Bloodlust

“There is another mystery case happen to the city of Belhag, there are currently no sign of life surviving there, and we even heard that human beings who use to be staying at there being slaughter at there, do things look so ugly at there? No people ever dare walk in to the place even a step towards the city right now, and now being stated as the ghost city, reporting this news, Precia from 789 channel.”

-On HQ Office-
Beep, the television of the High General Eric had being off while he was looking towards the new candidate of the army to reinforce his new squad, the division 10 of his team, DotZ squad, led by his newest student and he felt there is no use of her, Alicia, in the squad with her magic power, magnification detection, the ability to sense enemy within a certain range, with specify class and ability while on a trigger mode on dangerous situation, but consumption rate is 4-5 times per day, it consumed too much of physical strength and mental energy.

He pressed the button on the phone, “Please call new team leader for me, what’s her name again? Something start with A, oh yeah, Alicia. Ask her to come forward to my office immediately,” asked HG Eric.

“Yes, right away sir,” his secretary Lu.

Knock knock, “May I come in, Sir?”, “You may come in” said HG Eric while marked some elites going to employed to her squad. “Ah, Alicia my new student, here I have pick some elites to your squad, with the current backup of vice-leader Rachel, mechanic enchanter JY and tactician Jacky I think it probably should be enough for the whole team to start off, you can always add your own recruits on every journey you make, but you can’t request anymore from the HQ. By now, you should know the elites from my team 1, MK is such a proud student of mine, she expand the squad intelligently, and now her squad is the strongest team in the HQ,” He marked the last person, and had an evil smile from inside his heart, “Elite of the elites, the never use soldier, Hahahaha, everything is going according to plan, just wait for her to accept the assessment, I will send all of them to hell who attempted to danger my position in the past specially the two unranked soldiers that I hate”. Alicia looked at HG Eric and gave him a gentle smile, accepted the list for her new squad, made a bow towards the HG and walk towards the door. HG Eric seemed to be so proud of his selections to her while he forgot to mention something to her, while he heard the door being open, click , he interrupted her movement,

“Oh ya, your team will have a new assessment as soon as you can assemble them well, as you must remember, every of my team units under my leadership always come out with the best solutions without any serious injuries, so I hope to see you doing the same thing too, I don’t want my team to be look down so badly in the HG meeting.”

“Yes HG, I won’t let down the spirit of the your leadership and your teaching towards me, and is there anything else HG?” said Alicia. “There is nothing else, you may leave,” with her shadow slowly disappeared from his eyes, in his mind was eager to get rid of her by giving her to investigate the case of Belhag city, and never had to see her and those two brats again if those two brats passed the test first, followed by a big laughter in his heart.

-On the hallway after seeing the HG-
Walking through the hallway, one of Alicia’s comrade, Jacky and also known as her beloved, who had being together since the start of the army, waited for her at the entrance of the building for a long time. When Alicia saw him, she straight ran towards him and hugged on him. Jacky ask, “How was it, what did the HG say to you? Did he assign some good elites to your squad?”

With a nod on her head, “Yeah, HG gives me 2 members only who he said was elites, but something very unusual about these two guys, besides their name, there is no specialty on them, no rank at all and no classes at all, I remember team leader 1, MK shows me the new employment paper recently, which has so many special ability and a rank B for starters, it was so amazing to have such talented member, and I also remember that there are ranks and classes, rank from F to SSS and there are those SA rank which among the best of the rest, and all those classes specification.”

Jacky remained unknown of what Alicia said, “Is it she added on to herself as a reference for the future battle?” Alicia shook her head, continued explaining, “There is no way she had all the information without looking at the new member before, I am very sure about it, well, we don’t need to argue at here, once we meet them I will write it up my own as for my own reference,” with a gentle smile to her face warmed Jacky’s mind and soul and all those unwanted question. “Well lets go find them in their dorms just right up ahead,” the two agreed on the suggestion and walked out together.

-Outside the HQ office’s fountain/garden, walking towards the dorm-
“Oh ya, what about the assessment?, didn’t he mention anything about it?, I probably have to start to make some tactics for our future battle already after I see the new 2 members, by the way, 2 was too little to give other enemy opportunity to get near you and,” Alicia interrupted the conversation with a smile while looking at the scenery of the mountain far side, “Isn’t it a nice view at here? This place holds an unforgettable key memory between you and me, which you chased me after knowing me for 1 year, and I accepted you, and now, we will going to face the toughest challenge ever,” Piling up her sad mood, “ Yet when I know I will get promotion to be a team leader, I know that I would pass through this place often, so every time I pass through, I will be thinking of you, and make a prayer that you will be safe elsewhere. And in this situation there is no exception too, we will overcome anything if you are always right beside me, leading me with the right tactics, and the love bond between both of us, and I believe that those elites HG gives me sure is quite good soldiers, you worry too much Jacky, we have to face the current problem first while not thinking too far ahead yet.” Jacky was so shocked and surprised after what Alicia told him, he looked straight into Alicia eyes, hold her hands, “I love you, Alicia,” and ended up with a kiss. After that, they stopped a while, Alicia made a prayer to the fountain, “May we pass all the danger together as a team,” then continued to walk to the dorm up ahead.

Jacky looked up the sky, “Woah is almost sunset, we have walked a long path isn’t it ?We have to hurry to meet up them and let them know they have being taken to the squad, sure they will be happy to know the news,” As they arrived at doorsteps of the dorm, Alicia looked around checking the condition around the dorm, “Hey Jacky, have you notice that this place is rather an odd place to have a dorm having such disgusting weird of mana flowing by, and look the tree is dying, the floor have a lot of cracks, and listen,” pong-ping, pong-ping, A gun fired was heard by both of them outside the dorm, “What was going on inside there? They are having training in these hours? I thought everyone should have their rest time right now,” Alicia wondered. As they walked into the dorm, just outside the dorm just around the corner, they missed out the sign which had being fallen to the ground because no people had ever stepped in for ages. It written there “Unwanted Soldier Camp”.

-Inside the dorm-
When they arrived inside, there were two people training in the ring, a very intense pressure fight, fast and furious, and yet they two looked exhausted, and there is 6 people doing some analysis on their training in order to counterpart the movement of the two up there, while some of them minded their own business as they just stay locked in their own room. Jacky shouted “Attention, everyone formed up,” No people was listening to what Jacky yelling, everybody was too concentrated on the battle up there, he scratching his own head and looked to Alicia, and she is looking amaze by the two guys training too, it almost like totally being attract to both of the guys, there is nothing that Jacky can do to stop her right now. In the mean time, a gust of wind flow towards the building, there is a strong flow of high thick mana, and triggers the magical power inside Alicia to activate. Everyone at the ring was shocked that there are two people standing at the entrance of the training ground of theirs, and the mana flew in makes the two exhausted people on the stage eagerly want to anticipate the real battle and slowly the mana flow makes them energetic again.

“There is two enemy spawns lurking around the place, rank D-” mourning in the mouth of Alicia. Jacky straight away drag Alicia to the corner waiting her to gain consciousness. When she returns to normal with a bit of stress and tired on her face, she makes an evil smile and say, “lets see what they abilities when they have to deal with two rank D- enemy, this should turn up very interesting in favor of mine as I could make some adjustment to my new squad, with all those unranked soldiers, Jacky lets hide and see out the situation since they can’t hear your command, teehee,”

“There will be not much chance to gain an advantage position against those D- rank’s enemy with no rank at all, and how sure are you to know that those two on the ring is the one who will be employ to your squad?” Jacky replied with such an uncertain tone, with the mind thinking, “Why HG want to employ two unranked soldier to the squad? Is it he plotting something bad on the assessment towards the new squadron? It can’t be, I have to investigate myself what’s the assessment coming for the future of my own beloved.”

“Never judge girl’s sixth sense, most of the time it will be very accurate,” eagerly anticipating the battle, looking out towards the battlefield.

-Outside the dorm-
One guy is holding a sword and the other one holding guns in his hands charge forwards. They slowly gain sight on the enemy, two monsters standing on the ground, leaking out some dark unknown liquid from their mouth, digesting the ground to little holes.

“Yucks, what is those monster out there, they may look like a dog or a turtle, the liquid are digesting the floor, is it acid? What on their mouth, is like attempting to breath out something,” Alicia whispering to Jacky.

“Oh no, it seems like the two enemy is confirmed as dark slinger, the two guys charging forward will have more disadvantage, they will perform a magical breath call “Dark Breath” right now, it can blinds the enemy for a short amount of time and rampage towards their pray with a single blow attack call “Death Touch”, it is a combo attack by the dark slinger, there are not much chance the unranked guys can stand against them,” while talking Jacky took his stun gun up trying to help them, attempting to rush out is blocked by Alicia, “Listen carefully, if they don’t know how to defend themselves from this situation, how would they survive in the squad with dangerous assessment in the future? If they are fallen, we can still find other people to join in to the squad, this is a gift from HG, and I generally accepted the gift, now is time to test it,” Jacky backs down after hearing the advice from Alicia.

Outside on the battle, the two guys didn’t attempt to see out what the enemy going to do, just charge forward towards it, while they can’t see that they are communicating through soul link. “”Hey M, lets do it out of the teaching of the boring class, want to give it a shot?”” the guy holding the sword suggested. ““Not bad N, our fighting style on a group battle or even head-on is just hard to be read by opponent, lets do it,”” the guy holding the gun, M said so. Suddenly M hold his ground while N charges forward, enchanting “Comes forth the power of lightning, accept the offer of the blade and strikes out the enemy, “Lightning Blade”,” N’s sword charge up with lightning spell, with the atmosphere turning into light purple color following up the lightning sword fading away slowly from the position of Alicia and Jacky, thrusting towards the opponent, slashing the scenery from light to dark. Right before N’s sword reaching the enemy, the dark slingers starting to collect the thick weird mana surrounding the dorm, “Haha, newbies won’t stand a chance against us, your mana flow towards the sword is too weak I can even stand and cast my magic, without any fear, should you be afraid and retreat? Here comes our combo attack, “Dark Breath Pair Attack”, no one will stand a chance against us even a B rank soldier, what about the tiny unranked soldier like you two?” they chewed their mouth, slowly blew out the breath.

While in the hiding place, “Oh my god!!”, Jacky is in a panic situation, he wanted to help out them as he knows there is no chance that they will survived even a single dark slinger combo attack now they are pairing up and he also sensed that N’s flow of mana on his sword is very low, “Dear, don’t block me, this really not the time for stopping me, there will be no chance they will survive with the pair up of combos from dark slingers, they will be KILLED.”

Alicia still holding back on Jacky firmly, “Didn’t you forget what I just told you just now?, and look, one of them is staying behind, they didn’t charge together suddenly, what do you think they are up to right now Jacky and why they separate so far apart, swordsman didn’t have an advantage so near to a dark slinger right? Do they take serious precaution about the skills enemy posses?”

Jacky just aware that what Alicia telling is truth, he started to think back what he learnt from his master, Lord Bowen, he explained “No one ever try this battle plan before against the dark slingers, specially pushing a swordsman to the forward line without any hesitation, in the history of battle plan, there also didn’t have such formation. Interesting idea, I wonder what is the ability of the gunsman?”

“Shh, keep our voice down, I heard some enchanting from the gunsman,” Alicia silenced up Jacky and they two continue to look forward to the battle. “The breeze from the east, the snow from the west, purify the polluted air, “Fairy Snow”,” with a tease smile on M, “Swallowing the past, enduring the current, absorb the snow by offering gunmanship, “Icicle Shot”,” two combination magic, purify the breath with a sneak attack during the mix, cause the dark slingers unprepared, hanging them in the free air of snow with two lance created by M’s gun, ““N, is your turn, finish it up””.

“What such nice breeze we are having right now, do you feel so Jacky?, he sure have a nice aura,” Praising the gunsman by Alicia while feeling the breeze flowing around.

“By judgment I shall repel, “Tempest Storm Lightning Blade”,” slashing the dark slingers into 2 parts with just one blow, N collapsed down to the ground after finishing the slash.”Unbelievable! He sure is a high talent soldier,” Both Alicia and Jacky speechless while seeing the aura of the N’s swordsmanship, with the tremendous aura spilling out from the storm. After not long ago the snow disappeared from nowhere, and M collapsed to the ground too, and some weird fog appeared and blocked the road path towards the HQ building.
Alicia and Jacky quickly rushed out and look at their condition while M is viewable. “Hey are you alright?” while she holding on to M, “What are you doing Jacky?, look for the other guy, they two posses high level magic, I could not believe it, such powerful soldier why don’t HG employ it to MK’s team, instead of ours?”

“Maybe the flow of mana inside them is too weak, and just had intense training which makes them exhausted. You and I also can feel it, they can really perform a well balance much combo, but after that, the two straight away collapse to the ground, or maybe there is some unknown secret inside HQ. I can’t really look for him, the fog is too thick right now I even can’t see the path in front, if we get ambush we stand no chance against any enemy, fast get in to the dorm first, we will think of something after the fog is dismiss,” Jacky looking around for N in some distance between him and Alicia but as far as he concern, he is too far out from their position. “Someone is coming from the far side, dear, lets go back inside,” Jacky runs to Alicia side and help her carried M to a safer position inside the dorm.

“There are two shadows slowly appear in the fog, it is heading towards the dorm,” Alicia whisper to Jacky when they looked outside. As the shadow become fully viewable, there is a third person who was being carried by one of the two people heading towards the dorm. “Hey Jacky, look, is the swordsman, and MK is with him, with another person, I never see him before, but the uniform,”, they two quickly rushed out to greet MK, while getting closer to them, “Oh my, Alicia, what a mess in here, did those two won the battle against the dark slingers?” MK asked.

“Yes, they two are not normal soldier in the squad as I assume, and who is this guy beside you?, and more importantly who are they?” Alicia replied.

“My my such an energetic and reliable new leader, I will answer you in details once we get inside to the dorm, this is not a safe place to have a conversation,” said the guy who carry N. They move on inside the dorm and put the two guys on the bed. “Well I will introduce myself, I am HG Dicy, I will leave MK to do the explanation, while I will heal them up for you, it will takes some time and please do listen carefully to MK explanation,” as Dicy finished his talking, he took out his magical staff, healing both M and N. “Before the healing is complete, I would like no people to disturb me as well as let them have a full rest, I expect you three can do a simple task?”

Both of them looked to MK, “Well, lets head outside the room, we won’t want to interrupt HG to heal up those guys, we will act like guards outside,” replied MK, all three of them bow to Dicy and went out the room.

-Outside the room while guarding-
“He is the latest new HG included in HQ, his ability to read the future of this world and linked to others world outside our reach. Since 1st month of his promotion, he comes forward and have a chat with me privately, he told me that there will be a new group will be establish in 3 months time, and many more, but still, the new group really happen, but I never thought that the leader will be my closest friend Alicia,” MK looked at Alicia and continue explaining, while Alicia rub her own head and smile back to MK, “Those two guys in there, one is Nicholas the swordsman and the other is Martin. Nicholas possess the ancient-Fulka battle style, whereas Martin is ancient-Maldi type gunsman, is those two are employ to your squad Alicia?” when MK finish talking, Alicia quickly checks her list and very surprise and pleased that the two names Nicholas and Martin really is in her squad, she close up the list, watery tears on her eye side wanting to drop out, “MK, those guys make potential threat to the HQ right?”

“No is not that reason, is because HG Eric feels they two have the flair and high latent power to threaten his place as a HG and effects his promotion to higher level, and throughout the thinking of that, he disqualifies this two soldier to this area straightaway after seeing their performance, addition to that, they perform badly in the entry promotion test, and remember that, those two guys lying at there, they carry themselves a lot of burden from the past, they suffered a lot of humiliation and jeering from opposition in our army to come this far. As you come across your assessment, you will find out what lies ahead on your team, study them throughout the battle, journey and chatters, use them wisely, that is all I can tell you right now,” Alicia face expression does not feel so happy about what she heard about those two guys being rejected by the HG she admired for such a long time. Jacky tried to cheer her up. “Oh ya I miss another point, if they want to make up to the squad, they have to pass the test that setup for them for tomorrow.” Sad news just won’t stop coming to haunt Alicia, as she still worried what kind of test that HG Eric setup for them, time and fitness is a key point for the both of them.

Meanwhile far up on the mountain peak, “Tsk, the two guys there, have quite a strong magic, I have to report to the master and inform him to take out them quickly before they recover their own gemstone which interrupts the master to control this world,” a mysterious summoner who was assigned closely to look at the HQ new talent and bring them to darkness path aid the dark master when they are immature to the army yet.