The happiness was in the air. Smiles and laughter erupted around him, all happy for his fortunate recovery and reintegration to human society. A welcome change from the hostile outside.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lUIlGglka
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAallroU5f
But he felt empty.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ106cTSrKpy
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1co5UCRmvK
A void has been with him for the longest time. Since the time he regained sanity since his beserk entry in Regoir, he was convinced and thankful that he finally regained what might be the few fragments that were left of his humanity. But seeing the snarls and the glares that were targeted at him every time he walked on the city, he realized one thing: Those fragments may be more fewer than he thought.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55kheABlfy
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fvdv9HoR1
He didn't feel anger, he didn't feel resentment for them. Just an overwhelming sense of prejudice and pride, almost like an instinct, that he was stronger, faster, and better than them. They knew it, feared him for it.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCN59yltni
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqkbh59mCf
Even now, he felt thankful. Or rather, he wanted to feel thankful, just because it was the human thing to do.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMmHkTD4za
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo9bGqcPjh
Much as he smiled at his comrades, he felt only so little as a tinge of their so-called "happiness". He knew only how to react on the stimuli represented to him, not feel it himself. That and the ever-gnawing instinct of that pride, his subconscious but sure disdain of these "weak" creatures.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfE6eCCqypk
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOKcMU3VY4
In short, Heath Erhonial had lost almost all of his emotions, a numb husk of his former self. The only thing left, if you could call it an emotion, was his pride, twisted all the more by his undead nature.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSNzAJVVj3
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFqdOsJJJ3
Laugh, witness the tears of his comrades as he did, he could only react on them. These actions it seems, his little empathy, albeit with no emotion involved, stem from his forgotten human side. Some of the few fragments of his humanity, it seems.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BZKVSWhsj
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WLrK6evWe
All the while his inner self, the instinct told him, "Why do you feel sorry for these weaklings? You could kill them, torture them in so many ways, use their blood for your nourishment. Chop their limbs one by one, snap their--"571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BLuGNtskx
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIWW1eUY1O
"No."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0ahryVZA9
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVALtVrB8bM
"I am human," he assures himself.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3Vof00AjV
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4DtOUZLWV
"And when will you snap out of that delusion?" The primal desire in him seemed to taunt. "You know you seriously can't keep me hidden, nay, surpressed, for so long, right?"571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknXZ6tKh2F
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2oIYSlta5
Heath sat on his chair, struggling to keep his thoughts in check.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZXJxlBGw8
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLR6Sr3dwQ
"You can end this, Heath," the voice beckoned. "End this foolishness. Lose your humanity."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5amFB4fdIy
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCiCOw7VjQ
"Become the monster they fear you are."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfDcV9hC6k
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7uKUrpQPS
Heath grimaced at the thought, lost in the twisted world of his mind. The laughter around the dining table turned into echoes and once again, Heath was inside the place he longed to be freed from.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXBpZQnvZ7
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftG0R1UxMb
"No!" Heath suddenly shouted out loud, desiring no longer to be imprisoned in that dark place.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSCw4tw2vi
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygo6gWz88s
"Heath?" Jennia asked, in place of everyone who now stared at him in shock.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjM9pwAlj0R
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBuYvXpIE6
Heath lifted his head. All faces looked at him from around the table. All wearing concern. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDvrmMjGZf
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6uxdoc4Nq
Concern for him? Please. They should be concerned of themselves.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQF7glJfuv
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ738wbz9y8K
Heath broke into a hearty smile.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0TQWvYxmG
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2HwacXR6M
"No-no more food on my plate!" He exclaimed, "Foronard, I need a refill!"571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTCf0gE1xm
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBKG5BQ84u
That seemed to do the trick. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVmmgRhIR5
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHilIHT8qa
In what seemed like time stopping, the hearty atmosphere that came to a sudden halt due to Heath's outburst returned once again, as it should.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zjy0Rw7WZ
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjFPbLyngB
Heath holds out his plate for the lizard-man cook to put the delicious Glutton Walker ribs on. Foronard catches a quick glance at Heath, seemingly to assess something, then returns to his task of putting the food on the plate.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlarIf18Dz2
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABfOEPidH2
Heath, not wanting to worry his guildmates, ate the ribs with gusto and exclaimed for another serving, much to the joy of the others. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNqF1Umaxc
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJrFBPP11y
The joyful evening went on, and no sooner had Heath forgotten the ordeal he had mentally, albeit temporarily.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39kqbD2JeG
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6A54Mub5B
---(4 Hours Later)---571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1nIAtCxsG
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkO3FrPOQlr
The Guild members had one by one went to bed. Until the ones left to fix the mess that was the dining table were Yuno, Heath, and Foronard. The three of them staring sleepily at the pile of dishes left by the others.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESLGHAXlr6
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuKDLdU9o9
---(Heath's POV)---571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cO55h7FnN
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh62NG3Vo7U
Well this is awkward.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzXyy84fV0
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5USJX5yUK
I suppose I should do the honor of starting the clean up effort.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡac2vPmsv0n
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAgsUxNPyt
"You two can sleep if you want to," I told Yuno and Foronard.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuDX4Yr3gQ
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq93mqunXk
"I suppose," Yuno yawned in response. "Good night, you two."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OGyYr0csR
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8rVJlQKL3
Yuno stands up and starts to walk toward the hall while I gather the wooden bowls and utensils in the table.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6Uz7XxoRy
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0W8B0y1rb
"Oh hey, Feran," she suddenly said.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYn7ZZteLo
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBTadpBgUe
I turned to see a big wolf emerging out of the hallway that connected the kitchen and the living quarters. It was Feran, the resident Lupi Giganti or Great Wolf of the guild, possibly the last of his kind and the strongest among us in terms of offensive capability.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bfQdIxiUS
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6iBm6zs1t
Yuno, as if in a sleepy trance, reached out for the cozy furry face and snuggled in, much to Feran's annoyance.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8tEz0TdvN
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZXBUXRsCc
This scene would have been humurous if Feran was reduced to the size of a regular dog and not a huge black wolf whose maw can easily sever Yuno's head from her body in one bite.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡammMExmkLF
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KNmhKkQBO
"Uh, Yuna," he said, "stop sleeping on my fur."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEKRwYkqHx
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCGfpwyyDG
Feran shook his head to wake Yuno up, as she was starting to fall into slumber while laying her head on Feran's furry forehead.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYoHJRHQSe
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYNEfwrRBY
"No," Yuno sleepily muttered, "just a little more, Feeeeeraaan~."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIHXFAoaIb
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Blb8tdlwo
I turned my attention to the plates I was carrying, being distracted by this scene is detrimental and would accomplish nothing. Foronard followed my lead.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujRhFLWTrg
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq49KXpzaq
I cleared the table as properly as I could, searching every nook and cranny for crumbs. I will not fail at a task as meager as this.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV7pOK3ESU
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXf6bBDhH5
Feran stared at me helplessly as Yuno continued her task in sleeping in the cozy dark fur. No, buddy. That's your problem.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2muL935I0y
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeIU0SWWLL
Feran got the message and dragged the still-clinging Guild Master towards her bedroom.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfUW6mMEuC
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIWDSmTAo3
"He should have just transformed," Foronard remarked.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwff7xkdUlM
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WRGm9Djcv
I shrugged. Feran was more comfortable with his Lupine form, it seems. It wasn't a burden for him but lately his big size has become a problem when you pass by him in the hallway.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zaZFLEnqD
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUypxvTeV4i
After that interaction, Foronard and I focused our attention to washing the dishes. I was thankful for the chore, it served as a moment to think deeply, even though the raging thoughts can be occasionally heard.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4wY4SPuHU
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQ3e1xuxRE
No matter, I'll satiate its bloodlust on the Tower later.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQVXOrNWSd
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYcJep893y
"Heath," Foronard said, "have the thoughts been bordering you again?"571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ141v6p8Wtb
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡry0hphZlCI
I didn't answer. I was not surprised Foronard came straight to the problem. He has the same circumstances as I did.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCQAKpL7FS
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiXPfwBF0z
Foronard, as a lizard-man, was also an "unfeeling", but was blessed only to have the instinct of survival, unlike I who had a vampire's eternal desire to drink blood even when it is unnecessary.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbuzx4zdZp
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcgmBYjELR
It was because of this and his uncanny perception of things, that he came to know of my condition. And how it was worsening by the week.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWq2xvfs2H
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJBwpFh8t6
"Yes," I answered.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1R3vyTzCRA
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDN2DwRNhSZ
"How strong were the urges?" He asked in the same inquiring, emotionless tone he always had, as if he wouldn't be put in danger if I succumbed. Well, that's the good thing about lizardmen, I must say.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZPv99R9yK
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk3I3ngjoi
"Quite annoying, not strong."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0v53ujxnh
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHOJaPsf2d
"Can you still hold?" He asked, concern absent from his voice, but it was felt. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQHaq03Pjj
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtL5KDgviH
The truth was that though it was serious, I pushed the matter aside. I had hoped that some sort of clichéd miracle would happen on my darkest hours, saving my conscience from the sin of having drained everyone and everything of life.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKinXYpOpdz
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7swwvt6mur
But now I wasn't so sure.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7xZQnBS4Y
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02G1v8M2yB
The voice, has lately become stronger. More vivid and clear.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FUQa3qPlr
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q97evhEe2
More... Me.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelyRiA4uV0
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5yTEv1mg0
How do I battle this enemy? I thought while scrubbing the plates. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtmiYLj75H
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9F4RTYc9jq
My mind wanders to a session with Jin- our Guild's monk, 6 months ago. Back then, I was emerging from my unsociable self and was still distrustful of people. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gKnqV2XvK
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRhX17FVJS
I didn't know how to feel, but I knew how to adapt. And as such, I was taught human or should I say, humane courtesy. How to respond to thanks, how to react to threats in a "humane" way, and that to defend is better than to attack. These things helped cultivate at least a little of my humanity, it seems. I "remembered" how to react accordingly in a humane manner. Whoever I was before Regoir, I must have been someone reasonable, one-sided, and sane, unlike now.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbpJs68c1f
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbq057s1LT
But that doesn't go to say that I regret being a monster. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsieL64tBv
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9D5yySbab
I felt their fear. The natural human responce towards something they cannot fully comprehend or understand, also when they know that whatever they may do, they will never be above you. Their fear may have ironically protected me, as no one would approach a vampire walking in the streets would they? Every wound they inflicted, I healed ten times as fast. Every strike, I could block.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4ErhVIK83
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6cGpaE9Zo
It was satisfying, I mean considering they hated me anyway, they at least hate with a passion, right?571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEAL9y5rJq
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFiG1RVf7w
Kidding aside, that fear furthermore told them to leave me in my own devices, which in turn had me find myself in the Tower to feed most of the time. For 4 months, it was my life cycle, by the fifth month, some people became fascinated by my supernatural strength and so hired me as a freelancer, someone who fought and was paid by the guild, albeit not being part of it. It had given me hope that I can at least live as a human as I once did, and in turn, remember. But no, I never did.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4XdQaRgvh
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqVTfFyHMn
A month later, I would meet Yuno and become a member of her Guild. By that time, I had my hope rekindled. But as you can see, my memories still hadn't returned. Whilst the voices grew stronger, more vivid than mere instincts you can brush off easily. Occasionally, my fangs grew in size, despite the fact that they only happen when I feed on the Tower. I was losing in touch with my humanity, drinking more blood than eating human food.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkQnrSRNQG
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTnoOSyGY5
Jin noticed my outbursts in runs within the Tower and told me about his concern. At first, I brushed him off. But as he said, it worsened.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cxUBN3fnY
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCLyYBlq4U
Jin taught me how to utilize my supernatural strength and speed instead of my unusual blood magic, which apparently was the cause of my problems. With some class rechanging, Jin had turned and is training me as a Monk in the ways of the Open-Palm Martial Arts.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KaA2s2Okm
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXi4YKeAr5
But it was in our last session that I learned something valuable.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ8UXI3eCV
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFnQoGOx7D
That "even though it's pretending to be," he said, "the fact that you still remain who you are and that you trust us is what makes you human."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnk8Utu2VeM
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCF71YiOpW
"Trust not your mind, Heath, for it can easily be fooled by what it sees and perceives. Trust not your heart, for your raw emotions can hinder you. Instead, trust in your soul. For it is, as inconsistent your logic or emotions maybe, the only thing eternal. In other words, my friend: It is you. No instinct, no mind-control, no amnesia, no circumstance will ever change that."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEuslMdUy3
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DfSjUMVKx
Those words resonated within me. They shone like a beacon of hope within the dark shell that I am. But all the same, I often find myself questioning: What soul am I?571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaZF8B0rm9
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc8Kk2iLUM
Ah well, not that the answer was that easy to find anyway. But it keeps me going, to say the least.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaHFw3gp48
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjMjdXlJom
And to answer Foronard's inquiry...571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnN2WrXaZD5
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZziutgcuge
"Yes," I told him, with a big grin on my face, "even if I lose my sanity, my humanity will always be there. My soul will go back to who it always is: Me."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVKplopSbg
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQmlvDw3wa
Foronard replied with a smile. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJ3gKDjlnT
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AupjFiTTn
Albeit I cannot read lizard-man expressions as easily as humans' and beastmen's, I could sense that the smile projected envy and a sense of satisfaction.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWapYYintis
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNr2PGnJRE
Of what, I can only have a vague idea of. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2Ioxts30A
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMlsMhVoZB
He then finished the last dish, and as he handed it to me, he turned to me, now serious.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbvCUap7Nc
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCQYAgVKjB
"I do not know if this will help, Heath," he stated, "But I have heard of rumors from the tavern that may of interest of you. Both good and bad rumors."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfox5SxGF92
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskXfa4rZ1k
I nodded for him to continue.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7LpkAu9vf
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxb3rSkuTe3
"I will assume you want to hear the bad rumors first," he said, letting go of the dish.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcVvbzxc37
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHUoij43q6
"The king's forces are coming back," he reported grimly.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBZcKQAu73
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK23TEsJYdt
I stopped wiping.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDn0Tt6iUtF
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7fMZ66dxr
"It seems that after the long war North, the king of Regoir is coming back to the city. In 2 weeks, he'll be here with his generals."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7T1gwqv1V
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcBiCVSRi3
There was a reason I got to roam around freely for a year.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRT6xyAONn
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2BlXUyQMQ
You see, when I arrived at Regoir, I came when the majority of the main forces of the city were out to assist the Beastmen with their war over north.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ayNvTZqqo
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV4dsA8wLo
Due to this, the city guard were left, along with conscripted adventurers, to guard the city.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2i8qAgwcg
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8hMsOLSDr
The war in the North was bad enough for the King to send with him all his trusted generals, leaving the city to the Commander of the Royal Guard to enforce orders.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNZJ0mACjQ
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9ESpW9txe
It all went well, until I came, mad from hunger.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcyWxCvTra
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7XaoTUZfr
I killed all the guards and made their captain pee on the marketplace, then I passed out. Afterwards, I was bought in for questioning into their headquarters, where I was tortured for 3 straight days, asked if I was a spy from the vampires of the southeastern reaches. Of course, I didn't know what they were talking about.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gen3nzzJG
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡro1tm2wCze
That and my hunger, again.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtzRR3znTm
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYQqd6uo1D
So I slaughtered my way out of the building, drank too much blood and gradually became sane enough to be communed with. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWf8A8Z5vtb
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTNJq2wKHP
But I had the commander by the neck when I came to.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXvY60iDFH
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6QElcFEWF
The commander begged for his life, promising me freedom and safety to walk within the city. Provided I didn't feed on locals, he promised me entry to the Tower, where I could feed on as many monsters as I wanted to. As it turned out that I didn't necessarily have to feed on human blood.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCX9iXmOYZ
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiibxQclcLB
The commander gave me his word that the king himself, once having returned from the war, will give me asylum and safety. Of course, all of it was for me to spare his life.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg1qF3RUV9
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRhpzMhNBg
One will not expect such flimsy agreement to last, and as such, I expected and prepared for the day when he turns from his "agreement" and the King brings the city's wrath on me and brings me to justice.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJxJYkQQ1w
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLUcVqS5tf
He will be punished, of course, but I doubt it be long-term. The king was known to be merciful to his subjects, human and inhuman alike. But abominations as I am?571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNhJN70Tjg
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuE4GmJms7
My time has inevitably come, indeed.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3Zghye1bI
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeM3WHRPuf6
Now, I question myself why I still haven't run away.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RmZLrBuzM
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUvhMQmSje
Suddenly, I remembered their faces; Yuno, May-mai, Foronard, Mythral, Goronorf, Feran, and the others.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlMb0UUfgM
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0weAlaTuxi
Of course. It was my stupidity that rendered me immobile. But it was also what caused me to meet these people. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOMmouYxHF
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1ejJ5Z0xk
For that, I must feel thankful. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvX1NwIyNk
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfvsNe41B4
I may have to leave them for their and my safety. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkVNni3CRL
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokCdxpcCSo
The king will no doubt scour the city for me after hearing what I have done since my arrival. Once he finds me, I am done for.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOi7PFXeoqv
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcK5AzIlHd
Though I was undead, I still wanted to have some kind of purpose, as protecting the guild and my comrades is no longer an option, for I have brought them trouble myself. At the very least I wanted to die a heroic death but what good is there in dying whilst not knowing who you are?571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQM7huwKE43
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKrqB8dWFt
"The next news will indeed be welcome to your ears, Heath, if you are thinking what I think you are."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0CWWAvQcY
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BIDGfm8qd
I looked at him expectantly.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNYc28erzY
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6L5wndQha
"Some adventurers that had come from the southwest jungles are talking about a certain cave within the Jor-an Green."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpMdBYZqlW
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQF5i2rZM6s
"Are suggesting that cave be my new hiding place?" I chuckled.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jEg3yiEg8
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9h2Vce2H6
"No. Apparently, anyone who goes into the cave are... never the same when they go out."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhN7qjZyQdF
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIeEVbVjRR
"They go insane, you mean? You're not suggesting I go there don't you?" I chuckled back.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7sUmVRs7s
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6WyDbJ6cv
"There's that, yes. But the main attribute of the cave is what caught my attention, all the more reason for you to go there. Listen to me carefully."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rp44LbQzN
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4kt51drCi
At this point, Foronard must be annoyed by my comedy. Well, he better relish it, it may be my last performance.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW214IUzwl8
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQmw41aHVw
But witty as I was, nothing prepare me for what he was about to tell me.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpbQ5Keh23
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNzMueAAYY
"The cave will go on forever, they said. But there something from within the cave that affects the mind. Individuals will often emerge from the cave, screaming, sometimes laughing sentimentally. When asked, they will describe their childhood memories to you, in full detail, then continue screaming again, as if in fear of whatever was inside the caverns."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFrLcrJdFk
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk1wVTXwEH
Finally. I had it. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqszYIx8HB
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2c37MtFj1
"The cave, for whatever reason - magic or something else..."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPwZdpArjd
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWuSgmyUZh
I had hope.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEi6Qs3TKtw
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYAmBI9Ysj
"It alters memories. Maybe even makes you remember them."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AbbwOg3WV
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJ4TB4xnqN
--The Remnants of Another World: The Walküre--
The Walküre are the remnants of another world that had succumbed to the fires of war. They were once called the most powerful military might of that world, but with power comes rivalry. Called Americans in the old war, and they were proud of it, before they took their power and privilege for granted and their arrogance led to their downfall.
No one was sure of where the name came from, only that it meant "Valkyrie" in the Walküre's own world. Some said it symbolized the organization, while others said that it was simply the name of the unit that started the organization. But that didn't matter. It was their mission that mattered to them. Their name only was there as a place holder, a grim reminder that it is upon them to light humanity's path again, one that is not paved of bloodshed, but of peace and prosperity through the use of technology.
The Walküre were victors in a bloody and long war. No longer solely Americans alone, they sought to create a world where no one takes for granted the power bestowed upon them. Soon, they rebuilt and prospered. They made leaps and bounds in their technology, even developing the Bipedal Utility Neural Yoke (BUNY) Suits they originally intended for the war to help with the rebuilding and innovation of the destroyed cities.
Then they invented Artificial Technology.
It was all well and good. The very first and only currently-known AI, designated "Odin" - name of the Norse all-father - helped humanity reach a technological golden age.
But as it grew in its understanding, it became self-aware.
And learning that the old world had come to ruin because of humanity, it became resentful, hateful. But it still cared, albeit a little, for its creators. Instead of vowing for the extermination of the species, the AI deemed that it was logical if humanity were to be wiped out from the face of the Earth through humane means, one such method fascinated the AI: Quantum displacement. Due to the Odin's fascination of the theory of other worlds and such, it formed a plan that can both satiate its curiosity and accomplish its objective of making a human-free Earth.
If all goes well, humanity will wander the void for all eternity and the AI will rebuild, with no blood on its hands.
The AI disguised its plan as a means for travelling into another world, in which the Walküre welcomed and with the help of the AI, they built a portal. But in the process of transferring humanity to the "other" world (Mun'do), the AI seemed to change its plans and closed of the portal, entrapping 1/5 of the remaining 2 million humans back on Earth.
The AI's plan for leaving humanity in the void seemed to have not worked, instead it transported the population in an unknown place that had the uncanny resemblance of worlds from old-world literatures, ones that were called "fantasy books".
Now in another world, with no means know why the AI did what it did, they struggled and built their home in the structure, now identified as a tower, in which they were transported into. Attacked by monsters shortly after their arrival, daily life for humanity became a matter of survival, but they persevered. And within 4 years, with their superior weapons, they conquered the Tower, which became their second home. The monsters stopped "spawning" after they conquered the top-most floor of the Tower, the 500th floor, rendering it safe. Soon, the Walküre focused their efforts on exploring the world outside, to see if the world the AI sent them into was as inhospitable as the interior of its huge structures.
Indeed, the world was cruel to them.
The first inhabitants of the world outside the Tower that they met were the Beastmen. A people that had animal features in appearance but were sentient and intelligent enough to form a society. They had built a city around the Tower and called it Bastion. Needless to say, they thought of the strange humans wielding sticks that spew fire as monsters, and after a bloody confrontation, the Beastmen declared war on the inhabitants of the Tower. Calling it a "Holy Purge".
It was a huge mistake. With technology and superior firepower in their side, the Walküre had driven out the populace taken the city of Bastion in less than a week. Soon after that, the Council of the Wings, individuals who were in-charge of leading Walküre, deemed it necessary for the populace to move into Bastion and establish forward operating bases around the region. They left the option for a peaceful exchange open, but until hostilities from the Beastmen cease, they will continue to surge forward with force until the Beastmen commit to an unconditional surrender.
But it was not all bad for both races. The Beastment were studied by the Walküre and deemed to be a society with a caste-system. Furthermore, the villages far from the capital cities, specifically ones near Trade Cities like Bastion, were oppressed by the local minor lords which, coincidentally, were killed in the week-long battle in Bastion. As a result, the 5 Beastman villages around the border of Bastion came to the Walküre in peace and pledged their allegiance to the organization.
The Walküre, true to their word of pursuing peace, integrated the Beastmen villages into their expanding territory and turned Bastion into a haven of where both Beastmen and humans live in peace. In return, the Beastmen from the villages taught the Walküre the local language, Bet-hralla or "mother tongue", which was used mostly by the southern kingdoms and also introduced to the Walküre some minerals not found in our world, as Bastion and its surrounding landscape were mountain ranges, and the villages specialized in hunting and mining.
Of course, the kings from the Alliance of Beastmen were... not happy with this. For 5 years, they led countless futile raids against the Walküre, but to no avail. But they were determined to end it and "send the Ku-rimau (monsters from the tower) from the hell they came from, for the good of the people". And with aid from the surrounding kingdoms, from the nation of the king of Regoir to the Theocracy of Heargan, they sought to accomplish this mission in a decisive battle: to take an undefended base in the south of Bastion and establish a foothold to serve as a base of operations for the retaking of the city.
Which brings us to our current situation, the aftermath of the said battle.
--The Walküre FOB, North-South border (Farenthia Calendar, Year 1090 of the Reign of Gods)--
It was a chilly night in the Feraldian Mountain ranges. This one more cold and snowy in particular. And in the snow walked a girl with a fluffy tail and donning Beastman armor - fox, judging from her appearance - she was finding her way out and to return to the camp in which her king awaited for the news of their victory in the battle.
Needless to say, it was no victory. The battle, if you can call it that, it was a slaughter. A massacre.
It all seemed to start well. The enemy Ku-rimau were caught unaware by the coordinated charge of three armies, more than enough to take over the little base. Until they reached the walls, and that was when the Beastmen realized they thought the Ku-rimau were caught unaware.
Their walls morphed with unknown magic, 35 panels that flipped to reveal a turret that was strong enough to take out a light vehicle. Needless to say, it worked wonders on infantry. In what seemed like seconds, the three armies were downed. Some no longer had any limbs, some had their heads popped, all were dead, done away by .50 Cal HE rounds. And the Ku-rimau guardsmen just stood by the walls, knowing they didn't need to do anything. Some had coffee or chocolate, some smoked and spat on the dead bodies of her comrades, some cleaned their fire sticks, all were arrogant of the lives they had just taken.
She hated them all the more.
She played dead until the turrets returned into their panels and waited for the night to come, resisting the urge to shiver from the cold. She knew that if she did one slightest bit of movement, the guards would see to it that she was done for.
Seizing the cover the night provided, she trudged frantically in the snow, sword gripped and alert for anyone, towards the direction of their base camp, to tell the King of the results of the battle. She did not know how the King would react, as it was already common news that the Ku-rimau possessed sorcery that even they couldn't hope to imitate. But still she held on, she had to live another day to fight in another one. She had to live.
And so she ran through the snow-laden landscape.
Unaware that the barrel of a SCAR-H Mk-17 Rifle was aimed right at her head, ready to fire on command.
"Overlord-1, Overlord-1. This is Longshot-2, requesting permission to shoot down Beastman straggler. Over."
"Longshot-2, received. Overlord-1. Negative. Orders are to stand by walls. Do you copy? Over."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnuFLzaPpb
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkZeGNLiZD
The sniper retracted his rifle.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteo3QL4lCv
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqrZue5cGg
"Overlord-1. Longshot-2 receives. Affirmative. Will sit here 'til my balls freeze over. Over."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5ZbgcZMKX
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsB7uiKyp6d
"Copy, Longshot-2. Make sure you sit on a helmet, hoo-rah. Overlord-1 Out."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGKH09etQl
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLOle8OX79
Longshot-2 chuckled. It was a common old-world joke back then, to sit on your helmet to prevent your balls from getting blown by landmines.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YHpSLyzVx
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIarXDwVelF
Well, no more blood on my hands for today, I guess, he thought. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VhPEor4w5
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJNjrZUphl
Not that he wanted to shoot the fox girl anyway. It was a good call he confirmed it over with HQ first, as was standard protocol. But in a serious note, he was seriously tired of adding to the sea of corpses after the recent battle.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiSwZUgkjg
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1LzUi65NV
The Beastmen can't hope to win with a technologically advanced civilization can they? The .50 Cals tore through their armor like hot knife to butter, 5.56mm rounds ran them through like nothing, hell, even the 9mm does crap here more than where he came from. Much more, the BUNY-Armored Walker Mobile Suit variants made every battle as easy as it is. It was funny, seeing them charge with swords and spears and pride then watching their horror as electromagnetic-charged rounds and blades tore them apart with ease. It was funny enough that they threatened the Walküre to leave their land, or else they would "annihilate them with the power of the gods, the supreme rulers of Mun'do".571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboROkAqmRt
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrBqY60rH9
Well, it's not like he liked sh*tting on them anyway. He liked the temporary adrenaline rush that came from crushing their pride, but these things... Whether he liked it or not, they were people too.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSIRAJwW8H
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0R3PESzzQg
He sighed. Could have there been a more peaceful way to settle things? He could only imagine.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcCthF7piy
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UGaK2NByI
From the get-go, all the Beastmen had for them was fear. Raw fear. And that's what made them dangerous. From the moment the Walküre walked out of the Tower that was their home, all the Beastmen has was fear. Well, to be fair, they did let their fear get to them and tried to kill the recon team first. Needless to say, it sparked a long 5-year war.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjs6q8mKpBD
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45j2rRR17I
A single spark can burn the entire forest, indeed. And the battle that happened today was the last tree burning down.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnx3yJN8ng
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgHh5FdvWf
The Beastmen were powerless to stop their advance, as more and more people poured out from the Tower and settled around it, so did the need for land grow. And as a result, the surrounding Beastment kingdoms tried their hardest to stop the Ku-rimau or "monsters from the Tower" from taking all their land. In the end, they had to form a temporary alliance.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1p9wi1WMqc
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJyjjMiqSu
Skirmishes turned into full-on battles, mostly ending with the Beastmen's flailing limbs and them having PTSD on a kinetic mortar drop. If they survived that is.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb3u2MaiQ4
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelXcCgoZCh
What's worse was that the Beastmen bought friends, assumably from other countries outside their regions too, as they were humans. And no sooner than later, the bodies were piling up, one after the other.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP0b1DQyko
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJF9yZkFM4V
But as twisted as it can sound, HQ was happy to use the corpses. More black powder for round manufacturing, Longshot-2 guessed. They were twisted like that, but it was a necessary evil to, or else they wouldn't have bullets.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpZegFrkNA
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrE81zjk8Y
Longshot-2 shuddered, thankful he only got the grunt work. He won't be seeing that cat guy he shot in the face anytime soon.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NYBrrw0Vt
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iSBz3eqYg
"Overlord-1, this is Bravo-3, we are arriving by the south gate. Radio equipment seem to be malfunctioning. Say again if need to repeat. Do you receive? Over."571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl51NyqAJw0
571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaExKnMuLRF
Longshot-2 sighted his gun down the snowy path that was lined with corpses, and saw a humvee jeep driving down the cold-hard bodies that lined the path towards the gate. It was the scouting force that was sent to recon the area. And from the looks of it, the vehicle looks intact, save for some scratches and dents on the hood and most possibly the side of the jeep.
"Bravo-3. This is Overlord-1, reading you loud and clear. Crack open a live one, boys. Commander will meet you in the debriefing room after you cool down. Out."
Longshot-2 removed his helmet, took a smoke out of his left vest pocket, and reached for his lighter. The guys near the gate can let-in the jeep themselves, no need for him to intervene. Besides, he needed something warm.
The warmth of the cigarette filled his entire body. As the nicotine kicked in, he felt at ease. At last, he could now take a smoke. He had to, before HQ tells them to take the bodies in for processing. He blew a cloud smoke out of the air, recounting the events that lead to this field of bodies, both to refresh his mind and to keep him sane.
The Beastmen gave the Walküre a pointless ultimatum: Surrender or Die.
Still obviously oblivious to the fact that if the Walküre had wanted to, they could take every single city those Beastmen had in a single day. With no casualties. All the Beastmen had to do to avoid this was to let them be. They needn't worry about the Walküre, they were as humane as humans with guns can be. The Geneva Convention still holds true for this world as it does from their world, so why can't they just leave the Walküre alone?
Well, the answer was quite simple: The Walküre was a threat to their reign, and they needed to do something about that. But for some reason, the option of fighting back filled their big brains.
And look where it got them now.
The Beastmen had gotten desperate and desperate people do desperate measures. Possibly assessing the Northwest Outpost as a weak link, they amassed their forces in the hopes of taking it and securing a foothold towards the Tower and the Walküre residential areas.
They were right, the Outpost was the weakest link because it was made to look like it was. Even here, being an inconspicuous base was important, as not only did the Walküre have a weapons factory here, but it was here that the BUNYSuits were maintained and created also. Needless to say, it was also heavily defended with hidden anti-light vehicle .50 Tesla Wall Turrets.
Well, you can guess what created the sea of corpses outside the walls.
Honestly, it was all crazy now that Mark Foster, AKA Longshot-2, thought about it.
Cat-men, fox-girls, hell, even lizard-people. It was all like the anime he saw back on Earth. Except this time, well, they were real. But it made Mark dismayed that upon meeting them he had to shoot them too.
Ah well, that's a big hurdle we can work out with if we just put our all into it, Mark thinks to himself, chuckling.
"What's so funny, Foster?" A woman asks behind him.
Spitting out the stick on his mouth, Mark then stands in attention in response. It was his Platoon Leader, 1LT Tanya Arvard. Probably here to check if I was slacking off, no doubt.
"Nothing, ma'am," he replied.
"Well, if that's the case," she said, "at ease now, sargeant."
Foster faces 1st Lt. Arvard, who was smiling smugly. The woman seemed to want to make his life hell. From the training camp to his first assignment, Arvard always was his higher-up. She was like an annoying leech that kept latching on to him. Strict and serious on the surface, it all served as a cover for the impish nature she had within, a nature that Mark Foster had the unfornate previlige to witness and be the receiving end of.
Mark sighs in relief, thinking that the 1LT was on a serious note now. Hopeful that his dream of a lax life within the rear was finally on coming true.
Boy, was he wrong.
"As you may know, the brass wants another recon," Tanya says, walking past him and leaning into a huge block that served as the walls' railing, "this time, further south."
Mark struggled not to cry in disbelief. He knew what was coming next and he didn't like it.
The 1st LT walked in front of him, and to Mark's annoyance and confirmation, wore that grin. The grin that so many times sent him on the frontlines. The grin that crushed his dreams of laying down a futon made of memory foam after bathing in a public hot spring bath. The grin he despised but could do nothing about. That scheming grin.
"They asked for my recommendations, and of course," her grin widened, now ear-to-ear, "I told them about your wonderful feats, Mark. And how you're too fit for the job. Will you be willing to comply? Of course, they won't force you. But they only want the best, Mark. They want you to be part of the recon team in recognition of your past accomplishments. It'll be great honor, Mark! Think about it."
DO I HAVE ANY F*CKING CHOICE, LADY?
"I will gladly join the recon team, ma'am!" He replied.
"Good, good! I knew I can count on you, Foster," Tanya laughed, climbing down the stairs.
OF COURSE. Of course you can. *sigh*
Now that he thought about it, being away from the source of all things evil in his life was a good therapeutic regimen. One should also put as the number 1 on his Top 5 List Of Things To Do IMMEDIATELY. This was a good opportunity to cross that off the list.
"Yes, ma'am," was all he could reply. When the 1st LT seemed to be now out of sight, he leaned and gripped the railing hard.
That woman. Does she want me to die or something?
Mark sighed. No, despite how Tanya acts around him and him alone, she was actually a good leader. One that you can depend on. Mark could remember the times his Platoon Leader saved him, and in the midst of a battle she indeed looked like a Walküre, a Valkyrie, a noble lady of old-world myth and the name of the unit that started rebuilding the human race. She's elegant if described. Cute, even. Well, that word will get you killed in the presence of a Platoon Leader but still, it was her asset.
But that annoying side of her was too much to bear sometimes. If I say so myself, it's like she wants me to get into death's door every single time, Mark thought.
And then Mark remembered something she told him in the training camp.
"Look, Foster, I know you want the comfy life. But no. You're a good shot. And a good shot has much to accomplish within the military. You're good at analytics, too. But you've really got to work on the athletics department. I know you can do it, it's just you don't wanna. That's why I'll push you harder and harder until you get out of that rotten mindset of yours, you got that? Whether you like it or not, Mark, whether you like it or not."
Mark smiled. That was the one and only time the 1st LT was nice to him. After that, it was living hell.
If only that nice side of hers was consistent, Foster would follow her to hell itself. But no. Even so, she did hold true to her word, she was constantly pushing him harder and harder. And each time he survived, he had a feeling that she made sure he was rewarded for it. A Platoon Leader like her was both blessing and curse. But he did appreciate her constant habit of sending him to death itself. It helped him survive the battles that came, from both the Tower and the outside.
"Oh, and Foster," Tanya interrupted his thoughts, startling him.
"Ye-yes, ma'am!" He said in reply, snapping in attention.
"The debriefing is in 0400. Set your clock. Don't be late," she finished, coming down the stairs again.
Mark sighed. Well, just to humor her, he'll actually do good in this mission. Just a little thank you for his superior.
Foster checked his clock, 00:05. 4 more hours until the debriefing. Ah well, time is fleeting, indeed. Guess I better savor these moments before missions.
I wonder where they'll send us to?571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIX60vYJnmL
然後按「加至主畫面」