================================

Volume 4

Chapter 34: The North Pace

================================

Considering the design, it was rather a combination of a caterpillar and a monster truck since its size was both large for use in heavy weight lifting with a body that's all but saying it was made to traverse in snow.

"I knew it. It's an Ice Truck."

Standing on the side, Siva de-equipped the hover board and stood at the side of the road, waiting for the truck to pass him by.

An 8-fat-wheeled vehicle 10 meters high with wheels that sizes up to two meters and the caterpillar threads resting above the wheel case with its grooves and slots on the ready in case the truck was going to pass a snowy terrain.

Right now, the truck looked like a normal wheeled vehicle but Siva's mind already processed 18 things and purposes, including how, where, when, and what were those other accessories of the vehicle are used for.

In a single glance, it was enormous, a complete alteration and opposite of the amphibious spider cargo truck that he always used.

The cargo bay's unlike the freight containers of spider cargo trucks. It was bigger and was fixed into the body of the truck unlike the latter's ability to join in with another spider cargo truck and its container like a giant interconnected centipede.

When the Ice Truck reached Siva's twenty meter range, that's where he saw people standing on the sides and at the top of the vehicle.

Some of them were looking at him while the others were all holding their weapons, resting on something tied up on the back side, laughing away. None of them minded him first but Siva was sure that the large man at the very front looking directly at him gave them an order that became the reason why Siva felt a particular heavy air.

He knew by experience that these people are actually radiating what he could only call as [aura].

Yet, again, this was something Siva wondered as to be sort of impossible to be replicated by just any normal virtual rendering. This certain sensation he was feeling was familiar and he could only imagine one person who was capable of making him feel aware of his surroundings.

As the cargo bay is open on the top side splitting sidewards, the «object» Siva saw could only meant that it was a haul.

"You lost, mate?"

Siva was greeted by the man he saw standing at the top of the vehicle. The truck stopped in front of him and a large bald man with a large, awkward, unfamiliar shaped weapon rested on his shoulder waved his hand along with a warm and sunny smile. Siva looked up as the man stood on the top of the head of the truck and he also waved a reply-or at least he wanted to- when the bald man with dark skin avatar looked at his clothes and finally into the face that had a skull mask.

"You from the lower regions?" He asked hastily and painted with layers of deep interest.

"Yes" Siva nodded and motioned to the axe. "That's a rather unfamiliar weapon. Is that what I think is?"

The bald guy looked behind him into his companions and he nodded with an impression that they all thought something of him from far away.

"Is this your first time seeing an «Organic»?"

"An Organic huh. Yes. Yes, it is."

"Hmm..." The man looked like he was thinking as he scrutinized the white cloaked man from head to toe. A look of understanding followed by a casual glance on his buddies behind him were made until he jumped down beside Siva and towered high. "Your cloak, it's a product of Loire. The small patched detail on the left sleeve hole is a signature of the old Van. You bought it on the streets near Angel Café?"

Such detailed information. Though it felt alarming to him, Siva also sensed the familiarity on the tone of the bald man.

"Yes that's right." He said and looked around to his companions. "I'm here for a special reason."

His answer made the man smile and Siva saw him grip his axe tightly as he took a step closer to him. He made a turn to his companions and then came back chuckling to Siva's statement.

"One thing obvious though, you don't look like one of the usual groups that wander around here since if you were, we would have known. You're probably on a high ranking mission."

"I am, actually. I saw you from that hill and came down to check you out. And now that you're here, may I ask if you are going towards Dragona?"

"Heh. I knew it. You're planning on traveling alone in these forests. Lemme tell you now, mate, that's a really stupid idea and you're only asking for a Game Over."

Siva looked at his companion and that's when he noticed the squirming «object» tied to the back side of their truck was actually a «Rathalos».

"(GASP) Wait is that...!" To his actual surprise, seeing a live Rathalos glaring at him was actually rare. This is a monster that ranks at the [RARE] side of the monsters classified as [VERY DANGEROUS], and is a very high tasting goods in the black market. Seeing it for the first time and not in pictures almost made him lose his poise and his goal on why he actually lied to these men was covered in his surging urge to scrutinize the amazingly alluring bright red creature.

"Heh. That confirms it. The name's Hagrid by the way."

At that, the man extended a hand on Siva and Siva also caught the hand as they shook. But then, the man saw his gloves and the skin on his arm and Siva quickly pulled his hand and took it back to his sleeve.

It was then that Siva noticed the man's brows drew high as he awkwardly pulled and looked at his hand.

Siva came back to the bald man and, again, was caught by his intimidating large weapon. From the way it was resting on his shoulder and with the bald man leaning on it like a cross bar, he could clearly say that he was a very strong player.

"Ehem. Excuse me for bringing this up again but are you in your way towards Dragona? I was wondering if you could give me a ride inside."

The bald man paused for an awkward moment before he glanced back to his buddies and them, giving him a nod and standing up. The last act and the eyes alarmed him but he remained courteous as he didn't show that he was already watching them move and circle around.

"Is there a problem?" Siva asked when he felt that there was really something wrong with their actions.

"Nothing, actually. In fact, we'd be glad if you are going to be coming with us inside. Though, that should come with a condition."

The man smiled warmly at Siva but he knew then that it was a farce. The man's hand on his weapon looked as if he was ready to use it and so Siva's doubts have been confirmed. He regretted that he approached them and he regretted that became easy to read.

Still, he obliged and sighed calmly.

"Fine by me."

With his reply, the bald man smiled at him and Siva's intuition kicked in.

A cold hand of ill-intent touched his nape as he felt his whole body froze in an instant.

"Fast!"

Siva saw the large axe swung down at him like a large comet and he reacted slower from the shock of realizing how it was placed precisely, and expertly made so that he would lose his balance. The blade brushed off his hood and Siva felt gratitude that he was shorter than the man or he would have been decapitated.

"Oh?"

"What are you...!!"

The left side torn, Siva jumped back and pulled his guns to fire back at him but he was already swarmed by a rain of bright green arrows that came from the trailer's side.

"Green Spell?!" Siva's mind immediately scanned his memories. File after file, he rummaged through his local database on to what kind of spell was thrown at him.

Unable to decipher its origins, he ignored the pain that came along with the surprise attack and he made a quick glance at his surroundings, realizing too late that he was already inside a trap.

Why did I let them do this to me?

Then, as if to worsen the situation, the tied Rathalos was freed and a long golden haired woman was riding atop its neck with ropes and straps. The Rathalos roared and flapped its wings as Siva jumped yet another distance back to dodge another crushing Axe blow.

Feeling pain on his body he saw two arrows stabbed on his stomach, another arrow on his left arm, and another one stabbed on his right leg.

"Guh."

"Those are good reflexes there, mate."

"I told you, Hagrid, we should have just killed him on the spot!'

Hearing the name again, Siva felt something familiar with it this time. The first time doesn't have a ring on it but the second mention triggered a not too far offed memory.

"No. This is a rare chance. Who wouldn't be surprised, right? We just received the details of the one responsible for the abduction of our spy in Loire. Fate really is on our side here."

Loire. Hagrid. Spy.

Those three points were connected but Siva was still on the lost side as to how and who to connect them with.

At that, the bald man named Hagrid pointed a finger at him as he lowered his giant axe relaxingly on his right side. As it looked, it was threatening yet also looked as if he was looking at an amateur fighter.

Formless Style.

The way Hagrid held its handle showed just how easier it is for him to wave it around like a feather.

"You've caused quite a problem there for me, mate, and for every problem you cause me, you will have to pay with all your goodies... and your body. Hehe."

The clever grin along with the slimy words in the end made Siva not feel disgust but rather sensed some sort of premonition. Of all the people he had faced so far, this one was rather different. It's as if he was actually looking at himself... or «something else» that resembled him.

It was that feeling as if he's facing someone who was trying to come close to Augustus' level.

Ah! Siva's heart skipped a beat in frustration. He realized too late that the feeling he had with this man meant trouble. He was not strong yet to totally sense and reject that level of intimidation earlier.

"Who are you?" Siva yelled angrily.as he drank red potions like a drunken man.

Siva summoned the Dragunov and then he made his stance against the leisurely standing Hagrid.

"Oh! Now that's what I'm waiting for!"

"Answer my question! Whoa re you?"

Siva's hood was already torn off and his cloak was damaged, there was no point to hiding his identity as it seemed that he was already known from the moment he was attacked.

Meanwhile, the man in front of him gave out a wide normal smile and put an even more relaxed stance as he put his free hand on his belly and chuckled as if he heard a good joke. After his jolly moment, the man thumbed himself and gave Siva a warm reply.

"The name's Hagrid, mate. I am the leader of the Yaolins that whose plans to conquer the city of Loire came into ruins with you shooting down our spy."

"That's...!"

"So now you remembered?"

The warm and sunny smile vanished as the coldness of his grin draped him from head to toe like cold lava.

Hagrid raised his ax as he lunged. From the position of his shoulders Siva thought that he was like a tennis player but at the next moment, he felt an unknown force pull him towards Hagrid as the left hand was stretched out to his direction.

"It's...!!"

It's not Deva's Path--no! This is...Telekinesis?!

With an invisible force pulling him, Hagrid had just rendered him as a whole target of this special skill. Seeing the man stepped forth, he dashed and turned, the axe's blade ready to chop him. The distance he took just to close in was abnormally large that even Siva's own charge on his best condition can't compare to it.

After witnessing such feat, something on him seemed to have realized something. These guys were all warriors, trained to battle the real 'threats' that is the North.

With all his might, Siva snapped his arms together and did his best to block the attack.

Like a wall going at a speed of 300kph towards him, he felt the crushing force of the attack render his arms numb at the impact. If not for the top quality of his arm weapons, he would have been crushed and sliced off in half.

But he still flew an instant twenty meters, finding a man behind him who moved with incredible speed.

"You are The Destroyer, correct?"

"What...?! —GAH!!"

The man's arms weren't equipped with any gears but he still felt the heavy impact of his attack as if it was made so by his own [Invention]. Siva knew that his feet aren't going to touch the ground as the angle of his attack was towards the sky.

With hazy vision and the mental pain accumulating in a fast pace, dulling his senses, he felt wind flapping to steady his position and he tried to look up, seeing the large shadow that blocked the bright sky. The shadow then twisted in midair as a whip like object as large as the truck came down to crush him.

Siva crossed his arms in an effort to block direct damage but although it was successful, the force of the attack is still enough to render him crashing down.

"GWAH!!"

Then, feeling that his defeat was closing in, fear crept up on his chest as clear as day.

Hagrid, he remembered, the leader of a certain gang that is dealing with crimes in many cities. He remembered that he came across one of its members and was kicked pretty hard on his stomach. If that one's just a lackey and a weak NPC at that, then these guys are their leaders and the ones on the top.

"Hagrid!"

"You remembered!" The voice came from below and Siva's consciousness struggled to hold on as he turned his center of gravity and balanced to look at his side.

He knew that he was coming again and crossed his arms to block but what came next was a crushing fist, not the axe that he prepared himself to defend against.

The fist went through his guard and hit him straight on the chest. As the bald man was a Brawler from the tall and bulky «Gonn Race», his natural strength and body size, emphasized by the expert punch and the technique he used, crushed Siva's effort to minimize the damage.

His breath was snatched and he was rendered like a nail, stomped on the ground by a punch that drilled him like a hammer.

Vision darkening in an instant, he saw the man's face look down on him wearing a sad expression, paired with a disappointed voice while pulling his hand.

"Sigh. How disappointing. I can't believe that this guy actually defeated that bastard of a monster named Cramer. "

"Maybe it was a blind luck?"

"Hmp. This guy's disgusting. Look at his skin! Ewwwwwwww..."

"Welcome to the Northern Lands, stranger."

As the voices talked around him, Siva's consciousness slowly flew away. As the dark of the world embracing him into the void became steadily silent, he then heard the words that meant loss to his drifting soul, and waited for the [message] telling him that his weakness had caused him this great defeat.

But there was no [Game Over] that came.

"So what do we do about him, boss?"

"What else? Mug him and bring him to the coliseum..."

"But boss. What if he wakes up?"

"Then all the better for us. He'll bring us money. Hehe..."

[You've been robbed!]

Items lost:

----Dragunov

----Flight Armor

----Black Ender

----Mjölnir

----Deva's Path

----Z 2,000,000

----Skeleton Key

[You accumulated damage that almost killed you within a short amount of time.]

[You are unconscious!]

[All defenses are down to 10%]

[Status effect time limit: 03: 59: 53]

[...52...]

[...51...]