.
.
"And that's what truely happened." Svyen said. "But the Empire used me as the scapegoat to get the total aid of the public. The fact that a Rulian aided resistance to suddenly erupt against them was their biggest fear. But things ended up to their favor.."
The three guys stood still after hearing Svyen Helsem. His story rose so many questions in their heads. But they could not come forth and deny anything he said. Not after they realized who he actually is. The devastated man before them was their classmate; a person they knew well enough.
"A twin brother," Kamal crossed his arms. "Fancy that..!"
"That's unbelievable.." Majd sighed.
"Well, at least the parts fit, I'd tell ya that.." Mado said.
"It doesn't matter either way. What done is done.." Kamal walked up to Wessie'e. "Now, we've got to open our way out of here. Can you fight?"
"For sure." Svyen stood. "There are things I need you to clarify."
"Okay, then.." Eugene gazed at the dark path ahead of them. "Let's just walk very carefully.."
Eugene and Jaden, along with Vincent and Svyen, delved deeper into the dark cavernous path they found themselves in. Few meters onward, their feet left the dusty ground underneath to step onto a more rocky path; similar to the one above. Jaden realized that his UI isn't popping up as he marched forward.
"I think we're still in the dungeon somehow.." he told the others.
"No wonder I can't feel any Mana." Vincent said.
"Hmm, Mana.." Svyen sighed with a tinge of disappointment in his face.
"What is it?" Eugene asked.
"I almost forgot how does it feel. The Mana in my veins.."
"—Hey, look out there!" Jaden said.
Once Eugene and the other two turned, they spotted a collapsed body of a middle aged man. He was shirtless, and drenched with scars. The four couldn't tell if he was yet alive. But they approached him anyway.
"Is he dead..?" Eugene asked.
"I dunno.." Jaden replied.
"Wait.." Vincent kneeled down, and stuck his first two fingers out and put them on the man's neck. "..He's alive."
"Then, let's sit him straight." Svyen held the man's body, and rested his back against the wall.
As he and Vincent adjusted him, the emaciated man began opening up his eyes slightly. "..Ughhh.."
"Uhh, hey!" Eugene blurted. "Are you all right?"
"Can you talk?" Vincent asked.
"Ohh, my back hurts.." said the man.
"Who did this to you?" Svyen asked.
"Laa—Landers.." he breathed the words heavily.
"Are there Landers here?!" Jaden jumped in place for a second.
"Why are you here?" Svyen asked the man.
"I was told that there is a way out down here.." the man answered. "But these monsters almost had me.."
"Poor guy.." Eugene said.
"Looks like the guards let him come down here on purpose." Vincent said. "They were sure he'll go to no return.."
"They're over there.." the man struggled to raise his injured hand as to point toward where the Landers resided. "..That way.."
"Oh, sir!" Eugene panicked, and slapped the man's cheek lightly to keep him conscious. "Ugh..Guys, we can't just let him die here!"
"Majd.." Jaden glared at him.
"Mado!" Eugene glared back.
"I'm with Luqman on that point." Vincent said. "There's no telling what will happen. We can't just take an injured person to a war zone."
"But.." Eugene's brows furrowed.
"I'll take care of him.." Svyen grabbed the man's body, and carried him on his back. "It'd be a waste if he dies after all that happened to him."
"Wassie'e, you're amazing!" Eugene smiled.
After they reached an agreement, the four walked through the dark cavernous path. With Majd and Kamal marching in the front, Mado remained next to Weesie'e as he carried the febrile man on his back. But once they passed a turn, Jaden glimpsed a strange spark near the corner of his eye. Once he turned to face it, he witnessed a spider-like creature in the size of a large dog; eating onto scraps of electrics wires.
~Scritch! Buzz!
"Uh, what's that..?!" Jaden stood in place.
"They're called Mimics." Vincent replied. "These Landers have a fond for energy, I've been told. They might bring it back, if you ask nicely.."
"Ughh.." the injured man shivered. "They're going to kill me..!"
"Hang in there." Svyen restrained him.
"Those monsters were the ones that hurt him." Eugene said.
"He's getting upset.." Vincent added.
"Then, let's clear the way!" Jaden drew out his Engineblade, and charged. "Haaaaa!"
~Slash!
"Kyaaah!" the monster screeched out and disappeared.
"That's amazing, Mado!" Eugene walked up to him.
"Check this out." Vincent pointed at the wires.
When Jaden gazed at the scraps, he noticed electric sparks emitting out of the wires.
How could this planetoid have electricity?, he questioned. Why didn't I notice that before?!
"Can we use it to light up the way?" Eugene asked Vincent.
"Let's see what we can do.." he knelt down, and tried twirling the wires altogether.
~Blink!
The road ahead of them began illuminating as few light-bulbs lit-up. The four boys got up, and continued on their way. The corridors around them were not very organized. And the brick lined walls seemed very thick and impenetrable. When they paced forward, there were spots and corners with very little light. Once Jaden glanced toward one of these areas, he noticed a wiggling crusty creature. It did not seem to harbor any good intentions. As he saw him locked on at the monster, Vincent said "We better stick to the light since it gets much worse in the dark.."
~Blinking! Flickering!
"Huh?!" Eugene panicked. "The light is going away!"
"What's happening?!" Vincent stepped back from where the dark monster stood. "If we lose the light, the dark Landers will devour us!"
"Over there!" Svyen nudged toward nearby Mimics. They were biting off wires on the ground.
"Let's get them out of the way, fast!" Eugene took out his sword.
"In that case," Svyen put the man near the wall. "Take care of the Mimics, I'll handle the dark one."
Jaden nodded in response, and he, Eugene, and Vincent pushed their way against the hungry Landers. Vincent, before proceeding, throw one of his two daggers to Svyen.
~Grip!
"Haaaa!" Svyen dashed through the dimming light.
"Hkyyyy!" the spider-like mechanical monsters pushed against the three guys.
~Klasth!
~Smack! Slash!
"TAKE THIS!" Eugene defeated two Landers.
"Mado!" Vincent twisted his body, and dodged, so Jaden could jump against the enemy.
"Guaaahh!" he swung his blade the hardest he could.
~Crack!
"Now, Kamal!" he shouted.
"I'm on it!" Vincent grabbed the torn cables.
"The lights are returning!" Eugene smiled.
Then, the three looked back to check on Wassie'e. They saw him struggling against a skull-head slimy beast.
"Bouuuaghh!" the monster curled backward reacting to the lightened way.
Svyen took the opportunity and delivered a finishing blow onto the monster. "This is," he crossed the dagger, and swung it in a jiff. "The end!"
~Slash!
~Vanish!
"Whoa..!" Jaden was genuinely impressed.
Kamal decided to walk up to him, "Smooth moves, General."
Wassie'e grabbed something from the ground. "Look what that monster left behind." he showed it to them.
"An axe.." Vincent was surprised. "Suits you well!"
"Why you..?" he sighed.
"That was great!" Majd joined in.
"Not too bad on your side, too." Wassie'e commented. "The lights were a nice touch."
"Humph.." Kamal bumped the prisoner's shoulder.
"By the way," Svyen crossed his arms. "Weren't Mado the one who deals with the technical things..?"
"Uh, well.." Jaden avoided Wassie'e judging gaze. "This is Kamal's homeland; so, he'd be more familiar with how things work here, y'know.."
"Ha ha! This guy..!" Vincent said. "I might have been born here, but I'm truely a wandering soul. And a wandering soul doesn't have a 'Homeland'. "
"Eh, Mado, that was really weird.." Eugene laughed awkwardly.
"He's always been a wuss." Kamal smugged.
"Look who's talking?!" Svyen smiled wide as he wrapped his shoulder around Vincent.
"What do you mean by that?" Vincent asked with bothered tone. "I beat you and Ahmed every time."
"Really?" Majd intervened.
"Uh-ha ha!" Svyen laughed out loud; as though none of what had occured to him ever happened.
"Looking for a fight, blond beard..?"
"Says the Femo-phobe.." Eugene laughed.
"Maaajd!"
Jaden watched the three guys exchanging banter along the way. It made him feel even way more out of place than before.
This doesn't feel comforting to me.., he thought. My mind is blank, and my body is already stiffing..
"Hey, Mado! Do you think Kamal has a chance taking Wassie'e in a match?" Eugene cut Jaden's stream of thoughts.
"What's that now..?" he replied in a flat tone.
"Gee, were you disconnecting?!" Eugene furrowed his brow.
"We're walking in a dark tunnel underground. So, it isn't really bright and bubbly in my world.." Jaden said.
"Almost forgot you're such a pessimist.." Kamal commented.
"If you got married, you'd brighten up a little." Svyen added.
"The best way to brighten your world is through someone else's.." Eugene said.
Both Vincent and Svyen turned to him in confusion. But the light-brown haired boy clarified. "It was something my friend Elaine had always said.." he smiled softly.
"Wait, who..?"
"Well, well," Kamal and Wassie'e wrapped the boy between them as they walked.
"What's that you said now?!" Svyen teased him.
"Looks like you need to fill me in now for real, you dirty dog!" Vincent laughed.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
A little further in the back, Jaden slowed his pace. Completely dozed off from what the others were doing. The fact that these three were able to joke and let out a breeze in their conditions puzzled him.
Maybe, I'm just different.., he told himself. It's no use for me to try to be like them. Or maybe, I just got cursed 'cause of what happened between Mari and I.
Jaden gazed forward as the three guys before him were still exchanging laughter. That scene began to further detach itself from his sight. The perplexed boy switched his gaze down to his empty palm.
But none of that matters; I've got my memories back. And that alone lit the path ahead for me, and brought me clarity. Other than that, the world is bleak. I don't need others, I don't need connections—, he clenched his fist.
—This is all I need to be fulfilled..
Jaden and other three continued their way in the dark corridors beneath the dungeon. While paving their way, several Mimics blocked their path as the four guys fought them before the lights above were gone.
"These things don't get bored, do they?" Vincent said as he defeated a group.
"Don't let your guard down!" Svyen said.
"Their numbers increase every time!" Eugene grumbled.
"Looks like, we're getting closer to the exit.." Jaden implied.
As he mentioned that, Eugene noticed something on his end. A flock of landers were creeping toward a nearby tunnel. "Hey, look over there!" he point.
"I knew it.." Jaden muttered.
"..The—exit..!" the injured man moaned out as he tried to utter.
"Then, we're close." Svyen said. "Let's tread carefully, shall we..?"
"Indeed.." Vincent replied as he and the others began walking toward the tunnel.
The Mimics were walking in a linear fashion with organized cripling steps that seemed very coordinated. As the four guys reached the mouth of the tunnel, they were surprised that the landers had not shown any reaction.
They seem hypnotized!, Jaden thought.
"What do we do now..?" Eugene whispered.
"Where are they going?" Wassie'e wondered.
"Somewhere important, for sure.." Vincent replied.
With that being said, the four guys stepped warily forward next to the streamline of Mimics. Once they reached the end of the tunnel, they found a large gate; slightly open. The streamline of Mimics treaded through the ajar gate in succession. As the four guys gawked at the distinct scene in front of them, the injured man on Svyen's back breathed out.
"This is..it...A little....bit..longer..." he managed to utter.
Seeing him grabbing on his heavy breath, Jaden decided to push himself through the gates.
~Brrrrrr!
Jaden pushed the large gate slightly to squeeze his body through. Once he did, Eugene and the two other guys followed him. The moment they were inside, their eyes saw an enormous number of Mimics branching throughout the entire large hall they found themselves in.
"What the..?!" Jaden muttered in utter shock.
"Where's the way out?" Eugene asked.
"Uhh!" Svyen sensed something, and quickly looked upward. "Up ahead!"
~Fall!
~Drop!
"Whoaa!" Jaden's eyes widened.
"You—you got to be kidding me!" Eugene exclaimed.
The group were looking at a gigantic Mimic that had various electrodes coming out of it. It fell from above and landed just before the four guys; blocking their way.
"KHEEEEE!" it roared out loud.
"Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you.." Vincent said. "Mimics usually live a bug's life. This tunnel must be their hive."
"So, what? This is the 'Queen'?!" Eugene cried.
"No shit.." Jaden muttered.
The giant Mimic's parts sizzled as its parts glowed neon-blue. "KYYYAAAHHHH!"
This is getting more videogame etiquette now, isn't it?, Jaden drew his Engineblade.
"Get ready!" Vincent declared.
~Daff!
The Queen Mimic smacked the floor with its bolts, but the four guys leaped off the ground, dodging the blow.
Jaden charged forward toward the monster, but it hindered his way with electric pulses coming out from its antennae.
~Zaps! Zaps!
Vincent tried attacking first. He pressed his feet against the wall as he readied to jump toward the monster. "Majd, I need a diversion!" he shouted.
"I'll try!" Eugene ran the fastest he could. With his heart racing, he clenched hard on his Blue-Rose sword, and swang the blade onto the enemy leg.
~Shlank!
"KEEEHAY!!" the large Mimics queen withdrawn slightly; giving the chance for Vincent to deliver a swifty blow.
~Scratch!
"KWYAAAHH!!" the queen screeched in annoyance. But then, a force field forged all around her, and pulsed outward.
~Blast!
"Owaahh!" the four guys were pushed away by the blow.
"Oh, oh.." the injured man moaned out of the pain.
Svyen realized that that man might not survive another blow like the one they just had, and decided to carry him a bit further. Jaden, on the other hand, was struggling to get up. The attack seemed like it injured him directly.
"Dammit.." he pulled himself up. "This ain't gonna be an easy fight.."
"Mado!" Eugene called for him. Once Jaden looked his direction, he saw both him and Vincent completely surrounded by a large number of small Mimcs.
"Annnd, the queen has just called for backup.." Kamal commented.
"We won't be able to take them on with no Mana!" Eugene ground his teeth.
"Haaaaaa!" Wassie'e fell down onto a gathering of Mimics near Eugene.
~SMACK!
"There's no time to weep now!" he told them as he held onto the large rusty axe. "We reached this far. There's no way we stop here."
But as they struggled with the small fries, the gigantic queen was ready to attack again. The moment Jaden stepped forward to fight, it lit up its antennae to electrify him and everyone else on the ground.
"Oh no, you won't!" he hurried and jumped against it.
Jaden leaped from one corner of the walls to another until he reached the closest height to the sparking thorns.
~Sizzle!
"Haaaaa!" Jaden pushed the tip of his sword against the electrifying rods. The Mimics' queen pushed the surge out as much it could, but Jaden's pressing on the antennae had created a counter-current power that caused the blow to divert upward.
~BAAAAM!
"Ughh..!" Eugene and Svyen covered their eyes.
"What the hell?!" Vincent covered his face as the surge emitted all over the upper walls.
A neon-lit blue wave pulsated all over the room before fading.
"What's that?!" Jaden wondered as he landed roughly on his feet.
"The Mana dampener.." Svyen replied. "Is it going away..?"
"Really?!" Eugene exclaimed.
Jaden tried to call forth his UI. He focused his mind into materializing it. It felt so alien to him after all this time without using it. But he gave it his hardest.
....Battle Mode Activated....
"Bingo!" he opened his eyes wide as he smiled in excitement.
It's back!, he thought. My Skills, and my Mana!
Jaden looked around him, and found out that all of his allies had regained their Mana as well.
"It feels great!" Majd sighed in relief. "This is a true gift from God!"
"Lights are back on.." Vincent smirked.
Wassie'e, on the other hand, was having a much more intense emotions as his Mana came back to his body. Deep down, he felt like shedding few tears. How long had it been since the last time he sensed this magical bliss coursing through his veins? How long he had to wait for this moment? But he decided to repress all of that; they were still under threat. Wassie'e re-opened his eyes in determination.
"Let's finish this," he declared. "Once and for all!"
"Let's go!" Vincent charged, and the rest followed suit.
~Dash!
Kamal threw one of his twin daggers up in the air near the gigantic queen. And in a second, vanished and reappeared where the dagger had reached. At that moment, he crossed both weapons, and delivered a slicing swift.
~Crossed Slash!
"KEEEE!!" the Mimics' queen screeched in pain.
But before she could regain her balance, Eugene began performing «Sacred Arts». "System Call ● Generate Blizzard Element ● Slicer!"
A large disc shaped sharp icicle forged nearby Eugene, and twisted in a chainsaw style, flying toward the large Lander.
~Slash!
~Klash!
"Mado, now!" Eugene shouted for the boy running by him. The moment he passed him, he leaped toward the enemy.
[Urmagidar]!, Jaden swung his blade in a blurring blow.
~Collapse!
"Humph!" Kamal smirked. "Not too shabby.."
As he was falling back down, Jaden read the Mimics' queen's stats.
Shit, there's still some HP left, he thought.
"Wassie'e!" he shouted. "It's all yours!"
Down on the ground, Svyen began drawing incantations with his fingers. "In that case.." he forged multiple orbs of fire within his palms and concentrated them in one single sphere. "SUN JEWEL!"
The burning energy blast charged out of his hands, and blew toward the Lander. "KYEEEHHH!!"
~Ka-Booom!
With that final attack, the Lander screeched its last, and turned to smithereens of green glitter. The four guys watched speechlessly as the Mimics' queen disappeared.
"We..we made it!" Majd smiled victoriously. But his happiness ran short. A massive number of small Mimics had gone mad, and flocked around Eugene and the others.
"I won't be so sure of that.." Vincent remarked as he tensed his body to fight again.
The battle was brutal this time around. After losing their queen, the smaller Mimics were fighting like hungry wild beasts. They were far more ferocious than any time before. But nonetheless, Jaden and the others stood strong, and fended them off. Since their Mana was restored, they had managed to defeat every last one around them. And then, they carried the injured man they rescued earlier, and continued on their way. After the battle was done, the four guys found another doorway on the opposite side of the large hall they were in. And once they walked through, they found themself walking in a much more uphill sort of road. But then—
"Oh!" Jaden glimpsed light at the end of the linear path. "Light..!"
"It's the exit..!" Majd muttered as his mouth gradually forged a smile.
Vincent gazed back toward his imprisoned friend that hadn't seen this light in years. Svyen was frozen in place; not sure if what his eyes were looking at, was by any rate, a reality.
"Here it is, General." Vincent snapped him back to the present moment. "Time to face the world once again."
"I—I'm not certain if I will be ready to face this sort of world again..." Wassie'e lowered his gaze in disappointment. But then, somebody pulled his hand forward. "Uhh..!"
"You've been hanging alone in the dark for so long.." Jaden told him. "You gotta try and act positive."
Those words rang within him, and Wassie'e couldn't resist the smile that forged on his face. "Humph, right.." he then pushed his steps forward.
The moment they put their feet on the outdoor ground for the first time, the four guys were welcomed by a gush of dry dusty wind, and a glare of the bright sun. It took few seconds for their eyes to adjust before they could see around them. Once they were capable, the four guys realized that they came out of a small tunneled cave in the middle of the Sahara.
"Huh?" Jaden tried looking all around them.
"We're in the desert..!" Eugene muttered.
"Yeah, but where the hell, exactly?" Vincent asked, and tried to check on his friend. He saw him standing before him, with the wind blowing through his messy blond hair and beard.
"To think that Evalic air could taste so sweet.." he said.
"Hey," Jaden pointed toward something. "Something's coming!"
The other three guys turned to face the approaching entity. When it came closer, it appeared to be some sort of a carriage with a strange shaped lander dragging it. Jaden couldn't interpret it well, but the creature looked like an Armadalo in the size of a rhino.
"Ugh..!" the injured man on Wassie'e back managed to utter. "They're here!"
"Who?" Eugene asked.
"Must be his comrades." Vincent replied.
Once the carriage parked, a man in a brown cloak emerged out of it. He immediately walked up to Svyen and the others. Jaden and Eugene recognized the newcomer's attire.
"Weren't those—!" Eugene raised his sword.
"The human trafficking bandits!" Jaden summoned his Engineblade back to his grip.
"Pablou!" said the man in the cloak. "Is he alive?"
"He's banged up, but he's gonna be fine." Vincent blocked his way. "If you want him back, you better play nice."
"As you wish. No problems here.." the man in the cloak put his hands up in the open. "Me and my friends were just waiting for Pablou to come out of the prison, that's all.."
"How'd you know he's gonna find the way out?" Mado asked.
"We had a man inside." the cloaked man answered.
"Huh?!.." Eugene remembered the man he met in the upper floor of the dungeon. "That guy...!"
Then, the injured man, Pablou, forced the words out of his dry mouth. "These...people.. saved me, brother.."
"Oh, I see then.." nodded the cloaked man. "In that case, I think we owe you.."
"You owe us, huh?" Vincent scratched his chin lightly.
"Is there anything you need us to do?" the cloaked man removed his hood, and revealed his face. He was a buzz cut man with a small scar on his left cheek. "My name is Rolph, and I'd like to help you, as well.."
So, he's the type who doesn't like to owe people anything, Jaden thought. We can take advantage of this situation. Like, make him take us to where we need to go.
Eugene asked Rolph for few seconds as the four guys conducted a short meeting. "What should we do?" he asked.
"He could take us to where Petra is.." Jaden said. "That Space Pirate's keeping her captive."
"Safi could be with her by now, too.." Eugene added.
"Mika and that Resistance leader are heading towards that city.." Kamal said.
"Resistance leader, you said.." muttered Wassie'e.
"So, now what..?" Eugene asked.
After they made their decision, Vincent walked up to Rolph with what they need from him. "We want you to give us a lift." he said.
"To where..?" Rolph asked.
"The city of Janacre." Kamal said.