Chapter 27—Goldrock Street

"Shit, this paradise devoters really gets in my nerves." The sheriff on his seat couldn't help but curse, "seems like they want something from the town boss, do you have any idea what could that be?" An officer asked while he watches the four talk, in front of the officers is a screen where they can see the five at the other side while the five have no idea that there's a glass beside them.

"No, by I know is that Louie is now occupied with that newly opened rift, we need to take care of this ourselves... With almost all of the soldiers deployed to the forest, we've got to improvise to defeat these hidden terrorists. We also don't know anything about them here, but they for sure know us very well." He said as he continued watching the five talk, surveying their every movement.

At the other side, the woman sighed and nodded. She tidied her papers and looked at them, "is there anything you four experienced in there? Besides the strike of paradise." She asked and the four nodded, this intrigued all of those that watch so she cut the chase and asked instantly, "can you explain what happened?"

Marcus then took the lead, "Remember we said we were busy when dolls suddenly attacked us" He asked while the officer replied with a nod, "well we were busy with this..." He took out a cylinder glass and placed it on the table, he explained, "We captured it while we're discussing some stuff, it instantly got our attention cause this kind of insect wasn't seen by our eyes before."

The parasite who floats in the water jarred its mouth to the five—hostile even with the low possibility of winning against them. Everyone froze as the insect-like being screeched, constantly trying to break free from the glass wall that encloses it. "Chief... That's a genetech of that laboratory, We thought they were burnt to ashes."

"Yeah. . . it is a genetech, wait. . . " he fell into his thoughts, before he pondered out loud as his mind ran rampant, "I think I know what the paradise wants, but how did they get their hands on the intel about it? Every archive was already burnt and no one made a single word including it." The sheriff analyze while the other officers looked at him with curiosity, one couldn't help but mutter it in curiosity, "Sir, do you perhaps mean [the shard]?" But the sheriff remained quiet, not answering his underling's qualm.

"Get every volunteer available quickly, we'll flush every nest these parasites burrowed with fire." The sheriff stood up and pressed a button, he then spoke to the five at the other side of this wall glass. "We'll play a sound to find a potential threat, don't worry it won't affect anyone other than the parasites—so you can rest assured if you're not infected." The five can only nod while Valor smiled at the sheriff's decision, fast within this forlorn situation. He wondered if every adult should be like this—of course not, but he was pressured by it—he himself knows he can't make a fast decision like that, but he soon realized that it's their experiences that made them professionals. The time they existed in this world molded these amazing humans he admires right now, and soon, he would be one of them.

The woman waited for the audio, but was soon baffled when the sheriff's voice was the one that echoed again. "alright, seems like there's no infected within you guys. You're free to go, let everything be done by us officials, it's too dangerous for kids like you to take part in. Do you hear me, Marc?" He gave a few regards before he asked Marcus with a fatherly tone, the boy can only sign okay, by merging his index and thumb, the metal door opened by his compliance. "The terrorist won't move soon as they are now exposed, they'll probably play hide and seek so you kids aren't in imminent danger as long as you don't go away your parents' sight. Understood?" They all nodded in agreement.

"Okay, now go to your home- places to stay and learn your skills, you four can go now." With that, the four went out of the station and were welcomed by the quiet street. Though at the far distance still echoes the wails of rushing firetrucks, it's still isolated with nothingness but silence.

the four paused in front of the station before all nodded with resolve. "Let's do this," Angela said as her golden hair fluttered with the gentle breeze that passed by, tickling her brazen cheeks while she spoke.

'Five days before all turns into chaos, five days for us to prepare in silence,' Valor said in his mind as they began to walk beside the barren street, left by presence, it was dead-quiet. Yet for some reason, it wasn't as soothing as the usual silence; it wasn't peaceful, as you can smell fear from the tightly locked doors.

Diverse from the town's usual problems; the aura of uncertainty fermented the townfolks' senses, confused who's the enemy this time as the populace know 'they' are mixed within them. Even without the announcement, the public isn't dense mobs, they know what is happening inside their town—splitting them apart, far from the usual warm welcomed tightly bonded town they know.

While walking, Marcus came to a realization, "You guys know we can just forget about all of this right now and continue our already planned life right? we can depart now and continue our paths in a military school then go beyond the rifts and earn honors. I mean if we want to prevent that scene from happening, won't just playing with the flow would resolve it all? . . . Damn, this is hard for thirteen years old to ponder."

Valor hearing that, answered in agreement, "We can do that, the only problem is that we can't decide because we don't know anything. We don't know what will happen, we don't know the real problem and we don't who is the real enemy—is it the malevolent system? the supremes? or there's more to it. The way we are living now is more like an ideal world simulator than a hard-core game, there's everything provided and we're living the best of humanity's dreams. Which is a big mistake to do when we're still stuck in these multiple uncertainties; humans choose to sit idle than to find answers. And if there are really answers at the end of these messed up events, Then maybe chaos is the best motivator to search for them. But we don't know, in result, we fight to maintain the peace. . . and it needs protection now." He said all of his thoughts, and by his speech, one can say many are bugging Valor right now.

Valor again muttered, "If it weren't for these rules, I must have already reported all I know to the officials." The three who heard his voice but not the words asked, "what was that?" He shook his head and replied, "nothing, I was just pondering about my role. I'll take some missions to verify my status as a newbie." What he said was correct, but it was said to cover his regard before. Looking at the golden screen in front of him, he can read the regard;

[Ability of the [Holy Tree] Activated

Span: two weeks]

[Warning: The recipient of the buff [knowledge] mustn't share it with others or his memory about it will be erased.]

He doesn't know what would be erased, is it the memory about the dilemma in Raffvet or his memory of the system. Either way, he doesn't want that. Looking at it, he couldn't help but say in his mind, 'and we also don't know anything about you.' They continued walking before breaking into their paths, the two went home while Valor and Rein went to Goldrock street— The center of trade in their small town.

As soon as they stepped foot on the street's edges, the mood changed. Like walking from desolation to a paradise, The street's aura quickly filled them with vigorous spirit, intoxicating them with a happy tone. Here, different from the other streets, is filled with colorful lights and floating glyphs; dancing and singing in their sweet undefined voices.

Rein took out her Coded-phone and checked her messages, then after three minutes, she pointed her index finger at a sign and said, "That's the hotel mom said where we will stay." Hanging on the door is a wooden board with "White-pearl hotel" smoldered on it, burnt to inscribed the words clear.

The duo then walked through the lively street, passing by many opened shops before arriving in front of the establishment they'll be staying at, a spiral door welcomed them with their halt.

They didn't lag and quickly went in, letting them see the hotel's reception hall. Designed majestically, the two couldn't help but wander their eyes across the visible space. Rein at the side was then asked by the receptionist with a welcoming smile, "Are you two perhaps miss Rein and Sir Valor?" She nodded in agreement while Valor just strode his sight around the hall, leaving the talk to Rein.

Three minutes later and the receptionist gave her a key card, "Mam Elizabeth already paid for it, she said they'll be there in an hour as they are just handling something for the moment..." Hearing this, Rein nodded before she began to drag Valor's arm, he didn't mind it and just kept on looking around while Rein leads the way. But while he's looking around, he remembered something from his future memories, something that killed his enthusiastic spirit.

"Oh would you look at that, the fallen assassin even has the time to procure a maiden rather than learning magic spells, hehe." The two were stopped by that, they looked in the direction where those words came from and saw a group of youngsters, ministered by three adults who are minding their business while the kids chattered loudly—annoyance can be seen on the faces of those customers near them. They are gathered on the sofas facing each other and have ten members in total. The one who spoke was Archie, standing with his proud insignia of the Armored Salamanders. With red hair and red eyes, he looked at Valor with a grin.

They're the team from Hotrock, here to compete for the regionals. Remembering what will happen, Valor smiled diabolically.

But Rein beside Valor couldn't help but knot her brows with Archie's regard, she said to Archie, "Aren't you bit off-mannered for the Ellvins, the supposed family who pledge their life to knighthood?"

Hearing this, Archie gritted his jaws in anger but didn't show it. He smirked and replied nasty, "Girl, whoever you are, you should stay quiet while we're talking. Know your place you damn slut." Rein's glare sharpened when she heard that, she smirked as she prepared speeches for Archy's future blows, "Opps, another flaw there. Don't you know A knight must bow when talking to a ladyship? Not with a mouth that reeks of rotten personality. You should know your pledges and chivalry, Knighty. Your ancestors must be face calming right now." These started to gain the attention of the other party's members, they looked at Rein before looking at Archie. Used to their accomplice's attitude, they couldn't help but smirk.

"So-" Archie was about to reply again but Valor interrupted, "oyy, whoever you are. You mustn't address someone like that, especially to those you just met, you can die you know." As he said that, a distinct aura tingled every living being near them, putrid with deep intent to kill—Petrifying the Hotrock youths to their bones.

"The skill (Slayer) is activated."

Eyes hued darker than black, they felt like being stared at by the abyss. Directly gazing through their souls, ready to devour those that move.

All couldn't help but grab their weapons and unsheathed them halfway, they looked at Valor warily. Enhancing his aura as they were added on his kill-list.