“Equip FREEDOM”

Acma arrived at the center of the town. The stench of death was unbearable.

He looked around, trying to understand what had happened.

There were bodies everywhere. Men, women, elders, children. They were killed ruthlessly. No sign of struggle.

His previous assumption was wrong. The people of this town didn’t make their last stand here. They were gathered by their killers, like a sheep being herded to the slaughterhouse.

Acma stood silently, imagining their last moments. Pain, anguish, hatred and the worst of all, helplessness. They come to this world without warning and then been attacked by an unknown creatures without any means to defend themselves.

Acma felt a sharp pain in his heart.

His mind was blank.

“How do you feel, Master?”

Alice flew nearby and asked.

Acma didn’t answer the question. His eyes darted around as he walked slowly through the street.

Acma examined the traces of destruction on the buildings. He was sure that the attackers were beastmen. There were claw marks everywhere. The wounds on the bodies of the victims also pointed to the same conclusion.

There should be no survivors left, he thought after he entered one of the houses.

If the attackers were really a beastmen, the chances were close to nil since they have a good nose. This is evident from the state of this house. The doors were shattered and any possible places to hide were overturned.

He walked out if the house and looked gloomily at the row of houses in front of him. Some of the houses were built in a similar way with the buildings at Boulder Town, half brick half timber. But most of them were a wooden house. These houses also as damaged as the house he just came out from.

Acma took out all his drones.

“Alice, search for the survivors. Also look out for anything we can use”, he ordered.

“Yes, Master”

Acma heard something and then looked up into the sky. He saw two golden eagles hovering above the town. He was wondering either they will descend or not. But after a while, they still maintaining their altitude.

“Hmmph”

Acma looked away and walked back toward the center of the town. An ember of rage ignited in his heart.

“Alice, please connect me to Uncle Pai”, said Acma.

“Yes, Master”

After a while.

[Hey kid, what’s up?]

“Uncle Pai, I want to show you something”

[...]

[WHAT HAPPEN? WHERE IS THIS? I CAN BELIEVE THIS]

“This is Floating Wheel Town. I think everyone in the town were killed”

[NO SURVIVOR? KID, WHO DID THIS?]

“Probably a beastmen army and judging from how devastated this town was, their hatred toward human were on another level. Uncle Pai, please relocate to Boulder Town. I’m worry about your safety”

[IF THEY DARE TO COME, I SWEAR I WILL SKIN THEM ALIVE]

“...”

“Uncle Pai, please reconsider. The number of people in this town should be between 2000 to 3000 people and they were gathered at the center of the town before they were massacred. It means, there are a lot of enemies. I don’t think the Orca Village is capable of fending them off”

[...]

[...]

“Uncle Pai?”

[I’m still here. I’m collecting my thoughts. Hey kid, what are going to do? Are you going to get revenge for those poor people?]

“...”

“Uncle Pai, I wonder if everyone from Earth had the same ending like the people of this town?”

[...]

[I don’t know. But maybe some of them were lucky. Maybe they have people like you or Mr Shi]

“Yeah, maybe. But if they didn’t have people like us, they probably ends up like this town andI don’t think I can get revenge for all of them. It’s enough for me if everyone at Orca Village and Boulder Town are safe”

[...]

[Then what are you going to do? Are you letting those animals off?]

“I’m doing nothing, but the people of this town and all the victims won’t let them off”

[What do you mean?]

“Disease outbreak”

[...]

[Kid, I never thought you’re this heartless. You didn’t get revenge for them and even let their bodies rot just like that]

“I think this is the best course of action, for now at least”

[You have us. We can get revenge for them]

“Uncle Pai, I’m sorry to say this, but you guys are too weak. Talk about revenge after everyone’s levels are over 400”

[What did you say! We’re too weak? Say that again!]

“Calm down Uncle Pai. I will call you back this evening. Goodbye Uncle Pai”

[HEY!! ....]

Acma ended the call. He sighed and shook his head. He was upset too.

He thought that Chief Pai was too agitated to think about a bigger picture. Getting revenge is important. But right now nothing is more important than the safety of the villagers.

The attackers of this Floating Wheel Town might attacked Orca Village or Boulder Town too if they’ve got news about them. Comparing the two, it’s obvious that the Boulder Town is much safer because of the truce with the Isebial Kingdom. The kingdom might protect Boulder Town.

But Orca Village is quite far from Boulder Town and the enemy might attack the village first and then pretend that they never heard about the truce. The kingdom also probably just let them go since it’s just a small village.

Acma was sincerely hope that the villagers will relocate and permanently stay at Boulder Town.

Thinking about disease outbreak, he hope it will happened.

“Alice, did you find anything?” he asked.

“No survivor, Master”

Like I thought. No survivors, Acma said to himself.

“But I found a few slightly damaged stores that have of food and clothes”, Alice continued.

“Okay. Show me the way”

“All right”

It might be disturbing to take the food and clothes from this town, but they are important resources for the survivors especially in the first few months, thought Acma while he was running toward the first store.

After a while, he arrived. It was a mini market in a row of several other stores. It was a double storey building and the owner of this mini market or the workers probably staying upstairs.

Acma entered the mini market and surveyed its interior. The front section near the entrance was trashed but the back section was intact. He walked toward the back and found rice sacks and other cooking ingredient. There were also canned food, instant noodles and snacks. The amount of food here were enough for a few hundred people.

It’s better than nothing, he thought.

He looked at the entirety of the mini market and willed everything within to enter his inventory.

“Lets move to the next store”, he said.

“Yes, Master”

Acma visited all stores mentioned by Alice. He also took everything from any hardware stores he found on the way. Initially, he thought it was enough to take foods and clothes, but then changed his mind because it’s not enough to maintain a society with just food and clothes. Variety of tools were also needed. Since he already cleaning up mini market and stores for food and clothes, so why not he also take the tools from hardware too.

This operation ended within half an hour. It was fast because Acma just enter the store and took everything within when he concluded it had the things he wanted. He can have Alice to sort them up in his inventory later.

Acma looked at his surrounding for one last time and etched everything in his memory.

Rest In Peace.

He looked up into the sky and locked his sight onto one of the golden hawk.

TELEPORT

Acma reappeared on the Golden Hawk’s back and removed his helmet. He looked down onto Nidhwen who was looking away, but he could sense her uneasiness.

“Everyone in this town were killed and you didn’t even dare to land. Why? Felt guilty?” Acma said with a pressed voice and a dark face.

“Hey, watch your mouth!” Nurkac shrieked.

Acma ignored her.

Nidhwen slowly turned her head and looked straight into Acma’s eyes.

“I don’t know what happened in this place, but I will stake everything to stop you if you’re going for revenge”, Nidhwen spoke slowly without averting her eyes from Acma.

“You’re a bunch of killers. Because of your blind hatred, not even a children were spared. Who are going to seek justice for them? You?”

“...”

“...”

“Do you think the human were less atrocious than this? Do you want to know what they did to us? Hah?” Nurkac spoke with a raised voice.

Acma still ignoring her as he wanted to hear the most was Nidhwen’s answer to the current situation.

“We can’t differentiate between your people and the human from this world and the hatred between our races are just too deep. You are at the wrong place at the wrong time”, Nidhwen gave her answer.

“But, with your appointment as a Guardian, I sincerely think that this situation will change. I don’t know how much, but at least it can ensure the safety of your people”, she continued.

“...”

“Very well, I will accept that. But heed my word, if anything happened to my people in the future, I will flip this kingdom upside down”, Acma gave his warning.