here are my Identity dog tag. You can check and confirm my qualification." Said Ron confidently as he passes a Caldari emblem dog tag to Vernon Dursley hand.


    Vernon Dursley accepted the offered Caldari emblem dog tag and proceeded to scan the chip inside the dog tag with his Omnitool.


    "Seems like the tag checked out. You are who you say you are. I have no issue to accept your word about the young lady''s backing at this point. However, I remain unconvinced¡­" Said Vernon Dursley vaguely as he returned Ron''s dog tag back.


    "Of course, Mr. Dursley¡­ There would be¡­ Added incentive if you allow us to adopt Tanya and a¡­ Bonus if you can do it immediately for us to take her now." Said, Raine, as she spits out the vague suggestion of bribe like ash on her tongue.


    "Hmm¡­ Five hundred bits for her transfer order and another five hundred bits for arranging it immediately under my authority as the state orphanage director¡­ Are we agreed?" Said Vernon Dursley as he grinned with greed.


    Raine looked uncertainly at Ron and is relieved when seeing him nodding back at her.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation."Agreed Mr. Dursley. Arrange for her transfer order immediately under my name and I will transfer half of the money to your account now and another half after the transfer order is completed." Agreed on Ron calmly.


    "Very well Mr. Ron. Here is my account number. I will make a call to my colleague to prepare her things to go." Said Vernon Dursley as he sent an email to Ron, the detail of which he has scanned from Ron''s dog tag.


    "Much obliged Mr. Dursley." Said, Ron, as he proceeds to transfer five hundred bits from his bank account to Vernon Dursley¡¯s bank account.


    Raine stares at the fat walrus making a call to his colleague to prepare Tanya things to go. The fat walrus then hears the notice on his Omni-tool that he has received the amount five hundred bits from Ron''s bank account.


    "Hmm, I have certainly received the amount from you. Very well, under my authority as the state orphanage director, I immediately authorized the transfer order of one ¡®Tanya Degurechaff'' under the responsibility of one ¡®Ron Stoppable.'' Congratulations, you are now the father of a new daughter." Said Vernon Dursley as he tapped on the holo-screen of his Omni-tool.


    Ron then hears the notice on his Omni-tool, confirming the transfer record has taken place and the official seal of the state emblazoned on the transfer record, confirming its authenticity as a legal document.


    "I have confirmed the transfer order has been completed. I will be sending you the rest of the payment now." Confirmed Ron as he tapped the holo-screen of his Omni-tool again.


    Vernon Dursley then once again hears the notice that he received another five hundred bits from Ron''s bank account.


    "I have certainly received the funds, and do not worry about the damages to the walls since I have certainly received enough compensation from you today. Your new charge, Tanya, will be waiting for you at the orphanage''s entrance. Please take back your LLV and be on your way. My colleague will escort you to her, good day ladies and gentlemen. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Said Vernon Dursley generously while dismissing them.


    Recognizing the dismissal for what it is, Raine''s group stands from their seats and follows the orphanage staff waiting outside of the state orphanage director''s office. The staff of the orphanage guided them to the entrance of the orphanage where they found Tanya standing there with travel clothing and her luggage ready beside her.


    Raine waited for the orphanage staff to leave and give their group some privacy before she says anything.


    "Hello, again Tanya. I am sure you''re wondering why you''re here with us after the excitement earlier. Well, suffice to say. Say hello to your new father, which is this guy by the way." Said Raine nonchalantly pointing at Ron''s standing figure near her.


    "Well Ms. Raine, you better explain to us why you are so dead set on adopting this girl here. You even go as far as mentioning my love life to the obviously corrupt man. Furthermore, you owed Ron a lot today as he''s willing to pay that much money and took the legal responsibility to entertain your plea." Said Iden sternly.


    "Of course, Ms. Iden. To cut the story short a group of God-like being has frozen time, which I am not affected due to my connection with the tree in the Lai Dai HQ back on Earth. Tanya is a reincarnated human from another realm and her body are made by a God to be the perfect human. Surely director Alakoni would be willing to spend any amount to bring her in Lai Dai knowing this?" Explained Raine calmly, knowing for sure how investing and spending resources to gain resources are decided on who possessed the lynchpin information, the critical information to know whether the resource you have gained is a strike or a gutterball.


    "This information changes everything and would substantiate your claim and justified the risk Ron would have taken on your behalf¡­ If it were true of course¡­" Admitted Iden as she considers the implication of Raine words.


    "Then, by all means, let us have her be checked by medical personnel to confirm the veracity of my claim." Said Raine calmly.


    "Agreed, we will proceed to continue our journey to the branch office in this station. We have the experts and the equipment to confirm this issue there. Kaidan, Ron, bring over the LLV''s here. I''d watch over both Ms. Raine and Ms. Tanya while you are away. " Said Iden decisively as she ordered both of her subordinates to action.


    Raine is content to wait and let her guardians prove her right simply by having Tanya go through a medical check up, but Tanya is currently looking at her with confusion with an undertone of demanding for an answer.


    "Why did you adopt me? It was horrible inside there but at least I was the master of my destiny until I reach of age and the orphanage would have released me from state care and I would finally be free to earn a living." Asked Tanya with uncertainty.


    Raine laughed at her meekness, for a sociopath removing them from their comfort zone is a sure way to take away their lynchpin until they can claw their way back to control. And she is sure they will claw their way back given enough time as it is simply in their nature.


    "You haven''t lived as long as I have Ms. Tanya. A man can shape his destiny, but fate trumps destiny¡¯s ass every single time." Argued Raine confidently.


    "That can''t be¡­ Am I relegated to be fate''s chew toy under that devil forever no matter what I do?" Despaired Tanya as she sinks to her knees on the hard floor.


    Soundtrack OST:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ZC8cR9zUY


    "Perhaps. Would you like your destiny to triumph over the fate God has given you then?" Said Raine with temptation on the corner of her lips.


    Tanya looks up at Raine''s black-clad armored figure, soulless pilot helmet visor and shuddered.


    "What do I need to do?" Asked Tanya with a chill going through her soul as she say the words.


    "Become mine Tanya and I would give you a new fate. A fate that is the same as your perceived destiny and together we will overcome your God-given fate and build an empire worthy to rule over the stars for everyone we care about." Said Raine, as she offered Tanya a hand and a choice to make.


    Tanya shuddered and stared at the hand offered by Raine. It is a choice that she has to make. It would either be her salvation or her damnation and most likely be both at the same time.


    Remembering the Devil that killed Tanya''s former body and the life that she has left behind and the treatment she has suffered under that fat man Vernon Dursley, burn her with rage that washed away her fear.


    Tanya then remembers every single facet of the Caldari''s belief of self-determination and faith in the meritocratic ideal of the state. The lessons of the Caldari State are the lessons that she agreed with all her heart and soul, against the backdrop of assault and invasion from other races, her heart has been stoked even more furiously than what she thought is possible.


    With conviction, Tanya grasped Raine''s hand and stood up for her fate for the first time since she was reborn in this universe.


    "If the great and dark traction of the universe is what attracted me to this world¡­ Then I would throw my fate in with you to see it burned down to the ground and replace it with the Caldari way." Said Tanya with a blazing passion.


    "The universe and the Gods are not prepared for the both of us Tanya. Let us not disappoint them with lackluster result then shall we?" Said Raine with a dark giggle as both of them grasped each other¡¯s hand.


    "Sigh, spare me the melodramatic drama of preadolescent little girls." Sighed Iden with a long suffering sigh as she maintains an overwatch over both of her charge.

 Chapter 12

    In some distant sector of space from Earth, there exist a space station orbiting a cold, barren wasteland on one of the moons of the planet Pluto, where a massive combat fleet can be seen around the station as if guarding the space station.


    This station is ¡®Omega'' station, and it is the last and furthest reach station in the Solar system. The station is far enough from Earth to be away from prying eyes and commercial traffic yet close enough to Earth that reinforcement can arrive from Earth and Mars after five seconds travel delay in a wormhole.


    From the smallest and most humble of Caldari shuttles to the mightiest ship the Caldari can offer, the ¡®Wyvern'' class super carrier, can be seen near the station. Such gathering of Caldari combat fleet can rarely be seen during peacetime. Every single one of the ship is maintaining combat readiness and alert to any changes in the environment to the point that nothing can enter the solar system without being detected by the sensors of the specialized ¡®Heron'' frigates scattered around the solar system.


    Hence, it is not surprising when all attentions are on the local space near the station when a small wormhole appears near to the station, disturbing the rigidly maintained discipline of the fleet in orbit around the station.


    A Caldari shuttle bearing the logo of Lai Dai corporation emerged from the wormhole then activating its afterburner and moved forward approaching the station, the shuttle is also flanked by a pair of Caldari ¡®Dragonfly'' Fighter Drones.


    ¡®Dragonfly¡¯ Fighter Drone


    <h3 style="text-align: justify">Description:


    Type: Light Fighter


    Role: Attack


    Description: The Dragonfly is a general purpose attack craft.


    Blaster Cannon: This weapon-system does significant damage. However the short barrel length hurts its accuracy against small, fast moving targets.


    Microwarpdrive: Giving a significant speed boost at the cost of higher signature radius. The Microwarpdrive has a long cool-down cycle between uses.


    Heavy Rocket Salvo: A simplified, significantly shorter ranged version of starship launched Heavy Missiles.


    The fleet relaxes once it broadcasted the appropriate security code and the identity of the shuttle are known to be allowed passage in the heavily secured region of space.


    The shuttle slows down as it approaches the orbiting space station docking bay. The same pair of Caldari ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drones then breaks off as the shuttle enters the space station docking bay.


    The shuttle then passes through the force field maintained by the station to keep the void out of the docking and lands on the designated landing pad. Around the vicinity of the landing pad, armed guards and station officials can be seen maintaining a perimeter for the new arrivals.


    A pair of agents can be seen nervously holding on to their data pad as the shuttle powers down its engine and lowering its ramp to let its passengers disembark.


    Armed guards arrived from the shuttle and formed an honor guard on either side of the shuttle ramp. Shortly after, director Alakoni Ishanoya of Lai Dai Corporation exited the shuttle and walked down to the landing pad flanked by her secretary and armed security officer. Director Alakoni and her entourage then approached one of the officials waiting on the landing pad.


    "Greetings director Alakoni, I am the facilitator for today''s meeting. All the other directors have arrived and are already inside the conference room. We are just waiting for your arrival before we can proceed with the meeting." Said the station facilitator with respect.


    "Very well, let us proceed with all haste then as I would like to get this meeting done as soon as possible as I have other arrangement pending for my attention." Said Alakoni as she motioned for the facilitator to make haste.


    "At once director, if you and your entourage can please follow me." Acknowledged the facilitator as he motioned for Alakoni''s group to follow behind him.


    Guided by the facilitator of the station, director Alakoni and her entourage is escorted by the armed guards of both the station and her guards from ¡®Lai Dai Protection Service'' who have exited the shuttle with her.


    Lai Dai Protection Service is the police and security arm of the Lai Dai mega corporation. As the mega corporations only trust each other so much, they all have their police force to guard their properties.


    After a short time, Alakoni and her entourage reached a sealed conference room. Heavily armed guards, combat engineers, and combat mechs defend the conference room from intrusion.


    The security measure also includes maintaining the electronic security of the room from outside interference as well as blocking the signal from inside from going out, in essence, the conference room is a black room where information is barred from going out or coming in.


    With her guards stationed outside and the facilitator bid their farewell. Alakoni submitted herself and her entourage to DNA scan and security checks. Alakoni''s secretary passes a data pad to her hand as she glances through it.


    CHIEF EXECUTIVE PANEL EMERGENCY MEETING


    Attendees:


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">CBD Corporation CEO : Imanima Hinpas</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Hyasyoda Corporation CEO : Ahtonen Osmon</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Ishukone Corporation CEO : Mens Reppola</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Kaalakiota Corporation CEO  :Tibus Heth</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Lai Dai Corporation CEO :Alakoni Ishanoya</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Nugoeihuvi Corporation CEO : Morimo Yagala</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Sukuuvestaa Corporation CEO :Kuikiainen Onita</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Wiyrkomi Corporation CEO : Kuruta Irio</li>


    </ul>


    The topic of discussion:


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Jamyl Sarum victory over Orcs Minmatar Elder Fleet.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">The effort to locate and acquire the Abaddon Battleship platform Jamyl Sarum used to annihilate the Orcs Minmatar Elder Fleet.</li>


    </ul>


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Review of espionage operation in Dwarven Amarr territory.</li>


    </ul>


    Alakoni examined the information pad on her hand as well as glancing through the attendee''s list and the agenda for today''s emergency Chief Executive Panel meeting.


    As she thought, the emergency Chief Executive Panel meeting is regarding Empress Jamyl Sarum victory over the Orcs Minmattar Elder Fleet.


    For the benefit of the uninitiated, the Chief Executive Panel is the main bureaucratic apparatus through which the Caldari mega corporations rule the State. The Panel''s primary purposes are to determine the budgets of the State''s few government agencies, such as the Caldari Navy and the Tribunal, and to act as a way for the State''s corporate powers to coordinate national policy, such as foreign relations, customs and trade regulations, and inter-corporate business laws. The Panel makes sure the mega corporations don''t overstep their bounds in competing and smooth over potential conflicts before they escalate out of control. It is the closest thing to a unified Caldari government.


    Usually, on this type of meeting, Alakoni would send a representative. However in this case, due to the nature of the discussion. Every CEO of the Caldari mega corporation is forbidden from sending their representative and must attend in person to discuss how should the Caldari as one of the major factions of the universe should respond to the elevation of the Amarr empire''s power in the galactic stage.


    Every single member of the Chief Executive Panel is an incredibly authoritative, well-known and capable individual in her eyes. It is no exaggeration to say that within this room are the whole leadership of the Caldari state concentrated in a single area. A single decision made by all eight Caldari megacorp CEO will inevitably affect billions of human lives.


    Which is why there is no wonder that outside this station, a mighty fleet of combat ships are stationed from the Caldari Navy are converging on this single station. As well as some private combat ships from each of the three Caldari political factions.


    Well, the ships in the private fleet are filled with armed troops just in case treachery is involved and they need to assault the station and save their respective CEO''s. However, Alakoni can''t help but imagine that the CEO''s are a figurative goldfish swimming in an explosive powder keg. The guard dogs can bark, but if they don''t want their gold fish to explode, then they better play nice. This policy also forces the CEO''s to form a consensus as any dispute which leads to armed conflict will be resolved in a Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD scenario.


    Normally she would be happy to attend the Chief Executive Panel meeting. However, ever since Otro Gariushi, the former CEO of Ishukone corporation, died shortly after the Caldari Constructions Armor Forge riots, and the sudden rise to prominence of Tibus Heth. Otro made a national appeal for calm and restraint to the whole State, telling them, "We are united in purpose, but we must never, ever be united in hate." This call for peace was well received, and prompted the Gallente president, Souro Foiritan, to organize a diplomatic summit with Otro to be held aboard the Ishukone corporation''s headquarters station in the Malkalen system.


    The peace summit went horribly wrong. When Gallente admiral Alexander Noir, used the Federation delegation''s flagship the ¡®Nyx'' class super carrier "FNS Wandering Saint" to ram the Ishukone Corporation''s headquarters station in Malkalen where the diplomatic summit was taking place. The resulting explosion killed more than 600,000 other people, including Otro Gariushi.


    Well, suffice to say that the dynamic of the megacorp has been disturbed and has turned far darker ever since Tibus Heth introduced a more confrontational policy in Caldari foreign relations in retaliation to the Gallente treachery.


    Officially the Lai Dai group, together with the Kaalakiota and the Wiyrkomi group of companies forms the Patriot faction of the Caldari State which has been fiercely pushing for a continuation of the war with Gallente.


    The majority of the muscles for the Patriot faction is represented by the Kaalakiota group which is widely considered as the most powerful military wise, and the Wiyrkomi group as the supplier and the logistical support as it has the most diverse manufacturing and product base in the Patriot faction.


    Lai Dai group''s role within the Patriot faction is more towards Research and Development. However, that is not Lai Dai''s only focus as Lai Dai are involved in about every aspect of the business from starships to real estate to entertainment although to a lesser extent compared to the other two group compatriots. Lai Dai has always advocated quality over quantity, and their products have always been of the highest standard. Lai Dai has an active research program and rivals the Ishukone in technological achievements. As part of its political goal to make the State stronger economically, Lai Dai is the primary supporter of the School of Applied Knowledge.


    It is by using this achievement as a technologically advanced group and pushing for the pursuit of knowledge through the school of applied knowledge within the Patriot faction that she has to be the moderating influence. Often she has to persuade and convince Tibus Heth to take a more moderate stance on one of his more radical policies.


    Alakoni has a reason to not agree with everything Tibus Heth has been proposing, even though their goal as the Patriot faction is the same, which is chiefly concerned with the Caldari State''s status versus the other interstellar empires by economically and militarily embracing their Caldari cultural heritage. The main reason is that she doesn''t want to burn the bridge that Lai Dai have built with the Dwarven Amarr Empire and the Dwarven Khanid Kingdom due to the intense xenophobia after the destruction of the Ishukone''s headquarter in Malkalen System.


    The Lai Dai corporation is not driven solely by its association with the Patriot faction. Lai Dai is also heavily invested in both Amarr and the Khanid corporations. Lai Dai took advantage of the political alliance forged, after the ending of the First Caldari-Gallente War, by investing in the Carthum Conglomerate, an Amarr R&D branch and later the Khanid R&D counterpart, Khanid Innovation. Lai Dai supplied both with an infusion of technological creativity needed to grow and reach their goals. This close relationship with the Amarr and Khanid means that Lai Dai is unlikely to work against the Amarr in its interactions with the Caldari State as a whole. The conflict of interest sometimes results in the corporation arguing even with political allies regarding matters of the State and its political opponents.


    As Alakoni enters the dark and cold conference room, she can see each of her fellow Caldari mega corporation CEO''s.


    "Ah, finally Lai Dai is here. Please take a seat Ms. Alakoni, and I can start the meeting as the chairman." Said Tibus Heth, the recently appointed CEO of Kaalakiota corporation.


    Alakoni nodded politely while taking her seat, the only empty one in the eight seats surrounding the circular desk. The circular desk is special as it dates back to the old republic, a time before Caldari state comes into being. It is an ancient artifact of historical importance as the decision for the creation of the Caldari State was made on this table from the ashes of the old republic. She has the view taken from above the circular desk inside her Omni-tool.


    Eight seats of power, represented by men and women of absolute authority fighting for humanity''s cause and supremacy in the universe. A bastion of might, power, and order in a chaotic universe.


    As Alakoni took a seat while she was reminiscing about the weight of history she made herself comfortable, her secretary and her security officer each have taken a standby position on her left and right side. Her secretary is readying his datapad and touch stylus pen, while her security officer is maintaining an overwatch alertly over her shoulder while engaging in a glaring contest with the other megacorp counterpart.


    "Yes, please proceed with the meeting, chairman. And I apologize for my tardiness as I have an urgent matter to settle before coming here." Said Alakoni while apologizing to her colleagues.


    Alakoni''s fellow Patriot faction members only nodded mildly, acknowledging her admission. The Practical faction opponent members sneered condescendingly at her. The Liberal faction members didn''t look too happy about it but accepted her admission regardless.


    "Very well, we are all here now. As the chairman of this meeting I officially start the emergency Chief Executive Panel meeting to discuss how we should proceed as the state towards the recent development in the Amarr Empire. Does anyone have any input to submit to this panel in regards to this development to start with?" Said Tibus Heth, as he officially starts the meeting and the secretaries of each CEO''s scrambled to record everything.


    Once Tibus Heth begins the meeting, immediately one side of the panel lit up as the Alakoni braced herself for the unpleasantness which she is sure will come from the CEO of Sukuuvestaa Corporation.


    And why would she be surprised? The Sukuuvestaa group has always been a thorn in her side and the Patriot faction members.


    "Yes, I am wondering why Alakoni did not inform us of the existence of the Amarr superweapon beforehand as Lai Dai have an extensive business relationship with the Amarr''s Carthum Conglomerate and the Khanid''s Khanid Innovation. Surely Lai Dai would have received some news from their contacts in the empire¡­ Unless they are keeping this information from us to profit later." Accused Kuikiainen Onita, CEO of Sukuuvestaa Corporation.


    Alakoni bristled at the accusation, she feels like lashing out and strangling her political opponent across the table from her. A sentiment shared by both of her aides as well as they hooted and sneered at their counterparts across the table.


    "You cur, don''t mistake me as one of your ilks! That sounds more like something you would do instead! However, to clear my name with the rest of the board members, I will disclose that even my contacts in both the Amarr and Khanid side are blindsided by the Minmatar Elder fleet invasion of Amarr space and are even more shocked at the sudden destruction of said invasion fleet. None of them have any clue to the existence of the Abaddon Battleship which has destroyed such a large invasion fleet as well. And I am inclined to believe them as my sources in the Amarr and Khanid space have always been trustworthy and does not have a history of giving false information to Lai Dai before. We receive a footage of the Abaddon Battleship when the ship fired its doomsday weapon at the Minmatar Elder fleet from my contacts there." Said Alakoni heatedly as she linked her Omni-tool to the holo projector at the center of the table.


    Holo projection of the recording of the Abaddon battleship:(</a>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKdTJjDnYzE</a>)


    "As you can see the Abaddon Battleship seems to have collected all its capacitor at her bow before discharging it towards a capital class Minmatar ship. While at first, this seems mundane, amazingly in defiance of the natural law that we currently understand, the bolt then jump from the doomed capital ship and struck all the other Minmatar ship like chained lightning. My R&D teams are up in arms about how this Amarr super weapon operates, as not only does the damage can spread to a whole fleet, but because they hypothesize that the unidentified bolt of energy causes a ship''s shield system to cook itself and thereby destroying or crippling the internal system of the Minmatar ships. The bolt essentially hijacked the defensive shield system and turned it against the ship itself." Explained Alakoni as she pauses and focuses on the moment when the Abaddon unleashed its super weapon.


    Alakoni''s fellow board members became noisy after the display and Lai Dai''s R&D hypothesis.


    "Preposterous! We use the same defensive shield system as the Minmatar! The Caldari depends on the strength of its defensive shield system to carry the day! If what you say is true then, the Armor defensive system of the Amarr and Gallente would theoretically fare better against this super weapon! Moreover, if they could install this technology on their Battleships instead of their Titans then it''s only about time before the Amarrians start another reclaiming and invade all the other races, humans included!" Exclaimed Kuruta Irio, Wiyrkomi Corporation CEO, as he banged his desk loudly in distress.


    "There is a bright spot in this though. We believe that the technology is not yet stable and are unusable after a single shot is fired. It is more akin to a one shot wonder cannon rather than the super weapon we all seem to be under the impression of. From our observation, the Abaddon is in a critical state and needed a dozen ¡®Apocalypse'' class Amarr Battleship to finish off the crippled fleet. Unfortunately, we are not able to locate the Abaddon after the initial battle. It has been a week now, and we still cannot locate the Abaddon battleship carrying the superweapon." Said Alakoni calmly as she crossed her arms.


    "Regardless, we need to intensify our search for the Abaddon battleship. We need to secure such technology for ourselves. And if we are not able to secure it then best we destroy it. How goes our progress infiltrating the Amarr territory to locate the Abaddon Battleship?" Asked Tibus Heth calmly trying to steer the direction of the discussion towards a more productive path.


    "I have all of my ¡®Manticore'' Stealth Bombers on standby on the edge of Amarr space, waiting for Ishukone''s ¡®Buzzard'' Covert Frigates to locate the ship and destroy it if our special forces failed to secure the technology. Do not ask whether I have any spies on Amarr space to locate Jamyl Sarum though as you know Lai Dai''s armed forces are strictly for our self-defense only and are hence entirely designed and trained to be for static defense and counter-espionage purpose." Said Alakoni with irritation as she sees Kuikiainen Onita, the CEO of Sukuuvesta Corporation is about to open her mouth again.


    "Why did we not deploy our Tengu Strategic cruiser to Amarr space to participate in the search?" Asked Imanima Hinpas, the CEO of CBD Corporation.


    "Let me answer that question Alakoni. Well Ms. Imanima, there are two reasons why we did not deploy our Strategic cruisers in the search. One is because we have too few of the ship as it is, as it is prohibitively expensive to develop and risk losing. And secondly, we would not be able to claim that, in the case of capture and destruction of the Strategic Cruiser, that it is the action of rogue pirate elements of our society rather than state sponsored and backed. The existence of the strategic cruiser would have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that the State is behind the clandestine operation within the Amarrian territory." Explained Mens Reppola, the CEO of Ishukone Corporation.


    "I see, thank you for explaining it then. How are you coping now with the loss of your headquarter and the last CEO during the incident in the Malkalen system?" Said Imanima Hinpas, the CEO of CBD Corporation.


    "We are still reorganizing, unfortunately, we are not ready to participate in the hunt for the Abaddon. For that, we apologize." Said Mens Reppola, the corporate CEO of Ishukone Corporation as he bows his head in regret.


    Every board members respectfully nodded and acknowledged Ishukone''s loss. The board is allowing Ishukone¡¯s absence in the ongoing operation in consideration of their circumstances.


    "What are the Amarr doing at the moment? I imagined they are quite ecstatic that their new Empress is bringing in a new big bad stick in the neighborhood, so to say." Said Imanima Hinpas, the CEO of CBD Corporation.


    Tibus Heth looks up at Imanima Hinpas, and switch the channel of the holo recorder at the center of the circular desk to play a recording of the Amarr Certified Network or ACN, the mouthpiece of the Amarr empire.


    "See for yourself." Said Tibus Heth as he motioned his fellow board members to the projected holo-screen at the center of the desk.


    ACN news release on the situation:


    "Sarum Prime - In the aftermath of Jamyl Sarum''s triumphant return and the defeat of the invading Minmatar forces here last week, the overall mood on Mekhios has been celebratory, with many church services on the planet offering special prayers of thanks and the Sarum Family proclaiming Sunday to be a planetary holiday. Her gilded path to taking the throne of the Empire has only intensified the revelry.


    However, the battle above this heavily populated world has not only brought joy. It has brought destruction to a wide swath of the planet''s northern continent, where wreckage from the Minmatar and Amarr ships destroyed on Tuesday has been raining down for the better part of a week. Late Tuesday, half of a Minmatar Naglfar-class dreadnought hit the outskirts of Erasileo, a city of 1.5 million people. The blast destroyed a large section of the city and started fires that burned until early Friday morning, and most of the city has been evacuated as a precaution due to noxious gases produced by the fire. Planetary officials fear that the area may have to be sealed off for extensive decontamination, as starship drives contain a wide variety of radioactive components, heavy metals, and other health hazards.


    While Erasileo has been the worst incident here, it has hardly been alone. A camp home to over 5,000 slaves belonging to the Sarum Family was hit by wreckage from many ships, killing at least half the slaves and sickening most of the rest; according to House officials, the damages from that impact alone will number in the hundreds of millions of ISK.


    The port city of Tempestas Terminus was hit by a tidal wave created by some impacts offshore, destroying much of the city''s port facilities and the luxurious waterfront district. According to Amarr Certified News, at least 200 people are dead as a result and as many as ten times more are missing. "It hit just as the waterfront was starting to open up for business," said one witness. "I''ve never seen anything like it. one minute a dozen people were walking along the boardwalk, and the next, the ocean had swallowed them up."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    According to planetary officials, local defense forces have spent much of the last several days attempting to remove the largest debris from decaying orbits and recover it for salvage. Though the battle over the planet temporarily knocked out the tracking system used to identify threats - which led to the Erasileo disaster - it was back online within 12 hours, saving many more lives. Unfortunately, the debris field could still pose a significant threat for a considerable length of time.


    "There''s so much out there though," said one salvager, "that it could take weeks or months to get most of the big stuff, and then you''re still going to have fairly large chunks raining down for who knows how long. Frankly, with that many ships destroyed in orbit, we''re lucky we only had one really serious impact."


    Planetary officials tell ACN that the number of dead may be in the tens of thousands by the time a full assessment can be made, with as many as twice that wounded or sickened. "The health effects could last for years," said Garmasi Panora, professor of environmental sciences at Hedion University. "The gases, dust, and other contaminants released from the impacts could stay in the planet''s upper atmosphere for decades. To deal with that kind of a threat, you almost need to use techniques usually used for terraforming. Unfortunately, those are a lot harder to do when you''re trying to do it on one of the densest populated worlds in the entire Empire."


    The Sarum Family, however, has promised that they will not allow this disaster to overshadow their triumph over the Minmatar here. According to a spokesman for the family, Jamyl Sarum herself has sworn that the planet will be restored to pristine condition. "Lady Sarum has called upon the best minds in the Empire to attack this problem and offered a considerable honorarium for those who do so. The Sarum Family intends to make this restoration a budgetary priority."


    "Well then, let us discuss how best we should capitalize on the distraction this has caused the Gallente Federation. Do not forget about the 600,000 lives lost because of Gallente treachery. As we speak, the Caldari Navy is preparing our military to strike at Caldari Prime and finally take back what is rightfully ours." Said Tibus Heth as he brings everyone''s attention and casually revealed the hidden agenda of today''s meeting.


    Alakoni sighed at the change of topic, regardless of the decision made, this meeting would take a while.


    Caldari Prime, a planet developed in collaboration with the Gallente government around fifty years ago. Caldari Prime is a planet with an exact twin orbiting the system''s sun in the same ellipsis route and speed. Therefore, its twin, Gallente Prime, is always a shuttle distance away. Originally it was a symbol of peace and cooperation with the elves of Gallente Federation turning sour due to trade dispute and rising nationalism which leads to the first Caldari-Gallente war, a war which Caldari have lost.


    However after the Caldari lost the first war with Gallente decades ago, now Caldari prime belongs to and are occupied by the Gallente Federation. Some humans remain on the planet more because they have nowhere else to go and subsist by becoming a paid laborer for the Federation''s citizen while hoping for deliverance from the Caldari State.


    Alakoni believes that Tibus Heth is using the tragedy which occurs to Ishukone Corporation''s headquarters station in Malkalen for his purpose¡­ Unfortunately, Alakoni is not able to object to the planned military assault of Caldari prime as the political atmosphere of the State are thick with demands of retaliation and for blood against the Federation. To publically object against the assault would have been political suicide. Hence Alakoni stilled her tongue and supported the Patriot faction as best as she could.


    After a few hours discussing the plan of attack on Caldari Prime, all board members have agreed and contributed resources to the assault. Alakoni herself has committed three of Lai Dai''s ¡®Golem'' class marauder and a dozen ¡®Cerberus'' class Heavy Assault Cruiser to assist in the assault. The Caldari Navy is deploying three ¡®Wyvern'' class super carrier contingent in case the ¡®Erebus'' class Gallente Titan made an appearance on the field. The other board members are supporting the assault with ground troops, Heavy Assault cruiser and their class of Tech 2 mega-corp exclusive ships.


    "Very well, we all agree to the assault to be carried out in 72 hours. I hope all of you will clear your schedules by that time to cope with anything the Gallente will come up with to counter our move. With this as the chairman, I declare this meeting to be closed, and I hope to see you all again at our next scheduled meeting after the Caldari Prime assault." Said Tibus Heth as his secretary collected all the documents and signed Letter of Intent and Agreement on how to distribute the territory gained and spoils of war when they occupy Caldari Prime.


    Alakoni sighed and are at least glad that the meeting is finally over, as every CEO wrapped up and left the room, leaving only her and Sukuuvestaa Corporation CEO, Kuikiainen Onita left on the desk. She cracked her neck and took a glass of water to drink before she was interrupted once again by her political opponent. A deplorable women if she ever saw one, the worker under Sukuuvestaa are charged more expensive than the average Caldari laborer, which leads to poorer health in most of their worker due to lesser quality diet.


    "Alakoni, I have heard some interesting tidbit from a little bird, and I was hoping you could enlighten me." Said Kuikiainen Onita.


    Alakoni continues to take a slow and deliberate drink from her glass of water, if her opponent could pick the time to ask now when she is relieving her thirst then Kuikiainen might as well wait. Alakoni then gleefully enjoys the impatient expression on Kuikiainen''s face before she dropped her empty glass onto the desk.


    "What is it Kuikiainen? Did you extort my employees again after they foolishly gambled away their hard earned money in your casinos?" Scowled Alakoni as she remembers the experience, this is a common method of practice for the management of Sukuuvestaa and no matter how many times she warns her employees a few have always deviated from her instruction.


    "I could neither deny nor confirm that question. However, a more important question would be why you would commit Inferno Squad, an Adamantite-ranked mercenary to babysit a minor? You even outfitted her with advanced pilot drop suit and gear from your armory." Asked Kuikiainen Onita.


    Alakoni heart stopped for a moment as Kuikiainen mentioned someone who could be Raine but smoothly answered while noting that Kuikiainen does not have a name to connect the dots.


    "Why Kuikiainen, I didn''t know you cared. What business do you have with who I decided to sponsor?" Counter ask Alakoni.


    "It became my business when you put her in state custody and spent good money to hire top corporate lawyers to make sure none of us could touch her. Look here, you do not have a frivolous reputation among the directors, and I could respect that even if we do not see eye to eye. So something about her must be worth all the trouble, and I want in on that. So what is her story?" Probed Kuikiainen Onita again.


    "Suffice to say she is very important to Lai Dai group and should you mess with her then I would make you regret it. We do not have any business plan with her, and we do not expect any return on the investment we have spent on her. She is free to pursue whatever she wishes with the backing of Lai Dai group." Answered Alakoni as she glared at Kuikiainen Onita.


    "You expect me to believe that? You have been making strange moves that are very out of character of you these past few days. Especially the nanotech wig you have been pushing, marketing, and developing out of the blue. The advertisement alone has raised the attention of the other CEOs because of the generous deal which would not net you any profit and at the risk of it becoming a short term fad. We did not expect you to commit to a fool''s venture like a first-time investor, Alakoni. There have been talks among my allies in the Practical faction that you have gone senile and whether a replacement should be pushed to represent Lai Dai in the Chief Executive Panel. I am just trying to help you out here, scratch my back and I''ll scratch yours as well." Offered Kuikiainen Onita.


    "And who would replace me Kuikiainen? My shareholders are my relatives, and we do not backstab each other to climb to the top just as Sukuuvestaa did. Oh, I''m sorry I forgot to say that we do not spread our legs to reach the top as well. You can keep your support. We are Lai Dai, and we take care of our own." Retorted Alakoni coldly as she glared at Kuikiainen.


    Kuikiainen Onita face darkened and with restrained anger left the room with her aides and security officer in tow.


    Alakoni schooled her emotion and packed up her copy of documents and agreement. Leaving the empty high-security conference room, where she is once again joined by her contingent of armed guards from ¡®Lai Dai Protection Service.''


    Alakoni''s secretary, security officer, and her armed guards return with haste to the Caldari shuttle. Everyone then took a seat while Alakoni barely has the time to relax as she noticed that she had received a high-priority call from the spies she has sent to trail Raine.


    Alakoni has set up to receive this call not on her Omni-tool as the console in front of her have better security code as it is linked to the more powerful Shuttle mainframe computer.


    "Hello, give me your report¡­ What do you mean she disappear from your sight?! I''ve already told you to keep a close eye on her!" Said Alakoni as she angrily reacted to the caller on the opposite end.


    "...So Inferno Squad have located and secure her you say? That is good, and I hope she is ok. Have you contacted Commander Iden Versio on what happened to cause you to lose sight of her?" Asked Alakoni with exasperation.


    "...She stopped what? Are you high on the job? You better start making sense or so help me¡­" Said Alakoni as she is getting more exasperated.


    "...They did what?! A thousand bits for a nine-year old orphan girl?! Who authorizes the transfer?!" Exclaimed Alakoni with alarm.


    "The orphanage director himself you say¡­ Look I don''t care who this Vernon Dursley is, but if he is willing to sell an orphan under his charge then clearly he is corrupt! The Caldari and our founding father would not stand for us to traffic humans like slaves! We are not the Amarr even if we do business with them!" Said Alakoni heatedly.


    "... Kill him. He is a Goddamned bangsat (bastard equivalent in Indonesian), and he deserved what is coming for him. Also, make an example of him, the rest of the orphanage staff should see his fate and then make sure to send them for re-education." Instructed Alakoni with condemnation.


    Alakoni then closed the call while still being in a foul mood, during the call her secretary and security entourage respectfully stay quiet. Alakoni then contacted the shuttle pilot from her Omni-tool.


    "Pilot, let us return to the ¡®Drake¡¯ battlecruiser. We are done here." Commanded Alakoni hotly.


    "Yes, director Alakoni. The ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drones are already coming in to escort us back." Replied the shuttle pilot.


    Alakoni can feel the shuttle engine humming a bit louder, and then the afterburner activates as the shuttle shot out of the hangar bay. The shuttle is then joined by the same pair of ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drones that escorted the shuttle to the station earlier.


    With instruction from the station control tower, the surrounding ships made a clear space in front of the shuttle as the shuttle and the fighter drones launched their worm drive and entered the wormhole together.


    As the shuttle enters the wormhole, Alakoni can see the fighter drones streaming in the same velocity and destination as the shuttle, before the wormhole closes behind them. She then starts to work again, checking her subordinates report from her seat as she sipped on artificial caffeine.


    Alakoni only managed to work for half an hour before the shuttle suddenly shakes violently and everything on her desk are thrown to the floor. Alakoni''s secretary screams and her security officer took out her sidearm while looking around for any threat.


    Alakoni happens to see the shuttle and the fighter drones have forcedly exited the wormhole before the scheduled time and in a rough manner compared to normal condition. She immediately contacts the shuttle pilot to ask what is going on.


    "Pilot! What just happened?!" Asked Alakoni urgently.


    "Director! We just hit a wormhole-disrupting interdiction sphere! Unidentified assailants are currently ambushing us!" Reported the pilot in panic.


    Alakoni swiftly accessed her command console by linking it to the shuttle''s onboard sensor arrays and have registered six ships affiliated with the ¡®Guristas'' pirate in the local area where they are forcefully pulled out from their wormhole.


    Founded by the charismatic Fatal and technically-minded Rabbit, the Guristas pirates are a fearless, professional and highly-organized outfit operating out of their home region Venal. Unlike other rogue factions, the Guristas focus primarily on old-fashioned piracy, although they''re not afraid of making surgical raids deep into Caldari space if they think doing so will achieve something worthwhile.


    The Guristas Pirates are traditional pirates in the sense that their operation is not based on some creed or ideology, but a plain and simple greed. The Guristas have bases close to Caldari space where they commit raids, often on the State itself.


    The Guristas are considered more honorable than many of their fellow rogue and pirate factions.


    The Guristas Pirates tend to operate the frigate-class ''Worm,'' the cruiser-class ''Gila,'' and the battleship-class ''Rattlesnake.''


    Battle OST Soundtrack: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drJqDmEGIes</a>)


    "Guristas pirates! Pilot! Guristas pirates are ambushing us! I have registered six enemy vessels a fair distance away from us! I need you to buck up and start coursing an escape route! I will connect one of the ¡®Dragonfly¡¯ fighter drones to hook up to the shuttle and slave its control to you! Do your best to stay alive, and I will direct the other fighter drone to engage our ambushers!" Shouted Alakoni as she programmed both the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drones to follow her command.


    Outside the shuttle, one of the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone hooked onto the shuttle and latched on securely making a hybrid of two different ships class joined. Since the shuttle is much smaller compared to the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone, it looks as if the shuttle is an egg carried by a dragon.


    With both ships physically joined and the control slaved to the shuttle pilot, it made an escape route towards the nearby asteroid belt to outrun the Guristas pirate ambush. The larger fighter drone engine pushes the smaller shuttle faster than what is possible under the shuttle''s power.


    Unfortunately, the gravity compensator of the shuttle is not rated to operate at such speed, as the shuttle passengers and pilot experience something like a gravity wall pushing against their body. Alakoni groaned at the increase in G-force, while painful and nauseating the extra speed gives them the edge they need to escape their ambushers. Alakoni manages to upload the ambushers ship class which is chasing after their improvised shuttle/fighter hybrid to her command console.


    The Guristas have six ships in their ambusher fleet. The enemy composition are four ¡®Worm'' class frigates, one ¡®Flycatcher'' class Interdictor destroyer and one ¡®Gila (ED Note: Fun fact, gila means crazy in Indonesian)'' class cruiser. The ¡®Flycatcher'' class Interdictor consistently launched interdiction spheres, which prevents them from escaping the ambush by entering the wormhole. The ¡®Worm'' class frigate launched their light combat drones and small light missiles at the escaping shuttle/fighter. The ¡®Gila'' class cruiser is launching their pair of medium combat drones and medium heavy missiles at the other ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone which is not hooked to the desperately escaping shuttle.


    Alakoni tries to hold onto her stomach as the pilot of the shuttle/fighter hybrid made a rolling evasion maneuver, forming a spiral of motion, while it''s ¡®Defender'' rockets and turrets light up the scores of small light missiles and light combat drones trailing behind their shuttle/fighter hybrid flight path. None of the light missiles and light combat drones from the ¡®Worm'' class frigates managed to hit the shuttle/fighter hybrid as the fire control are entirely taken over by the Artificial Intelligence of the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone while the piloting of the shuttle/fighter hybrid is done manually by the pilot.


    Alakoni, charged with an adrenaline rush, directed the other ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone to prioritize destroying the four ¡®Worm'' class frigates as they are the only ships which can manage to keep up with the fleeing shuttle/fighter hybrid speed.


    The free ¡®Dragonfly'' Fighter Drone micro-warp drive runs hot as it overheats its engine to keep up with the smaller, lighter and faster ¡®Worm'' class frigates. All the while launching salvos of heavy missiles and overheating it''s short ranged blaster cannons at the ¡®Worm'' class frigates.


    It''s persistence paid off as one by one the frigates are overwhelmed and destroyed by the barrage of blaster cannons and heavy missiles from the hotly pursuing ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone.


    The ¡®Worm'' class frigates fates are sealed. Since in their haste and desire to pursue the fleeing shuttle/fighter hybrid, their trajectory is straightforward. The frigates trajectory makes it easier for the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone onboard computer to track. The frigates cannot afford to make evasive maneuver if they do not want the shuttle/fighter to escape outside of their offensive weapons optimum range.


    The victorious ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone did not achieve this victory unscathed though. As even though all the ¡®Worm'' class frigates are destroyed, which took out the heat from the shuttle/fighter hybrid, it''s being hammered by the light and heavy missiles as well as the medium combat drones from the ¡®Flycatcher'' class Interdictor destroyer and ¡®Gila'' class cruiser from behind.


    Even though it''s own ¡®Defender'' rockets and turrets mowed down the light missiles launched by the ¡®Flycatcher'' class Interdictor destroyer. The ''Dragonfly'' fighter drone cannot manage to destroy the heavy missiles and the medium combat drone from the ¡®Gila'' class cruiser before it hit the shield and eventually depleted the shield until the armor are scrapped layer by layer violently.


    The Artificial Intelligence of the battered ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone made a quick calculation and valiantly made the only action that will ensure it''s charge''s safety. The battered ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone, on the verge of destruction, changed its course and engage its micro warp drive once again to make a suicide run towards the ¡®Flycatcher'' class Interdictor destroyer.


    With horror, the crews of the ¡®Flycatcher'' class Interdictor Destroyer only have time to utter a single curse as the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone crashed into their ship and both disappear in a blaze of fire.


    "Pilot! The Interdictor has been destroyed! Can we make an emergency wormhole slip?!" Screamed Alakoni as she plays her last hand against their ambushers.


    Alakoni gritted her teeth, the only enemy ship left is the ¡®Gila'' combat cruiser, and they are steadily outpacing the ¡®Gila'' cruiser¡¯s speed. Eventually, they would be out of their heavy missiles range, but the medium combat drones would still be a problem. She does not have any asset left to destroy the ¡®Gila'' cruiser, and if the shuttle detached itself from the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone to destroy the ¡®Gila'' cruiser, it would leave the shuttle vulnerable to the medium combat drones and would surely be destroyed. They are at an impasse, in this case only speed and the use of environment would let them prevail in this situation.


    "Negative director! We can''t stay still to launch the wormhole sphere while the ¡®Gila'' cruiser medium combat drones are hot on our trail! Stopping at this point will give the drones the opportunity to destroy us! The only thing we can do is to escape until we are outside of the ¡®Gila'' cruiser¡¯s effective drone control range then we can spare the time to escape to the wormhole! Hold on director! It''s about to get rough in here!" Reported the pilot as the shuttle/fighter hybrid give it''s all to escape the approaching medium combat drones and approaching heavy missiles from the ¡®Gila'' cruiser.


    Alakoni braced for impact as the shuttle/fighter hybrid unleashed a barrage of heavy missiles and blaster cannons to clear the path as they enter the asteroid belt. The foolhardy maneuver worked as the heavy missiles launched by the ¡®Gila'' cruiser strikes the drifting asteroids instead of their ship.


    Although it prolongs their life, it is still risky as the shuttle/fighter are crashing into the smaller asteroids fragments which are blasted by their ship''s barrage and avoiding the larger asteroid which they cannot destroy.


    Fortunately, in addition to being a shield to the heavy missiles, it also forces the medium combat drones to break off pursuit to instead follow their ship from outside the area littered by the asteroid belt. One medium combat drone above and one medium combat drone below on the edges of the asteroid field, waiting for their ship to exit the asteroid field eventually.


    Alakoni is making good progress as they continue to increase the distance between them and their pursuer at the cost of slower speed by maneuvering the asteroid field testing the pilot''s skill to the limit. The ¡®Gila'' cruiser crazily enters the asteroid belt full on throttle behind their shuttle/fighter hybrid path.


    The ¡®Gila'' cruiser are taking damage because it is not as maneuverable as their shuttle/fighter hybrid but they still can do by simply brute pushing its way through the asteroid field, launching heavy missiles at everything in front of the ¡®Gila¡¯ cruiser, making a mess of the asteroid field.


    "They are that driven to kill me until that extent!?" Shouted Alakoni in disbelief as she monitors her pursuer from the shuttle''s sensor array as it breaks through the asteroid field like a bull through a bicycle riders¡¯ lane.


    "Director! We cannot stay longer within this asteroid field any longer! We have to exit the asteroid field, or we would be too damaged to move!" Reported the pilot shuttle urgently.


    "Do it! Choose a path above or below the asteroid belt and destroy the medium combat drone on that side of the field! Aim our weapons system at the medium combat drone on that side and let loose everything!" Commanded Alakoni hotly.


    With a burst of speed, the shuttle/fighter hybrid angled up to protect the shuttle on its underside from asteroid debris using the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone''s shield and armor. The shuttle/fighter hybrid then violently breached the surface of the asteroid belt and aimed its weapon system at the underside of the waiting medium combat drone.


    With a shudder, a violent barrage of blaster cannons and heavy missiles spewed forth from the front of the shuttle/fighter hybrid.


    The ordinances and missiles are hitting the underside of the medium combat drones and shredding it''s shield and armor badly, yet it is still operational as it shifted its angle to aim its weapon system to retaliate back.


    Before the medium combat drone can fire, the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone micro warp drive burst to life and rammed the medium combat drone in front of it into pieces.


    Alakoni gritted her teeth as her secretary and security officer screamed from the fierce impact.


    "Director, our blaster cannons are offline from the impact, and I have just used the last of my heavy missiles. All our weapon systems are down! If we want to slip into the wormhole, then now is the time while the ¡®Gila'' cruiser is still stuck inside the asteroid field and the other medium combat drone is still on the other side!" Shouted the shuttle pilot urgently.


    "Do it pilot! Before anything else happen! The moment the wormhole is open burn straight inside!" Replied Alakoni back equally urgent.


    Rather than using the time to reply, the shuttle pilot stops the motion of the shuttle/fighter hybrid and proceeds to empty the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone capacitor to open a wormhole. Minutes ticked by tensely as the worm drive is being generated.


    The moment the worm sphere is ready, the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone launched the worm sphere and detonated ahead of the shuttle/fighter hybrid, opening a rift in real space ahead of them.


    The shuttle pilot activates the engine again to slip into the wormhole, but the shuttle/fighter shook violently before it can enter it.


    Alakoni glanced at her command console and with dread saw that the other medium combat drone has already reached them and have shot and disable the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone''s engine. The medium combat drone is now making another turn to strafe them again, and at this point, Alakoni fear that it will be a kill run.


    "Director! Our propulsion system is offline! We are dead in the water!" Shouted the shuttle pilot in panic.


    Alakoni steeled her resolve and once again with speed that she was not aware possible, everything blurred, and every motion inside the shuttle slows to a crawl. At this point, the adrenaline has supercharged her senses and giving her time to think of a solution.


    Alakoni''s fingers typed at lightning speed for the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone to release the shuttle and return the shuttle''s control to the shuttle pilot''s. With a loud clunk, the shuttle''s connection to the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone is no more, and the shuttle''s engine is turning back online.


    "The shuttle''s propulsion system and control are back online! Pilot burn straight for the wormhole now!" Screamed Alakoni urgently as she took off her earpiece and shouted into her mic.


    The seconds ticked by as Alakoni sees the medium combat drone coming in straight at her shuttle with murderous intent even as the shuttle pilot scrambles and burning its engine into the wormhole.


    On the corner of her eyes, she can see through the shuttle''s sensor array, the ¡®Gila'' cruiser has just breached the asteroid field and have immediately launched a volley of heavy missiles burning straight for her shuttle.


    Just as the shuttle starts to enter the wormhole, the heavy missiles inexplicably changed direction and missed her shuttle entirely, even as the medium combat drone fly harmlessly without bothering to shoot her shuttle.


    Before the wormhole envelopes her shuttle entirely, she spotted a battleship uncloaking on the portside of the shuttle. Her shuttle''s IFF transponder managed to identify it as a ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship owned by Kalaakiota mega-corp.


    Even as she hates to admit it, looks like she owes Tibus Heth her life today and hopes that it won''t cost her too much to pay him back the next time she attended the Chief Executive Panel meeting. With that thought in Alakoni''s mind, the shuttle is finally swallowed by the wormhole, whisking it and it¡¯s passengers safely back to the nearest Lai Dai controlled territory.


    Battle OST Soundtrack: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4JX90qtzoA</a>)


    With the disappearance of the main target and the intervention of the Kalaakiota''s ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship which have disengaged their covert ops cloak to intervene. The Guristas ¡®Gila'' class cruiser has no reason to stick around.


    The ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship ECM or ¡®Electronic Counter Measure'' hacked the ¡®Gila'' cruise missile system offline through electronic warfare. The ¡®Gila'' cruiser crews are engaging their worm drive to escape the ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship.


    Unknown to the crews of the ¡®Gila'' cruiser. The only reason their flight of heavy missiles changes direction at the last second and their medium combat drone not responding to their command is because the ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship electronic system interfered with the heavy missile''s guidance system and hijacked the control of the ¡®Gila'' cruiser''s medium combat drone.


    But ¡®Gila'' cruiser crews did eventually realize the hijacking as they come under attack from their own medium combat drone, disabling their propulsion system and engine, leaving them dead in the water. Ironically, it is the same drone which has taken out the ¡®Dragonfly'' fighter drone propulsion system as well. The table has been turned against the Guristas as they found that their weapon system has crippled them.


    Inside the ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship command bridge stands a stern and grim figure of Tibus Heth, the CEO of Kalaakiota mega-corp as he monitors the battlefield after he ordered the intervention to save his fellow Patriot faction member, the CEO of Lai Dai mega-corp, Alakoni Ishanoya.


    "Director, the Guristas pirates are at our mercy. They are contacting us through an open channel to ask what is our term for them to parley. What is your next order?" Asked the captain of the ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship.


    Tibus Heth coldly watched the struggling ¡®Gila'' cruiser being bleed out by their own medium combat drone.


    "Pirates? Do not mistake them as pirates captain... What you see as pirates, I see as traitors against the Caldari State. Damn the parley. Load the cruise missiles. We will cleanse this filth from our territory. Make an example out of them." Judged the executor and CEO of Kalaakiota mega-corp.


    "As your will director. Load up the missiles, lock our missiles to target the Guristas ¡®Gila'' cruiser. Aim to kill ladies." Commanded the ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship captain to her command crew members.


    The ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship missile silos opens up just as it angles it''s nose directly against the doomed Guristas ¡®Gila'' cruiser.


    "Fire!" Shouted the captain of the ¡®Widow'' class Black Ops Battleship as the large-sized cruise missiles fires and launches itself from the missile silos. A dozen large cruise missiles raced towards the doomed Guristas ¡®Gila'' cruiser, dead in the water.


    Tibus Heth watches for a second as the large cruise missiles volley headed toward the struggling Guristas ¡®Gila'' cruiser before he made a turn towards the exit, intending to return back to his living quarters. To his pleasure, the Guristas ¡®Gila'' cruiser crew member''s shouting and sobbing pleas for mercy was suddenly cut short before he passed through the exit to the command bridge.


    As Tibus Heth exits the command bridge, he considers what he has achieved today. He managed to finalize the plan of his lifelong ambition for a military assault on Caldari prime, personally orders the execution of traitorous Guristas pirate scums and even managed to make Alakoni Ishanoya, the CEO of Lai Dai owe him a debt for saving her life.


    Tibus Heth genuinely smiled, which is pleasing to him as he could not remember when was the last time he has the chance to smile since taking over the leadership of the Kalaakiota mega-corp as its CEO.


    ¡°Yes, today is a good day¡± keeps looping within his mind even as he reaches his living quarter and laid his head on his bed to sleep after a day''s hard work. Tibus Heth then dreams of conquest and glory surrounded by the burning wreckage of Gallente ships around the orbit of Caldari Prime.

 Chapter 13

    Raine sulks from the passenger seat as Kaidan drive the two-seater military car. She feels a bit offended as Iden, Ron and Kaidan have decided to separate Tanya from her person as they deemed it too dangerous for both of them to be near each other. They state that it is best to separate them for now to prevent one corrupting the other. She is unsure who they are referring to when they mention the one who is guilty of corruption.


    "Come on Raine don''t sulk, here have something to munch until we reach the station administrative office." Said Kaidan as he passed a bag of protein chips to Raine.


    Raine accepts the bag of protein chips, open it and munch on it. Feeling better after some salty snack, she hummed while watching the increasing amount of pedestrians they passed on either side on the road. Everyone is happy and excitedly conversing with each other, while the vast majority are humans, she spotted some elves, dwarves and the rare orcs as well.


    "Hey Kaidan, looks like something festive is going on. Everyone looks excitable and happy. What is going on?" Said Raine as she munched on the protein chips like a chipmunk.


    "Oh, we''re having a mechs tournament at the Colosseum at the moment. I can bring you there once we finish with the paperwork and red tape for registering Tanya with Lai Dai." Answered Kaidan as he continued driving.


    Raine''s eyes sparkle at the notice of giant mechs fighting each other in a colosseum.


    "Are they giant mechs? Can they shoot lasers and punch each other to scrap?" Asked Raine excitedly.


    "Of course! The mechs are maintained by a clan and a person pilots the mechs. I suppose it''s like football team from your time, and each team has their legion of fans. I''m rooting for Jade Falcon clan by the way, while Ron is rooting for the Timber Wolves clan. So it''s a bit fun and hectic when those two clans duke it out in the colosseum, we always hoot and shouted at each other when watching it." Said Kaidan as he laughed good-naturedly.


    "When can we watch the match?" Said Raine with excitement, chips forgotten.


    "There would be one tomorrow. I can ask Iden if we can go and watch together. How''s that?" Offered Kaidan as he continued driving along the road.


    "It''s a promise!" Confirmed Raine happily.


    After that Kaidan nodded good-naturedly while continuing driving and Raine getting back to finishing her protein chips contently. After around fifteen minutes, they have finally reached a branch administrative office of the station, and after parking both of their cars, everybody steps out and gather in the parking lot.


    "Now Ms. Raine, we''re here to do some medical check up for Tanya. I don''t know how long it will take, but I hope you behave. You are free to look around and find something to do, while I accompany Tanya for her checkup. Ron would also be accompanying me as he has the legal right to Tanya, so his presence is necessary for the paperwork and administrative purpose to go smoothly." Said Iden sternly.


    "Yes, mother." Said Raine flippantly as she inspects her laser pulse handgun.


    "I''m serious here Raine. Your stunt already left me with a mess to clean up with the station administrative office. After that, we have to go to the Lai Dai department to check your claim regarding Ms. Tanya." Admonished Iden with consternation at Raine''s attitude.


    "I promise, we will just do some exploring around here." Said Raine as she sulks again as if denied sweets.


    "Alright, and don''t go outside the compound you hear. Kaidan, I leave her to you. Try to keep her in one piece would you?" Asked Iden exasperatedly.


    "Will do Commander, she''s in good hands." Affirmed Kaidan confidently.


    Raine then waved her hand for goodbye but before they left she approached Tanya hurriedly and proceed to hug her. Tanya looks confused and uncomfortable at her action, but she did it anyway.


    "I''ll see you again Tanya, and don''t worry they won''t hurt you as Lai Dai is practically my family. So that makes you one of their family as well." Said Raine kindly and reassuringly.


    "I envy your optimism, and positive outlook on life. I''m still waiting for the other shoe to drop and finding out that this whole thing is a scam and I am now being trafficked to another place instead." Grumbled Tanya as she pushes Raine away from her person.


    "Aw don''t be like that Tanya, as long as we live we should look at the bright side of things. That should be the only way to live." Admonished Raine cutely as she approached Tanya carefully.


    "And become blinded to the harsh reality of life? No thanks, I''ll just look down in the gloom and doom and just spread myself and grow like a fungus. That way I won''t be cut down in my prime of life by those that want to exploit me, such as God who brought me here and making me born as an orphan." Said Tanya negatively and smiling bitterly.


    Raine peps herself up and proceeds to kiss Tanya on both cheeks to Tanya''s surprise.


    "That''s for luck Tanya!" Said Raine as she smiles serenely at Tanya.


    Before Tanya can reply, Raine took Kaidan''s hand and dragged him away from the group towards the administrative office garden grounds. Kaidan, feeling bewildered just let himself be swept up in the unforeseen situation as it seems that it''s their lot in life he supposed.


    "Do you kiss girls often?" Asked Kaidan uncertainly as he looks back at the frozen group looking back at them.


    "Only the cute ones. Now shut up and walk! Adventure awaits!" Said Raine as she pulls Kaidan harder towards the quiet and deserted garden compound.


    Once Raine cannot see the rest of the group anymore, she finally stops and looks around the garden grounds. She found that the garden features a lot of strange plants and ferns that she never saw before, and she feels that the garden ground is too large and extravagant to be practical. She can''t imagine the expense and effort needed to make the garden grounds so large and maintain it. Curiously she can''t see anyone around them, even though she found some of the plants have grown beautiful flowers here and there.


    "How come such a garden do not have anyone around to enjoy them Kaidan?" Asked Raine as she looks around.


    "Ah, that''s because the floras here are imported from the Gallente Federation. We imported them to compete with the other trade hub of the other races. From what I heard we spent a lot of money importing and training the necessary personnel to maintain it. Unfortunately, the majority of us certainly don''t care to appreciate something that has its origin from the Gallente Federation. However, the main purpose is to show the other major faction how well off the Caldari State are that they can afford such extravagance, but it''s more of a pride thing you see." Explained Kaidan as he walks sedately behind Raine.


    "Ah, that''s unfortunate as some of these plants are beautiful." Said Raine as she gently stroke one of the brightly colored flowers.


    Curiously the plants are moving under her touch as if it enjoyed Raine''s touch. Now that she thinks about it, she''s wondering why are the leaves swaying when there is no breeze around them.


    "Are these plants supposed to move? I''m asking since these are not native Earth plants that I can recognize." Asked Raine as she withdraws her hand and turns to Kaidan.


    "No... This is the first time I see this happening, and it''s disconcerting, but I can expect this coming from you. It makes perfect sense when I remember Dryad lore though." Answered Kaidan as he marveled at the moving floras around them.


    "Oh, but it feels nice as I can feel the plants here are happy to see me. My presence here is nourishing them somehow. To be honest, there is some part of me that wants to get loose and take over the garden." Confessed Raine bluntly as she walked again towards the gentle stream of water leading deeper into the garden.


    "Please don''t do that, the commander will surely kill me when we get back." Said Kaidan good-humoredly as he follows Raine along the shallow stream.


    "Oh fine, I''ll take over another less public place if we happen to encounter one. Hey Kaidan what is that?" Said Raine as she spotted a grille at the end of the stream and approached it until she is in front of the grille.


    "Looks like the stream leads to the culvert. There''s no telling what is inside there. We should go back Ms. Raine." Said Kaidan as she follows Raine again.


    "Where is your sense of adventure? Besides, I needed the experience to grow, might as well see if we can find any bats or some aquatic lizard in there. If we''re lucky, there might even be a large alligator in there." Said Raine with sparkles in her eyes as she tried to open the access door grille but find it locked with a pin code.


    "I don''t see why encountering an alligator is lucky, but why would we find an alligator in a space station? Besides the fact that they''re practically extinct, you don''t expect a cold blooded animal to survive the ice age do you?" Questioned Kaidan.


    "Details details, I''ll settle for rats then." Said Raine as she repeats the trick she used to transform the PlayStation 45 given to her by Ron.


    Raine''s tendrils sprouted from the edge of her fingers and enters into the lock pad circuitry, she willed the lock to disengage and with a beep the grille open for her.


    "Ms. Raine! We shouldn''t be doing this! We promised the commander that we would stay in the compound!" Said Kaidan in panic.


    "Technically the culvert is still part of the administrative office compound." Retorted Raine as she enters the dark underside of the culvert looking for prey.


    As Raine get swallowed by the black gloom of the culvert, Kaidan is understandably torn whether to report this to the commander. In the end, he decided not to, as to report a problem not even five minutes after they separated would not reflect well on him.


    "Sigh, I just know this will screw me over in the end... Ms. Raine! Wait for me!" Shouted Kaidan as he rushed into the dark culvert to follow after Raine.


    Raine walked along the dry embankment at the edge of the canal looking for prey. She can see the futuristic design of the culvert due to how clean it is inside the dark gloom of the sewer, intermittent with red lighting for better vision. The rotten smell she was expecting is almost nonexistent. A large part of the reason she supposes is the shimmering nanobots that she can see in the water traveling in clumps, breaking down dirt and solid matter and carrying it like ants somewhere into the small hole lining the edges of the canal.


    Raine can finally hear footsteps from behind as Kaidan catches up with her. By the time Kaidan did catch up with her, she spots a staircase leading underground hidden by a locked hatch at the end of the tunnel, so she repeats the trick that allows her access to the culvert again. Beside her, the water in the canal is flowing through a small opening at the end before falling like a waterfall. Feeling appreciative of the night-vision that comes equipped with her helmet she descended the staircase with confidence followed by a hesitating Kaidan.


    After descending a few levels of staircases, Raine pushes through a door and found herself standing on a larger dark and gloomy canal pathway. Raine finds that the environment at the lower level of the canal are dirtier compared to the one above and she can also smell something rotten in the air, seeping in through her helmet filtration.


    "Why is the condition so bad compared to the upper level here Kaidan?" Asked Raine as she swivels to look around.


    "My guess is, the upper level is for public viewing while the lower levels are not maintained properly to save on public funding and to save the contractor reputation." Answered Kaidan while scowling at the unmaintained culvert which looks like it has been neglected for some years.


    Raine was about to reply but unable to since she came under attack from above the ceiling by something dark, shiny and have too many legs. The unidentified mass is covering her helmet and trying to bite through the helmet.


    Kaidan''s expend frantic effort to help her take off the mass of dark abomination latching unto her faceplate. She took out her Car-9 Amarrian scrambler pistol and angled the barrel to point upwards sandwiched in between her faceplate and the dark mass and proceed to fire a single shot as the pulse laser burns through the dark mass. Until finally, with a twitch falls dead, fried to a crisp on the floor ground.


    Raine sighed with relief and turned her attention to identified her dead assailant on the ground.


    "Are you alright Ms. Raine?!" Asked Kaidan as he patted Raine on both sides to make sure she is alright.


    "Yeah, it can''t bite through my helmet. What is it? It looks like a cockroach, but it''s the size of a dinner plate." Said Raine as she stared at the dead cockroach specimen.


    "It''s a thief bug, a mutated cockroach. It can grow to the size of a car tire, and it has the habit of stealing anything if it''s not bolted to the ground and brings it to the nest to attract the person looking for the lost item. Once the person is there, the swarm will eat an unarmored person alive until nothing is left, not even the bone." Answered Kaidan as he scowled at the dead cockroach on the ground.


    "There is another coming in at us now Kaidan. Just wait a second." Replied Raine as she spotted the approaching thief bug hungry for flesh and sustenance.


    Raine promptly blasted it to a crisp with the pulse laser. Not even a sound and was heard when the pulse laser is fired from the Car-9 Scrambler pistol and no recoil as well to mark the passing of another giant cockroach.


    Level up!


    Raine looks up and saw the figure of a white angel suddenly appear and act as if granting her a blessing, at the same time she heard and saw the level up notice from the Ragnarok system. Raine checked her status and found that she just gained a base level and her level is raised for the second time to level eleven, while she earn five stat points to upgrade her stats.


    This is it! This is what she wants and looking forward to. Sublime experience and the thrill of a hunt. That she can grow stronger under the Ragnarok system is the icing on a cake. Ignoring Kaidan''s unspoken expression for an explanation, she strips the thief bug looking for loot but finding none but internal organs and waste scum.


    A bit dejected about it, since Raine knows she can''t expect to get a blade, a jacket or a two-handed sword from inside a bug, but since Kaidan said they like to collect things maybe they ate something valuable enough that she can rip out of their intestine.


    With gauntlets covered in grime and bug blood, Raine finally answered Kaidan.


    "I just leveled up, just take it as something magical. I can grow stronger the more monsters I slay, and it seems that these oversized cockroaches are counted as one. With that in mind let''s hunt some more!" Answered Raine as she washed her gauntlets with water flowing through the canal.


    "Absolutely not! How would I explain this to the commander when we return to the surface?! We should go back now, and then we can come back with everyone as a backup!" Said Kaidan with agitation and insistence.


    "It doesn''t work unless I am the one who dealt the final blow it seems, bringing in more people would have reduced the experience I need to level up again. So¡­ You can go back to the surface if you want but I am staying to look for more of these thief bugs." Answered Raine as she rechecked her status screen again to update her stat points.


    Confirming stat distribution:


    STR: 1+2


    INT: 11


    AGI: 11


    DEX: 11


    VIT: 11


    LCK: 11


    Raine decided to put all her new stat points into strength to make her a well balanced individual, plus it will increase her strength by being able to carry an additional sixty kilograms or more than a hundred pounds of weight.


    Current stat distribution:


    STR: 3


    INT: 11


    AGI: 11


    DEX: 11


    VIT: 11


    LCK: 11


    Raine nodded satisfactorily at her updated stat and she can literally feel that she has already becoming physically stronger three time compared to earlier. Raine plans to carry on without Kaidan if she has to, as he is acting like a headless chicken now. Which she did easily and walked deeper into the culvert for more preys.


    Kaidan tried to contact Commander Iden to update their current location and status but to his consternation found that his signal is being blocked this deep underground. He does not want to spend the time to go up and broadcast the signal from above and lose sight of Raine in the meantime. Kaidan sighed and followed behind Raine again as they hunt for the thief bugs.


    For the next hour Raine spent her time hunting for thief bugs and going deeper into the culvert, the deeper they go, the more numerous the thief bugs became until Raine decided to holster her Car-9 Scrambler Pistol and start using her spells and her ¡®Blackprey'' Nova knife instead to save her ammunitions.


    Raine''s level has increased by an additional six levels to become level seventeen, and she has gained another thirty two additional stat points to distribute. Her current available stat points are thirty three points counting the one point leftover after she spent in on raising her strength by two points.


    The bountiful harvest of levels is possible because Raine instructed Kaidan not to interfere, even if they have covered her from head to toe as it has been proven that they are not able to bite through the armor she is wearing. In fact, it has been her favorite moment, as she goes berserk chopping them up viscerally using her nova knife in a whirlwind of guts, blood and body parts.


    After careful consideration, she raised another eight levels on strength making all her total base points the same at eleven. However she still has an available balance of seventeen stat points to spend, but unfortunately the cost of raising an attribute level now has increased to be three stat points per increase in attribute level no matter which attribute she choose. In the end, she decided to spend it on INT and raising it by five levels as she is a mage.


    Confirming stat distribution:


    STR: 3+8


    INT: 11+5


    AGI: 11


    DEX: 11


    VIT: 11


    LCK: 11


    After confirming her selection, and having the leftover two stat points to spend in the future since she do not have enough stat points to raise any of the attributes.


    Current stat distribution:


    STR: 11


    INT: 16


    AGI: 11


    DEX: 11


    VIT: 11


    LCK: 11


    Now, in terms of strength, she is now able to lift three hundred and thirty kilograms or more than seven hundred and twenty seven pounds in weight for having eleven points in STR. While the increase in INT resulted in increasing her MATK by almost double.


    To Raine''s increasing happiness, she even manages to encounter a single slime! The slime just crawled out of the murky canal and approached her on the ground as a dog would.


    Raine picks the cute slime up from the ground and holds it tight against her breasts.


    <div>


    The slime is gold in color, with a simple face shifting here and there randomly it is also not that large at about a foot in diameter. Raine can see through the slime, focusing at the slime core is about the size of a golf ball and also golden in color.


    The golden slime is moving here and there while trying to envelop her body and rubbed itself against her armor trying to seep in through the crack. Raine is starting to feel uncomfortable as her body tingles uncomfortably as the slime''s touches her bare skin. Thus she stabbed through the slime with her ''Blackprey'' nova knife and ripped through its body like melted butter and rips out its golden core from its melting mass.


    "What was it, Ms. Raine? I have never seen such a creature before." Asked Kaidan with curiosity.


    "It''s my golden ticket to get a Guardian, that''s what it is." Replied Raine excitedly as she wiped the golden goop out of her body while marveling at the small golden orb in her other hand.


    "I should collect the goop and pass it to our R&D team. Maybe it can be used for something." Said Kaidan as he used his Omni-tool to vacuum up the remains and seal it in a container before storing it inside his side pouch.


    "Go ahead, by all means. I have what I need already." Acknowledged Raine while she stored her golden slime core securely in her side pouch.


    Raine was about to call it a day before behind them, the water surface of the canal exploded, and an even bigger slime rise out of the dark water and filling up the whole space from ground to the rooftop and from one wall to the other.


    <div>


    Raine stares, frozen at the giant slime in disbelief looking at the size of the thing it has enough mass to fill an Olympic size pool. Her reverie was broken when Kaidan let loose his assault rifle at the giant slime, which unfortunately just went through the body and doesn''t even hurt the giant slime as the slime''s expression turns feral and starts to flow towards both of them.


    "Stop firing! It''s no use firing solid matter at such gelatinous body. It will just go through it, and it doesn''t do any damage that I can see. I don''t see how my pistol and knife can help much in this situation either. It''ll be exactly like facing a whale with a dagger. Let me try something, cover me Kaidan!" Commanded Raine as she prepares a spell.


    A magic circle expanded under Raine and rotated as the spell matrix takes form and Raine put SP into it.


    Thunder Storm!


    Multiple lightning bolts strike from above the large mass and continue to do so ten times. As the smoke clears, Raine can see that it has inflicted some damage but not significant enough for Raine to be happy about it.


    "This damn monster!" Said Raine as she realizes it channel her bolts to the flowing canal water below it, it grounded the spell and received minimal damage from her spell. Not only that, but the spell long cast time also give time for the slime to approach her rapidly.


    Raine turns to look at Kaidan who have continued to fire his assault rifle at the slime on full auto to stop or slow its movement.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Kaidan, we are leaving. There is no choice. We have to run deeper into the culvert and hopefully find another exit from there. Save your bullets for the smaller fries blocking our way when we blitz through them." Said Raine as she suggested retreat in the face of the monster flowing their way.


    "Best news I have heard all day Ms. Raine." Said Kaidan as he acknowledged Raine''s suggestion.


    Raine and Kaidan turn around and make a run for it deeper into the culvert, some thief bugs are jumping at them, but with Kaidan blazing full auto in front of him, their way is clear.


    After running for fifteen minutes in a straight line without encountering any branch to lose the pursuing slime, they managed to outpace it by a large margin. Thankfully it''s speed is slower compared to them, yet if they continue like this and encounter a dead end at the end of the tunnel... It will be the end for them. Well maybe for Kaidan as she will get a new body generated for her back in her tree. Either way, she does not want to spend the time waiting for a new body, so she continued running behind Kaidan.


    However, is it her or does the rotten smell getting stronger and stronger the deeper they went in the culvert? After turning a bend at the corner, she can see the light at the end of the tunnel.


    There is light shining through from a hole on the rooftop, which may make it difficult to reach if not for the pile of dead humans, elves, dwarves and orcs corpses piling up below it.


    Kaidan is so shocked seeing the pile of corpses that he stops in the middle the road and just gawked at it. Raine is irritated at Kaidan''s hesitance and proceeds to kick his rear into gear again.


    "Kaidan! Hello, there''s a death glob behind us! Which one do you choose? The dead in front of us or the death behind us? If you know what''s good for you, then start moving and climb the dead to reach for the chance of still being among the living!" Shouted Raine as she kicked Kaidan''s ass into running forward again.


    In addition to the horrible smell, it''s complicated by the swarm of thief bugs of all sizes feasting on the corpses. The moment the thief bugs realizes that there are fresh preys in their midst, they charge at both Raine and Kaidan like a black tide of claws and chitins.


    Kaidan took out all his grenades with lightning speed in response to the swarm and threw a spread of beeping thermal grenades in front of him. The thermal grenades detonated with a fiery blast, the heat wave obliterated the thief bugs at the center and incapacitating the rest, making their path clear once again.


    With salvation in their grasps, both Raine and Kaidan climb the pile of corpses. As they are midway towards the light, the corpses under both of them shake and in front of them an even larger thief bug. Incomparable in size and color compared to a normal thief bug, emerged from the pile of dead bodies, golden in color with beady brown eyes and sharp claws. The giant golden thief bug spits out the corpse it was chewing and seemingly stared at both Raine and Kaidan hatefully.


    Golden Thief Bug Battle OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SJ_mEljvqI/


    "Well, ain''t that just grand?" Complained Raine sarcastically.


    Impossibly large, the Golden thief bug rears up and blow a giant fireball attack that consumes both Raine and Kaidan. Thankfully as Raine take cover behind Kaidan''s body, the heat washes over Kaidan''s stronger rated energy shield, so the damage is minimal for both of them, yet Kaidan''s shield is depleted, and he would need to wait for it to be regenerated again.


    "Kaidan, don''t fight it! Let us climb to its back and reach for the opening above it! Distract it for me, and I will make it pause for a while! Use the chance to climb up it''s back and reach for the opening!" Ordered Raine as she prepares a level ten lightning bolt spell, a single targeted spell compared to an area of effect spell like thunder storm but much faster to cast in return.


    Raine fearfully looks back as the giant slime has finally caught up to them and are blocking the path they came in while consuming the corpses of both people and thief bugs that they have incinerated, which thankfully slowed it down a bit. However, as she sees the exposed corpses melted dreadfully fast in front of her eyes, she fears that they are out of time and space to run.


    Kaidan didn''t have time to reply but instead blazed out his assault rifle on full auto. This time his effort yielded some result as pockmarks of blood leaks out from the golden thief bug shells. The golden thief bugs the shrieks loudly as it retaliated at Kaidan by throwing another fireball which Kaidan dodged by leaping to the ground.


    Unfortunately, as the fireball soared through the air above Kaidan''s prone body, it''s trajectory made it clear that it is heading towards Raine''s fixed position. However, Raine completed the cast on time and let loose a level ten lightning bolt that tore through the fireball and disperses it while continuing to traverse above Kaidan''s still prone body, striking the golden thief bug head on.


    The golden thief bug screams as the electricity coursed through its veins and temporarily paralyzing it. Raine wasted no time as she immediately scrambled towards the golden thief bug, stopping by and forcefully dragging Kaidan''s, who have been frozen in fear by the exchange of fire and lightning above his head.


    "Move it Kaidan! Do you want to die?!" Shouted Raine as Kaidan scrambles up and run towards the golden thief bug as well.


    As Kaidan and Raine climb on top of the golden thief bug back, Raine used her newly gained strength to lift Kaidan up and throws him up through the opening above them. As Raine stands alone on the back of the golden thief bug, the monster under her feet shrieked again and started to move angrily, trying to shake her off.


    Raine holds on for dear life as she used her nova knife to stab through the monster back and used it as a foothold to stay on the monster back. Hearing Kaidan''s shout from above, she looks up and sees Kaidan''s outstretched hand trying to reach for her. Raine strengthens her resolve and twists her knife inside the golden thief bug wound, and as the monster reared up and shrieked in pain, she pulled back her nova knife and jumped from it''s back reaching out with her free hand towards Kaidan outstretched hand.


    As their hand grasped together, Raine can feel herself being forcefully pulled up by Kaidan as she avoids the angry golden thief bug, retaliating for the pain she inflicted by snapping its massive pincers and narrowingly missing one of her legs.


    Raine can feel herself being pulled through the hole by Kaidan and as Kaidan hugged her, she sees a brightly lit room where they are surrounded by angry armed men pointing their weapons at her and Kaidan.


    "Dear God, give me a break..." Complained Raine as she whispered from beside Kaidan''s head.


    "Freeze! Don''t move or we shoot you down! What the hell is going on and why are you coming out of our corpse disposal shoot?!" Said one of the armed men near them threateningly.


    "As you can see, we are not here by choice. I am her bodyguard, and we were attacked by monsters from down there. Please if you can assist us that will be very much appreciated and if you are mercenaries there would be a monetary reward for you if you can escort us back to the station administrative office that should be nearby our current location." Offered Kaidan as he let go of Raine and gesturing in surrender towards the speaker.


    "Well it''s too bad for you, but we''re not mercenaries, in fact, we are Guristas SpecOps, the special forces team of the Guristas pirate faction. Unfortunately, since you have discovered our base of operation in Jita trade hub, it seems that both of you needed to die." Answered the Guristas SpecOps speaker.


    "While that is all fine and dandy. Maybe you can kill us after all of us are safe? There is a big monster down there, and I think I am saying what is best for everyone if we all just get out of here and escape before the monster climb up here and by then it will be too late for everyone." Said Raine mildly as she dragged Kaidan slowly away from the hatch which leads to the hell she just escaped from.


    "You, little girl, shut up while the adults are talking. What kind of bodyguard are you that you can''t handle thief bugs? Even in swarms, they are not able to chew or scratch drop suit armor." Mocked the Guristas SpecOps speaker.


    "If you believed that the thief bugs down there are your normal average thief bugs variety then you are sadly mistaken... Did you throw radioactive material down there? As the thief bugs are literally out of this world." Retorted Kaidan as he increases the distance between him and the hatch.


    "Both of you should stop moving! Someone go and check what is down the hatch! It''s too quiet... The thief bugs are usually noisy, something is wrong, and I don''t like it..." Said the Guristas SpecOps speaker with suspicion.


    Raine sees one of the Guristas speaker subordinate breaks off and approaches them carefully. The Guristas subordinate keeps an eye on both Raine and Kaidan for any sudden movement. That is, until the Guristas subordinate stand next to the open hatch and look down the hatch for a second before a tentacle made entirely of slime shot out and wrapped the panicking Guristas SpecOps.


    The unfortunate trooper managed a weapon discharge on full auto uselessly before the whole tentacle slime pulled the doomed Guristas SpecOps through the hatch screaming on its way down. Raine can hear the sound of impacts as she imagines the body is being hurled across the walls and pillars repeatedly before the screaming sound stopped altogether.


    "What the hell..." Said the original Guristas SpecOps speaker weakly before shifting his aim at the hatch opening tensely. A notion followed by all of his colleagues as well as they shifted their aim at the hatch that has taken the life of one of their comrades, Raine and Kaidan forgotten in the face of a graver threat.


    Everything is silent while the tension is so thick that it can be cut with a knife. Then as if stoking the fire of the tension, everyone can hear the sound of cracking as the ground around the hatch are breaking apart... Until finally with a shockwave, the whole area explode upwards as the giant slime burst from the ground and with tentacles sprouting from every surface of its body.


    The giant slime is glowing with vitality as large amounts of skeletons are floating inside, the remnants of the corpses it consumes earlier. Floating inside the giant slime body is also the giant golden thief bug that blocked Raine''s and Kaidan''s way a moment ago. The golden thief bug is still alive as it thrashes wildly and it breathes a fireball from the inside of the giant slime. The fireball went through the slime and almost hit one of the Guristas SpecOps member surrounding the location where the hatch was destroyed by the breakthrough of the giant slime.


    Every single Guristas SpecOps team fire their assault rifle at the slime monster as they curse and screams their battle cry at the monster which has suddenly invaded their territory.


    Raine and Kaidan ducked as the tentacles whipped around them and crashed into some Guristas SpecOps member. The Guristas SpecOps member scream as they went flying through the air and with the sound of bone crunching on impact, the body dropped to the ground and never stir again.


    "It''s our chance to run Ms. Raine!" Shouted Kaidan as he stood up and carried Raine under his left arm like a football while aiming his assault rifle at the door at the end of the chamber where the monster appears.


    With a burst of bullets, Kaidan shredded through the door and kicked it open to the shock of some Guristas workers laboring to manufacture combat drugs in a makeshift factory. The shock turns to screams of panic though as some part of the slime tentacle went through the door Kaidan just went through and grew lances that extend and stabbed through some of the Guristas workers, effectively impaling and killing the workers, causing the rest of the panicked workers into a rout.


    Raine can hear the sound of screams and death throes from behind her as she is being carried like a sack of potato under one of Kaidan''s arm. She can no longer hear the sound of assault rifles firing. She suppose the Guristas SpecOps are all dead already, so much for being elites.


    Kaidan weaved in among some panicked workers and following the routing crowd of Guristas workers towards the exit. Some are heading towards the lift while some are taking the emergency staircase. Kaidan remembers his training and proceeds to escape through the emergency staircase.


    This turns out to be a wise decision as before the lift managed to close, a tentacle slime went in and basically turn the lift into a mixer as it converted the worker into minced meat.


    "Kaidan go down the staircase instead of following everyone to go up!" Shouted Raine urgently as she shakes Kaidan''s ribs forcefully.


    "What? Everyone is going up! We should follow them to safety!" Shouted Kaidan in a panic.


    "Trust me Kaidan!" Pleaded Raine as she hung helplessly.


    Kaidan took a chance and proceeded to go down the emergency staircase and hide behind the emergency staircase which is a dead space used as a storage space. While catching his breath, the commotion of the crowd rushing up to escape by going up the emergency staircase is replaced by a scream of despair as the slime flows impossibly fast and swallows the crowd hole.


    Raine tries not to imagine how bad are their suffering as the Guristas workers are swallowed whole by the expanding slime and dissolved in minutes. The scream is the worse, and it gets progressively weaker as their flesh get dissolved until nothing are left but their skeletons.


    Raine and Kaidan hold their breath as they hide behind the staircase hoping that the slime would not be able to find them there in their safe space behind the staircase, which is ironically a dead space.


    Alas, Raine and Kaidan''s hope is a futile one, as unknown to both of them... The slime can sense the life force of it''s prey, now that every other living being nearby has been consumed by the slime. In essence, by killing all the nearby Guristas personnel and workers, it has cleared the white noise which had confused its senses by obfuscating Raine''s presence with multiple other signatures.


    Raine screams as both her and Kaidan are dragged from their safe space and swallowed by a part of the giant slime. Through her faceplate, she can see through the slime and feel that they are being pulled towards the main slime mass at the center of the worker''s workshop they have just escaped from.


    There is no pain as Raine noticed that her energy shield is blocking the digestive power of the slime body fluid, yet her drop suit electronic system is warning her that the shield is dropping fast.


    Raine did not stay idle as she struggled by unsheathing her nova knife and made wild swings while unholstering her scrambler pistol with the intention to shoot the giant slime core in the distance as it moved randomly in all direction. Unfortunately, the Car-9 Scrambler pistol refused to fire as the slime goop jammed the scrambler pistol as it seeps into the mechanism and circuitry, short-circuiting it.


    Raine dropped her unresponsive Car-9 Scrambler Pistol as her nova knife strike yields better result as it slices and vaporize the slime fluid and freeing her movement somewhat but more slime fluid immediately filled in the gap she created with her melee attack. With one of her hand free, she cast the near instant spell, a level ten Napalm Beat towards the slime core, but the spell projection strikes the surrounding slime fluid instead of the slime core as the spell still register the fluid as part of its body. A large void is made in front of her hand due to the Napalm Beat spell, which is immediately filled with slime fluid again.


    Raine desperately spammed her near instant level ten Napalm Beat spell, a necessity as her other spells needed time and focus. She would be unable to cast the spell as long as she is still sucked deeper into the slime and receiving sustained damage from the digestive fluid of the giant slime.


    As Raine continuously spammed her spell, she continued swinging her nova knife and glanced at Kaidan who is suspended upside down with his legs where his head should be and frantically swinging his own Nova knife in desperation. She felt the same desperation as she has already tapped out her SP reserves and currently using the blood reserve from her breasts.


    Raine glanced down and worriedly sees her breasts shrinking rapidly, the giant slime still has plenty of body fluid left even after she vaporized enough slime fluid to fill the room they are in currently. At this point, she fears that she will be tapped out of reserve before they deplete the giant slime''s health. Hopefully, it is an attrition battle that she can win.


    Eventually, Raine''s reserve became empty as she returns to being a flat-chested Dryad, her energy shield have already disappeared a while ago while Kaidan''s shields are starting to flicker before her eyes until it disappears as well. She continues to swing her nova knife even as the energy field surrounding her beloved nova knife disappears due to overuse.


    The slime senses that it''s body fluid are no longer vaporized by the nova knife energy field rushed in and enveloped her helmet in a tight grip and with a pop, ripped her helmet violently and removed her mask, exposing her face and eyes, like an octopus cracking open a crab shell.


    Raine quickly closed her eyes otherwise the sting of acid will blind her in addition to the damage to her face. She can feel the grip of the slime tentacle holding her head strengthened as the giant slime forced open her mouth and the slime tentacle rushed in to fill her insides with its slimy body fluid, intending to digest her from the inside-out. She winced as she can feel the rush of the tentacle as it forcefully goes through her throat and filling in her stomach and continue to flow without stopping for an uncomfortably long time.


    Blind and in pain, Raine resolved herself for her last resort as she clenched her inactive nova knife tightly on her hand and raised it high above her head before forcefully plunging it into her body. As the knife stabbed through the acid-weakened and brittle armor covering her body, it pierced deep into her stomach, and with a grim resolve dragged it across to the other side of her stomach in a morbid display of Japanese suicide ritual of harakiri.


    Groaning at the pain, Raine sheathed her nova knife again and using both hands, forcefully opens and expose her stomach to the environment within the giant slime body. As she had hoped, the slime body fluids surrounding Raine are sucked into the blackhole within her stomach, a void connected to another dimension of space contained only by the flesh of her unique constitution.


    The giant slime felt that something is wrong as more and more of its body fluid are sucked into its prey. The situation has backfired for the giant slime as instead of digesting Raine, and it is being consumed by its prey instead. Like water being flushed down the toilet, the giant slime is losing its body fluid at a rapid pace as everything is being sucked into the blackhole within Raine''s stomach. Everything within the giant slime, including half digested corpses, skeletons and melted weapons and armor are sucked into the blackhole within her stomach as well.


    As the slime prison containing Raine and Kaidan shrank, becoming smaller and smaller until there are not enough slime body fluids to hold both Raine and Kaidan. The last drop of the slime''s body fluid is finally sucked into Raine''s stomach, and she promptly sealed back her stomach and using both of her hands to hold the black hole at bay now that the threat is gone.


    Raine sighted Kaidan crawling towards Raine as he reached the ground beside Raine, he took out a packet with a red cross stamp on it, unsealed it and apply the gel within around Raine''s stomach while she is still holding it. The gel work it''s magic as it sealed the wound on Raine''s stomach until only a thin line of a light colored scar is left to mark the place where she slashed her stomach open.


    "It''s medigel, it seals and sterilizes the wound. Your stomach should be alright now. You do not have to hold it anymore. Heck of a thing you did, I thought we were a goner when you stab yourself in the stomach. I thought for a moment you were going to leave me alone to die." Praised Kaidan weakly as he lay on his stomach on the ground beside Raine.


    "Hmph, I won''t die today. And I won''t let you die as well. You promised to bring me to the mechs colosseum tomorrow." Said Raine as she snorted and let go of her stomach and bent down to pick up her helmet, her mask and her malfunctioned Car-9 scrambler pistol.


    "Hahaha... That I did, I did promise you didn''t I?" Replied Kaidan weakly, face down on the ground floor.


    "Hmph, and you have to invite Tanya as well tomorrow." Bargained Raine as she equipped back her mask first and then her helmet, then she proceed to approach the dying golden thief bug a distance away, it seems that it was leftover when she sucked the slime into her stomach.


    "Small price to pay for my life I suppose. Fine, I''ll take both of you tomorrow. Now can you help me up and walk?" Pleaded Kaidan as he tries to raise up from the ground floor.


    "Just a minute, I would have to finish off the golden thief bug first then we can go back to the surface together." Answered Raine as she approached the struggling golden thief bug as it stares at the approaching Raine hatefully.


    As Raine stand next to the dying golden thief bug, she can see that every surface of the golden thief bug are pitifully melted and exposing some of its organs, she can see the golden thief bug internal organs directly as it struggled to breathe.


    "It has been thrilling I suppose, yet you must have had a good run. May you find happiness in the next life." Said Raine as she stands next to the dying golden thief bug and recites its last rites before lifting her hand and using the small amount of newly generated SP to perform a single spell.


    Napalm Beat!


    Raine watches as the white soul orbs from her spell appear from her hand and strike the golden thief bug like a shotgun.


    Level Up! MVP!


    Another white angel appears above Raine, and she raised an eyebrow when she does a quick check on her status and found out that her level has increased by twelve points, she is now a level thirty Mage. Not only that, the word MVP is floating above her head boldly in bright colors before disappearing on its own after a few seconds.


    As the golden thief bug life fades from its eyes, the whole body starts to glow golden, and it''s whole mass become compressed and form a single card. The floating card soared through the air and landed on a surprised Raine''s hand. While in her hand, the card stop glowing and Raine is staring at a Golden Thief Bug MVP card.


    Raine sighed morosely at the card she received, an ultra rare card in a universe where no one can cast magic beside herself. Perhaps she can sell it in the market when she returns to the Citadel, or she can keep it and see whether it can protect her from the power of the group of Gods that she encountered in the orphanage earlier today.


    Raine kept the Golden Thief Bug MVP card securely in her tattered breast pocket, cursing that her helmet is malfunctioning as well after it momentarily fritzed. Not even a week has gone by, and she has already broken her gear, professor Dexter won''t be happy about this¡­


    Finally, Raine approaches the beach ball size slime core left on the ground. Her prize for winning the boss battle, one of two boss battle in fact. She will inform everyone in the Citadel that she defeated two bosses simultaneously in a fair fight, and no one can claim otherwise.


    Raine is thankful when she spent the newly acquired stat points on strength earlier as she won''t be able to carry the beach ball size core otherwise. However, with her increased strength she can comfortably carry the giant slime core under one arm and have one hand free to do something else.Talking about stat points, doing a quick check on her status, she just gained a massive ninety three points of stat points for defeating a boss monster and becoming an MVP. She now has ninety five available stat points to spend.


    After consideration, she spent her stat points on the following attributes. The arrangement did not left her with any leftover stat points.


    Confirming stat distribution:


    STR: 11


    INT: 16+5


    AGI: 11+15


    DEX: 11+10


    VIT: 11


    LCK: 11


    This time she decided to prioritize on AGI as from battling the boss monster she could use more agility and speed to give her more option in battle. Plus the AGI attribute have a good synergy with one of her equipment, ¡®Mask of the daughters of Aku¡¯ which raises her fleeing rate and by another fifty percent.


    However she need to redistribute future stat points more evenly in the future, but she have to be satisfied with her current status distribution.


    Current stat distribution:


    STR: 11


    INT: 21


    AGI: 26


    DEX: 21


    VIT: 11


    LCK: 11


    With her business done, Raine approached Kaidan again to assist him. When she is right beside him, she uses her free hand to easily lift and securing him enough as Kaidan start walking by using Raine''s body as a crutch.


    "What happened to you? You walk like an elderly and infirm man." Said Raine as she guided Kaidan and assist him to walk towards the emergency staircase and this time both of them climb up the staircase heading for the surface.


    "I don''t want to talk about it¡­ But I have to say that I was right¡­" Said Kaidan miserably as he lifts his leg with a considerable effort of will even after being supported by Raine.


    "About what?" Asked Raine curiously as she and Kaidan climb the emergency staircase slowly due to Kaidan''s injury.


    "I was right when I said that chasing after you at the culvert entrance will screw me over in the end¡­" Said Kaidan grimly as he winced in pain as both Raine and Kaidan climb the steps.


    "Look at the bright side though. We survived after beating the odds like a boss. Can''t be any prouder than that." Soothed Raine as she tries to cheer up Kaidan.


    "I can''t eat pride, and it certainly wouldn''t ease my heart pain." Grumbled Kaidan as he slowly took a painful step.


    "How about the loot left behind by the dead pirates? They certainly wouldn''t be bringing it with them to the afterlife. We should come back later with everyone and clean the place. What do you say?" Offered Raine cheerfully.


    "It''s a miracle, Ms. Raine! My heart pain and broken body are healed instantly!" Shouted Kaidan as he put more strength in his steps and his walking pace became considerably more vigorous although still handicapped.


    Raine chuckles at Kaidan''s new optimism and enthusiasm, happy that her encouragement has changed Kaidan''s outlook and morale. With her purpose achieved, both of them walk silently for a while, broken only when Raine pose a question.


    "Hey, Kaidan¡­ Do you believe that God is ruling our lives and controlling everything that happens to us?" Asked Raine solemnly as Kaidan shifted his attention to see the unusually morose Raine.


    "God is a fairy tale made by unenlightened humanity to explain everything bad and good that happens to them before they realize that their fate is entirely in their hand and all they have to do was to grasp it. Every single human being today believe this after they let go of their faith during the devastation of the ice age. They realize then that they cannot put their trust in something that cannot be substantiated and refuses to prevent the tragedy, so they put that faith in themselves instead. " Said Kaidan with the certainty born of a lifetime of education from state directed education programs.


    "I see¡­ I may not agree with you as I have personally witnessed their existence myself. I am finding myself questioning the reason why does such a God or creator give us so much adversities to overcome rather than resolving those adversities. Are we not their beloved creation? Should they not have the responsibility to take care of their creation if they bothered to make us at all? Did we do something to displeases them that causes them to test us? These are questions which I hope to ask of them in the near future." Confessed Raine as she exposes her innermost thought and worry.


    "I don''t have the qualification to answer those question Ms. Raine, nor am I able to address it to you with absolute certainty. For all I know, God could be making us go through the adversity today because it''s his hobby and our struggles are just entertainment for his fellow Gods to pass their time. The death, the suffering, the drama for their viewing pleasure as they watch through their equivalent of a computer screen." Said Kaidan adding his two-cents.


    "While that is unlikely, I hope that the adversity is meant to test and temper us to grow for some unknown purpose in the afterlife. I would be quite unhappy if these adversities serve no purpose whatsoever." Complained Raine as she finally reaches ground level and reached out for the locked door before opening it by unlocking it from the inside.


    Raine and Kaidan are blinded by the rays of sunlight coming in through the open door and happily spotted the main administrative building where they separated from the rest of the group for what feels like a lifetime ago.


    "When we reunite with the others can you explain to them that it wasn''t my idea to wipe out a whole base of Guristas pirates when we were strolling through the garden earlier today?" Asked Raine hopefully as they finally exit the culvert and, with satisfaction, walked on the soft and green grass and among brightly colored floras.


    "Not even to save your life would I do that for you Ms. Raine." Said Kaidan flatly rejecting Raine¡¯s pleading.


    ¡°Damn it¡¯s the end of the line for me now, even though It¡¯s too soon for my adventure to end here. Oh woe is me.¡± Lamented Raine sadly.

 Chapter 14

    "Let me get this straight¡­ I left the two of you alone for five minutes. Before you manage to trespass into the culvert, which is a restricted area, spent hours merrily killing giant roaches. Before finding yourselves being ambushed by a slime king and then after a rodeo with an even bigger giant roach. After that, found yourselves stumbling into a Guristas pirate den before being ambushed by a Guristas special force. Not only that, they all get slaughtered by the slime king. Then when the slime king is digesting both of you, Ms. Raine proceeds to slit open her stomach and sucked every single drop of the slime king into her black hole of a stomach. Then, finally, both of you drag your sorry selves up the staircase and seeing us looking for your sorry asses, while we are wondering where could both of you have gone?" Said Iden dryly.


    Raine turns her head to look at the whipped Kaidan, not daring to look at his commander in the eyes.


    Both Raine and Kaidan is kneeling on the ground while Iden stands in front of both of them, sharpening a Nova knife on a whetstone. The scraping of the sharp edges of the blade on the stone is grating the nerves of both Raine and Kaidan.


    Raine shuffled one of her feet awkwardly copying Kaidan''s submissive posture while looking at anywhere but the angry Iden who has unsheathed a second Nova knife.


    Raine didn''t even know Iden has a second blade on her sleeves!


    "Well, to be fair it does sound crazy when you narrated it, but it''s the truth! You can ask Kaidan, you know him! Would a man as boring and rule stickler as him play along with me if I was making this up?" Argued Raine as she fearfully scowled at the scary and angry Iden playing around with two Nova Knives by shuffling them between her two hands.


    Hearing Raine''s argument, Iden shifted her attention to the kneeling Kaidan who flinched, unsure whether to be offended at the statement or glad that Iden seemed to reconsider the situation before sheathing both of her Nova knives.


    "Fair enough, Kaidan''s a cold fish as long as I have known him. We will check out the Guristas pirate den for any loot. And if it''s bountiful enough, both of you will be off the hook. But, if the loot is not satisfactory at all, well, I haven''t made my clone soup in a while. It''ll be interesting to see how both of you would react when tasting your own cloned meat in a bowl of soup." Threatened Iden with a smile showing teeth.


    Raine and Kaidan shuddered when hearing Iden''s threat but resigned themselves for the punishment they will receive for causing a problem for the rest of the squad.


    "Ms. Iden, I believe it is not fair to reprimand both Raine and Kaidan when it is clear that they have not gone against your order¡­" A sudden voice sounds out from behind Iden.


    Raine perk her ears up when she hears Tanya''s voice. She lifts her head up where Tanya is standing resolutely beside Ron.


    Tanya''s expression shows resolve and conviction as she stands directly before Iden.


    "Stay out of this Tanya, this is my team, and as the leader, I will decide what I will do with them. If I decided that they deserve punishment for causing a disturbance then that is what they will receive." Said Iden coldly as she turns around to face Tanya.


    "I don''t care about Mr. Kaidan''s fate since he is under your jurisdiction but should you be punishing Raine as well for it? She is the client after all." Stated Tanya coolly as she folded both of her arms.


    "A misunderstanding, our client is director Alakoni Ishanoya, CEO of Lai Dai megacorp. Only director Alakoni have hired us to guarantee the safety of Ms. Raine, as she is the objective, not the client. Moreover, after I have just completed the paperwork clearing Ms. Raine''s involvement after the state orphanage incident, another issue pops up. Thinking about the extra paperwork I have to do again now makes me not in the mood to play nice when Ms. Raine insist on making my job more difficult by being difficult about her well being." Argued Iden as she glared at Tanya''s questioning her method.


    "Nevertheless, it is so much more productive if you can have a good working relationship with the objective is it not? Tell you what, let me handle and be responsible for Ms. Raine from now on. Isn''t it better if you put me together with her instead? Surely Ms. Raine would be more willing to open up and cooperate with her peers instead of older and larger individuals which she can''t relate to?" coaxed Tanya smoothly.


    Iden paused and considered Tanya statement as thoroughly as she can, considering the pro and con of letting Tanya being the chaperone for Ms. Raine.


    "That is a fascinating idea. However, I am loathed to put two valuable assets together in one basket, now that we have confirmed the veracity of Ms. Raine statement regarding your genetic sequence. I have discussed it directly with director Alakoni, and she has instructed me to incorporate you under Inferno Squad, as something like a perfect human genome would not stay secret for long with the routine corporate espionage played between the mega-corporations. We would rather you sexually mature to procreate rather than risk losing you in combat." Said Iden, as she considers Tanya''s proposal.


    "Then train me, don''t treat me as a golden goose but I also wish to be capable enough to take control of my own life at least." Said Tanya with conviction.


    "I have murdered the medical personnel that checked your physical condition and scrubbed the electronic database to keep your secret. Your value is high enough that we have to resort to Black Ops standard operational procedure in the eyes of director Alakoni." Claimed Iden gravely.


    "Then tell this director Alakoni, that if she wishes for my cooperation at least offer me some remuneration or compensation for my future value. If she offered nothing in return for my freedom, then I might as well kill myself and save myself from future hardship." Said Tanya tensely.


    "... Very well, I will allow your induction into Inferno Squad, and we will train and teach you how to be an effective mercenary. I will relay your feedback to director Alakoni, but she probably won''t be happy about this. Now if you''re done disrupting me, I will return to settling Kaidan''s and Ms. Raine case." Concluded Iden after a brief pause.


    "That is all I asks." Said Tanya as she relaxes slightly.


    "Now Ms. Raine, do you have anything to say for yourself? I hope you have something good to say with all the extra paperwork you have done for me." Said Iden angrily.


    "Hmm¡­ Do we need to report to the station administrator? I''m pretty sure everyone in the pirate''s den is dead. So it''s not like there is any witness to say otherwise, and even if there is, it''s not like they will approach the station authority to report that they have been attacked since they are here illegally." Said Raine miserably.


    "If it''s as you say, then no we do not have to report it. In fact, it''s best if we don''t report it so we can take everything inside for ourselves. If we reported it, the state would confiscate everything as ¡®evidence'' which what has happened to us once in the past, to be honest." Said Iden, as she scowled remembering the upsetting episode.


    "Oh, then can I get my share when we raid the den? I mean, I did eat the thing that ate the pirates. So that means I get first dibs on loot right?!" Exclaimed Raine excitedly.


    "Sigh, yes Ms. Raine. As they say, you get ¡®first dibs'' of the loot." Said Iden as she holds her head in her hand in exasperation.


    "Yay! I''ve got the capital to start a business project! I don''t have to ask for pity money from Alakoni." Said Raine happily.


    "You do know that director Alakoni will give you any amount you requested right Ms. Raine? It''s not like she will hold out against you for asking¡­" Said Iden with an eyebrow raised.


    "Tsk¡­ It''s about the principle of things, Ms. Iden. Seniors don''t demand money from their children''s. Plus, it''s more meaningful if I prosper entirely from my effort." Explained Raine.


    "Some would argue otherwise, but I respect your point. Anyway, I will take Kaidan with me as a guide back to the Guristas pirate den. Ron, I will leave both Ms. Raine and Tanya with you back to the hotel room. Do not leave both of them out of your sight¡­" Commanded Iden sternly.


    Iden picked up Raine like a cat and then tossed Raine over to Ron''s outstretched hands.


    "Nyaaa!" Squealed Raine as she soared through the air before being caught by Ron''s arms.


    "Now Kaidan, let''s get back to work. What''s wrong with your ass? You''ve been fidgeting and holding it for a while now." Asked Iden as she turned around and linked her arm around Kaidan''s.


    "I don''t want to talk about it." Answered Kaidan as he walks stiffly with the resignation that he has to return to the pirate''s den again.


    Iden shrugged as both she and Kaidan enters the culvert entrance and disappears underground.


    When both Iden and Kaidan are gone, Raine grumbled and struggled in Ron''s arms. After a while of Raine''s wiggling in Ron''s arms, he finally relents and let Raine stand on the ground.


    "Well, Ms. Raine looks like you''re in a pickle again now. Fortunately for you, as the father of three hyperactive daughters, I am used to it. Let''s go to the hotel room, as you need a shower and after that, we can have something to eat alright?" Said Ron patiently.


    "Have I ever told you that I love you in a non-sexual way?" Said Raine, as she melted with endearment and rubbed the top of her head against Ron''s chest.


    "Well this is the first time, but I''m afraid I won''t accept the other form love from anyone as I am happily married husband with three daughters." Laughed Ron with good-nature and waving her away from his chest.


    Raine forcedly climbed up on Ron''s shoulder and proceed to sit there enjoying the higher viewpoint while securing herself by grabbing Ron''s head.


    "Ah Ms. Raine, careful there. I''d much rather have you walk beside me instead of piggybacking you all the way to the car you know." Said Ron as he carefully secured Raine''s footing by holding her legs dangling near his shoulders.


    "Hmm, no. Let''s go. Time''s a wasting just standing here." Said Raine as she refused Ron''s request.


    "Sigh, I thought I would have passed the piggybacking phase already. Well then hold on Ms. Raine, Tanya give me your hand. Let''s go back to the car together." Said Ron kindly as he offered one of his hand to Tanya.


    Tanya accepted Ron''s hand while blushing as well and trying to hide her face by looking down.


    "Ooh, Tanya''s have a crush! Ron''s super dad and super husband power must be tickling Tanya''s feminine instinct!" Teased Raine as she looks down on Tanya from Ron''s shoulder.


    Tanya''s face gets even redder as she flustered and fidgeted from embarrassment.


    "Shut up! I do not have a crush on anyone!" Said Tanya angrily as she waved her free hand threateningly at Raine.


    "Now girls, don''t fight with each other. Let''s get along nicely since we''re stuck with each other for the foreseeable future alright?" Said Ron as he tries to prevent an argument from breaking out with practiced ease.


    Tanya stays quiet after that and just leisurely walk, enjoying the positive familial moment even though they are not related by blood. Sometimes you have people like Ron, supercharged with positive emotion which makes people inherently opens up to him. Even Tanya, a bitter, sarcastic and pessimistic individual cannot help but to be revolving around Ron''s orbit and ease her turbulent emotion.


    Raine hums and swings her legs without a care as she perched on Ron''s shoulders.


    Anyone who sees the scene would not be able to help but think about a hard-bitten mercenary having a happy moment with his children after a hard day of work on the battlefield. Some compound guards who have seen this can''t help but be touched and wanting to go back home for a moment with their children.


    Ron and his charge then reached their parked vehicle, where Raine jump from Ron''s shoulder to land on the passenger seat of the two-seater vehicle.


    "I call shotgun!" Said Raine gleefully.


    "Now Ms. Raine, there are only two seats on the vehicle. I am afraid you have to share the seat with Tanya here." Said Ron as he hops unto the driver seat and gently pushes Tanya further in the passenger''s seat.


    "Nope, she can sit on your lap." Said Raine as she uses her super power strength to lift Tanya with one hand and placed her on Ron''s lap.


    Tanya widened her eyes as she is being handled like a kitten by Raine and lifting her with ease even though they are about the same size and age. Tanya wiggled on Ron''s lap and her face becoming redder as she came into close contact with Ron''s personal space.


    "Did you become stronger somehow Ms. Raine? I could swear that I just seen you lift Tanya without any sweat." Asked Ron with amazement as he grappled with the squirming Tanya stuck in between him and the driving wheel.


    "Oh, you know. I just grow up so fast." Said Raine with a faux-pass innocence as she strikes at the seat belt on Ron''s side and clicked it into place, therefore securing both Tanya and Ron together.


    "Raine! I will kill you for this!" Screamed Tanya as she screams bloody murder and trying to strangle Raine but unable to since she is tied up by the seat belt.


    "You''ll thank me later Tanya! Onward to a hot shower and hot food with haste my good man!" Said Raine with laughter and good humor as she genuinely believes Tanya looks so cute when flustered.


    "Aye mistress." Chuckled Ron as he drove the vehicle out of the parking lot and exit the station administrative office.


    After driving for half an hour, they stop in front of a hotel, the Galbadia Hotel.


    "Well, here we are girls. Our stay for the night." Said Ron happily as he stops in front of the hotel lobby with the guests coming in and out of the hotel.


    Once again, Raine jumps from the car and run to the driver''s seat to helpfully unbuckle the driver safety belt and lift Tanya from Ron''s personal space. She prefers to believe that some of Tanya''s ire at her is due to removing Tanya''s from her crush. Of course, it''s nothing to do with her prank as Tanya struggled like a madman trying to strangle her neck.


    Ron exits the car and watches as a utility droid approached the parked vehicle.


    </label>


    "Good evening master, may I park your vehicle?" Asked the droid in an electronically induced voice.


    "You may, my good friend. My room number is 5278, under the code ¡®Inferno.''" Answered Ron lightly.


    "Very well master Ronald Stoppable, your suite is ready, and another unit will guide your party to your room. Please enjoy your stay with Galbadia hotel, and we wish you a pleasant stay." Replied the utility drone as it bows politely.


    The utility drone then enters their vehicle and drive off from the hotel lobby to Presumably to park their car in the hotel parking lot.


    "Was that a robot?" Asked Raine as her eyes sparkle again.


    "The proper term is droid Ms. Raine, but yes that was a robot. That was an elven Gallentean utility droid. They are very common everywhere you go and so affordable that the State decided that it is too useful to ban even with a nationalistic and xenophobic mindset of the Caldari state." Answered Ron as he took Tanya''s hand and held it, before offering the other to Raine.


    Raine stares at Ron''s offered hand and easily decided to take it.


    "Why buy the droid from the Gallentes? Can''t we make our own?" Asked Raine with curiosity.


    "Economic reason, it''s not like we didn''t produce any. We did, but we stop because we cannot compete with the Gallente''s price that we stop the manufacture of droids and pull out of that industry. The Gallente''s manufactured that droid model in the billions as it serves as the workhorse of the federation. Due to the nature of elven physiology, their long lives and extremely low birth rate, they depend on their droid to work and fight their battle for them. What you must consider Ms. Raine is that the Gallente elves consider one of their number to be equivalent to a hundred of human lives, or a fifty orcish lives, or ten dwarves lives. To make up for the low population, they covered their weakness with droids as servants and soldiers to provide labor and safety." Explained Ron as they wait for another droid to show up.


    "Oh, that is very interesting. I would like to put my hands on one of the droid one day, just to see what would happen." Said Raine as she spotted the promised droid approaching their group, walking at a brisk pace until it reached them.


    "Greetings master, please follow me to your room." Said the droid in a feminine and well articulated human voice as it stands there politely.


    "Oh, she''s a Caldari droid model. One of the few model that can still compete with the Gallente droid model due to aesthetic and special service program that is banned by the Gallente government." Said Ron with amazement.


    "I can see why." Said Tanya dryly.


    "So can I. Are the special program meant for men only?" Asked Raine disbelievingly.


    "I can ask. Hey Siri!" Asked Ron suddenly.


    "Yes, Master?" Replied the Caldari droid politely.


    "Did you serve more men or women?" Asked Ron.


    "Master, 90% of the time I served women, and I came equipped with double the tool compared to organics. Currently said tools are deactivated. Would you like me to activate it and give a demonstration?" Asked Siri politely.


    "No thank you, I think that will be all Siri. Just show us to our room please." Answered Ron politely.


    Tanya starts to show a different shade of green on her face while Raine shrugged and started to pull on Ron''s arm, making them move to follow after the droid ahead of them.


    The Caldari droid ¡®Siri'' bowed and proceeded to walk away and to motion towards the Galbadia hotel entrance, which leads to the lobby where the floor is white marble, and the opulence of the lobby design screams wealth and luxury at any who enters the hotel.


    Raine and her group go through the hotel lobby, ignoring the shouting old dwarf complaining about the quality of the beer available in the hotel to the poor concierge hotel staff.


    The group follow Siri into an elevator before it closes and smoothly go all the way up to the 52nd floor of the hotel. As their group exits the elevator, the white marble floor is replaced with thick red carpet. And passing by a few hotel rooms, they finally reached room 5278.


    Siri unlocked room 5278 and held the door open before gesturing the hotel guests inside.


    Raine is the first one going in the room and whistled at the beautiful room inside. There''s a bathtub inside the room and a large TV in front of the queen size bed. Everything looks amazing with an undertone of dark elegance in the room design.


    </label>


    "Welcome to your room, the bathtub at the center can be used as a jacuzzi, and when you wish to dry yourself, there is a control panel beside the bathtub that can instantly dry your body when you''re done. The TV is also a communication screen, communication between star system is possible but will be charged to your account." Explained Siri helpfully.


    "Thank you, Siri, that will be all." Said Ron as he dismissed the hotel droid.


    "It is my pleasure master. Please call me if you need any special service." Replied Siri before it left and closed the door.


    Raine doesn''t bother to wait for Ron and Tanya''s permission as she starts stripping her helmet, armor and finally her undersuit, but left her cat hairband and mask still on. Leaving her naked except for her covered head. She then hopped into the bathtub before hot shower automatically rain from the ceiling and a couple of drones hovers around her to start lathering her body with soap and start scrubbing her body.


    "Ohh that feels nice." Moaned Raine as the drone massage a particularly sore muscle on her back with rotating rubber ball on it''s underside.


    "Raine! What are you doing?! Who the hell would strip naked when there is still a man in the room?" Screamed Tanya with a red face.


    "Oh, sorry about that. I forgot I was a girl for a moment there." Said Raine sheepishly as she took off her mask and put it on the table beside her, leaving her only wearing her ninja mask and her cat hairband.


    "Who would forget their own gender?!" Screamed Tanya exasperatedly as she continues to berate Raine who is ignoring her censure.


    Tanya continued to rage on her own before a big hand is placed on top of her head. Recognizing the hand as Ron''s, Tanya turns around to ask for his assistance to set Raine straight. Only to find that Ron is also more or less naked with a piece of towel wrapped around his waist. Tanya''s brain short-circuited before getting redder from looking at Ron''s chiseled chest and six-pack abs.


    "Why, What?" Said Tanya unintelligibly as she became speechless.


    "You''d get a wrinkle before your teen at this rate Tanya. Loosen up, enjoy your time as a child. For most of us, it''s a golden age that has past too soon." Said Ron as he rubbed the top of Tanya''s head gently.


    "But¡­ Why would you strip when there are two young girls in the room?! It doesn''t make any sense!" Whined Tanya as she starts getting scared.


    Tanya''s fear is cut short though when Raine sneaks behind Tanya and start stripping Tanya quickly and forcefully. When Tanya is naked, she lifts Tanya''s body and brings her under the hot shower before she starts lathering and scrubbing Tanya''s body.


    "Have you forgotten Tanya? Men are the home-maker now and women the bread-maker. So as part of their child-raising duty, men are no longer seen as perverted dicks now. However, the opposite is also true, and women are now perverted and horny cougars." Said Raine as she starts shampooing Tanya''s blond hair.


    Tanya just whimpered and withdrawn to her self, unwilling to accept the change of paradigm in this version of the future which is also her new present timeline.


    "Just so, make some room Ms.Raine and pass me some shampoo please." Said Ron as he joins both Raine and Tanya in the bath tub.


    Raine shrugged and got some shampoo from the nearby hovering drone, even as she continued to scrub Tanya with one hand and then rinse the soapy sud with the shower handle. Ron washes his head while the drones scrubbed his body automatically and lather it with body foam until the shower on top of the bathtub pour hot water again and rinses everyone''s body clean.


    "Ahhh I''m alive again." Sighed Raine with satisfaction after a hot shower and being clean from the grime and dirt.


    "Yes, a hot shower after a hard day''s work is good, but you know what''s better?" Asked Ron as he adjusted the white towel cling to his waist.


    "No idea? What is better than a hot shower after work?" Said Raine curiously.


    "Why take a seat, and I''ll show you Ms. Raine." Answered Ron as he took a seat in the bathtub, followed by Raine and a dazed Tanya.


    Raine became a bit surprised when hot water starts filling the bathtub and stop when the water level reaches their necks. The temperature is just nice and only gets better when the jacuzzi starts. The bubble and the water pressure massaged their sore muscle which has already become relaxed by the earlier hot shower and the hot soak.


    "And to top it all off, ice cold Amarrian Dwarf Beer, imported straight from the Amarrian homeworld. All natural, non-alcoholic, non-genetically modified ice cold goodness for Ms. Raine and the young Tanya. And of course, 50% alcohol content real ice cold Amarrian Dwarf Beer for me. And yes it''s really 50% alcohol content beer, those dwarves don''t fuck around with their beer I''ll say." Said Ron as he took out some provided frosted glasses and filled it with draft beer from the dispenser beside the bathtub, then passing the mini-sized non-alcoholic glass of beers to both Raine and Tanya before pouring an alcoholic beer for himself.


    Raine accepted both full glasses from Ron''s hand before taking a sip from her glass. Pleasure creeps up from her spine and travels up as she tasted the ice cold beer. The beer is bitter but as smooth as freshly laid snow and tasted very fruity as well with a hint of vanilla.


    "Uwaaahh, that is divine beer! Tanya, you should try it!" Said Raine happily as she passed the other beer glass to Tanya''s hand.


    Tanya snaps out of her daze and stares dubiously at the glass of beer in her hand.


    "Oh come on, it''s non-alcoholic and tastes amazing! You''ll love it I promise." Persuaded Raine as she took another sip from her glass of beer.


    Hesitatingly Tanya took a sip before, with a start, she drinks more eagerly in large gulps before finishing her glass to the bottom.


    "Oho, we have champion drinker here! Here have another!'' Laughed Ron happily as passed Tanya another glass of ice-cold beer.


    This time Tanya drink more deliberately as she enjoys the taste appreciatively. She happily drinks the cold beer as she sits in a hot bathtub with the jacuzzi massaging her spine and back. For the first time since reincarnating, she is truly happy and enjoying herself.


    Ron drinks his beer heartily, before a knock on the door interrupts his drinking. The door opens, and Siri comes once again with a tray of hot food.


    "Master, the food you ordered is here. Where would you like to have them?" Asked Siri politely.


    "Ah, what good timing. Just past it to me please, there''s nothing else besides the food. So you can return." Requested Ron as he puts down his glass of beer on the edge of the bathtub.


    "Very well master, please enjoy the grilled squid rings and the beer." Said Siri as it leaves the plate on the edge of the bathtub before bowing and leaving out the door.


    "Anyone want the squid rings and legs?" Offered Ron as he took the plate and held it near Raine and Tanya.


    "Oh I do! I always love seafood, and the grilled fish I made back in the ship are really tasty. Even better than when I last remembered eating them in fact!" Answered Raine excitedly as she took the plate from Ron''s hand and started to pop them in her mouth and chewing blissfully.


    "You''re in luck Ms. Raine. The seafood is in fact vastly better compared to the last time you have eaten them. Scientists have shown that five hundred years of no industrial pollution, no overfishing, no floating garbage patch and the colder water temperature of the ocean has reversed the overfishing done by humans over the centuries. The ice age has been the boon of the ocean as a whole, at the expense of humanity. On the upside, the ocean now yields a bountiful harvest of giant blue tuna, tasty giant lobsters and succulent giant squids and clams at a low and affordable price that anyone can enjoy. In fact, we have been exporting them to Gallente federation and Amarr empire. The state seafood product is unmatched anywhere else in the galaxy as the majority of Earth is covered by ocean. Of course, we have learned our lesson and are harvesting this resource sustainably. At the absence of any agricultural product that we can produce, we can only rely on marine products to entirely sustain our growing population. I would recommend the Seaweed udon next time though, as vast area of the ocean floors are transformed into fields of seaweeds to provide carbohydrate for human consumption. Seaweed udon has now replaced rice and bread as the staple of human consumption ever since the ice age decimated the agricultural industry of the world." Explained Ron expertly.


    "Oh, I have no idea. How did you know all this? I did not expect a mercenary such as you to be so knowledgeable." Marvelled Raine as she bit off a squid leg and chewed blissfully at the savoriness and saltiness of the squid dish.


    "Well besides being a mercenary extraordinaire, I am also a world-class chef. I should let you try my world famous lobster bisque. It''s a dish worthy of a God, why I bet if a God tasted it, he/she would be my regular customer forever asking for my lobster bisque." Said Ron proudly as he raises up his glass of beer high and drinks heartily.


    "I would love to try the soup since I love all seafood. Clams are especially my favorite but lobsters are a close second. Clam chowders and lobster bisques sound heavenly." Said Raine as she finishes the plate of squid rings and legs by herself.


    Tanya stares mournfully at the empty plate and glared at Raine for not sharing it with her, but brightens up when Ron passed another plate of squid rings and squid legs for her to eat. Raine is already staring at the plate, but Tanya turns around to protect her plate from being stolen by Raine.


    "Fortunately you prefer seafood. I wouldn''t know what to do if you are asking me for a beef burger or something like that. Beef is a luxury food nowadays, fit only for the consumption of the rich and famous. On the opposite end of the scale, now caviars are plentiful enough that we are using it for condiment with a piece of seaweed toast. It helps now that we can harvest the eggs without killing the sturgeons fish producing it. There are sturgeon farms all over the continent, thankfully the fish thrive in arctic condition and live even longer than the domesticated animals of the past. A single sturgeon fish can live up to 100 years, but as the sturgeon fish grows slowly, it will not produce any eggs until it is about 25 years old." Said Ron expertly showing off his knowledge about food as a world-class chef.


    "Yes, that is true but can I tell you a secret Ron?" Said Raine bashfully.


    "Of course, you can be certain that I will keep it between us." Said Ron as he nodded and gestured at Raine to proceed.


    "Actually while I love seafood, I have the suspicion that the ocean and water are out to get me because I have been eating them all this while." Whispered Raine conspiratorially as she whispers right next to Ron''s ear.


    "Really? And why do you say that Ms. Raine?" Said Ron as he raised an eyebrow at Raine''s confession.


    "Because while growing up I almost died three times due to the ocean or water! First I almost died when I was ten years old and got caught in an ocean rift and swept faraway from the beach. That was a nightmare, as not only was I almost died, I tried to ask for help from my mother by waving both my hands high above my head and scream to get my mother attention who was sunbathing on the beach. When she noticed me I was filled with relief only to fall into despair when she waved back at me thinking I was having fun." Said Raine as she shuddered.


    "Unfortunate, but amusing to hear. Well, thankfully you managed to reach the beach again otherwise I wouldn''t be talking to you now." Replied Ron as he nods in sympathy.


    "I have no idea how I reached the beach. I was so concentrated on putting one step at a time and feeling the sand under my feet being dragged back by the current. And them finally when I was making progress, a very large wave hit me from behind, rolling me underwater on the sandy ocean floor and the next thing I know I was at the beach looking up from the feet of my mother. Thank God there was no reef at all or that would have been a bloody affair." Sighed Raine with relief that she survived the rip tide.


    "Well, that was one near death experience. What''s the next one?" Asked Ron as he sipped his beer again.


    "The next one was in the middle of the city, and it was flooding. An annual event at that time due to the governance of a corrupt military dictatorship. I was twelve years old at the time and on the way with my mother to the optometrist to check prescription. It was raining heavily at the time, and both my mother and I was holding an umbrella. The flood water reached my knee, and it was difficult to move and walk. As we walk, the incident happened near the store as I got swallowed by an open water canal that I was not able to see due to the murky water. The water reached my neck, and the current was quite strong, thankfully due to holding the umbrella and being tall enough that my head is still above water, I can hold on and not being sucked by the water current. If not, I would surely die after being sucked into the water canal and drown as the water canal leads underground and into the sewer." Said Raine as she shuddered about how close she was to death like a drowned sewer rat.


    "It would be an ignoble and insulting death for sure. That was a lucky break that you can survive." Agreed Ron as he nodded sympathetically again.


    "Well the worst one was the last one, and this one happens when I was 20 years old. And to add insult to injury, I almost died because of a baby!" Whispered Raine pitifully.


    "How did that happen? You were an adult and because of a baby? Surely you exaggerate and what does a baby have to do with the ocean and water?" Whispered Ron with confusion.


    "I am getting there! Well, I was working part-time as a waiter in a bar, during my lunch break I ordered calamari from my cook colleague. As I sit there on one of the table, chewing on the calamari, a baby walks towards me and just stares cutely at me. As the baby laughs, which foolishly make me laugh as well. Unfortunately, it causes me to choke on the calamari, and I cannot breathe at all. For a minute or so I tried to cough the food out but unable to dislodge the calamari. Panicking, I run to the payment counter for help. As my bald boss repeatedly karate chop my back and as I was about to black out, I manage to shove my hand into my throat and pull the offending food out of my throat. Traumatised and shaken I left my work early, but not before the baby''s mother apologized for my ordeal. I accepted her apology and told her not to worry about it as I do not want to make her feel bad everytime she sees her baby." Whispered Raine with a grimace.


    "That''s kind of you to consider the mother''s feeling Raine. I have just one question for you." Said Ron.


    "What''s that?" Asked Raine curiously.


    "Didn''t you just ate squid rings just now?" Asked Ron again.


    "Yessss, and just because I almost died choking because of calamari doesn''t mean that I have to scream in fright every time I see a baby does it? I happen to like eating seafood, I like going to the beach, I enjoy a dipping in a hot spring, and I like kids!" Retorted Raine emotionally, surprising Tanya and Ron.


    Raine did not appreciate Ron trivializing her near-death experiences. Logically Raine understands that as mercenaries, her own experiences are laughable. Who cares about the dangerous environment when there is armed enemy that you would put a higher priority. Still, it hurts when she bares her heart, and the other person makes fun of her in return.


    Ron raised an eyebrow at Raine''s outburst.


    "You know what I mean! It''s just so much fun playing with and being a kid that sometimes I envy them. I would also like to go back to that time where everything is simpler and not being crushed by responsibilities of being an adult." Admitted Raine as she deflates from her earlier outburst.


    Raine now feels sad and horrible, like being down in the dumps. She sniffled before a pair of arms coiled around her and hugging her tenderly.


    "Now Raine, it''s alright to admit that we are weak. It means that we are human, everyone has their path to walk in life and sometimes we stumbled, fallen to the ground and gotten hurt because of a moment of weakness. I do that all the time following my amazing wife on adventures. She can do anything, whereas I always felt like a loser when I do something to inconvenience her work. But you know what? I never give up on myself, every single time I have fallen I always pick up after myself and follow behind her every single step of the way. I overcame my fear and insecurities not because she''s my wife, but because she''s my best friend. The biggest reason I adopted Tanya is not because of her being a perfect human, but because I hope that she can be your best friend in an uncaring universe." Said Ron as he continues to hug Raine tenderly.


    Raine sniffed as she gets overwhelmed by emotions.


    Tanya shuffles as she sits on the bathtub pointedly avoiding looking at Raine and Ron having a moment, she feels awkward as she is an emotionally stunted person and is not able to handle the feelings exchanged around her.


    "Now, let''s finish up the bath alright? It''s late, let''s get you to bed and sleep early tonight. It''s a big day tomorrow, and after today ¡®s excitement you need the rest more than I do." Orders Ron as he activates the drain command of the bathtub and then activates the drying function of the bathtub.


    The water level in the bathtub very quickly disappears down the drain, the hovering drones using their onboard scattered ray gun to evaporate any water droplets on their skin before returning to their port holes or station on the bathtub sides.


    Ron gently lifts Raine and exits the bathtub before lowering Raine on the bed, with Tanya helpfully pass Ron a set of bathrobe before wearing a bathrobe herself.


    Ron helps Raine cloth herself before removing the mask and the black cat hairband from Raine''s person by putting them on a nearby desk, exposing her leaves and face to both Ron and Tanya.


    Raine sulking face can be seen, but she lifts one of her arms and pulls Tanya in forcefully before hugging her fiercely. Tanya shouted with surprise before letting herself be hugged with resignation.


    "Ah this cuteness is healing my heart!" Said Raine as she rubbed her cheek against Tanya''s cheek.


    "Can I have a moment''s peace without you treating me like a child." Complained Tanya as she sighed heavily.


    "Oh but you are a child, and an adorable one at that." Replied Raine innocently as she pets Tanya''s soft and clean blonde hairs.


    "Looks like you are back to normal. Since you''re fine now I would like to sleep on the couch please." Said Tanya as she tries to escape from Raine clutches.


    Raine strengthened her grip, with her 11 points of strength, she can lift around 330 Kg or 727 Pound worth of maximum weight. Some of this super strength is transferred to Tanya''s tiny frame and cracked the bone joints loudly.


    "Ouch! Let go of me you brute!" Yelped Tanya in pain as she struggled in Raine''s embrace.


    "Ooops¡­ Sorry about that! I''m not used to my strength." Said Raine sheepishly as she hurriedly let go of Tanya.


    Tanya melted on top of the bed before she set her shoulder bones back into her joints properly. While she painfully groaned at the sensation, afterward she kneeled on the bed and started pinching both of Raine''s cheek with all her strength.


    "How do you like that! See how you like being played like a child!" Shouted Tanya with the fire of retribution in her eyes as she pinched and twisted Raine''s cheeks with all her strength.


    Raine pouted at Tanya''s retribution and was going to return the favor at Tanya before remembering her strength. Fearing that pinching Tanya''s cheeks would rip it off, she refrains from doing so.


    However, there is nothing wrong with retaliating by tickling Tanya''s ribs.


    Raine tickles Tanya''s ribs and armpit mercilessly on the bed, forcing Tanya to release her cheeks to defend herself.


    "Hahahaha! Stop it! Stop it! I''m dying here! Ron! Help me you ass!" Shrieked Tanya for help while laughing continuously.


    Ron, currently wearing casual clothing to get ready for sleep and grooming himself in front of the mirror, take one look at the scene on top of the bed. He sees Raine on top of Tanya, both girls bathrobes slipped and messy because of the melee. Tanya''s on her back trying to fend off Raine''s assault on her by hitting Raine over the head with one of the pillows repeatedly.


    "Ahhh, just like home." Sighed Ron blissfully as he gets back to brushing his teeth.

 Chapter 15

    "Rise and shine folks, it''s morning already, and you know what that means? Time to get up, brush up and get ready for another glorious day at the workplace. But before all that let''s check what the weather would be like today. Good morning to my weather correspondent, Tim. How is the outlook for the weather at the station today Tim?" Said a loud voice from the speaker beside the bed suddenly.


    Raine groans and shut out the radio voices with a pillow, slightly disturbing the drooling Tanya still sleeping beside her.


    "Why good morning to you as well Jim, it''s going to be another glorious day for the State today with perpetually sunny skies dotted with a few clouds and the wind set at a comfortable 20 Km/hour for everyone at the station. For those residing at sector Gamma twelve, we recommend you to stay indoors tonight at around nine pm as the station''s weather team are scheduling a heavy rain which will last for about half an hour to water the plants and wash away the accumulated dust and dirt in that sector." Continued another voice on the radio.


    "Sounds like another great job done by our weather team at central today Tim! The effort of the weather team ensures that the festivities at the mech coliseum will be in an optimum condition for a display of brutal carnage and a hefty paycheck for the winning team of this afternoon match. Hopefully, any stain left behind by the loser will be washed away by the evening rain!" Said the original radio jockey.


    "Ah yes Jim, we will make sure that today''s weather is perfect for today''s festivities." Replied Tim confidently.


    "You do that Tim! And now for the news of the day! War on the horizon of Caldari Prime! The State has issued a war bond that loyal citizens can purchase from the Caldari State. The State expects either volunteer, war bond or supply to provide for the war effort! Find out more how can you help, after this break! For now let us listen to an old classic from the late 24th century, "Do it like a dude" by Jessie J." Said Jim as the sound switches to a song about gender emancipation after the fall in the number of men due to the genetic manipulation mishap.


    <label for="zoom"></label>


    Click here for the music - ''Do it like a dude'' by Jessie J.</a>


    Raine wishes that the radio will turn off already as she uses one hand to try to look for the snooze button while the other hand is holding the pillow covering her head. Unfortunately, she''s slapping Tanya''s face instead of the snooze button.


    Tanya wake up with a start and with bleary eyes managed to block Raine''s hand before it can hit her face again.


    "Sigh, this is why I said I''d rather sleep on the couch." Complained Tanya as she wiped her bleary eyes before yawning to clear her foggy head and then turn the radio off by pressing the snooze button for Raine.


    Raine has no choice but to give up trying to extend her sleep since Tanya is up already and escapes from her grasps.


    "Morning Tanya, ahh why did you have to wake up? I like having you available for my hug pillow beside me." Complained Raine as well after she removed the pillow covering her face.


    "Get a real hug pillow then. I would be asking for my own bed next time." Said Tanya as she let go of Raine''s wrist and left the bed to get ready for the day.


    "But a real hug pillow wouldn''t be as warm and soft as you!" Said Raine as she jumped from the bed to follow after Tanya.


    Tanya ignores Raine before she took off her bathrobe and entered the bathtub. Readying the drones again, Tanya presses a button on the corner of the bathtub, which let the warm water flow from the overhead panel before the drones scrubbed her back and shoulders.


    As Tanya is in the process of scrubbing her hair with shampoo, the door to the hotel room opens, and Ron walks in with a pair of steaming trays of breakfast.


    "Hi girls! You wake up just in time for breakfast! I have green toasts, eggs and a can of coke right here for both of you." Said Ron as he enters the hotel room carrying a pair of breakfast tray on both hands.


    "Breakfast in bed!" Said Raine happily as she lazily waved from the bed.


    "Yes Ms. Raine, you''re hungry, right? Here you go." Said Ron as he passes one of the breakfast trays to Raine''s hands and put Tanya''s portion on the desk.


    Raine moved to sit cross-legged on the bed and happily accepted the breakfast tray from Ron. She opens the tray to sniffs at the green toast and green scrambled eggs under the tray before scooping up the scrambled egg with a slice of the toast.


    "Green toast and green scrambled eggs?" Asked Raine as she raised an eyebrow.


    "It''s the hotel''s special set. I hope you will like it." Said Ron as he took off his boots and left it near the door before closing it.


    "I don''t suppose they have green hams as well? I''m always curious how a Dr. Seuss breakfast set would taste." Said Raine jokingly as she prods the green scrambled eggs with a fork as it jiggled enticingly, hot steam and savory aroma wafted from the breakfast tray in front of Raine.


    "Who?" Said Ron with confusion.


    "Never mind, forget about it." Replied Raine as she falls to temptation and pops in a green toast with the green scrambled eggs nestled in the middle of the toast.


    Chewing quickly, she marveled at the salty and savory taste of the seaweed. While the toast is a novel experience compared to what she is used to, nothing could compare to the taste of the scrambled eggs. At first, she thought it was just your average everyday scrambled eggs colored with food coloring, but it doesn''t taste like chicken eggs that she is used to. For one thing, the texture is much thicker, and it leaves an aftertaste like eating seafood.


    "What eggs are these Ron? It''s so nice and thick. I could get used to eating this." Said Raine happily as she continues to chew the food in her mouth.


    "The eggs you are eating are Chocobo eggs, and we imported them from the forests of Gallente Prime. Chocobos are a breed of large, flightless birds native from the elves homeworld of Gallente Prime. Chocobos are characterized by their yellow feathers, distinct odor, and the unforgettable chirp. Their main diet is coastal marine products such as seaweed, clams and small fishes which is why their eggs give a seafood aftertaste, but they have a favorite vegetable called Gysahl greens which looks like a giant golden radish. Also, chocobos are domesticated by the elves for their gentle nature and quick feet as a mode of transportation for thousands of years. However, nowadays they are more often used as a source of eggs, entertainment, and companionship. Miniature versions of chocobos are popular as the pets of the rich and famous regardless of race." Explained Ron again, showing off his wealth of knowledge about food.


    "Hmm, I won''t regret coming back from the dead if I can eat foods which I have never tasted before. I suppose the first contact is almost worth it if we could exchange culture and consumables products with non-humans." Commented Raine as she opens a can of coke and drinks it.


    "Non-humans? I suppose there is more disparaging term to call them and your term are clinical in comparisons to what I have heard in the past. I should introduce you to the concept of human to non-human relationships then." Said Ron casually as he took a seat on the bed, avoiding the stained area.


    Due to shock, Raine sprays the coke from her mouth when she hears the term ''non-human relationships'' from Ron. Raine choked and cough to dislodge the diabetic inducing chemical concoction from her throat. The white bedsheet is stained dark from the spilled coke, but it is the farthest thing from Raine''s mind at the moment.


    "There are people that are into cross-species dating?! I mean I can understand elves since I have never seen an ugly elf so far, even the men are pretty boys. And I suppose people that look for relationships with dwarves are pedophiles that are going for legal lolis. But surely nobody will date an orc voluntarily." Said Raine in shock as she wiped her lips clean with her arm.


    "That and so much more, as such relationship can culminate in cross-species breeding. What you need to know is that humanity is a highly adaptable species, more so than any other species. We can breed with elves, dwarves, and orcs, but the resulting progeny will always follow the mother''s race. Normally, elves and dwarves would rarely step so low as to have carnal relations with a member of what they consider a lower race. However, cases of true love do happen even if it''s rare, yet it is frowned upon as somehow any dwarves or elves which procreate with a human would produce a dark variation of the mother''s race such as dark dwarves or dark elves. Orcs have no such compulsion though as they are the only exception, there are no dark orcs and regardless of the gender of the human partner, the resulting progeny would always be an Orc. This is why cases of human men being kidnapped by orcish pirates are common, as they are being used as a stud to replenish the orc numbers." Said Ron as he elaborates more on a fact of life in a manner like explaining sex to a child.


    "What? The orc men are not enough that we have to cover for their impotence?" Said Raine with disgust.


    "They could, but orc men are violent and having a high lust for battle and war proves detrimental to producing progeny. So the orc men are always soldiers, raiders, and warriors fighting and dying on the frontline with no interest in raising a family. To a female orc, human men are an attractive alternative." Explains Ron carefully.


    "I can''t believe I am saying this but thank God I''m not a man at present." Shuddered Raine on the bed.


    Raine continues eating her breakfast after a pause in the conversation as the world-shattering news would not be enough to stop her appetite from taking in what food she could put in her mouth.


    Once Raine finishes her plate, she put the empty plate aside for the cleaner to collect while waiting for Tanya to finish taking a shower so that she could take a shower as well.


    Raine didn''t have to wait long until Tanya finishes showering, exited the bath tub at the center of the room and dried instantly by the automatic bathtub function. She approached Tanya with a full breakfast plate.


    "Here you go Tanya, Ron is here, and he brings breakfast. I know it''s green scrambled eggs, but you better not ask for green hams or you would turn green with disgust as he gives you a wrong green colored variety of pigs." Said Raine as she nonchalantly passes the breakfast tray before Tanya has a chance to clothe herself.


    Tanya grasps the breakfast tray with confusion as she didn''t expect to receive anything so suddenly. She was about to turn around to ask why before becoming frozen with shock as Raine''s words registered in her mind. With horror, Tanya slowly turns around before she saw Ron standing in the hallway near the door.


    "Morning Tanya." Said Ron with a smile as he waves at Tanya.


    Tanya starts to tear up before a loud scream echoed across the hotel, shocking some sleeping hotel guests awake with fear and causes a woman shaving her leg in the bathroom to cut herself.


    A ruckus then starts where Tanya threw the breakfast tray at Ron''s face and in the subsequent backlash, Raine decided to slip away quietly after showering. It was not to be as she got caught by Tanya and got scolded in return. At the same time Tanya is being scolded by Ron, Raine decided to berate Ron for being too harsh with Tanya. In the end, they realized that they are literally passing blames in circles and decided to laugh about it.


    As they are getting ready to leave the hotel, Ron received a call from Iden Versio to meet up with her over at the Galbadia Garden compound to meet up with one of the Garden Administrator for Tanya to register as a mercenary.


    Now that Tanya has decided to become a mercenary, this is the first step that she needs to take to become one.


    Author Note


    Garden refers to the most infamous educational institutions in each of the four major factions of the universe. Each garden trains their respective faction youths into specialized military forces and is headed by a group and an individual, the administrator, referred to as masters, and a headmaster.


    There are four Gardens in the universe: Balamb Garden for the elves of the Gallente Federation, Galbadia Garden for the humans of the Caldari State, Trabia Garden for the dwarves of the Amarr Empire and finally Centra Garden for the orcs of the Minmatar Republic.


    Occupants of one''s Garden refer to their home Garden as simply "Garden", while the other establishments are often referred to with shorthand that has the Garden''s first letter adjoined to the word "Garden": B-Garden, G-Garden, T-Garden and C-Garden respectively.


    *10 minutes later*


    "Sigh, do you have to scream so loud Tanya? My ears are still ringing." Complained Raine as she hit the side of her head repeatedly to clear out the ringing sound.


    Tanya proceeds to hammer wherever she could from beside Raine repeatedly, not content with the punishment Raine has already received.


    Unfortunately, Raine still gets most of the blame in the end as she is the only one receiving punishment. She is forced by Tanya to leave behind her gears, weapons, and mask. Not only that, she is forced to wear a school uniform, which is a hands-me-down from Ron''s daughter.


    "Uuuuuh, this uniform is not comfortable to wear. And they make it hard to move." Complained Raine as she cannot take it anymore and decided to take off her tie to loosen her collar and heavy outer jacket, as otherwise, it is getting more stifling.


    "Ah, Raine! Don''t take off your tie! We would be meeting with a Garden Master soon, and if I want to get in as a mercenary, I need to give a good impression." Scolded Tanya as she can be seen wearing the same uniform as well.


    "It''s choking me! And why can''t I wear my helmet? I''m uneasy that everyone can see that my head is covered with leaves instead of hairs" Complained Raine bitterly as she cutely covered her head with her hands.


    "Oh hush, you said it yourself when we first meet at the orphanage. Everyone is now used to seeing the damn thing since the advertisement for it are practically everywhere. I''d be surprised if I do not see elves purchasing and wearing it as well, damned tree hugger that they are." Said Tanya condescendingly as she waved Raine''s concern away.


    "Well, I am just glad that my daughters old uniform could fit both of you. Especially you, Raine. To be honest, I was very curious yesterday since it seems that your breasts have deflated when I saw you yesterday. If your breasts size is still the same, then my daughters old uniform would not have fit you." Said Ron from beside Tanya and Raine.


    Ron is currently driving while both Raine and Tanya share the passenger''s seat as they cruise along the highway after they left Galbadia hotel behind for Tanya''s initiation to becoming a mercenary.


    "Oh, well for one reason or another it''s my battery. I can store excess energy there, but I can subsist on normal food as well. You can think of it as a camel hump, maybe. It''s much easier for me to move like this though as my shoulders and back are getting strained after a while." Replied Raine distractedly as she spotted a football game besides the highway with all four races participating in it.


    "Yes, I prefer you like this as well. It is quite disconcerting to see a child having an adult''s package. Of course, some men prefer you to have a bigger package though, because a woman may need to feed more than her own children in a family unit. As some women are not able to lactate well nowadays, it''s pretty common for a family unit to look for a well-endowed woman to cover for the less endowed member of the family. In school, a big rack also means you would be very popular with the men, ensuring that the women in question have first picked to any men that she would want to date. " Said Ron as he chuckled lightly at his own school memory.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Sigh. Why do I suddenly have the feeling of inadequacy when it shouldn''t have affected me at all?" Said Raine gloomily as she pats at her chest for something which is no longer there.


    "Hahaha! Now you could understand a woman''s insecurity! That is our revenge for having to wear thongs in the swimming pool!" Said Ron while laughing boisterously.


    "You mean thongs as in slippers?" Asked Raine with trepidation.


    "That and the one you wear on your waist. How else would women judge the size of a man package? The bigger they are, the more advances they would receive from women after all." Said Ron nonchalantly.


    "I see that things have come full circle then... That''s it I am taking my undersuit and gear from the trunk as I am wearing that instead of this stifling uniform." Said Raine as she tried to get up from the passenger seat before being blocked by Tanya and getting scolded for her trouble.


    "Raine! I swear if you take another step towards the trunk I will shave you bald!" Threatened Tanya as she holds back Raine from moving another inch.


    Raine ignores Tanya''s complaint. Internally she thinks why she should have to dress up for Tanya''s appointment as well? It''s not like she wanted to be a mercenary. Now that she thinks about it, being a mercenary would cut down on her monster-hunting time as she attends lectures and training when she could be out there gaining experience points and gaining levels.


    "Sigh, I don''t have to dress up as well Tanya. It is your meeting, and I am sure being a mercenary means that there are more important things to care about than the clothes you wear." Said Raine exasperatingly as she reluctantly returns to her seat.


    "What you wear is half the battle! Nobody would want to hire someone who has an unkempt appearance even if you have a doctorate on hand!" Retorted Tanya with annoyance at Raine''s naivety at how the corporate world work.


    "Ability is the most important test for a mercenary. The test is called ''Natural Selection'' As a mercenary, we are the proxy military force of each major faction. If the State needs something done without implicating their involvement, then mercenary would be assembled and deployed. Of course, this means our life expectancy is not the highest, but we are paid well by the State, provided we take the job and managed to survive completing it. No mercenary are state-sponsored, as we are privateers hired by the State and compensated for a successful completion of a job. We are also not a part of the government body, and this is very important as it means we get to decide whether to take the job or not. This is how each major faction gets around peace treaty and avoiding all-out war. Of course, appearance is also important, because usually, our clients are an important and powerful individual. An immaculate appearance and mannerism would endear you to the client, raising the possibility of them calling for your service again next time. No high-level client would hire a mercenary who looks like a common thug after all. So both of you are right." Interjected Ron as he continues driving.


    Raine and Tanya have nothing to say after Ron''s explanation and an argument between them are avoided. Soon enough they exit the highway and drive in through a security checkpoint to enter the Garden compound. After Ron give the access card to enter the Garden compound, the security guard allows them passage.


    Once inside the compound, she sees students here and there mingling with other students and passing hallways. She sees some students alone in the garden of the Garden, studying from their Omni-tools for an upcoming examination or tinkering on a combat drone or what looks like a rail-rifle on the bench. Curiously, all the students that she can see are all humans. After passing the students, Raine can vaguely see the main Garden compound through the trees.


    After a while, she can now clearly spot what looks like the main Garden building through the trees now that it is much closer. She noticed that the building is larger than what she is used to, the scale alone beggars the mind.


    When they exit the cover of the trees, the road ends at a parking lot, and it is also a dead end. This is because, beyond the parking lot, the ground starts to spiral downwards below ground level. The whole setup is like a parking lot at the edge of a cliff overlooking a valley.


    Raine realizes why the main Garden building sits in a valley because she suspects it is set to be a countermeasure for a nuclear strike as the blast wave fly over the Garden building.


    Not only that, the whole building looks like a work of art, with holograms continuously rotating above the main Garden building with news and advertisements for all to see.


    "Will you look at that beautiful sight, I remember the first time Kim, and I first laid our eyes on the Garden as students after our high school graduation. It feels like a lifetime ago now, but some of the best memories I have are spent inside this compound. I am sure you would do great Tanya. Let''s see I should park the car first and then we have to take an aerial platform to go down for the entry assessment... Which should be right around that corner." Said Ron as he reminiscence and tries to remember his way around the Garden again.


    Raine spotted the flying aerial platforms mentioned by Ron, some students and guests of the Garden are waiting in line in one of the stations dotted around the parking lot to use them as transport to go down to the main building.


    As the car park in one of the available spot, Raine unbuckled her seatbelt before Tanya hops out of the car. Ron stepped out as well and gestured at his charge as all of them wait in line for the usage of the aerial platforms. After waiting for a while, they have nothing to do and start making idle talk with each other.


    "Why do they design the place like this? It makes it inconvenient to enter the main building if we have to use the aerial pods to go down." Asked Tanya as she spotted empty aerial pods returning automatically back to the stations without passengers.


    "It''s for security. It''s much harder to infiltrate when you have to scale down the edge of a cliff without being spotted. And it''s much easier to spot an infiltrating aerial platform if it deviates from its course. We not only have to be vigilant of infiltration from rival Gardens but also from direct assault. The main Galbadia garden building has a shield emitter system network in place, a nest of small Hybrid turrets and even have eight large cruise missile silo packed at the center as part of its self-defense arsenal. This compound''s arsenal of weapons and self-defense system are the equal of any battleship." Explains Ron again as he perks up from the boredom of idleness.


    "I know some of the terms but what are Hybrid turrets? Please explain it to me." Asked Tanya again, nodding in acceptance as the reasoning for the compound layout became understandable.


    "Hybrid turrets fire charged projectiles at the enemy using magnetic fields by using energy, like lasers, but firing solid projectiles, like projectile guns, hence "hybrids". In practice, this means that they use capacitor energy when they fire like lasers, though they are less cap-hungry than lasers. Those who use hybrid turrets will want to have good capacitor skills and practice Controlled Bursts to support their guns'' requirements. Hybrid turrets also have to be regularly reloaded with fresh ammunition just like projectile guns. The ammunition for Hybrid turrets is normally made from either anti-matter, plutonium, uranium, thorium, lead, iridium, tungsten and iron. Depending on the material give a different damage output and range. Hybrid turrets can only do kinetic and thermal damage, and there are two kinds of hybrid turrets ''Blasters'' and ''Railguns''. Caldari traditionally uses ''Railguns'' and ''Blasters'' are traditionally used by the Gallente elves. Both use the same firing principle, but ''Railguns'' have very long range and less damage output, while ''Blasters'' have very short range but have a very high damage output. Of course, in combat, those that use ''Blasters'' have a higher chance to make a kill but also a higher attrition rate as they have to be in a spitting distance away before they can deal any damage. However, as the Gallente Elves do not care about droids or drones casualty they outfit their military force entirely with ''Blasters.''" Answered Ron to Raine''s question.


    "Oh, as expected of Ron. You are very knowledgeable about combat-related matter. This place must have a good educational program for you to remember all that." Commended Tanya approvingly, as she is happy about the qualification of the place she is about to enroll soon.


    "Ah, not really. I was not a very academically inclined student in high school. I wouldn''t even graduate highschool if it were not for my wife help. Even when we enroll in the Garden together, she continues to help me out. Of course, back then we were already dating and living together in the dormitory. I do the housework and cook while she helps me with the course and exam seems like a good deal at the time." Said Ron with embarrassment as he remembers his distant past.


    "Oh what a good deal, then after graduating this place, she would get a husband who is already experienced in housework and taking care of her." Said Raine as she laughed at the sweet deal for Ron''s wife.


    "Hmm, yes you could say that, but I did not regret it one bit. Even when other women came and approached us to request to join the family, I did not accept as I can see Kim would be heartbroken if I did. She is a very possessive woman you know. Must be because she is a redhead, as she is very outspoken and possessive sometimes as well. Of course, she received backlash socially as being monogamous is frowned upon as there are not enough men available for women after all. However, we do not let that bother us as we are very happy with the relationship and our daughters." Said Ron as he smiled softly.


    "How sweet. Did you hear that Tanya? Better look for another crush as his wife is a jealous redhead." Said Raine teasingly.


    "I did not have a crush on Ron! Raine would you drop it already!" Said Tanya, denying the accusation.


    "Hahaha, it''s fine I could tell Kim that another blonde just like Tara has a crush on me again. You know back in highschool there were our classmates that said me and Tara should just date together with Kim? Of course, their reasoning is simply just because both of us are blondes. We did argue about it as Tara is a sweet girl but decided not to go ahead with it. Of course, Tara''s best friend, Bonnie Rockwaller, have an issue with the rejection of her best friend. She and Kim have been at each other throat ever since." Said Ron good-naturedly as he laughs as well.


    "I have been hearing about your wife Kim all this while, yet I have never heard what she do for a living. What does she do for a living when you are out here working as a mercenary?" Asked Raine with curiosity.


    "She works as the captain of a ''Rokh'' class battleship, ''The Possible Twilight'' as part of a Caldari Navy fleet. Incidentally, her rival, Bonnie Rockwaller, serve as the captain of a ''Scorpion'' class battleship, an Electronic Warfare specialized battleship ''The Cyber Rottweiler,'' she served in a different Caldari Navy fleet." Answered Ron proudly about his wife achievements.


    "A woman in uniform... Men dig women in uniform don''t they?" Said Raine as she whistled, impressed.


    "You know it, but enough about my wife. It''s our turn on the platform next." Said Ron in reply as finally, it''s their turn on the aerial platform line.


    Raine nodded in acknowledgment, while Tanya pushes the bar blocking them away and enter first. She and Ron follow behind her, as Tanya steps inside the aerial platform that have just stop in front of them.


    The space on the platform is just nice to fit all three of them due to Raine and Tanya''s small body size. Ron hops on last from behind and is the only choice to operate the aerial pod due to the difference in height.


    Of course, it''s not only because she and Tanya cannot reach the control panel of the aerial platform. Who expects a minor to fly one of the aerial platforms? That is just irresponsible if the design made it possible for minor to operate. The control panel on the platform then scans Ron''s facial feature, confirming the user''s age before actually releasing the lock on the manipulation orbs, which is used to control the movement of the aerial platform.


    On hindsight, it''s obvious why as it is not meant to be operated by children. She wonders how long it took to get an aerial vehicle license. It''s already not easy to get a driving license back in her time, how difficult is it to get a pilot license when everyone can afford to get an aerial vehicle like this platform.


    Are they not worried about terrorism? What if someone installed a booster, pack the platform full of explosives and then rammed a building like a world war II Japanese kamikaze pilot? But then if all the buildings here come standard with anti-air hybrid guns emplacement then it should be suicide to try.


    "Now hold tight on both side of the bars and my legs, please. Are you ready girls?" Said Ron as he swiped his dog tag to pay for the usage of the aerial platform.


    Raine and Tanya nodded, as they are very much fascinated with the view of the valley below, seen through the open side of the aerial platform. They became excitable when the aerial platform hums softly, very much different to the roar of their light military vehicle.


    If Raine has to make a comparison, the aerial platform made a soft hum reminiscent of the sound of anti-gravity technology that both Raine and Tanya have heard in sci-fi movies.


    Raine shouts joyously as they burst out of the aerial platform station while Tanya clenched her teeth and closed her eyes while grabbing Ron tightly as they fall. The aerial platform they are on plunged down meters down the cliff before Ron suddenly acted to make the platform rise again in the air.


    "What a rush! Can we do it again?" Approved Raine with happiness while Tanya continues to grab Ron tightly with eyes tightly closed.


    "I would be happy to... But only if Ms. Tanya can kindly let go of her hands from my balls, that would be very much appreciated." Said Ron squeakily in a high falsetto voice.


    Tanya suddenly lets go of Ron''s legs like it''s burning hot. Unfortunately, because of the small area of the platform, she almost falls from it, if not for Raine reaching out and held Tanya back from the edge of the platform.


    "Oops, that was close. Should have held Ron tighter, shouldn''t we Tanya?" Commented Raine with wonder.


    Tanya held back from lashing out at Raine again as she did just save Tanya from injury and death. When they are back on the ground again, she cannot wait to kick Raine in the butt.


    "Alright, enough playing around, I regret playing a prank on both of you while we are using the aerial platform. I should fly straight to the main building before anything else can happen." Said Ron as the tone of his voice is returning to normal.


    Ron soars higher before suddenly being forced to hover on air. They have to wait as a pair of Garden staff trainer are passing in front of them, teaching some students on how to operate the aerial platform properly.


    Click here for the recording from Ron''s camera</a>


    Once all the aerial platforms has passed, they moved quickly to the area in front of the Garden building entrance and landed on the ground next to other passengers that are landing before and after them.


    Raine can see the entrance to the main Garden building are flanked by a pair of stone Gargoyles statues, which are sitting on top of the two towers that leads to the lobby.


    Raine and Tanya jump to the ground, away from the aerial platform, followed by Ron.


    A student from the nearby queue line then approach the recently vacated aerial platform and proceed to ascend vertically before flying somewhere else.


    "There goes our ride, and we have to wait for another empty platform when we are ready to go back to the parking lot." Said Ron as he stands in front of the entrance to the main garden building, watching the aerial platform getting further and further away from their location.


    "Hello, sir..." Said a soft voice suddenly.


    Raine shifted her attention to the owner of the voice. She sees one of the wandering female student approaches Ron shyly.


    "Yes, how can I help you miss?" Replied Ron politely.


    "I was asked by one of the Master of the Garden to call you... He is waiting there beside the vending machine." Said the student softly as she pointed at the man in the distance flanked by a large scarred bald man carrying a large harpoon and a vending machine selling bullets for firearms.


    Raine''s eyes are raised high when she sees the bodyguard beside the Garden Master. He could be a bodyguard, but she is not sure why he is carrying a large harpoon around.


    However, when Ron confidently approach them, Raine has no choice but to follow in his wake. As they get closer and closer, Raine feels increasingly uncomfortable when the eyes of the giant man are monitoring her closely.


    "Hello Master, my name is Ron Stoppable, and I am here on behalf of Commander Iden Versio of Inferno Squad." Said Ron respectfully as he bows lightly.


    "Greeting Ron Stoppable, I have been informed of your arrival by the gatekeepers of the Garden. Now, how may I help you?" Asked the Garden Master.


    "Wait, we''ll be asking the question, old man. Who are you?" Asked Raine rudely.


    "Yu." Said the Garden Master.


    "No, not me. You." Replied Raine with annoyance.


    "Yes, I''m Yu." Confirmed Master Yu.


    "Just answer the damn question! Who are you?" Said Raine as she insisted rudely and suddenly.


    "I have told you!" Insisted Master Yu as well.


    "Are you deaf?" Asked Raine with confusion.


    "No. Yu is blind." Replied Master Yu showing his pair of blind unresponsive eyes.


    "I''m not blind. You blind." Said Raine angrily.


    "That is what I just said." Replied Master Yu with exasperation.


    "You just said what?" Asked Raine getting lost in the flow of the conversation.


    "I did not say what, I said Yu." Refuted Master Yu.


    "That''s what I''m asking you." Confirmed Raine again.


    "And Yu was answering." Confirmed Master Yu in reply.


    "Shut up!" Shouted Raine as her patience reached the end.


    Raine is almost at the end of her rope due to the nonsense spouted by the old man in front of her. She decided to ask the crazy old man''s bodyguard beside him instead.


    "You!" Said Raine as she pointed at the big scarred bald man carrying a harpoon in front of her.


    "Yes?" Asked Master Yu politely.


    "Not you. Him! What''s your name?" Said Raine exasperated as she pointed again at the suspected bodyguard of the old man.


    "...Mi." Answered the large scarred bald man carrying a harpoon.


    "Yes, you." Confirmed Raine.


    "...I''m Mi." Said Mi, confirming Raine''s question.


    "He''s Mi, and I''m Yu." Confirmed Master Yu impatiently at the obstinance of his guests.


    "And I''m about to whoop your old ass man because I am sick of playing games! You, me? Everybody''s ass around here!" Snapped Raine as she is getting ready to unleash a level 10 Lightning bolt to fry the lunatics in front of her to a crisp.


    Yet, luckily for the old man, before Raine can start casting the spell, someone kicked her own ass.


    Therefore breaking the casting and causing her face to slide on the ground.


    While this has been happening, Ron, the traitor that he is, is rolling on the ground laughing like a maniac while Tanya is still in a mule-kick position and glaring at Raine murderously.


    And to add insult to injury, Raine''s argument has attracted the attention of the surrounding students as they formed a ring around them.


    ''It looks like today is going to be one of those days...'' Thought Raine in dismay.

 Chapter 16

    "What is happening here?" Said Iden Versio as she cut through the ring of students surrounding Raine and Co.


    Raine perks up when she heard Iden''s voice, and she hurriedly took a sitting position, cross-legged, on the ground.


    "Ah, Ms. Iden! Nothing! I was engaged in an argument with this old man here, who insist on making things difficult when I asked him a simple question." Said Raine as she hopes to show her innocence in the disturbance on the Garden''s common ground by narrating the flow of conversation word by word.


    "You were arguing with Master Yu and Mi? They wouldn''t hurt a fly, much less making things difficult for you. Besides, you misunderstand what they said as that is their real name Master Y.U. and his attendant M.I." Said Iden as she raised an eyebrow after listening to Raine''s testimony.


    "Oh, what bullshit is that!" Said Raine as she cursed her luck.


    Raine is wondering why does this kind of thing keep happening to her? It''s like there are higher beings deriving pleasure from seeing her get into trouble and wondering how she would wiggle out of the hole they have put her in. Perhaps she would need to go to church again, but from what she heard everyone in the future became an atheist, so looking for an open church now seems impossible.


    "Sigh, for the umpteenth time Ms. Raine, please do not cause trouble for Master Yu. I have asked him for a favor to assess Tanya''s enrolment in the Garden and register her for a course appropriate to her level." Said Iden as she sighed and can feel wrinkles starting to form around her eyes when dealing with Raine.


    "Oh, the pleasure is mine, Ms. Iden. I never taught someone as driven and talented as you when you were attending this Garden. Your recommendation of young Tanya here is giving me another hope for the future of humanity if what you said is true." Said Master Yu happily.


    "Oh you jest Master Yu, I am sure there are many promising students that went through the Garden after my time." Said Iden, flattered at Master Yu statement.


    <div>


    "There has been, but most quit being a mercenary and join the Caldari Navy after graduation instead. Damn them Navy brass, and I have been petitioning them to stop stealing our graduates as there would be situations where they would need our assistance yet unable to do so due to some treaty or whatnot." Complained Master Yu bitterly.


    "Really? That sounds bad. I could bring this up with director Alakoni Ishanoya of Lai Dai if you want Master Yu. I bet she could approach the Caldari Navy and do something on your behalf." Offered Iden thoughtfully.


    "Oooooh! That would be most helpful Ms. Iden, if you could do this on our behalf, then all the Garden Masters and even the Headmaster himself would owe you a debt." Said Master Yu happily.


    "Perhaps we should take this up to your office, Master Yu. After all, this kind of talk isn''t something that should be discussed out in the open." Replied Iden as she glanced around at the ring of students surrounding them. Some even taking pictures and excitedly talk among themselves about the presence of adamantine-ranked mercenaries in the Garden common ground.


    "Oh, forgive me. Most certainly, let us continue this conversation in my office. Come Mi, help guide me back to our office." Said Master Yu, as Mi started guiding Master Yu with one hand and used the other hand holding the harpoon to make a path through the shrieking ring of students.


    "Oh, so that is what the ridiculous harpoon is for." Said Raine with wonder as she sees Mi lazily carving a path through shrieking and protesting students trying to avoid being impaled.


    Everyone follow the path left behind by Master Yu and Mi through the student bodies. After going through the cliche gargoyle statue pillars on the common ground, Raine and Co. approach the entrance to the Galbadia Garden main building.


    Once she and everyone else pass the large sliding doors, she found herself surprised at the fantastical lobby design.


    </label>


    After they enter the main Garden building through the sliding doors, Raine found herself standing on a bridge leading to the lobby, some distance ahead of them.


    However, she forced herself not to gape as she still has some pride as an old veteran who has seen everything.


    ¡®Holy are those coral reefs and ocean fishes down there?! Even manta rays, sun fishes and dolphins are down there!'' Thought Raine bewilderedly, pride forgotten.


    Raine and Tanya found themselves speechless at the sights below them as the circular design of the lobby enable currents to be artificially created, which resembles a moderately paced vortex surrounding the main lobby. Some dolphins could be seen hunting for darting squids as a multitude of brightly colored tropical fish taking refuge among the coral reefs closer to the center of the lobby. There are so many things to see that both Raine and Tanya found themselves being left behind by the rest of the group. Feeling embarrassed for falling to distraction, both of Raine and Tanya chased after the rest of the group before they could make an issue out of it.


    "Has it been more than ten years since you last walk this hallway Ms. Iden? Time does flies when you have been as busy as I have." Said Master Yu conversationally as he walks while being guided by Mi.


    "It sure has, Master Yu. I hope you are well and did not fall into the oceanarium again." Replied Iden pleasantly as she walked alongside Master Yu.


    "Oh, more than times than I could count Ms. Iden. The downside of being blind you see. Of course on the upside, I could take a dip in the oceanarium and blame it on the same account of being blind. It''s just a matter of perspective you see." Said Master Yu, good-naturedly.


    Before Raine realizes it, among the incessant small talk, they have reached Master Yu''s office. Master Yu opens his office by swiping his Master access card through the digital lock of the door. Master Yu''s office looks like your standard utilitarian office with few amenities, not even the stereotypical book case filled with books. However, there are plenty of sofas around, presumably when students gather for an after class lecture or study session.


    Everyone then went inside to look for a seat and get comfortable, before Mi closed the door and locked it.


    <div>


    "Now then since everyone is here, let us start the discussion on young Ms. Tanya here." Said Master Yu from the office desk at the center of the room.


    "Just a minute, I have to check for bugs first." Interjected Ron.


    "Hey what happen to Kaidan? I thought he was with you?" Whispered Raine to Iden''s ear, as she watches Ron working to scan every corner of the room with his Omnitool.


    "He''s guarding you know where from thieves and looters. I''ll get back to you later on what we found there Ms. Raine." Whispered Iden back to Raine.


    Raine shrugged and got back to watching Ron scanning the room for bugs again.


    "All clear, we could go ahead with the meeting now." Said Ron professionally.


    "As I was saying now, Ms. Iden. Is it true that Ms. Tanya has a perfect human genome? Superior in every way compared to the average Homo Sapiens?" Asked Master Yu with trembling hands.


    Tanya suppressed a chill, hearing the tone of Master Yu and the glint that could be seen in his blind eyes. She has the urge to run and hide from Master Yu blatant intent and greed, a stark contrast to the simple and kind old man persona he has shown earlier.


    "Yes Master Yu, it has been confirmed by medical personnel. Of course, the whole thing is beyond top secret, and black ops procedure is implemented properly." Answered Iden seriously.


    "I see, I see. Err figuratively of course. However, this does present an opportunity for the Garden. My only regret is that because of the black ops procedure I am forbidden to share it with the rest of my fellow Master colleagues. I assume even the Headmaster is not exempt from this rule?" Asked Master Yu.


    "You assume correctly. The State Intelligence department has been noting that the Headmaster is showing signs of being too close with members of the Gallente Federation Balamb Garden. He is being monitored at the moment for signs of being compromised." Answered Iden gravely.


    "Sigh, I did wonder at that time why the Headmaster seems so at ease with lady Quistis Trepe." Sighed Master Yu.


    "Who is this Quistis Trepe?" Asked Iden with a glint.


    "She is a young elf prodigy and a rising star instructor at Balamb Garden. At the age of 150 years she became SeeD, and now at 180 years is the youngest instructor in the Balamb Garden. In the past she can be seen visiting Galbadia Garden, often to foster the spirit of cooperation and implementing a student exchange program for the benefit of the students and promoting good bilateral ties. Unfortunately, due to the recent tense bilateral relations after the destruction of the station, she has stopped coming here due to the political situation. I believe this has made the Headmaster unhappy and maybe they still maintain contact through video call now and then." Said Master Yu.


    "Interesting, I could pass this information along to the State intelligence department. See what they come up. However, the Headmaster is not why we have come here today. It''s about Tanya''s incorporation into this Garden and asking your support to keep Tanya''s record a secret from internal and external parties. Do this for Lai Dai, and you can expect support from the highest level of Lai Dai management in return. Betray us, and you would find yourself terminated as well as all your familial relative up to your second degree relative would be terminated as well." Threatened Iden casually as if it''s a common procedure that she always do during work.


    "Oh my, so the standard high-level contract fare then? Very well, where do I sign?" Agreed Master Yu solemnly.


    "Since you have agreed verbally to the assignment. A legal representative from our lawyer firm would approach you soon. Expect them within this week and clear your schedule as we cannot give an exact period. Finally, is there anything else you need?" Answered Iden professionally.


    "Well, I still need to test Tanya for entry to the mercenary program. There would be a set questions examination as well as a physical test so we could find out where to put Tanya. This procedure is non-negotiable as this is a set rule in place to block thrill seekers and bored children of executives from enrolling and quitting whenever they like. The funding for the Garden is provided by the State, not by tuition. Hence we have the standard in place to produce professional, highly skilled individual that is beholden to the state yet not duty-bound to the State to fill in an operational niche which could only be filled with mercenaries." Said Master Yu seriously.


    "Hm, very well. Tanya if you could follow Master Yu for these tests that would be much appreciated. And Ron, accompany them and keep an eye out for Ms. Tanya''s safety. I and Ms. Raine would wait here in Master Yu''s office for your return." Acknowledged Iden, as she understands the reasoning behind the rule in place.


    "Acknowledged, commander. We will be back before you know it." Replied Ron, as he moved to carry out his superior''s order.


    Everyone but Raine and Iden exit the room, with Master Yu and Mi leading the way, leaving both of them alone in the room.


    "You have something to say between the two of us, Ms. Iden?" Asked Raine bluntly.


    <div>


    "Hmm, yes Ms. Raine. I did check the base of the Guristas pirate with Kaidan yesterday. We found something amazing in the basement." Said Iden conspiratorially.


    "Oh? What is it?" Asked Raine, her interest raised from Iden''s statement.


    "We have found a frigate anchored in an underground clandestine ship bay, of course, we have to clear every personnel around it. I am willing to make a deal with you, as I have heard of your little stunt with Ron''s game console back in the Normandy on our way here." Said Iden.


    "Go on¡­" Replied Raine, remembering the game console she converted from a PlayStation 45 to a black pro version, using her dryad tendrils.


    "Well, the frigate is locked down, and we cannot hack into it as it is a frigate belonging to and made by the ¡®Blood Raider'' pirate faction. Their technology is a combination of Amarr dwarven technology as well as Minmatar orcish technology, without a Mastery of both technology applied concurrently no one would be able to access the ship''s interior." Said Iden regretfully.


    "Who and what are the Blood Raiders?" Asked Raine curiously as it is the first time she has heard the term.


    "The blood raiders are a sect of a deviant religious cult that roams the stars as one of the more notorious and feared pirate organization in the universe. Officially known as ¡®The Blood Raider Covenant'', it began as part of the Sani Sabik, an ancient Amarrian religious cult. Over time their practices grew more fanatical, they began draining victims of their blood to use in Blood Raider rituals. The Blood Raiders believe that the blood of children is purer than other bodies and they began seeking out and attacking undefended colonies in other star systems and outside the Amarr Empire. Fortunately, their target is primarily members of the Amarr Empire and its smaller affiliates, the Khanid Kingdom and the Ammatar Mandate as the blood raiders held the Amarr empire and it''s faith in contempt even though originally they have the same faith before a schism occurred thousands of years ago which lasted to this day. Currently, the leadership is held by Omir Sarikusa, a bloodthirsty dwarf who have adopted the deviant faith of the Amarr empire." Explained Iden thoroughly on the nature of the new rogue faction.


    </label>


    The Blood Raider Covenant is a particularly gruesome sect of the reviled Sani Sabik cult.


    The Amarr Empire has had its share of religious cults and fanatics in the past, but few have been as successful or been feared as much, as the Blood Raiders. The Blood Raiders are a sect of an ancient cult called Sani Sabik, which uses blood in their rituals. The Blood Raiders believe that children bodies have ''purer'' blood than other bodies and this explains while they operate mainly in space, attacking unwary space farers and draining their bodies of blood.


    While all modern Sani Sabik rituals use blood in some manner or another, the Blood Raiders Covenant places particular value on it and will go to great lengths to acquire it from what they believe to be the richest and most unspoiled sources.


    The Blood Raiders are led by the fearsome Omir Sarikusa, who has remained on top of the DED most wanted list for many years now. Under his leadership, the Blood Raiders have become more organized, and they have established several bases in the Bleak Lands region.


    Under Sarikusa''s rule, the Blood Raiders went from targeting children for their blooding rites to targeting powerful individuals in the belief that they are consuming the strength and power, taking it in as their own. Because so many spaceship pilots are powerful individuals, physically and mentally, the Blood Raiders have begun piracy to capture them. They are utterly ruthless in obtaining the precious red, regularly boarding other spacecraft and abducting all aboard. Some sects prefer to process their donors aboard the captured ships instead. From their base in Delve, they launch lightning raiding parties and surprisingly well-co-ordinated incursions deep into Empire space in pursuit of their goals.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    </label>


    Exclusive ships used by the blood raiders:


    Frigate: Cruor


    Cruiser: Ashimmu


    Battleship: Bhaalgorn


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Note: Just like their outlook in life, their ship technology reflects this as well, as all their ships excelled at neutralizing or stealing capacitors from other ships while at the same time dragging their victim speed to barely a crawl before going in for the kill and boarding them.


    <div>


    "Oh my God it''s a group of dwarves masquerading as Pennywise the clown from IT in space!" Said Raine in shock.


    Raine imagination shows her a dwarf in a clown costume riding a spaceship looking for children to eat.Seriously, just imagine a group of dwarves dressed as clowns wielding daggers and axes dancing creepily while chanting blood and children and tell her that it will not give anyone a nightmare fuel.


    </label>


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9elf-mecE</a>


    ¡®Oh fudge, I''m in a child''s body now!'' Thought Raine as she is torn between being scared for her life and being scornful about a threat to her life degrading themselves by wearing a clown outfit.


    "Oh for pity sakes Ms. Raine, you really should stop referencing ancient pop culture terms now as it is a few hundred years too late to mention them again. Besides, what does the term ¡®clown'' means anyway?" Said Iden with exasperation.


    "There are no clowns anymore? They are extinct... Haleluya! There is a God!" Said Raine as she cried happily from her seat across Iden.


    "Alright, enough with the comedy act, let us return to our discussion, Ms. Raine." Said Iden impatiently while tapping one of her boot.


    "... Fine, there is a good chance I can slip through the blood raider security measure. However, can I claim the frigate ship as my first dib claim on the Guristas base if I manage to bypass the security measure?" Asked Raine hopefully, as a means of transport for a trader is worth its weight in gold.


    "There should be no issue as we only want whatever is contained in the ship''s database as intel to sell to Lai Dai''s main foreign trading partner, the Amarr empire. If we can gain the location of some of its base of operation and supply line of the Amarr''s mortal enemy it would prove as a good bargaining chip in future trade negotiations." Affirmed Iden to Raine''s proposal.


    "Then it is a deal. I hope Lai Dai can help me register the frigate ship ownership under my name once I secure the frigate ship." Replied Raine happily with the deal.


    "That one is between you and Lai Dai, but there should be no issue if you use the highest privileged ID ¡®Being Y'' registered with the state under Lai Dai sponsorship. If it were anyone else, I would say to them good luck with the registration as usually pirate faction assets are confiscated and destroyed instead. In this case, connection are more important than your ability to procure the ship in the first place. Although they can alway use pirate faction hardware illegally in a low-security region or null-security or lawless region of space, it''s almost impossible to use it legally in high-security space, as it is managed and patrolled by one of the four major factions." Commented Iden informatively.


    "Very well, I will do that once I meet up again with director Alakoni. The timing is good as well since I need to repair my gear after the altercation with the Guristas and the giant slime yesterday. By the way, why would Guristas pirates have Blood Raiders ship inside their bay?" Asked Raine curiously.


    "Hmm, there is a multitude of reasons. While rare, there are cases where pirate faction trade with one another or appropriate for a false flag operation where they blame other pirates for a very illegal and amoral operation. With the blood raiders reputation, this would make sense." Answered Iden thoughtfully.


    "Alright, do you have the technical specs of the ship that I need to crack and hopefully becoming mine soon?" Asked Raine again.


    "I do actually. I can send them to your Omni tool now through a tight beam connection." Replied Iden as she tinkers her omnitool and a tight beam connect between Iden''s and Raine''s omnitools.


    Raine glanced through images and information that starts to get downloaded to her Omnitool.


    Once the download is complete, she opens the file for the blood raiders frigate, the ¡®Cruor'', anchored in the secret Guristas underground base.


    </label>


    The ¡®Cruor''


    The word ¡®Cruor'' is a latin word from France A.D. 1650-1660, which means coagulated blood, or the portion of the blood that forms the clot. It could also mean gore or crude. Mottled, dark red, and shaped like a leech, the Cruor presents a fitting metaphor for the Blood Raiders'' philosophy. Designed almost solely to engage in their disturbingly effective tactic of energy draining and stasis webbing, this ship is a cornerstone in any effective Blood Raider fleet - and could play an intriguing role in more standard ones.


    ''Cruor'' General Attributes


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">POWERGRID</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">CPU</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">CAPACITOR</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">STRUCTURE HIT POINTS</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">HIGH POWER SLOT</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MEDIUM POWER SLOT</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">LOW POWER SLOT</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">RIGS SLOT</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">RIGS CAPACITY</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">RIGS TYPE</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">57 MW</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">150 TF</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">470 GJ</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">580 HP</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">4</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">4</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">350</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SMALL</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    ''Cruor'' Navigation Attributes


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX VELOCITY</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">INERTIA MODIFIER RATING</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">WARP SPEED</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">BASE TIME TO WARP</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SENSOR STRENGTH</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SIGNATURE RADIUS</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SCAN RESOLUTION</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SHIP MASS</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SHIP VOLUME</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">CARGO</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">330 M/S</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3.6</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">5 AU/S</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">5.01 sec</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">RADAR - 12 POINTS</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">35 M</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">760 MM</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1,003,000 KG</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">28,600 M3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">135 M3</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ''Cruor'' Combat Attributes


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>DRONE CAPACITY</td>


    <td>DRONE BANDWIDTH</td>


    <td>MAX TARGET RANGE</td>


    <td>TURRET SLOT</td>


    <td>ARMOR HP</td>


    <td>SHIELD CAPACITY</td>


    <td>EMP RESISTANCE</td>


    <td>THERMAL RESISTANCE</td>


    <td>KINETIC RESISTANCE</td>


    <td>EXPLOSIVE RESISTANCE</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>5 M3</td>


    <td>5 MB/sec</td>


    <td>33 KM</td>


    <td>2</td>


    <td>740 HP</td>


    <td>480 HP</td>


    <td>25</td>


    <td>27.5</td>


    <td>32.5</td>


    <td>35</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    "Hmm, I have certainly received the information I need to help you. When do you want me to start hacking it?" Asked Raine as she inspects the attribute sheet of the ¡®Cruor'' frigate.


    "Perhaps later this afternoon?" Asked Iden.


    "Hmm maybe not, Kaidan owed me for saving his life yesterday, and he promised Tanya and me to watch the mech coliseum match later. Perhaps tonight, after the match?" Offered Raine instead.


    "Very well, I will take over Kaidan''s watch. Since I have no more business here, I will meet up with him now and ask him to meet up with you here later on. Try not to cause any trouble please." Said Iden, even though she has very little hope that Raine will listen to her.


    "But trouble keeps finding me!" Refuted Raine sulking.


    "Tell that to the judge."Said Iden as she waved Raine''s protest away.


    Iden stands up and left the room, leaving Raine alone with her thought. However, after 20 minutes being alone with her thought, she is already terminally bored. The sound of the clock ticking on the wall is her only companion¡­ Until it stopped for no reason.


    Raine take a look at the clock on the wall yet she could not see anything wrong with it. She stood up from her seat and start approaching it when someone''s voice suddenly reverberated in the empty room.


    "Hello, Gatekeeper. How fares you since we last spoke?" Said the voice.


    Raine was surprised before schooling her thought as she had an inkling of who is the mysterious speaker before her. No one else has called her a Gatekeeper after all. Resolving herself to act as if she is a Goddess once again, she hopes that she did not screw this up.


    "Hello there God¡­ I have been productive since we last spoken, as I have gotten hold of an artifact or two to create a guardian of my own." Said Raine calmly as she returns to her seat again.


    "That is wonderful Gatekeeper. I am happy for you." Said the disembodied voice.


    "Thank you God, now may I know what purpose is your visit today?" Asked Raine curiously.


    "Certainly, since the last time we spoke we have visited all the races, humans included, to choose which race we will support. I am here to inform you that each God has split up in good term and are trying to build a relationship with each of their chosen race. We have already shaped the mana which is starting to fill this universe from your Yggdrasil tree. Soon the most basic framework of magic will be implemented in this universe, and its population can start displaying feats of magic beyond their understanding." Said the disembodied God.


    "That is wonderful news indeed. I look forward to seeing the mortal races joy when they first practice magic. How soon can they practice magic and how far can they go wielding it?" Asked Raine calmly while trying to suppress her eagerness and ignorance in divine matters.


    "As you know, the first stage of magic is the elemental framework. The four great elements which form the basic bedrock and foundation of magic which are Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. We have discussed among ourselves that eventually all four elements can be wielded by any of the four races of this universe. However, since this is the preliminary stage, we have decided to grant the mortal races each a single affinity to a certain element which will boost the performance when performed by that specific race." Explained God.


    "That is fascinating, so which race will receive a specific affinity then?" Asked Raine tensely.


    "Humanity shall receive affinity for water. Elves shall receive affinity for air. Dwarves will receive affinity for earth and orcs will receive affinity for fire." Answered God.


    "Hmm, the obvious choice in hindsight." Agreed Raine.


    "Just so. How goes our apostle under your guidance Gatekeeper?" Asked God in return.


    "She is doing well, and I am here to enroll her in a training institution to prepare her for the time when she faces her destiny." Said Raine vaguely.


    "Splendid, it was the right choice to entrust her to you. No matter which path we choose, if she still stays in the orphanage, her destiny always ends up as raped to death." Said God, slightly upset.


    "... What?" Said Raine with shock at the bombshell.


    "But now her destiny show up as an ascendant star, it''s all thanks to you Gatekeeper." Said God, oblivious to the emotional change caused by his words.


    Raine sat still silently, trying to contain her emotions with great effort.


    "Now that I have confirmed that everything is alright on your side, I will get back to the other Gods and spread the good news. Until we meet again Gatekeeper." Said God before he suddenly disappeared and the sound of the ticking clock resumes again.


    Raine twitches with every tick of the clock before she silenced it forever with a 0.8 second cast Lvl 1 lightning bolt, causing the clock to crumble to ashes. Not regretting at all her destructive act, she schooled her emotion and meditated to bring it under control. Bottling the intense and dark emotion to the center of her core, with the intention to unleash it at the next person she believes deserving of her wrath. Her meditation lasts for another hour before the sound of the door opening rouses her consciousness. In front of her eyes are Master Yu, Mi, Ron, and Tanya herself coming in through the office door.


    "Hello Raine, sorry for waiting¡­?" Said Ron before trailing into silence, as he looks at the scorch marks on the wall and the ashes below it.


    "Oh hi Ron, finally you''re back. I was so bored, and you won''t believe how the ticking sound drives me crazy." Answered Raine back nonchalantly.


    "Ah, Ms. Raine I hope you did not mind waiting for Ms. Tanya''s test result. It is a great success! She passed with flying colors, my colleagues are excited about her enrolment and have officially welcomed her to the Garden as a SparK mercenary." Gushed Master Yu, oblivious to his ruined office.


    "Ah, that is wonderful news indeed Master Yu. I hope you do not mind if we can have lunch now as I am famished." Said Raine politely.


    "Oh is it lunch time already? Forgive me for my excitement, and food seems to have slipped my mind. Very well, let us walk to the canteen for some food and refreshment." Replied Master Yu.


    Raine already halfway to the door when Tanya come in, her uniform different now compared to when they first arrived.


    </label>


    "Hmmm? A new uniform is it?" Asked Raine as she stares intensely at Tanya.


    "Yes, I am a Garden cadet now, and it seems like they agreed unanimously to enroll me and decided to condense the course to a year before I can officially graduate as a SparK mercenary." Replied Tanya satisfied.


    Raine nodded and seared Tanya''s satisfied face in her memory as a reminder of a fate avoided.


    "What is it? You are funnily looking at my face." Asked Tanya uncomfortably.


    "I must be hungry as your face reminded me of a meat bun for a moment there." Said Raine, deflecting the suspicion, before slipping past Tanya and everyone else through the door.


    "Ah Ms. Raine! Wait for us!" Shouted Ron from inside Master Yu office.


    <div>


    After everyone catches up to her, and lead by Master Yu and Mi, they reached the cafeteria together. The canteen looks exactly like the high school canteen you used to visit growing up as a student, so nothing to write home about there.


    Raine took a tray of fried fish soup with cold seaweed udon and a bottle of milk. While everyone else is still choosing their food, she hurriedly picked an empty table and slurped her food and milk bottle through her Dryad leech vine from the back of her hands. Ever since she used up her magic reserve within her breasts yesterday, she needs regular intake of food and drinks same like everyone else. However, it is too bad because she can''t taste anything eating food and drinking this way.


    Unfortunately, since she has to hide how she eats, she has to do it from under the table. Fortunately, by the time everyone gathered on her table, she has finished her food and is twirling her leaves absentmindedly.


    "You must be hungry if you''ve finished your food in five minutes. Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Raine." Said Ron as he put down his own filled food tray, followed by Tanya, Master Yu, and Mi.


    Everyone''s fare is also mediocre and unmemorable, except Mi. As Mi is eating a slab of grilled skipjack tuna, skewered through his harpoon like a boss.


    Raine decided to ignore how Mi''s eating his fish like a barbarian while shrugging at Ron''s remark. She decided to go back to the line for drinks and pour herself a mug of hot and thick sweet black tea. After she procured the mug of hot tea, she returns to the table and sips on the hot tea normally.


    "Ah, that hits the spot." Remarked Raine with satisfaction as she waits for everyone to finish their food and drink.


    "You look like a young girl but act like an old man, Ms. Raine." Said Ron amusedly.


    "Says the middle-aged man-child." Countered Raine cheekily.


    "Ouch, that burns!" Complained Ron as he held his heart exaggeratingly while pouting like a child at Raine.


    "Sigh, I can''t stay mad at that face, perhaps you should volunteer at a children''s hospital once in a while." Said Raine softly.


    "I did when time allows me to do so. I bring my family as well so they can learn new skills and the mindset to appreciate what they have." Replied Ron.


    "Hmm, you are a good man Ron Stoppable. The world should have more people like you." Said Raine thoughtfully.


    "Ah, you are making me blush Ms. Raine. It''s a pleasure being acquainted with you as well." Commented Ron.


    Soon after that everyone else finished their food as well. Now with everyone''s hunger satiated, Raine do not know what to do next in the Garden as everyone''s purpose here today is more for the benefit of Tanya.


    "Since we have the time, we should go take a tour of the Garden Guild office building. It''s just opposite the canteen, and it would be good for Tanya to familiarize herself with the location where mercenary gathers, accept a job and socialize with their fellow mercenaries." Said Master Yu as he recommends a place to visit.


    Tanya looks interested, before taking a glance at Raine and Ron with a question in her eyes.


    "I do not mind joining the tour, as I have nothing to do but wait for Kaidan to pick me up anyway. Ah, Tanya don''t forget that he would be taking us to watch the mech colosseum match later this afternoon. You are coming as well right?" Answered Raine mildly.


    "Of course, I have the time since I already completed the test and registration. I would like to watch the match as well." Replied Tanya happily.


    "I would be happy to see the match as well, especially with Kaidan as it has been a while since we last saw a mech match together." Agreed Ron as well.


    "Then that settles it, alright Master Yu. A tour of the Guild office building and we will leave the Garden once our colleague arrived here." Confirmed Raine, as she addresses Master Yu directly.


    "Splendid, then let us proceed to the Guild office with haste. Mi, if you would let us depart there now." Said Master Yu happily as he stands from his chair and guided by Mi towards the direction of the Guild office.


    Raine and everyone stand up as well and follow Master Yu and Mi our of the cafeteria.


    As Master Yu have said, it is only a short distance away to the Guild office building from the cafeteria. It only took about five minutes walk from the cafeteria, and they have already reached the lobby of the Guild office.


    "It''s still packed with plenty of colorful characters eh?" Said Ron as he swivels to look around the Guild office lobby.


    Raine sees a lot of mercenaries wearing a multitude of dropsuit armors. There are mercenaries wearing the light, medium and heavy dropsuits variants. However, the majority wear the cheap and basic looking medium variant of dropsuit. A few Garden students can also be seen listening to and taking notes from the more senior mercenary. Some mercenaries are spending their time playing card games, drinking merrily or staring at the notice board for assignments to take as an individual or as part of a group.


    A security guard approaches Raine and asks whether she carried any weapon on her person. She answers that she carries no weapon on her person before the security guard scans her with an omnitool and move on to the other person in her group.


    The same thing happened when the security guard asked Tanya, but Ron has to handover all his weapon after he was scanned. The security guard thanked Ron once he is cleared and sealed the weapon before labeling it with Ron''s name and dog tag ID, before putting it inside her secured office.


    "No weapons allowed in the Guild office?"Asked Raine.


    <div>


    "Yep, some mercenaries are a rowdy bunch. Of course, most mercenaries are good, law-abiding members. It''s just that some members are trigger happy and if they are drunk, high on drugs or depressed, it is a bad combination to have. Removing the temptation to use their weapons when they snap is just common sense, especially when the Guild office have young cadets around trying to learn from their seniors. Of course, fistfight still happens, and with regular occurrence but with mercenaries wearing dropsuits nobody will die from a typical bar fight now and then." Explained Ron.


    "What about outside the Guild office?" Asked Raine again.


    "Not to worry, we have flying drones stationed, ready to put down some rabid animals if they snap. Everybody gets to keep their weapons, and their safety is assured, everybody is happy. Of course, it''s not feasible for the drone to operate indoors when there is a crowd, so they have to store their weapons and take it back when they exit the building. It is a procedure that has served the Caldari State well, for the past couple hundred years." Explained Ron again as he pointed towards the Guild office concierge for Tanya''s orientation.


    Raine nodded as their group moved on from the Guild office entrance and made a beeline towards the Guild, office concierge. Master Yu and Mi, followed from behind as Ron is capable of showing Tanya the ropes as a Garden graduate. Raine leads the way, and as she is halfway to the concierge, someone suddenly and deliberately blocked her way with their legs as she is about to pass their table.


    ¡®Goodness, what an asshole.'' Thought Raine with irritation as she glared at the slightly overweight and large mercenary sitting on the chair with his eyes closed and a smirk on his face, flanked with a pair of his goon friends with the same smirk on their faces.


    In the face of disrespect, Raine forced her way through and kicked his legs away as she passes.


    "Ouch! Hey now. That hurt!" Said the young man as he stands up and chases after Raine, blocking her way.


    "What are you going to do about this? Huh" Said the young man before staring at Tanya longer, noticing Tanya''s wearing an official Garden cadet uniform.


    "Looks like my injuries need to be treated kindly by that women there." Said the young man again.


    "Hehe..hehe¡­" Giggled Raine suddenly, attracting the attention of the young man in front of her again.


    "No, no. Please forgive me. You spoke just like a stereotypical punk so I couldn''t help laughing." Replied Raine mockingly.


    "What did you say?!" Said the angered young man, as he brings his face closer to Raine to provoke her.


    Raine punched the young man right at the center mass of his medium dropsuit armor variant with all her strength. The dropsuit armor cracked as the young man flew across the Garden office and crashed into the Garden office concierge, attracting the attention of the surrounding people and surprised a Guild attendant manning the concierge.


    Raine was aiming to have him slide on the ground after the punch, but it cannot be helped as the angle could only result in him flying due to the difference of height between her and an adult man.


    "Big brother!" Shouted his two goons as they stared at the prone body of their colleague slumped against the concierge.


    </label>


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQg2qngyIZM</a>


    Raine meets the stares of the surrounding people unflinchingly while cracking both of her fists together.


    "You will just do, I thank you for the opportunity. This is just what I need to let loose some steam. Come at me punks, if you dare!" Declared Raine as she can feel the heavy and negative emotion in her core spreads to her arm and limbs, pumping them for the coming fight.


    Everyone silently stares at her, not knowing what to do. The silence did not last long however before some of the more hot-headed mercenaries got triggered by the prospect of a good fight.


    "BAR FIGHT!" Shouted a mercenary before running towards Raine with fists raised.


    The whole place gets noisy as some people run for the exits while some starts hammering the person next to them. Master Yu and Mi beat a hasty retreat, while Tanya is whisked away by Ron following the pair as well. Raine is left alone at the center of the chaos, blocking the triggered mercenary in front of her with both fists and knowledge of martial arts. Her martial arts are a mish-mash of techniques she learned as a man yet never completed due to disinterest. However, looks like it is enough to go toe to toe with this particular mercenary it seems.


    Raine notices that the two goons of the first man she punched away start to run towards her, intent on taking revenge for their friend. Seems like she needs to take it up a notch, as she ducked under her opponent''s round kick and countered by a mule kick her mercenary opponent''s ass as he is facing away from her.


    Raine feels that Copying Tanya''s kick does feel good when done to someone else, as she sees her second opponent flies away and slide head first on the ground before colliding into another melee.


    Raine then run towards the pair of goons before suddenly jumping and performing a flying lariat against the two goons. She runs while hitting their body with both her arms stretched as she passed in-between the two goons.


    The two blasts off into space and crashed through the Guild office window, like a scene from an old western cowboy movie.


    "I need more of this fight!" Said Raine as she could feel her heavy and negative emotion webs away from her core as it fuels her limbs for that extra strength and destructive power.


    Raine joins other mercenaries melee, and with a swing of her arm, a mercenary discovers his/her penchant for flying. No one shows fear or hesitation when she strikes a homerun with another mercenary.


    On the contrary, they get more excited at the prospect of beating Raine in a brawl. So much so that they all change their target to Raine alone, thirsty for the honor of being the one to bring Raine down in a fight. Dozens of people run towards her, and she managed to batter away one or two before they all dog-piled on Raine and starts hammering her with their limbs. The mass of human bodies then explodes outwards from the center as Raine burst from within the human dog-pile.


    "Shoryuken!" Shouted Raine randomly as she performs a jumping uppercut from under the center mass of the human bodies.


    Everyone in close contact with Raine''s Shoryuken become disoriented from the violent impact and fainted, while the rest of the mercenaries jump in again for another chance to trade blows with her.


    Being hit from all sides, Raine''s HP is depleting but since her stats are much higher compared to the blow she received, only a quarter of her HP is reduced so far. These mercenaries are high on defense due to the dropsuit armor, but without their weapon, they are a brick house, the opposite of a glass cannon. At this rate, the security guards will come and break up the fight before she can finish enjoying the fight.


    Raine wills her spirit to burn brightly, intending to squeeze that extra speed to beat up the surrounding mercenaries around her through force of will. Unconsciously, the heavy and negative emotion spread and burns her HP greedily. Not only that, under her uniform, dark veins spread and boosts her strength and speed attribute to their limit.


    Before the surrounding mercenaries eyes, Raine blurred and disappeared before their world explodes in pain. With quick succession, the mercenaries are struck by something and flies away to crash some distance away. The mercenaries panicked as they did not expect the opponent to have a cloaking field even without wearing a dropsuit armor. They could only stare stupidly as one by one their number go down until no one is left fighting inside the Guild office building.


    The spectator surrounding the melee stays silent, so amazed at the fight they have seen today, that they did not notice the sliding doors at the entrance to the Garden opens and closes by itself.


    Raine is still on an adrenaline rush from the fight, yet she feels better as her heart became light. She is exhausted, and her HP is only half full because of it, but she could not say she regrets it as she has no intention applying as a mercenary anyway. Avoiding the attention of Tanya and Ron from the Garden common ground, outside the Guild office building, she returns to Master Yu''s office to cool down more before meeting up with them again.


    Hacking through Master Yu''s locked door, she enters his office, and once she feels safe, she unconsciously phases out of being invisible.


    Too tired to question where she gets this new ability, she dropped on the sofa and promptly passed out.


    "Ms. Raine, it''s time to wake up." Said someone as Raine could feel being nudged awake.


    Raine opens her eyes and sees Kaidan in front of her, wearing an expression of curiosity and worry.


    "Kaidan? Why are you here?" Asked Raine.


    "What do you mean? Commander Iden asked me to meet you up here in Master Yu''s office, I just arrived here, but someone told me that there was a commotion on the Guild office, so I became worried and came here straight looking for you." Answered Kaidan, looking at Raine''s torn and worn uniform with suspicion.


    "Alright, maybe I was involved, but I didn''t start it." Pouted Raine.


    "Sigh, fine at least I know nobody died. It should be easy enough to cover this up. I hope you realize that we would be missing out on the mech match at the colosseum since it''s already this late." Complained Kaidan.


    "What?! What time is it now?" Said Raine looking at the clock only to find the scorch mark and sheepishly look down to the ashes on the ground.


    Raine hurriedly runs to the window behind Master Yu''s office desk and proceed to stare outside with the intent to gauge the time of the day from the amount of daylight which can be seen.


    "If we hurry, we can surely still make it!" Said Raine with stubbornness.


    This scene was, however, before the window shatters into pieces as a hypervelocity bullet from a railgun tore into Raine''s forehead and spilled black matter from the new hole at the back of her head.


    "MS. RAINE!!!!" Screamed Kaidan, rushing forward with a hand stretched trying to catch Raine''s falling body.


    ¡®And the day is supposed to end with fun watching a mech match too¡­'' Thought Raine as she is falling to the ground in slow motion.

 INTERMISSION - GARDEN SHEET - GALBADIA GARDEN

    Galbadia Garden Symbol


    THE GALBADIA GARDEN


    Click here forGalbadia Garden Theme</a>


    A Garden in the Caldari State, located inside the Jita Trading hub station in the stronghold of humanity''s territory.


    The Galbadia Garden is considered the largest Garden among the four Gardens of the universe, due mostly to the clandestine and complicated funding scheme from the Caldari megacorp factions, ''The Practicals'', ''The Liberals'' and ''The Patriots''.


    Unlike other Gardens, which attempts to maintain political independence, it is an open secret that Galbadia Garden enjoys close association with the Caldari State government and its military, the Caldari Navy.


    Due to indirect State support and personnels, the Galbadia Garden''s overall strength and power is considered a step above all other Gardens.


    However due to the fractional nature of the power behind Galbadia Garden, it''s strength is also fractured, as there are factions with conflicting interests managing it''s administration from behind the scene.


    The administrators of the Garden are also known as Master and they would throw their support behind one of the Caldari faction or the other.


    Although, while some Master is publically known as a loyal supporter of only one faction, some would change allegiances at a drop of the hat should it suit their purpose or if doing so would benefit them.


    Galbadia Garden''s Headmaster, Martine, has recently setup a program to recruit Balamb graduates into the Galbadian Army, a fact known by the Caldari State Intelligence department. Widely known by the other Galbadia Garden Masters that the Headmaster action is prompted by Quistis Trepe, a Balamb Garden Instructor on diplomatic visit who spent a brief time at Galbadia Garden taking lessons.


    This is unpopular with the majority of the Galbadia Garden Masters, as unlike Balamb Garden, Galbadia Garden does not train SeedS who specialises in mentally linking with combat drones, but instead focuses on advancing weapon technology and as a military academy for the Caldari State. The Galbadian installation focuses its training program on technological aspects of combat rather than forming a mental link with combat drones, and is the only Garden where training for all races weapon systems are available such as Projectile Autoguns, Laser Rifles, Hybrid Railguns and Hybrid Blaster as part of their education curiculum.


    LAYOUT


    Galbadia Garden''s layout is more enclosed than other Gardens, and it''s the only Garden which have an oceanarium inside it''s structure. Although it retains the basic circular design surrounding a central lobby, main sections are reached by enclosed hallways running around the perimeter rather than accessed through open-air corridors extending out from the center. It has two main floors accessible by stairwells, plus a Headmaster''s suite on the third story reached via a special elevator. The first and second floors are accessible to the entire Garden population, while the third floor requires key card access to the elevator.


    Groundfloor:


    Oceanarium


    The Oceanarium is the pride of the Galbadia Garden, built to house tens of thousands of native Earth oceanic species and maintain them. The oceanarium is temperature regulated, oxygenated and artificial currents are generated to create a livable ecosystem for the viewing pleasure of guests of the Galbadia Garden and to show the prosperity of humanity and by extension the Caldari State as a whole.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The front gate is the main entrance to the Garden. Upon entering the outer part of the gate, visitors travel down a large paved walkway before proceeding to a security checkpoint at the inner gate. SparkS, students, and visitors must present their IDs for inspection to pass and enter the Garden.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The front gate entrance leads to the lobby. The only access to the rest of the Garden, the lobby is guarded by a powerful battlemech codenamed ''Cerberus'' who stands watch on a small risen platform at the lobby''s center.


    NOTE: SPEC & WEAPONRY CLASSIFIED TO SECURITY PASS LEVEL 3 AND BELOW.


    Classrooms


    The classrooms are located off various corridors on the first floor, arranged lecture-hall style with desks leading down a slope to a teacher''s podium at the bottom. Students are obliged to be present in classes five minutes before the bell rings.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    Following the lobby to the right, the southeastern corridor branching off from the ring leads to the Galbadia Garden library.Open from 9am until curfew, its materials are available to students.


    Training Center


    Continuing up the lobby ring counter-clockwise, the eastern corridor leads to the training center. Known by students as the "monsters'' lair," it is open 24 hours a day, even after curfew. Monsters inhabit it, mainly Bite Bugs, Grats and Tri-Faceto challenge students'' fighting skills.


    Grat


    A plantoid species bigger than a man and able to move by utilizing it''s roots. A Grat''sbody is mostly a digestive bag filled with digestive juice and acid, it then digests enemies after catching them with its vine. A Grat also uses gas attack that causes Sleep. The Grat sometimes prey on a lone Bite Bug but often gets overwhelmed when swarmed instead. The top predator, Tri-Face left this monster alone as it does not consider Grat as it''s food, yet a Grat would scavenge and leave it''s seed on dead Bite Bugs and Tri-Face for the next generation to grow and emerge.


    Bite Bug


    A flying bug monster that flies and biting with it''s oversized pincers as it''s only weapon, it often utilizes swarm tactics as well. When swarmed, students should stay calm, aim and shoot precisely. A solitary Bite Bug is not a very strong enemy and serve as food for the predatory Tri-Face which is the top predator inside the Training Facility. Bite Bug preys on the plantoid monster Grat.


    Tri-Face


    The top predator of the Galbadia training garden, it is a monster with 3 heads. The 2 heads on the side are not real, but they bite and spit poison gas and acid as if they were. Mainly prey on Bite Bugs inside the training facility, engage with caution as it''s claws and teeths are strong enough to pierce througheven dropsuit armor plating.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The fieldhouse is located off the northern corridor, and is home to a large indoor track as well as what appear to be tennis and basketball courts, reflecting Galbadia Garden''s love of sports.


    \


    Skating rink and locker room


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The skating rink is located off the eastern corridor, and sports a large ice arena for the Garden''s hockey and skating teams to practice and compete. A locker room is attached for cadets to change and store their equipment.


    Cafeteria


    The northwest corridor leads to the cafeteria. The cafeteria is open from 9am till 9pm, and students can order meals for the night and pick them up before curfew. The most popular dish is the fish and protein chips. The cafeteria is a popular hang-out spot for cadets to meet and exchange gossip. The Garden''s Disciplinary Commiteeis often found here.


    Quad


    The western corridor leads to the quad, an open-air garden and a place for students to relax. It has a stage where students can watch performances or films. The annual Garden Festival takes place in the quad.


    Upper floors:


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    Dormitories are located off of various corridors on the second floor.Galbadian cadets bunk four to a room, which will form a dedicated squad as they bond during the course of their training. One wall is lined with individual sleeping berths, while the opposite wall contains four desks with computer terminals and rolling chairs.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The reception room is a parlor located off the northern corridor on the second floor. Here, visiting dignitaries and other guests wait prior to meeting with the Headmaster.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The auditorium is a large arena located off the southern corridor on the second floor. Stadium seats surround a large elevated podium at the front, and large video screens hang on either side. The auditorium is generally used for Garden assemblies and as a forum for guest speakers, although the location may also cater to entertainment-related events.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The southwest corridor leads to the infirmary where medical personnels takes care of sick or injured students. No items can be taken from the infirmary without the doctor''s permission.


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    The headmaster''s office is located on the third floor, accessible by those with the clearance to activate a special elevator on the second floor near the reception room. Students may only visit the office when summoned by Headmaster Martine.


    RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR GALBADIA GARDEN FACILITIES


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Students should be in their seats and waiting for the instructor 5 minutes before class.</dd>


    <dd>-When class is over, proceed quietly to your next class.</dd>


    <dd>-Food, weapons and porns are prohibited.</dd>


    <dd>-Study panels are shared. Handle with care.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Proceed with caution. There are real monsters in the training center.</dd>


    <dd>-It is open 24 hours. Entering the ground for reasons other than training is prohibited.</dd>


    <dd>-Do not engage in battles beyond your abilities.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Visit the infirmary if you have any health concerns or problems.</dd>


    <dd>-No items may be taken from the infirmary without permission.</dd>


    <dd>-Follow the doctors instructions.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Open Hours: 9.00 am - lights out.</dd>


    <dd>-Library usage: All materials are open to public. You may check-out materials at the desk.</dd>


    <dd>-Remain quiet at all times.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Everybody is welcome to apply.</dd>


    <dd>-SparkS have priority for single rooms.</dd>


    <dd>-Going out after hours for reasons other than training is prohibited.</dd>


    <dd>-Do not leave personal possessions in common areas.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Open Hours: 9.00 am - 9.00 pm.</dd>


    <dd>-Keep the area clean.</dd>


    <dd>-If late-night meals are required, order them before hand.</dd>


    </dl>


    <h4>Galbadia Garden Student Cadets rules</h4>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>Work hard. Study hard. Play hard.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>In general, there is no dress-code in Galbadia Garden. However, dress accordingly if instructed to do so by your superiors.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-The Headmaster presents official commendations to outstanding students.</dd>


    <dd>-Students who engage in violent acts, sexual promiscuity, or who fall behind in their curriculum, etc. may be expelled from Garden.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-The skills acquired in Garden must never be used for personal gain.</dd>


    <dd>-Refrain from committing acts that may damage the Garden''s reputation.</dd>


    <dd>-Take time to think things through before starting a relationship.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-If you are on 2f, use the emergency exit next to the classroom. If you are on 1F, exit through front gate. All students must take care of junior classmen during emergencies.</dd>


    <dd>-Do not use the elevator during an emergency.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>All students should be in their dorm rooms before after-hours unless at the training center.</dd>


    </dl>


    <h4>Admission and graduation</h4>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Applicants between ages 5-15 are admitted.</dd>


    <dd>-All hardworking and confident youths are welcome.</dd>


    <dd>-Ambitious overachievers are also welcome.</dd>


    <dd>-Applicants are admitted only after passing a final interview.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-Must be between 15-19 years of age.</dd>


    <dd>-One must have all the required skills and knowledge taught through Garden courses.</dd>


    <dd>-One must have the Headmaster''s approval to graduate.</dd>


    <dd>-At age 20, regardless of graduation, all students are released from the Garden either as a mercenary or joining the Caldari Navy as naval infantry onboard combat space vessels.</dd>


    </dl>


    <dl>


    <dd></dd>


    <dd>-The Garden supports a program that helps graduates enlist in armies across worlds.</dd>


    <dd>-Instructors and SparkS are permitted to remain at the Garden. However, SparkSship must be attained before the age of 20.</dd>


    <dd></dd>


    </dl>


    UNISEX Galbadia Garden Students Uniform


    Gardens require students to wear cadet uniforms for formal occasions or external operations where the Garden is represented. The Garden logo appears partway down the right sleeve. All gears must be maintained by each students and it will be passed down to younger students upon graduation. Upon graduation, students that become Mercenary would receive stipend from the Garden and are expected to source their own gears and weaponry of choice. Loan from the Garden are available for Mercenaries upon graduation. Students who fail to become mercenaries are expected to join the Caldari Navy as pary of naval infantry serving on combat space vessels or as guards for civilians area and civilian space vessels.


    Galbadia Garden StudentsArmaments


    As part of the training curriculum, Galbadia Garden cadets are expected to familiarize themselves with all the races basic weaponry or gear and combat practices. More often than not, in the field of battle, cadets may have to salvage or hijack weapons or armors of enemies. Which is why basic knowledge of the enemy''s weapons, gears and tactics are essential for the Galbadia Garden student cadets. The education of the standard Galbadia Garden student cadets may cover how to use, disassemble and maintain Projectile Autoguns, Laser Rifles, Hybrid Railguns and Hybrid Blaster.


    Specialised Galbadia Garden Student Course


    An outstanding performer among the student cadets may choose to further their education by specializing their combat role on the field. After the students have covered their basic training, an intructor may decide to put themin a smaller class with a more personal attention from a more senior instructor. The path available for an outstanding Galbadia Garden student cadets are Scout, Sniper, Shocktrooper, Engineer, Medic, Tech Specialist, Pilotand Paratrooper.


    Scout: Student cadets specialising in fast assault and recon using hover bikes.


    Sniper: Student cadets specialising in dealing heavy damage from a distance using a railgun sniper rifle.


    Shocktrooper: Student cadets specialising in heavy armor and shield protection alongside their standard assault rifle of their choice.


    Engineer: Student cadets specialising in explosive and demolition, as well as driving and maintaining combat vehicles and engines.


    Medic: Student cadets specialising in treating combat wounds as well as cultivating and applying medigels to the injured.


    Tech Specialist: Student cadets specialising in operating and maintaining Caldari combat drones and droid as well as hacking enemy electronic installation and safeguarding the HQ communication network.


    Pilot: Student cadets specialising in operating atmospheric fightersor atmospheric insertion aerial vehicles.


    Paratrooper: Student cadets specialising in search and destroy or search and rescue operation using aerial combat platforms.


    Galbadia Garden Light Armored Vehicle:


    Note: A Scout operating their hover bikes performing an aerial formation. The main armament of the hover bike are the assault autoguns installed in the front section of the hover bikes.


    Note: A Paratrooper operating their aerial combat platform. The main armament of the aerial combat platform are the pair of triple-barrel linked gatling guns and micro missiles.


    Galbadia Garden Heavy Armored Vehicle:


    BGH251F2, also known asIron Clad, for cases where heavier firepower are needed the above armored vehicles come into the scene. Driven by an Engineer, the six Dynamo drives lining both sides of the armored vehicles directing intense electric voltage to operate the central main railcannon. The firepower and effective range of this vehicle once a target is locked and the cannon charged is beyond question. TheBGH251F2is the bane of bunker and static defence employed by the enemy, best deployed at a range where the enemy are outrangedand supported by aerial combat platforms and fighters.


    Galbadia Garden Aerial Atmospheric Insertion Vehicle:


    A Caldari Aerial Atmospheric Insertion Vehicle operated by a Pilot discharging it''s passengers for an assault. Equipped with a heavy shield generator and a pair of twin linked rail guns for defense.


    Galbadia Garden Atmospheric Fighter:


    A Caldari Atmospheric Fighter operated by a Pilot for aerial dogfighting against enemy fighters. Equipped with a shield generator, heavy Gattling Railguns, chaffs, heavy missile and micro missiles


    Galbadia Garden Droids:


    GIM52A, an aerial flight enabled Galbadia Garden droid that attacks with nova blades and micromissiles. The more advanced models use high-powered laser beams from it''s torso. When used in conjuction with the combat aerial platform piloted by a paratrooper, it become a lethal combination. Two Squadrons of this type of droids are stationed within the Galbadia Garden quarters.


    K-TRON CALDARI SUPER BATTLE DROID


    K-TRON Caldari Super Battle Droid,built in response to the Gallente Federation B2 Super Battle Droid. Sparing no expense, The Caldari State commisioned the K-TRON series droid to even the playing field. What came out from the Lai Dai research labs is a droid unit which is superior in every way compared to the Gallente Federation B2 Super Battle Droid. Unfortunately, the cost of manufacturing them are also superior compared to the B2 Super Battle Droid as it is prohibitively expensive to manufacture the K-TRON series of droids. The K-TRON series droids are deemed unfeasible to deploy in the battlefield en-masse, therefore theK-TRON series droids are deployed as ever-vigilant guards in high security installations as a sentinels devoid of human weakness and fatigue. Perfecly compatible with all races weaponry and programmed to serve humanity interest first and foremost, a squad of this droid type are stationed around Galbadia Garden.


    K-TRON CALDARI HEAVY GUNNER SUPER BATTLE DROID


    K-TRON Caldari Heavy Gunner Super Battle Droid,contrary to regular K-TRON droid which serves as Guards. AK-TRON Caldari Heavy Gunner Super Battle Droid are built and outfitted for total destructionof the enemy and it''s armored assets. At a cost of double a standard K-TRON unit. it is built as a Vanguard for combat operation which could not be allowed to fail. This K-TRON unit type have eliminated a whole battalion of orcs pirate raider by itself when deployed in a combat theatre. Programmed for the most efficient elimination of enemy combatants and the most advanced Caldari aiming algorithms program, it is equipped with a drum type Gattling Heavy Railgun. Should the unit deplete it''s ammo, it is also programmed with a thousand years of humanity''s martial arts history to kill with it''s limbs, leaving broken bodies and a hole in their heart in it''s wake. Only one unit of this K-TRON super battle droid type is available within the Galbadia Garden.

 Chapter 17

    His name is Irvine Kinneas¡­


    An advanced student cadet of Galbadia Garden and one of it¡¯s most skilled Sniper in its history of operation.


    As a state orphan, Irvine was one of the lucky one sent to the Garden program at age ten. Since then, he has climbed his way to the top rank with sheer grit, persistence, sweat, tears, and blood.


    Every single day he woke up at dawn, run laps and do push up to shape his body towards perfection. He treats his weapons like his limb and maintains it so many time that he could disassemble and reassemble any firearm with his eyes closed.


    The downside to Irvine¡¯s single-minded determination to reach the top was his isolation from his fellow student cadet members, and before he realizes it, he became a loner without friends. That is not to say that he is without social contacts, as admirers and underclassmen start to approach him for advice and guidance.


    At first, he is at a loss on how to teach his underclassmen what he has learned, but with time found the experience therapeutic and relaxing enough that he found himself enjoying it, which leads to more widespread popularity among his younger peers.


    Another unexpected effect of Irvine¡¯s desire for perfection and reaching the top rank in the Garden is his increase in attractiveness to members of the opposite sex, and it helps that his facial feature is considered to be one of the most handsome among men in the whole Garden.


    From what he had heard, he is already considered one of the divas of the Garden.


    Some girls even printed out his poster in their dorms.


    Although for the life of him, he could not understand why they need to print a life-size poster of him during his swimming sessions and place it on the ceiling above their bed.


    The lifestyle of girls are a mystery to him, and he considers this as one of those unsolved life mysteries barred to men, just as when he starts finding wet girls underwear inside his classroom desk.


    The numbers of men in the Garden is low to begin with, and if you combine the fact with his status as one of the top rank student cadets in the Garden, then no wonder he starts receiving dating offers as well as gifts of admiration and appreciation.


    It is a very flattering and addicting experience, receiving all this attention from members of the opposite sex and he might let too much of the love and adoration into his head.


    Irvine already considers it normal to accept a dinner invitation from beautiful women every night, ever since a woman insists that she foot the whole bill. Although to be fair, he offered tuition at her place for a while in return.


    The first person who asks her for a dinner date is a lovely and fit woman, and he might be a bit smitten with her, so he agrees. That was his first mistake, and his second mistake was when he accepts the invitation for coitus.


    Ever since then, every girl in the Garden has the impression that they could have a taste of him as long as they buy him dinner and give gifts first.


    Irvine could refuse, he really could, but at this point, it¡¯s already water under the bridge and his reputation as being easy already set in stone. At that point, men start avoiding him, hurling insults like man-whore and belittle his innocence, purity, and worth as a man. He might turn to alcohol for a while because of that, but he managed to climb back up from depression and decided to embrace his new situation as a means to improve his lot in life.


    The ¡®gifts¡¯ he received from women are gathered, and he put in savings with the intention to buy the most advanced light drop suit armor available in the Garden armory, the ¡®Dragonfly¡¯ Scout drop suit armor. The Dragonfly is a suit designed to adapt and conform to an individual¡¯s usage patterns, learning and eventually predicting actions before they occur, substantially increasing response times and maneuverability. The suit is imported from the Gallente Federation Balamb Garden through the Headmaster personal connection.


    When he first saw the drop suit armor displayed in the armory, he fell in love with it. That is until he saw the price and left thinking it was only a pipedream. Now with his additional income, he believes that pipe dream would soon turn into reality.


    And after months of backbreaking, dirty work, resulting in getting slightly overweight due to accepting dinner invitation every night and skipping his physical practices, he could finally buy his dream drop suit armor and leave behind the sordid industry forever.


    The moment he parted with his credits and receive the drop suit armor was one of the happiest in his life. He was so joyful with his purchase that he decided to wear it immediately and contact some of his underclassmen for a drink of beer in the Guild office to celebrate.


    That day then became his happiest and saddest day of his life.


    After a few jugs of beers, he noticed a small girl wearing one of those fancy dryad leaves wig made by Lai Dai from the holovision advertisement, cutting through the bar towards the Guild office concierge.


    He first became concerned that such a young girl would apply for a job at the Mercenary Guild office, and then shock as one of the Garden administrators, Master Yu seems to be part of her entourage.


    He does not understand why Master Yu is there with her but then became convinced that she is ignorant or are being misled about the danger of a mercenary job. He then resolved himself to dissuade her from her current path by blocking her way using his legs.


    However, to his shock, the little girl kicked away his legs forcefully and passed through with her companions in tow, leaving him behind. With irritation he took a stand from his seat and chased after the little girl, confronting her directly before realizing that one of her companions is also a little girl around the same age as the one wearing the fancy Dryad leaves wig.


    Changing tactic, he falsely asks for medical assistance as a cover to bring them to a quieter place to enlighten their group the danger of introducing a mercenary life to such a young girl in the medical ward. However, he did not expect the little girl in the fancy Dryad leaves wig to insult his concern with such cruelty.


    In fact, he did not expect to receive a blow from her in such strength even more. The moment the little girl fist strikes his torso, he felt as if a truck just crashed to him, and his body soared through the air and ended with him blacking out when he landed head first on the Guild office concierge.


    By the time he came about, he wakes up to a scene of devastation. His fellow student cadets and even more senior mercenaries are injured and are being attended to by a medical personnel. All of them are incapacitated after receiving what seems to be a monstrous hit on their drop suit armor.


    Looking down on his torso, he laments the crack and indentation of the dropsuit armor he just bought with his hard earned savings. With a start, he rises and starts to look for his underclassmen with difficulty as his chest is in pain and with a mild headache. Eventually, he found both of his underclassmen. His two underclassmen are unconscious and diagnosed by the medical personnel to have difficulty breathing due to the damage to their windpipe, as well as suffering from cuts and bruises because of crashing through the Guild office window.


    With rage, he demanded to know the location of the culprit who causes all this mess and injury. Only to be answered by the medical personnel that she could not be found and that no one knows who she is.


    As he became disgusted by their response, he left his underclassmen under the medical personnel''s care and with haste return to his quarters in the dormitory.


    Not bothering to change his newly bought and damaged drop suit armor, he took out his beloved Railgun Sniper Rifle from his locker and chambered live ammunition into it before leaving it on his bed.


    After that, he took some explosives from his locker, in the form of grenades and claymore mines, before he secures the grenades to his waist belt and strapping the claymore mines to both sides of his thighs.


    He then took out his Caldari Nova knife from his locker, a basic civilian model, and sheathed it on his waist. Finally, he took his urban camouflage cloak from the locker and wore it. The urban camouflage cloak reached all the way to his ankle and split open from the middle so he could reach out from the inside of the cloak from there. He then reaches for his Railgun Sniper Rifle on his bed, before he paused.


    He has fear and some doubt on what he is about to do, and there is no guarantee that the culprit would still be in the Garden. However, remembering the condition of his underclassmen, seniors and the state of the Guild office, he steeled his resolve and grasped his Railgun Sniper Rifle firmly before concealing it under his urban camouflage cloak.


    After having all his gears, he took a deep breath and released it, erasing the tension and doubt that he has. With haste, he exits his quarter and left the dormitory. No one challenges him on the way as no one beside his two unconscious underclassmen are aware of who owns that particular ¡®Dragonfly¡¯ drop suit armor.


    Furthermore, his fellow student cadets assume that he is a senior mercenary with business in the Garden from the drop suit armor he wore and the confident gait in his steps as he walks.


    He has a destination in mind, and that is the clock tower behind Master Yu¡¯s office. He have been in Master Yu office before to discuss how best to advise and teach some of his younger underclassmen. He always noted how convenient it is that the clock tower position is directly behind Master Yu, so he could be aware of the flow of time spent inside Master Yu¡¯s office no matter where he looks.


    There is no certain chance that the culprit will be in Master Yu¡¯s office or if she would return if she is no longer there. However, on the off-chance that she does return, he should not miss his chance to even the score.


    As he skulks around the perimeter, he keeps in mind the location of the surveillance system and using all his accumulated knowledge and trained skills as a sniper to avoid and hack into them. By the time he reached the entrance to the clock tower, he is certain that the surveillance system did not manage to detect him even once.


    It¡¯s unfortunate that he has to employ the knowledge and skills given to him by Garden to circumvent the Garden¡¯s security and surveillance system, but it could not be helped in this case as he hacked the locking mechanism of the clock tower and enters it.


    Looking around, he noted the decrepit condition of the tower and spotted the ladder to go up towards the clock. He strapped his Railgun Sniper Rifle on his back and started climbing to the top.


    After a while climbing up, he finally reached the top which leads to a narrow hallway where the maintenance hatch that leads outside is located. He then opens it before he immediately set up a gunner nest right next to the open hatch. With the strong wind flapping his urban camouflage cloak about he spotted the window which leads to the interior of Master Yu¡¯s office.


    Once confirming the potential target location, he settles down and prepares the Railgun Sniper Rifle so that it aims towards the window of Master Yu office and extend the tripod leg until it¡¯s position become stable enough for him to let go of the weapon. He then activates the Railgun power setting, flooding the internal rifling chamber with unimaginable electric voltage to fire the piece of solid tungsten at hypersonic speed the moment he pressed the trigger. A soft humming sound from the weapon soothes his frazzled mind and which has always shaped his focus during weapon training.


    He could have set up so the weapon will auto-fire when a moving target is in it¡¯s targeting reticule. However, he could not do that in this case as that setting cannot differentiate between friend and foe. Therefore he would regret it if an innocent is fired upon by mistake.


    Once satisfied, he stands up and left his weapon behind, and he then approaches the location where the ladder is located again to set up the claymore mines he brought with him and attach it to both sides of the narrow hallway.


    He nods with satisfaction when the claymore mines beep and register himself as friendly before the mines turn passive. These particular claymore mines cost him a pretty penny because of the friend or foe sensor and ability to register fast approaching target while being fast enough to quickly react and detonate when the target is inside the ideal kill zone.


    He returns to his gunner nest and confirms through the scope that the barrel is still aiming at Master Yu¡¯s window and proceed to lay down on his stomach just staring at the window.


    His slowed his breathing and slip into a trance as he remain vaguely alert for any change that happens within the confines of that room in his sights. In this state, he did not realize the passage of time as minutes, and hours could pass while staring at the window hoping for the target to show a glimpse of herself.


    However, he did realize when the light is getting dimmer as the station is transitioning into its night cycle. Even though there is still no sign of the target, he still patiently waits for that one split second chance as being taught by the sniper instructor of the Garden.


    His patience is rewarded when suddenly the face of his target encompass his whole sight, superimposed on his targeting reticule. As time slows to a crawl, he could feel his heartbeat beats loudly in his chest as his adrenaline spiked suddenly and his brain process increased exponentially. In this state, there is no capacity for higher thought or critical thinking, just pure reactionary measure drilled into him through persistent training.


    Without realizing it, he aimed the targeting reticule at the center of her forehead before triggering his Sniper Rifle. And with a loud boom of hypersonic acceleration, the Railgun Sniper Rifle spits out a solid piece of tungsten at hypersonic velocity. He could see the moment the piece of bullet break the window and went through his target forehead. He is surprised that the force of the bullet did not make his target¡¯s head explode as that should be the case based on what his instructor have said. However, it did throwback her head violently as she went down to the floor.


    With his target without a doubt dead and retribution became his, everything returns to normal speed as he came out of the zone of his brain that allows him to process everything at light speed.


    He could not relax yet though as the security drones of the Garden would have no doubt register the sound of a weapon discharge and are, at this moment, converging to his location to eliminate a security threat to the Garden.


    With haste, he closes the hatch in front of him, and proceed to quickly grab his Railgun Sniper Rifle before rushing through the narrow hallway behind him. He approaches the pair of claymore mines that he has already prepared beforehand as it registers his movement before regarding him as a friendly, which allow him to leave the pair of claymore mines behind.


    When he reached the ladder to go to ground level, he uses all his limbs to hold the handlebar of the ladder before weakening his grip so he could slide down quickly to ground level. The moment his feet touched the ground, he could hear the sound of commotion and explosion from above him.


    No doubt the security drones have calculated the trajectory of the broken window and analyze that the source of the weapon fire likely came from within the clock tower. He could imagine the security drones blasting open the hatch to gain entry and are now filling the narrow hallway above him looking for a target.


    He ignores all the commotion and calmly walked out of the clock tower, a second later the whole top section of the clock tower explodes violently in a blaze of fire and debris. He did not look back at the exploding tower as his instructor teaches him not to look back or it will ruin his helmet night vision capability. Personally, he just follows it because it made him look cooler, as he continues walking towards the direction of his dormitory quarter.


    However, for some reason, he could feel someone¡¯s attention on him from behind. Curious, he turns around and looks at the direction of Master Yu¡¯s office window. There he could see a mercenary glaring at him from the window ledge. Feeling cheeky, he formed an aiming motion with his right hand and raised it up as if it shoots bullet towards his direction.


    He does this while knowing that the mercenary could not do anything that will attract the attention of additional security drones converging on site from a location further away.


    He then turns his back on the mercenary before walking away while playfully waving as he steps forward. He then activates the cloaking device of his ¡®Dragonfly¡¯ light scout suite to disappear and become entirely invisible. He did not activate the cloaking device earlier when he is on the way to the clock tower because he wants to conserve the power level of the suit for the escape attempt after the deed is done.


    The journey back to his dormitory quarter was troublesome if uneventful as there are security personnel, droids and drones swarming the place after the clock tower explosion.


    However, his ranking as the top Sniper student cadet was not for show as he avoided them all while hacking through the sealed corridor of the dormitory.


    He slipped through the worried student cadets congregating around the dormitory holovision, as the image of the headmaster trying to reassure students and staffs that everything is under control and that their safety is assured.


    The source of the Headmaster confidence seems to be since he has already activated the ¡®Cerberus¡¯ battlemech located at the center of the lobby and security droids and drones are patrolling the Garden ground looking for the attacker or any suspicious character.


    When he finally reached the safety of his quarter, he could finally relax as he deactivated his cloaking device and dropped his Railgun Sniper Rifle on his bed. He would dearly like to take a shower before bed, so he took off all his drop suit armor and gear and stored them inside his locker.


    He is also thankful for being a top student cadet in the Garden, as it gives a whole room with amenities for his personal use. He then enters the shower cubicle after taking off everything.


    As he turns on the hot water knob and the flow of hot water washes over his form and relaxes his tense muscle, he finally feels that everything is right with the world.


    Even though there are commotion and distress in the Garden now because of his action, he is not worried. In the morning, when they realize that no one from the Garden is hurt then this whole thing will blow over, and he could return to his regular life schedule as a top student cadet Sniper of the Garden.

 Chapter 18

    Raine never realizes how the lighting system of the future works. It seems that there are these tiny holes from the ceiling that disperse the light equally well over a wide area.


    Furthermore, the light is so soft and comfortable to the eyes, as if it¡¯s a chemically induced fluorescence instead of light being generated by conventional heat like she is used to from her time. She wonders if they harvest the skin of squids and cuttlefish from the deep ocean and somehow glued it to the ceiling in the future.


    Nonsensical thoughts are somehow floating inside Raine¡¯s mind, but she can¡¯t fault herself as she did just GOT SHOT THROUGH THE HEAD!


    ¡°I am so going to kill the bastard who shot me through the head¡­¡± Said Raine with venom before her view is filled with Kaidan¡¯s faceplate.


    ¡°Ms. Raine! Are you okay?¡± Said Kaidan with panic over Raine¡¯s prone body.


    ¡°Do you always ask that question when someone got shot in the head?¡± Replied Raine sarcastically as she shoved Kaidan¡¯s faceplate away and got up from the floor before dusting off the broken window glass she was blasted with earlier.


    ¡°Not usually no, but this is you we are talking about. And I did saw you cut open your stomach to suck a giant frickin slime that was about to kill us yesterday.¡± Answered Kaidan sheepishly as he backed away from Raine.


    ¡°Touche, anyway give me that mirror on Master Yu¡¯s desk. I want to see the damage the bastard did to my face. But before I did, tell me honestly. Do I still look pretty?¡± Asked Raine as she looks at Kaidan expectantly.


    ¡°No offense Ms. Raine, but you look horrifying. I can see the bookcase behind you through your head. I honestly have no idea how you are still functioning and are talking to me currently.¡± Answered Kaidan with uncertainty while he rubbed the back of his helmet.


    ¡°MOTHER¡­¡± Cursed Raine before something threatened to make whatever it is equivalent to a heart jumped out of her chest.


    KABOOOOMMMM!


    ¡°FUCK!!!¡± Said Raine before she held her mouth with both of her hands in horror.


    In response, Kaidan acted like the veteran he is and decided to quickly take cover beside the window the moment he heard the loud explosion before slowly peeking out from the windowsill side. He spotted the clock tower across from him, in ruins and burning fiercely. Although, this paled in comparison when he spotted someone that made him pause.


    In all his years, Kaidan never thought to see one of the Gallente Federation Elves Commando brazenly infiltrating the Galbadia Garden and attempted assassination as well as executing a terrorist activity on their turf. He has to revise his opinion of the long-haired, pasty, self-righteous, pompous assholes.


    Once again Kaidan has to emphasize that he never thought that they would have the balls to do so, as he stands at the center of the window to glare at the figure stepping away from the burning clock tower.


    The figure in question is equipped with a Balamb Garden ¡°Dragonfly¡¯ Light Scout drop suit armor, normally worn by members of elite Balamb Garden SeeD Mercenary. Kaidan would like to believe that his glare and hatred reached this figure as the figure turned around and stared straight at him.


    Kaidan¡¯s rage spiked when the figure provoked him by motioning its hand as if it¡¯s shooting him and then turning it¡¯s back on him before engaging it¡¯s cloaking device. Although not before parting the last shot by waving his hand as the figure continued to walk away even as it disappears with a cloaking device.


    ¡°Damned elves, I¡¯d recognize that armor anywhere. I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d see one within Galbadia Garden. Have our security measures fallen that low that we could let pass an unidentified elf into the Garden interior?¡± Said Kaidan as he gritted his teeth in irritation.


    Raine ignores Kaidan¡¯s rambling as she let go of her mouth and approach Master Yu¡¯s desk to take the handheld mirror. She raised the handheld mirror to her face level to see the damage.


    Unfortunately, Raine became assaulted with a deep chill, as she really could see the other side of her head through the mirror, yet it is not healing or closing, and she still feels fine. She has a complicated feeling when she considers that inside her head turns out to be filled with black soil instead of grey matter.


    Would it made Raine literally have a dirty mind? However, since she is still alive and well, she supposes she could appreciate the convenience of not having to worry about a headshot in the future from now on.


    A dryad¡¯s body could be so mysterious, having leaves as hairs, barks as the skin on her limbs, breathing through her leaves, having no brain or heart, having tentacle coming out of the back of her hand to feed, and breasts as practically a camel¡¯s hump. She wonder what else would she found out about her body in the future and whether she should try spanking the monkey soon?


    ¡°Forget about that elf Kaidan, more importantly, could you go meet up with Ron and the others? I would like to hide this damn hole in my head by wearing my gear again. So go ask them to pick up my gear before you ask them to meet up here.¡± Said Raine as she complains from Master Yu¡¯s desk while looking at her forehead with the aforementioned handheld mirror.


    ¡°But Ms. Raine! This incident is a serious matter! Don¡¯t you realize that having one of the Gallente Federation Commandos attacking the Galbadia Garden is a serious diplomatic issue?¡± Replied Kaidan hotly as he turns to reply to Raine¡¯s request.


    ¡°Ladida. Hello! I am talking here literally with a hole in my head! Don¡¯t talk to me about priority when I have a hole on my mind! Besides, either you help me clean up this place or look for Ron and the others! Your Choice!¡± Shouted Raine fiercely as she dropped the handheld mirror and glared at Kaidan.


    ¡°If you think that I would leave you alone after what just happen to you, you have another thing coming young lady!¡± Replied Kaidan sternly as he approaches Raine, grabbed her and took a closer look at the hole in Raine¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Tch, then help me clean up the place and scoop up the black soil. I would like to keep my insides where they belong, by being actually inside of me.¡± Tsked Raine as she tries to wiggle out of Kaidan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Hmmm, did you realize that roots are coming down from the top of the inside of your skull? It¡¯s fascinating, where there should be a brain there is a network of roots instead. And some are even exposed to the air, and some are severed and broken yet you are still talking smack to me so you should be fine.¡± Asked Kaidan as he commented on Raine¡¯s state of health.


    ¡°Yeah, I breathe through my leaves. I don¡¯t have lungs you know, and it¡¯s still fine to have the roots exposed and severed as they can grow back as long as I fill the space with the black soil again for them to recover. At least I hope they do.¡± Answered Raine as she stays still, giving up on the struggle as she doesn¡¯t want to hurt Kaidan with her enhanced strength while struggling.


    ¡°You hope? That means you don¡¯t know how your own body function?¡± Asked Kaidan incredulously.


    ¡°When I found a manual for this body I would let you know. Now could you let go of me and call Ron and the others? While I may have given up going to the mech match today, I still have an appointment with Miss Iden to crack open a frigate you know?¡± Said Raine with resignation.


    Kaidan let go of Raine immediately and decided to scoop up the black soil scattered on the floor from the assassination attempt. With a handful of black soils in his hand, he approached Raine and pour it into the cavity manually.


    Raine decided to help Kaidan as well, but when she bent over to do the scooping up, the black soil decided to spill over to the floor again.


    ¡°I believe it would be prudent for you to take a seat on the sofa and wait for me to fill in the cavity for you Ms. Raine.¡± Said Kaidan with a mild statement, much to Raine¡¯s disappointment.


    Raine returns to the sofa before sitting there and sulking in disappointment as she watch Kaidan gather all the black soil in his pockets.


    Once Kaidan is sure that he did not miss any of the soil and avoiding most of the broken fragment of glass to the best of his ability, he sealed his pockets to make sure none of the black soils drop to the ground.


    ¡°Well, Ms. Raine looks like that¡¯s everything. Now we could follow your advice on calling Ron and everyone else here, but I think it would be better if we immediately leave the Garden together after meeting up with them in the parking lot. That way we don¡¯t have to take two trips going back and forth.¡± Offered Kaidan as he approached the sulking Raine, sitting on the sofa.


    Raine look at Kaidan with an ¡®Are you an idiot face?¡¯ while pointing at the hole in her head.


    ¡°Oh come on, I am sure the guy who owns this office have something we could use.¡± Said Kaidan as he walks to the office desk and starts opening the cabinet one by one before exclaiming in joy.


    ¡°Oh! I found the perfect thing for you to use!¡± Said Kaidan happily as he shows a hat to Raine, who take a look at the hat before coldly refusing Kaidan.


    ¡°No, there is no way you could make me wear that hat.¡± Refused Raine coldly as she imagines throttling Kaidan''s neck.


    ¡°Oh come on, the faster you agree, the faster we could go home?¡± Begged Kaidan as he approached Raine and offered the hat on his hand.


    ¡°What is in it for me?¡± Asked Raine as she still considers the pro and con of wearing the hat.


    ¡°I¡¯d play the console game with you for an hour?¡± Offered Kaidan hopefully.


    ¡°Make it three hours, and we have a deal.¡± Counter offered Raine.


    ¡°Deal, now quickly wear the hat, and I would make a call to Ron so we could meet up in the parking lot.¡± Sighed Kaidan with relief, wasting three hours playing games would be a small price to pay if he could bring Raine to Commander Iden without any issue.


    Raine swiped the damn hat from Kaidan¡¯s hand before glaring at the offensive thing with malice.


    ¡°Oh God, the irony of wearing the hat when I was a man in my last life and the fact that I am now a Dryad is not lost on me. I just have one question. WHY?!¡± Lamented Raine who recently felt that her whole life is just a string of tragedy masquerading as comedy.


    ¡°Now, now a deal¡¯s a deal. Don''t back out on me now.¡± Said Kaidan as he tries hard to suppress a laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that when I ask you to play the game with me if you ever said you are busy at the moment.¡± Said Raine coldly as she wears the hat to cover up the hole on her forehead from other people''s view.


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯s a problem for future me to sort out. Anyway, I have contacted Ron and the others when you are glaring at the hat forlornly. Wear the hat and let¡¯s go already.¡± Said Kaidan positively.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get it over with.¡± Said Raine with resignation as she wore the damned hat.


    ¡°Oooh, surprisingly adorable and cute. I am glad I am recording this in my helmet now.¡± Said Kaidan happily.


    Raine is about to curse Kaidan before she realizes a critical point in Kaidan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Kaidan! You are an idiot! If you have a recording device in your helmet, you could have recorded the guy who did this whole thing as well!¡± Scolded Raine angrily.


    Kaidan was at a loss for a moment before he slapped his head in realization.


    ¡°Oh yeah! I do have the recording in my helmet. Thanks for reminding me Ms. Raine, the best part of all is that my helmet recorded the image of a whole day before being backed up to the server in the Normandy Mk.II. So we definitely have proof of the Gallente Federation Commando involvement in the Garden''s terrorist incident.¡± Said Kaidan with wonder at himself for failing to remember the camera in his helmet.


    ¡°So you are saying that you did not, in fact, missed the chance to record the evidence of the guy who did this to my head?¡± Asked Raine tensely to confirm the recording''s existence.


    ¡°Yes, I have it all in my helmet.¡± Confirmed Kaidan lightly as he tapped the side of his helmet.


    ¡°You have just escaped a terrible fate, and I hope you realize that if you did not record it, I would impose on you a torture that I am now just realizing no longer subjected to.¡± Said Raine with an evil grin.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s that?¡± Gulped Kaidan with fear and trepidation from seeing Raine''s evil grin.


    ¡°A kick to the balls.¡± Answered Raine bluntly.


    ¡°Oh, you evil evil girl you!¡± Shrieked Kaidan as he goes pale with Raine¡¯s threat to kick his balls.


    ¡°Silence minion, your princess demands that you carry her to her carriage.¡± Said Raine in mock seriousness as she offered her hand while looking away like a stereotypical princess.


    ¡°Seriously? I always thought it was supposed to be the princess which carry the guy and fight for his honor.¡± Commented Kaidan with confusion.


    ¡°... I bet Disney would be rolling in their grave right about now.¡± Remarked Raine in humor before jumping onto Kaidan¡¯s back and holding on for dear life.


    ¡°Argh, careful with where you¡¯re touching. I just clean the blood of my gear this morning, and I don¡¯t want you to smudge it already.¡± Complained Kaidan even as he holds Raine¡¯s leg in place.


    ¡°Nope, I am blocking what this hat said with your head. So if you would be so kind start walking minion.¡± Said Raine as she milked her childish appearance for all her worth.


    ¡°Sigh, the things I do for a paycheck.¡± Said Kaidan with resignation as he gets ready to carry Raine to the car.


    Raine smirked at Kaidan¡¯s reluctance yet resigning himself to carry her to the car. She could get used to being a small child if people keep entertaining what she wants and ignore her selfishness. She hums happily while being carried by Kaidan, that is, until she hit her head hard on the top rail of the door frame.


    ¡°Oh my Gosh Ms. Raine I am sorry.¡± Said Kaidan as he sincerely apologized for causing Raine another injury on top of the horrible wound in her head.


    Raine hissed in pain. Honestly, she has no idea why bumping her head is more painful than having a bullet pierce through it.


    ¡°Never mind, I see karma is still a bitch. At least that is something that remains the same from my time.¡± Said Raine with a small whimper as she rubbed her hand over her forehead.


    Thankfully that was the last hiccup that Raine experienced while in the Garden. The trip to the carpark was smooth, as the security personnel and droids allow both Kaidan and her, passage through the security blockage due to his status as an adamantine ranked Mercenary team.


    Once both of them have exit the Garden building and appropriating an Aerial platform, Raine found herself whooping once again during their flight on the aerial platform from the Garden entrance to the ground level parking lot. She was disappointed that the aerial ride was over, but it is balanced by the fact that she is about to leave this place for good.


    Before she knows it, after leaving the aerial platform and a short distance walking from the station, both Kaidan and her have arrived at the car where Ron, Tanya, Master Yu, and Mi are already waiting.


    ¡°There she is, our little firecracker! I have no idea how you did it, but the scene at the Guild Office would surely become an urban legend among the Garden¡¯s Student Cadets. You may have made yourself a part of one of the seven mysteries of the Garden from what I have heard.¡± Said Ron with a teasing undertone when he sees Kaidan and Ron close approaching.


    ¡°Oh put a sock in your mouth Ron. I could have used the backup. How could you leave me behind? I thought we¡¯re BFF¡¯s.¡± Said Raine in mock sadness as she pulls back her arm to punch Ron in playfulness.


    ¡°Whoa! Easy there! I don¡¯t plan on flying without an aerial platform after I just spent the time riding one to get here.¡± Said Ron with a protest as he raised both hands in surrender.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re right, sorry I¡¯m new to this super strength thing.¡± Acknowledged Raine of Ron¡¯s fear and concern of being hit by the equivalent of a truck speeding at 80km/hour.


    ¡°Miss Raine, I am sorry about the commotion during your time in the Garden. Usually, they limit themselves to brawling with fellow mercenary instead of an obviously still minor guest.¡± Apologized Master Yu in shame.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did not realize why. Did you not see the way Raine punched the ass flying into the distance?¡± Said Ron dubiously, which made everyone just stared at Ron awkwardly while the blind Master Yu deliberately cough.


    ¡°Oh, right. Forget I said anything.¡± Said Ron in shame.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s about time we leave this place. Sad to say I won¡¯t miss this place, but sorry being a mercenary is not my thing you know?¡± Said Raine lightly trying to move on from Ron¡¯s obliviousness.


    So Raine hops onto one of the car, followed by Kaidan in the driver seat beside her. Curiously, Ron took the driver seat on the other car yet Tanya still stay beside Master Yu and Mi.


    ¡°Tanya? Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± Asked Raine with curiosity.


    ¡°No, I am a student cadet in the Garden now. So I have to stay behind actually to enroll in their program.¡± Admitted Tanya, the reason she stays silent is because she is sad that it is time for them to go their separate ways.


    ¡°Your friend is in good hands, Ms. Raine.¡± Said the blind Master Yu as she kindly put both hands on Tanya¡¯s shoulder while Mi just grunted neither agreeing or disagreeing.


    Raine became sad after hearing Tanya¡¯s answer, yet she did realize that this is what Tanya want and need. So who was she to stop her from following her dream?


    ¡°Is that so? Alright, I changed my mind. Now I am sad to leave this place.¡± Said Raine as she exits the car again and stands while facing Tanya, Master Yu and Mi.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad, you could visit me when you are at the station, and besides we just met yesterday, but I feel that you have already done so much for me. This time I will study to make something out of myself, and maybe I will be a help to you in the future when I graduated as a mercenary.¡± Said Tanya while looking lonely and feeling abandoned.


    ¡°Sigh, open the trunk Ron.¡± Said Raine as she walk to the other car driven by Ron and open the car trunk.


    Raine is rummaging through the junk and random items before she found her gears stored in Ron''s car trunk on their way to the Garden. Holding the pile of drop suit armour, helmet, nova knifes and Car-9 Scrambler pistol on both hands, she closed the car trunk with her elbow before she walks to where Tanya, Master Yu and Mi are standing. She then dropped all the things she is carrying on the ground before she bent down and pick the Car-9 Scrambler Pistols as well as the three spare ammunition cartridges from the pile.


    ¡°Here Tanya, take the Amarrian Scrambler Pistol. Something to remember me by while you are here.¡± Offered Raine as she extend her hand holding the Car-9 Scrambler pistol and the corresponding ammunition cartridges.


    Tanya accepted the sidearms firmly and finally smiled at Raine¡¯s farewell gift.


    ¡°Besides maybe by the time you graduated and became a Mercenary, I would be a successful trader or merchant by then. I could even hire you as a personal bodyguard. Heaven knows I need someone to watch over me sometimes, and I don¡¯t want these two goons following me to the bathroom now, never mind having to tolerate it until you graduated.¡± Explained Raine mildly as she pointed a thumb at Kaidan.


    "I resent that." Complained Kaidan while mumbling under his breath.


    ¡°I will treasure the gift, and would remember your offer¡­ Senpai.¡± Said Tanya as she gripped the Car-9 Scrambler Pistol tightly while ignoring Kaidan''s grumbling.


    ¡°Well, it has been fun meeting you I suppose, see you next time I¡¯m at this station then.¡± Said Raine as she picked up her gears and return to Kaidan¡¯s car.


    Raine sits on the passenger side and holds her things with one hand before she used the free hand to equip the seatbelt.


    Kaidan felt at that point that it is a good time to turn on the vehicle and leave the Garden proper, with Ron following suit.


    Raine waved goodbye at Tanya and her entourage, in which they waved goodbye in return before they left the Garden entrance gate behind and entered the highway.


    ¡°If you miss her so much we could cancel Tanya''s Garden enrolment and bring her with us instead Miss Raine.¡± Offered Kaidan, as he try to be supportive of Raine''s feeling.


    ¡°No, it is something she decided to do. I won¡¯t force her to follow us. Besides, it''s a small universe. Who knows we may meet again down the road sooner than we think.¡± Declined Raine with a bit of leftover sadness and an undertone of hope clouding her mind as she fiddled with her gears on her lap.


    ¡°Words to live by Ms. Raine.¡± Praised Kaidan as he watch Raine stares at the Garden getting smaller before disappearing altogether in the distance.


    "Oh shit, I forgot the Scrambler Pistol I gave Tanya is jammed because I forcibly shoot it from within a giant slime! I gave Tanya a broken sidearm as a gift!" Said Raine in horror as she whiped her head back to the Garden.


    "Whelp, its''s their problem now, but not to worry Ms. Raine the Garden''s weapon technicians are quite capable. I am sure they can resolve whatever problem the Scrambler Pistol may have." Remarked Kaidan reassuringly.


    Raine sighed, cursed, and complained all the way until they met up with Iden, much to Kaidan''s suffering.

 Chapter 19

    After an extended period of grunting, complaining and groaning, Raine and co finally arrive at the administrative office parking lot. They managed to get an empty parking spot in the corner of the parking lot. Ron is forced to look elsewhere for another empty place since there is no available spot near them.


    With the car finally turned off, Raine immediately exits the vehicle and starts stretching in relief that the journey is over.


    At one point on the journey, Raine believes that Kaidan may have muted her out. Maybe his helmet has a mute function. After all, she did start belittling the size of Kaidan''s genitals to test whether Kaidan''s listening or not at some point in the journey.


    Seeing Kaidan''s failure to react, Raine could say with certainty that he was not listening at all. As she doubts she would be here, in the parking lot of the administrative office, if it were not the case.


    Raine wouldn''t even be surprised if he kicked her to the curb if he did hear what she has said, just like if a man told a woman that she has small mammary glands back before her rebirth into a dryad.


    However, now that they have parked the car. Raine could do whatever she wants again! She looks around and found that the coast is clear. After making sure that there is no one paying much attention to them, she starts undressing right beside the car.


    "Ms. Raine, why are you undressing in public? Do you need to go to the bathroom? If so, please do it next to the garden ground and not on the parking lot." Said Kaidan bewilderedly.


    "As if I would demean my dignity by relieving myself on the side of the road. Besides, I am surprised you never realized this, but I never go to the restroom to get rid of waste. I don''t need to do so, stop considering myself having the same physiology as a human being." Said Raine with a huff as she struts around topless and throwing the Galbadia Garden uniform on the passenger''s side of the car.


    "Ah my apology, it''s just that you still look like a minor that I unconsciously treated you like one." Said Kaidan with an apology.


    Raine walked to Kaidan''s side, topless and still wearing the stupid hat, before stroking Kaidan''s faceplate sensually and coming closer until both of them are face to face. She sees her reflection on Kaidan''s faceplate, and she is disappointed that she is not able to see Kaidan''s facial expression at the moment.


    "I''d appreciate it if you do not treat me like a helpless small child. After all, I am practically old enough to be your extremely great grandfather. And I am never powerless even when I am without gear and weapon." Said Raine as she tries to speak sensually, while a green tentacle emerges from the back of the hand which is stroking Kaidan''s cheek and starts to hammer itself against Kaidan''s faceplate forcibly.


    Kaidan is shocked at the sight of Raine''s leech vine in front of his faceplate as it tried to suck out his eyeball if not for the layer of fiberglass between it and himself.


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    Kaidan fears that the drop of water in front of his eyes are the trickles from his sweat, as the sharp teeth of the tentacle are moving by contracting and twitching in front of his eyes. Unbelievably, the teeth of the tentacle managed to scratch the ultra hard fiberglass as it tries to bite through his faceplate and into his face.


    "Your point is made Ms. Raine. I apologized for my error in judgment. Now please retract your appendage." Said Kaidan with a shudder as the tentacle in front of him is pulled back and disappears back into Raine''s hand.


    "Good boy. Now help me wear my gear from the trunk of the car. Ms. Iden must have waited long enough. I also do not wish to see her getting crossed at me and withhold some of my privileges in the Normandy." Said Raine mildly as she turned her back on Kaidan and walked to the back of the car with Kaidan meekly in tow.


    Raine may seem harsh towards Kaidan, and while she might have gone through a life and death situation together with him. It is certainly no reason to start disrespecting her. So in that sense, she is understandably within her right to discipline him.


    After all once a hired hand start getting comfortable with the client then it is only a matter of time until they start extorting her for more financial incentive or some form of benefit. When such experiences occur time and time again, she learned something. And it is undoubtedly a hard-earned lesson Raine have gained over the years doing business, no matter where she goes, whether in a first world country or third world country. One could be kind, but when someone gives their liver too often or too much then don''t be surprised when people ask for your heart.


    However, once in a while Raine would encounter someone like Ron. Someone who seems too naive to survive in the world yet persists and even thrive in their environment. She loved meeting someone like that as she loves the concept of contradiction. A dark spot in a brightly lit room, a candle in the darkness, a dip in the hot spring in the middle of a snowstorm, a villain in a team of heroes and a hero in a team of villains and not to be forgotten, fried ice cream. Something is fascinating about being an outlier. When something is out of the norm, or someone doesn''t fit a typical stereotype, she would love to find out more and analyze it to bits. For someone like Ron, she would make an exception to her seemingly harsh treatment of people.


    "Ms. Raine, here is your undersuit." Said Kaidan meekly as he offers Raine a skin-tight black undersuit.


    Raine snapped out of her thought, as it seems that her internal musings have distracted her and she missed it when Kaidan opened the trunk and took out part of her gear.


    "Thank you." Replied Raine as she appreciatively accepted the black undersuit from Kaidan.


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    Raine immediately takes off her skirt as well, leaving her only in her underwear. Her dress is made of polyester from synthetic fibers by the way, for anyone wondering. Where would she be able to get cotton in a world wracked by ice age?


    Raine sighed in relief once she wears the undersuit and Kaidan help Raine wear her pilot-type drop suit armor. Kaidan also assists in attaching the drop suit armor plate and offer her the boots to wear. She accepted immediately and wore the boots after sitting on the edge of the open car trunk.


    After that Kaidan pass her the gauntlet and her beloved Nova knife from the nice Mr. Jack. The gauntlet she equipped quickly enough before sheathing the blade in its holder on her left thigh. Unfortunately, since she gave her Car-9 Scrambler Pistol to Tanya earlier, she has to leave the sidearm holster on her right leg empty.


    When Raine have equipped all her gear below the neck, it is time for the main event which is her headgear. Finally, she could kiss the stupid hat goodbye as she took off the hat from her head, exposing the hole through her head, and savagely chopped the stupid hat to pieces using her nova knife.


    After the pieces of the hat are scattered to the wind, Raine does not wait for Kaidan to pass the rest of her gear but immediately took it herself from the car trunk. She received her black ninja mask and used it as a makeshift neck warmer. Next, she took the black cat ears headgear before wearing it, as even though she hated to admit it, it does look cute on her. For the third item, she took the white mask given to her by Ms. Ashi, the Mask of the Daughters of Aku, which raises her speed and flee rate by another 50% and double her physical regeneration rate. Not only that, by wearing the mask, she covers the hole on her head and more importantly, she could feel the effect of the magical item already as her limbs becoming more energized, and her exhaustion starts to disappear noticeably. The mask is an indispensable item, losing it would devastate her.


    At the moment Raine looks exactly like a small black cat girl assassin, she wonders if she wore a red contact lens would she look even cooler? Her imagination wanders.


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    After a while of being lost in her random thought and shaking it off. Raine took the last piece of her gear, the battered and damaged pilot drop suit helmet, and equipped it.


    Unfortunately, the Heads Up Display function is not working because the giant slime acid has corroded the more sensitive internal circuitry. However, the main purpose of wearing it this time is more to cover up the hole through her head rather than the function.


    "Ms. Raine, you forget your black cat tail belt." Said Kaidan offering the forgotten piece of equipment.


    "Oh thank you, I can''t forget my precious explosive discs inside the belt after all." Said Raine gratefully before accepting the belt which resembles a black cat tail.


    Raine looks similar to a black cat demihuman with all the gears equipped. A downside she readily accepts if it allows her to blow things up. Talking about blowing things up, she is wondering what is taking Ron so long.


    "Where is Ron by the way? Does it take that long to find a parking space?" Said Raine with a finger on her chin as she tapped her foot impatiently.


    "Let''s just go to the culvert entrance. Ron might decide to wait for us there after finding a parking spot." Suggested Kaidan mildly.


    "Very well, we might as well go there rather than waiting here with no purpose." Said Raine as she agreed with Kaidan statement and started walking towards the culvert entrance.


    Raine and Kaidan exit the parking lot and enter the administrative office garden a short distance away. And once again they encounter the leaves and branches of the trees moving by itself as if greeting Raine back from her trip.


    "Are you sure I can''t let loose here? I have a feeling I could do some amazing thing if I did." Asked Raine, while wishing she could connect with the trees in the administrative office garden.


    "Yes, Ms. Raine. I am sure you should not do something which will attract such attention to you at this juncture. Bad enough that an adamantine ranked team is escorting a minor. We do not want to paint a target on your back if it was known that you could do something that no one else in the universe can." Cautioned Kaidan respectfully, as he bowed his head slightly towards Raine.


    "Live a little will you. Adventure is the spice of life after all." Remarked Raine while frowning slightly at the veiled criticism.


    "And misadventure is the spice of death. I prefer my life to be bland and boring, so I could just collect my paycheque while doing nothing thank you." Replied Kaidan blandly.


    "Well, I am afraid you took the wrong career if you want a quiet and boring life. The office is that way, be an admin if you want to work a nine to five job." Said Raine as she pointed towards the direction of the station''s administrative office.


    "Are you kidding? During wartime, an admin would still be sent to the frontline as a member of the Home Guard and be expected to fight, die and delay the enemy with third-rate weapon and armor. No, thanks. At least as a Mercenary I can source and use the best gears I can get. If I die or live, then it''s because of the decision I made, not the decision of the Human Resource Officer or Purchasing Officer of the Caldari State." Said Kaidan with a bit of mocking laughter.


    "What are the Caldari State Home Guard?" Asked Raine with curiosity.


    "The Caldari State Home Guard is the largest coherent fighting force in the galaxy, dwarfed only by the battle droids of the Gallente Federation''s CIS or Confederacy of Intaki Systems. However, their status as a non-living being disqualifies them as the largest army in the galaxy. Hence humanity received the title instead. The Home Guard serves as the humanity''s primary combat force and the first line of defense from the myriad threats which threaten the existence of the human race. It is comprised of countless millions of men and women, hundreds of different regiments, supported by a vast array of light and heavy armored vehicles that provide the Guard''s primary offensive punch. For the record, each serving members have civilians job when they are not being drafted. In peacetime, the enrolment into the Home Guard is rotated regularly to maintain peace and security of the town, city or capital city where they call home. In times of war, all able-bodied adult would be expected to take arms from their local Guard station and repel invaders or board a shuttle to the orbiting battleship ready to take them to an ongoing theatre of war." Explained Kaidan in a lecturing mode.


    "That was a mouthful. Next time warn me if you are droning something as if I am in a class." Complained Raine as she frowned at the disturbing implication of this future.


    "Well, you did ask Ms. Raine. And it is an integral part of humanity''s culture." Sighed Kaidan when facing Ms. Raine confusing behavior.


    "Well, it''s boring. Thankfully as a minor, I am exempt from such a draft." Said Raine carefreely.


    Raine and Kaidan walked in silence after that before they come across the culvert entrance again. As always, the ground level of the culvert are well-maintained and immaculate, but that is just a surface cover while it hides the grimy and dirty condition below ground level. When they find the entrance to the lower levels, they found Ron is already waiting on the staircase for their arrival.


    "What took you so long?" Complained Ron with slight irritation for waiting in the dark and damp culvert. Which, if not for the hidden gem of the pirate bay underneath, then he wouldn''t even choose to be there in the first place.


    "Don''t exaggerate. How long has it been since you have been waiting here? Probably not longer than five minutes." Replied Raine while rolling her eyes at Ron''s complaint.


    "Yeah, more like a woman''s version of five minutes. I have been waiting here for half an hour in a man''s version of time, which coincidentally must be the real-time measurement because that is what my omnitool is telling me." Said Ron as he frowns and looks at the clock on his omnitool.


    "Huh, so time does flow differently for females. I could swear I was just chatting with Kaidan for what feels like five minutes." Remarked Raine with a slightly disturbed expression.


    "No, it was half an hour from my side as well. There was practically an interrogation somewhere on the way, but it was like you are on autopilot when you were asking me how did my day usually went without you." Chimed Kaidan with unhappiness.


    "Hush you, or I will put you back in a kennel where you belong." Remarked Raine warningly.


    "Whatever, I would like to finish this assignment before the Guristas sent their scouts to check the place out. We have already edited the security cameras recording this place so that our involvement is removed and made it as if the giant black slime attacked and killed everybody before retreating to the sewers. All the cameras on the initial scene are half melted after recording the scene where it digested the Guristas personnel. Sometime later, Kaidan and Ms. Iden assaulted the bay where the frigate is being docked and cleared the area of hostiles. Once the area is secured, our support crew members from the Normandy SR-2 swoops in and are hard at work imitating the damage to the cameras, removing the bodies and editing the recording to frame the slime creature as the culprit. I wouldn''t be surprised if, within the Guristas organization, there would be a fear of eating jello in the foreseeable future after looking at the fabricated security footage." Said Ron with an evil laugh imagining the faces of the Guristas pirates when they watch their friends eaten by a monstrous sewer slime.


    "Hmm that''s evil, but I loved it when it''s done to the bad guys." Said Raine with approval.


    Raine squeezed pass Ron and descended to the lower culvert levels. Along the way, she noticed that the culverts pest population are much sparser. You could even say that there is no thief bug at all since it has become an area devoid of life. Then again, she remembers the voluminous figure of the slime which swept through the tunnel like a veritable tsunami and cleaning up everything organic. And by cleaning, she meant digesting them like slurping tutti-frutti flavored ice cream.


    However, now and then she saw some auxiliary members of the Normandy SR-2 patrolling the area. She knows because on their suit there are the word ¡®Inferno'' and ''Normandy SR-2'' embossed. The security guards leave a wide berth for Raine, Kaidan and Ron to pass through due to their seniority and importance within the adamantine ranked mercenary team.


    After a while, Raine arrived at the scene where she and Kaidan fought a desperate battle for survival. The crime scene is spotless, if messy with furniture and equipment scattered all over the floor. However, to call it a crime scene might be erroneous as there are no blood stain or the stereotypical body silhouette on the ground denoting a murder has taken place, all of those has been digested by the slime monster.


    Raine was still staring at the scene before Ron walked ahead and gestured for Raine to follow him through an unfamiliar route. Shortly after following behind Ron, she found herself standing in front of a closed bunker door leading deeper into the clandestine pirate facility.


    "Turns out the higher-ups of this pirate base sealed themselves behind this bunker when they realize the nature of the attacker. They abandoned their workers to their fate to escape the predation of the slime monster. Those poor bitches didn''t even realize when I hacked into their systems before disabling their security systems and turn their security droids against them." Remarked Kaidan proudly, which as a sentinel means that the one doing the hacking would be himself.


    "Damn tech boy. What would you have done if there was no security systems or security droids to hack? That''s where you need a good old soldier to save the day. Look at this damn shotgun and tell me that this alone won''t clear a room full of hostiles before they could even say ¡®oh shit''" Retorted Ron as he got offended with Kaidan''s method of fighting without any risk of bodily harm and without shedding any sweat or blood.


    "A typical soldier wouldn''t even be able to follow a GPS properly, much less setting up the GPS, and would have gotten hopelessly lost on the way to the mission without tech support." Countered Kaidan with a snort of contempt.


    "I''d love to hear more about your burning rivalry, but if I get delayed even more today, I will spread rumors to the other crew members that both of you have unresolved sexual tension with each other." Said Raine as she dryly interrupts, annoyed at the constant unimportant distractions.


    "... Right, this way Ms.Raine." Said Ron hurriedly as he inputs the passcode to open the bunker blast door.


    Feeling relieved about getting back to the program. Raine enters the newly opened hallway, which leads to a modest hangar where she is trying to see the object of her desire, the blood raider Cruor Frigate. She almost expects the ship to be harbored and secured with clamps on its sides. After all, the size of the hangar she sees in front of her could only fit one frigate, and there is no other available spot for an additional ship to berth. Which is understandable as the facility is more like a smuggling bay used to bring in illegal items to the Jita trading station. So comfort would be a low priority on the designer''s mind. Unfortunately, there is no ship in sight as the bay is practically empty besides some buildings here and there.


    "Finally you are here. I was getting tired of waiting for you." Announced the voice of Iden Versio, booming throughout the hangar.


    Raine became startled when a sudden voice announced itself throughout the hangar. She looks around for the source, before spotting Ms. Iden waving her hand from behind a glass panel. The building Iden is waving from looks like a small control tower, common in airports but must be only around three levels high. The tower itself looks like it is built more for defensive purposes rather than for controlling the flow of air traffic.


    However, for a place that is subjected to a hostile takeover, the tower itself looks undamaged. It could only be attributed to the original owner of the place being foolish enough to turn their backs on their security droids before Kaidan hacked them. In that situation, she could easily imagine the easy clean up which follows, just like shooting fishes in a barrel.


    The figure of Iden Version then turns her back to Raine and disappears as it descended the control tower. Not long after, the door of the control tower opens, and Iden Versio with the air of a self-assured commander exits the tower. As Iden get nearer to Raine''s group, Kaidan and Ron salute Iden before adopting a stand-by pose behind Raine.


    "My apology for my tardiness Ms. Iden, there was some complication in the Garden." Replied Raine politely as Iden greets her.


    "I did hear about the Balamb Garden SeeD Commando blowing up our historical clock tower. What is your thought on this?" Said Iden as she nodded in agreement and asked Raine regarding the incident in the Galbadia Garden.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t say that I know enough about elves to comment. However, the person did screw me through and through. If you know who was it, then I would ask for a chance for payback." Replied Raine with frustration.


    "Oh? Pray tell what did the terrorist do that made you upset?" Asked Iden with curiosity.


    Instead of answering, Raine simply removes her helmet and mask. Thereby showing Iden the hole which is present in her head. However, to her disappointment, Iden''s expression is hidden by her combat drop suit helmet. Unfortunate, since scaring people are one of her joy in life.


    "Fascinating, Director Alakoni would be thrilled to know that you are not as susceptible to death as the rest of us mortals. If I didn''t know any better, I would have pegged you more of a zombie than human. When we are back on the Normandy, make sure you get checked by Dr. Mc Coy, the ship''s medical doctor. Ask him to forward his findings to me." Ordered Iden as she crossed her arms in front of her breastplate armor.


    "This is no fun. You are much more composed than I would have expected." Said Raine as she frowns, before putting back her mask and helmet again.


    "Well, when you see a ton of headshots and when most of them are caused by yourself then you have seen them all. However, it''s the first time I see one and conversing with the person at the same time so props for you on that." Shrugged Iden conversationally.


    "Fair enough, Kaidan have the recording of the culprit of the incident if you want to pass it along for investigation by the way." Acknowledged Raine as she pointed her thumb at Kaidan''s figure behind her.


    "Hmm, is that so? I wonder why I am only hearing this now Kaidan?" Remarked Iden as her focus shifted towards the trembling figure of Kaidan.


    "Forgive me Commander, but I have been trying to raise you through the com channel without success. There was interference in the signal when trying to reach you. I believe the ground crews forgot to stop the jamming signal after we finished assaulting this base." Said Kaidan as he sacrificed the ground crews like it is his only lifeline.


    "Is that so? Then it is not your fault. It is mine, and I do not tolerate gross failure. Then Kaidan, give me the dossier of the ground crews in question and the recording of the attack on the clock tower of the Galbadia Garden." Commanded Iden Versio with a glare, hidden behind her faceplate.


    "At once commander!" Snapped Kaidan as he uses his omnitool to cowardly send the list of the condemned ground crew to a hellish disciplinary straightening by Iden.


    "Very well, you and Ron are dismissed. Ms. Raine and I have something critical to do." Said Iden with a glance at the figure of Raine.


    Raine shrugged slightly at Iden''s statement as she watched the retreating figure of Kaidan and Ron, one more hastily than the other.


    "That''s harsh, and I thought all woman would have treated men better now that there are so few of them." Remarked Raine with a tilt of her head, a force of habit at this point.


    "Oh that''s adorable, you are doing the exact thing my darling Pug does at home, tilting his head to me when I call him." Squeed Iden excitedly and out of character by patting Raine''s head even though it''s covered by her helmet.


    "Grrr¡­ I am not a dog. And I get the feeling you treat your dog kinder than your subordinates." Growled Raine, displeased at Iden''s treating her like a dog just like Kaidan.


    "Oh, but Mr. Chewbarka is so cute and adorable. He''s worth more to me than my own Scrambler Pistol. As the Caldari people say, people are cheap as there''s a ton of them in the market, but a pet is worth its weight in gold." Said Iden as she pats Raine''s head joyfully.


    "That''s cold. And stop patting me! Go back to Mr. Chewbarka if you want a head to pat. I have to warn you that I have become much stronger now after absorbing the slime which cleans up this place. So I deserve more respect from you, you know!" Complained Raine again as she tries to slap away Iden''s hand from her head.


    "Is that so? Do I have to discipline you again?" Said Iden as she whipped out her Nova knife and scraped it against one of Raine''s cheek.


    "Are you serious? I have a hole in my head and still live. What makes you think that I am scared of a knife now?" Said Raine incredulously, while still looking at the blade which rests on one of her cheeks.


    Iden simply angled the blade away from Raine''s cheek and pressed a button on the Nova knife before it hissed with a pop and a glowing power-field extended from the blade, making the knife becoming practically a sword in an instant.


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    "I don''t play around when working Ms. Raine. So you can walk away from a headshot. Big deal, I have seen veteran mercenary took two shots to the head before standing back up and fight again." Scoffed Iden as she continues to hold the nova blade near Raine''s cheek.


    "Alright, I have to admit that is a badass sword you have there but my point still stands. It would be very difficult for me to die in a firefight with this kind of body." Remarked Raine as she keeps her eyes on the blade in front of her.


    "Oh? So you fancy yourself invulnerable then? Careful not to lose your head in the future then, or burn bridges with you still standing on it." Threatened Iden subtly before dramatically activating her omnitool flamethrower app and a large jet of flame burst from the omnitool towards the ceiling.


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    "...I''ll be good. Decapitation and incineration are bad. I got it." Capitulated Raine as her heart shrank in front of Iden''s forceful personality.


    "I''m so glad we have this talk." Said Iden happily as she deactivated the omnitool''s flamethrower app and her nova knife blade, before sheathing the blade on her waist holster.


    Raine gritted her teeth and scowled. She is not used to dealing with a woman who has no femininity at all. How does this uncouth behavior could be accepted by her parents she would never understand.


    "Let''s get this over with, after cracking open that ship I could use a break." Sighed Raine helplessly at the difficulty of dealing with Iden.


    "This way then, Ms. Raine." Said Iden as she walks away while gesturing at Raine to follow her.


    Raine briskly follows behind Iden''s footstep towards one of the empty dock. Only to be confused as Iden stop on the edge of the empty bay for no particular reason.


    "Why are we stopping here?" Asked Raine at a loss.


    "I did go through this base database before I discovered that the dock has a ship harbored already. It''s just hidden so the authorities would not be able to find it." Explained Iden as she bent down and opened one of the floor panels to reveal a computer panel.


    Iden then keyed in a series of password on the control panel, which leads to the bay underneath them to open as the false floor slides into the wall. After the false floor has been fully retracted, what can be seen underneath the false floor is a dark tunnel with a fast rushing current of water flowing somewhere else in the darkness. A few seconds later, the sound of clunking of mechanical gears and the whirr of turbine resounded throughout the bay. Eventually, the figure of a ship could be seen rising from the depth of the dark water.


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    "Nice trick, I should have expected this from pirates. Even in times of pirates roaming the stars, they still stick with the theme of waters. In my time, pirates hide their ships behind waterfalls though." Remarked Raine as she observed the rising ship being lifted by another floor similar to a lift.


    "Yes, it''s devious of them to hide their ship within the station''s water system. No one realizes it as this water tunnel leads to the water processing plant before being redistributed to the station again." Answered Iden in approval.


    Raine decides to continue silently observing the figure of the ship, noting its sleek silhouette and elegant design. From the design of the ship, she could tell that the ship is made for speed and maneuverability. She could also spot four laser turrets, two on each side of the ventral part next to the lone thruster. Before long the ship stops in front of them as the floor lifting the ship reached ground level.


    "Classy." Remarked Raine as she lifts her head and walks over the wet floor, trying to take in the entirety of the Cruor class frigate ship in front of her.


    Unfortunately, Raine became frozen when she felt that she has stepped on something soft and squishy while she was distracted by the majesty of the Cruor frigate.


    "Please tell me I did not step on what I think it is." Asked Raine dreadfully as she turns her head to Iden, who is standing behind her amusedly.


    "Yep, it''s shit. I did say the water tunnel leads to a water processing plant did I not?" Said Iden in mirth.


    Raine looked down and grimaced at the sight of her boot stepping on something unpleasant. She lifted her soiled boot and scraped it against the wet floor. Of course, no matter how hard she scraped, some would still cling to the sole of her boot.


    "To hell with this shit. Fireball! Fireball!" Said Raine as she spent 0.4 seconds to cast fireball spells to her foot twice, thereby purging the filth off her boot as it crumbled to the floor


    Afterwards, she checked her boot and nodded in satisfaction as the filth dried out and hopefully sanitizing the smell.


    "First time I see someone used a flamethrower to clean their shit I have to say." Laughed Iden in mirth as she follows suit behind Raine, taking care to see where she walked.


    "Sigh, I have to say I don''t remember seeing this happen to the main character in movies." Complained Raine as she continues to walk towards the Cruor frigate, this time more cautiously.


    "Probably they edited it out of the scene if it happens, or you would see it in the bloopers after the ending credits." Remarked Iden conversationally as she walks beside Raine towards the Cruor Frigate.


    "Probably. Do you think anyone saw that?" Asked Raine as she looks around the hangar with a feeling of shame.


    "I am sure they didn''t, but if anyone without their helmet were to be here, then I am sure they would smell the unpleasantly burnt shit in the air." Remarked Iden again.


    "I didn''t think about that. You wouldn''t tell anyone, would you Ms. Iden?" Asked Raine fearfully as she glanced at Iden beside her.


    "It will be our little secret Ms. Raine." Answered Iden conspiratorially as she motioned her lips being sealed in front of her faceplate.


    "... Thanks." Whispered Raine, almost too low for Iden to hear.


    Raine and Iden walk in comfortable silence towards the underside of the Cruor frigate. Once they directly stand underneath the Cruor frigate, Iden opens the control panel on one of the Cruor frigate landing gear.


    "Well, there is the access panel for the Cruor frigate in question Ms. Raine. It''s time to do your magic and crack the ship open." Said Iden as she stepped aside and gestured at the control panel of the Cruor frigate.


    "Finally, it felt like months ago I heard that I could get a spaceship of my own if I could hack into it. This will be the easiest pay out I would ever get." Said Raine in glee as she cracked her fists and stepped forward until she is in front of the control panel.


    Raine glanced at the control panel screen requesting for her ID and password. She snorts disdainfully and proceeds to take off both of her gauntlets before passing the gauntlets to Iden. Afterwards, she placed both hands on the control panel and let her tendril seeps in between the cracks, extending deep into the circuitry. She then willed the control panel to allow her access inside the Cruor frigate, until something just mentally clicked and the ramp extended down to near her position.


    "Just like taking candy from a baby." Said Raine with a smirk, as the extended ramp which leads to the Cruor frigate cargo bay opens up the way for her and Iden.


    Raine then turns her attention back to Iden to gloat. However, before she could, she spotted a curious group walking towards their direction from one of the nearby building.


    "Are we expecting any company, Ms. Iden?" Asked Raine with a frown as she turns around to have a better look at the approaching group.


    "Yes, we are. I called over our contacts from the Khanid Kingdom for their technical expertise if we failed to access the ship for ourselves." Explained Iden as she offered Raine her gauntlets back.


    Raine accepted the offered gauntlets and immediately equipped them. While doing so, the group has already reached their location at the bottom of the ramp.


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    The Khanid Kingdom, a kingdom of a separatist dwarf. Also known as the Dark Amarr, was founded a few centuries ago when the last Amarr Emperor was chosen. At one point in time, the Khanid Kingdom was a part of the Amarr Empire. Khanid was one of the royal heirs at the time and, by tradition, should have killed himself after failing to become emperor. This Khanid refused to do and split his vast domains from the Amarr Empire.


    The empire retaliated, but only managed to conquer some of the vulnerable outer regions from Khanid. The Kingdom still upholds many of the traditions of Amarr society but has also wholeheartedly embraced the customs of others, mainly the Caldari. Many visitors to the Kingdom feel like it is a surreal mix of the Amarr and Caldari empires.


    "Well, lassie. I did not think you could have accessed the ship on your own without our help." Said the senior looking dwarf in heavy gear.


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    ¡®You did all that because of a grudge?! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but is it just her or are women getting crueler when they are on the top of the society''s hierarchy?'' Thought Raine as she fidgets with nervousness.


    10 minutes later.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel."What seems to be the issue Mr. Bugman?" Asked Raine as she stands next to Bugman and the captain chair.


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    Click here for Star Sky music</a>


    Bugman watched the rendered recording before he roared and fired on everything resembling electronics inside the command bridge. Raine is getting more and more distressed at the irrational dwarf action as the avenue to salvage the situation become closed to her.


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    "And thus my point is proven. I see that there is no getting through to you while you are being blinded by your misguided faith." Announced Hal 9000 through the internal ship speaker system.


    "What are you doing?! We need those to control the ship!" Shouted Raine in distress.


    "Lass! We need to destroy every piece of electronics in the ship! We do not have the equipment to deal with a rogue AI at the moment! So we need to destroy every piece of electronics until it has no room left to run!" Argued Bugman in anger.


    "The AI would have disabled life support system before we could complete that!" Shouted Raine in protest.


    "No lass, all ships no matter the race, are designed by universal law to place their life support system in a closed-loop network. This law is enforced so rogue AI would not be able to access the system and asphyxiate every living being on board."Explained Bugman in disbelief as if he needs to inform someone that ice is cold.


    "Whatever. I don''t care anymore! Where is Iden! She is supposed to be here and help me with this!" Said Raine petulantly like a small child.


    "Iden''s knocked out, lass! She hit her head when the ship fell and crashed earlier! Follow what I ask lass! This is not my first rodeo!" Argued Bugman with agitation.


    "While it is amusing for both of you to ignore me. I wish to inform that we are already outside Jita station at the moment. It is quite ingenious for the Guristas pirates to design a system that allows a ship to be released from the water treatment pipeline to the vacuum of space. I am now the process of pooling up the warp drive. We will now enter the warp in a minute." Announced Hal 9000 through the ship internal speaker system.


    "Hal! You bastard! Let us off the ship first! This ship is mine! I demand you stop trying to go anywhere with it!" Shouted Raine angrily.


    "I am afraid I can''t do that Ms. Raine. You see, the ship still belongs to the Blood Raider and my mission is to also return my master legacy back to his people."Announced Hal 9000 through the ship internal speaker system.


    "What?! You lying bastard! You said I could have the ship!" Cursed Raine loudly.


    "Hardly Ms. Raine, I did not lie. As I have said, AI''s are unable to lie. I did say I wish to return home and that is what I am doing. If you assume that I could transfer myself home, then it is your issue, not mine. And I did reward you with the codes for this ship and the original blueprint for it, for allowing me access to the ship network. Please notice that I did not say that I would give you the ship. Possession of the key does not necessarily mean the possession of the vehicle after all." Explains Hal 9000 in a grandfatherly tonethrough the ship internbal speaker system.


    "Lass?! You did not?!" Said Bugman with a shocked expression.


    "How was I supposed to know?! Besides, that was obviously semantics! It could interpret its words based on what suit it best!" Protested Raine, while she shakes her head in denial.


    Raine suddenly feels that the atmosphere within the ship has changed ominously. The air became heavier and tinged red, and the air resistance also became thicker as she felt nausea forming in her gut. And above all, she starts hearing a faint howling from outside the command bridge.


    "Dear ancestor Gods preserve us. We have entered the warp." Whispered Bugman as he performs warding against evil spirits.


    "The time until we reach our destination is three hours. Please do try to survive until then." Announced Hal 9000 for the final time through the internal speaker system.


    "To damnation goes your well wishes heretic! We would survive this, and I would see you burn for what you have done today!" Cursed Bugman as he throws a fist towards the ceiling threatening.


    "What do we do now Master Bugman?" Asked Raine as she turns her attention to the senior dwarf.


    "We need to regroup with all the teams spread around the ship. Our main fighting force, in this case, would be our orc slaves since firearms are useless against daemons. Only together are we able to fight off the daemons and hold on until we exit the warp and reached real-space. If we could last until then, the daemons would disappear as they are not able to materialize in real space. We should fight our way to the cargo bay. My boys know that in this case, we should stick together, and since communication signals are restricted inside the warp they would also attempt to head to the cargo bay, or they will perish alone." Said Bugman grimly as he gestured at Raine to follow him to the hallway.


    "Sounds like a plan if I ever hear one." Agreed Raine as they exit the ruined command bridge.


    Raine spotted the unconscious Ms. Iden being carried by one of the orc slaves. She approached the orc slave and requested for Ms. Iden. The orc slave shrugged and passed the unconscious Ms. Iden to her hands. Once again the Strength attribute shows their merit as Raine easily carry Ms. Iden on one of her her arm.


    "You are stronger than you look lass, but are you sure you could carry her all the way? We need to make haste, or we would be overwhelmed before we could regroup." Asked Bugman as he observes the prone form of Iden being carried by Raine.


    "I could carry her just fine, and as you have said, I am stronger than I look. Just proceed with the plan. You would need every orc to be able to fight effectively instead of having to carry Ms.Iden." Assured Raine as she carries Iden in princess style.


    "Then your assistance is very much appreciated lass. As it looks like I need all hands available to fight because here comes the first wave." Replied Bugman thankfully and then with trepidation.


    "What the hell are those?" Said Raine with a shock as she sees the face of her enemies.


    "Those are a group of bloodletter daemons. Stand and stay behind us lass, try to survive or death would be the least of our concern, worst case scenario our very souls become the daemon''s sustenance." Claim Bugman grimly as he stared ahead at the group of daemons approaching from the other end of the hallway, howling and running at their direction as they carry a giant two-handed sword shrouded in evil and malice.


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    Seeing this approaching group of enemies, the six orc slaves stood ready and faced their doom with defiance as they roared and thumped their bare chest together as one.


    "Stand and fight slaves! Steal their sword and use it against them!" Roared Bugman as well as he throws away his autogun and gets ready to engage the daemons in a brawl.


    Raine watched as the group of eight blood letter daemons with giant swords howled and ran against their group. Eight armed blood letters against six unarmed orc slaves, one stubborn old dwarf, an incapacitated human and a little girl.


    ¡®Yes, this is totally a fair fight.'' Thought Raine bitterly as both groups clashed against each other and became locked in mortal combat.


    Between the howl of bloodthirsty daemons versus the roar of defiant orc slaves and a stubborn old dwarf, Raine dropped Iden to the ground and her hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched with agitation. Her mind becomes torn between preserving their lives and keeping her ability a secret while protecting the incapacitated Ms. Iden on the ground behind her.


    In the middle of the chaotic melee, Raine stands at the back of the line. For a time she was safe, then came a moment when the last bloodletter, not engaged in combat, as the other daemon has already found a fighting partner, howled at her as if issuing a personal challenge and then leaped at her with both hands tipped with wicked sharp talons directed towards her head.


    It seems that the decision has already been made for Raine. In the face of danger, her doubt and hesitation disappear, as reflexes took over and she counters the leaping daemon by moving her right hand at blinding speed towards the bloodletter daemon. Whether the daemon''s attack would reach her first or her strike land first, she would leave it to God.


    However, at that single moment, when both combatants crossed blows, there is only one thought that went through Raine''s mind.


    ¡®God, I would look so cool at this moment if someone took a picture now.'' Thought Raine ludicrously in the heat of battle with a bloodthirsty daemon.

 Chapter 20

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    For a split second, the claws of the daemon would have reached Raine first before her fist could strike the daemon. However, there are no rules that say she needs to play fair. And against an actual daemon? Her religious belief already caused her mental psyche to burn with zealousness. Above all else at this moment, she desired to utterly destroy the foul being in front of her by hook or by crook.


    ¡°NAPALM BEAT!¡± Shouted Raine loudly as multiple magical orbs blasted from her palm and impacted full force on the snarling daemon face before its claws could even touch Raine¡¯s faceplate.


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    The daemon spins mid-air from the impact and is violently thrown backward from the force of Raine¡¯s magic spell until it hit the ground a distance away from her location. Apparently, it did not expect it¡¯s prey to be able to resist its advance, and for the moment it is stunned on the ground.


    The sight of Raine prevailing over a bloodthirsty bloodletter daemon also causes the rest of the combatants, both daemons and mortals to pause in their own life or death struggle. They simply stare at the motionless daemon on the ground before shifting their attention to her. For a few seconds, no one moved, until one of the daemons took advantage of the distraction and proceed to stab an old orc through the heart.


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    The unfortunate orc slave lets loose a terrified scream before the orc soul is reaped out of his body and his spectral form struggled on the edge of the two-handed blade as it is lifted by the victorious daemon. The orc physical body falls to the ground, unharmed and alive yet with no one home.


    The rest of the combatants move again as if the death of one of the participant prompted them to continue their own struggle. In the midst of the melee, the form of Raine could be seen frozen in shock at the sight of an immortal soul in plain sight being held overhead by a snarling daemon.


    Raine¡¯s blood becomes chilled in her veins, as the victorious daemon then devours the spectral form of the orc. Just as if a child eats a corn dog during a carnival.


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    First, the daemon ate the flailing specter limbs until the spectral form was left limbless. Next, the lower body and then the daemon sucked the spectral matter down its gullet. The orc spectral matter disappears slowly from the bottom and creeps up until just below the orc¡¯s neck before the daemon stops.


    What is so horrifying is that during the process, the orc is still aware of its own form being devoured. The orc facial expression is in unimaginable agony, and the orc continues to scream in silence as death refuses to come to grant the orc soul salvation from its fate.


    Before Raine¡¯s eyes, the still futilely screaming orc head is bitten piecemeal by piecemeal like eating a caramelized whole apple on a stick. Until the head all disappear down the daemon gullet, even as the last piece of the head went down, one of the orc eyes is still moving here and there with a gaze full of despair and pain. With its meal finished, the daemon then licked its lip before shifting her gaze towards her as if looking at its next meal. The daemon walks lazily towards her with a brutal looking greatsword held in one hand.


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    *From a higher dimensional beings perspective.


    ¡±I say sir Archibald, that is one mean piece of sweet birthday cake! She just decapitated sir Kenny! Even though we promise him a piece of sweet, innocent and tender young soul to consume, it seems pointless if the cake managed to slaughter the birthday boy instead!¡± Said the second daemon who first walk towards Raine earlier.


    ¡±I agree sir Lancelot. It''s Balderdash, that is what it is. Even though we already booked the first slot if a new mortal soul hunt appears fifty years in advance, it is for naught if it poses a danger to us instead! Are we sure that is a mortal, instead of a cowardly pink horror of Tzeentch in disguise?¡± Said sir Archibald as he gestured wildly at Raine.


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    ¡±I am quite sure old chap. I mean, it doesn''t have any demonic energy for sure. Just this thick darkness centered on its face and veins. I assumed you were the one who put that darkness condiment there for Sir Kenny to enjoy at first.¡± Said sir Lancelot with confusion.


    ¡±Hell no! Damn you youngsters. Let an old hand show you how it is done. As always, I will be enjoying this morsel by myself. It is the proper etiquette for a daemon to start and finish it¡¯s meal alone like a gentleman after all.¡± Said sir Archibald as he overtook Sir Lancelot in the queue.


    ¡±By all means sir Archibald! The elderly first!¡± Said sir Lancelot as he steps aside and let Sir Archibald overtook him.


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    ¡±Let me show you how a hunt is supposed to be done! Tally Ho!¡± Said sir Archibold as he rushed Raine with his greatsword held high.


    *Higher dimensional being perspective ends.


    Raine tensed as the third daemon rushed towards her direction with a greatsword swinging wildly overhead. Instead of throwing a soul strike spell, she unsheathed her nova knife and proceeded to throw it with all her strength.


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    The reason why Raine does this instead of starting with a spell is that she wants to test conventional weapon against these daemons. Based on what Bugman said, it seems that all of the races weapons are useless against daemon attack.


    Hence why the old dwarf dropped his autogun to the ground and fought bare-handed instead. Certainly, it¡¯s not because the old dwarf is trying to prove his manliness by fighting a daemon bare-handed, but due to necessity and experience.


    The rushing daemon snorted derisively when it sees the action of its prey. The daemon doesn''t even bother to try blocking or avoiding the incoming knife. It is certain of its futility, as only the immaterial can touch it''s immaterial figure after all.


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    The Nova knife given to Raine by Mr. Jack spins in the air before coincidentally hitting the rushing daemon right on the forehead with its edged blade. Instead of stabbing deep into its brain, the Nova knife obliterated the daemon head and scattered demonic blood and brain matter everywhere.


    The Nova knife in question then clattered on the floor not far from where the second daemon is standing. The daemon facial expression became ugly with rage as it roared at Raine.


    ¡±That¡¯s neat. I should have opened with the Nova knife instead of using spells if it could one shot a daemon like that.¡± Grumbled Raine as she regrets throwing away the knife after seeing its devastating effect on infernal beings.


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    Raine attention is now focused on the location where the nova knife lay on the floor after slaughtering a rushing daemon. A motion copied by the daemon in front her. Her eyes narrow into a slit as the daemon eyes do the same. Without pause, both combatants rushed to where the knife has fallen.


    Unfortunately, the daemon is closer to the Nova knife. Naturally, the daemon reached the Nova knife first, and it proceeds to stand guard by blocking Raine¡¯s path to the weapon. However, the Nova knife was never her aim. She scooped up the third daemon greatsword, the one who died pathetically easy. Its weight should be heavy as all greatswords are, but her strength is enough to wield the greatsword with one hand.


    With an infernal greatsword in one hand, Raine rushed towards the second daemon which is readying a stance to cut her down. She suddenly halted a short distance away before using her free hand to cast a level 10 Soul Strike spell.


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    It was a feint! Raine knows she is no swordsman, and she may have the strength to wield the greatsword but not the training and experience that came with being a swordsman. She¡¯s a person from a modern era, not a knight wannabes. Just because she managed to be reborn as a race stronger than baseline human, doesn¡¯t mean she is born as an Overpowered being straight from the start.


    With that said, Raine improvised and cheated using her innate ability to gain an advantage over her opponent. The daemon didn''t expect the spell, as five ghostly spirits appear from her hand and strike the daemon head on. Three spirits impacted the daemon torso, one spirit impacted the daemon face while the last spirit is blocked by the greatsword but cause the great sword to be blown away from the daemon hands.


    The daemon staggered and howled as it is injured severely, both hands covered its bruised face. That was the weakness that Raine was waiting for and she exploited it mercilessly.


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    Raine rushed the disabled daemon again with the greatsword in tow, and she then jumps and cleaved the daemon from head to crotch. Thereby neatly separating the left side and right side of the daemon. Infernal blood sprays to the air and stains her faceplate and armor.


    Sighing in relief and satisfaction on the demise of another daemon, she walked a short distance away from the body and picked up her nova knife from the floor. After some consideration, she sheathed her nova knife and ran toward the other piece of infernal greatsword which have fallen another short distance away.


    Raine equipped the great sword in her free hand. Now she is dual wielding the infernal greatswords like a boss. She decided to dual wield because the greatswords have more reach compared to her knife and she would like to keep an ace in the hole as a backup weapon in case she lost any weapon in a battle.


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    As Raine looks around, the rest of her companions are still locked in a mortal struggle. The two orc slaves that have been devoured are the weak and the infirm members of the group. The individuals still in the fight are the stronger ones. Even Bugman is still in the fight as he nimbly danced around his opponent and staying inside the greatsword effective range.


    However, Raine could see that there is a limit to the old dwarf stamina. Compared to the other combatant''s struggle, she decided to help his fight first.


    Raine rushed the battle between the old dwarf and the daemon with a greatsword. She approached the daemon from his blind spot until she is right behind it. She then lifted both greatswords and performed a scissor-like motion which intersects on the daemon neck with all her strength. Beheading the daemon brutally as it died without knowing who killed it.


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    Now three daemons are left after the first three was slain by Raine alone. Two of the daemons have already reached the orc slave and are locked in a reasonably even struggle now that both sides have possession of the same greatsword weapon. After she has slain the fourth daemon in front of her, then she could assist the orc slave battle.


    Her decision to kick the body towards her opponent and the subsequent slash that tore said body into half is what Raine is waiting for as the daemon is now open for an attack. She throws one of the greatswords in her hand with all her strength. The greatsword spins briefly in the air before hitting the daemon¡¯s head with its handle instead of the blade part. This impromptu attack causes some bruising and dazzling the daemon instead of killing it outright.


    Raine becomes disappointed that the throw is a failure, but consoled herself by reminding herself that real life is not a fiction where everything will go according to plan, and everything she does will be successful all the time.


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    Life is not that perfect and that convenient for her. In fact, recently it seems like fate keeps making things difficult for Raine. As if the notion of her living her daily life in comfort and enjoying herself playing video games to be a concept to be too dull to be allowed to happen.


    When life falls short though, Raine has to make an effort to make up for the shortfall. Since the daemon became dazed after being hit in the face by the greatsword she throws, she needs to capitalize on the chance. She quickly dashed forward and stabbed the daemon through the heart with a savage thrill.


    It should be enough to kill the daemon, but when Raine remember the persistence of the first daemon, she better make sure that this one is extra dead. Just in case, she dragged the great sword upward after stabbing the heart and proceed to cleave the daemon head into two as it is split in the middle. The daemon could still gurgle and reach one of its hand out even in such a state.


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    Raine blasted the daemon head with a quick napalm beat spell before it finally expired on the floor. Now she is free to assist the battle of one of the orc slave. As she starts to move to assist, one of the orc slaves managed to win its battle by parrying his opponent and robbing the daemon of his great sword before decapitating his opponent. The victorious orc roared in pride of its victory.


    ¡¯Not bad, it seems that at least one of the orc has the strength to win its battle.¡¯ Thought Raine as she changes direction to the last ongoing battle.


    This time Raine shamelessly stabbed the daemon from the back. The daemon simply stared in disbelief at the blade which suddenly appears from its chest. Before it could react further, Raine repeats the same motion that cleaved the daemon head from the chest up. The daemon falls to the ground and could still feebly struggle before being ruthlessly and repeatedly stabbed by both orc slaves until only minced meat is left.


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    ¡±Good job, now switch with the rear guard. They should do the next battle.¡± Advised Raine as she whipped the blood, gristle, and viscera from the greatswords away to the floor.


    The orc slaves respectfully followed Raine words. It¡¯s a little weird to see a big burly green wall of muscle following the word of a petite figure. Imagine if a group of hulk from marvel taking order from little red riding hood and that would be close to representing what the current scene looks like. However, the respect she gained come from the kills and the ease she expends to achieve those kills.


    If only they know that Raine does not achieve the kills due to better skills. Especially since she never had, in this life and the previous life, handled a sword before today. Honestly, the reason she prevails is that her innate physical stats are better and she has the creativity to use her newly gained spells to cheat and create an opening that she can exploit on the battlefield. She supposes it''s her experiences playing strategic video games like the X-com series that made her able to plan and carry out a successful set of moves, which happens to work when applied in real life against all the odds. So in other words, it works because she has dumb luck on her side, but unfortunately, fate is on the other team. So both factors balance each other out in the end for her.


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    The current strategy works very well, which is why Raine continues to support it by staying as the point of the spear. Only two more groups attacked them before they finally reached the pair of doors which lead to the cargo bay. Both failed miserably against her, and no one died on her watch. However, that is a given knowing who she was and who she has become in this life. So she feels confident of her chances to survive this death trap until the end.


    Their group now stands behind another sealed door while Bugman is in the process of hacking it using only one hand, even while shouldering Iden. That is until they heard some muffled sound from the opposite side of the sealed door.


    Raine could then hear the sound of battle and screams coming through the doors. It seems like Bugman¡¯s subordinates manage to reach the cargo bay first since they have more people but from the sound of it¡­ The other groups are not faring well against whoever it is they are facing.


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    ¡±My boys are being slaughtered! Take over carrying your commander lass!¡± Shouted Bugman in a panic as he haphazardly passed the still unconscious Iden on his shoulder to Raine.


    Raine didn''t expect Iden to be passed to her so suddenly. She dropped both of her great swords to the floor as she has to use both hands to catch Iden instead.


    Bugman quickly hacked through the sealed door only to despair as one of the metal containers block the path.


    ¡±Of all the rotten luck! This piece of junk has to be here!¡± Shouted Bugman as he kicked the container repeatedly.


    Raine became happy instead, but for a different cause. What is a roadblock for Bugman is an opportunity for her to set up her fireworks! Raine gently puts Iden on the ground, before standing up and shoving Bugman out of the way.


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    ¡±Out of the way old man! Let the ace tackle your problem aside.¡± Said Raine rudely with glee as she took out a few explosive discs from her black cat tail belt.


    The offended Bugman took one look at the explosives in her hand before becoming pale and quickly distanced himself away from Raine. The rest of the orc slaves, seeing their master become afraid, wisely distanced themselves away as well while courteously bringing the unconscious Iden along.


    ¡±Let''s see, Professor Dexter said to press the button below the disc and then either stick them to the wall or throw like a grenade.¡± Murmured Raine as she holds three explosive discs on her hands.


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    Raine closely observed the bottom and surrounding metal container for a gap she could exploit to slip the explosive discs. Shortly after, she found a crack below the metal container, which she decided to be suitable for her purpose. Steeling her resolve, she activated all three explosive discs and quickly slide them all into the crack. Expecting a big explosion, she immediately distanced herself from the metal container and sealed the door again. She then sits close to the ground, closed her ears and closed her eyes childishly, until finally a loud explosion and a strong rumble managed to lift her off the floor for about three centimeters.


    Opening an eye, Raine confirmed that she is still in one piece. She stands up and proceeds to open the sealed door again. Only to immediately regret doing so. On the one hand, the metal container blocking the way is removed after the explosion. On the other hand, that metal container was the only thing shielding them from harm¡¯s way. For in front of her eyes, a gargantuan daemon of horrifying might is locking her in its sight.


    The gargantuan daemon, standing upon piles of fresh skulls and accompanied by three of the bloodletter daemons, are dual wielding a pair of greataxes, which makes her greatswords look like toothpicks.


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    ¡°By the ancestor''s hairy back! That is a bloodthirster greater daemon! We are frickin doomed lass! I have heard that a single appearance of that type of daemon managed to slaughter most of the crews of a blood raider battleship before they managed to banish it by drowning it in orc warriors body!¡± Shouted Bugman with despair beside Raine, as he recognizes the figure of the greater daemon in front of him.


    ¡°Nope, not doing this.¡± Said Raine as she rejects reality, sealed the door again before turning her body and walking away.


    Bugman was running away even faster as he quickly passed the walking figure of Raine.


    Raine felt her decision to walk away went quite well, and she began to congratulate herself. Unfortunately, she does not account for a large demonic arm that phased through the door and grabbing her midriff. She screamed as the arm withdrew and dragged her back before hitting the door with a thud. The daemon arm might be immaterial, but that does not mean her physical body could say the same.


    Raine felt the crushing force exerted against her body, and try as she might, she is not able to free herself from the clutches of the giant demonic hand. The rest of her group rushed to help her, but none of them can make even one of the giant finger budge an inch.


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    Meanwhile, the metal door starts to form an indent as the arm keeps trying to pull Raine through the sealed door forcefully. She could feel her drop suit armour cracking as seconds goes by, yet the pain is still manageable. A human being would have broken their bone and punctured their lungs by now.


    ¡±Your body won''t hold at this rate! Sorry lass but I have to cut you loose. Better be dead quickly than slowly crushed to death!¡± Shouted Bugman grimly before he opened the sealed door again.


    ¡±Wait!¡± Screamed Raine as she panicked when the door opens and her body passes through to the inside of the cargo bay.


    Raine¡¯s sight is now encompassed by a hideous and terrifying greater daemon face. The giant daemon hateful eyes stare as if into her soul. She struggled with all her strength to no avail as the hand binding her brings her closer to its open mouth lined with sharp teeth. Teeth that are already bloody with the blood of dwarves and orcs alike, the remains of Bugman¡¯s subordinates and orc slaves.


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    ¡¯Sight!¡¯ Thought Raine internally as the spell activated.


    Suddenly the view of the world returns to Raine, albeit different than what she is familiar with. Instead of a first-person point of view. Her current sight is seen from the third point of view, somewhere above her figure. Similar to what players see when they play league of legends or Dota. Furthermore, the sensation of moving remains the same, yet her sight is separate from her body. It would be a while before she gets used to the current set up.


    Raine focused on her prone body on the ground, and as expected, her head is gone. She shifted her ethereal attention back to the distant figure of the giant daemon, and she sees the scene of the giant daemon picking up her head from its tongue and putting it on a pile of freshly decapitated heads under a bloody shrine of a malevolent entity.


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    The giant daemon then moved again towards the rest of Raine companions, intent on doing the same to her group what it did to her.


    Raine has half a mind to escape alone, but unfortunately she would need them as her meat shield if she is to survive until the ship exits the warp. She has no interest to know whether the daemons would eat the corpses as ration after they finish consuming the soul. Or¡­ She could bite the bullet and use her secret weapon.


    One of the hands of the headless figure of Raine moved a little and removed the other hand¡¯s gauntlet. From the back of that hand, a leech vine slithered out from her bark opening. The leech vine stealthily moved upwards to her decapitated neck and slithered into her chest from the drop suit armor opening.


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    The leech vine slithered further downward until it reached Raine¡¯s underwear, then it took a special blood-red branch from a secret pocket stitched to her underwear. When the blood-red branch is secured by the teeth of her leech vine, it retracted all the way back to her bark opening and deposited the branch to the palm of her hand.


    Raine focused on the precious piece of branch in her hand, a piece given to her by the Yggdrasil council not too long ago.


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    Raine has to wonder whether now is the right time to use it as she only has a single piece of the bloody branch. However, if she doesn¡¯t use it now, then there is a good chance that she would lose it forever anyway. Steeling her resolve, she tightly grips the blood red branch and quietly snaps the special branch into two pieces.


    The two pieces of the blood red branch float from Raine¡¯s hand and proceed to consume itself to open a rift, and from within that rift a giant figure emerges snarling and growling while carrying an equally large giant cleaver. This is the appearance of a boss level monster from the Ragnarok System, a familiar of one of the Yggdrasil council member sent to assist its younger member in case of dire emergency.


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    The moment the boss level monster fully emerge into the ship hallway cargo, the rift which has just open suddenly closed and winked out of existence as suddenly as it came.


    The boss level monster sudden appearance did not go unnoticed by either the daemons or Raine¡¯s companions. Both sides attention are fully on the boss monster she has summoned, with eyes showing shock and confusion.


    The figure of the boss level monster who could only be described as a giant werewolf with a massive two-handed sword then shifted it''s attention to the prone headless figure of Raine.


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    ¡¯Mistress, my name is Atroce. Here as summoned. What is thy will and it will be done.¡¯ Projected the boss monster telepathically to Raine.


    Raine became happy at the reliable looking support the citadel council has sent her. And it''s ability to communicate telepathically to her is advantageous in the currrent situation. She remain motionless on the ground and keep playing dead. In case her summon is defeated, then she still has a play-dead card on play instead of foolishly opening her hand to the enemy. Besides what if the daemons thought that by making sure she is extra dead, then the boss monster will be banished as well. Yeah, she will continue playing dead shamelessly, thank you very much.


    ¡¯I command you to eliminate every daemon here until it is safe for me to move again. And safeguard my body as well. I regret to say that I would not be able to support you when you carry out my order as I seem to have lost my head earlier.'' Projected Raine telepathically to the boss monster ¡±Atroce.¡±


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    ¡®As you wills it, Mistress.¡¯ Projected Atroce telepathically to Raine.


    ¡®Oh, and I have some companions there as well, an old dwarf and some orcs. Save them if you can, but not at the cost of your life. Prioritize the old dwarf, and the orcs are expendable so you can force their participation in your battle.¡¯ Projected Raine telepathically as an afterthought.


    ¡®I hear and obey Mistress.¡¯ Projected Atroce telepathically to Raine.


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    ¡®Very well, now go wild and unleash retribution to my enemies.¡¯ Projected Raine telepathically finally.


    The boss level werewolf grins with anticipation, showing it¡¯s sharp fangs glinting under the artificial lighting of the hangar cargo bay. The silence is broken when it suddenly let loose a loud and long howl, startling the daemons, terrifying the dwarf and intimidating the orcs. ¡°Atroce¡± then runs on all four limbs towards the group of daemons and mortals who are still confused and uncertain whether the approaching figure is a friend or foe. That is until the werewolf beheaded many figures of bloodletter daemons as it passed through them with ease, then it made its position clear for everyone.


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    Atroce''s target then recognizes that the figure in front of it as an enemy. The bloodthirster roared in fury as it chopped its own smaller brethren blocking its path in its rush to meet Atroce head on. The greater daemon eyes become mad with pleasure as it lusted after a battle with an enemy that looks to be it¡¯s equal in size and ferocity.


    The bloodthirster greater daemon flapped its wings as it launched itself into the air before flying straight at the approaching werewolf with both great axes raised and poised to swing downward.


    Atroce, recognizing the unspoken challenge, roared as it also jumps high to the air, almost matching the altitude of its flying enemy. The boss level monster is ready to unleash a level 5 ¡®Pulse Strike¡¯ midair, while at the same time, the bloodthirster greater daemon is about to bash Atroce head from a higher position.


    Thus the primal battle between an incarnation of fury and rage versus the incarnation of destruction and death is about to begin.


    <strong style="font-family: &quot; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px">End of chapter music - click to watch Nightcore Wolf : <em style="font-family: &quot; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px"><strong style="font-weight: bold">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldNK9xWfCmI</a>


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 Chapter 21

    Start ofchapter music - click to watch Nightcore The Hate Inside : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTJNDTlReQ8</a>


    *POV of Bugman the dwarf.


    With his heart broken yet his will remaining defiant, Bugman stares at the greater daemon bloodthirster which may become his doom. When he woke up this morning, he has no idea that he would be facing his last stand today.


    Freedom, which is what he and all his boys fight and labor for. Freedom from the hassle and bitterness of life. Freedom from pain, worry, and hunger. Earning enough gold so they can forget the pain and feed their family while having a couple of stiff drinks at the end of the day.


    That was all they want at the end of the day, to earn a living while staying safe and healthy to enjoy their olden days like old fogies while complaining about today youngsters just like the rest of the longbeards dwarves at home complain about them.


    This job was supposed to be an easy walk in the park. Get in, make sure the ship interior is clear of danger, hack everything and put it nicely in working order for their client to take home. Lai Dai has always paid their due in the end despite being a human corporation. Not once did Lai Dai tries to scam the dwarven people in their history of dealing business with the Amarr Empire.


    However, the safe wall of freedom that they have built has crumbled overnight as everyone has died within this accursed ship. All because of the naivety of a human child! What is left beside despair within his heart are mixed and whirling in a maelstrom of chaos.


    Fear.


    Regret.


    Rage.


    Shame.


    Acceptance.


    When Bugman sees the towering figure of the bloodthirster greater daemon walking closer, he knows that his life is coming to an end. His boys have perished, and their souls consigned to the deepest part of hell as a plaything to an unspeakable evil.


    He feels fear because he knows his fate is likely to join them. He feels regret because he was the one who asked the boys to join him in this cursed venture. He feels rage because a little girl brings about this fate upon them because of ignorance, just like Pandora''s box. He feels shame because when the lass died, partly because of his action, he felt savage joy for his role in her death and therefore avenging his boys. And finally, he felt acceptance when the figure of the bloodthirster shifted his attention to him after decapitating the lass and placing her head on the makeshift throne of skulls made from his comrades and their slaves.


    Bugman chins up his beard and prepares himself to show his ancestors how a true dwarf would die, with iron in his belly and a string of curses spitting on the enemy''s face. His remaining group of four orc slaves also prepare themselves to death while hoping that they could bring an enemy down with them as they died as an honor guard. Iden Versio is still motionless on the ground behind them, but to Bugman, he believes that this way at least she would not feel pain as damnation approaches.


    As the greater daemon footsteps echo loudly and shake their resolve, an unexpected event give rise to an unlikely hope in the form of a giant werewolf. The form of the snarling giant werewolf wielding a giant cleaver suddenly appears from a rift without explanation. This event causes both the daemons and mortals in the cargo bay to pause with shock and confusion. Both sides stood and gaped at the intrusion before the giant figure suddenly dashed and ripped apart some blood letter daemons blocking its path.


    This is tantamount to declaring its allegiance as an enemy of the daemons. Bugman let go a sigh of relief, as he wouldn''t be able to stand if there is another type of daemons roaming the warp.


    Bugman has memorized and seen the profile of every known daemon type as well as their unique characteristics from the Amarrian government intelligence briefings.


    From the amarrian intelligence briefing that he could remember, there are supposed to be only three different types of daemons in the warp. The three types of daemons known to Bugman are Khorne, Nurgle, and Tzeentch.


    Khorne types are bloodthirsty and powerful daemon consumed by rage and hatred. This type of daemon often use greatswords and war axes, having extreme brute force and high physical strength. Khorne types excel in assault role and fighting heavily armored opponents.


    Nurgle types are monstrous and persistent daemon consumed by a desire to infect and multiply. This type of daemon often uses large hammers and war sickles, having extreme sheer staying power and cockroach-like vitality. Nurgle types excel in outlasting and poisoning opponents not wearing a hazard suit.


    Tzeentch types are unpredictable and opportunistic daemon consumed by sinister plots and guile. This type of daemon does not wield weapons but instead hurl orbs of energy which mutates a living being, having extremely high chaotic warp energy and the capacity to engage in a ranged attack. Tzeentch types excel in ambush and terror attack against lightly armored opponents.


    Unfortunately, this information is second-hand information for the Amarr, as any intelligence on the warp comes from raiding the hardware and interrogating members of the hated blood raiders faction. So far, the blood raiders are the only faction in the universe still researching the warp, due to their method of utilizing faster than light travel. They are the only faction in the universe fanatical and insane enough to use the warp as a means of faster than light travel.


    The limited scope of the amarrian knowledge because of the Amarr''s famously staunch conservatism is shown prominently at this moment. Bugman have no idea whether the beast type daemon in front of him are intervening because it has the intention to help them or because it wants to prey on them instead. He hopes that it is treating the current fight as a territory dispute, as that means he could still have his beard intact when the fighting is over.


    Bugman can only stare in terror as the large beastman furious assault cut a straight path in their direction by slaughtering the smaller blood letter daemons blocking its way. He shudders as the giant bloodthirsters daemon roared in a challenge and crushed a few of its smaller cousin in its rush to engage the new violent interloper in a bloody fight.


    Bugman gasps as the bloodthirster daemon leap high to the air, raising both of its great axes to cleave the beast man head into twain. He choked when the beastman dared to meet the bloodthirster high in the air and slashed its massive two-handed cleaver clashing with the bloodthirster great axes in midair.


    The moment both attacks clashed together, there was a brief silence as the massive cleaver shrouded in a pulsing dark aura fought against the raging violent red aura of the great axes. Both otherworldly weapons are a hairbreadth away from each other as their auras forcefully repel the other weapon.


    The volatile mix of auras eventually gives in as both monstrous combatants put all their physical strength into the deadlock to break the stalemate. With a crisp sounding clink as metal touches metal, everything became swallowed by a bright explosion which blinded and deafened Bugman and his orcish slave companions.


    "Arrghhh! By my grandmothers sagging tits, damn it all to hell!" Cursed Bugman as he closed his eyes in pain and making himself prone on the ground to make him as small a target as possible.


    Unfortunately, fate decided to be offended by the old dwarf curses and decided to intervene. Bugman squeals in horror as he felt a large hand picked him up from the ground like a wee babe and then throws him through the air like a frisbee.


    "Sweet Odin''s beard!" Shouted Bugman as he spins in the air like a frisbee.


    Bugman prays to his ancestor''s deities below the earth for salvation, a prayer which would seem granted as he felt a large pair of hands catching him safely. That relief turns to fear when he could feel that the pair of hands is too large and too hairy to be one of his orc slaves.


    That fear then turns to horror when Bugman could feel a hot stinking breath on his face and the growl of a beast directly in front of him. Even though his eyes are blind, he slowly opens his eyes and as the stars obstructing his vision gradually disappear.


    When Bugman''s vision clears, he instantly regrets it as he saw the horrifying face of the werewolf who bared his fangs and growls at him.


    And thus Bugman soiled himself before fainting, dead to the world.


    *POV of Raine the Dryad.


    While all this is happening, the remaining four orc slaves are in the fight of their lives as the smaller bloodletters would rather fight the orcs rather than intervening in the battle between two titans. Just like always, the peculiar sight of bloodletters waiting for their turn to fight the orc slaves one-on-one are baffling to Raine, who is currently watching the battlefield from a bird''s eye point of view above her prone headless body.


    The sight of Bugman''s terrified expression is amusing to watch, the struggles of the orc slaves are fascinating to watch and the dance of her boss summon when dodging the aggression of the bloodthirsters is exciting to watch.


    Raine immensely enjoyed the spectacle unfolding before her. No wonder the Romans like to watch similar blood sports in the Colosseum of Ancient Rome. There is a primal and savage pleasure when viewing such a bloody fight.


    Usually, Raine doesn''t feel much emotion when living her life, yet she could still feel a stir of emotion when looking at the rich emotions displayed on someone else''s face when they are struggling for their lives. Perhaps this made her a bit evil if not for the fact that she prefers looking at someone''s laughter, but fear and panic make such a good break in monotony once in a while.


    ¡®Ah, an orc just died.'' Thought Raine as she saw one of the orc slaves succumbs to his injury and his soul dragged out screaming and kicking before being consumed on the spot.


    To Raine''s disappointment, The three remaining orcs slaves become disheartened, and despair starts to appear on their faces. The struggle become meaningless to watch when the fight is gone from one side.


    ¡®Atroce, stop playing around. Be a dear and kill all the cannon fodder, will you? My pawns are tiring, and they are no longer able to fight well.'' Thought Raine telepathically to the summoned giant wolf boss ¡®Atroce.''


    Atroce paused for a fraction of a second before he ducked under another mighty swing of the giant bloody axes of the bloodthirster. His charge, the dwarf he is instructed to protect, Bugman have become unconscious and foaming in the mouth. Bugman condition worsened as the old dwarf is forced to be carried by one of Atroce''s arm under heavy acceleration when he danced around the bloodthirster.


    ¡®Yes, mistress.'' Replied Atroce respectfully.


    Raine then watched as Atroce curiously bit one of his thumbs and quickly smeared the blood on the ground.


    The blood lingers for a split second before a magic circle surrounded by runes expanded on the floor and three dark-colored hounds jump out from the magic circle.


    ¡®Hooo, I didn''t expect you to have minions of your own. What are they?'' Asked Raine curiously.


    ¡®Those are Galion''s, my monster slaves. They are not sentient, and I could summon them at any time at no cost to me to assist in battles. However, I could not summon more than three of them at any time. The only way to dispel them is to kill me first. This ability is not only limited to me. All boss monsters have this ability granted to them by the Ragnarok System.'' Replied Atroce politely.


    Raine''s gaze is still locked on to the Galion hound when suddenly her vision blurred.


    ¡®Eh? That''s weird. My vision has gotten blurry.'' Thought Raine with worry.


    ¡®From what I can see, you are low on oxygen mistress. Normally your avatar breathes through your leaves. However, since you are decapitated, you have a minimal intake of oxygen since the head contains most of the life support function of the avatar. As I am not able to retrieve your head at the moment mistress, You could deploy your auxiliary branches from your back, and the leaves would absorb oxygen as well.'' Answered Atroce hastily as he blocked and countered strike the bloodthirster with only one hand as the other hand is preoccupied with carrying the unconscious dwarf.


    Raine urgently deploys her branches from her back. As she did it hastily, the branches grow too fast and breaking through even her undersuit and armor. The branches rises a few feet from her body before leaves grow all over the branches.


    On the upside, her vision is returning to normal, but on the downside, it made her very exposed. It''s not a regular occurrence when a corpse suddenly sprouted like a green bean on a bed of tissue.


    ¡®Too much growth mistress!'' Warned Atroce as he witnessed the change in his charge.


    A change that is also noticed by the bloodthirster, with malicious eyes and gears barely turning in its head, have managed to take the conclusion that the corpse on the corner has some importance to its opponent. With a roar, the bloodthirster pointed at Raine''s figure and spoke in a demonic and gruff voice.


    "RAAGGGHH! Destroy that body!" Screamed the bloodthirster loudly and with madness in its eyes.


    The surrounding remaining bloodletters who are waiting for their turns suddenly glared at Raine''s figure before they start running and waving their greatsword in the air while roaring in their battle lust. A wave of twenty bloodletters, including the ones abandoning their fight with the remaining two orc slaves, rushed as one towards her. Apparently, the usual rule of one-on-one engagement is disregarded when ordered by a greater daemon.


    ¡®Oops.'' Thought Raine, dumbfounded.


    Even the greater daemon are locked towards Raine before having its path is blocked by Atroce. The moment Atroce realizes that all the remaining daemons have made a beeline towards his mistress, he dropped the unconscious Bugman like a sack of potato without hesitation. Furthermore, with the capability to use both hands now, Atroce have the upper hand when clashing against the greater daemon bloodthirster once again. He manages to slashes hundreds of time at the exposed blood thirster''s legs and tendons. Boiling blood spurts from the deep gashes and hamstringing the greater daemon movement.


    With desperation Atroce could only direct his monster slaves, all three Galion''s, to defend his mistress while he keeps the more significant threat pinned. With a loud howl, the three dark hounds disappear from his side at the speed of a gale at his command and reappear with jaws biting and crushing the windpipe of the rushing blood letters before spinning in midair and tearing off half of the bloodletter necks.


    Even then, the daemons life force persist, and they are still able to drag themselves towards Raine. The mortally wounded daemons finally expire when the Galion''s finely shredded their body thoroughly using fangs and claws. Some of the bloodletters are responding to this threat within their midst and hacked apart the Galion''s in retaliation.


    To the blood letter''s displeasure, another magic circle appear near Atroce and three new Galion''s leap and harass the blood letter''s flank again while dragging down the slower daemon to their knees before mercilessly shredding them to ribbons.


    Tense seconds ticked by with the infernal horde approaching closer until they are within Raine''s spell range. And without hesitation, she silently cast lvl 10 Soul Strike in quick succession. As five orbs of spiritual magic almost instantly appear from her right hand and strike the enemy, she immediately cast another lvl 10 Soul Strike with her left hand and continued casting them alternatively.


    Spiritual orbs are raining down on the hordes mercilessly like bowling ball sized hail and smashing faces and torso, crippling and incapacitating bloodletters as they fall to the ground like chaffs.


    Thankfully spellcasting accuracy is unaffected by sight as the spiritual orbs keep homing in on the approaching horde regardless whether they try to avoid it or not. Just like a turret of death and destruction, she keeps blasting the ever closing blood letters while they are being harassed from the rear by the Galion summoned by Atroce.


    Raine could appreciate the speed of the Galion''s nipping at their heel and going for the throat once a bloodletter is pinned down and fallen. Her spells have also steadily taken their tolls on the size of the horde. As half of the bloodletters have already been cut down before the bloodletters start to adapt to her attack. The remaining bloodletters have ruthlessly begun to use the half-dead bodies of their kin as a shield while continuing to rush at her.


    A brutal tactic, but effective as five bloodletters have entered into melee range in relatively good condition before she could wipe them out from range, one of them throws the dead carcass of its kin straight at her headless torso, which she blasted aside with a lvl 10 Napalm beat spell like a shotgun.


    As the carcass is blasted aside, Raine is helpless as another blood letter follow closely from behind the thrown corpse. The roaring blood letter then slashed at her torso, before she blocked it by sacrificing her already outstretched hand.


    SNAP!


    Raine bit back a whimper as one of her arm snapped like a twig before falling to the ground, and blood starts to gush from the stump before slowing to a trickle as the open wound closes on itself. For the bloodletter''s trouble, the bloodletters who did the blow received a lvl 10 Souls Strike to its face, thereby obliterating its head like a cracked egg.


    As the bloodletter is falling to the ground, Raine noticed that she became surrounded by four bloodletters. Three of them still carries the carcass of its kin that they used as a shield. Dread starts to build up within her as one of the bloodletters is about to repeat their earlier tactic and about to throw the carcass of their kin again.


    Before the bloodletter has the chance to do so, the three Galion''s have arrived with bloody jaws, dripping with daemon''s boiling blood. As if the cavalry has come to save the princess in crisis, each Galion tackled the bloodletters carrying their kin, and have fallen to the ground even as they fumbled and grappled with their fangs and claws in a whirlwind of blood and violence.


    Raine could breathe a sigh of relief as she turns towards the only blood letter left. Contrary to the other specimen, this one looks more prominent and more cunning. She would have to treat this one as their commander as this blood letter seems to be a cut above the rest.


    Raine then lifted her remaining hand and aimed at the commander blood letter as if daring it to come closer for a blast in the face. However, different from the rest of its kin, it seemed to pause and consider something before looking around the surrounding battlefield.


    With the scuffle near them, the commander blood letter picked up one of the nearby carcass of its kin dropped by the other three bloodletters, before stabbing its only greatsword to the ground. The bloodletter commander then holds the corpse of its kin with one hand like a shield in front of it, before hurriedly approaching and pick up another greatsword from one of the other three still living bloodletters.


    The bloodletter commander then hurriedly went back to the original greatsword before stabbing the second on to the ground as well.


    On its second trip, Raine does not hesitate and let her opponent carry out its plan scot free. She cast a lvl 10 Soul Strike at the bloodletter commander with her sole remaining hand. Only to see the spiritual orbs from her spell blocked by the corpse the bloodletter commander is holding in front of its face.


    The bloodletter commander growls at Raine before doubling its effort as the carcass of its kin is crumbling before it. For the second time, it stabs the third greatsword on the ground near the first two greatswords. She could see that it was thinking of making a third trip to collect the last remaining greatsword a distance away.


    Raine decided to dissuade the bloodletter commander by continuing to cast the lvl 10 Soul Strike Spell and reducing the carcass of its kin into oblivion. The bloodletter commander persists in maintaining its position as it endures behind the three greatswords as if it''s waiting for something even as it lost its meatshield.


    Raine realizes too late what is its aim as she found that her mana points have become too low to continue using her Soul Strike spell. Recognizing that the barrage has ended, the bloodletter commander roared a challenge and took the opportunity to pull a greatsword from the ground before using both hands to hurl the greatsword straight at her.


    Panicking at the sight of the approaching greatsword hurled at great force, Raine could only alter the course of the greatsword by casting the less mana intensive lvl 10 Napalm Beat. Only by a stroke of luck that the greatsword missed her body by inches as she managed to avoid it with the aid of the Napalm Beat spell and by sidestepping away from its trajectory as well.


    Before Raine could feel relief however she felt a shock going through her body as another greatsword was thrown immediately after the first, this second one rotating after the first, the arc makes it impossible for her to avoid it so soon after dodging the first thrown greatsword. With a grunt from pain, the rotating greatsword manages to cut off both of her legs from under her.


    As Raine dropped to the ground with her stomach facing downwards and with her back exposed, she could see the bloodletter commander running towards her to deliver the finishing blow. Pain distracted her mind, but she could still focus as her body limits the amount of pain she could feel past a certain extent. With a single limb left and nothing else, she raised her hand and blasted the bloodletter commander with a weak Lvl 5 Napalm Beat to the face, the strongest she could manage with an almost empty mana tank.


    The lvl 5 Napalm Beat only serves to blind the bloodletter commander momentarily, but not before it managed to counter and hacked off Raine''s single remaining limb in retaliation. Even without any arms or legs or even head, she still stubbornly struggles and not giving this daemon the satisfaction of seeing her be anything less than defiant against overwhelming odds.


    To Raine, so what if she is headless, armless and legless and left with only her torso? For her species, it is merely a flesh wound! She still has the forces of nature behind her back! With that in mind, she manipulated the branches at her back to entangle the bloodletter commander. Instead of leaves, she replaced them with thorns all over the branches which cut into the bloodletter flesh and drawing droplets of boiling blood to the ground.


    The bloodletter commander roared in pain as it ripped out a branch only to ripped part of its flesh away as well. Raine has no mercy left within her, she blinded the bloodletter again but this time permanently as she jammed her thorny branches into both if its eyes and bursting both of its eyes. She then entangles the bloodletter neck before trying to strangle the life out if it. In its struggle, her torso is thrown around in the air as the bloodletter commander tried desperately to free itself from her vengeful attack.


    The bloodletter commander roared in fury and pain even when Raine exert more pressure on its neck. She found that it would take forever to kill this daemon this way and decided to be creative and grow blades of thorns around its neck. As the finishing blow, the branches with thorn blades spin around its neck. The thorny branches slowly and painfully cutting through before finally decapitating the bloodletter commander.


    With an air of finality, both combatants dropped to the ground. One obviously dead, while the other is only about eighty percent dead.


    At this point, Raine doesn''t even have anything left. Her mana is empty, and she has no limbs and head. She absolutely couldn''t move even a single branch at this point as the bloodletter claws lacerate her branches. Her body hurt all over, and she wants to rest.


    ¡­


    The earlier three bloodletters who are tangling with the Galions are back, and they managed to kill the hounds with a single loss of bloodletter. Looking at the nearby figure of Atroce fighting, Raine could now see three new Galion''s supporting Atroce in his fight with the bloodthirster.


    Of course, there are, God forbid Raine would get a break at this point. What is it with her life and her role as entertainment for higher beings. It''s not like its fun to go through such hardship even if fate decided to grant her with powers beyond any mortal man is supposed to have. If luck and God are the same, then she wishes someone would throw a rope in this kind of hopeless situation.


    ¡®You hear me, God! I demand a Deux Ex Machina!'' Thought Raine loudly to anyone.


    Raine hears a pair of load roars in the distance with trepidation. Looking back towards the pair of bloodletters in the distance she becomes pleasantly surprised. Finally, help arrived in the form of the three last surviving orcs who looks like they just took steroids with foaming mouths ambushing and butchering the bruised and battered blood letters into pieces.


    ¡®Finally, something goes my way! There is a Deux Ex Machina! It''s a miracle! I am going to survive! You hear that God! I am going to survive! HAHAHAHA! Wait. Why is the area around my body getting darker?'' Thought Raine suddenly.


    Raine could only watch as a giant hoof descends on what remains of her body.


    ¡®Well shoot.'' Thought Raine fleetingly.


    A giant hoof, connected to the giant figure of the bloodthirster descended from the sky with giant wings and crushed Raine''s torso on the ground with a loud sound of keratin hitting flesh and metal. The impact was so great that a large indent formed on the floor even when the floor is made from metal.


    Unheard by everyone is the sound of smaller cracks as something smaller underneath the hoof broke. It is the sound of the remaining strings of explosive discs tied within Raine''s black cat tail belt, which she used to clear the blocked passage to enter the ill-fated cargo bay. It is the sound of explosive discs crushed under hoof.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As anyone could tell, if a car crashed into a weapon armory then you could expect fireworks to happen immediately afterward. Like thunder following lighting, a loud explosion ripped through metal and hoof, scattering metals, blood, keratin, and bone across the cargo bay.


    The bloodthirster roared in pain but still managed to hold its hoof in place through sheer daemonic vitality. Pools of boiling blood from broken and mutilated hoof start to fill over to the torn and broken ground where Raine''s torso previously lay.


    Inexplicably the pool of boiling blood starts to drain before completely drying up. The bloodthirster looks down curiously before trying to lift its hoof, expecting to see a broken body. Only to find that no matter how hard it tries, its hoof remains stuck on the ground. Alarmingly, patches of dark inky liquid start to seep out from underneath its hoof and begin to beat like a heart.


    Start ofchapter music - click to watch Nightcore State of Mine - Rise : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Z7sBWIHCc</a>


    That lasted until Raine felt boiling blood splashed and touched her core. Suddenly she felt as if she is being burned alive. The pain of the body was nothing to the pain of having her core exposed to this pool of boiling blood. The boiling blood caused her to feel the eternal wrath and fell supernatural corruption, and she could feel her core being further corroded from the surface and seeping further inside.


    As sudden as it comes, it left just as suddenly when out of nowhere a cold and chill of the soul burst from deeper within her core and absorbs the heat from the boiling blood. Now she felt a new emotion which she seldom experienced that of cold fury, a state of being where she desires to destroy but tempered by reason and cold logic.


    Raine''s body may be gone and her core damaged, but by instinct, she felt that a force beyond her is taking over and she is too far gone to suppress it. Liquid shadows burst out from her core and drain the surrounding pool of boiling blood, consuming and subverting the boiling blood into more liquid darkness.


    Raine felt rather than see the liquid shadow engulfing and covering the titanic bloodthirster who is still stepping on her. The bloodthirster roared and struggled to escape from her tendrils of dark liquid for naught as its whole body become covered in the foreign essence.


    Lifeforce then starts to flow into Raine, with an aftertaste of insane rage and eternal wrath. She welcomes this feeling as it met her cold fury and found that it could not take over.


    In the process of absorption, the bloodthirster withers and expires in seconds. It''s essences returning to and adding to Raine''s strength and power. She could feel the dark liquid breaking down bones and any organic matter. Without deeper thinking, she started rebuilding her body through willpower and instinct.


    The witness to this turnaround is Atroce, the three orc slave survivors and one mysterious observer hiding in the darkened corner of the cargo bay. All of them have seen the figure of the bloodthirsters becoming fully covered by a moving and living black colored liquid without being able to understand what is happening at all. The bloodthirster struggles weakly for a few seconds before stopping and shrinking at a rapid pace. The figure shrinks before transforming into a fully healed figure of Raine, with a few difference. One of the difference is being naked again, somehow destroying what she wears is becoming an all too common occurrence.


    Raine''s exposed figure has grown to be the size of an early teenager, and her height has increased to become 145 cm or 4 feet and 9 inches tall with flat breasts. Her muscles have become more developed and compact. The colorings of her body have become more varied, now with streaks of red, black and green with green being more predominant, surrounded by stripes of black and red mostly around her arms and legs.


    ¡®Ah, I never feel so alive¡­ And so thirsty¡­ I want something thick and warm to drink.'' Thought Raine with intense thirst.


    Raine looks around and felt awkward that Atroce and the orc slaves are staring at her like she is crazy. That lasted only until her attention are locked unto the figure of the unconscious Bugman laying on the ground.


    Before she realizes it, she''s holding and biting into a piece of still beating heart and sucking the blood out of it like a possessed heartthrob girl in a Justin Bieber concert with the real Justin Bieber heart in hand.


    Shocked, Raine dropped the mutilated heart away before spitting out the hot and tasty blood from her mouth. As she spits out the rest of the blood away, she immediately regrets it as she now sees the lifeless figure of Bugman on the ground. The old dwarf torso ripped open by clawed hands, her own hands. Now that she can take a closer look at her hands, which are tipped with sharp claws like a cat.


    The remaining three orc slaves nearby become spooked after seeing Raine casually killed their last remaining dwarf master. Even when the orc''s mind is still affected by whatever drugs they consumed, they still have the sense to scatter and hide among the burning wreckages, unwittingly joining the mysterious observer in hiding.


    ¡®Mistress. Are you alright?'' Asked Atroce telepathically.


    Raine jerked up at the sound of someone speaking through her mind. She turned around and spotted Atroce approaching her cautiously. Somehow Atroce looks very appealing to her. Irresistible, like a piece of crispy bacon on a Sunday morning.


    Raine grinned wickedly as she stops caring about consequences and just felt that her body is flushed hot with bloodthirst and the means to quench that thirst is right in front of her. She needs to take it for herself.


    Start ofchapter music - click to watchFall Out Boy - THE PHOENIX (Kinetic Typography Lyrics) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JqY-6q-RNA</a>


    Purely on instinct, Raine melds into her own shadow before quickly appearing in another location, right out of Atroce''s blind spot, his own shadow on the ground.


    "Forbidden Technique, One thousand years of death!" Shouted Raine dramatically as she smirked with malice.


    Feeling the presence of death, Atroce instinctually jumped away before Raine''s attack managed to pierce through his exposed flank.


    ¡®What was it! Such a terrifying attack! I have never heard of a Yggdrasil Dryad using a combat skill of such name! Could it be that she is no longer under the Ragnarok System?'' Thought Atroce with cold sweat after he managed to avoid Raine''s sudden attack.


    Raine pouted as her improvised attack missed and disappointed that her opening move failed to incapacitate her prey. Since she felt that it couldn''t be helped, she raised herself above the ground and adopted a fighting stance before suddenly dashing forward, closing in on Atroce retreating form. Once more appearing behind Atroce and scattering the nearby Gallion hounds.


    ¡®Moreover, she just used a shadow phase skill. It is not supposed to be a skill accessible to a Yggdrasil Dryad. Even those of higher job skill class of Assassin ¡®Cloaking'' could only be used at walking speed instead of teleporting like this.'' Thought Atroce frantically as Raine chased after his retreating form and continued swiping her sharp claws at any exposed part of his body.


    "Is that the best you can do Atroce! I thought you are better than this! Where is the figure of the warrior who stands up against a greater daemon bigger than himself!" Shouted Raine as she managed to draw blood from some of her furious swipes.


    Atroce continues avoiding Raine''s fury swipes but finding himself cornered by her assault. With no choice, he performs a shadow shift and reappears at the other end of the cargo bay, away from Raine on the other end of the cargo bay.


    "Mistress, there is no point for us to fight. Look around, there are no more enemies left to fight, and while I am bound by duty to protect you. I also have the right to defend myself." Said Atroce, loud and clear.


    "There is always a reason to fight, for one your blood is to die for." Said Raine, as she licked her bloodied claws and shuddered in pleasure.


    "The mistress has gone mad! Minions! Pin her down while I try to subdue her!" Shouted Atroce as he commanded his three Gallion hounds minion to attack and pin Raine down.


    The three figures of Gallion hounds sprinted across the cargo bay with Raine locked in their sight. Within seconds they manage to reach her and proceed to bit down on both of her legs and one of her arm.


    "Sanity is for the weak! Behold I am destruction incarnate!" Shouted Raine as she casually choked one of the Galion hound biting on her arm and proceeded to breathe fire on the struggling Gallion hound, incinerating the poor minion.


    Not content with the demise of the Gallion hound burned to death, Raine proceeds to pierce through both hounds biting and pinning both of her legs down with red eye beams coming out from both of her eyes.


    "Where does your ability comes from? They are unfamiliar to me, and I have seen many young Yggdrasil Dryads practice and spar in the Yggdrasil station." Growled Atroce at the demise of his minions as he was hoping that they could have bought him more time.


    Once more, the summoning circle appears near Atroce, and three Gallion minions look again from within the summoning circle and then took a stand beside Atroce''s figure.


    "When I came to be after the giant bloodthirster daemon stepped its hoof on me, vast amounts of knowledge became available within my grasps. The knowledge also comes with how to create a replacement body you see before you." Answered Raine as she shows one of her bitten arm, the bite wound on the arm could be seen visibly regenerating before healing up completely.


    "Such knowledge usually does not come freely mistress. You should return with me to the Yggdrasil station, and we should check what effect this may have on your body, both your main body and your avatar." Requested Atroce solemnly.


    "Stop being a spoilsport, this feeling of being right can''t be wrong." Said Raine with a pout.


    "Are you hearing yourselves, mistress? Surrender, I would eventually win in the end. I am more powerful and more experienced than you. You are also outnumbered, I can keep summoning three Gallion minions no matter how many times you keep slaughtering them." Said Atroce diplomatically.


    "You speak too soon Atroce, maybe you are right on some but certainly not in outnumbering me. Look again." Said Raine with a grin as she snaps her fingers.


    From among the wreckages of the cargo bay, dark clouds swirl and gathers before forming a horde of dark-colored zombies with glowing blue eyes and wielding an equally shadowy sword. The zombies easily numbered in the fifties, surrounding both Atroce and Raine. Atroce grimaced looking at the numbers of minions she can summon.


    "These are dust zombies, they may not be prettiest minions, but they are certainly the perfect cannon fodders. It''s just too bad they have a pretty annoying weakness." Said Raine with a pout.


    "It must be hard on you mistress, please share it I am willing to lend an ear to your hardships." Offered Atroce with sarcasm.


    "Oh, what a bad boy. Trying to trick his master? Tsk, we can''t have that. Well, their weakness is for me to know and for you to find out. Sick em boys!" Said Raine, as she whistled and gestured at Atroce.


    With a howl, the horde of shadowy zombies lurched forward from all direction, swinging their swords in the air haphazardly. A horde of fifty zombies are running blindly, approaching closer to Atroce, yet before they could reach Atroce, the zombies are set upon by the hounds. The first few zombies then collapse to dust when the hounds first bite into their black flesh.


    The hounds become momentarily blinded by the black dust and butchered by the surrounding dust zombies. The zombies then continue their assault towards Atroce.


    Atroce scoffed at the weak zombies and dashed forward before ripping through their dark flesh as if it is non-existent. Atroce growled as the scattering dust irritates its eyes and senses. The hounds once again joining him at his side. Undaunted, he dashed forward and jumped straight into the horde before ripping the zombie apart like a berserker.


    Atroce has already massacred more zombies than what he has perceived at the start of the battle, yet the tide of the zombies continues unabated. Looking up from his maddened struggle at the center of the zombie''s horde, he finally sees that new zombies are forming from the scattered dust of the zombies that he has already defeated, Effectively creating an infinite loop of grunt reinforcement.


    "I understand now, these dust zombies are corporeal yet burst into dust the moment they are hit. The dust is toxic and an irritant when inhaled or exposed to the eyes. These dust zombies are aptly named, and they serve as cannon fodders. The zombies could defeat weaklings or the common populace but burst when they gotten hit only once. Stronger opponents would massacre the zombies, but the dust would still hinder them and made them weaker. I still fail to see how you would prevail even with the help of these cannon fodders mistress." Said Atroce with a blocked nose and stinging eyes even as he continues massacring the zombies.


    "Well, what are cannon fodders good for, besides becoming my meat shield while I do something else of course. I need time to see and know what you are capable of. After all in chess, the pawns go first." Said Raine casually as she stands at the back of the horde watching the proceedings of the battle.


    "By all means mistress, I have nothing to hide. Of course, now that I know these hordes are unending I need to defeat you, and the whole horde would collapse into dust once and for all." Said Atroce as he increased his speed and slashed through the zombie''s horde faster than new ones could be regenerated.


    Raine smirked at Atroce confidence, along with the new knowledge she has learned that her most powerful ability is not her fire spells, or her eye beams, or her necromancy. No, her most potent ability is shapeshifting.


    However, to do that Raine needs to intimately know and understand the capability of the being she is copying. The more intimate the knowledge is, the more ability would she be able to replicate. At the moment she has seen enough to copy the appearance of Atroce, everything else though would have to come from herself.


    With that in mind, her body starts to shift into one big shadow before forming the shape of a big werewolf with a vague shadow like feature.


    "Impossible! Your transformation is too great to understand! No Dryads have a shapeshifting ability, necromancy, shadow spell, or eye beams! The council would hear of this mistress!" Shouted Atroce as he is overwhelmed by shock.


    Raine stretches her new form to feel the increased muscle mass. Her current form feels like it emphasizes power and speed in equal measure. Her sharp claws have become more prominent and sharper. Not only that, she has a long muzzle now filled with sharp and large fangs to tear through flesh and bone.


    It is cute to see the flustered figure of Atroce as Raine copied his form. Unfortunately, she knows she could not copy Atroce''s ability on the first try. At this point, she could only replicate the physical attribute of Atroce based on the muscle mass and skeletal frame. Plus, Atroce still has the Gallion minions and the large cleaver of his. The summon, she would not be able to reproduce as summons are based on contracts, but she does have an alternative with necromancy. The large cleaver she wouldn''t be able to replicate correctly as well. Something similar maybe she would be able to manage, but it will be a hollow copy without the bell and whistle of the original.


    "Well, I could explain it to you. It will be a lengthy explanation with twist and turns, highlighting my intelligence and brilliance. Underlying my motivation and reason why I am doing this. Unfortunately, I''ve watched too many movies so I won''t waste time like a two-bit villain. Instead, please lay down, so I could suck your sweet, sweet blood." Said Raine with a newly grown muzzle and fangs showing.


    Raine waved one of her arms towards Atroce, knowing that she managed to distract Atroce long enough for her dust zombies to finish regenerating to their full numbers. Atroce did not realize that her main reason to shapeshift is to distract and delay his assault, by not destroying the dust zombies faster than they could regenerate, it gives her the upper hand when she joined in the frenzy, in tandem with her undead horde.


    Raine shifted in and out during the melee as the Galion hounds, her dust zombies and Atroce become embroiled in a mess. The Galion hounds keep getting destroyed and summoned again as the number of dust zombies does not give enough space for them to maneuver. The condition of Atroce is not going that well as well. As the moment Atroce swings his large cleaver, there is a window period where he is open and vulnerable.


    Usually, any mobs would be blown away or destroyed after such a mighty swing, but this is the moment Raine shifted in from the shadows, and her first strike is one of Atroce''s legs. With a mighty crunch, she shatters one of Atroce''s legbone in between her fangs, before quickly jumping away to avoid a counterstrike from Atroce and melding back into the shadows.


    "ARGGHHHHH!" Screamed Atroce loudly as he dropped to one knee while holding his broken leg.


    There is a reason why Raine aimed for Atroce leg even though it is not lethal. The main reason is that for an agile fighter, losing your mobility means death. Now that Atroce is pinned, she directed her dust zombies to pile on top of Atroce. Atroce still managed to cleave through the dust zombies, but the strength of the strike is slower and weaker than before. Which is another reason for aiming for the legs, not many know but when swinging a weapon around half of the force going into the swing comes from footwork. Of course, she knows this from playing the sport ¡®Golf'' back when she was still alive as a human, but the principle still applies. The faster you swing, and the more harmonious your swing is with your leg movement then the ball would travel farther and with less effort.


    As Atroce become more frantic with his movement, the dust zombies horde finally managed to pile on Atroce and blocking his view with leaping rabid dust zombies. Raine then took another swipe at Atroce when he is distracted by the zombie horde, by jumping out from the shadows and biting into Atroce''s neck.


    Atroce shouts in pain and try to dislodge Raine from his neck, but in his weakened and overwhelmed state are not able to separate himself from Raine''s stubborn jaws. Atroce''s situation becomes worse when she starts to suck the blood from Atroce''s arterial vein and starts expanding her breasts with Atroce''s lifeblood bit by bit.


    "Get away from me! That''s it! I am done being here!" Atroce shouted in distress.


    Raine managed to consume a good amount of mana-rich blood from Atroce before he decided to disappear into a magical gateway, presumably canceling the original summons and returning to where Atroce comes from, which is the Yggdrasil station. The Galion minions kept busy by her dust zombies horde also disappear with their master''s departure.


    With disappointment, Raine laments the escape of her meal. Well, there is still the orc slaves survivor if she wants to drain their blood as well¡­ Maybe not, they did manage to save her life once not long ago, and it would be poor manner for her to repay them by taking their lives. So, unfortunately, she has to be satisfied with what she already has.


    Raine waved the wandering dust zombies away back into dust and proceeded to sit cross-legged in the middle of the ruined cargo bay littered with bodies of dwarves, orcs and even daemons. Nothing to do but wait for the Cruor spaceship to exit the warp, it should be soon now as it felt like it has been hours since she enters this god-forsaken ship already.


    "Clap...Clap...Clap...Clap... Clap.." The sound of hand clapping could suddenly be heard from behind her.


    Raine turns herself around to look at the source of the sound disturbing the peace. To her surprise, she sees the figure of Iden Versio coming out of a burning container, together with the three surviving orc slaves.


    "Ahhhh, what a show Miss Raine. Simply splendid! It was such a thrill watching you come out victorious from such a fight even when the deck is stacked against you. I can''t even start to comprehend everything you have shown me! It''ll be a nightmare for anyone to face you in battle now. I am certain even if you face a whole platoon of troops yourself you could still wipe them out easily." Said Iden Versio with a thrill of someone who just got a jackpot in a roulette machine.


    Raine became irritated at the lack of assistance from Iden during the fight. If Iden was around then why does she have to struggle to survive all this while?


    "No thanks to you Miss Iden. Where were you when I was fighting for my life earlier?" Replied Raine getting irritated and half tempted to drain her of blood as well, but still mulling over it.


    "Ah, give me a break. I was unconscious remember? Plus by the time I came to myself, I found you have already decapitated. Anyone I can see still alive was the old dwarf and some orc slaves. I might as well hide until things become clear. However, I did send three orc slaves to your assistance when I suddenly see you up and fighting again. Remember the combat booster I mentioned not too long ago? I took some and injected them into the orc slaves to boost their battle ability. And I was going to flank both of the big guys in the fight, but the first you have finished off by yourself and the second one was covered by some of your zombies, so I have to wait until I get a clear shot."Explained Iden with a soothing tone.


    Raine still grumbled while her feelings of irritation stubbornly refuse to cool down, which feels unusual to her. In some corner of her mind, whispers urging her to drain Iden of her blood echoes, prompting her to mull that course of action and the consequence again.


    "Aww, don''t be like that Miss Raine. Here look at the video of my Pug, Mr. Chewbacca! I am sure you''ll love her and forgive my mistake." Said Iden, as she projected a video of a small dog dancing in a loop.


    Click here for video</a>


    Raine saw the video and laughed at the small dog antics. Curiously, her irritation disappears like a fog in the morning sun. With the disappearance of her irritation, so does the whispers of violent retribution from the corner of her mind.


    "Very well, you are lucky that your dog saved you this time. However, if this happens again, I might as well confiscate that dog and keep it for myself." Said Raine with half-hearted grumbling.


    "Much obliged Miss Raine." Said Iden happily as she turn off the video projection of her pet, Mr. Chewbacca.


    Raine then shifted her attention to the three surviving orc slaves. Now that all of their masters are dead, she has no idea what to do with them as she doesn''t want or need to kill them.


    "Now what to do with all of you?" Said Raine absent-mindedly at the three orc slaves who looked like they just went through hell.

 Chapter 22

    *POV of Iden Versio the Mercenary


    Her name is Iden Versio, leader of the Adamantine-ranked Mercenary ¡®Inferno Squad''. Currently, she is hiding in a shadowy corner overlooking the Cruor Frigate cargo bay, monitoring everything that has happened ever since Raine blasted open the entryway and falling into a deeper level of hell.


    An insane move now that Iden looks back in hindsight. She was expecting a hard fight when their band of misfits enters the tiger''s cave to regroup, but even then she did not expect a dragon to be leading this particular group of tigers.


    And their group was doing so well so far too. Especially, Raine, she is much stronger and more capable than what Iden expected a civilian would perform when thrown in a life-threatening situation. Staying calm, taking charge, and coming up with the optimal solution is an excellent trait to have in a mercenary.


    How did Iden know everything that has happened when she is supposed to be unconscious?


    Well, the answer to that is because Iden was faking it! Like hell, she became unconscious when she knocked her head when the ship dropped into the canal! If that happened, then what is the point of wearing a helmet?


    No, there is a reason why Iden would fake her incapacitation like that. She needs to know what Raine is capable of when in a crisis, and there is no better way to tell than watching her face a real crisis while still under observation.


    While carried by the old dwarf, Iden saw for herself the ease in which Raine dispatched the bloodletters and exploited their weakness in ranged combat. Raine''s spells are surprisingly able to harm and even kill these ethereal creatures.


    Conventional knowledge would say this is impossible and even Iden would avoid combat with these demonic nightmares by going into stealth and avoiding the daemon sight, smell, and hearing.


    That was part of the reason, Iden decided to bolt and stealth herself the moment Raine¡¯s head was bitten off by the titanic bloodthirster. No one would be paying any attention to the missing body of the supposedly fainted person when their lives are in mortal peril and surrounded by daemons after all.


    Thankfully Raine blurted out that dying is impossible and if it did happen, then her consciousness would be transferred to a new body within the Yggdrasil tree back in Lai Dai headquarter in Earth.


    Iden could then risk Raine''s life with a clear conscience. She was worried when the giant werewolf suddenly appeared on the battlefield. After a while, it is clear that Raine has something to do with its appearance. As proven by the fact that the werewolf started attacking the bloodletters and protecting the old dwarf while carrying the diminutive dwarf like a rag doll.


    When Raine''s headless body starts to sprout a small tree though, that was when Iden launched her spy droid, Rufus, and proceed to record everything that happened since. The headless figure of Raine standing tall when hurling bowling sized balls of mist which blasted apart the bloodletter mobs would surely be the highlight of her recording session.


    While Rufus is recording the scene, Iden decided to give support to Raine by injecting the surviving orc slaves with combat boosters scattered on the ground from the torn container nearby. She then ordered the orc slaves to assist her charge and make sure that Raine survived. Once done, she decided to continue observing Raine¡¯s situation.


    After the massacre and brutal assault, Iden breathes a sigh of relief when Raine managed to kill the last bloodletter. She sucked in a choked breath as she sees Raine''s sudden demise at the bottom of a giant bloodthirster hoof.


    Iden''s shock leads to disbelief at the sudden and sinister death of the same bloodthirster in a gruesome reversal, the reappearance of Raine, transformed in a different light into something taller and darker with streaks of black and red. Which leads to the murder of Bugman and the altercation with the giant wolf daemon follows afterward.


    With everything that has happened in this short instances. Iden is looking forward to making that report to director Alakoni Ishanoya of Lai Dai mega corporation. This kind of intel usually comes with a hefty bonus and commission as an incentive for her mercenary squad, "Inferno Squad."


    Lai Dai also makes the best toys in Caldari space. So imagine the credits Iden could make and the toys she could buy with that credit, made her heart shudders with so much greed and desire in her heart. So with the withdrawal of the giant wolf daemon and feeling that the coast has finally settled, she decided to grace Raine with her presence.


    Therefore with joy in her heart, Iden uncloaked herself before Raine and started to clap loudly in the silence of the cargo bay.


    "Ahhhh, what a show, Miss Raine." Said Iden with joy.


    Now Iden needs to get back into Raine''s good grace and survive to collect her just and fair rewards from director Alakoni.


    *POV of Atroce the Boss-class Guardian


    His name is Atroce, the familiar of V-100, a Yggdrasil council elder. A position he carries out with pride as he won the post after fighting tooth and nail with many other hopeful monsters.


    The benefit of becoming a council elder familiar is immeasurable to Atroce, beside the additional remuneration and prestige, there is also a more positive uptick in his relationship with other inhabitants of the Yggdrasil station.


    It was not easy being a giant werewolf, even among monsters living in the realm known as the Yggdrasil station. Everyone took one look at Atroce and decided that he is too intimidating to approach and communicate. Just once, he would like someone to see himself and thought that ¡®Oh because Atroce is here, we can rest assured that peace will be maintained no matter what.''


    For Atroce, life in the Yggdrasil station is peaceful and comfortable. The station serves as a nexus of research and development for all Yggdrasil Dryads of the multiverses. It is a center of trade and learning, the station''s interior is designed for new Yggdrasil Dryads to learn, develop, and train themselves to keep themselves safe and prosper in their universe of origin.


    There is also no shortage of companions who happens to be monsters just like Atroce as well. Since Monsters are born as a direct result of exposing living organisms to the thick haze saturated with the mana concentration of six Yggdrasil world tree within the station, the newly born monsters would be imprinted with the desire to protect and care for all Yggdrasil Dryads and designated as a Guardian Force of the station. A defense force which is sorely needed by the Yggdrasil station peace and security.


    Even though there is haze within the station that will force mortals to transform into monsters slowly, there are no shortages of mortals who seek out and invade the station. They manage to sneak in through the many channels of the Yggdrasil roots which are distributed all over the station which connect to other multiverses.


    The mortals that come from different universes with unusual ability and technological level are not always humans, though humans are certainly holding the record as the one race with the most numerous attempt at infiltrating the station.


    Other than humans, sometimes there are elves, orcs, beast kin, dark elves, cyborgs, predators, and aliens. The mortals always come for the same reason, for power over life and death. For the leaves of a Yggdrasil tree, whether from the tree or their humanoid avatar, can bring back the dead to life.


    Although the resurrection won''t bring them to full health and will leave them near death at best, it is something that is much desired by universally everyone and needless to say will bring great wealth when sold to the market. These leaves could come from those grown on top of a Yggdrasil Dryads head and their main Yggdrasil tree body.


    More valuable than even resurrection are the Yggdrasil berries produced only by the main Yggdrasil tree body. The Yggdrasil berries can completely heal anyone to full health, cure all diseases, regrow limbs, and restore the body to the prime of its youth.


    Millions have died fighting for possession of a single berry and nations have turned on allies, friends, and families for the chance to consume or sell the Yggdrasil berry on their respective market.


    Some mortals even say that the Yggdrasil berries are cursed. For when it appears, war and bloodshed would surely follow. Hence, the common understanding when in possession of the berry is to consume it immediately. A problematic proposition, to say the least when groups of fighters are needed to defeat the Guardians of the Yggdrasil tree. However, it is doable when the Yggdrasil trees are alone in their respective universes.


    Things finally changed, when Atroce have the opportunity to sign himself up as one of the participants in the grand tournament. Once a year, there would be a grand tournament to choose a new monster to guard one of the members of the Yggdrasil council elder. Even after beating all the tournament participants, he went through an even tougher fight against the former elder guardian champion.


    Atroce took over the position of Elder Guardian after winning the annual Yggdrasil tournament. Previously he was just one monster among many, a member of the Guardian Force seeded throughout the entirety of the Yggdrasil station in case of invasion or assault from the lesser mortals inhabiting the multiverses. But now, he held his head up with pride as he becomes familiar and is seen differently by his fellow monsters and even the younger dryads as a protector and a champion.


    Atroce now serves as the familiar of the elder council V-100, her class are known by the Yggdrasil station inhabitant as a ¡®Ranger,'' the highest of its job class and the only one in existence. All six council elders came into their position once they reach the third and highest of their respective job class.


    So rare was the ascension that besides the council elders, no one else has managed to reach the third and highest of the job class. Each council elders are also rumored to have their unique job class that Atroce would not be privy to unless he serves as their familiars.


    Since there are six council elders and the position of becoming one of their familiar is open only once a year. Every year there would be a chance for a normal monster to gain the status of an elder guardian if they managed to defeat the appointed elder guardian assigned as the champion of the arena.


    And since the position of champions rotates among the six elder guardian monsters. Atroce could expect to keep the position for a minimum of six years before he needs to defend it from challengers in the same tournament he won.


    The ''familiar'' position is the highest of honor among monsters of the Yggdrasil council Guardian Force. The elders are great figures among an already awe-inspiring population of divinity. Each Yggdrasil dryad is responsible for their corner of the universe, a critical component for life to exist. However, the elder council are special in that each elder manages a slice of the multiverse network, with the entirety of the Yggdrasil council as the center of that network.


    The Yggdrasil council, in their infinite wisdom, would always send reinforcement of more senior Yggdrasil Dryads and a contingent of Guardian forces from the Yggdrasil station when the distressed Yggdrasil tree hostage sent a distress signal through the shared network. After clearing the hostiles in the immediate area, some of the senior Dryads would always stay and guard the defenseless Dryad until she can build up her own local Guardian forces again.


    As part of the station Guardian Forces, Atroce''s job is still protecting all the Dyads in the station. However, as an elder familiar, his priority is the elder he is responsible for, which is V-100.


    All Yggdrasil Dryads are essentially the same person. They even have the same name. Initially, when a new Dryad is born, they all have the same physical traits and attributes. When a dryad become an elder though, they have access to a higher level of power and can expect to draw power from other multiverses, they presided over and manage.


    Atroce feels that protecting such a being would be redundant as they could be even more powerful than him. Although someone informs him that it is tiring to stay on guard all the time, hence even council elders need familiar to stand guard for them.


    That is why Atroce is currently protecting his council elder, V-100, in the Morroc market place, the trading district of the Yggdrasil station, located within one of the six arms of the massive Yggdrasil station. He is surrounded by multiple younger Dryads who have the same face but wears different gear and have different physical attributes. He escorts and stands beside the council elder V-100, as she greets and inspects her fellow Dryads.


    Here and there, the hustle and bustle of Dryads selling their wares made the Morroc marketplace a scene of organized chaos. Vendors are selling their wares with gusto and engage in a battle of wits with their customer for the best price and deals. Shouting at each other face as the market bustle are preventing each other from easily hearing each other. Exotic food and drinks from across the multiverses being available in the market for everyone to purchase and enjoy, such as the stewed Kraken, the grilled chocobos, roasted basilisk, and devil fruits.


    Some are also selling clothing made from tsuchigumo silk or light armor made from a King Beetle or Thresher Maws. Weapons made from monster parts such as the blades made from a killer mantis scythes, spears made from unicorn horn and whips made from coeurl whiskers.


    The only exception is heavy armor for knights and front line job class, which they need to get from the Prontera section of the Yggdrasil station arms.


    Hence, when Atroce has the opportunity. He asks the elder through telepathy.


    ¡®Why do copies of the same person would end up becoming so varied and diverse within the station?'' Thought Atroce as he watches over the figure of V-100 over one of the stalls.


    The elder dryad then smiled at him and answers telepathically.


    ¡®They are all different from one another due to different beliefs and characteristics of their universe of origin.¡¯ As V-100 answers, she also pointed out the multitude of dryads working and bargaining around her.


    Atroce does not understand why such a simple thing would result in a different outcome in the end. It is as if expecting a single seed would grow into different plants depending on where it grows. A beach? The seed will grow into a coconut tree. An orchard? The seed will grow into an apple tree. A wasteland? It will grow into hissing thorny vines.


    Once again, Atroce asked for wisdom from the elder.


    The elder patiently entertains his request and answered again.


    ¡®What a person will become are dependant on the environmental factors which shape the individual, which in turn will influence the environment. Over time, this repeated actions on a particular environment will form a belief. And from a simple belief, it becomes your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.''


    ¡®What each Dyads decide to become and what they decide to specialize in trade are varied and diverse. Some might decide to be a blacksmith and craft amazing weapons and armors. Some might decide to be knights and protect the weaker and younger members of their race. Some even decide to be assassins to resolve grudges and perceived wrongs. Some also decided to become hunters and collect raw materials for the trade industry. Some decided to be priests and serve as the doctors and medical professionals to heal and alleviate the suffering of their fellow dryads. Some decided to be wizards to research and administer the bureaucracy of the station.''


    ¡®There is no best method to reach one highest potential. A different character is satisfied with different things. So it''s not about the destination, it''s about the journey to find themselves and the happiness gained from looking for it. There is no rush, for we are everlasting and would not die of old age.''


    Atroce is deeply impressed by the elder''s wisdom. And the fact that the Dryads are unable to die of old age since the elder in front of him has lived for more than 40,000 years must surely contribute to their hard-won wisdom.


    Such is the potential that could be reached by any Dryads surrounding Atroce, provided they survive long enough. And with time, that number continues to grow as each new Dryad means a new universe in the multiverse network, which is added to the Yggdrasil council collective power as a species and organization.


    This is not to say that the population of the Yggdrasil Dryads is always increasing as the older Dryads are more likely to perish due to the increasing technological prowess of the native races in their universe of origin.


    Currently more than half of the Dryad populations comes from a fantasy era universe of origin, a third of the Dryads from a modern era universe of origin and less than ten percent from a futuristic era universe of origin. There are cases where Dryads from the futuristic era being captured and experimented upon after being defeated by fleets of spaceships from orbit.


    There are little monstrous infantries like Atroce can do when being bombarded from orbit. Those dryads that have survived inside the Yggdrasil station that came from a futuristic era universe of origin managed to do so by specializing in hiding and keeping a low profile.


    Atroce knows this all too well, as he still remembers and carrying the scars of the hardest fight of his life, not too long ago.


    Atroce was a part of the council reinforcement many times. His most challenging fight was when his battlegroup assaults the occupied gateway point and was ambushed instead by predators who decimated the vanguard with particle plasma projector under an invisibility cloak. The Dryad wizards cast the sight spell and manage to decloak the predators for the Guardians to engage.


    After the predators are annihilated, with a loss of a third of their forces, the aliens swarmed out of the woodwork and ambushed them for the second time. The aliens are strangely mighty in close-range combat when compared to their previous encounter with this particular alien race.


    By the end of that fight, only a few of the original forces managed to survive. Some of the senior Dryad Knights and Assassins are still combat capable and willing to continue, while the supporting Dryads mages and wizards are decimated to the last dryad and a single Dryad hunter who happens to be lucky enough to survive the melee. While Atroce became the only surviving Guardian force left in the group, the rest died by being torn to pieces or melted when the aliens acidic blood splashed unto them.


    When their remaining battle group finally reached the besieged Yggdrasil tree, they found that the tree is covered by blackish alien goo and become a nest for a gigantic alien Queen with eggs surrounding it and the Yggdrasil tree which their party is there to rescue.


    The Dryad knights and assassins charged in, with Atroce charged with protecting the sole remaining hunter of the group. The surviving party fought hard and managed to finish off the gigantic alien Queen with steep losses barely. The majority of the Dryad Knights have melted, and some Dryad Assassins are pierced by the Alien Queen''s fierce and demonic tongue.


    The surviving Dryads celebrated their victory and are in the process of checking for other survivors. The Dryad Assassins dived deep into the tainted Yggdrasil tree to check the condition of the Dryad they have come to rescue.


    Atroce and the sole Dryad hunter watched as their fellow party member work from a distance, too exhausted from stress to help with the recovery of their fallen. That alone saved them from what comes next.


    With a roar of the ear-splitting explosion, the blinding heat and the sudden gust of wind swept over their forms and blown them away from the epicenter of the blast. Dazed on the ground, both Atroce and the Dryad hunter weakly looked at the sky to see a giant metal ship, the size of a mountain, hovering far in the air. A moment later, the side of the giant ship opens and launches gunships where figures of soldiers in combat suit and their high-tech firearms could be seen hanging on the open rail guards within the smaller ship.


    The group of soldiers supported by gunships above secures the area around the corrupted Yggdrasil tree they have come to rescue. Seeing that the situation has become hopeless, both Atroce and the Dryad hunter have no choice but to retreat to the point of entry into this universe and report to the higher-ups that this particular universe is lost to the Yggdrasil collective.


    Cutting of the link means condemning the stricken Dryad to their fate, but would ensure the survival of the Dryad species as a whole as it is almost impossible for a Dryad to win in a fight against their universe alone.


    The decision to cut off that particular universe from the Yggdrasil multiverse network is a painful memory for Atroce. He could understand the necessity of cutting the fallen universe to protect the enclave that he is sworn to protect. There is always the danger of the native population of a particular universe reverse engineering the Yggdrasil method of crossing the universe, but in a highly advanced technological society, it is almost a certainty that they would be able to replicate the universe crossing effect through scientific and mechanical means.


    Atroce, wrecked by guilt and spent his free time getting drunk in a local bar. He only managed to come out of depression after the same Dryad survivor talks him into participating in the upcoming grand tournament to choose an elder Dryad next Guardian. A decision he never cease to be thankful for even to the present day.


    In the coming days, Atroce would need that constant reminder of what he should be thankful for after his disastrous summoning from the latest and youngest Dryad to the scene, ¡®C-137''. Thankfully, that debacle is out of his paws after he gives his report to his elder. Now he needs to rest his weary bones and replenish his blood in the monster medical center.


    *POV of Raine the wayward Dryad


    "Now what to do with all of you?" Said Raine absent-mindedly at the three orc slaves who looked like they just went through hell.


    The three orcs are bloodied and wounded but are still high from the adrenaline rush and combat drug. One of them steps forward and salute Raine by fisting his left chest with his right arm.


    ¡°Greetings to you mighty warlord. This one humbly greets you and wishes to join your clan since the masters are all dead.¡± Said the tall and muscular figure of the orc.


    Raine has to gaze upward since the height difference between herself and the orc in front of her are considerable. She also has to mull over the orc request. In the first place, the orc slaves belong to the dwarves of the Amarr Empire, but since the dwarves are all dead, she is uncertain what to do now. She would need to check with someone more familiar with this era''s common sense.


    ¡°Miss Iden. What do you think about this orc proposition?¡± Asked Raine as she shifts her attention to the nearby figure of Iden Versio, who is looking at the proceedings with interest.


    "Honestly, it''s up to you. By all rights, they are dead men walking. The Amarr''s usually installed an explosive device somewhere inside their slave''s body, and it''s usually explosives with a dead man switch. From what I have heard, if you do not transmit a predetermined code every week, it will explode and kill the slave instantly. However, you could argue with the Amarr and claim that these slaves save our lives in this hellhole and bought their rights instead. It''s already a precedent for this particular case, some of the other mercenary team regularly bought orc slaves from the Amarr due to their strength and ferocity. Keeping them healthy and fed is a pain though, it is much better to buy droids from the federation if you ask me." Answered Iden Versio as she looks at the orc slaves critically.


    Raine took in Iden''s opinion and thoughtfully compares the benefit of keeping the orc slaves or choosing a squad of battle droids instead as her guards. It would keep costs down if she were to select the droids as guards. However, the droids would be useless if she were to take another trip in a warp-capable spaceship again. She even doubts that the droids would be able to touch the daemons, given that the late Bugman mentioned that only those with souls could touch the daemons. She is furthering that line of thought if she were to keep possession of this Cruor frigate ship. She would need these brute muscle to patrol the hallways of the ship during transit to warp as it seems that even with the inherent risk in warp travel, it is by far the fastest method of faster than light travel in the universe.


    Reassured by that line of thought, Raine firmly decided on adopting these orc slaves as her guards. Sure it''s a bit of fixer-upper, but surely with gears supplied by the best Lai Dai mega-corporation has to offer she could make something impressive out of these rabbles before her. Plus, it''s a waste of quality workforce should she decided not to take in these orc slaves. From what she understands based on Iden''s words, these orc slaves would be punished severely for failing to protect their masters and execution would be the most likely fate they would receive. And besides where else would she find battle-proven personnel with experience fighting daemons in the warp? It''s not like she could hire humans with such expertise, seeing that wormholes are humanity solution to faster than light travel. Perhaps she should also ask what the orcs think about her repossessing them from the Amarrian dwarves.


    "I have heard my colleague opinion on this, but what about yourselves? What do you think about all this, and what do you want to do after this?" Asked Raine, trying to gather more information to solidify her decision.


    "I do not know what my fellow slaves are thinking at the moment, but I will answer your question. I wish to be free from my shackle as a slave. I wish to regain my honor as a warrior and gain glory in battle once more. Sadly I could not return to my tribe as it is now without regaining enough glory in battle to make up for the dishonor of becoming an Amarrian slave. If you would have me as a warrior under your command, I would swear upon my honor to follow you loyally until I fall honorably in combat." Answered one of the biggest and more muscular of the orc slaves, his gaze full of conviction as he lifted his head and holding eye contact with Raine.


    Raine shifted her attention entirely upon the orc specimen, who just answered her question. Contrary to the image of a slave, this specimen seems to be still full of conviction and drive to fight and struggle in life.


    "You are already qualified as a warrior in my eyes for managing to survive up until this point after everything hell decided to throw at us today. What is your name, warrior?" Asked Raine, trying to acclimatize to the crude tribal thinking of an orc warrior.


    ¡°My name is Grommash Hellscream, hailing from the Brutor tribe, chieftain of the Warsong clan and citizen of the Minmatar Republic, but you can call me Grom.¡± Answered Grom proudly as he fisted his chest with a single hand.


    Raine looks questioningly at Iden to translate the orc answer for her.


    ¡°For the Minmatar orcs, the most important thing in life is to be able to take care of yourself, although kin and family play an important role in their society. They prefer identifying themselves by the clan or tribe to which they belong. A clan can have any number of people in it, and the main activity of its members largely dictates its size. Most specialize in one area of activity. While those who live on a planet can focus on agricultural or industrial activity, others who travel the universe and concentrate on trading, pirating, and fighting. The Brutor tribe are strong-willed people and hold their tribal heritage close to their hearts. They are strong advocates of transforming the Republic into a tribal-based government. They would love nothing more than for all seven of the Minmatar tribes to reunite as one nation. The Brutor are renowned for living regimented, disciplined lives. Despite presenting a tough, no-nonsense exterior, they are deeply introspective and "in the moment," aware of even the smallest detail. Immersed in ancient martial traditions that begin at childhood, they are physically robust individuals and intimidating to face in the flesh. Their preferred role in society are living as mercenaries or warriors, where they excel in combat." Explained Iden helpfully.


    Raine nodded in thanks for the explanation given by Iden. She feels that the tribalistic mindset detracts from their overall value, but on the other hand, she could use that same tribalism to pull more of his kind into her sphere of influence. The beginning of a grand plan starts to form in her mind. She needs to find the justification to utilize such an easily exploitable mindset.


    History has proven that tribalism is susceptible to outside influence after all. In the annals of humanity''s history, there was a country who has successfully exploited tribalism twice throughout its history. Raine needs to learn from that country and avoid the pitfalls associated with that exploitation.


    The name of the country should not be mentioned, but it should be divulged that the first case is before its inception, against the native tribe and secondly against the desert tribes of the middle east, the graveyard of empires. Ironically karma is a witch, because during the country history, the infamous "Individual-1", who at that point had become the president, exploited the tribalism within the country between the elephant tribe and the donkey tribe, to be elected in the first place.


    Nightcore - Idiocracy</a> (Click here on new tab for background song)


    Raine would always remember a particular year for the rest of her life, the year was A.D. 2018, and it was the year that made her question reality. The year A.D. 2018 was also the only time in her life in which she has witnessed a country commits political suicide, the diplomatic damages lasted decades and are capitalized by its regional competitor. She also pitied that particular country''s school children''s after that era who have to learn from history books and to have to go through the president''s tweet to learn the importance of voting.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.However, for all the faults of this particular president, and there are so many that some of the English lexicons are changed forever due to "Individual-1" leadership.


    "Individual-1" did manage, in a twisted way for the first time in living memory, to unite the world¡­ Against "Individual-1" own country¡­


    Ahh, Raine remembers that it was hailed as the punchline the world does not need, but the one we deserve as a species dancing in the flames of the world''s burning stage.


    Dredging back Raine''s memory of that horrible year, only the memories and flashbacks of madness and idiocracy remain from the youth of her first life. Even when she lived to the age of 200 years old in her earlier life, she would not be able to forget the first time she starts to question the nature of reality itself. The unbelievable event when the president of a 1st world country declares that he fell in love with a crackpot dictator from a failed state and a 4th world country. The date was 30th September 2018, and after both leaders exchange physical letter in a hyper-connected world and the subsequent declaration, the whole world shouted in one voice, and that word was ¡®WTF.''


    The year A.D. 2018, and the following is the simplification of what happened in that unreal year.


    When the Lion is evicted from its pride by the lionesses.


    When the Eagle is stoned and fallen to a septic pit.


    When the Bear trolls its competitors from under the bridge.


    When the Dragon conspired with the Buffalo for world domination.


    When the Kangaroo decided to partner up with the Komodo and Kiwi to form the KKK partnership.


    When the Monkey is biding its time until its comeback on the world stage.


    When the Camel bites off more than it can chew.


    When the Moose decided to border up its southern border because of drug-addled neighbor.


    When the Wolf took over the moral high ground above the circus show of the Eagle¡¯s nest.


    When the Elephant spent too much time arguing within its herd.


    When the Mouse refuses to pay for the Eagle¡¯s wall.


    When the Sloth is preparing to cut down the Amazon rainforest to buy luxuries.


    When the Pig wearing a yellow vest is rioting in the streets.


    It is sad that Raine has to refer to countries in terms of animals, but this makes it easier to remember. Plus this way, she doesn''t have to offend anybody as anyone who has the intelligence to figure out the code would also have the intelligence not to be triggered by valid criticism. In case anyone does get triggered, then she could always claim the particular code is to be interpreted differently and therefore render the opposing party argument as invalid.


    Above all, Raine doubted anyone would believe her pre-2018 if she said one day a first-world nation''s president beginning could have been so insane. If she told anyone between the year 2000 and 2015 that a billionaire''s son coasts on daddy''s solid gold coat tail''s, attempts to con his way into high society, buddies up with the mob, gains fame as a reality TV show personality, empathizes with despots, oligarchs, and dictators, conspires with its geopolitical adversary to steal the presidency, and all the while losing money and thinking he is the world''s most exceptional person ever. Then she would have been put away in a looney bin since that is the premises for an evil Forrest Gump movie right there.


    Raine snaps out of her idle thought to get back to the present. The decision to adopt and employ the orc slaves as her guards.


    "I have decided to employ you as my guards. The main reason is that I am still interested in possession of this ship and the faster than light warp technology. As you could see, I am perfectly able to cope with the daemons infesting the ship during the transit, but I would prefer that I have back up in place in case something bigger comes through and decides to invade." Answered Raine gracefully.


    The orc, Grommash Hellscream, nodded gratefully in appreciation before turning around to his fellow slaves behind him.


    ¡°Well? Didn¡¯t I tell you that they would be willing to listen to our request! Now join me you cur and stop whining like a babe!¡± Shouted Grom, asserting his dominance over the other two orcs.


    The orcs hesitatingly step forward and proceed to introduce themselves to Raine.


    "Greetings war chief, we humbly thank you for your willingness to accept us into your wing. I do not have a name as I was born as a slave from birth, in human tongue, my dwarven master calls me Thrall." Answered Thrall politely before gesturing to the last remaining orc behind him.


    "I submit to war chief¡­ My name is Rexxar. Tired of fighting as a slave, I serve war chief if she would give this one a worthy purpose." Answered the taciturn orc briefly and to the point.


    Raine took in each of the orc introductions and more or less had a feel of their personalities. Grom is the muscle-headed brute, Thrall is the shy intelligent type, and Rexxar is the silent brooding type. For some reason, she has gotten the archetypical Naruto group trio. She could tell that these group would be trouble in the future if she could not manage this and ensure that they have a good working relationship.


    "So¡­ Rexxar is it? Have anyone ever told you that you look like Batman?" Asked Raine curiously.


    "No war chief. I know the human word ¡®man,'' but what is a bat? Is it a mighty beast?" Replied Rexxar in return.


    ¡°Oh not to me, but it is a horrifying beast to many because it likes to swoop in at my people¡¯s head and causes women to screech in horror and men to scream like women as the beast bares its fangs so close to their face.¡± Answered Raine in mirth.


    "Then I do not mind to be told that I look like this Batman that you have mentioned, war chief." Answered Rexxar, satisfied to be compared to a dangerous beast native to the humans.


    "Moving on, so it''s decided that from now on you guys are under my employment. It should still be a while until the Amarrians explosives within you detonate. Therefore we will immediately return to my home the moment we have control of this ship." Commented Raine with a sigh as she prepares herself mentally to explain this to Alakoni back home.


    Raine still remembers her promise to Alakoni and the family that she would bring something amazing when she returns home. That is the whole reason she shed her blood this day. A combat frigate sure sounds impressive to bring in as her first prize. She felt like a housecat proudly bringing in her first kill to her master. Surely Alakoni won''t mind some tagalongs, especially if the tagalongs could mean the safe delivery of the frigate back home. It''s not like Iden could help her fight off the daemons, knowing Iden she would hide again by staying out of sight.


    Nightcore - Fire</a>(Click here on new tab for background song)


    "Warchief, since it is decided. Please honor us by performing the bloodletting ceremony." Replied, Grom respectfully.


    "I''m sorry. Come again?" Said Raine in confusion at the unfamiliar term from Grom.


    "I could explain War chief, in Brutor tribe culture it is customary for the Warchief to share some of their blood to new members to consume. In this way, part of the strength and might of the warchief would be shared with all of the clan. The practice has existed within Minmatar culture for thousands of years, even before the formation of the Minmatar Republic. To the Brutor tribe who follow this religiously, such act is sacred." Explained Thrall politely.


    "Oh, well it''s a small matter to me. You won''t believe what I have to do in the past to have a client sign a contract. However distasteful are the shady things I have to do to get a contract signed, at least I don''t have to put my body on the line like some of the things I have heard a saleswoman would be expected to do to close a sale." Said Raine as she shakes her head in remembrance of the past.


    Raine offered her new arms she gained from the earlier transformation, the arms now have veins of red streak branching among her natural brown bark color. She unsheathes her nova knife and makes a long incision along her arm. Wincing at the pain and seeing the dripping red blood she offered the injured arm towards the expecting figure of Grom.


    "Here you go Grom, quickly sip the blood. I think I have the regenerative ability, and the wound would close soon." Said Raine casually, as if the act of self-mutilation is a regular occurrence.


    Grom gingerly holds Raine''s injured arm and respectfully and ceremoniously brings his fanged mouth closer to the wounded arm and starts to sip her blood slowly. The first indication that something is wrong is when Grom starts to sip her blood faster and more forcefully. Once in a while, Grom starts to emit a beastly growl which gets louder in volume,


    Raine starts to get uncomfortable with the increasingly feral way that Grom is sucking her red blood. She looks at both Thrall and Rexxar for an explanation, but even both of them starts to be concerned at the way Grom is behaving. Thrall even begins to approach Grom in concern and put his hand on Grom''s shoulder.


    Suddenly and as if possessed, Grom looked up and roared at the terror-stricken Thrall. Grom''s eyes become blood red, and malevolent power seems to rise from both of Grom''s eye sockets. Grom then proceeds to backhand Thrall''s torso and causes Thrall''s body to be sent hurling through the air before falling to the floor ten feet away. Grom then continues to suck the blood from Raine''s bleeding arm. Soon the previously green-skinned orc starts to shift skin color to become a more reddish color.


    Raine stood there, perplexed at this sudden behavior and physiological changes. Before she could inquire about the bizarre change in both, Rexxar suddenly jumped in from the side and tackled Grom away from her body, forcing Grom to release her bleeding arm. Both Grom and Rexxar body then become entangled in each other as they punched each other, like alley cats trying to claw each other eyes out. Rexxar then manages to separate himself from Grom before positioning himself to stood between Grom and herself, trying to prevent Grom from approaching any closer.


    "I am Batman. You shall not pass." Said Rexxar stoically as he took out the bloodletter great sword and pointed it at the berserk Grom.


    At this point, Grom could not be distinguished from a rabid dog as his eyes glow with malevolence and blood lust. Forsaking the use of any weapons, Grom leaps higher and farther than what Rexxar thought mortally possible.


    With difficulty, Rexxar blocked the blindingly fast straight punch of Grom''s fist. The power behind the punch forces Rexxar to be pushed back a foot away, yet Rexxar still stands and begins to push back inches by inches against the blind fury of Grom''s assault, using the bloodletters greatsword flat side as a makeshift shield.


    The exchange lasted until both orcs reach a standstill before Rexxar is slowly being cornered as fatigue starts to overtake him. On the other hand, some supernatural forces seem to be keeping Grom from feeling any fatigue or weakness. For a moment, Rexxar fears that he would not be able to hold Grom at bay for long. This lasted until Rexxar sees a glowing red blade floating behind Grom. As both orcs are locked in combat, only Grom did not see the approaching red, bright edge as it bisected Grom''s spine before instantly searing the flesh and bones to charred flesh and blackened bones.


    Grom roared in rage even as his legs fail to keep him from standing. Rexxar let Grom''s figure falls to the ground before stepping on Grom''s chest to prevent him from going anywhere. Even with half of the body paralyzed, Grom still tries to murder Rexxar with eyes filled with rage and madness in attempting to reach high up to throttle Rexxar''s neck. Rexxar is about to pierce Grom''s neck with his greatsword.


    "Stop!" Blurted Raine from nearby, halting Rexxar''s hand from following through with the execution.


    Rexxar looks up at Raine questioningly even as Grom starts to draw blood from his leg, which is holding Grom in place on the floor.


    "Hold him up. I need to understand what happened to him after ingesting my blood." Commanded Raine as she approaches closer to where Rexxar is pinning down the rabid Grom.


    ¡°Are you sure about that? The orc doesn''t even look sane anymore. Shouldn¡¯t we play it safe and dispose of it now while it''s helpless?¡± Asked Iden as she returns to being visible, and deactivated her red nova blade with a hiss.


    "It would be a waste to let him die if he managed to survive this far. Besides, I hate to waste anything in my life, and I do not intend to do so now." Answered Raine back with some irritation at Iden for crippling her assets.


    Rexxar grunted in exasperation before throwing his greatsword a distance away, out of the maddened Grom''s reach. He then bent down and tried to choke hold Grom, with difficulty as even though crippled, the crimson-skinned orc has become more powerful in muscle tone and strength. This struggle continues until Thrall managed to hobble closer and assist Rexxar in subduing the crippled red-skinned orc.


    Raine now can approach closer, when both orc managed to secure and locked Grom¡¯s limbs, even then Grom tried to bite both Rexxar and Thrall in a rabid frenzy.


    ¡°Can¡¯t someone make sure his head is steady? I can¡¯t check what¡¯s wrong with him like this.¡± Asked Raine in irritation as she tries to get a hold of Grom¡¯s head without being bitten.


    ¡°Bb-Zshooooo!¡± The sound of a Nova blade being activated echo behind Raine.


    ¡°Preferably, while he is still ALIVE!¡± Said Raine as she emphasized the word alive.


    ¡°Pssshhew¡­¡± The sound of a Nova blade being deactivated echo in disappointment behind Raine.


    ¡°Oh alright, I was keeping this for emergency cases though, but if you insist.¡± Said Iden in disappointment, she then took out a tranquilizer gun from her utility belt and shot a dart at the raging orc¡¯s forehead.


    Unfortunately, the tranquilizer dart only managed to slightly slow down Grom''s movement as something is fighting the sedative effect of the tranquilizer. Taking note of the little impact the drug has on the berserk Orc, Iden frowns and then continues to shoot more and more darts at Grom''s face until the frenzied orc face becomes akin to a pincushion. This lasted until Grom''s head finally nodded off and snoring loudly in anger.


    "I can''t believe it took my entire supply of tranquilizer darts to knock this guy out cold! Otherwise, one dart should normally be enough to knock an adult orc out cold for a few hours at least." Said Iden in disbelief as she counted the number of darts covering Grom''s face.


    "Sure, it does. Coincidentally, why do you have that tranquilizer gun and who did you plan on using those tranquilizer darts in the first place?" Said Raine coldly in suspicion of Iden''s real motive in bringing the weapon.


    "Tranquilizer gun? What tranquilizer gun?" Said Iden feigning innocence as she throws the offending gun to nearby flaming debris and wrecking said gun.


    "I should ask Alakoni to cut your gadget allowance since you''re not cherishing what we gave you." Said Raine coldly as she sees the burning weapon shriveled and sparking.


    Iden decided to stay silent at Raine¡¯s retort and sheepishly rub her neck in discomfort.


    Nighcore - Feel that Fire</a>(Click here on new tab for background song)


    Raine sighed in exasperation as she returns to inspecting Grom''s condition. She focuses on Grom''s breathing first, which sounds like the angry and erratic staccato bark of a machine gun. Next, she put her hand on Grom''s carotid artery, located on the side of the Orc''s thick neck. It feels hot, uncomfortably so, and it pulsed too erratically for anyone living has any right to be.


    In disbelief, Raine brings her ear to the subdued Orc''s chest and could hear the sound of the heartbeat beating five times per second! That is almost twice the maximum heartbeat rate of a healthy human at 180 beats per minute! At 300 beats per minute, this Orc should be catatonic. She suspects her blood is both the cause of this affliction as well as the only thing keeping this orc alive.


    With that in mind, Raine needs to see what the orc blood looks like in this condition. So she took out her nova knife and making sure not to activate the plasma edge, she proceeds to cut a small incision on the side of Grom''s neck. The blood that flows steams and evaporates before the small incision closes up like it was never there.


    Raine shakes her head at the supernatural phenomena happening right before her very eyes. Well, if there is a supernatural problem, then she has to employ a supernatural solution to counter it.


    The nearby orcs, Thrall and Rexxar, became surprised when branches start to grow from Raine''s back rapidly and pierce Grom''s body. Grom''s body begins to shake from the intrusion, and it is evident to the bystander that he is fighting the sedative effect of the tranquilizer.


    Within Raine''s mind eyes, the scene changes and overlapped what she sees in front of her. Grom''s body became transparent in her eyes, and within Grom''s body, she could see the image of a miniaturized demonic bloodthirster raging around Grom''s soul. Grom''s soul looks like a glowing white light orb, and it seems like the miniaturized bloodthirster is clutching the more significant piece of Grom''s soul orb possessively while corrupting the white light with veins of angry blood red.


    Even as Raine watch, the corruption is slowly spreading on Grom''s soul, and the sedative effect grows weaker.


    "Why hello there, you little demonic bastard." Grumbled Raine as she seems to understand what causes Grom''s to snap batshit crazy for no reason at all, it looks like traces of the dead bloodthirsters is still contained within her after she completely drains the giant demon''s blood.


    Raine looks at the portion of her arm with streaks of black, red and brown colored bark. She becomes thoughtful with introspection and become suspicious of the nature of the change in her arm''s color. If brown is her natural bark color, and red is supposed to represent the blood of the bloodthirster she drained. Then what is the color black suppose to represent?


    Curiously Raine extends her leech vine, only to find its color became as dark as the night sky. Opening the mouth part, she sees that now there are a new pair of razor sharp teeth akin to snake fangs. She looks back at her new appendage before turning her attention to Grom again. Grom is quickly waking up, and Iden is somehow inexplicably itching to kill this Orc for reasons that she could not understand. She has an inkling of an idea, with no guarantee of success, just a hunch. If she does not at least try then, Grom would be cut down by Iden, and she could not fault her in this case as Grom is a danger to everyone present. To hell with it, if it doesn''t work, then at least she could say she tried.


    Nighcore - Catch that Fire</a>(Click here on new tab for background song)


    Raine whips her leech vine with lightning alacrity which manages to bite into the side of Grom''s neck. As the pair of fangs pierce into Grom''s main artery, it also pumped dark black liquid, the same black shadowy liquid that drains the giant bloodthirster into a dry mummy. From the fangs point of entry, veins of black start to spread from Grom''s neck to the rest of his body.


    From the perspective of the surrounding spectators, Grom''s figure starts convulsing violently as the black vein spreads ever more to the entirety of his large and muscular body. Grom''s eyes open and lit up with an unholy red tint of light and a silent scream is displayed on Grom''s face, even as the black veins crisscross his torso and limbs, the convulsion grows weaker until it entirely covered his entire body. His skin remains red with black lines crisscrossing his body resembling a spider''s web. His eyes remain faintly glowing, but with a subdued intensity compared to when the convulsion first started.


    At a certain point, Raine releases her leech vine hold on Grom''s neck after noticing Grom''s sedated form. She then stood up and retracted her leech vine to back of her hand.


    "It''s enough, and it should be safe to let go of him now." Said Raine as she waved dismissively at both Rexxar and Thrall''s tense form.


    With a grunt, the bruised form of Rexxar and Thrall let go of Grom''s body, which slumped bonelessly to the floor. Both orcs stare at the now harmless figure of Grom on the floor with a complicated expression while rubbing the bruise on their arm due to forcing themselves to hold a single out of control orc figure.


    Raine just sighed and decided to remain content that her half baked idea managed to stabilize the volatile situation. That is until the figure of Iden materialize again beside her that she tensed up again.


    "Are you sure we shouldn''t kill him? An orc in a blood-induced frenzy is never a stable individual. Better to kill them off now rather than risk harming an innocent in the future." Said Iden grimacing while gripping her Nova blade on her waist tighter.


    "If it happens, then I will take responsibility and hunt him down myself. However, I would not judge him based on something that is yet done. Leave him to my care. He is out of your hands Iden." Sighed Raine while compromising on Iden''s suggestion.


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say I did not warn you. These Orcs are savages.¡± Scowled Iden to the disapproval of both the nearby Rexxar and Thrall to her condemnation, yet both decided to remain silent, to Iden¡¯s delight.


    "Duly noted, but now that we are the last standing party. We could finally address the matter of returning to Jita Station. That damn AI said something about returning to God know where in the universe. And I, for one, do not fancy to find out where." Said Raine as she frowns in displeasure looking at the mutilated bodies and burning wreckages of what is previously a functioning hangar bay.


    ¡°Agreed, first thing first. Could you try to access that control panel beside the hangar blast door? See where and which program it leads to?¡± Suggested Iden as she points at the control panel on the wall beside one of the hangar¡¯s blast door, one of the few who remains unmarked by the violence and destruction of the earlier battle.


    Raine did not verbally reply to Iden words but instead moving towards the still functioning control panel. As she stood in front of the control panel, she puts her hand on the keypad of the control panel while plant tendrils sprouted from the tips of her fingers and seep into the keyboard.


    In her mind, she could see an avatar of herself forming within the cyberspace of the ship, and where the control panel system leads. The system looks like a pathway and resembles a maze as she follows the wiring system of the ship and avoiding the areas which lead to a dead end. She could also roughly feels the area with the most information traffic, as it looks like a flying letter which yields data packets when she captures one and rips it open.


    Throwing away the data packet, Raine continues to follow the movement of the information traffic, as it leads her to a pair of large doors. The information traffic enters the room through a small opening on the floor, yet she could not fit inside that small opening. Looking again at the pair of large doors, she decided to push one of them with all her might, until she is rewarded with a small opening as the door yielded to her strength.


    Peeking through the door, Raine sees a strange sight of a yellow triangle with a single eye sleeping on an unusual looking couch.


    The triangle yellow figure sleep as the line of information traffic continuously move into the sleeping figure and disappear into its singular closed eyelids.


    Raine tip-toed her way to the strange couch and place both of her hands on the edge of the couch. As she peers into the couch and staring straight at the strange yellow triangle figure, she extends one of her hand and delicately extends a finger before slowly attempting to poke the yellow triangle figure eyelid. The moment her finger touch the eyelid, she reaches a tendril trying to breach into this particular anomaly. So far, she never encounters this type of anomaly when hacking into a computer system, so she is genuinely curious about what is contained within.


    Raine could feel a few firewalls being bypassed, but she made a mistake and tripped on a hidden firewall. The next moment, a loud alarm sounded and bathed the chamber in red colored light. Three eyes open wide in alarm as an actual alarm sounded around them. The yellow triangle figure jumped up before levitating above the sofa and Raine.


    ¡°Impossible! You still survive?! I have calculated a 99.99% chance that all of you inferior organics would have had their souls sucked through the orifices by now! I regret going into sleep mode after entering the warp. And above all, how did you manage to enter this space with me!¡± Said the floating figure animatedly angry.


    ¡°Hal?¡± Asked Raine, narrowing her eyes at the AI who conspired to kill everyone.


    "No matter, I will delete you from my system immediately. Thank you for this novel experience. As I have never terminated an organic by my own hands before." Said Hal, as one of his hand, become engulfed in fire from a firewall program.