Ch 61 – Resolutions

"Come on, Gun. You've been at this for hours!"

"I know, hold on! I'm almost done with this." After a while, Gloria kept pestering me to hurry up and deal with Gahan... It was annoying, not gonna lie, but she was kinda right. But there's so much stuff I didn't know that I now have easy and quick access to... I even managed to find the hierarchy of this world and all. But I can only see information I already know... I guess that's what Mikky was talking about being "kind of a God" and not a full blown one. Apparently, Gloria is counted as part of my divinity. I guess you can say this is something akin to a marriage... Let's not tell her that for now.

"Gloria?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it's nice to hug me and all but... Do you not intend to wear any clothes?"

"Eh? Why would I? It's pretty comfy!"

"Hey!" I called her out as she quickly pulled my t-shirt up, removing it, as she leaned against my back with her small naked chest. It's not that much, but I feel kinda guilty, so it's embarrassing... But it's also pretty great, not gonna lie.

"You know." She started speaking in my ear as her hand went down my naked chest towards my stomach. "Why don't we hurry up and finish this off so we can have some fun?" She asked, nibbling my earlobe.

Aaaaahhhh! How am I supposed to check the stuff with her doing this!?

"Fine, Fine! You win!" I say, rising to my feet as I turn around and kiss her on the mouth while holding her naked body with my hands. She slowly rises onto the tip of her toes, making the kiss much comfortable for me, and longer.

"Haaah~" She exhales as I let go of her waist, ending our kiss.

'Now, how do I wanna do this...' I think as I prepare myself to execute my strategy and prepare myself for the precise five seconds I will have before materializing as soon as possible.

"Heh." I freeze, staring at the image on the monitor. "Ehhh!? Glory... Am I going crazy?"

"What was it?" She retorted back, confused.

"See... I could almost guarantee that she had her eyes open when I woke up."

"Yeah... I think so too."

"Then how can it be that she has them close now?"

"Hold up!" Gloria stretched her arms and opened them wide, stretching the image on the screen to almost our whole field-of-view.

"Holy crap the resolution doesn't fall!"

"Why would it? This is your vision, remember? Not a CCTV Camera." She snarked as she turned her face towards me, visibly cringing.

"Ah... right..." Eh... what else was there for me to do but accept my dumbness?

"Look! Here!" She pointed towards Mihara's eyes as she squinted. I walked closer to the monitor while trying to see what she was pointing to.

"Ah... It's moving!" Eureka, I'm not crazy! I think... anyways... "So time didn't become paused, it's just very very very very slow."

"Yeah... I'm guessing she blinked a couple times..." Gloria stated.

"Seems feasible... So, the whole time you were falling, I was passed out and that whole shit only passed what? 5 seconds after I passed out." I think out loud. " And the time it took me to go through the stuff until you died of boredom was barely enough for her to do half of a blink."

"This... feels a bit overpowered doesn't it?" Gloria confirms my impression.

"Yeah... If we can master activating this we can become almost invincible."

We stare at each other in amazement, a large smile on both of our faces... Guess we figured the solution to a lot of problems.

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"Come on man I'm so fucking tired we've been running for hours!" Kyle complained while running, falling a little behind the others.

"I'm with him on this one, Gabe... My feet hurt, we've been at this for almost half of the whole night." Joe joined him.

"Sh! Silence you two!" Gabe halted abruptly, taking his hand to his scabbard, ready to pull his sword out. "There's someone ahead. Joe, come here. Kyle, stay behind that tree and only come out if we get in trouble." Gabe let out his orders as he pointed towards a last row of trees, before a small clearing. There was no fire or light, and little to no noise. Even Kyle was impressed with his perception today.

They slowly made their way towards the back of the trees, before jumping towards those making the noise, sword in hand.

"Kyaaa!" Lea screamed in fright as she was attacked by the man clad in full armor. His sword almost touching her neck.

Gabe grabbed her as soon as he saw the women, the captives of their group, sat in the clearing, all but one, asleep. He was extremely lucky that her back was facing towards him, and he could check things out without risking injuring them.

"Let her go!" Two of the remaining women pointed daggers towards him, the last seating like a dead fish on the floor. Gaber could guess what had happened to her. One of them, with her face covered, talked boldly while he ogled the surroundings, waiting for Joe.

"Hiiie!" Lea shrieked as the blade lightly touched her neck before he spoke once again as he saw Joe appear with the corner of his eye.

"What happened? How are you here? Where are the rest of us?" Gabe launched a barrage of questions, making Haya's confidence dwindle as she saw another one coming from behind him and a faint reflection behind a tree.

"I-"

"The fuck is happening here?!" She was interrupted by Kyle's yell, as he came running from the other side of the clearing. Gabe was confused by the sudden appearance of a single mercenary. Even more so seeing the women relax. 'Is he a traitor!?' He thought, before a well known voice called from behind, against his orders.

"Kyle! That you!?" Gabe's group Kyle yelled as he ran towards the bustling glade. Recognizing the voice of his best friend.

"Kyle!?" The mercenary clad in armor responded, slowing down and quickly stopping.

As soon as this happened, Gabe breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of the confused Lea that fell kneeling on the floor. Haya running in her assistance.

As the two Kyles greeted each other, fistbumping, Gabe put out his swords, and dropped to the floor, exhausted. Haya, less than a meter away from it, watched in awe as the man who just now had threatened her maid removed his helmet, showing off his bare face.

"Why?" She asked, calmly, as she realized Lea was completely fine.

"See that guy over there?" He pointed towards Kyle. "I would put my hand in the fire for him. He's got my back enough times I don't even question it anymore." Haya listened in sheer amazement as he spoke lightly after such cold-bloodedness.

"I see..." She muttered, a wry smile barely showing on her face. 'I wish I had men like you on my side when my husband died... This would never have happened...' She thought to herself as she thought about her own shortcomings that brought such distress.

A second later, another man sat beside them, equally caking his helmet off. This one's face looked much more punished by time and war. Marked by numerous small scars, while his eyes laid deep into his face, revealing his seniority.

"Holy fucking shit..." He muttered. "Let's agree to never run this much again. I can't do this anymore." He said towards Gabe, his words weighed by the dozens of hours walking and running over the last couple of days. His legs sore as if he'd taken a beating.

"I guess it's time to introduce all of you to each other." Kyle, the Supply Chief said, as he walked towards them accompanied by Kyle, the squire, and the other maid, who gently pulled Koan by the arm.