Chapter 207 Group Projects



I walked into the abode of Melia. The surroundings changed as she noticed me. Various tools and other such things were put away rabidly as she walked gracefully towards me.

I guess she had given up on trying to hug my body as even now she wasn't lunging…

'Nope, it seemed I spoke too soon' I thought to myself before dodging to the side.

However to my surprise she predicted that and in midair changed her trajectory.

"Oof" I grunt out loud, feeling my back fall to the ground.

Arms start to stroke at my hair before they lower to my head. 

It parted the hair that fell in front of my eyes and made me look into her own.

"What a pleasure… to be visited by you twice in one day. How wonderful"

I just sighed and pushed her off of me, all the while pushing myself off of the hardwood.

I dust myself off before sitting back down on a nearby chair.

I raise my head to look at Melia who was smiling down at me.

"I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? you hadn't even said that when you left for that other realm."

"Yes… I didn't but this is different, I'm going to be gone for quite some time. That means that you…"

I point at her.

"I want you to develop this territory to the best of your abilities, I trust that by the time I'm back that this will be a striving metropolis."

With that sit up and walk through the door, behind me was a silent Melia who seemed to be staring dreamily at my back.

…

All around me were the fifty soldiers that I had chosen and evolved, each of them looked like war hardened veterans.

In fact hardened veterans was exactly what I would call them as that was exactly what they were.

From what I had seen from their evolutions they had gone through countless hardships just to end up as powerful and connected as they are now.

It was why I didn't say anything, there was no need.

With a flourish of my arms I defend upon them, my weapons behind my back as I start my assault int eh first squadron.

They fought valiantly, with teamwork and attacks aplenty yet they stood no chance against me.

I nodded at them and gestured for them to move to the side before attacking the next.

In and on it went until the last of the squads were left.

I focused on th is one a bit more than the rest. It was composed of three people, all males.

The unique thing about this was that one of them was the first one that I had evolved.

The one that had probably had the hardest evolution and lived to tell the tale.

The one that I had my hopes up for the most.

It was why when I saw their teamwork that I was disappointed. It was disjointed the other two working better with each other than with the first one to evolve.

I just sighed at that and motioned them off to the side after I was done with them.

Sure it had happened to others too but I was especially disappointed that the one I had put attention onto was stifled.

However if he could overcome that then he truly would shine.

It was why I didn't separate them. Instead without a moment's hesitation I activated the teleportation.

A blinding light and we were gone, the surroundings echoing in the silence.

My mouth thinned into a frown as I looked at the surroundings around me. We were back into the icy surface.

…

I felt the cold breeze pierce through my clothes. It bit into me like an old enemy.

I sighed, my breathe coming out as fog in the wind.

Looking around all I saw were mountains of ice.

Tightly I gripped the sniper at my side before looking towards the Lord.

He seemed to be contemplating something before, just like me, he sighed.

A wave of his hand and we followed.

The others were all as cold as me, yet they did not show it. As if they were used to this.

'Heh' I laughed to myself. They were all faking toughness. I could tell, my many experiences with those creatures allowing me to find the body language perfectly.

I knew they were just acting tough to impress either the lord or someone near them.

However gradually those thoughts receded as the cold further but into me. I shivered, not bothering to hide how cold I was.

I lightly rubbed at my skin m, trying to generate any heat that I could, yet that did not work.

Another sigh, though this one was not of me. It came from the front where the Lord was.

At the same time our marching stopped, it had only been an hour but I was already so cold.

I watched as his gaze fell upon us all, flinching when it came my turn.

Eventually he sat down a fist banging on the mountain behind us to reveal a cave.

It was small but if we all crammed in there we could fit.

I noticed that there were signs of fire and smoke however it seemed old maybe days or weeks old.

Hurriedly we were rushed into the cave. Each of us finding a spot.

I rubbed my hands together watching as the fire crackled.

It was instant, the fire lighting I mean. However long it felt it was only an instant.

I had to remind myself of that, it seemed like the cold was really getting to me.

…

I woke to the sound of silence. Though I knew some people were awake, even through the darkness I could tell.

I didn't know how but I had an instinctive feeling of presence.

Like I knew their condition. Though those thoughts were purged from my mind as soon after my squad mates found me.

They were silent but I knew that they were there.

There was food in their hands, they reached out to me and gave me some. Hushing me as a small note of light lit up the room.

I looked around and saw the sleeping form of the Lord. Around him were his retinue.

Delta, Tama, and Aoif.

They were all leaning their heads on him. To be honest I was quite jealous however I didn't want what he had.

It wasn't something as simple as base urges but I just wanted companionship. Something that I had never been given.

I sigh again at my loneliness all the while closing my eyes and looking to the ceiling.

I open them a moment later only to make it easier to gulp down my food.

Soon after the wall that covered the cave was let down, our march beginning anew.

…

It was hours before we found ourselves stopping again.

Only this time it was not to shelter but to a giant hole in the ground.

"Find your own way down, I believe in you."

That damned smirk, it was the one that she had given us before dragging Darwin and the others down with her.

"Welp…"

I turn to my squad, my eyes dead at the thought of finding my way down.

"Welp what?" A hard voice whispers in the wind.

"I mean that I don't know how or we are supposed to get down there," I say, matching the tone of the person.

"It's simple, we just jump. Don't worry I'll catch you." The last line was said in a sneer.

Even though I knew in my heart that he had no Ill will towards me it was still irritating that I had to deal with him but he was the only one that didn't have others waiting for him to join their squad.

I looked over to the side only to find the harsh smile of my other squad mate. 

He was nodding along to the other, his eyes trailing down the hole as if it was something fun to do rather than a dearth sentence.

"Wha-!?!?!" I yell, my voice echoing through the hole as the harsh laughter sounded above me.

I spread eagle, my limbs reducing my speed slightly however in just seconds I knew I would go splat on the ground.

I saw death in my vision, knowing that in just a few moments I would die. Yet I raged in, my hand reaching to the rifle at my side.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes again, renewed vigor in them.

A push of energy and the pull of a trigger.

A bang echoed out, the bullet flying into the ground at such speeds that it knocked me back, slowing my descent.

"Gah!" I yell, my stomach falling on the ground and injuring my body.

Slowly I sat up and groaned, my middle finger flipping off the two laughing teammates as they descended to the ground.

It only encouraged their laughter, I could hear it from here even as they were hundreds of feet away from me.

I just sigh and rub my wounds, they were healing yet they wouldn't be at full strength for a day.

All thanks to those damned teammates of mine.