Zectas Volume I: Enigmatic Village of Nanahuatl (39 page)

 

"Darius, I'd like you to meet, Sierra. She's my closest friend from back home and we just got reunited a couple of hours ago. Sierra, this is, Darius. I guess, technically you can call him my guide, but really, he's more like my closest friend here in Nanahuatl."

 

 

"A pleasure to meet you, Sierra. I haven't seen a WereBear in quite some time. I used to know this Shadow Priestess who could turn into a WereBear. Tell me, can you use any of your abilities in your WereBear form?"

 

 

"No, I can't. All the abilities that I can use right now come innately from being a WereBear."

 

 

"Well, don't you worry. As soon you as you master that form you'll become even more powerful."

 

 

"What? Sierra will become even more powerful? She's already got an amazing defense right now. I can't imagine what she'll be like once she completes her series quest."

 

 

"Don't worry, you'll also become more powerful. I've told you, I can feel Kumbaba's essence flowing from within you. I'm sure you'll be as strong as him someday, if not stronger."

 

 

"Sure, when I'll live up to 900. Anyway, Darius, I'd like to show Sierra my home. So, we'll see you later. Come on, let's go to my house. The residents here have been kind enough to give me one."

 

 

"You have your own property? Nice! Real Estate properties in Zectas are insanely expensive. I thought about buying a house myself but I decided not to. Since, I travel most of the time anyway. Do you think your house can fit me though?"

 

 

"I didn't buy it thought, the residents just gave it to me. I haven't fully explored the whole place myself but I think you should be able to fit inside."

 

 

Smoke, and his three companions entered his home. Barely fitting inside the doorway, Sierra was the last one to come in. With numerous attempts of tight squeezing, twisting, yanking and pulling. She managed to enter Smoke's house.

 

 

"Nice! It's way bigger inside. I wonder why that door is so small when you have a ceiling this high."

 

 

"I don't know, I didn't design this house. This place used to belong to the previous village chief, Kumbaba, you know the one that I told you about. But he died while he was defending Nanahuatl. Let's go to the living room, I think you'll find that it's more spacious than here."

 

 

Smoke led the way with Igniz, while Adder went down to the cellar to sort out their loot. Sierra tried her best to avoid the archway but even with her head crouched her shoulders still managed to knock back a loose support beam.

 

 

Displaying his lightning like reflexes, Smoke caught the loose support beam before it hit Sierra's foot. When he was about to place the support beam back into its original spot, he noticed that there was a piece of paper neatly rolled in what looked like a secret compartment.

 

 

 

 

 

"Wow, I think I just discovered Giro's secret stash of knowledge."

 

 

Sierra still got Kumbaba and Giro confused with each other.

 

 

"Who is Giro again? Is he the son or the father?"

 

 

"He's Kumbaba's son, evidently he just wanted to be as strong as his father, it's just too sad that he got corrupted by the overflowing power of an essence diamond."

 

 

"Well? Where is his secret hideout located?"

 

 

"Oh, I still have to merge it with my map. There, it appears to be about a two days walk from here. I think I'll check that place out later. Now, Let's get back to this monster boss that you didn't manage to kill. I have this monster boss as my next target as well."

 

 

"Hmm, This monster was just a couple of inches taller than me. So, I got ahead of myself and thought that I could take him on, solo. Yet, man what a beast. That was the first time I received such a high damage. I think even with you, me and Adder we would still have a tough time bringing that monster down."

 

 

"Really? That monster sounds really tough. Well, for my monster it's height is way taller than your WereBeast's form and it had such a powerful Strength and that Agility! A monster that huge shouldn't be allowed to move that fast."

 

 

After hearing Smoke's brief description of his monster Sierra had to interrupt him.

 

 

"No way... It can't be. When you manage an attack that knocks it back, it starts to regenerate its health?"

 

 

Smoke and Sierra stared at each other and both called out the monster's name at the same time.

 

 

"The Maneator?!"

 

 

"You met the Maneator? How in the world did you manage to survive after meeting that beast alone?!"

 

 

"Umm, I just used my 'Double Slash' ability and once he was knocked back I ran like hell."

 

 

"How much damage did you take after getting hit by the Maneator's attack?"

 

 

"I think it was above 20,000 but somehow I managed to inflict 4000 damage points on the Maneator when I countered its attack."

 

 

"This is bad... Or should I say good. If you wouldn't have told me about your battle with the Maneator I would have thought for sure that my private army and I could handle the Maneator. Yet, clearly this is not the case. That reminds me, I'll have you meet the rest of the private army later today. For now I'll take you on a tour around the house and then around the village."

 

 

"Sounds lovely."

 

 

Smoke introduces Sierra to everyone in the village. All the residents were friendly towards her. They didn't mind that her alignment was Chaotic Evil and that she was a WereBear. They simply just accepted her as Smoke's friend.

 

 

As Smoke met members of his private army, he told them that they would have an emergency meeting in the next thirty minutes, in front of his house. It will be about their upcoming mission.

 

 

"Thank you all, for coming here on time. First, let me introduce Sierra once more. She just told me some vital information about our next target. Apparently the Maneator is much stronger than I remembered. Even with all our combined strength, Sierra's included, I don't think we can still vanquish him at our current level."

 

 

Smoke stopped his speech and looked at everyone in his private army. He first spoke with the twin OrkElves.

 

 

"Sharur and Jinggu. With your poison resistance training completed, I now need you to gain a much destructive force that can somehow remove a monster's defense completely."

 

 

Next he needed to re-evaluate his current preparations and improve them drastically.

 

 

"Sharanga, I need you to make your current trap at least ten times stronger. I've once again underestimated our target. I don't want to see a repeat of what happened inside the Murlocks’ Hidden Cave."

 

 

He continued to give the rest of his private army the risky task of facing a potential mob of varanus indicus.

 

 

"Adder, Vijaya, Thyrsus and Ichaival. I need you to collect some more phasmatodea bones. We need to make better arrows, with longer range and higher damage. I've plotted a map that would give you at least five escape routes, just in case a horde of monsters comes charging at you from out of nowhere. Adder, will be the leader of this expedition. Igniz can't be too far away from me, which means you guys will have to rely on the good old fashioned ember stone."

 

 

Now that he was done giving out the new assignments to his private army. Smoke went closer towards Sierra to ask her a favor.

 

 

"I know that it took a long time for us to start playing together but I was hoping if I could ask you for a favor?"

 

 

"What kind of favor are you talking about?"

 

 

"You see, I've asked Sharanga to create a trap strong enough to hold the Maneator and I think that with your help, maybe we can somehow make that imaginary trap into a reality."

 

 

"Sure, I don't mind helping out making the trap but I'm not too sure my claws will be dexterous enough to build anything."

 

 

"Well, I was hoping that you would be okay with being Sharanga's test subject. I mean you would be a perfect virtual Maneator."

 

 

"I see, Now I get it. You're asking me to be some kind of guinea pig? Tell me this first, what will you be doing while this Sharanga person is tying me up? Will you also be watching and helping her tie me up?"

 

 

"No, of course not. I'll go investigate Giro's secret library. Hopefully, I can find something there that can increase our chance of defeating the Maneator."

 

 

"So, you'd rather be alone reading books than go out and hunt some monsters and level up together? Fine! I'll help out Sharanga whenever I'm online, but I just suddenly remembered that I'm gonna be busy with something. I may not be online as much. In fact, I have to do something right now. I'll just send you a message if I have some free time. See you around, Smoke!"

 

 

Just like that Sierra logged out after giving her sarcastic speech about how much she liked being made into Sharanga's test subject.

 

 

Smoke was about to explain a few more things to her but he wasn't given the chance. He had never seen her that angry before. He just thought that she would understand that she would be most helpful with the trap creation. After all, currently in her WereBear form, she couldn't acquire any knowledge from holding a book.

 

 

However, deep down inside this was not Smoke's true intention. From the moment he met Sierra in Zectas, he felt happy, jealous, and ashamed all at the same time.

 

 

He was the one who first started playing Zectas, yet there she was. Appearing out of nowhere all powerful and strong. She currently has a higher level than him, she has a higher life, a higher defense.

 

 

Smoke thought that maybe if he can spend some time alone inside Giro's study he can somehow catch up to her. Making them on equal grounds again.

 

 

He should have told her his true feelings but he didn't know how to say it. He made a promise to himself to tell Sierra how he really felt.

 

 

 

 

Smoke was just about to leave the village when he heard thundering hooves from far away. A cloud of dust started rising from the north east direction.

 

 

After finally coming into range of his 'Cunning of the Dire Fox' he felt that there were two persons on top of two huge monsters coming his way.

 

 

Immediately he released a flare arrow and sent a message to the remaining members of his private army left in the village. Sharanga, Sharur, and Jinggu immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed towards the source of Smoke's arrow. Darius sensed Smoke's distress signal and appeared at the village’s entrance instantly.

 

 

All of them got ready as the loud, booming cloud drew nearer. They readied their bows and ballistae. Poised to fire at a moment's notice. While Darius just stood there complacently.

 

 

The loud dust cloud stopped just a couple of feet away from the village entrance. The dust settled in revealing two gigantic stag moose easily over eight feet in height with antlers as wide as three feet.

 

 

The two riders got off their gigantic steeds and uncovered their masks giving out their faces. They were the last two archers, out of the eight teens who were Darius' students. Sharanga gave out an excited shout at them.

 

 

"Look! The trouble makers are back!"

 

 

Sharanga, Sharur, and Jinggu went out to greet them. Each of the riders got a hug from all three of them at the same time.

 

 

From the look of their clothes they looked like to have the job of a Ranger. The two arrivals bowed their heads at Smoke as he walked closer to them.

 

 

The two of them removed their head gears which caused their cat like ears to protrude. These ladies belonged to the half-beast race of Lioumereans. A race composed of Humanoid Lions, Tigers, and Cheetahs.

 

 

The female that looked like a mix between a woman and a lioness was the first one to speak.

 

 

"Master Smoke, Master Darius, please accept our apologies for our late arrival. My name is Laernea Lowe, just in case you may have forgotten it, Master Smoke."

 

 

This time it was the one that looked like a tigress who spoke.

 

 

"And I am called Gandiva Macan. We have been looking forward for this day."

 

 

"As have I, I was hoping that the two of you would be able to join us for our next mission."

 

 

"So that means you'll accept us into your private army as well?"

 

 

"Of course! After all I can't leave out Darius' last two students."

 

 

"Master Darius, thank you so much for guiding us on this path. Now we can finally be in Master Smoke's private army."

 

 

"No, no, it was all you. I merely gave you a nudge to your true potentials. I knew that despite your mischievous behavior you would be a great asset to Smoke."