Chapter 312: Invading The Invaders

"Stay here." Saul said to the knights as he walked into the meeting hall where all the Elite Class were gathered and shut the door.

Outside, Abaddon stood on one end of the door while Apollyon was at the other end.

Abaddon knew what they had done. He could remember it. He and Apollyon had ravaged cities, farmlands, and storehouses under Saul’s command just to get to their actual target.

This wasn’t their first time invading a world, they had been doing it with Saul for decades. His methods were effective but something odd stirred in his heart.

After seeing the Golden Order Knights, anger consumed him.

He hated the unknown king with every fiber of his being, didn’t he?

But why?

Was it because if the unknown king had been there from the start, he would not have turned his back on his brothers?

He wouldn’t have shattered an oath he held for centuries. The sight of the Golden Order Knights filling up that fortress made memories of the past resurface.

Abaddon turned to Apollyon.

"The unknown king..."

"Is nothing but a lie." Apollyon shut down the conversation before it ever started. After a moment, her lips moved.

"That child isn’t of Pathan blood, he’s not the legendary king who has chosen us to be pillars for a great empire, he’s not the one we were told about, deceived to pledge allegiance to, to believe in his unfathomable might."

Her eyes gleamed. "I could feel he can’t even resist my ice. That’s not the kind of king I dreamt of."

She scowled.

"The others are weak. They’ve always been weak."

"So..." Abaddon’s deep voice rang from his faceless mask. "You were thinking about him too."

Apollyon turned her head toward him. She said nothing but the chill around her became piercing.

***

The next day, while Isolde faced a bloody battle against dragons, king of beasts, willing to evolve since she gave her order that none should help and Godfrey prepared to, for the first time, witness a knight be created, Lucy sat in a large cafeteria in the camp.

Arden and Oliver shared the same table with her. Thalia walked over with her tray and dropped it as she went over the bench and sat with one leg crossed over the other.

"Everyone is talking about it. We’re going to open a dungeon and invade a world. We spent so much time defending ourselves from those monsters and now we’re going to do the same thing. I get the reason but it still feels wrong."

Thalia sighed and dug into her food.

Lucy frowned. "This isn’t right."

"They’re orcs. Do you know what those things have done to us? The lives they’ve taken? Orcs show no mercy, they’re an invasive race that can multiply even faster than us."

Lucy was stunned to sense such hostility from Arden.

It was unlike her.

"The captain knows what he’s doing. He knows we won’t resist the urge to avenge what those orcs have done.... I can’t resist." Arden rose to her feet and walked away with her tray.

Lucy looked at her until she was gone.

"An orc killed her big brother. Orcs and trolls, their horde has caused so much death, Arden is just one of the victims."

Oliver looked at Lucy. "Prepare yourself, you’re enlisted. No more fixing vehicles and staining yourself with oil. You’re a fully realized Lord Tier Summoner and that power will be of great use in battle. If you do well, you could be given a paragon core and your summon might evolve."

Lucy forced a smile. It’s been a little tough after what Isaac did, all that dislike went toward her. At least they weren’t bullying her since she wasn’t exactly weak but the environment wasn’t cheerful anymore.

Especially now that she was alone. Being under vehicles and talking to the cars was where she found peace.

She sighed.

Later on, Lucy walked into the room where she stayed with another girl. The other girl who was about to leave scowled at Lucy before walking away.

Lucy collapsed on the bed, her hair sprawled on the pillow. At least not every single member of the cohort treated her this way.

She was still quite close with the engineers and some who forgave Isaac still greeted her. Oliver was cold at first but he warmed up later.

Dax had been distant but it wasn’t because of Isaac... it was because his summoner was available and no one knew what went on between that summoner and his summon.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Lucy thought her roommate had returned but her eyes widened when she saw Arden and Thalia looking down at her.

She blinked several times before she sat up.

"I’m sorry for acting that way." Arden sat on the other bed with Thalia.

Lucy waved her hand. "You did nothing wrong. Your family was harmed, you’re right to be angry."

Arden pressed her lips into a thin line. "Still..."

Thalia groaned. "Can we girls just talk? The world is burdensome already, let’s focus on something else."

A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "Like your crush on Godfrey." She winked at Lucy whose eyes widened.

Her cheeks reddened.

"It’s obvious."

"Isn’t that the same for both of you?" Lucy retorted lightly but was caught off guard by Thalia’s response.

"Considering the world we live in, strong boys do stir up a woman’s heart." She pouted like a victim.

"She’s not wrong but Godfrey is too young for us." Arden said.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "He was just born too late. Doesn’t stop me from teasing him." She chuckled. "But this isn’t about us, it’s about you."

"Me?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"You’re confused and lonely." Arden sighed. "It’s always been obvious. It’s even worse now."

Thalia sat on Lucy’s bed and wrapped her left arm around Lucy’s neck, then made Lucy lean on her shoulder.

"You can let it out, sweetheart. We’re your big sisters."

Lucy’s eyes softened. "I do like Godfrey. He saved me, more than once, he’s not bad-looking, he cares for me but... there’s a difference between like and love."

She looked at the window. "Isolde loves Godfrey, I like him. We’re different. She has that boss-girl kind of energy, she fights against odds despite her privileged family background and I’m that damsel in distress, waiting to be saved. I adore her."

Her eyes flickered. "I’ve never been given proper attention or care but Godfrey was the first to give that to me. I can remember how he broke that ice when I thought I’d die. But when I received that attention, I didn’t know how to handle it. Later on I became close with Percival and Isaac, people with great potential, way out of my league and they fought for my attention. It was surreal."

Lucy closed her eyes. "I acted like I didn’t know but I really wanted Percival, yet I felt Isaac would feel bad and he’s younger than me. I just couldn’t make up my mind until... he left. Isaac too. Godfrey and Isolde were also gone and I became alone again. Sometimes I dream of when we were in school, when we were together."

"What I see is someone who hasn’t found herself. That’s why you’ve made all these mistakes and see yourself as below your friends." Arden adjusted her glasses.

"You had two excellent choices and you fumbled, it won’t do you any good sulking about it. You think you’re worth something when your friends are around, when they give you attention, yet in their presence you degrade yourself and become an outcast mentally."

Arden chided.

"Each of them are on their own path and it would bring them together in the end. Now they’ve all gone for various reasons, maybe their path is out there but yours is here because you’re here. Make the best of it. Become the best you can be, Lord Tier or not. And trust me, when you’ve grown, choosing a guy won’t be a problem. Isolde is a perfect example. Godfrey isn’t the best-looking but from the little I know, she didn’t take a second glance at Percival. It’s knowing what your heart wants."

Lucy pursed her lips.

Thalia ruffled her hair. "You’re a few months away from nineteen. Most guys in camp find someone at that age, who knows when they’re going to die."

"You’re not planning on introducing her to your kind of lifestyle, right?" Arden glared at Thalia.

"What’s wrong with my lifestyle? I get all the boys."

"And you end with none." Arden snickered.

"I heard the bar for being an Elite Class has risen." Lucy said before things got heated between Arden and Thalia.

"We’re Saint Tiers now. It took consuming paragon cores and the captain promised higher ranks after the invasion. You might earn one if you do well, apparently we’re going after a relic." Thalia responded.

"A relic? Is that a dungeon item?"

Arden shook her head. "Far beyond that. The Captain said relics are the mana system of the very first world to evolve past maturity and become an ascended world. The first world to have ancient gods. While we are summoners, natives of that race are relic users. Their relics are items that are manifested when they awaken, the same way we get a beast, they get a relic and we’re going after a relic called the soul-piercing rod."

Thalia’s eyes gleamed. "It can destroy the soul of any existence and has no counter. It can be as powerful as the wielder. With that, paradise will be a force even the authorities would be afraid to mess with."

Arden rose to her feet. "Come train with us."

***

Two days went by. In a forest with thick tall trees, a nine feet tall corrupted orc burst out of the forest, falling from a great height but he was able to land steadily, dust rising as he set his eyes on the settlement made of beast hides and sticks ahead.

The orc raced through patrols, gaining stares as every orc, male and female warriors with massive bodies, covered with beast hides, slowly followed.

"Vushak ku la huma!" The orc bellowed as he went on one knee before the chief’s large tent. Two orcs, bigger than him, stood at the entrance with weapons made from the bones of large creatures and hardened through orcish means.

These orcs were two of the strongest in the camp, and they were elected as guards to their Chief’s tent, the tenth strongest orc on the continent.

Orcs absorbed mana into their bodies, they lacked the capacity to use it externally but it increased their physical capabilities and durability tremendously.

At fifteen, they were already adults, standing at seven feet with strength rivaling three adult earth males. They grew by age, those who were thirty were identified with two rings and were already paragons!

Orcs could live for as long as two hundred years but it was rare to exceed forty due to their violent lifestyle. It was even worse for corrupted orcs who lusted after bloodshed.

Both guards had two rings on their tusks but even their intimidating aura was dwarfed by that of the huge silhouette looming behind the entrance, his bright green eyes gleaming from the darkness.

"Vu?" His deep voice boomed.

"Veis la humas en shakva." The nine feet behemoth of an orc spoke softly, his head bowed low.

His words on the other hand riled up the crowd behind him, even the eyes of the Orc Chief brightened.

He emerged from the tent.

All the orcs raised their weapons, their roars rippling through the air as their Chief looked at the direction the orc pointed at.

Humans... here in their realm through a red gate?

A feast.

...

A/N: Happy Sunday!

Please vote the characters you like!!

Theory Saturday is past but I’ll upload the question here.

1.Rank the strongest characters that came from Manhattan Summoners High. Name Five. You’re free to think outside the box, like guessing the future.

2.Who has the most unique summon in the Vagabond Cohort?