n

n

n

"Humph, acting arrogant like you can force me to do it,

" she was the real arrogant and full of suspicion here.

n

"Then let me ask you this,

" I deliberately raised my voice before adding,

"did you perform this test over yourself as well?

"

n

"You…

" her face changed and I could see her redness from within the gaps in her helmet.

"No one here can use it but me,

" she said and I knew she was partially right.

n

"I can,

" but I was here, right?

"Give it to me and I'll perform the test on you.

"

n

"How can a mere kid like you be full of yourself?

"

n

"She can use it because she is the great witch we have. How can you be compared to her?

"

n

"As if you have powers like her.

"

n

"I do,

" as many comments of sarcasm spread around me, I instantly answered in a firm tone,

"I also have psychic powers, just like her.

"

nWell, who said you were the only one to use this lie here?

n

"Let's see then,

" she said in a strong tone but her hands faintly trembled when she handed over the compass to me. After all this was like handing ten thousand coins to me for free.

nI wasn't interested in robbing her, I was interested in her.

"Your blood,

" I asked like she did. She cut her arm with her sword and let her blood fall over the compass.

n'Time for truth,' I watched the arms dancing with impatience. The compass would determine the race and then the relation of the person who let his blood in towards the one holding the compass.

nIn other words, I would know for sure if she was an ally or an enemy. That was the most important question here.

n

"This…

" I watched in daze the arms stopping at human and green color. She snathced the compass hurriedly as she feared I would store it away.

n

"Why look surprised? Did you expect something else or what?

" she said before the compass vanished.

"Now the show is over. Return to strengthen the defenses. We will break through in five.

"

n

"Break through what?

" I asked while my shock didn't vanish yet. I was so sure that she was a traitor, just like she was sure I was.

nAnd both of us turned out to be wrong! I knew I wasn't a traitor, but someone who came from the future.

nBut what about her? How did she know about the traitors and the way to uncover them? There was a deeper secret she held there, and I wanted to know it, badly wanted to know it.

n

"Through the monsters of course,

" she answered before turning around,

"inform everyone. I'll take the lead and others will follow.

"

n

"This… is just insane,

" I couldn't help but say. After all, I didn't want to see her end up dying before knowing her secret.

n

"Monsters will scatter the moment we attack them,

" she said as if she knew everything here,

"don't worry, I did that with the previous attack and it worked.

"

n

"You are wrong,

" I couldn't help but hold her arm to stop her.

n

"Don't touch me!

" yet her glaring eyes told me she didn't see me as a friend yet. Sigh, was I acting rashly here or what?

n

"These monsters are different,

" I tried to reason with her,

"they aren't the same ones you fought at the first quest.

"

n

"And you want me to believe your words?

" she crossed her arms as if she was challenging me,

"there are wolves, I admit they are new species. But like any monster, once they saw us united and acting aggressive they'll yield. Plus their numbers aren't great anyway. Last time I faced off two hundred of them. They scattered after killing more than half.

"

n

"Yeah, this is the rule of this game,

" another youth said, one of the twenty who acted like her personal guards or something,

"I'm a pro gamer and I can affirm the truth of this.

"

nI heard many agreeing comments here. These fools! They were in the dark without any night vision skills. And they wanted to leave the museum protection that held off many monsters and protected their rears to clash on with the wolves and hyenas?

nC'mon, be serious! You didn't know the weakness of the hyenas until I told you about it. I was feeling this group was strong and special, but their leader was a mad girl.

nShe seemed like those brutal fighters, who would lose themselves in the fight without using the little thing in their heads called brain.

nI turned around and saw the fight still raging wild as before. They were doing great till now. The arrangement of the youths here reminded me of the old battle tactics in the lost human civilizations.

nWas she a military soldier or something? For the first time I noticed that this arrangement was good for defense and offense. But going out and breaking this formation would bring disastrous ends.

nWas this the reason why this group didn't manage to survive past the fifth quest? Now I could see things clearer. No matter who she was, she wasn't the most suitable person to lead these people right now.

n

"Where are you going?

" she noticed me moving in fast steps towards the side of the museum.

n

"I'm trying to save your lives, thank me later,

" I only said while my tone showed how annoyed I was. I couldn't believe how someone like her knowing about the apocalypse and its secrets acted in such careless way.

nI couldn't stand idle and walked in haste towards a small building on the side of the museum. I knew there was a generator here nearby the main building of the museum, and I was going to use it.

n

"What do you want from the guards' dorm?

" Unlike her actions and words from before, she accompanied me all the way to the building.

n

"You know this place well?

" I asked without turning to her as I found the door locked.

n

"My father used to work here years ago,

" she finally gave me a bit of information,

"if you are looking for firearms, I hate to tell you that they won't work.

"

n

"We tested them before,

" a youth of her twenty guards said while I ignored these comments and hit the door with my sword.

n

"Firearms won't work! They are useless scraps of iron now,

" another youth said as if he knew everything.

n'Why the hell are they acting this arrogant?' I couldn't help but inwardly sigh. This group seemed to lack someone wise. They were all strong and with great potential, but the lack of wisdom would bring demise upon everyone else.

nThe building was small from the outside, but from the inside it looked big. I started opening the doors one by one while all I found was the sleeping rooms of the guards.

n

"What are you looking for? Tell me and I can help,

" at last she realized what I was doing and decided to drop her arrogance.

n

"I want the generator,

" I turned to her before adding,

"do you know where it is?

"

n

"The big generator? It's all in the back. But why…

"

nBefore she could continue, I heard a strong howl coming from outside.

"Damn! They are here!

" I turned and started to run deep inside the building towards the direction she pointed towards.

n

"Who are they?

" she tried to keep up with me but without a dark vision skill she couldn't see clearly like me. The deeper we went, the darker the place became.

n'Found you!' just as she said, it was at the back of the building. I saw it from the semi-opened room. However the moment I got closer, I could smell a scent I couldn't lose.

nI raised my sword and all my body stiffened. I just smelt a scent of blood coming from that room. It was so thick and heavy that was like a room of torture and not a generator.

n

"What's wrong?

" She reached me and seemed to notice my attitude. However one of the guards moved in reflex to push the door open.

n

"Why stop? Let's go inside…

"

n

"Slash!

"

nHe didn't have the time to complete his words before something flashed fast and cut his head. The fountain of blood its body created made everyone panic, but not me.

nI narrowed my eyes while seeing the shadow that moved fast just now.

"How come it is here?!

" I was inwardly shaken and unconsciously clenched the hilt of the sword firmly while not taking a single step forward.

nThat room, the generator room, was filled with the dead bodies of the guards. In the middle of this massacre, a big monster with a cat head and three tails ends up with sharp steel like stings.

n

"Do you know what it is?

" Angelica asked while she seemed not to see through the darkness inside like me.

n

"A predator,

" I slowly said,

"the three tailed cat… something that shouldn't be here this soon.

"

nMy plans were now ruined. How come such a fierce monster of tier three to be here? This should be the arena of tier one monsters only.

nThe faces of the three angels appeared in my head next. 'Those bastards! They must have left it here to attack them from the rear when they move out,' I couldn't help but have a bad feeling about that.

nIf the angels even did that, spending such a big price to permit for a monster that wasn't supposed to appear until quest three, then did they also leave other monsters around the park.

nDon't tell me they also left a monster at the place I wanted to go. That would be bad!

n

"Is this a monster?

" a youth seemed to be late in understanding what was going on here,

"how come one be here.

"

n

"Angelica…

" I slowly said before adding,

"retreat, go back and barricade this damn building.

"

n

"What about you?

" she seemed to feel my intention through my words. I raised my sword in challenge to that monster.

"I have to kill it, not, I will kill it,

" I said in determination.

nAfter all, letting such a disaster behind all of them would lead to their death. And as I was here, why not solve this monster and see if I could go to that place now or I should postpone my plans.

nJust thinking about this made my blood boil. I didn't come all this way here to not get what was buried deep there. I had to get it, no matter what I would get.

n

"Then I'll help,

" just as I was recalling what I knew about this dangerous monster, she gave such a bold declaration.

n

"If the esteemed witch is staying behind, we will,

" the youths all said in unison and I couldn't help but frown.

n

"This monster is strong,

" I slowly said,

"much stronger than any monster you fought before.

"

n

"We killed the hyenas and wolves, we can kill them!

" one hotblooded youth said and that told me it would be more headache than I initially thought to convince them.

nHow come she managed to gather up only fools around her? What was she thinking about?

n

"Let me break it down for you then,

" I couldn't let good seedlings be wasted, not in vain, not like this.

n

"If you wanted to compare the strength of this one here, then you can say it's equal to a pack of five hundred wolves alongside their alpha combined together in one monster. It can see perfectly well in the dark and smell you scents from miles away. Its speed, strength, and defense are on a whole level from anything you can imagine. Not to mention its special skills and those annoying three sharp tails of it. If you try to face it, you'll die.

"

n

"But you are going to face it alone,

" Angelica's body trembled while a youth said from behind,

"how can you be so sure of defeating it while doubting us? We aren't weak to your knowledge.

"

n

"I'm not sure of my current ability to kill it,

" I honestly admitted.

n

"Then come with us,

" another youth said,

"witch, please persuade him.

"

n

"H… How…

" Angelica's shaky tone came like she was scared of this monster at last. However when she continued, I realized I was wrong.

"How can you know such things about it? Who… Just who in the world are you?

"

nI turned to see her body shaking obviously out of fear. I inwardly sighed. This girl… She was shaking out of fear from me.

n

"I can't kill it with my current strength…

" I said while glaring up at those purple elliptical big eyes of that monster that shone in the dark,

"and that's exactly why I should fight it.

"

n

"W… Why?

" Angelica asked again as if she couldn't believe my words. C'mon, I wasn't that terrifying like that.

n

"I have to challenge myself,

" I said while taking the first step towards that room,

"I have to challenge all the hardships thrown into my face so I can get stronger. This is the only way to survive these dark times, no, this is my own way to survive.

"

nAnd I reached the place which was considered as the domain of that monster.

n