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100 Systems Invasion 34. The Funeral
The funeral went smoothly, despite the fire that burned down three houses in the middle of Ashwell village.Seth went to a funeral before. Once.Amy's funeral.The only one he ever attended to. Though, her family didn't really want him there. They didn't want him there, in the first place.Not when she was still alive; nor when she was dead.This time, he didn't want to go to Amy's father's funeral. He didn't know the man. Although, seeing her tearful face, his heart was wrenched and he ended up coming anyway.He saw it from afar. Saying some useless condolences to his girlfriend's counterpart in this universe before it started.The funeral was held for seven people. Amy's father, Uvaris and his father – Deja the village leader, Uvaris' mother, his younger brother, and his baby twin sisters.Amy's house was too close to Uvaris', hence why it was burned along the way. The arsonist was none other than a widow who lost her husband because of the curse – just like Amy's father was.It did
100 Systems Invasion 35. Start the Search
"This is Samir Higgins, a famous mage known for his vast knowledge of purifying magics," the barkeeper introduced them to the newcomer. Samir looked much like how Seth thought of a Mongolian shaman. He was wearing a hat with animated individual facial expressions and a number of feathers, as well as cotton pendants. His deel was light in color, probably of goat leather. A little drum hanging from his back obscured most of the time. "You're too generous with your praise, Odie," the Mongolian shaman said, taking a seat beside Seth. "Mystic Sour, please.""Right away, sir," the barkeeper – Odie, turned his back and went to make the requested drink."So," Samir clapped his hands, making some beads from his bracelet to clank against each other, "Who might you be and what can I help you with?""Seth Leinster," and he pointed to the red-haired girl with freckles on her cheek, "Amy G– Ashmark."Amy shot a confused look, but it soon dissipated as she started. "My village is cursed by a mage.
100 Systems Invasion 36. A Cheapskate
"This is Samir Higgins, a famous mage known for his vast knowledge of purifying magics," the barkeeper introduced them to the newcomer. Samir looked much like how Seth thought of a Mongolian shaman. He was wearing a hat with animated individual facial expressions and a number of feathers, as well as cotton pendants. His deel was light in color, probably of goat leather. A little drum hanging from his back obscured most of the time. "You're too generous with your praise, Odie," the Mongolian shaman said, taking a seat beside Seth. "Mystic Sour, please.""Right away, sir," the barkeeper – Odie, turned his back and went to make the requested drink."So," Samir clapped his hands, making some beads from his bracelet to clank against each other, "Who might you be and what can I help you with?""Seth Leinster," and he pointed to the red-haired girl with freckles on her cheek, "Amy G– Ashmark."Amy shot a confused look, but it soon dissipated as she started. "My village is cursed by a mage.
100 Systems Invasion 37. The Next Quest
"Argh!" Seth threw his stone dagger to the wall in front of him, ten meters away. It lodged between the bricks, showing his improved physical power. Well, or that the builder didn't use their finest material for the wall. Beside him, Amy loudly exhaled. Again. "Stop before it bounces back and stab you.""It wont," the red-eyed man grumbled, expecting a glitch to appear in the air. It did, right by where his right hand was. The Stone Fang Dagger came back, as expected. He wouldn't lose it, that was the law. The very system attached to his life now."I never saw that kind of magic," Amy stated after witnessing it, brows furrowed at the glitch that disappeared once he grabbed the stone dagger.Seth cheekily said, "Now you see it."The ginger-haired girl grumbled, "Not what I mean. Where did you learn it?"That didn't even cross his mind. "You have magic school here?""… where did you come from again?"'Fuck.' Seth deliberately avoided eye contact with her. It wouldn't be funny if he
100 Systems Invasion 38. Penalty Time
"Get your dirty hands away from my girlfriend's breasts!" Seth growled, wrenching away the stranger from Amy. He shoved the stranger to the nearest brick wall, holding him there with one hand and landing a solid punch on his gut with the other. "Gah!" the stranger bowled over, clutching his stomach. But Seth didn't let him rest, he sent another hit. Right to his eye, this time. "Stop it!" Amy snapped, suddenly on the white-haired shirtless man's side, calloused hand gripped Seth's wrist – halting him from making the stranger's other eye black. "He dared to touch you.""He ran into me and accidentally touched me." Amy reminded, "He doesn't mean to.""Tch!" Seth let him go with a glare, looking down at the stranger who then slid to the ground, now clutching on his eye, breathing heavily. "I didn't mean to, I swear!" the stranger said, peering up at him and Amy back and forth. He looked miserable, with tears on the brink of falling. "Are you going to cry just after two punches?" T
100 Systems Invasion 39. Honest to God
To find that the quests he got from the System correlated well with whatever happened lately was quite a … bless, to say the least. Seth had long since he believed in such a thing as blessing.Just like this one. Even after he found out that Ruis Bagfort was the mage with a possible prowess who might be able to lift Melva Saunders' curse from Amy's village, he couldn't do anything about it.Amy certainly expresses the dislike and disgust at the mage known to be a former prisoner. Seth himself, even when he could spare a little sympathy for the fellow former prisoner earlier, was no longer thinking so.However, the wellbeing of the villagers was important to Amy. She said to herself. He only did not know whether that would out weight her hate towards Ruis Bagfort who kidnapped, tortured, and killed children. Seth would really like to ask her that, but he got a flash of warning from the System.[No breach of information from the System allowed.]So, after they watched the people beatin
100 Systems Invasion 40. Stricken Back
The light underneath Lou Yi and his feet glowed in a synchronized dance. This was the end of the Dragon Altar and the beginning of a new era. His era. Where the world would only remember the name of whoever is strong and wouldn’t question his original intention.But, a dash of golden slashed across from him. A sliver of an old friend, a young face from so long ago. Wanwan interrupted the Diversion that Lou Yi casted.And with it, he fell through reality, lost in the push and pull, the discordant song of space and time. He fell and flew, in a second, it no longer differed. Only darkness. He opened his eyes and then became aware that they were open in the first place.He felt strange.It felt empty.Why did it felt empty?But, it wasn’t empty anymore. Something else was there. A dazzling light, so vivid that his eyes hurt, he closed them. It was calling him. But he had to be somewhere, didn’t he?When he opened them again, he found himself in a world of chaos.Striker was disoriented. Th
100 Systems Invasion 41. Dear Me
She was dead. And with her body buried in a sacred funeral, he took a thumb driver out of her table’s drawer.Oh no, he didn’t meant to. She wanted me to have it, was a lie he prepared in case someone asked. But, no one ever ask him anything anymore. He was not the favorite people to have around. Who would, in their right mind, want to be associated with him. A King of Thief, he used to proudly declare himself, since long before he could remember, seeking attention while elusively avoiding any accusation the law enforcement tried so hard to arrest him with.Now? He didn’t care at all.Even so, he still prepared another argument. It was in his nature, he would say, as part of his brain would reminded him of the morality he was not familiar with. Then, they wouldn’t press for more, because that’s what they expected of him. They knew too well.One thing he didn’t prepare was, “What the hell are you doing here?”He bolted out of her room, out of her house, leaving behind a man he knew by
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- 100 Systems Invasion
79. Table Turned
The raid was a bust.The lieutenant didn't even wait until they were in the privacy of his office before chewing him like useless gum. He demanded, "What is this, Monroe?"Mark bit back the urge to say, 'What did I tell you about raiding it yesterday, Sir?' He waited quietly and avoided any eye contact from the many people in bulletproof vests with bold 'PPD' on their back, strapping their gun back into safety and rounding up their failed attempt. "Why did I spend three hours of driving to the middle of nowhere with a full squad to take down a drug lab and slavery den while there's nothing here?"Again, instead of pointing out that the raid should have been done as quickly as he had suggested, Mark waited."Tell me, Monroe, why are you even screwing up this bad after the rookie slip up with that fake journalist in the warehouse?"'This is not my fault,' he thought. "We are too late, Sir," he said."Too late? Are you saying I'm too slow to act?" Madsen retorted angrily. "Do you even k
- 100 Systems Invasion
78. Make a Move
"You're so annoying, do I have to remind you every hour?" Rhea grumbled from the passenger seat, watching the dark-haired man behind the steering wheel as the car drove itself to the hill house. "Old news," Lucian commented and then glared at her. "But I already said not to let him into this again."Of course. "Mikhal's right. You do sounds like a jealous secret boyfriend.""Ha. Ha." There was no humor behind that. "First, I am not your boyfriend, I'm your fiance. Second, you're the one keeping this a secret, not me."Rhea grinned, "You didn't deny the first one? Are you jealous?""So what?" She frowned but didn't say anything else. She still couldn't figure out why he was jealous of that tall coworker of hers. No matter how many times she asked him, Lucian wouldn't tell.'Or you just never believe his answer,' a small voice at the back of her head supplied helpfully. She brushed it off because it was total drivel. There was no way Lucian actually felt jealous just because he liked
- 100 Systems Invasion
77. Running for Life
She was not as reckless as Lucian sometimes said to her. But she was still new in this espionage thing, and Mikhal suddenly pushed her down to the ground. Her heart raced, pounding noisily along with the blood in her ears. Mikhal's tall figure was equally low by her side. Confidence may fool many people, but she had none of it right now. Especially not after a burly man in a tank top suddenly pointed his long firearm in her direction, right before she took another shot of the drug lab with her phone. Breathing quietly, they waited in suspenseful silence until the man turned his weapon away from their direction. Another man came out of the drug lab's door, probably exchanging words before both of them went inside again. Rhea exhaled in relief, shoulders slumping down as both Mikhal and her shared a look. They moved closer, trying to get more proof from the small window at the side of the building now known as the drug lab. Not only from the chemical glasses with some colored liquid
- 100 Systems Invasion
76. Into Hidden View
After four days of work, Rhea finally got her day off again. Mikhal texted her, 'Meet you at East Station in twenty.' Smiling to herself, Rhea texted back an affirmation. "So…" Liz glanced at her from behind the steering wheel, "If I may ask, where are you going, Miss Rhea?""Out," she merely said."Any specific place in mind?"Rhea locked her phone, "Not really."The bespectacled girl looked uncomfortable for a second before she asked again. "Do you have any companions?""Yes.""Oh. Who is that?"Rhea narrowed her eyes, not liking where the bespectacled girl was going with this. "Is this an interrogation?""No, of course, not." Liz hastily said, topping it with an awkward laugh that she tried to make it sound natural. "I'm sorry if it came out like that, Miss Rhea. I didn't mean to."She sighed, turning to the sturdy houses that came into view as they finally reached the town's area. "It's fine. Lucian ordered you to do that, right?" Liz stayed silent, so she'd take that as a yes.
- 100 Systems Invasion
75. Coping Mechanism
The cafeteria was full of cola and burgers. "Free dinner for everyone!" one of the senior staff called out as they entered it. Rhea grinned – almost jumped in excitement – as her favorite food was served in front of her for free. Emi, on the other hand, chimed in a loud voice, "We don't pay to eat here!"She stuffed her face with the burger. She sat surrounded by a white shirt and blue vest-wearing staff, finally having a nice break out of the craziness of the afternoon shift. "I can't believe I was so excited about it before."Emi smiled broadly, munching on her mouthful bite of burger. She looked funny. "Didn't I tell you that it's crazy?""Yes, but you carefully left out the fact that it is precisely like that oddball group all over again, except, it happens continuously. Marching in a group in the lobby, then shoving each other to get in the elevator. Why do we only have four elevators, anyway?""But it only happens in the afternoon. After that, it's pretty slow, isn't it?"Rhea h
- 100 Systems Invasion
74. Unwritten Law
Lucian had been at the scene of serious diplomacy once, ages ago as he was still ten, where his father was showing him how to negotiate with a foreign mafia boss from another country. Earl would sign an agreement of letting said mafia boss move into Livingard and give him a little territory on the border to set up whatever operation they had planned. Earl would get back his prized butler slash right-hand man safely in one piece in exchange. He was fond of that man, his favorite butler. A middle-aged friendly guy who had a penchant for cutting apples into beautiful figures and dragging Lucian out of bed before dawn for a morning run. So, hearing that his favorite butler would be back after missing – he was captivated by the foreign mafia after accidentally crashing his motorbike to the mafia's daughter on the road – for three days, Lucian was eager when his father wanted him to tag along. It was supposed to be a valuable learning experience for him.One of the foreign mafia subordinat
- 100 Systems Invasion
73. At Least We Try
'Let him be, don't talk to him, whatever, just ignore him.'She didn't even want to see him. But bottling her overflowing emotions? It was a ridiculous idea.Then a notification chimed in, breaking into her bubble of thought, pulling her from the suffocating underwater feeling. 'How's' your girl's day out with Emi?' Mikhal texted her, oblivious to the chaos she made herself. 'She was great.' She texted back.'Cool. No more outings today?' His reply came seconds later, followed by three dots, signifying he was typing now. 'Imma starts the afternoon shift today. Dunno what to expect.''Expect the worst.''Never know u'r such a pessimist.'She wasn't. Fine, maybe she was. Just at the moment, though. Rhea responded with a laughing emoticon. Followed by a string of crying yellow faces.'What was that?' She bit her bottom lip, 'I want to go out.' Her thumb sent it before she even read the line. She considered deleting it. No use, Mikhal already typed again.'I'm free, if you were asking
- 100 Systems Invasion
72. The Walk Down
Sprinting to the beach, Rhea suddenly stopped before her sneakers touched the wet sand. Quickly taking them off, Rhea looked around for a place to put them without getting worried that the wave would sweep on them or someone take them away. Not that she was suspicious of some people enjoying the beach there, or that her shoes were extremely pricey – they were, not that Rhea knew about that, because it was Lucian who paid – but Rhea didn't want to lose her only pair of sneakers.She looked back to Lucian's parked car on the edge of the beach, where the dry ground met with green patches of grass. Squinting her blue eyes, Rhea calculated how much force she needed to get her shoes to the car's side. The light brown-haired girl got into a stance as if she would throw a slider with her sneaker as the ball. Then, Rhea let go of one of her sneakers in a powerful side swing. It flew in a bent trajectory and landed safely on the dry sand, though still a little far away from the car."Ah, I need
- 100 Systems Invasion
71. Wolf in the Flesh
It was the first time Rhea saw a wolf in real life.The wolf looked like how a wolf would in a book or movie. Nothing special, unlike the jet-black wild wolf she saw in a show. Or the majestic white wolf in legends. The animal in front of her looked just like the usual wolf. Short, triangular ears. Broad snout. A long tail. Looking slender yet seems powerful in its built. Its back was grey, so was its upper head. While the rest of its fur was light brown, and the underside was white.Rhea could not believe it."Should we continue?" Jo asked, stepping slowly on the gas pedal.As Jo drove the car past the watchful gaze of the wolf, Rhea felt a shudder run through her body. Either it was a creepy coincidence, or Lucian somehow controlled the wolf to appear there and failed Rhea's escape. Which sounded impossible. Both of them.It was some minutes later that Jo stopped the car. They were near the first building in the outskirt of Stradfield's little town. "Are you sure you want to get off
