Cleaning Up the Battlefield

As soon as I made sure there was no one around I started rummaging through the dead bodies. First I went through the skinny guys, then the big nose guy, and finally the big hand guy.

I was thorough and meticulous making sure I left no trace of myself behind, almost immediately I came to the conclusion of disposing of their weapons. I started washing them of my blood with the cleaning utensils I had in my bag and which I had ridiculed myself for bringing the day prior. Now they were coming in handy.

I had seen the thugs in my old town, track down people who had offended them through any means, and after that sudden memory hit me, fear of the consequences of what I had just done here took hold of me.

I got rid of the stuff I didn't need first, their clothes, armor, and the like. Most perhaps would take their weapons. I myself was tempted for a moment, but their weapons were big and they were pretty unique, an immediate giveaway of what I had done. If anyone recognized them and their owners saw them I would be done for.

I made a pit, started a big fire, and burned the armor and clothes, then I dug a big hole and buried the weapons a bit farther away from the scene. I wanted to throw them away in a river or creek but I couldn't find one nearby. I also decided to burn my own bloody clothes and put on a new set that was clean.

The fire also helped to keep the wildlife away from the scene, as the stench of blood was still around.

Afterwards I separated the contents of their bags, and burned the useless or dangerous stuff, and separated the valuables in a different pile. While going through some of their stuff I came upon some of their identifications.

They were Clan Tags, each one of them was a member of a different Clan. That was bad news, Clans in Potestera were notoriously proud and vengeful, when it came to defending their Clan members and the honor of their Clans, many Clans would use up all their power and resources.

The big nose guy was part of the Fierce Nose Clan and his name was Noug. The tall lanky guy with the acidic spit was from the Viper Mouth Clan and his name was Yose, and the large guy with the big hands who seemed to be the leader, was from the Titan Hands Clan and his name was Biras.

Damn if any of the Clans find out what I did here I'd probably be screwed, one would be enough trouble let alone three!

I decided to be even more thorough in my clean-up of the battlefield. I scrubbed away the blood wherever I could, all the way until I ran out of the cleaning utensils. I threw dirt over things I couldn't erase and I even muddied up the area that was full of my blood and the enemies by throwing my leftover water in the dirt. I just hope the animals will get rid of whatever is left.

That left the final business to handle, what the heck can I do to the bodies. It was almost night time and I was lucky no one had come and found me and the murder scene. I came to a conclusion I would burn them as best I could.

I dug the biggest and deepest pit I could make with the time I had left, and put all of the most flammable stuff I could find within. I packed it tightly and started bringing one body after another and threw it into the pit.

When I got to Biras and I touched his arm a flash appeared from his body and seemed to transfer to my arm. At that moment I saw two markings that looked like tattoos of different colors appear in my hand, it went from my wrist in a bracelet fashion to my middle and index finger separately in a ring fashion. The blue marking took my middle finger, while the red marking took my index finger.

They stayed there for a while then they faded away. I was left in confusion; I didn't know what to make of the situation. Suddenly I heard a loud deep and very raspy voice come from what seemed inside my mind.

"Welcome to the Ranker World young Adventurer, Congratulations on defeating F Ranker number 2 million five hundred thousand, Biras of the Titan Hand Clan. Your legacy in this world has been cemented, but your journey to the higher realms has just begun. Fortune on your road to the top young Expert."

"Who is it!"

I screamed and looked around for a long while for traces of anyone. But there seemed to be no one around.

What the hell was that voice saying? Was I a Ranker now!

No somebody must be pulling my leg; it couldn't have been this easy.

Whatever it seems there is already a witness of what I did here. And he doesn't seem to want to reveal himself. I have to finish what I'm doing here as fast as possible.

I grabbed onto Biras body and threw it into the pit and immediately set the whole thing ablaze. All the lighting fluids and compressed materials immediately caused a mini inferno. It still was harder than I thought to burn the bodies into ash, to get rid of the bodies I threw more flammable material until the flames covered the body. Then I topped off their bodies with packed branches and dried grass, then I threw on logs and made a makeshift platform and covered it with dirt. I made sure it blended in with the forest floor as much as possible.

I had no idea whether the fire would continue underground or not but I didn't care. I grabbed onto the rest of my stuff, I had not disposed of, as well as my loot from the battle, and took off through an alternative route given by the Guider that didn't follow the road but was still clear of dangerous creatures.

I would take a good look at what I had gotten once I got to a zone I thought was safe.

As soon as nightfall fell I decided to climb up a tree, tie myself to a branch and get some rest. I was too paranoid of what happened today to sleep on the ground.

After an uncomfortable but necessary night of rest, I woke up and got off the tree to continue my journey. I found that although my wounds were not deadly, after all the work I did to get rid of the evidence of the battle I had yesterday, they had worsened. I would have to get them treated eventually.

I decided to cheer myself up by looking at the loot I had earned from the battle. It was the best outcome I could have hoped for Platinum coins!

Tens of Platinum coins as well as a bunch of regular money, gold, silver, bronze, and copper, and even some peculiar gems and jewelry. It seems these guys were having a field day robbing the people of the area, and I just happened to be their next target.

Luckily for me and unluckily for them, their last job didn't turn out so well for them.

All in all, there were forty Platinum coins, a bonanza for sure, two thousand gold coins, five thousand silver coins, ten thousand bronze coins, and double that in copper. I really had struck it rich. Even though I still had the Platinum coin I was low on regular money. There were also ten red crystal beads, probably something like a ruby, 5 green ones maybe emeralds, and three blue ones maybe sapphires. There were also about ten pounds of jewelry, a combination of silver and gold made ones, and there even seemed to be a Platinum made one in there.

I decided to put them in the safest bag I had left with a bunch of rags inside them so they wouldn't jingle and cause me to get robbed again.

I really needed a better way to store my stuff. Even at the start of my journey, I had looked like a traveling peddler, with all the stuff and huge Pack I had on me, now it was the opposite, I had seen the error of my ways. I figured it was probably best to travel light, but when a situation like this comes up it's hard to find a way to store stuff.

I guess for now bags and satchels will do, I'll figure out what to do after. It would probably be best if I found a town or something to heal my wounds in.

Unfortunately, Beans Village is excluded since going back there will probably put me in danger. I was too well known there.

Time to continue my journey, I sure am off to a great start, aren't I?

Whatever, thinking back on it, what if that voice was right? Am I a Ranker now?

I guess I'll find out eventually.

****

"What do you mean Biras disappeared from the Ranker list. There's no way I specifically sent him to a territory full of scrubs so that he can accumulate resources and experience, and he's not by himself Yuse and Noug are with him… you're spouting nonsense, you dare anger me!"

"No sir, I promise it's the truth. I went to check in his progress through the local Seeier Group's representative, and they told me he had been defeated in battle and eliminated from the Ranker list. I tried to get more information from them but, for more detailed information, it required a higher payment. And I hadn't brought enough. They told me that the Honorable Clan Leader could confirm it himself through his Ranker Tag."

Binomas the Titan Hand Clan Leader lifted up his massive hands in a hurry, and with fury imprinted in his eyes he took out his Ranker Tag and tried to search up his son on the list but to no avail, he was gone.

He had sent his servants to gather more detailed information on his son's Ranker activities, but he was horrified to find that his son was no longer a Ranker.

He had worked hard to set his son up for a successful future. Tracking down and cornering with his men the perfect F Rank Ranker for his son to kill, and make a jump into the Ranker world.

They weren't the richest Clan in Volunterra, no, not even in his local territory, but they were highly respected, and the members of his Clan were all known for their innate power.

He had worked hard to preserve and increase the foundation his ancestors had cemented as one of Volunterra's premier Evolved Humans Clan, rigorously controlling everything, from his clansman's diet, to who they married, all in an effort to keep their bloodline strong.

He also made sure to tell his subordinates not to offend anyone they couldn't afford to offend. And things had worked out well for them the rise of the Clan was imminent, and Biras was instrumental in solidifying that future.

He had even forged strong alliances with the Viper Mouth and FIerce Nose Clans, fellow Evolved Clans, in order to provide his son with strong and combat diverse companions.

All of that was now on the verge of falling apart, and it all depended on whether his son was still alive.

He knew the only way to be completely kicked out of the Ranking list was if you were killed, or had a long and extensive losing record. And Biras didn't have the latter, so chances were….

"Call all the Clan members to an emergency meeting, anyone who doesn't show up will receive the punishment of death, find out all the information related to where my son has been in the last three months, do whatever you need to do. I want him found. And Inform the Viper Mouth and Fierce Nose Clan Leaders about their sons as well, maybe they can help us find the rat who did this to my son"

And so the manhunt for Guso had begun.