SYSTEM ASCENSION

Town Mispi

It has been a few months since the forced evacuation and portal incident in Mispi. After Elias had fought most of the creatures, raiders were dispatched to finish up and close the portals. The town was therefore opened again. Most houses were still ruined, but the place was being populated gradually.

Small stalls were opened on the side of the road, and one of them sells drinks.

”I heard it from my daughter,” the stall woman was saying. ”the organisation is bigger than they had expected. Torzi empire was attacked. They carry some strange weapon and even use some strange deadly poison.”

”Didn’t sound league already stepped in? The league master went by himself too.” A man yawned. ”they step into everything every time. I’m sure they sort out many things before we even know about it. They had been keeping our lives peaceful.”

”But what if this one is bigger than them?” The woman yelled. ”Sound league is a big line of defence for us and most empires. What if—”

”It certainly is bigger than them.” A voice cut in.

The people in the surrounding area flinched at the sudden visitor. He wasn’t there until a moment ago.

”Three bottles.” He pointed to the strongest wine.

”Aah, yes!” She scrambled off her sitting position and picked them up.

”I should get a bag...”

He took them from her, and gave her a single bill, before turning around and walking away.

All eyes followed him.

”Hey... he’s barefooted.”

”Did you see his face?”

”No. All that hair. It’s like a model.”

”Seriously, how tall is he? Like 6’5”?”

The woman stared at the note.

”Hold on—!”

She glanced back, but he was gone. The man peeped at the bill and gasped.

”He must be from sound city. They commonly used big notes like this. But seriously, this money can buy your entire store.”

”Or this entire town!” She gasped and turned around again.

”Who was he?”

***

Richard turned into a random empty street and walked in. He looked around the remains of a fight and gave an annoyed sound.

”Lost again.”

”People who get lost ask for directions,” a voice said.

Richard glanced back.

”You just let your ancestors lead you instead,” Zeal grinned. ”I don’t think they are good at finding ways.”

The man’s eyes lingered on him for a moment before he turned around fully.

”Zeal,”

”Godfather.”

”You’re not growing.”

Zeal burst into laughter. ”Actually, I’m aging. Just backwards.”

Richard swirled one of the bottles in his hand. Then, he threw it up. The space above him tore open, and the bottle disappeared into it, then it tore open before Zeal and the bottle fell out.

The league master caught it, popping it open.

”Did you lose your cool after ten years and decide to search for your son yourself?”

”You left first, but managed to know how long Irue had been missing. I’m guessing you met him here.”

”He didn’t want to see you.” Zeal drank from it.

”That hurts.” Richard dropped one bottle and it disappeared into a crack in space before he popped the second and drank from it.

”You must have noticed that everyone you sent is dead. Aunty Myai too. Your first wife.”

Richard paused a bit, dark eyes staring at the passing bird, then his eyes snapped to Zeal.

”It seems the Salvador empire will meet its end this era.”

”Calm down old man,” Zeal stepped closer. ”Salvador empire has nothing to do with what happened to your people. Although some of us did it, that’s an individual choice. We didn’t see the people you sent.”

”And the individual?” Richard was visibly irritated.

”I believe you’re already destroying them.”

”I don’t think that’s enough.”

”The criminals will be found and executed according to the black empire law. We’ll hand them over.”

”Hmm...”

He turned around and began to walk away.

”That’ll lead to a dead end.” Zeal called out.

”I’ll smash the end.”

”Please don’t.”

”The light,” Richard stopped. ”Where did it take you to?”

”A jungle? We were a thousand. Survived by luck.”

”And?”

”Returned...stuff happened...ended up as a league master. I spent most of my time signing paperworks.”

”And you found your twin.”

”I found my twin.”

”He’s older than you.” Richard snorted.

”He’s still my twin.”

”You don’t have a twin brat.”

”He’s still my twin!” He stomped his foot.

”Silly thing.” Richard tuts and walked away.

Zeal laughed and ran after him. ”How is black empire? Did it change?”

”Not in my eyes at least.”

”Did you build that bridge?”

”Barely took a week.”

”What about little Bob?”

”Started the academy.”

”The energy craft?”

”Perfected.”

Zeal went around and crossed him.

”Did you sell the blueprints for the gun?”

Richard froze. ”What?”

”The blueprint. The old design. I saw it.”

”You...saw it?”

”The disposal used it,” Zeal shrugged. ”You said you saw the artifact in a world named Earth, so it was also possible for someone to visit earth and see the same thing. But, your blueprint isn’t the same as the one from earth, but their design looks exactly the same as yours.”

”It was my...”

”It was your blueprint. Someone sold it.”

”Aah...” Richard’s eyes twitched. ”I guess I have a snitch. I must have been incompetent.”

Zeal laughed.

”You didn’t change.”

The man frowned. His hand shot out and caught Zeal by the back collar, raising him off the ground with one hand.

”You really didn’t age.”

Zeal dangled startled and grabbed the man’s hand. ”Put me down! Put me down.”

”And you’re dying slowly.”

He flinched.

”...”

”...”

”I...”

”If you lie, I’ll toss you off the cliff.”

Zeal went silent.

They stayed in that awkward position of a moment, then Richard slowly dropped him down. He stood there as the man drank from the bottle again before handling the remaining to him.

”Bring yourself and my son to black empire,” Richard walked past him. ”You need to continue your treatment. I won’t let one of my sons die for something so stupid.”

Zeal glanced back, but the man was gone. He subconsciously clutched the bottle tighter.

”I’m... his son..huh...”