Chapter 266: Knocking On The Gate 2

"W-why are we doing this again..?" Landin said, gasping for breath, his hands on his knees.

Drake stretched back and forth, extending his arms as he bent from one side to the next.

"Because, unlike us. Mr. Hogue can only continue on for so long. If we could move how we wanted we could make it to Sandal in about a day, but unfortunately that isn't possible right now so it will take at least a day and a half. So to make the best use of the time we might as well have some fun."

Charlotte lunged forward her lightning-clad spear shooting past Drake's face by mere inches as he bent backward gripping the spear with his bare hands.

The sound of sizzling flesh crackled from the contact, but Drake ignored the pain, pulling in the spear and throwing Charlotte across the snow-covered area.

"Fun for who exactly?" Landin sighed, taking in a deep breath, "Ifrit! Tundra Howl!"

Charlotte cleared the distance, twirling in the air and landing a few feet behind Landin, the bristling pup in front of him growling as small embers of pale blue fire began escaping his closed maw. A moment later the wolf pup howled, his mouth parting to let loose the massive eruption of ice flames trained right for Drake.

Drake raised a hand, a scarlet red magic circle producing a white flame instantly in front of him. The flames spread creating a shield and battling with the onslaught of the icy barrage, steam, and vapor hissing within the area.

The small pup did his best to keep up the stream of pale blue fire only to sputter out a few seconds later, falling face-first into the snow, his hind legs up in the air.

Drake smiled, his hand closing and his own fire extinguishing, "Fun for me of course."

A growl sounded from behind him and Drake moved his left hand in a sweeping motion, deflecting Kalik Tu's closed fist covered in white light.

"Pacing is getting better all around. Your learning to capitalize on openings and covering for each other's skill cooldowns more and more, very good!" Drake cheered.

Drake matched the pace of Kalik's strikes, blocking and deflecting each blow, the teen's face growing more and more frustrated as the exchange continued fruitlessly.

Both had improved on their close combat, but unfortunately for Kalik, Drake simply overshadowed him in stats and battle experience.

The teen was unable to gain ground before two more of his team charged into the fold.

Charlotte roared as she thrusted forward with her two spears, Atropos moved in closely behind her, a black-covered scythe leaving trailers of pale gray as she tried to slash down intertwining her strikes with both Kalik and Charlotte.

Drake picked up the pace his hair shifting to a brilliant yellow hue as he weaved in between the blows, careful to avoid Atropos's strikes due to their particular status effects. The clash of the four continued for several more seconds, each passing moment frustrating the teens as they failed to land a direct blow against Drake.

"Incoming!" Quetz shouted from above.

In that brief moment, all three of the teens halted their assault, leaping backward.

Drake looked upwards, Quetz holding her rifle the barrel glowing a bright green, a tempest swirling the wind around the charging shot.

"Howling Gale!"

Quetz shouted her skill the clinking of the hammer hitting the back of the casing ringing through the air as the shot fired off roaring down from above.

The bullet slammed into the ground kicking up snow and dust.

"Ah! Oops!" Quetz stammered, "Where did Drake go?" she chirped.

Drake tapped her shoulder, Quetz turned around startled so much that her feathers turned yellow.

"What are you doing causing a smoke screen for me…" he admonished.

Quetz stuck her tongue out and Drake shook his head, grabbing her by the arm.

"Take this seriously!" he shouted twirling mid-air as he launched her downward.

Quetz screamed as she careened toward the hard frozen floor below only to be caught by gentle condensed threads slowing down enough to cushion her fall.

Drake fell softly down to the ground, the teens exhausted.

"Let's call it here for now," he sighed.

"We did not even land a blow…" Atropos grumbled, her scythe skill dissipating as she fell backward into the snow.

"It's only natural based on our level differences," Charlotte said, trying her best to mask her own frustration, yet unable to keep her hand from gripping her spear more tightly.

Drake pursed his lips.

"Why do you think I made you fight me?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Cause you like torturing us to boost your own ego?" Landin answered.

Drake flicked a small rock at his head.

"Wrong."

"You wish to show them what it is like to fight something you have no hope of beating," Mordred said from the sidelines.

Drake snapped his fingers, "Correct."

"Isn't this a bit much for something like that? " Charlotte asked.

Drake shook his head.

"Sarah," he said addressing Sah Ul', "When we first met, what was your first thought?"

"Child," she replied instantly.

Drake coughed, "Okay second thought, after we started fighting."

"I had no hope of winning."

"And what did you do?"

"Regardless if I could win or not, it was my duty to protect my tribe. I had to fight on," she said tersely.

Drake nodded.

"It is your job, despite you being unable to win, in the face of an insurmountable opponent. If your comrade's or loved one's lives are at stake. To keep fighting. This little training exercise will pale in comparison to the real thing, but take the lesson in stride. There will be opponents, monsters, and whatever else that will be stronger than you and it will be your job to still prevail."

Before the teens could talk, Drake raised a hand.

"I don't want answers. I just want you to think on it. Could you have attacked differently to wear me down, could you have prolonged the fight, could you have struggled more, used potions, and items to help you or harm me. These questions should be at the back of your mind always. Do not forget the struggles that forged you until this point."

A beat of silence lingered over them as Drake hoped they understood and internalized his advice.

I should take a page out of my own book. It's been too long since I've had a real fight. The Amalgamations pushed me, but that was only because I let my emotions get to me… There are people out there who can beat Cardinal Beasts just like I can. I should give it some more thought about finishing them off and progressing. Drake pondered.

He turned letting the teens rest for a spell, walking back to where he had left Hudson, his troop of soldiers, and Mr. Hogue.

"Hey pup, how long are you going to keep giving us the cold shoulder treatment?" Hudson asked.

"It's not like I want to treat you like this. But at least until we get to Sandal, it is what it is. I can't risk more happening, especially when I can prevent it," Drake grumbled, "So cut me some slack and just behave. If you are innocent, you got nothing to worry about."

Hudson scoffed, "Feels a lot like when we were in the tutorial. Prison is still a prison, don't matter much if I can see the damned bars or not."

Drake sighed, "Call it what you will, but don't point fingers when the place you pledge allegiance to is dealing with not only beastkin trafficking but human trafficking and perhaps even other races like it's some kind of open secret."

"I told ya, I ain't know nothing about that!"

"And I told you, if that's true then once I deal with Sandal. You all are free to leave."

"And what exactly are ya going to do?"

"Exactly what you think I am," Drake said coldly, "You saw the ghouls in the tutorial, but you didn't see what they have done to towns, thousands if not more of people changed or worse. All facilitated by that city, maybe others too. So Sandal is the first on my shit list."

Before Drake could go another round with Hudson, all of the soldier's eyes on them filled with concern. Drake's pocket vibrated and he slipped his hand into it pulling out a small crystal.

"Is this thing working? Natto dear, I thought you said I only had to put mana into it…" a voice said from the crystal.

Drake looked at it, a strong urge to slip it back into his pocket or inventory becoming stronger by the second.

"M-mom…?" Drake asked.

"Oh! It works. Drake! How dare you leave without telling your mother!"

Drake began walking away from the group, his head beginning to hurt, "I'm not a kid. I have, ya know… Important things to do."

"You might be big and important! But you're not old enough or important enough for this whoopin! I am still your mother! I swear to the lord, Drake Wallen, when you get back here-"

Drake placed the crystal into his pocket, cutting off and muffling the conversation, a cold sweat forming on his face.

"Ah…maybe I won't go back for a few days, or years…"

—---

Drake and his party moved through the snow-covered forest northward toward Sandal. Resting the bare minimum for Mr Hogue as the teens continued to train every few hours.

Mordred, Glen, and Lucium fought monsters where they were allowed, but unfortunately, the levels of the monsters seemed to be increasing as well as their numbers only allowing for Sarah and the teens to fight for now.

It wasn't that Mordred was weak, far from it. Her class was of Legendary Rarity, but she simply did not have enough skill stones to help round out her kit. The same went for Glenn. Their job this journey was to observe and train to acclimate their new physical bodies' limitations.

Drake had never seen the progression of a combat assistant, but it seemed to be roughly the same as Natto. While they increased in strength, their physical appearance did not seem to change too dramatically.

Lucium grew as a normal Mana Vessel would, through experience, but Drake couldn't help but tease the man when he saw him pop the cores of F-Rank Monsters and the odd skill stone into his mouth, chewing them like candy.

"Do they taste good?" Drake asked.

"They do not," Lucium answered flatly.

Drake put his hands behind his head going through his screens as he watched Sarah fight the teens this time.

[Drake Wallen]

[Race: Asuran] [F-Rank]

[Profession: Miner P5(0%)[F-Rank], Jeweler P5(0%)[F-Rank]

[Elemental Miller] [Unique] Level 28

[Vitality] 809 (20+ 215%) 

[Strength] 1035 (100 +15%) 

[Dexterity] 805 (95 + 25%) 

[Intelligence] 1237 (95+20%)

[Wisdom] 861 (30 + 220%)

[Endurance] 656 (95 + 230%)

[Free Points] 0

[Titles]

…

Dawning of a Tyrant II, Hated by Many, The Awe of Many, Bounty, First Completionist, Top 3, Top 1, One of Four, Slayer of the West, Fledgling Ruler, Baron, Catalyst of the Capital, One of Four, The Warpath

Pursing his lips he let out a puff of air.

Two more levels to go and I just hit 28… The time it takes just keeps going up. I really have to consider upgrading the planet if I want to keep up my old pace don't I? Drake thought.

Looking at the teens' struggle to fight a fully equipped Sarah, obsidian war-ax and all, he truly wondered if it would be right to do it now. His city could fair decently, that was for certain. It had him, Sarah, Bjorn, and of course the teens, with many other adventurers closing in on level 20 and higher. But he was still apprehensive about other towns and cities.

His eyes turned to the quests ticking down, the deadlines for some closing in more quickly than he would like.

[Limitation Release!]

Time Remaining Until Protection Lifted: 9 Years, 336 Days, 9 Hours, and 54 Minutes.

[The Fight for the Top!]

Time Remaining Until First Round of Voting: 12 Days, 9 Hours, and 54 Minutes.

[World Wide Quest - Defeat the Waves!]

Time Remaining Until First Wave: 71 Days, 9 Hours, and 54 Minutes.

The last not being an official quest, but the scheduled time for the Auction would be only slightly more than a week away.

"Time just ticks away…" Drake mused.

"Did you say something, Monsieur Drake?" Mordred asked next to him, Lucium brushing her hair.

"Time is the fire in which we all burn."

"He's doing the thing again," Landin said, pointing at Drake.

"Aren't you supposed to be training?" Drake said pointing back.

"Sarah said to call it a day, we're only a few hours from the city."

Drake waved away his screens, getting up.

"She's right, rest up. You all gained a level from the fighting so far and your training is coming along well. When we get to the city the real fighting will start. Brace yourselves," Drake reiterated, "Mordred, Glenn, Lucium. You're to stay with me at all times. I'm confident you can handle yourselves well enough not to die but we'll have to tread carefully for now regardless."

"It would seem things are getting serious, Lord Drake," Atropos asked.

"Do we expect a fight right from the start?" Charlotte added.

Drake shrugged, "We won't know until we get there. We are going to have Mr. Hogue bring us in as trading partners for now and we'll go from there. Hopefully, they haven't gotten much information about everyone besides me and we can slip in with your levels lowered from the necklaces. Especially Sarah. But I'm not banking on it… Information can travel much faster than I would have guessed. These communication crystals really put a stick in works…"

"Stick in the works? Can we not simply break the stick?" Sah Ul' asked.

"I-I again have no words…" Drake sighed.

"Thank you," Sah Ul' said proudly, sticking out her chest.

"No, I wasn't praising… Never mind. Alright, pack up! We're going!" Drake sighed before shouting.

The group gathered their things, putting out small campfires, and began moving once again.

They encountered a small number but slightly higher-level monsters that the teens took care of. Sah Ul' and Drake supervised while regularly scanning the area.

And just as planned they arrived at the gates of Sandal during the middle of the night.

Drake was at the head of the group with Mr. Hogue, as they walked to the entrance of the city. Unlike Drake's city of ReUnite, there was not a magic-made wall, instead, large amounts of man-made material were piled to erect a makeshift wall around the city.

Running the length of several times the size of ReUnite, cars, trucks, tractor-trailers, and pieces of buildings stood forming a long barrier. On the top of the barrier, instead of guards, there were simply masses of barbed wire.

What surprised Drake was that there were no signs of injustice from the outside. He was unable to glean much from his aura sense from outside the gate, small groups of people moving here and there, others standing what he assumed was guard of certain buildings. But outside of that, he was unable to tell much.

They approached closer until they were stopped by the guards at the gate.

"That's far enough. State your name, affiliation, and business," said one of them.

They aren't just scanning us like Natto does? So they don't have an assistant controlling the crystal here. Drake noted.

"My name is Senator Hogue from Yundertown, that is also my affiliation. I am here to introduce this man as a possible trading partner, and these people are his company as well as an escort from the New Colonies. Is the city Lord available?" Hogue asked.

"Drake Wallen, Reunite. It is as Mr. Hogue stated," Drake said tersely.

The guards posted looked at one another and quickly one ran off into the town.

After several minutes, Drake looked upwards feeling water on his cheek. The snow had stopped and it was beginning to rain.

A few minutes later the man returned and spoke to one of the guards. Nodding, they all went back into the city, returning quickly with shackles.

Drake raised an eyebrow.

"What is this?" he asked.

"We understand this may be an inconvenience, but due to the circumstances of who you are, we must ask you to wear these Mana Collars and Shackles."

Drake hesitated to answer for a moment. But stepped forward.

"This is only necessary for me?"

"No, your entire group will be required to wear this while inside the city."

If it's only shackles… Drake thought.

"Fine, I will go first then," he said, evenly raising his hands.

The guards nodded to one another as one stepped forward cautiously before snapping the shackles into place on Drake's neck and wrists.

Drake instantly felt a tinge of pain akin to when Atropos struck him, but not nearly as intense.

He peered at his status, his mana only dipping by 5% before holding steady.

Interesting. So it only consumes mana? And they have so many… Are they manufacturing them? I wonder… Drake thought.

Pushing a bit of mana into the shackles, using his Tattoos as a reference for the flow, Drake watched as his status began to drop significantly more. Another 5% then 10% and finally ending at 50% before he heard a small crack, one of the shackles chipping.

Drake's brows rose as he cut the extra flow down to 40% of his total status. Luckily no one had seen or heard the process, too busy with placing the items on the others in the group.

Whoops… That was close.

He watched as the others were forced to follow suit reluctantly. But Drake made sure to smile as they looked to him for direction, hopefully letting them know it was alright.

Once everyone was restrained, Drake was not surprised to see what happened next.

"Is that all of them?" a guard asked.

"Yup, that's the last one!"

The guard's face next to Drake turned into a sneer, "Good!" the man shouted as he threw a metal boot into Drake's stomach.

Drake pretended to take the blow, dropping to his knees and letting out a grunt.

"Imagine coming here on your own? Fucking dumbass! We know who you are! And those fake levels won't do you any good. I can't believe you let us put those shackles on you willingly!"

The man threw his head back laughing.

Drake looked up with a grin.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me," he joked.

The guard's face turned to disgust.

"Freak!" he shouted, throwing another boot into Drake's jaw.

The others behind him attempted to move trying to rush the guard, but the shackles were doing their job for anyone but Drake. And he also did his best to meet their eyes to show he was alright.

"Get him up! The boss is busy having fun right now, he said just take them to the sac pits for now."

It took two men to pull Drake up and several more to push him inside. Putting up a fight was intentional though as Drake wanted to keep the focus on himself.

He saw how the guards were looking at some of the women already and he wasn't sure he could continue with his plan to just walk in and gain some more information if they attempted to do anything, unsightly.

Ushered into the city, Drake was finally able to get a good look around. The city itself seemed to be partially man-made from the ground up and a combination of a pre-system city. There were broken but paved roads here and there, and it seemed that most of the city was partitioned.

Here at the gate's entrance, the city looked all things considered normal. But that soon changed.

Pushed through the streets they came to a large partition, this one magic-made. A large towering earthen wall with a steel gate.

What hit Drake first was the smell. It made his nose hairs curl just getting in the vicinity of the gate.

The gate raised and they were forced through. Immediately the scenery changed. All around them were straw and mud huts, rundown buildings, and long lines of people, beastkin, elves, and what looked to be fish-people or mermen. All chained together with various scars and worn clothing on them.

Each one of the lines had at least one guard with them, whip in hand and a disgusting crooked smile on their face.

"What manner of hell is this…?" Mr. Hogue muttered next to Drake.

Drake didn't answer his head panning the area and trying to take in everything he could see, sense, and hear.

He also waited for a notification that he still had not received.

Where's the declaration notification? Is this not a system-sanctioned town? Or is the influence of the city lord so small it can't cover the entire city? Drake thought.

His head swiveled to the sound of shouting as they were forced forward toward another partition in the distance.

Being abused were many of the captives, but Drake made out a race he had not seen since leaving the tutorial. A woman with the upper half of a human, and the legs of a spider.

"An Arachne…?" Drake said in a hushed tone.

The woman was being whipped in front of him. Whipping her a slender man with a sneer. He cracked his whip, pointing to several machines in anger.

"Can't you produce more?! I'm the one that gets in trouble if we can't meet our quota you damned insect! We got orders to fill for your damn thread!"

Drake clicked his tongue, unable to hold back as his eyes shifted to yellow briefly and he directed a concentrated pulse of aura at the man.

The man paused, paling instantly before he coughed and grabbed his throat as fell forward. The Arachne looked confused until she caught Drake's eyes and bowed her head slightly.

Drake pretended to see nothing, cutting of his aura and Apex ocular skill, walking as he was pushed from behind.

But not even a few feet later another scuffle broke out.

Being pulled from a building, an old, short man, who was far too skinny for his frame, was dragged across the quickly muddying ground.

"P-ple..ase..! S-spare him! I-i n...e...ed him!" a voice shouted from behind, running out of the building, "D-d..on't! D-don't take my father!"

"This old fuck is useless! If he can't make weapons anymore, there's only one place he belongs! And that's the pits!"

"P-please! I'll… d-do twice the wo..rk!" the girl pleaded.

Drake's eyes turned cold, watching the elf girl, no. Seeing her ears, she was something else. They weren't long like the other elves he had seen. She was short but at least a foot taller than her father, and her ears were pointed, longer than a human's, but shorter than an elf's. A dwarf perhaps?

The man yelled, kicking the girl to the ground and pulling a sword from his hip instead of a whip.

"Get back into that forge damn it! Do you want to die?!"

Drake moved before he could think, pulling the men struggling to hold him back, three words escaping his lips.

"I've seen enough."