No one could tell that an Iron Tusk Boar gruesomely killed two girls in such a tranquil forest just a moment ago.
"Drake, I will-"
The tranquility of the forest was disturbed by a roar that was cut short in the middle.
"Yumi! You are alive!"
Yumi and Ayame suddenly reappeared in the forest. Looking just like how they were when they came together with Drake.
Ayame roared just as she reappeared but cut it short after she noticed Yumi. She hugged Yumi and started bawling her eyes out.
"Yumi, please don't leave me ever again," begged Ayame.
"Ok, ok, don't cry. Ain't I still alive," consoled Yumi while embracing Ayame gently.
Her eyes had infinite gentleness for her sister. But when looking closely, a frown could be seen in her eyes.
She knew what Ayame was about to say. If it was a different situation, and someone said those words even if that someone was her dear sister whom she loved the most before meeting Drake, she would have sliced their tongue and then tortured them to death.
Of course, she still loved her sister, even if she became the second most important person to her after meeting Drake. She wouldn't want to harm her sister. So, to stop her sister from doing anything blasphemous to her lord, she would have thoroughly explained the importance of the lord to her.
When she died, she thought that was what her lord wanted. She would gladly sacrifice herself if it was for her lord. Her word of her lord was a holy decree for her.
But when she found herself alive again, she knew that her lord had different expectations for her and her sister. So, she didn't stop her sister, as it might harm whatever plans the Lord had for them.
"Ayame, don't blame the Lord. He must have had deeper intentions to send us here", said Yumi.
"Ok Yumi", responded Ayame. She wanted to say something else but didn't as she didn't want to upset her sister after watching her death.
Ayame Loyalty +60, 60
After hugging for some time, the sisters separated and turned their attention towards the boar. Both of them were wary of it. They remembered their respective deaths. The pain they felt, was all real.
When they were thinking about how to fight that monstrosity, an announcement came.
"Congratulations, both of you on your first death."
They recognized that voice, it was Drake's. He recorded a message for them when took them inside and set it to play for them after their first death. He also got someone's dark humor.
"This is a separate dimension under my control. It's called the training room. Four hours inside is one hour outside. Here, you don't need to worry about sleep, hunger, and thirst. You will be here for 24 hours (6 hours outside). Your mission is simple, fight that boar monster. If you want to leave, you can, but then you will fail the mission. If you persist till the end, then you will automatically leave here. Then if you still want to follow me, meet me at 12, noon, tomorrow."
A 24-hour timer appeared in the sky with a few minutes already passed in it.
Both were not able to react after listening to the announcement as the boar came to life immediately after it.
It pounced towards them. It didn't know how the puny humans whom it killed were standing in front of it.
This time it had no intention of playing with either of them, so it decided to kill them as fast as possible.
The twins couldn't even react and were killed in a couple of seconds.
The boar and the bodies disappeared again.
A moment later, the twins appeared first, they just took a breath and the boar appeared again. It killed them again.
The third time. Killed Again.
The fourth time. Killed Again.
After dying for fifteen times straight, they moved and were able to hit the boar one but to no effect both times. They were not strong enough to pierce its skin. That only brought them merely a few seconds of life but still died.
After more than fifty times, Yumi's arrow penetrated a few centimeters into the skin but it only enraged it further, and they died again.
The next time when the monster appeared, its injury was already healed.
A few more deaths later, Ayame successfully slashed its skin. Again they died.
Ayame Loyalty +20, 80
After more than a hundred deaths.
Both sisters were fighting the boar on equal footing.
Ayame's loyalty was back to 90 points. The same it was when meeting Drake.
The monster was covered in arrows like a hedgehog, with deep slash wounds all over its body. It was already sluggish after sustaining so many injuries.
Ayame found an opportunity and moved quickly and silently towards its right side and the Achilles tendon for both the right legs.
The boar lost its balance and fell. Yumi didn't miss the opportunity and shot an arrow straight through its eyes to its brain. The terrifying Iron Tusk Boar dropped dead.
Both sisters gave each other a high-five. At that time such a simple gesture was enough to the deep pride they were feeling for defeating a foe they thought was unbeatable for them before.
Ayame Loyalty +1, 91
"Yumi, lord gave us 24 hours to defeat the boar, but we didn't even take an hour to do so", said Ayame with pride. She had no problems in calling Drake lord. Her loyalty had already reached the realm of a Devout.
Yumi knew that the mission given by Drake wouldn't be so simple. She said, "Our task is to fight the boar monster."
*growl* x2
As if proving her words, they once again heard the monster's growl and it was more than one.
They saw two Iron Tusk Boars materialize in front of them.
The fight never ended. It had just begun.
They gave each other a nod and started fighting again.
The twenty-four-hour period was coming to an end with only the last ten seconds remaining.
The forest was littered with hundreds of boar corpses. A few even looked to be half a size bigger than the rest of the boars.
The twins were fighting a boar monster, it was a full size bigger than the original monster.
Covered with various scars and arrows, it had already gone berserk.
Even then, they had a look of leisure in their eyes as if the huge monstrosity didn't faze them out one bit.
"Ayame, you had enough fun. Now it's time to end it. The timeline given by the lord is coming to an end", said Yumi.
Ayame didn't reply but silently went towards the boar, it couldn't even find her as its concentration was occupied by the barrage of arrows sent by Yumi that was only increasing its injuries bit by bit.
Ayame targeted its Achilles tendon near its ankle and slashed it, but instead of just severing the tendons, it cut its more than 30 centimeters wide leg, including the bone, in half, same with the other three legs.
OIt squealed in pain. Yumi shot an arrow that pierced its skull in the middle thereby piercing its brain and ending its misery.
As the boar took its last breath, the timer ended and they reappeared back in the alley.
"Sister, we completed the Lord's mission", said Ayame. She had the same fanaticism in her eyes as Yumi, just much less than her.
Ayame Loyalty 97 (Fanatic)
Twenty-four hours inside the training room had thoroughly changed her thought process and made her realize the greatness of her lord.
"Yes, we did it", said Yumi with great pride and devotion.
"There is still time before the Lord gives his decree on whether he wants us, but it doesn't mean, we can't serve the lord till then. We must serve him. Let's go outside the territory", she continued.
"There is still around 8 to 9 hours before our meeting time. More than enough for a round trip", said Ayame with a smile.
She understood her sister's thought process. Whether or not the lord accepted them, they will serve the Lord.
Since the lord was a newly chosen one, he needed money. So, they decided to do some hunting outside the territory to collect money for the lord.
"Both of you, you know where they hide right?"
They heard someone talking so they hid in the shadows and watched their uncalled guests.
They were Peter and his goons. He brought most of his underlings with him. They eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Those b*tches dare refuse me. I am the uncrowned king of our area and they dare refuse my good intentions to my face. I even gave them the positions of general in my gang, but those ungrateful b*tches spit on it", monologued Peter, fuming about being rejected.
"Find them, they must be sleeping at this time. They wouldn't have realized I would come at this time. Nab them, then I will show them the majesty of a boss in my bed" said Peter with a lecherous smile, thinking of all the perverted things he could do with the twins.
The twins were furious hearing that. The only reason that pig was still alive was because they didn't want to come into the limelight.
But this blasphemous imbecile dared to try to kidnap them so that he could defile them who belonged to the lord. Only the lord had the right to decide what would happen to them.
They decided to punish him for his blasphemy against the lord.
Yumi continuously shot arrows and killed all his subordinates. All of them died within seconds.
"Who are you? Do you know who I am?" asked Peter with a fake bravado. In reality, he was already shaking in fear.
"Your worst nightmare."
He heard a voice coming from behind, he didn't even process it and was hit by the hilt of a dagger on the back of his head and lost consciousness.
Ayame dragged him to their base, and Yumi followed behind.
They tied him to a chair then they dumped a bucket full of water on his head to force him to wake up.
"What? What? Who are you?"
His head was ringing in pain, he tried to move but found he was tied to a chair. He couldn't move from it.
He looked up to his assailants.
"It's you!" exclaimed Peter in shock.
He realized he kicked the iron plate.
"Please let me go. I will do anything", begged Peter, but the twins kept quiet.
He saw Ayame moving towards him with her daggers drawn.
He was terrified, so tried to change tactics, "Do you know who is behind me? You can't afford to kill me?"
The twins were unfazed.
"No, please forgive me. Please let me go. Pl-"
He finally broke down, but his begging was cut short as Ayame held his tongue, pulled it out, and cut it off.
Peter started screaming like a pig being slaughtered. The twins thought the Iron Tusk Boar made better noises before dying.
Ayame proceeded to gouge out his eyes, then she slit both his wrists and his throat. They left him to die.
In the meantime, they prepared for their trip outside the territory.
They had an off-road four-wheeler stashed that they used to travel. It was also the preferred mode of transport for explorers to travel outside the territory for short distances of a few tens of kilometers.
By the time they were ready for the trip, Peter had already bled to death. They looted him and his goons, then left.
They purchased a Territory Compass for the Black Forest Territory and then left the territory.