Chapter 221 - 221 – The Big Question

The mech swung its sword, making a scraping sound of blade and air. The sound was loud enough that it made the horses in the stable neigh in surprise.

"I think the moves are pretty good," Yvonne told Eric to use a portable communication device.

"You think so?" Eric, who piloted the mech, responded.

Even though there are some colonists whose melee attack abilities are higher, I purposely chose Eric because he's the most familiar with the technology, so he doesn't have to learn too much.

Eric opened the cockpit, then shouted. "Leva, bring your things! We're leaving now!"

"Coming!" Leva shouted back.

"Hey!" Miro approached the mech. "You said you're heading west, right? Can I hitch a ride? Even if your destination isn't as far as Acornhull, I can still help, and after that, I can continue my own journey back home."

I knew this could happen because I did ask Eric to consult with Miro about the path to use. So, I have prepared a precautionary measure.

Miro must not know that his tribe is destroyed, or else he will act recklessly. The big tall man is hard to control, after all.

Using her stealth ability, Kat hugged Miro from behind.

"Don't go. I still want you here." Kat said in a flat tone.

Miro was frozen and speechless because of the shocking incident.

"Ah, maybe she keeps a blank face, but her heart says otherwise, Miro!" Manu laughs. He spoke according to my instructions. So, after that, he scratched his head.

"Please." Kat sighed.

I could see the corners of the amber-eyed girl's lips twitch. Hang on, Kat. It's only temporary.

Miro giggled, then rubbed his head with a blush. "Looks like I'll be here for a few more days."

As soon as Kat let go of her hug, Miro turned around and grabbed the amber-eyed girl's hands.

"Hey, how about we go for a walk, Kat?" Miro asked in an enthusiastic tone. "You've done all your chores, right?"

Kat nodded stiffly. Miro caught his breath, then started walking while pulling the amber-eyed girl's hand.

Again, I'm sorry, Kat.

Leva waved to the two of them. "Have a good time."

Using the rope, Leva then climbed into the cockpit. There was actually a mechanism like an elevator to get in. Still, it was broken, and it was not a priority for repairing the part.

"I'm going, guys!" Leva waved to the others.

The other colonists gathered also waved and bid farewell. Eric nodded to Seb, who just kept quiet.

Eric pressed the button to close the war object's cockpit, then pushed one pedal with his foot. The mech started to move using the wheels on its feet.

"And you have to set it up like this." Eric helps Leva use the seat belt.

"So, do you think the decision not to tell Miro was the right one?" Leva asked after Eric sat back in the driver's seat in front of her.

"What do you think? Nobody decides, right? We all took the initiative not to tell Miro."

"Eric, how's your status?" Trevor's voice came from the cockpit speakers.

"Well, we're on our way, Trevor."

Trevor sighed. "How long will it take you guys to get here?"

"At this pace, maybe we'll be there in three days." Eric shrugged. "Sorry, this mech's state is not optimal, so our speed is limited."

"Are you kidding me?" Leva replied. "Three days is a very short time to get to Acornhull from here."

Eric smirked. "You wouldn't believe this thing's speed at maximum."

"I just fixed my radiation level meter." Trevor continued his speech. "The level is 0%, so it's safe to take the antidote that's inside the other mechs."

"Good then." Eric nodded. "You better get some rest, Trevor. From the activity log, I see the device you're using is constantly connected to this mech. You seem to keep checking the components of this thing. You didn't sleep all night."

"Don't worry about it... But you're right. Maybe after this, I'll take a break."

"Before that, Trevor...." Leva gulped. "May I ask you something?"

"Ah, you're Leva, who Eric said will join this expedition, aren't you? Sure, you can ask anything."

It took a while for Leva to finally be able to ask. "Sorry, maybe Eric already asked this. I just wanted to make sure. Is it true that all the members of Acornhull have been wiped out?"

"I don't know if anyone managed to escape. However, from the recordings of the mechs, I saw that everything in this small village was burned to the ground, people were massacred, I don't think it's possible that anyone would survive. If anyone did escape, they should have been detected by these out-of-control mechs." Trevor explained. "I still have footage of the incident, but I advise you not to watch it."

"That's enough, Trevor." Leva looked nervous. "Your answer is enough. Thank you."

"Then let's end this conversation. Have a good rest, Trevor." Eric added.

"OK."

Leva leaned back and massaged her forehead. Perhaps she thought of Miro, who had lost his entire family. Leva knows what it's like to lose family.

***

At night, Eric stopped the mech near a hill. As soon as the cockpit door opened, Leva looked outside and vomited profusely.

"Shit." Leva cursed. "Why am I like this when I'll have to practice using this thing while traveling?"

For Leva, now was just a phase of getting used to the mechs first. Later, she will be taught to drive this mech and swing its giant sword. I purposely ordered her to join Eric as a backup pilot. The course of the battle is unpredictable. Eric could have been injured and couldn't continue piloting this giant metal object.

"Have you been nauseous since earlier?" Eric asked while raising an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me?"

While wiping her mouth, Leva leaned her back. "I just don't want to dirty this place, Eric."

Or maybe this woman just wanted to look strong and fit to drive this thing.

"Ah, it's easier if I sit outside." The red-haired woman added.

"If you said earlier, I can give you some anti-nausea medicine." Eric reached into the backpack he was carrying, then pulled out leaf-wrapped pemmican. "Now eat, and after this, you take your medicine so that you have a good rest."

"Does it taste like the fever-reducing medicine Gwen gave?" Leva cringed while receiving the pemmican. "Ugh, I hate it. It tastes so bitter."

"Well, at a time like this, you should do it." Eric started to unwrap his pemmican.

Just starting to eat, the speaker in the mech's cockpit made a sound again. "Sorry, were you guys asleep?"

"Not yet, Trevor. We're having dinner. Can we help you?" Eric answered while chewing.

"Ah, thank goodness. The thing is, this situation really depresses me, Eric. Together with the two corpses that .... Ah, you guys are having dinner. Sorry again."

"You need someone to talk to, Trevor?" Leva replied. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know myself either."

I put my mouth close to Leva's ear. "Talk about the creatures that exist on this planet."

"I heard the animals here are genetically modified or something brought from that big ship." Leva took a bite of her food.

"There are not only real genetically modified animals here, but there are also common animals that evolved. There are one species that probably evolved from cassowaries, which is much more aggressive." Eric added.

Leva shook his head. "They are nightmares."

"Interesting," Trevor responded. "Hey, you two. Do you know what phenomenon caused the escape pods to fall at different points in time?"

"I don't know, though I heard a few theories, like black holes and the like," Eric answered again.

"Well, that's a reasonable answer. However, I'm one of the witnesses to the incident that caused the big ship to crash, Eric." Eric's tone grew serious. "It's not a cosmic phenomenon or anything... Well, maybe it's a cosmic phenomenon. What's clear is that what caused the incident to happen was probably a living being, Eric."

Eric and Leva exchanged glances. Even this surprised me. Of all the Hvisland players on earth, no one had gotten this kind of info. No one has been able to unravel the mystery that exists. The developer of this game is crazy until this mystery is still unsolved.

This means that no player has reached the end of the game yet.

"What do you mean, Trevor?" Eric raised his eyebrows.

"I'd better show you the videotape."

The screen in the cockpit then shows a starry view of outer space.

"This... In the night sky?" Leva asked.

"No, this is in outer space... If you fly all the way to the sky, then, in the end, this is the scene you see. You come off your own planet." Eric answered.

Then, from below appeared a gigantic black figure with a whitish blue aura around it.

"What the fuck is that?" Eric hissed, bringing his face closer to the screen.

The figure was without facial features like the guardian spirits in this land.

"I remember very well the question this mission commander asked.." Trevor's voice grew heavier. "He said: Is that God?"