Chapter 13:Chicken Rampage in Tyren City [ 5 ]

----Venus POV----

" Mercuria, don't you think those people in the Verandah cafe are suspicious? I feel like we're being watched. "

1 female foreigner is leisurely eating cakes by herself and a girl wearing a Jollybee mascot sat on the opposite side of the table like a statue. I would have been fooled if not for the system indicating...

*system notification: Warning! The host is under threat. It is non-hostile but abduction process is underway.

[ Wouldn't it be better to just inform me in a not-so-roundabout way? If I were any more stupid, I might have misunderstood it some other way. ]

I have been silent about this but the secret war and aggression cannot be easily stopped just because I know it's happening. Mercuria and I are walking as usual instead of letting our drivers take us home.

" Why do you think so? "

The Omega didn't move her head but she moved her eyes to see where I just looked to for a brief moment in order not to look too suspicious.

Mercuria has a red, vogue backpack hanging on her left shoulder as she is left handed. As soon as she heard my observation, her vigilance doubled.

" It's intuition. You know me, always the easy target for my father's competitors. "

The moment I landed my eyes on the people around us, they seem to be casual and normal but I knew better: they are either the people who were tasked to protect me or people who were tasked to kill me. For the first time, there are new faces which I have not seen before.

Status Update

Identity: Omega ver. 2

Age: 5 years old

Race: Artificial Intelligence

Skill: Hacking, Combat,

Status Update

Identity: Head Researcher Gemara

Race: Human

Primary Gender: Female

Secondary Gender: Beta

Skill: Inventor, Scientist

Nationality: Hadean

Continent: Cosmos

[ This two want to kidnap me? I don't think they can bypass Nguyen's team no matter how I look at it. ]

Usually, every single human within the vicinity where I pass by frequently are members of Styx Organization or the local people residing as citizens of Eldram country.

If not, they are hostile parties pretending to be normal as they hang around me: trying to seize every opportunity to strike.

Unfortunately for them, Nguyen and a few other members are also pretending to casually walk around, drink coffee, buy street foods or date.

Those around Nguyen are labeled by the system as Black Pawn. Even now, I don't know why they are referred to as such but it must mean that they are lower in position.

Nguyen on the other hand, is labeled by the system as the White Bishop. It means, he has higher authority than the other Styx Members I have seen before. That is of course, except the Veldora Family: ruler of Styx Organization.

" Don't worry too much. They can't do anything while we're in public so just ignore them. "

" Okay? "

I'm not really worried or anything if it's about my safety. It's just that other people might get involved which is something I'm not ready to accept.

Yes, just like that: my premonition proved that it isn't that unfounded.

A parade of police cars and ambulance began to blow their sirens as they pass by us. With such an unexpected event, people began to surf the internet.

" What happened? "

" Look! 4 consecutive explosions happened at 4 districts in the span of a single minute! "

" Is it terrorism? "

" I highly doubt that. The headquarter of that organization is located in this City. Who would dare challenge their authority? "

" What about the casualties? "

" That's right, do any of you have relatives in those areas? "

A surge of emotion flowed in the air, carrying the scent of chili.

Even though Mercuria didn't bother looking at her own phone, I did the searching. It's such that, I am unable to sit still when uninformed about things that might or might not have an impact on myself.

+District 3: Church of the Divine+

----Michal Denov Rivalve----

When the gigantic chickens began wreacking havoc in the city, it happened that I was officiating an early morning mass.

In this busy technological world, I have noticed that the most frequent attendees and most devout believers in the Church of the Divine are concentrated to senior citizens, patients with illnesses, those with disabilities and those who have worries they themselves could not solve.

These believers wore color coded polo in the color of white (senior citizens), green (disabled), blue (those with worries) and red (ill). Regardless, what concerns me the most in this troubled times, is my worth and determination as the Rector which is being tested and weighed.

Almost a week has passed since the beginning of the attack but everyone is still here. They have been praying for 4 days straight, not wanting to take even a single step out of the church.

Evening Prayer

We are the ABO species.

Worshiper of the Divine:

the God who created us.

Please hear our prayer.

These lines are repeated in a sonorous chant as all who are present, kneeled in reverence.

Since a gigantic green hen had camped out just outside the church, there was nothing to do but pray, eat, rest, chat and sleep.

I didn't have any hostility or hatred towards the animal for she was just acting based on instinct. For her, we humans have become nothing more than worms worthy of her palate. I know it isn't anything wrong either: it's just ironic.

Apparently, the Green Hen dug a hole to sleep in on the wide patch of grass sorrounding the modernized church.

The beams towered like rainbows at the ceiling. The walls are a mass of square rocks, stacked on top of each other. In front are wide monitors while on the sides are the piano and other musical instruments where the quire are stationed.

Luckily, the church is soundproofed so no matter how much noise we make inside, the man eating animal will not take notice of us.

Flags striped with thick red lines and thin black lines hang on the walls: 7 on the left and 9 on the right. A piece of square paper are stuck at the center of each flag. On each of them is a word meaning peace in 16 different languages: Paz, Peace and... so on.

The priests and deacons are garbed in red robes, having black rope made of cotton as belts.

" Father Michal, it has been 2 days since the food offerings collected during the offertory have ran out. If it keeps on going like this, we don't know what might happen. "

I looked at the empty weaved baskets at the altar and then to the violet candles which had been lit and replaced for 4 straight days. Even the flowers had wilt with no way to replace them.

In addition, no matter how much time I spent inside the church, I still can't get used to the smell of incense. My nasal cavity didn't welcome such smell that much so I had to use a handkerchief to filter the air I inhale.

Even the smell of sweat permeating the air in this enclosed space is as horrible as the fact that the shame of not bathing for long, reflected in how the believers grouped themselves.

In a circle of family or friends, the Alpha, Beta and Omega made sure to be apart from each other. It is indeed understandable for them to still care for their image in the eyes of the opposite gender. After all, nobody is shameless enough to flaunt something uncharacteristic of them: especially the unappealing parts despite the situation being understandable.

"Patience, Deacon Gibral. The Divine will not abandon us. What is a few days of fasting compared to passing the test from the Divine?"

[ I'm also skeptical about this whole chicken Rampage event but there's nothing I can do. As long as I fulfill my due responsibility, what is due to occur will happen eventually. ]

" Father, you are right but I am afraid that the weak cannot survive. Some have already gone to sleep because of hunger. "

I am well past beyond my prime while the one who voiced his concern is the youngest Omega among his peers who serve the church in this district.

Like all other young members, he is passionate with meeting the expectations of the congregation.

Other members are not that much like him for they prioritized careful scrutiny of the disadvantages and benefits before going through with a decision.

What is most striking, however, is his lack of a noticeable bulge on his stomach or an obvious baldness to which most of us male members had.

" Deacon Gibral has a point, Father Michal. If someone dies inside the church, it will cause unrest and disbelief, not only to the believers but also for those who have been waiting for an opportunity to drag the Church of the Divine down. "

This female beta is Deacon Niana: one of those who prioritized career over her true mission. She didn't care about the specifics nor did she have any interest in anything: everything is for compliance sake.

This is the result of her being a descendant of a long line of Bishops in every generation. Naturally, she was required for priesthood in order to maintain the status quo and position of her family.

From birth, she was groomed as the future Bishop of Tyren City. It wasn't something that she had a choice in from the very beginning.

As for her appearance, well, she looked ghostly. Always yawning as though she's never slept before.

When she speaks, it always sounded tired and a little bit disdainful. She doesn't speak much save for serious situations regarding her position and prestige.

Hearing her talk like I'm some kind of miser or some stingy and corrupt official ticked me off.

*sigh*

" Alright, it can't be helped then. You may take the communion food and distribute it to the people. " I instructed Deacon Gibral.

The Omega took some Alphas and Betas to the inner sanctum with my permission. As such, it wasn't long before they piled boxes of communion food on the altar once again.

" Tch! So this is our last straw. I don't even know if it can somehow alleviate hunger but it's better than nothing. " Deacon Niana said in a low voice.

Deacon Niana couldn't stop assessing the condition of the believers but she maintained herself well. Unlike the others who didn't bother fixing their hairs or clothes, Deacon Niana looked the most freshly bathed.

I have ordered for the Deacons and the Priests of the church to refrain from going back to their chambers for the entire duration of the long wait.

In truth, I didn't want us to behave distantly to the believers and I thought that it would be rude to just leave the believers behind while we retreated to the comfort of our room.

As such, my colleagues distributed themselves among the numerous believers who worried for their families and friends out there. We are all the same, we're worrying whether they have already died or they're somewhere out their, waiting for our return.

When everyone was settled, it was then the time to panic. The people can no longer contain the emotions welling in their heart, so much so that the faint murmurs became a full on market atmosphere.

" What the heck is the government been doing all this time? Isn't 4 days too much of an extension? "

" Who knows, maybe we're not the only one who is experiencing the attack. "

" Curses! It's one of those mad scientists again. It's always them causing all these trouble since Cosmos continent had been established. "

" It's all their fault! Why aren't they being punished by the Divine? "

Just when the impatience and irritability began to reign over our hearts, giants steps caused strong tremors capable of shaking the church.

" Is there an earthquake?! "

" Idiot! that's the Green Hen outside. "

" Did it find us out?! "

" Shshsh!! "

Dusts are seen falling from between the spaces of the beam: causing the person underneath to sneeze or cough. One kid even tried to look up only to get dust between his eyes.

Some brave ones, the alphas, tried to assess the situation by peeking on the glass windows.

" What do you see? "

" Isn't that-! "

" What? Let me see! "

" They're finally here: the Black Wolf Corps sent a helicopter to rescue us! "

Due to my curiosity, I went to the security room where the computers showed me images of the outside by controlling the security cameras installed around the church.

A helicopter kept on circling the Green Hen like a persistent fly hovering over meat.

Not far from the distance are lines of soldiers on military transport vehicles. They have bazookas ready to fire once the green Hen attempts to come over.

The helicopter fired a missile to the green hen and hit her side. As a result, the agitated hen flapped its wings, slightly pushing the helicopter away through sheer wind pressure.

The M-missile injected M-particles into the system of the Green Hen upon contact.

[ I'm so glad they didn't use any bombs or else, there will be collateral damage. ]

If bombs were used instead of M-particles, the amount of damage it could inflict would be enormous.

After that, the soldiers fired 4 bazookas where chained, iron balls were shot for the purpose of restraining the green hen. For some reason, it collapsed powerlessly without a fight.

When the green hen was bound, everyone poured out cautiously: not wanting to relax their vigilance.

One by one, the freed people climbed a military transport vehicle and then got carried away.

Everything went smoothly with less the talking since this had been the normal routine since 20 years ago.

In a while, a soldier of the highest rank walked to me as he removed his helmet and held it to his side.

" I am Major General Murphy Jones of the 1st Division and 2nd Brigade under Lieutenant General Jupiter. Father Michal, I would like to request for your assistance in holding a ceremony for the departed 2 days from now. "

" Oh, that would be just fine. The Divine would be happy to know that you have decided to hold the ceremony with respect for the dead. "

[ What more can I lose? Anyway, the Central Government pays better when requesting for service. ]