Drake walked over to Gnobin, the man still knocked out cold on the ground.
"Oi, teen wolf reject, wake up," he snickered, slapping him on the side of the face.
Gnobin groaned but barely stirred, apparently still in both pain and exhaustion. Too much to be fully conscious.
Drake scoffed, moving on from him to the bodies of the monsters, scouring the area for whatever skill stones he could find.
"Why did you lie to Tan?" a voice asked behind him.
"Everyone has something or someone they're fighting for. You're no different than I am wanting to make it back to them," Drake said.
He picked up a stone, rolling the familiar glass stone in his hand and turned to face Silvester. The wolfman was still coming down from whatever he had taken, his breath coming in heavy long motions. While his eyes still kept a reddish glint.
Drake turned serious, making sure every word was heard, "But if you ever try that again. I will kill you," he looked past Silvester, "All of you."
Vale shook slightly, putting on a coyish smile to hide it and nodded back. Norris visibly stiffened, then shimmered out of view.
"You are soft…" Mir'phyra sneered, hanging over his shoulder, "They tried to kill you in cold blood. And you let them live? Even for a mud monkey you should be insulted."
"I'm not going to kill them if I don't have to," Drake whispered.
"There is no merit for an Asuran to kill those he deems weaker than himself," his younger self added.
"I would expect such drivel from a child. However, from the child of Han Kol…? I can not say I expected anything from a filthy Asuran, but I am somehow disappointed," Mir'phyra sighed.
"My father was the one who taught me that. There is no pride in killing an opponent that has given up or is weaker than you. We take strength from challenging the strong. That is how we grow, always forward, never back!"
"Fools, the both of you. Ants are meant to be crushed underfoot. It is the only way to keep them in line. Lose control and the natural order will cease to be."
Drake stopped reaching for the stone in front of him, turning to Mir'phyra.
"What natural order? Is that why these people are here? For your natural order? That man was about to kill me to see his family because you and the rest of those shitty old geezers forced him to fight your wars."
Mir'phyra sneered, "You small minded mud monkey… If it was not for this unfortunate circumstance of being without my body here, I would crush you like the insufferable nat that you are! You know nothing of how the system works, nothing of what responsibility Primordials hold to keep the order! What sacrifice we are to give!" she shuttered for a moment, her face twisted in disgust and self loathing, "I take it all back. You are just like Han… just in all the worst ways."
Drake, ready to continue his tirade, paused. Unsure how to respond to Mir'phyra losing her composure.
There was obviously something she wasn't telling him, but Drake was wondering how he could coax it out of her. Then he paused again, thinking of where he was.
Maybe that is why I'm here… Is it not just to train me, but does he want to show me? Drake thought.
He was quickly broken from his thoughts with the concerned, or more likely frightened voices behind him.
"What are we supposed to do?" Vale asked.
"I'm… not sure. I've never encountered someone who talks to themselves unless they are broken from the steroid," Silvester answered.
Norris shimmered into view, doing the worst possible job of speaking in a hushed tone, "Maybe he took the brown acid?"
Drake felt his ears turn red, but ignored them and walked forward, continuing to pick up the skill stones before he made a second round to extract the monster cores. And whatever else looked valuable from the Lions.
Eventually finding himself in front of the massive Moon and Sun Lion he had used his Archon's Decree on.
Drake struggled to lift the Moon Lion off the Sun Lion. The Sun Lion's horn deeply impaled into the other's from Drake's strikes to its back. He could still remember the euphoria he felt channeling his brother.
But he didn't have the same desire to fight him, at least not in the same way it worked when he saw someone like Bjorn. Or Leon, Damian, or even his friend Brett who made an appearance to save his bacon at the summit.
No, it was more admiration. And a wanting to test himself against someone he respected. It was a curious feeling. It was something he had felt before, something similar to the feeling he got when he saw Tan.
Maybe it's an Asuran thing? Drake thought, plunging his hand into the monster to extract the core now that he had gathered all of the skill stones he saw appear.
Man I should have been nicer to Amir. Not having to get these myself was so convenient….
Drake placed the corpses away, leaving sorting through the skill stones for once they got back to camp. He was in no position to stay in the jungle and possibly be attacked again by monsters. Or if the four around him suddenly decided to turn on him again.
He looked at them, one still unconscious on the ground, two warily at the edge of the encirclement of dead monsters. And one shifting in and out of stealth, not wanting to meet his eyes.
Nahhhhh, I'd win.
But it was time for him to get back with them despite what happened. Tan had given them orders and Drake was ready to move this quest along if possible.
He had hoped that sparing them and lying to Tan would have done something to progress the quest, but sadly no new notification came.
Drake scooped up Gnobin. The poor wolfman still passed out, with red spittle leaking from his muzzle where Drake had hit him.
I still got it. Even without all my skills. He smiled with some self satisfaction.
Moving closer to the wary group, he plopped Gnobin on Silvester's shoulder.
"Carry my furred friend will you my furred friend?"
SIlvester looked genuinely confused for a moment before realizing Drake truly didn't want to press the issue.
"Just like that? You are going to forgive and trust us?" he asked.
Drake shrugged, "If I killed everyone that tried to kill me, there would be no one left. And I would also be short one wife…" he said in a whisper, then raised his voice once more, "Like I said, I know what it's like to fight for someone waiting at home for you. And there is only one way we are all going to make it to the end."
He walked past them, letting them simmer on the words as he made his way back.
"I am glad you chose to let them live," his younger self said, following him.
Mir'phyra scoffed, crossing her arms as she also trailed behind them.
"Yeah, why's that?" Drake asked.
"My Father used to say that one could only shoulder so many enemies on one leg. Trusted comrades are not something you come by often."
Drake gave his younger self a solemn look, "I understand the sentiment, but I don't trust them. Right now we're just partners in a mutually beneficial relationship. Kind of a… situationship."
His younger self pursed his lips, "It sounds very complicated. Is this an advanced form of battle tactics?"
"It's complicated alright," Drake laughed, "And I guess you could say it's definitely a battle…"
The talking died down as they made their way back to the camp, at the outskirts Drake saw Tan seemingly waiting for someone.
Getting closer, Tan waved Drake to follow him.
This ought to be good… He thought.
Moving away from the camp once again, Tan turned holding out a gold earring with several red gems embedded into the mold.
"What's this?" Drake asked.
Tan pointed to his eyes, "For your eyes. I won't have you walking around placing your lineage on display in the camp. Especially where we are going next, it is best not to draw attention."
Raising his brows, Drake took the earring.
Ancestral Tamwih Earring [E-Grade, Epic]
A masterwork of jewelry. Crafted by the skilled race of Obsidian Dwarves with gold mined from the planet of Kijarmoor. Adorned with the potent magic infused eyes of the 10-sided Shifter.
+10% to Dexterity
+10% to Physical Damage Reduction
This jewelry allows the user to conceal their status and physical appearance as they wish. (Illusion and Status can be revealed by any being or identifying skill or item, B-Rank or B-Grade and above)
He paused a moment after reading the item's description before giving a hard look at Tan.
"Why do you have this?"
Tan's expression didn't change, "None of your damned business."
Drake's brows furrowed. He was getting tired of the elf boy's lack of explanations.
"And if I don't wear this?"
Tan pushed the earring into Drake's chest, "This is a favor for not forcing me to kill Silvester for trying to kill you in the jungle. Don't waste my good will now when we are just getting started."
"You knew?"
"I know everything that goes on with my squad. Silvester isn't the only one fighting for someone waiting for them. It is my job to make sure as many of them live to see those they love once more," he moved a step closer, "And to make that happen, people have disappeared. I have done it before. I will do it again."
Drake felt a chill go down his spine. Not because of the threat itself, but because of who was saying it. Then he realized the chill was nothing related even close to fear. He felt something stir once again, elation coming to the forefront of his mind.
Maybe he should just- No, Drake pushed the feeling down deep. He wasn't about to go out of control again.
He took the earring, snapping it on and changing it so his eyes changed back to their pristine blue from before.
"What should I change my status to?"
"Show me," Tan said flatly.
"Please would be nice you know…" Drak grumbled, turning his status window around.
Tan's eyes widened slightly, but only for a split second. However Drake didn't miss the change.
"Change your race, Half-Blood Asuran Pantheon will suffice. Reduce your stats by half at least. And remove your secondary class entirely. If someone were to see it you would be killed immediately," Tan heaved an extended sigh, "Why does there need to be an anomaly in my squad… Do not show this to anyone. Ever."
Drake gave a slightly embarrassed grin.
Probably should have changed that before I showed him… I forgot how uncommon Dual Classes actually are. And I basically just showed him I can use magic. Oops… He sighed. It doesn't help I've been getting distracted by this damned possibility of going out of control
Drake relented and nodded, "Anything else oh fearless leader?"
Tan found Drake's demeanour anything but amusing if Drake had to go by his face alone. Turning around, Tan waved him to follow.
"I know you haven't filled out your status. Did you get enough stones from your little excursion into the jungle?"
"No, not entirely."
Tan looked over his shoulder, "You do realize it would be impossible for you to get here, let alone to E-Rank with the lack of skills you have, don't you? Were you just dropped here out of nowhere?"
Drake coughed.
"I'm just lucky…?"
Tan shook his head and walked back to the camp. Drake following him as the rest of the group met back up with them as they entered.
"So, you're pretty strong huh…" Vale said, slipping in close, "That's kind of sexy…" she purred.
Drake recoiled, "Yeah let's agree not to do that. Sorry but I'm taken thrice over."
Vale smirked, "That's okay, I'm fine with sharing. So long as I get the piece I want…"
Feeling her eyes, he covered up.
"Not cool, Tan! Where's the HR department? I have a complaint!"
Tan ignored them, continuing to walk through the camp.
Eventually the rest of the group was found waiting for them to return by the same fire they had been at before Drake left.
The two other wolfmen, and the overly enormous golem-like man.
"Back already are ya?! Thought you went to go take a shit in the woods, takes me hours to pass-" Ganeer began only to be cut off by Tan.
"Listen up, we are departing as I said. You've all been through the transfer before but this will be different. This will be a full scale invasion of a newly integrated planet," Tan explained.
"What have they told you so far?" Kuuwei asked, placing several items Drake had never seen into what looked like a storage bag.
"No, it's the usual. It is a new planet, so we don't expect anything too strong," Tan thumbed down the dirt road, many people gathering and filing down it, "We will head to the staging area through the teleport crystal, then take the initial Invasion Crystal to jump to the planet."
Tan took in a deep breath, "The Old Gods are putting their forces on display, which means New Bloods. They will also be multiple of them bringing along their… Pets."
Drake felt a permeable disgust suddenly take over the group.
He looked at Mir'phyra.
"They are referring to abnormalities. You will see once you arrive. Your small little world is about to open up mud monkey," she looked down to Drake's younger self, "Both your worlds."