Chapter 5 - Return to The Ten Islands: Volume V

17. Night of the lizards

Calvin arrived at the burning scene of the crime as soon as he heard the news. When he was on his way, he tried intercepting Judgement's communication network. Being known as the best security network provider among the high tech nations, it was no surprise he was booted out of the network not long after he hacked himself into their server. However, the short moment was all he needed to pick up some important details on the attack. He smashed his smart watch after the security locked onto his network despite triple anonymous loop reroute to hide his server identity. Once locked onto him, the Judgement will be able to track him down in no time. But Calvin wasn't your average hacker. Over the years, he had acquired some serious hacking abilities from the cyber criminals that were imprisoned in Gaea Maximum Prison. Using his metal manipulating ability, he made himself a pair of jet propulsion boots. After hiding himself with his ability, he leapt into the air and propelled himself closer into the fire where the action was. Along the way, he intercepted the short wave radio signals that were sent between Judgement officers on the scene. Those signals were easier to hack into and with Calvin's skills, he could eavesdrop on them without a trace. From the information he got, it sounded like Stanley was the one who raided the headquarter. They reported dozens of reptile-like humanoids rampaging the place. They were able to regenerate from near fatal wounds and torn limbs. There was a loud bang to his side as he ventured deeper into the headquarter. He landed silently behind a broken wall and peered through the gash to the other side. Three Judgement officers cornered a reptile-humanoid figure. It has the same skin texture as Stanley when he transformed. Despite their numbers, they were clearly on the defensive. Upon closer inspection, more officer were seen on the ground, motionless. Calvin raised his right metallic forearm and activated the pulse canon. His right forearm transformed into his desired weapon and was ready for action.

From his encounter with Stanley, he knew a sneak attack wouldn't work. Therefore, he decided on a more direct approach. After making sure he had a clean shot, he charged up the cannon and fired it through the wall. The energy blasted through the rubble and took his target by surprise. The humanoid creature was knocked to the ground. The two of the officers pinned the lizard-man down while the remaining one cuffed its hands with standard-issued energy draining cuffs. "You fools never learn!" The creature hissed. "Get off of it!" Calvin warned. The cuffs heated up and melted like butter and the creature broke free from its restrains. It reached for the nearest target with its claws but Calvin blew its limb into pieces before it could do any harm. "Arghhh!!" It hissed in pain. Calvin blew off the other limb as it tried to get up. "Cut off its head, it's the only way to kill them." One of the officer said. "Why didn't you do it just now?" Calvin said and transformed his right forearm into a lightsaber. "No, wait!" The other officer tried to stop Calvin. "Move!" the lizard man opened its mouth and breathed fire at their direction. Calvin pushed the officers aside and blocked the attack with his energy shield. At the same moment, a piece of scrap metal from the rubble was being transformed it into a hammer. As the lizard man tried to escape, the hammer shot from its blind spot and broke its neck. Calvin then dealt the finishing blow, decapitating the creature. "What have you done?!" said the officer who tried to stop Calvin earlier. "Let it go Cynthia," the older of the three officer said. With a short crew cut silver hair and flat chest, Calvin almost mistaken the officer as a man. "Why were you guys still trying to restrain it when you know it will break free." Calvin asked. His eyes were on the carcass to make sure its head wasn't regenerating. "It has valuable information on their grand plot." Officer Cynthia said. "It's not worth dying for," Calvin replied. He took one last glance at the decapitated body of the lizard man, making sure it stayed dead. Then, he blended himself into his surroundings before the three officers could ask any further questions.

Calvin followed the path of carnage left behind from the raid. Bodies of Judgement officers & lizard men lay among the rubble. Not far from where he left, the sound of an ensuing battle drew his attention. It came from a few floors below where he was. The stairs leading downwards were a blood bath. Limbs and innards were strewn everywhere. He braced himself as footsteps fast approached his direction. Two Judgement officers ran up the stairs, both severely wounded. And behind them were their reptilian pursuers. Calvin motioned for the two officers to duck as he open fire at their pursuers. Continuous bursts of laser beams grazed through the five lizard men that chased after the officers. Some of them had resilient skin that were able to withstand the laser while the rest were lost their limbs and organs to the searing beam. "Go!" Calvin yelled. Using his magnetism, he unleashed a hail of scrap metal shrapnel onto his enemy. The metal pieces that were embedded into the lizard men liquefied and became magnetic. They caused the five of them to clump to each other like Siamese twins. Then, Calvin swung his lightsaber at the closest target. However, his energy sword only left burnt marks on the creature's neck. "That feeble sword can't kill me," The lizard man chuckled, his gang followed. "Thanks for the reminder," Calvin said. His lightsaber blazed with energy all of a sudden. The energy dissipated from it was sufficient to melt the remaining metal railings along the stairs. The lizard man that was mocking Calvin swallowed hard. It was about to open its mouth to talk when Calvin's lightsaber slashed across its neck. Two heads rolled down the staircase followed by a third one. "Why aren't you laughing anymore?" Calvin gave the two survivors a sinister grin. "You psychopath!" One of them hissed.

"How many of you are there?" Calvin demanded. "You have 5 seconds," He pointed his lightsaber at one of the lizard man's throat. He advanced the tip of the blade slowly until it started burning the lizard's skin. "It burns!" The lizard man hissed. "We'll talk alright, just stop it!" The other lizard man pleaded. "All we sought were freedom. Is that so wrong?" "Freedom? What the hell are you talking about?" Calvin probed. "We're protesters. Against the Digitization of Rondo." One of them answered. "The Number Protest? How did you guys end up becoming like this?" "The serum. It was offered to our leader by some old dude who wants to topple the nation. It gave us these regeneration wonders." "It turn you into a freak!" Calvin spat. "Nice try!" He obliterated a spiked tail aiming for the back of his neck. He then turned the repulsor gun that was hidden in his left hand towards one of the lizard men. "Do it! I'll never talk!" "Really?" Calvin raised his left brow and chuckled. The gun melted in his hand and was transformed into a digital storage portal. "I was saving this for some other purposes, this seems like appropriate." A greenish fluid oozed from the portal, propelled and held in midair by an invisible force. "Now, open wide!" Calvin kicked the lizard man' groin. It shrieked and was forced fed the greenish liquid. "It burns!! It hurts soo-ooo-ooo….." The lizard man was in agony. "You might be able to regenerate but that doesn't mean you don't feel pain." Calvin said. "FYI, I forgot the antidote." He then gave a sinister laugh as the other lizard man shivered at the sight of its comrade's agony. "Make it stop, make it stop! Just tell him what he wants!"

Calvin spent the next 10 minutes interrogating the lizard men with one of them screaming throughout the process. The two officers that were severely wounded left before Calvin started his interrogation. He made sure they were not eavesdropping when he demanded information on Project MICON. It seemed the two of them had no idea what Calvin was talking about. "Please, just give me the antidote." The lizard man's voice was hoarse from all the screaming. "Sure," With a quick swing of his lightsaber, two reptilian head rolled down the stairs. Calvin retracted his lightsaber and proceeded down the stairs, his clothes drenched in blood. There was not a hint of remorse on his face. He crossed path with more lizard men as he descended. He cleaved his way through them, leaving no survivor. Despite his opponent's superior defense and regeneration capabilities, they were clearly novice at combat. But Calvin didn't give a shit. He was pissed. However, the further down he went, he began noticing that the place he was going wasn't on any of the map depicting the Judgement Headquarters. He was on a hidden floor that was not found on all the available blue prints of the building that he could find. As he ventured further, he could feel the faint electromagnetic wave surrounding the area. Judging from the waveform, Calvin postulated it must have been a kind of waveform silencer, an electromagnetic barrier that block all communications between them. It also acts as a cloaking field for all electronic devices within it. Calvin's subsequent journey was relatively smooth after a point. There were no bodies or signs of struggles or battle. No lizard men were found along the stretches of hallways and rooms. It was dead silence. After some short distances, Calvin finally picked up voices and footsteps coming from behind an automated gate. He transformed his right bionic forearm into the most powerful hand cannon he could mustered. While his left arm was armed with a laser gatling gun. After blasting the door open with his hand cannon, his gatling gun whirled into action, delivering 8000 shots per second, obliterating everything before him. Smoke and dust clouded the enclosed space after another shot from Calvin's hand cannon. He took the opportunity to finish off his enemies before they recover from the surprise attack.

Calvin deactivated his lightsaber after decapitating the last of the lizard men. The entire place was a blood bath. His armor were filthy with dried blood. The Gatling gun on his left hand melted into liquid metal, adding a further layer to his armor. There was nothing much he could get from the lizard men guarding the entrance. They were kept in the dark as well. It had been awhile since Calvin last killed. Unlike other royalties, the Gaea royal family is required to go through military training with real-life battle experiences. He was trained by Alia on missions against terrorist that threatened the safety of Gaea. At the thought of his ex-girlfriend, he couldn't help but sighed at the events that led to this moment. Taking a seat on a nearby stool, he extracted the metals from his surroundings to make surveillance drones. He then sent them to scout the area while he cleaned himself in a washroom nearby. Looking at the mirror in front of him reminded himself how tired he was. His eyebags were boggy and his eyes bloodshot. But he knew he had no time to rest. Stanley was up to something, something big that will jeopardize the entire nation, maybe even Nirvana herself. An alarm beeped over his earpiece. His drone picked up something. He played the recorded footage from his surveillance drone on his visor. There were three lizard men standing guard in front of some sort of metal vault. They noticed his drone but they weren't bothered by it. It was as if they were challenging Calvin to a duel. He recalled his drone back to him and assigned them a new task while modified some of them, adding weapons to them. He then sent them along the way he came and positioned them as sentries. The rest of them continued mapping the area.

Calvin analyzed the footage his drone snapped earlier as he advanced towards his enemies' position. The three of them looked much tougher and confident than the rest of their comrades. One of them had two ninjatō, the other had a broad sword and the remaining one was unarmed but bulky as a hulk. On his way towards his challengers, Calvin jabbed himself with a hormonal and energy booster, a performance enhancer drug he took from the hospital. He could feel the adrenaline rush and sudden surge of energy moments after the injection. As he entered the door, his three opponents remained where they were when the footage was recorded. There was no ambush or traps, it was a challenge indeed. "Welcome, Prince Gaea. We're the Lightning Brothers, leaders of the Digitization Rebels." The bulky one said. "We admire your grandfather's work very much and wished for a united Gaea. Glory to Gaea." "What kind of crap is this? Where is Stanley?" Calvin demanded. "The major is busy right now. He doesn't wish to be disturbed." The thinner guy with the double ninjatō said. "Screw you!" Calvin raised his middle finger. "Get out of my way!" The thin guy drew his double blade and said "I'm afraid we cannot do that." Calvin stepped backwards to put some distance between them. "Don't worry, we will not interfere." The bulky one retreated back towards the metal vault followed by the feller holding the broad sword. He kind of read Calvin's mind when Calvin stole a glance at them. "I'll be your opponent." The two of them moved towards the center of the room where it was spacious. "My name is Elton, it's an honor." "Cut the crap, I'm in a hurry." Calvin replied. A bio-scan of his opponent appeared before his visor. It's a program developed by Calvin. It works by using the various spectrum of light to analyse his opponent's aura and biometrics. And from those measurements, he could estimate his opponent's strength and power output. From Calvin's program, Elton seemed to be on the agile side.

Calvin channeled his energy to the floor as Elton took his battle stance. Agile and fast opponent had always been a trouble for Calvin to deal with in the past. However, he had developed countermeasures over the years. Metals from all around Calvin converged on his feet like roots of a tree. They then diverge and split into finer threads that attached to the ground around Calvin. These fine threads acted as sensors, allowing Calvin to detect the slightest movement on the ground and in the air as well. While the sensors were moving into place, Calvin diverted his opponent's attention to his weapon. His artificial right forearm transformed into a flail with lightning chains and a spiked head made of titanium. Elton sprinted towards Calvin with his double blades after Calvin's flail took shape. The sensors tracked Elton's movements and allowed Calvin to constantly put a distance between them. At the same time, his sensors picked up the presence of another being. Calvin feinted a strike towards the charging Elton while preparing a counter strike at the opponent sneaking up on him. It worked. Elton side stepped and retreated as Calvin raised his flail. Meanwhile, another lizard man looking and dressed exactly as Elton appeared behind of Calvin. He was holding only a single ninjatō, ready to strike. Suddenly, a metallic tail with a sharp blade at its end protruded from Calvin's buttock. His opponent was taken completely by surprise. The blade stabbed through his torso where the heart was. And as the tail withdrew, it dragged a beating heart along. The end of the tail then expanded into a fan-like blade that sliced the heart into three pieces. The lizard man disintegrated into ashes. It seemed to be a Doppelganger clone. "Impressive," Elton applauded. Calvin ignored the compliment and focused on defeating the three of them. The titanium head of the flail detached from its chain and levitated above his head. Sparks ignited in the air around the spiked sphere as lightning shot from it. At the same time, energy amassed below the ground where Calvin was standing.

Elton's reflexes were swift as expected. He evaded every single lightning strike directed at him. However, they were just distractions to buy time for Calvin. He kept Elton busy with his lightning attack and also two hand cannons, one in each hand. Elton was unable to even get close to Calvin due to the barrage of energy beams. The energy that gathered beneath Calvin's feet formed metal chains from the minerals in the ground. The chains molded the earth into a gigantic cannon ball. Once Calvin was happy with the size, the chains wrapped around the cannon ball and began rotating it with electromagnetic energy. When his preparation was completed, Calvin deliberately lowered his guard down on the left flank, leaving himself vulnerable. Elton didn't took the bait. However, Calvin had other ideas in mind. With his opponent shifting his attack elsewhere, Calvin had a clear shot at the metal vault and the bulky guy in front of it. They had no idea what Calvin was up to until the earth started shaking violently. Without warning, the giant cannon ball burst forth from the ground and slammed into the metal vault, taking the bulky guy with it. The bulky lizard man's body was crushed beyond recognition and the metal vault was blasted open. The attack shocked the other two. The moment of distraction was enough for Calvin to close in onto Elton. Elton parried Calvin's dual lightsaber with his double ninjatō but he had forgotten about the tail. Calvin's metal tail transformed into a large cleaver at its end as it approached Elton from behind. With one quick swipe, the lizard man was decapitated. The remainder of the Lightning Brothers stood his ground, blocking the vault entrance. He seemed terrified but he stood his ground nevertheless. "You sure you want to do this?" Calvin said. The lizard man trembled.

18. Under Mount Varrus

Lenny ran as fast as he could until the cries of the two battling monsters were no longer heard. He progressively slowed down and finally stopped when his legs could carry him no further. He lay spreadeagled on the ground, panting. He had no idea where he was running the entire time. He just sprinted as fast as he could. Princess Kirin moved to one corner, the moment Lenny placed her onto the ground. She began sobbing on her own. "Where are we now?" Lenny said through panted breath, to no one in particular. Princess Kirin continued sobbing. "Hey, Princess. Any idea where we are now?" Lenny asked again. Princess Kirin ignored Lenny completely and her head remained buried between her knees, wailing. "Would you stop crying, bitch!" A voice echoed in Lenny's head. He looked around but there was no one there besides the two of them. It took him a short while to realize that voice was that of his pet wyvern - Sam. He was still not used to the telepathic communication between them. "That's rude!" Lenny replied telepathically. He forced his tired body to get up and moved towards Kirin. He gently put his left hand on her shoulder and said, "Your familiar sacrifice itself so that you get to live, let's not waste its effort." "How would you know that? Moon is strong! We could have stayed and defeat the demon together!" Kirin replied. She was still in denial. "You could be right. But how sure are you to say that? If we were to go back now and that demon is still alive. Don't you think you've just wasted Moon's effort and sacrifice to keep you alive?" Lenny pointed out. Kirin remained silent, realizing what Lenny said was a truth that she was unwilling to accept. "You can always seek revenge another day. But not if you're dead! Where are we now and how do we get out of here?" Lenny raised his voice.

Kirin was startled by Lenny's sudden change of tone. But it had the intended effect of knocking the sense out of her. She wiped the dirt off her robe. Her dress were torn when she was captured by Lord Tarkhan. The robe belonged to one of her closest friend that died while battling Lord Tarkhan's goons. Never had she suffered such great loss in a single day. She was on the brink of despair but Lenny's words made her realized that she had to push forward no matter what. So that her comrades' sacrifice was not in vain. She looked around the cavern that they were in, it looked like any other cavern along the way they came. However, there were subtle markings on the rocky surface made by her subjects so that they wouldn't be lost among the intricate maze-like subterranean caverns. As she examined more closely the markings on the caverns, she looked troubled. "Well?" Lenny asked. "This is not good. We're nearly at the depth of Mount Varrus. There is nowhere out but down." Kirin explained. "Okay, why the troubled look on your face?" Lenny asked. "At the depth of Mount Varrus is a lake. The only way out of there is to cross the lake." Kirin replied. "Alright, I guess there is something in the lake?" Lenny interrupted. "There is a lake monster inhabiting the lake and in it lies the Maiden of the Lake." Kirin continued. "Can we like turn around and find our way out through another cavern?" "There is a transition point near where we fought the demon but it is very risky to go back. If we do run into the demon there, we will be cornered." Kirin explained. "Between the devil and the deep blue sea, huh?" Lenny said. "What was that?" Kirin asked. "Just an idiom from my place. Lead the way, princess." Lenny picked up his pet wyvern and walked towards Kirin. The two of them then ventured deeper into the dark cavern.

After an hour long walk, they finally reached a small cavern opening with two totem poles carved into the rocky exterior of the limestone entrance. "We're here," Princess Kirin said. As they stepped through the entrance, they were greeted by a gentle breeze. The air carried a smell of sea salt and the surrounding temperature were cooler than outside the cavern. Bioluminescence organisms lined the top of the cavern, illuminating the underground lake. The lake stretched as far as the eye could see. At the shore were shrubs that bloomed shinny flowers, lighting up the entire shore. At one side of the river stood a tall aged tree. It had purple leaves and its trunk wrapped with layers of ceremonial ornaments. There were various engraving in languages unknown to Lenny. Some distance from the tree stood a wooden hut. And some further distances away was a grave yard of weapons. Despite their dire situation, Lenny couldn't help feeling awed by the breathtaking view of the place. At the far end, opposite to the hut and tree stood an Eastern gazebo. In it was a large bronze bell covered in rust. "What is this place?" Lenny asked. "We should head to the hut," Kirin pointed. "This is the final resting place of the mythical sword guarded by the maiden of the lake." Both of them made their way through the pebbled pathway leading towards the hut in silence. "Don't tell me the name of the sword is Excalibur?" Lenny joked. "How did you know?" Kirin stopped in her tracks. Lenny was surprised by Kirin's reaction. Kirin's response was likewise when she heard the name. Lenny was initially only joking when he mentioned the legendary sword. He just happened to recall the legendary sword from Medieval lore. "The sword we're talking about is The Excalibur? The same sword wielded by King Arthur Pendragon? And the maiden of the lake is The lady of the lake that kept the sword after King Arthur died?" Lenny asked. Kirin only managed a nod. "Not much people know of its existence outside of Bashara. How did you get to know of it?"

Lenny wanted to tell Kirin how King Arthur and Excalibur were merely myths back on Earth. But he decided against it. He remembered what General Max said when he first came to Nirvana. How all legends had some truth in its origin. General Max once told Lenny and his friends how some god-kings from Earth gained their powers from their journey to Nirvana. Maybe King Arthur was one of them. While cracking his head for a believable lie, Lenny noted movements between the shrubs. He drew his lightsaber without hesitation, preparing for an ambush. The thing that emerged from the shrubs was nothing they had expected. It was a dark scaly creatures the size of a large turkey. Its skin were similar to that of a toad. Its eyes were completely white. It look very much like the Frog people Lenny encountered 3 years back under the Mirror Lake of Espejo. The creature seemed relatively calm despite seeing a stranger armed with a lightsaber. "You can put that weapon away, young one." The creature spoke. Lenny slowly deactivated the lightsaber and took a careful step backwards. "What are you?" Lenny asked. "And where are we exactly?" "My name is Merlin. And this creature is a murlock." It pointed to itself. "I don't always look like this. There was a time when I was once a human like the two of you." It continued. "Let's talk inside. I bet you two are hungry." Merlin pointed at the hut. As it left the shrubs, it dragged along a wooden fishing net filled with fish and eel of sort. Lenny sensed no devious intention from the creature but his right hand remained its grip on the lightsaber along the way. The interior of the hut looked plain and dull. There was a small fire place at one side with simple cooking utensils around it. With a soft whisper in a foreign language, the fire place suddenly lit up on its own. The murlock then proceeded to preparing its catches besides the fire. "Make yourselves comfortable," It skillfully descaled one of the fish with a short knife and then gut it. "Dinner will be ready soon." It continued with its preparation, filling up a pot with water and adding spices into it. "You two don't seems like challengers to me, what do you seek here?"

"You're right, we aren't. we're running away from a demon. We have nowhere else to go but here." Lenny decided for an honest reply. "Just a curious question, you won't happen to be THE Merlin Ambrosius? King Arthur's adviser and mentor?" Merlin put down the short knife and cleaned its claws in a barrel of water. "It's been ages since I last heard that name. I'm amazed that there are still people that know of me after such a long time." "So the legends were true." Lenny murmured to himself. "How long has it been since the last time anyone came down here?" Kirin finally spoke. "Fifty, maybe sixty years. I've lost count. Ever since we moved underground, it has been hard to keep track of time when there is no sunlight." Merlin answered. "Sixty years!" Lenny exclaimed. "How long has you been down here? Were you alone all this while? Whose graves were those?" Kirin asked. "Slow down, lassie. One by one," Merlin resumed its cooking. "I've been guarding this sword since the first king drawn the sword from the stone more than 500 years ago." Merlin moved the neatly sliced chunks of fish into the boiling water. "Wow. How did you managed to survive that long?" Lenny asked. "Defending the sword came at a cost. For me, it was my humanity and mortality. I have to give up my mundane body and transmute into a hideous being such as this murlock!" Merlin voice was filled with regret and sorrow. "Those graves belonged to my students, advisers to the many kings that wielded the sword after King Arthur. None of them were as successful as the king of kings. Some were even corrupted by power they wielded, becoming the very enemy they sworn to defeat." The salty-sweet smell of cooked seafood filled the air as the broth started boiling. "The last challenger who came for the sword was denied by the sword itself despite being the brightest candidate I've ever encountered for the past 500 years." Merlin tasted the broth with a ladle and then scooped them out into wooden bowls. "Dinner's ready," He passed the bowl of hot soup to Lenny and Kirin. "Thanks," the two said in unison. It gave another bowl to Lenny's pet wyvern too. "Careful, it's still hot." Merlin warned as Kirin raised the bowl towards her mouth.

Lenny and Kirin sat cross-legged on the floor facing the murlock. It sat opposite to them. "Enough about me, what was the demon you two were running away from?" Merlin asked. "A swine like demon on hooves with the tail of a snake." Lenny recalled the image of Billy. "Sūra bhūta. That's it's name." Kirin said. "That's not a good news, not at all." Merlin paused and took a sip of the steaming broth. "It isn't the most powerful demon I've encountered. But I am not the same Merlin Ambrosius as I used to be. How long do you think before it finds you two?" "I hope it doesn't. This whole place is a maze! It might never find its way here." Lenny said. "I bet the lady beg a differ," Merlin pointed out. "Billy will come after me even till the edge of the world." Kirin placed her left palm on her chest and whispered an enchantment. Her left hand glowed in a dim purplish shimmer. Then, her left hand extended right through her thorax! An amulet was pulled from her chest as she withdrew her hand. The amulet was a gold pendant dotted with various gems. It had a pentagram on it with tiny symbols which seemed foreign to Lenny. "That's a rare treasure there, young lady." Merlin said. "It's Solomon's Amulet. A powerful talisman that allows the wielder to command demons and bounds them as familiars. However, using it comes at a price. It's the most valuable among the royal treasure of the Bashara Empire." Kirin explained. "Both Billy and its ex-master Lord Tarkhan was looking for this." "I see the situation you are in now. But both of you are in no condition to take Lady Nimue's challenge. Rest for today, I'll bring you two to see her tomorrow." The murlock guzzled down the remaining broth. "Thank you for the food and all your help, Merlin." Lenny said. "No need to thank me yet. Help yourselves with the broth. I bet your pet is hungry as well. We'll talk about the challenge tomorrow." Merlin cleaned its bowl in a small pool of water that flowed into the side of the hut from the lake. It then stashed the bowl back onto a rack next to the fireplace. "You're welcome to stay the night. It will take sometime before the demon finds its way here. Rest well." Merlin said. Kirin and Lenny finished up their food and went to sleep after cleaning the dishes. Both of them slept soundly on the wooden floor despite their strange new environment. They were too tired to care.

Lenny was awakened by the hissing sound from a kettle of boiling water. Then, he picked up the dense aroma of freshly brewed coffee. "You're finally awake, young one." Merlin said. Sam was already up before Lenny and was eating from a plate besides the murlock. "The princess is still asleep. She was having nightmare throughout the night. It must have been a tragic journey," Merlin said. "It is. She just lost her familiar yesterday." Lenny looked around the wooden hut. It was as dim as before he went to sleep. The only light inside the hut was from the fireplace. "How do you tell day from night here? There isn't any sunlight," Lenny asked. "It was hard at first but if you lived down here as long as I did, you would be able to tell the differences. All lifeforms exhibit some changes towards the day and night cycles. You only need experience to pick them up." Merlin explained. "Say, Mr. Merlin, is there anywhere I can take a bath?" Lenny asked. It have been awhile since he last bathed. It made him feel rather uncomfortable. Merlin chuckled in a creepy undertone. "I haven't needed a bath since my transmutation. That's the reason why there isn't a bath tub in here. But, you can always bath at the shore. Just beware of the electric eels!" "Right…" Lenny drawled. "Let's go, Sam." Lenny beaconed his pet wyvern. He scouted the surrounding area before settling beside a quite area where the water was still and devoid of shrubs. He then removed his clothes and dived into the lake. The water was icy cold, the temperature is markedly lower than most outdoor lakes and rivers Lenny had been to in the past. Recalling the basics of elemental manipulating, he conjured a whirlpool that formed a perimeter around where he bath. The whirlpool drove away all the creatures within the perimeter. After that, Lenny warmed the water to his liking by channeling his energy into the body of water. Soon, the chilly water turned into a warm bath. He double checked his perimeter to ensure no danger lurked within. Then, Lenny submerged himself into the water, deep in thoughts. Like all water element users, Lenny was able to breath underwater. As he closed his eyes, images of his tormentors flashed before his eyes. His days of brutal interrogations re-played in his mind. "Why did you help her after she hurt you so much?" A familiar voice interrupted his reminiscence. "Because it's the right thing to do," Lenny replied without hesitation.

When Lenny got back to the wooden hut, Kirin was enjoying her breakfast near the fireplace with Merlin. "How was your bath?" Merlin asked. "Refreshing," Lenny sat down beside the murlock. It handed him a mug of black coffee. "How did you even get coffee down here?" Lenny asked. "It does smell like coffee doesn't it? But this is not coffee." Merlin said. "This is a tea that smells like coffee." "Wow," Lenny exclaimed after he had a sip of the brownish fluid. "Mr. Merlin, what was the challenge you spoke of yesterday?" Lenny asked after his breakfast. "Back to business." Merlin straightened its goatee. "To tell you the truth, this is an ancient lake with only one exit. And the exit is guarded by Lady Nimue and her army. In order to leave through the lake, you must either complete her challenge or provide a suitable offering in return." "What is her challenge?" Princess Kirin was quick to ask. "You shall find out, follow me." Merlin said and headed towards the door. It led the two teens to the gazebo and waited in front of the rusted bell. "Are you ready?" Merlin asked. The two nodded. "Please ring the bell then," Merlin pointed at the bell. Lenny was hesitant when his hands grasped the handle of the bell. His doubts disappeared as the image of Iris flashed before his mind. "We'll see her again," Sam whispered in Lenny's mind. "Of course," He replied telepathically. Lenny lifted the rusted wooden handle and slammed it into the bell. There was a minute tremor coming from the lake soon after the bell was rang. Then, huge ripples could be seen radiating from the depths of the lake. Large waves crashed onto the shores as something huge made its way to the surface of the lake. Moments later, an enormous shadow emerged and broke the surface of the tranquil lake. It was a giant grouper!

The grouper slowly made its way towards the gazebo and stopped. It opened its mouth before them, revealing a transparent figure made of water. "Greetings, challengers." The figure said. "Lady Nimue," Merlin bowed. "Err… Hello," Lenny waved his hand awkwardly. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Nimue." Princess Kirin greeted with a one-eight half bow. "What do you seek here, young ones?" Lady Nimue asked. "A passage," Merlin said. "They were chased by a Sūra bhūta and was drove here." "Ooh… Is that so," The watery figure's voice was devoid of expression. "And what do you have to offer in return?" She asked. "I don't think they came prepared, my lady." Merlin answered. "We have nothing but our smile to offer. We beg for your kindness to aid in our passage." Princess Kirin said. An eerie laughter echoed from the watery figure. "Kind words alone are not enough, Princess Kirin of Bashara." The figure leant closer towards them. "How do you know my name?" Kirin was genuinely surprised. "I know you before you were even born, daughter of Bassel." She continued. "I knew your father and your great grand ancestors. As for you young lad, you look familiar but I couldn't put a name on you. Tell me boy, whose sire are you?" Lady Nimue turned to face Lenny. "My name is Lenny Lim Qun Kai. My father is not from around here. So I doubt you would know him." Lenny replied. "Ah-h… one of Eastern ancestry. Judging from your style, a commoner perhaps?" She mocked. "Pretty much. I don't really recall any of my relatives being royalties." Lenny didn't feel a bit offended. He was more concern of getting out of the cave. "May I propose a challenge, my lady?" Merlin suggested. "Amuse me. It has been a boring few decades since the last time someone challenged me." Lady Nimue said. "What is this challenge exactly?" Lenny asked. Tendrils of transparent liquid extended from Lady Nimue towards the lake. The tendrils drew water from the lake and transformed into a knight in armor made completely out of water. "Seeing as you're merely a commoner, I'll give you the upper hand. A single strike for victory." Lady Nimue pointed at Lenny with her flimsy fingers. "What does that even means? Can you…." Before Lenny could finish, Merlin interrupted and said "Lady Nimue offered you a chance out of here if you're able to land even a single hit on that knight."

"How many trials do I get?" Lenny asked. "As much as you like, you can have all the time in the world." Lady Nimue replied. All of them moved to an opening devoid of vegetation next to the gazebo. There were still traces of markings on the old sparring ground. "You may use any lethal forces as you wish. As for him, he will not dealt the fatal blow on you. You may begin when you're ready." Merlin said. A katana materialized before Lenny's hand, made from the lake's water. Lenny positioned himself at one end of the ring while his opponent at the opposite end. Lenny started with a full half bow before taking his battle stance. His opponent did likewise. With two long strides, Lenny closed in the distance between them to deliver a kick to the large shield that his opponent carried while trying to hack his way from the side. His opponent didn't move an inch from the kick. It held its ground firmly and managed to position its shield to the side to block Lenny's attack. The knight side stepped before Lenny regained his footing. A short sword was thrust from the shadow of the shield. Due to the length of his blade, it was hard for Lenny to bring a full swing to deflect the incoming attack. He used the wind to propel himself away instead. The tip of the sword barely missed his arm. From their short encounter, Lenny had a rough idea of his opponent's skills. It was not good news for him. The knight didn't pursued after Lenny after its first strike missed. It re-positioned its shield and took a defensive stance. Lenny reversed his grip on the katana and shifted the blade to his left side while moving slowly towards his opponent. The knight maintained its position. Its face was covered entirely in armor, devoid of expression. Lenny couldn't tell which direction its eyes were looking at. Regardless, Lenny charged towards it and unleashed a fury of strikes, the fastest he could mustered. A total of six hits landed. But as expected, the knight blocked every single hit with its shield.

"Your Fury Stripe lacks in speed and strength. It won't work against my knight." Lady Nimue said. The knight advanced towards Lenny with its shield which Lenny evaded with a side step. His katana transformed into a long flail that swung around the shield towards the knight back. However, the knight intercepted the head of the flail with its sword and destroyed it in a single blow. Just as the flail headed for the knight's back, a javelin formed in Lenny's free hand. The moment the javelin left his hand, the remainder of the flail transformed into a spear. With a powerful kick, he propelled himself towards the knight with his spear. The knight didn't just proof itself to be agile but flexible as well. Defending the javelin with its shield in one hand, the knight deflected Lenny's spear with its short sword which it managed to swung around in time with a twist of its hip. Lenny lost his balance after his spear was deflected. The knight follow-up with a gush of tidal wave that slammed Lenny to the ground. "You have much to learn, young one." Merlin commended. "Again!" Lenny demanded. "Whenever you're ready," Lady Nimue replied. Lenny found himself in the same spot a couple of minutes earlier. Holding his katana with one hand, he reached for his laser pistol with the other. To land any hit on his opponent, he must first rid of the huge shield the knight was holding. That was his plan. He took a deep breath in and pictured his next few moves. Lenny then twisted the handle of his katana and transformed it into a javelin. Without warning, he took off into the air and started shooting at his opponent with the laser pistol. At the same time, his right hand formed continuous stream of javelins which he targeted at roughly the same position on the shield. The knight knew what Lenny's game was the moment the second javelin landed on the same spot. It shifted its shield while running, making Lenny's aim more difficult. However, Lenny had an ace up his sleeve. After dodging a few javelins, the knight returned fire with multiple icicles. Lenny retaliated with icicles rain of his own. At the very moment the icicles crashed down onto the knight, Lenny dived with them as well. He propelled himself by manipulating the air around him. A long sword formed from his palms as he dived.

Lenny's sword didn't managed to hit the knight at all. He had anticipated it and planned the next step. The tip of the blade plunged into the ground where the knight stood a few seconds before. As it made contact, all the icicles that landed on the sparring ground melted and was drawn towards the blade. The knight sensed what Lenny was up to moments before his plan was executed. It was a close call. A giant drill burst forth from the ground and charged full force towards the knight. The interval was too short for the knight to dodge. It raised its shield in defence. As the rotating tip gain purchase on the shield, it began grinding. Moments later, the knight was forced to discard the shield as it crumbled under the drill bit. Lenny closed in onto the knight as it retreated. He tried to pull a fast one on the knight but it back fired. When the knight was within striking range of Lenny's lightsaber, Lenny lunched the saber forward. However, his reaction was a millisecond too slow. The lightsaber sliced through the empty space where the knight was. After the strike missed, he was greeted with a boot to the face. When he was getting up, he found the knight's blade pointed at his throat. "Bravo!" Lady Nimue applauded. "You managed to break my knight's shield. However, that doesn't count as you fail to land a single hit on him." The knight withdrew its blade and stepped backwards. After that, water flowed from the lake towards its left arm. The water slowly morphed into the shape of its previous shield. Lady Nimue raised its thin arm towards her knight and said "This should have been a test of swordsmanship, don't you agree?" The knight nodded and discarded its shield. "Now, show me what you got!"

19. Spirit Vessels

Alex was slouching beside Yui, his arms folded below his chin, leaning against the bed rail. His hands throbbed every second, more so when he moved. However, that pain was nothing compared to what he felt inside when he stared at his friend. Her face was entirely covered in bandages and a tube was inserted through her mouth to help her breath. Her life was hanging on a thread and the thread was slowly breaking down. There was a soft knock on the door before Christopher and Jia Hao entered the room. "Alex," Christopher placed his hand on Alex's shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. "She isn't going make it, is she?" Alex was straight to the point, as always. Chris and Jia Hao paused and stared at each other, both were reluctant to break the bad news to their friend. The three of them once met at the age of eleven but due to the time differences between the two dimensions, they aged much more than Alex did. Chris and Jia Hao were nearly into their twenties due to their constant travelling between the two dimension. But compared to Calvin and Chen who stayed in Nirvana full time, they aged much slower. On the other hand, Alex was barely fifteen years old. Chris finally cleared his throat after a long moment of silence. "I'm afraid we might not be able to keep her alive much longer." "How bad is it?" Alex asked. "The venom from Horatio had damaged her lungs beyond repair. The ventilator is only buying time before the imminent. As for the wound over her abdomen…" Before Chris could finish, Alex silenced him all of a sudden. His eyes suddenly brightened. "The Spirit World has a giant machine to phase those that couldn't turn into ghost forms right? That way, even if her body dies, her soul still…" "It wouldn't work." Jia Hao interrupted. "The Ptolemy Gate will phase her together with whatever damage she sustained. It isn't a machine that separate the soul from the physical body. It just transformed the body into a 'ghost' form." "Is there a way where I can separate her soul from her body? To save her soul at least." Alex asked. The other two paused and stared at each other once again. "There is isn't it?" Alex grabbed Chris by the collar. "Tell me!"

"Take it easy, Alex. This isn't helping anyone." Jia Hao eased Alex's grip on Chris. "Sorry," Alex released his grip and sat back down. "Please… If there is a way, I'm willing to try it. Don't make me beg," Alex looked at Chris and Jia Hao with teary eyes. "There is…" Chris replied. "Seriously? It is illegal and damn dangerous!" Jia Hao interrupted Chris. "You want to get Alex killed as well?" Alex took a quick glance at Yui and said, "How can it be done?" Jiao Hao sighed and walked out of the room after he saw Alex's look of determination. "Whatever I say will not change your mind, just do what you want." Chris took a deep breath and said "Are you sure you really wanted to know? It might cost you your life, Alex. Think carefully before you're sure of it. You're still so young." Alex replied instantly without hesitation. "I've made up my mind. Just tell me what I need to do." "Alex! There are people who care about you! You can't just risk your life like that. They will be sad if you're gone." Chris tried to persuade Alex. "Yui is the SOMEONE that cared about me!" Alex raised his voice. Chris sighed and said. "Fine, have it your way then. As a friend, I should tell you otherwise. But…" Chris sighed again. "Follow me," Both of them joined Jia Hao outside the room. The three of them then left the hospital and headed towards the Ptolemy Gate. "Where are we going?" Alex asked impatiently. His hands was still hurting like hell. "We're going to meet an old professor, someone from a bygone era but still hold significant power in the Spirit World." Jia Hao replied. They passed through the Ptolemy Gate and were phased into ghost form allowing them to enter the Spirit World. The Spirit World was like any bustling city; the only differences being the entire city is made of energy, soul energy to be specific. Every single building, goods, plants and even people are all in 'ghost' form. They were either phased by the Ptolemy Gate or has innate Soul element that allowed them to phase themselves out from the physical realm. "That way," Chris pointed.

The three of them proceeded to the city's outskirts by flying. Apparently, everyone who had been phased into the Spirit World gained the ability to fly in the city. Although it was Alex's first time, it wasn't any different from swimming. They found themselves in an industrial area full of warehouses. As Alex followed his friends through the narrow alleys, they finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous-looking storage house. Chris knocked on the side door and waited for a reply. A tall and slender lad greeted them. "What business do you have here?" He asked. "We would like to see Prof. Jeffery. He is expecting us," Chris said. "You're from Kalmitsu Hospital?" The guy asked. "That's us," Jia Hao replied. "C'mon in," The lad widened the door. Behind the door was a narrow corridor that led to a heavy metal vault. The lad pressed a button by the side and said "The guest is here," Soon after that, there were smooth creaking of the bolts and the vault was opened from the inside. "Which one of you is Alex?" A middle-aged man said impatiently after the vault was opened. "That would me be," Alex said. "The boss only wants to see you, your friends can wait outside." He replied. "Go on, we'll wait for you outside." Chris said. Alex nodded and went into the vault. The vault opened into a narrow corridor that led to a large room at its end. Inside the large space were laboratory equipment and people in white coat conducting various experiments. "Alex?" A voice called out to the fifteen-year-old. Alex turned to find the source of the voice. His gaze was met by a man approaching him from the side. The rest of them remained absorbed in their work. The man was a tall and of medium built with a broad chin and a prominent cheek bone. There was something oddly familiar about his face. "You're Alex right?" He reconfirmed. "Yeah, that's me." Alex replied. "Lesley, you know this kid?" The lad that guarded the vault called out. He was right behind Alex after closing the vault. "The big boss wants to meet him." He continued. "Sure, I'll take him there." Lesley replied. The lad waved and headed back towards the narrow corridor. Alex was still cracking his head to recall the middle-aged man before him. "You don't remember me do you?" Lesley said. "You do look familiar, I just couldn't recall when and where," Lesley just smiled and said "It's alright, follow me,"

After a short conversation with Lesley as they walked towards Prof. Jeffery's office, Alex was able to recall who Lesley was. He was the doctor who treated his injuries and Lenny's after their battle with First Sergeant Rashed. "How did you end up working here?" Alex asked as they ascended to the office on the third floor. "I was doing my further studies. My research on the soul brought me here." Dr. Lesley explained. "Here we are," He knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply. The room was a modest office equipped with simple furniture. There was a carbon fiber desk with built-in monitor in the center of the room. A man probably in his late eighties was staring into the monitor. He was the only one in the room. "Afternoon boss, Alex is here." Dr. Lesley said. The old man looked up from the monitor and gave Alex a broad smile. "Please have a seat," The old man pointed at the chairs opposite to him. "Alex, this is Professor Jeffery." Dr. Lesley said. "Nice to meet you," Alex extended his right hand, forgetting that it was injured. Prof. Jefferey grabbed Alex's wrist and gave it a firm shake. "We should do something for that hand of yours, it's poorly mended." He continued. "You seemed worried. Your pulse is rapid. We better get to the chase then," Prof. Jeffery continued as Alex and Lesley sat down. "What I'm offering you isn't a cure for your girlfriend. You need to understand this first and foremost." Alex nodded and said, "My friends told me too. What are you actually doing to her soul?" "Ah-h, so you were well informed. Then this conversation would be brief then," Prof. Jeffrey tapped a hologram keyboard with precise and rapid movements of his fingers. Despite his age, his fingers moved like an expert typist. "What I planned to do is to transfer your girlfriend's soul…" "Her name is Yui," Alex interrupted. "Right. Yui's soul into a 'Spirit Vessel' - it's something that could hold a soul besides the actual body. There are many of these vessels out there but I suggest you obtain a primordial one. Something which had spent sometime attached to you so that the compatibility is higher. Once the transfer is successful and complete, she will live like a ghost bounded to the vessel. Any questions so far?" Prof. Jeffery paused. "It's quite straight forward from what you explained. But I don't understand how come this is illegal and dangerous?" Alex asked. The professor snickered and said, "They're not wrong in saying that."

"The soul has always been the last great mystery in both science and the occult. Many had tried and experimented on the extraction of a soul from a living being. To no avail most of the time," Prof. Jeffery pointed at the monitor. They were recordings of illegal experiments conducted on prisoners of war during the Great War. Most of them just died after attempt at removing the soul from a living host involuntarily. "Then, there was a breakthrough," Prof. Jeffery played another video recording. The next video showed a young girl lying on a surgical table, surrounded by people in gown. The environment seemed very different from the previous ones. As the procedure ensued, the monitor showed the girl's heart rate slowed down and then asystole. The footage captured showed a translucent image of the girl appearing from an urn as energy was being channeled into it. And the video ended. "That was the Urn of Sasmudas. It was one of the many spirit vessels of the old. The experiment was a major breakthrough for Dr. Frost and his team. However, the soul vanished after sometime due to lack of energy as sustenance. That was when they found out the obvious - a soul removed from its original vessel requires a regular dose of energy to keep it 'alive', so to speak. Unfortunately, more complications arose when Dr. Frost and his colleagues tried to repeat the experiment. This is one of the worst." Prof Jeffery clicked on an icon to play the next footage. The settings seemed similar as before. But when they tried removing the soul, there was a sudden burst of energy with the body as its epicenter. Everyone else surrounding the surgical table were shoved to the floor by the impact. "What is happening?" Alex began to look concerned and moved closer to the monitor. "There were a few minor mistakes while transferring the soul. The result is a Wraith. The soul is consumed in the process and turned into a vengeful spirit. It does occurs naturally in people or beings dying under certain circumstances such as anger, rage and a horrific death to say the least." Prof. Jeffery explained. "I guess this isn't a voluntary experiment like the one before?" Alex asked. "Oh, heck no. It is a voluntary experiment. Some people just wants to live forever, even if its only their soul that survived. After a few failed experiments that resulted in disasters. The procedure was banned altogether from pretty much everywhere in Nirvana." Prof. Jeffery said. "There you have it. The risk of this procedure is that you might have to kill Yui if she ended up turning into a Wraith. Other than that, there is also a risk of you dying in the process due to the Spirit Vessel bounding both your souls together."

"What? Why would it bind our souls?" Alex asked. "Because her soul lacks a core to keep it alive. As I have mentioned before, a soul cannot survive long enough on its own despite having a vessel. There were not enough experiments being conducted to develop a perfect technique to transfer energy into the Spirit Vessel at a stable rate. Each Spirit Vessel is unique in its own way. Therefore, the best way is to parasite the soul to another soul to keep it 'alive' so to speak." Professor Jeffery explained. "That's why both your souls need to be bounded." "I get it. What about the payment?" Alex asked. "Before we go to that, you'll first have to retrieve the remainder of the Spirit Vessel we speak of." "The remainder? What are you talking about?" Alex paused as Prof. Jeffery grabbed hold of his wrist. "Take off your shirt and you'll understand." "I beg your pardon?" Alex sounded more confused than before. "Just take off your shirt! It's easier to show you than to explain it in words." Prof. Jeffery snapped. Alex did as he was told. As he removed his shirt, small dark patches were seen scattered on his shoulders and chest.

"Remember how you got these? You are a very lucky guy to survive the initial ordeal. But since you managed to survive this long, there is no question of compatibility." Prof. Jeffery explained. "I remembered now. These were the scars from the Necromancer's Grimoire… but how do they help in this?" Alex was still lost. "These are not scars, my boy. They're parts of the Reaper's Cloth - it is one of the most powerful Spirit Vessel in existence. However, the ones on your body are not large enough to accommodate a soul. You need to retrieve more. Just one large piece. Judging from the time the Reaper's Cloth was attached to your body, you should be able to wield it if you have the knowledge and awareness. But after the experiment, if successful. You MUST be able to wield it. By all means necessary." Prof. Jeffery said. "My assistance will brief you on the details on how to retrieve the cloth. Time is ticking." The old professor rose from his seat. A young lady appeared from a secluded corner of the office as the professor headed for the door.

"What about the payment?" Alex asked. "Like I said. We'll talk about it later. You'll work for me for 5 years should you survive the surgery. You should really get moving." Prof. Jeffery was about to head for the door but Alex stopped him with another question. "Why are you so willing to help me? What's in it for you?" "For science and the key to immortality." He said with a glance at Alex before exiting. "This way please," The young lady directed Alex to another door at the side. "See ya, Alex. Good luck on your mission." Dr. Lesley said before Alex exit the room. He followed the lady to an elevator that took him several floors underground. He was brought to a medical bay by the lady. "Dr. Asouga, the patient is here." The lady said. "Hello, you must be Alex. How fast does the boss wants his fracture to be healed?" The Indian doctor asked. "Within the coming two hours," The lady replied. "Alright, would you lie down over there so we can begin your treatment." Dr. Asouga pointed at a bed at the corner. "Alex did as he was told without further question. As he lay on the bed, Dr. Asouga began mobilizing the equipment around him. "They did a pretty decent job splinting your fractures. However, that will hinder your movements significantly." Dr. Asouga said as he prepared a syringe. "This is a potent cocktail of analgesia, tissue adhesives and also healing factors. It will sting initially but the pain will fade after the analgesia kicks in." Then, he jabbed both of Alex's shoulders with the cocktail. Several seconds after the medication was injected, Alex could feel his wounds heating up. The heat rose to an almost unbearable level before the pain completely disappeared. Then, Dr. Asouga removed all the splints and pins on his hands. "You'll have to understand that this is no miracle drug. It allows you to move your joints as usual but the strength of your fists are still weak. If you over exert them, the fractures will open up again and the pain will recur. It's just a temporary measure." Dr. Asouga discarded the syringes. "Here is another booster dose should you ever be needing it." He proffered small drug kit. "Thanks, doc." Alex grabbed the kit and left the medical bay with the lady. "Where are we going next?" Alex asked. "The weapon vault,"

As the elevator descended to the bottom floor, they were greeted by a team of men in military attires. "Is that a Ptolemy Gate?" Alex pointed at the large gateway that occupied the entire space beyond the elevator. "This acts as a sort of back door to the Spirit World, should anything happens to the main portals." The lady said. "This way, we're leaving the Spirit World." She pointed at the gate. Alex followed the lady without any hesitation. They stepped into the portal and emerged in a large warehouse of sort. Men in similar military attires greeted them on the other side of the portal. An elevator brought them to a higher floor. As the elevator rose, Alex glanced at the control panel. He was unable to read the symbols on the elevator's control panel. They emerged from the elevator to a floor as spacious as the previous one. It was a weapon testing facility. "Alex, this is Miss Beatrice, she will show you your weapons. I'll be waiting here for your deployment." A middle-aged black lady greeted Alex with a smile. "This way, please." She led Alex to a shooting range. On the bench were weapons and gadgets neatly arranged next to one another. "This is the S&S Multishot - series 0765. it's the latest versatile handgun in the market. Why don't you give it a try?" She proffered the handgun to Alex. The handgun looked like the usual pistols he used. It also bear some resemblance to the laser pistols Alex used to carry around. However, the moment he held the gun, he could tell it was much more than meets the eye. The gun itself was heavier than it looked. "I think it's too heavy for me to manoeuvre," Alex said. "The gun is fully loaded with 109 different cartridges. It won't be as heavy if you remove some of them." Miss Beatrice replied. Alex halved the cartridges and the handgun instantly became as light as his usual laser pistol. He took aim at the bullseye down the shooting range. The gun fired almost without recoil, and the bullet hit the spot as he had intended. Then there was a small explosion, shattering the bullseye. It caused the others around the shooting range to cease firing and looked their way.

Alex lowered the gun and said "Does any of the cartridges contain non-lethal rounds?" Miss Beatrice lifted a pair of spectacles and handed them to Alex. "Once you put this on, you'll be able to visualize your remaining ammo, the current cartridges and much more. Yes, there are multiple other utility rounds and tranquilizers as well. The specs are linked to your battle suit. And there is a retractable helmet fixed to the suit's collar. You'll need these as well. They're to protect your ears from the siren guarding the Reaper's Cloth." She gave him a pair of ear piece. "You should be familiar with the remaining accessories." Miss Beatrice reached for a grenade on the bench and said "This is the Solas Petram 3.0, a modified and improved version. It has the old burst of light energy plus a deafening boom and a temporary Arc Net jamming effect. This is the most devastating hand carry weapon we could offer you at the moment. The boss doesn't recommend any heavy duty stuff." "It's alright. I think these are more than enough." Alex replied. "If that's all, the changing room is that way and Miss Chelsy will be waiting for you at the elevator." As Alex put on his new suit, the pain over his hands were miraculously gone! It wasn't even 24 hours when he first sustained the injuries. After packing everything on the bench into his dimension storage, he headed back to the elevator. It wasn't as exhausting using his powers in Nirvana as compared to when he was on Earth.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked as he exited the elevator and into an ordinary looking office with no window and a single wooden door on the opposite end. He could hear a cacophony of footsteps and multiple ongoing conversations coming from the other end of the door. There was a familiar bell rang that cut through the dissonance. "Beyond this door is the Dalmascan Train Station. It will take you to Idan where the cloth is located in the Ecuador Gallery in the Central Observatory. Here are your tickets and a new ID." Miss Chelsy gave Alex a travelling document. "You'll now be Dennis Lombard. Apprentice mage in Idan. Your suit will camouflage into a common attire worn in Idan once you activated it. Get to the observatory and retrieve the cloth. I will wait for your arrival here. Good luck!" Miss Chelsy said. Alex activated his suit and opened the door. A busy railway station greeted him on the other side.

20. Flavius

Another head of the lizard man rolled to the ground, the last of the Lightning Brothers were taken down by Calvin. He stepped through the metal vault to find Stanley giving orders to another bunch of lizard men. They all seemed busy with something. A huge containment cell lay at the center of the large enclosed space. Multiple tubing were connected to it and directed outwards radially. From the energy signature emitted from them, they were Magic energy draining from the containment unit. Whatever was imprisoned inside was capable of emitting a lot of energy.

Calvin knew Stanley was aware of his presence but he seemed too preoccupied with the task at hand. A few lizards men saw his presence but turned their gaze away and resumed their work. It seemed Stanley was pretty confident that Calvin would not be able to interfere with his plans. "Welcome Prince Gaea. I see you have got yourself a new arm." Stanley chuckled. "This ends here." Calvin said. "You lost to me before this, what makes you think this time would be any different?" Stanley shook his head. Calvin remained silent, he knew any further talking would not bring him any progress. Instead, he commanded all his drones to converge on his position. He sent three of them into the ground to leech on the Magic energy output and analyse them while the rest converge on the exterior of the enclosed space. "Well? You want to get started?" Stanley broke the silence. "Gladly," all of a sudden, six metal appendages extended from Calvin's back, each of them had a laser cannon attached at its end. A Gatling gun materialized from the metal he extracted from the vault. All hell broke loose as Calvin started firing all of his weapons. He had his Gatling gun aimed at Stanley while all six of his laser cannons were targeted at the lizard men working at the consoles near the containment unit. His metal tail was used to produce more multipurpose drones while he was fighting.

"Protect the console!" Stanley hissed. The volley of laser beams Calvin unleashed weren't all spot on, some of them missed their target and damaged the surrounding machines. One of it destroyed a console by accident and it really pissed Stanley off. It gave Calvin a pretty good leverage against Stanley after seeing how important the consoles must have been. Calvin smiled and said "Catch this!" He let loose all every single laser cannon at the first available target, kicking up dust into the air. The lizard men sacrificed themselves, blocking the laser beams with their body to protect the delicate equipment. However, their effort were futile as the amount of laser beams Calvin unleashed overwhelmed them a few folds over. Stanley was forced to be on the defensive, erecting forcefields around the console. "C'mon Stanley, why are you being such a wuss? I thought you are all mighty and powerful?" Calvin taunted. "You think I am that easy to be provoked?" Stanley replied. "I don't, that's why I prepared these." All of a sudden, one of the outflow tubing exploded, releasing a sudden burst of energy. The explosion crippled all of the lizard men around it. "Your forcefields aren't perfect, old man." Another explosion destroyed the consoles to Calvin's left. "You're going to pay for this!" Stanley lowered his forcefields and charged straight towards Calvin. He was fast but Calvin was prepared. Of all the opponents Calvin had fought against, speed and illusions were two of his greatest weak points. However, given time, he had developed multiple countermeasures against them.

Stanley closed in the distance between them in no time. He was aiming for a close-quarters, hand-to-hand combat in which he was much superior than Calvin. Sensing a sudden shift in energy beneath his feet caused Stanley to make a sudden stop in his advance and did a quick side step. The floor beneath where he was standing moments ago exploded, kicking dust and smoke into the air. "You have to be much faster than that to hit me," Stanley said. "It wasn't meant to," Calvin chuckled. A droid emerged from the hole in the ground and fired a concentrated laser beam through the weakest part of the forcefields. The lizards men tried to protect the console using their body as shields but it was mere futile effort. The laser beam tore through their bodies like hot knife through butter and split the machine in half. "You should have seen that coming, ha-ha." Calvin laughed out loud, trying his best to provoke Stanley. And it worked. "You can kiss your other arm goodbye!" Stanley charged towards Calvin in full force. The laser beams, landmines and explosives Calvin set as stop gauge measures all failed. Stanley barged through the booby-traps and took the damage head on. The layer of energy Stanley shielded himself with prevented any harm to his body. And in the split of a second, he was directly in front of Calvin, wrapping his hand around Calvin's neck.

"Surprise!" Calvin winked as a surge of energy shot upwards from the ground. With the amount of energy being released from the containment unit, it was almost impossible to keep track of the energy signature from other sources. The enormous amount of energy released essentially cloaked all other energy signature released by Calvin, Stanley and the other lizard men in the confined space. It dulled Stanley's sense to anticipate any large scale attack as he was unable to tract the flow of energy like he normally could. Taking advantage of that fact, Calvin directed his drones to dug under the floor and leeched themselves on the energy outflow pipes. Then, the energy would be directed and concentrated for a powerful single attack. Meanwhile all those were in progress, Calvin distracted Stanley with booby-traps. It was too late for Stanley to dodge the attack when he realized what was coming. Blocking the beam of plasma with all his might, he was subsequently overwhelmed by it. Stanley was thrown into the air and then drove through the roofs by the force of the attack. But Calvin knew very well that it would take more than that to kill him. Using the precious time he bought, he commanded his drones to prepare for another shot, one that would put the veteran down for good. While his drones went to work, re-directing the output from the containment unit to his weapon; Calvin approached the nearest lizard man.

The lizard man lying on the floor had lost three of its limbs during Calvin's barrage of laser beams. But it was still alive. Its limbs were already began regenerating as Calvin approached. Speaking into a microphone built into his helmet, Calvin's voice was magnified by his drones so it could be heard by everyone in the large space. "Speak up if you know something or die resisting!" Calvin began. "Who or what is inside the containment unit?" He asked. His voice boomed and echoed in the confined space. "You'll never find out!" The lizard man nearest to him said. "I commend you for your bravery," Calvin said and sliced off the lizard man's head with his lightsaber. The rest of the lizard men who were still able to move began running towards the exit. Before they even managed to take two steps, laser beams emerged from the hidden drones and crippled them. "No answer?" Calvin asked. Two more lizard men were decapitated before one of them spoke. "Please, I have children waiting for me. I'll talk." A lizard women said. "The man inside is none other than General Flavius." "Bullshit! He died along with my grandfathers decades ago," Calvin pointed the tip of his lightsaber at the lizard woman's neck. "Guess you want your children to grow up without a mom then," "Please, I swear it's the truth! Master Stanley said it himself." Her voice trembled. Calvin didn't doubt her the first time she answered. Given the circumstances, he doubt she would lie. Calvin tried his best to keep the surprise from showing on his face when he heard the name. General Flavius was his grandfather's right-hand man. All the records from the days of the Great War were either destroyed or well hidden. The history of how his grandfather and his top officers perished was deliberately erased for some reason. Despite Calvin's best effort, he only managed to uncover the tip of the iceberg. With the new info, he was fairly certain that his grandfather was still alive and out there, somewhere.

"What does Stanley wants with Flavius?" Calvin demanded. "I don't know, our orders were to disable the safety seal and release Flavius. Please have mercy," The lizard woman begged. "Drop the knife and leave. If you try to stab me with it, you're dead!" Calvin withdrew his lightsaber. "Who else here knows anything more?" Calvin's voice boomed. "They wouldn't know anything else!" The roof shattered all of a sudden and Stanley came crashing down. He became beefier than before. His reptilian body bulging with muscles that ripped through his shirt and pants. The vessels on his body were engorged and his body was radiant with energy. "I didn't think I would need to use this form this early. But you're his grandson, I expected nothing less." Stanley's towering figure slowly marched towards Calvin. The floor shuddered and cracked with each step he took. Calvin glanced at his visor to see the progress of his drones. his preparation was completed, there was no need for anymore distractions. "Where is my grandfather? How is it possible Flavius is still alive?" Calvin asked. "Flavius? I'll be surprise if he isn't. The Gaea Empire used to be led by some powerful people like your grandfather - Zeus. But now? The entire Macquinol is a joke! Weak and pathetic!" Stanley spat. "You of all people should know better. Just look at the sorry state of this nation." "You're the only one who is in a sorry state. Have you even look into the mirror?" Calvin said. "You look hideous!"

Stanley stopped his advancement as he felt tremors coming from the ground. Three giant metal golems emerged from their hiding and surrounded Stanley. They were made from the metal scraps all around Calvin during their earlier battle. "Your little toys are not going to make any difference," Stanley said. With a powerful flex of his knees, Stanley propelled himself forward and through the three golems blocking his way. The tail wind from his jump was so powerful that it tore the three golems into pieces. It was a one-sided battle that ended in less than a second. As Stanley came at Calvin, Calvin merely pointed at the containment unit and smirked. Stanley's face went pale as he stared at the device aimed at the containment unit. Using the Magic energy output from the containment to fuel a particle accelerator, Calvin attached to it a very powerful gun . As the particles accelerated to the maximum speed capacity the device could generate, they were released into the barrel to propel the projectile. The projectile was none other than the single most powerful metal ore in Nirvana - Lenox. The Lenox bullet was only 30% enriched, which was the most concentrated Calvin had at that point in time. Sensing how dangerous the gun was, Stanley wasted no time to put himself between the bullet and the containment unit. Using all the energy he had got, he concentrated everything into one powerful blast, hoping to deflect or destroy the bullet.

The moment Stanley went for the containment unit, Calvin immediately made his way out of the enclosed space. Using his jet-propelled boots, he ran as fast as he could from ground zero. He knew it would be extremely dangerous to use such a powerful weapon in a densely populated area as such. However, it was an opportunity that stands a good chance to kill Stanley and he was not letting it go to waste . Prior to that, he had made sure all innocent civilians and Judgement officers were evacuated from the estimated blast radius by his drones. They were disguised to look like Judgement's drones. An enormous amount of energy could be felt being released behind him as the Lenox bullet collided with Stanley's energy beam. The entire building shook and began collapsing from the sheer force of their impact. Calvin leapt into a bunker made by his drones while he was battling Stanley earlier. It was a small capsule reinforced with multiple layers of titanium. As the hatch to the capsule closed, all of Calvin's drones gathered around the capsule and created a forcefields around it, adding another layer of protection. Then came the force of the impact. Calvin felt it decimated all his drones and the forcefields they created. It was followed by the sound of the entire Judgement Headquarter collapsing on top of his capsule. Within minutes, the rumbling and tumbling ended. As Calvin opened the hatch, he could hear the faint siren coming from above.

Everywhere he looked was only debris and not a single body of a dead lizard man could be found - they were likely vaporized by the heat. The blast split the entire building in half and collapsed its foundation. From the pattern of destruction, Stanley seemed to have managed to divert the Lenox bullet upwards. Everything above them were gone. They were either vaporized by the force of the impact or blown miles apart by it. A deep canyon was what's left of the former Judgement Headquarters. Calvin quickly retraced his steps back to the containment unit. The sight of what remained left his mouth gaping wide. Stanley was still alive! His entire right arm and part of his torso and lungs were severely damaged from the impact. Only half of the clavicle bone was seen where the shoulder blade should have been. His lateral ribs were gone, exposing his partially resected right lung. With each of his heavy breath, fresh blood spurted from his lung while other part of it was cauterized by the heat. His right flank was completely charred by the heat from the blast. And his face, the entire right side was left with exposed muscles and skull, the skin had completely vaporized. Besides him stood an elegant gentleman dressed in Victorian fashion - a tall black top hat with black frock cloak and also a cane to go with it. He had narrow chin with broad cheekbones and a goatee. The facial features were exactly as depicted in a drawing of General Flavius - dubbed 'The Mad Alchemist'. He raised his cane and pointed it at Calvin. Though it seemed like a casual gesture but Calvin could feel the killing intent coming from it. Stanley raised his intact left arm and said "Hold it, he's the king's grandson."

Flavius lowered his cane and took off his hat. "My apologies, your highness." Flavius half-bowed. "Too bad he's not on our side," Stanley said. "I'm aware of that. But he's still the King's heir." Flavius replied. "We got company," Stanley gasped. "You're surrounded, surrender or die trying." Calvin said. "What took you so long?" He added. A group of ten suddenly appeared to Calvin's right in the blink of an eye. "We have to evacuate the city first." Came a familiar voice. It was Kenneth and with him were other members of the Spokes. Calvin sent a distress signal to Kenneth before he stormed the Judgement Headquarters, knowing very well that he would be defeated if he were to act alone again. "Your threats mean nothing if you can't stand by it." Flavius said, his cane pulsed with Magic energy that seeped deep into the ground and expanded. Despite the massive amount of energy Calvin leeched from him, the man still had enormous reserves left. His aura expanded to covered the entire area Calvin and his friends stood on. Suddenly, humanoid creatures powered by clockwork mechanics crawled from the earth and began attacking them. They seemed like easy opponents at first glance as their designs were oversimplified and archaic. However, when the fight began, they soon realized those were no ordinary machinery. Despite their appearance, they were extremely durable to physical, magical and any energy projectiles. They powered through the members of the Spokes and began driving them to a corner. "How can they be so resilient?" Fray said. "It hurts my fist to even punch them!"

Calvin tried manipulating the clockwork robots with his magnetism - it's an innate ability of all Metal Element users. Again, the humanoids weren't affected by it. "That's strange," Calvin murmured to himself. He was pretty sure that the robots were constructed from metal after he exchange a few punches with them. Since none of their attacks were working, he decided not to waste anymore effort on the small fries. "Just go for the puppeteer," Calvin told Kenneth. Kenneth nodded and dashed towards Flavius. Both of them attacked the general from different directions. Kenneth lunged forward with his dual lightsabers while Calvin rushed forward with a powerful right fist, crackling with lightning. They were confronted by two images of Flavius the moment they close-in on him. His body faded and three of them reappeared. Meanwhile, the backup from Judgement came and they were engaging with Stanley. Despite the near fatal injuries he suffered, he was still able to put up a decent defence. "Time to bail, Flavius!" Stanley yelled over the chaos of battle.he was panting with each breath. His entire face was pale, devoid of the reptilian turquoise prior to this. Despite their experience and power, the two veterans were slowly being overwhelmed in their weakened state. "Couldn't agree more," There were a few explosions occurred simultaneously in the distance with the tap of a cane from Flavius. "You should have protected the Ark Net rather than coming after us all at once," A portal opened beneath Stanley's feet. "See you around, Prince Gaea." Flavius raised his hat. Both of them disappeared into the portal before anyone could intervene. "Macquinol is so fucked now," Calvin dropped to his knees, frustrated and exhausted. The clockwork machinery disassembled and collapsed into piles of scraps the moment Flavius left. "The worse is yet to come," Calvin and Kenneth both turned their heads towards the source of that familiar voice.