There was no point in lying to my friends anymore. “Yeah, but I never told anyone about it,” I admitted.
“Who’s Hercules?” the Shaolin asked.
“I’ll tell you about it when we get home,” Wilt replied before turning his attention to their leader. “You must be a Jormungand commander.”
“What makes you think that, newbie?”
Wilt turned his glare toward Del Rio. “We’ve already acquainted with the lieutenant during their last caravan run. And this guy —” He then turned to the biggest person in their group, a towering Indian, about a head taller than Li, wearing formal clothes from his homeland. “I’ve heard some gossip here that you’re famous. Captain Madhur, I presumed?”
The towering captain bowed to greet our leader out of courtesy.
“So seeing you leading this group with a ranked captain like him,” Wilt continued explaining. “I’d say that makes you their superior officer. And the way you stand there like a posh with an English accent and fancy vintage tux. Are you perhaps from the Victorian Era?”
I gulped. Those last parts felt like Wilt was taunting their leader. My party and the Jormungand were locking on each other’s intense stares.
To everyone in the hall’s astonishment, their leader clapped. “Brilliant deduction. You spoke like a detective in my era. Are you a Sherlock enthusiast, perchance?”
Wilt shrugged. “My dad is a big fan. He used to read those to me for bedtime stories?”
He chuckled, “Let’s hope we can share our common interests some other time. Oh, pardon me for not introducing myself. I’m Commander Cromwell, and I’d like to thank you for saving our caravan from those dreadful raiders. My good Corporal Del Rio provided me with a fascinating report about your little party.”
“Corporal?” Katie burst out cackling. “You got demoted!”
“Why, you little —” Del Rio snapped.
“Stand down, Corporal,” Commander Cromwell ordered without sparing a glance.
“But —”
“That’s an order,” he said, to which the now Corporal Del Rio did what she was told, but not before cursing Katie under her breath. “Apologies, my adjutant hasn’t yet learned her lesson from the little squabble with her previous commander.”
I hung my head high, realizing why she got demoted. She disobeyed Commander Raja’s orders during that battle, which caused many hired ones to get recalled.
“No problem,” Wilt asked. “But what do you want with Sam, anyway?”
The crowd started to exchange comments. They all shared the same anxious expression on their faces, including Marseille, who was among them.
“Glad you asked,” the English commander replied. “We confirmed that your friend is a power brave, the last one whom we have all been waiting to get summoned into this world.”
“Power brave?” Wilt paused to analyze that term. “You mean a champion with super-strength like Sam. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Correct, everyone here knows they are an elite type of braves. Thanks to their unique ability, every power brave who came to this world had earned their fame. Like your friend, Raid Breaker, here. Ninurta, Maui, Kratos, all the gods of strength had sent their champions, except one.”
“And that’s Hercules,” Wilt finished.
“Exactly, Captain Madhur here is one of them.”
I cast a glance at the Jormungand captain. I never expected to meet another so-called, power brave.
“You’ve already got a power brave.” Alex frowned.
“The Jormungands could use another.” The English commander turned his attention back to me. “What do you say? Would you like to join our guild?”
“Commander Raja already asked us the same thing,” Wilt chimed in. “And we said no.”
“Really?” He cocked a brow. “Then I’d like to hear it from you, Raid Breaker. How about it?”
“Well, I’m —”
“Oliver, stop this at once!” Commander Raja arrived with Rad, Zeki, and some of their entourage followed from behind.
“Raja’s right,” Rad exclaimed. “You know what happens to anyone who messes with my par-tay.”
“I understand,” Commander Raja coaxed to calm him down. “Please let me de-escalate this, your Majesty.”
“You’d better be,” Rad snarled. “Your guild’s reputation is getting worse recently.”
“Don’t worry, sire,” Commander Cromwell said. “We’ll be leaving soon. But not without you, Raid Breaker. Gold, fame, power, whatever price these guilds offered you, we can double it. No, triple it. The Jormungands could use a talent like you.”
Turning to the crowd again, they still had that anxious look towards me. I wasn’t sure if they were worried about me accepting the Jormungands’ offer. Upon shifting toward Marseille, her troubling expression showed she was more concerned about my well-being. Lastly, to my friends. They shared the same as Marseille’s except for Alex, who strangely remained composed before she gave me a small nod.
What did she mean by that? Was she suggesting that I had to make a choice? After a short pondering, I glanced back at the Jormungands.
“Out of respect, sir,” I repeated what Alex said to Commander Raja. “My friends and I had been planning to build our guild for a long time. We want to spend more time in this world first before joining an esteemed guild such as yours. You know, go on adventures. Exploring new places. Just us, friends.”
My friends cheered while the crowd gave their satisfied smiles. There were a few who applauded. I barely contained my joy seeing Marseille was one of them.
“Terrific, just terrific,” Commander Cromwell said in an ominous tone. “You think you can smile all you want just because you’re Hercules’s Brave.”
Someone shouted, “You’re dust now, kid!”
“No, no, it’s not like that,” I begged. “Please, I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“Oliver, don’t do it!” Commander Raja growled, much to our bewilderment.
“Wait, they weren’t offended,” Katie said incredulously.
The rest of us were also baffled.
“I’m afraid, Ms. Lestrange,” Zeki explained in dread, “if Mr. Roche wouldn’t join them, then the Jormungands will make sure he won’t join the other guilds as well.”
Our eyebrows rose upon why the posh was provoking me.
“Rookie crushing,” I grunted under my breath.
“Sam, we’re leaving,” Wilt exclaimed.
No need to tell me twice, I said in my thoughts. We were about to run when Madhur stood right in front of me in a flash. I was surprised that he had quick feet for a big guy.
“Madhur, stand down!” Commander Raja growled. “The rest of you stand down as well!”
“Sorry, sir, we’re from Commander Cromwell’s division,” one of the subordinates said as none of them, including Del Rio, moved from their spot. “We only take orders from him.”
Commander Raja glared daggers at his fellow commander.
“Sorry, Raja,” Cromwell said. “I’m doing this for our guild.” He turned back to me. “Don’t forget, you’re not the only power brave around here. Madhur, would you please take him outside so you two can talk.”
The Jormungand captain began to transform into a five-meter giant of blue steel. He was just another Asura — fine then. As soon as he was about to grab me, I grasped both of his enormous hands.
“I-I’m…” I declared. “I am not backing down.” Remembering the painful memories again, I was determined to fight back this time. Once our raw strength met and our grips tightened, the floor under our feet burst to crack.
“Shots fired!” Katie gave one of the Jormungand warriors a roundhouse kick, and he fell on the floor. Most of them bolted to subdue my friends. Two were about to grab Katie when Brock swiftly cut them off and punched one with his metal fist, sending him to knock against each other’s heads with sheer force.
“Thanks, Brock,” Katie exclaimed.
Three were down, but the other three leaped into action. Li stood behind them in a flash. Using his Shaolin skills, it took him seconds to send them flying in different directions. A reinforcement of five Jormungand members charged at us. Before my friends could confront them, they turned into pillars of light before vanishing.
Wilt stood on the spot where the reinforcement vanished. He had a sword in each hand.
“Guys!” He handed both blades to Brock and Katie, producing another pair and gave them to Alex and Li, and another one for himself.
“Swords, nice.” Brock grinned. Now that my friends were armed, all that was left were the three officers. It was fortunate they remained where they stood. Commander Raja wouldn’t attack them, but he couldn’t do anything but watch. Del Rio and Cromwell were focused on us, power braves.
Madhur and I were locked in a stalemate for two minutes. None of us budged an inch. The awing crowd was staring in suspense for one of us to yield first.
“Wow, you two got equal strength,” Cromwell said. “Let’s see you are equal in skills.”
“Oh, no.” When he said, skills — that meant combat prowess. I got none.
In the blink of an eye, he flung me in the air and crash-landed on one of the long tables, breaking it in half, and the dishes were smashed on the floor.
No longer wanting to stand by and watch, Marseille cried to the Libra members nearby, “Help them!”
“My lady, we can’t,” one of them explained. “The city laws only apply outside the castle.”
Unable for Libra to help, Alex turned to the Boston Tea Party. They were gaping at the brawl the entire time.
“Do something!” she barked.
“What? Oh, yeah.” Rad snapped his senses back. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Shandao! Shaozong!”
In an instant, iron spikes sprang from the floor, pointing at each Jormungand member. Then, a pair of two-dimensional Chinese warriors appeared on the wall from both sides, glaring daggers at our aggressors. One of them was the bouncer from the double doors.
The Party King angrily approached the two commanders. “From now on, the Jormungand Guild is banned from all of my par-tays and festivities, forever!”
“This is on you, Oliver!” Commander Raja roared while three spikes were pointing at his throat. “I’ll make sure King Gaius hears about this.”
Cromwell said nothing. He was giving our party a dark glee. Whatever was in his mind, it’d spell trouble for us in the future.
Now that the fight was over, Katie cried, “Sam, are you okay?”
“Hope you’re alive there, buddy,” Brock said.
“I’m fine!” Still lying on the floor, unhurt, to my astonishment. Neither was my pride and dignity. After I rose to my feet, I dusted myself to show everyone that I was alright.
Someone cried, “Look, he peed himself!”
Hundreds of laughter filled the hall. As I glanced down, my mouth hung open after seeing the crotch of my pants were soaking wet. That made me shift my glance toward the floor. There were shards of a shattered glass bowl and fruit punch spilled right under my feet.
“No, this isn’t pee!” I cried in my defense. “This is fruit punch!” I wiped my soaking right lap with my fingers and licked it. “See, it’s cherry!”
“EWW!” The crowd gawked in disgust.
“Oh, no,” I gasped for air, struggling to breathe. “It’s happening again.”
Suddenly, my vision went black.
It was late in the morning. There was a knock on my door. “Sam, sweetie, it’s us,” Katie said in a motherly tone. “Please open the door.” “Go away.” I was sobbing on my bed, curling up like a cooked shrimp while wrapping myself in my blanket. I heard Li’s voice said that they thought I might be okay in the morning, but last night was beyond embarrassing; I couldn’t bear to go out in public again. I was hoping to wait out inside my apartment for weeks until everyone forgot the whole thing. “Come on, Sam,” Katie exclaimed. “We all know that was a fruit punch spilled in your pants.” “That wasn’t pee?” Brock said. There was a brief pause before Katie threw him a flurry of scolding words. “Sam, open up.” Wilt banged the door. “Please, I don’t want to talk right now!” They didn’t leave, and they’ve been hounding for twenty minutes. Sounding impatient, Wilt ordered, “Brock, break the door.” “If you say so,” he agreed in a sing
Along the road, starstruck eyes followed us from the sidewalks and from the vehicles that got close. Zeki pressed a remote, which automatically shut all the window curtains. It was strange that a modern feature was included in a unicorn-drawn carriage. It might be one of the Party King’s eccentricities. “Sorry,” Zeki apologized. “It’s not every day that my king gets to go out in public. Unless they’re holidays.” “What can I say? I am a celebrity.” Rad relaxed on his cushion. “No one can throw parties better than me, the Party King.” He sat beside Zeki with Shandao and Shaozong. Each of them sat beside the doors with their arms crossed and their faces scowled. We were on the opposite side with a table at the center, with snacks and drinks on top. Our cushion was large enough to fit six people. Perhaps seven since Li was twice the size of a regular teenager. “I heard that Wilt’s a sword brave,” Alex asked. “Care to elaborate?” “You should ask him yourse
“Again, Li?” Wilt sighed. “Can’t you take a break from eating?” We were in the forum today, taking a day-long break after we finished another iron-class quest. During the past couple of weeks, our party went back to doing odd jobs and part-time. “But, I’ve never eaten this one before.” The Shaolin bought his seventh food from a nearby street vendor. This time, it was chips and fondue. Even though the big guy ate a lot, he was happy to share his snack with us. “Tastes like any regular fondue.” Alex tried a piece. “Guys, about our flag….” Brock began, lending our ears to him willingly, unlike before. To our surprise, Brock worked twice harder than any of us, not like in our early days. It was King Rad’s new proposition on why the jock was doing this when he told us about Sweet Haven. Located in the northernmost Sleeping King Forest, the City of Sweet Haven was the only settlement in this world having an actual government. It was a sort of republ
As we approached the fountain, the debate raged on. The crowd at present was divided into two sides; one side spoke against modern technologies, and the other defended them. “This so-called internet has no physical substance,” a Victorian-era gent addressed the crowd. “How can we trust this invisible entity? If we lose the power of electricity, so is all the stored knowledge of our magnificent civilization.” Those who nodded in agreement were from the sixteenth to early twentieth centuries, based on their clothes I recognized. “Bah, you bunch of old-timers.” A toga-wearing Greek came forward to disagree. “Every generation with grays on and inside their heads feared anything new. In my days, when scrolls first came to be, the old fools feared that these tools and written words would make learners forget. They encouraged that knowledge must be memorized, word by word.” “That’s stupid,” a surfer-looking dude exclaimed. “Does anybody here want to memorize
Abraham told everything about Sweet Haven, its rules, benefits, and all. I assumed Alex’s reason for asking was to confirm the city’s details matched what King Rad provided us. “…And I know you’re all newcomers,” Abraham said. “But if you stay with us for a couple of months, you’ll gain enough experience on how to survive in the Yellow Zone before you go to Sweet Haven. You will also get free food and accommodation.” “Just for a couple of months?” Katie’s face expressed that she wanted more explanation. “The Crimson Shadows said this Red Flight Crisis is going to be over soon,” Abraham explained. “Probably by the end of the year, now that all of Blood Eagles’ former lands have been taken. That leaves everyone to deal with the pesky raiders sooner or later. If you get rid of the raiders near our home, we will offer you a big bonus. What do you say? It’s a good deal, right?” It was tempting, but we all glanced at Wilt to hear what he had to say.
Only two hours before dawn, I made a stealthy run through the empty street. At random times, I stopped to check if no one was tailing me. If that wasn’t enough, I leaped from one building to another before finally reaching the trolley station in the northern part of the Eastern District, still operating through the night as dozens of people came and went. At the ticket booth, all of my friends had gathered. It seemed that I was the last to arrive. “Sam, it’s good that you came.” Katie was the first to notice me. “We can get out….” She and everyone gawked at something on my back. Behind me, nine crates tied together in the shape of a bed frame with thick ropes as slings. I was carrying it like a backpack. It took me until midnight and eighty-nine chaffs to build this. I brought my entire belongings now that we were moving out of this city. Most of them were gifts from guilds that wanted to recruit me. “It isn’t heavy, right?” Katie asked. “A bit, but I
After we went down the slopes, we were about to enter the town when five horsemen appeared before us. One of them came forward. He had the look of a sheriff from the Old West; his right chest had a gold shield badge engraved with a weighing scale. He must be a Libra member. “Greetings, Sheriff Earp,” Zeki said. “Mr. Zeki, howdy,” he greeted with a Texas accent. He then turned his piercing, steely eyes to us. “Where y’all headed?” “Rockflower,” Zeki answered. “I’ll be tagging along with their quest. Coupled with my guild’s business, you see.” “That’s a shame,” the sheriff explained, “all the roads to the north are still infested with dang outlaws. My advice is for y’all to wait until you gather up three caravans before departing.” “Much obliged, sheriff,” Zeki thanked. “Much obliged.” Once the Libra members departed, Wilt asked, “Are we going to wait for three caravans to gather like the sheriff said?”
“It’s good to see you again, Sam.” Marseille smiled. I never thought we would meet each other for the second time. My friends had told me Marseille did attempt to help me back in the incident with the Jormungands. Although she tried, I was relieved that she was willing to help, even though we only knew each other for one night. “I hope you’re okay after that pee on the pants incident,” she said. Much to my embarrassment, I was glowing in red until my bones turned jelly that I slumped on my chair. “That was a fruit punch spilled on his pants, by the way,” Alex clarified. “Oh, I forgot Sam did say that. It happened so fast when he smashed through the main doors. You’re lucky the Boston Tea Party got door braves to fix them.” Now that Marseille mentioned it, my memory of that night came back to me. I did crash through the thick double doors to get away. “So, you two know each other?” Wilt said to Marseille and Raja. “Inde