"Hello, Sierra, forgive me if I've caused a problem between you and Smoke. It was my inability to create a trap strong enough to capture the Maneator that made him ask you to help me. I know that you must have been looking forward to spending some time with him. But I..."
"No, it wasn't your fault. I'm sure that there's a good explanation why Smoke asked me to do this. If you're ready, shall we get started then?"
The two of them went outside to test the trap. Sierra thought that it would be best to create a battle simulation to see how well it actually works.
Sierra made a dash towards Sharanga and immediately she threw the trap at her. Sierra was still struggling with making dexterous movements in her WereBear form. She already knew how to stand still and take a hit. That was easy but making sudden movements, was a whole different ball game.
Sharanga managed to capture her inside her trap. Sierra struggled for about five seconds. She suddenly stopped moving and focused all her Strength in one go, destroying the trap completely.
Sierra hadn't felt this much excitement from fighting a single opponent since the Maneator. She realized that this must have been what Smoke meant with the fastest and most efficient way of gaining the abilities to defeat the legendary beast.
She's slowly discovering new ways to control her WereBear form while Sharanga could test her trap in an actual battle.
With Sharanga's trap now broken, Sierra gave some suggestions on how to improve the trap. The pair repeated this same process for the next couple of days.
When Laernea arrived from Mount Gliseloc, Sierra asked her if she could join the other members out hunting the bones of the towering phasmatodeas. She thought that they would have a hard time reaching Smoke's unimaginable quota.
It took eight days for Smoke's private army to return to Nanahuatl Village. But through their perseverance, they arrived from their hunt successfully.
Everyone gave it their all, in order to achieve Smoke's quota of 20,000 phasmatodea bones. After a day's rest all the other members of Smoke's private army watched one of Sierra's and Sharanga's training sessions.
As they were watching the battle simulation they also started crafting the improved arrows from the phasmatodea's bones. They wanted to be prepared for Smoke's return.
Sharanga stood in her safety zone about 200 meters away from Sierra. The red WereBear started to charge her. While the Huntress answered by setting four small traps on her path. Sierra pushed on, unfazed by the four small traps.
However, the four traps stuck to Sierra's body. After two seconds the traps joined together, which brought Sierra to a halt. The joined traps gave her an added weight of 400 kilos.
Grabbing this opportunity Sharanga threw a box which launched a steel net attempting to cover Sierra completely. She proceeded to throw five more traps on the ground.
But the traps never got a chance to capture Sierra. Before they even opened up, Sierra, freed herself from the net. She already prepared one of her claws in advance to catch the net before it enveloped her.
By maneuvering her gigantic body, Sierra managed to get out of the five trap's range just in time as the five of them merged into one and fell to the ground with a loud bang.
The charging WereBear could no longer be stopped and reached Sharanga's safe zone. The Huntress was once again defeated. But this time Sierra was breathing heavier. Even though her health bar was still full her satiety was reduced by 50%. If Sharanga's five trap system caught Sierra, she would have been immobilized.
The crowd clapped as they watched the end of the battle simulation. Sharanga was really close to capturing Sierra but now that she had grown accustomed to her WereBear's movement, she managed to come out victorious.
Adder thought out loud that if only Sharanga managed to hold Sierra for just a few seconds more then she would have been captured for sure.
"Can you repeat that? What was that again? You said something about having a few more seconds?"
"Oh, I just meant that if Sharanga somehow had another way to hold you, just in time for her five trap system to work. Then she would have won."
"Right! I think that's a brilliant idea. Why don't we try adding some of you into the battle simulation. Let me start with one more person added to the simulation. Okay? You guys alright with that?"
Vijaya was the first one to volunteer.
"Sounds interesting. Let me be the first participant."
For their second round of battle simulation Sharanga was joined by her sister Vijaya. Both of the Huntresses stayed in the safe zone. At the start of the battle Vijaya's twin falcons dove down to attack Sierra. The WereBear accurately parried the falcons down to the ground stunning them for a few seconds.
While Sharanga's falcon released the steel net trap from above and at the same time Sharanga threw her four trap system towards Sierra. Sierra answered by using the steel net to knock back two of the traps. But the other two traps managed attach themselves to her body and fused together, giving her an added weight of 200 kilos.
The five trap system that was coming in directly still failed to capture Sierra as she expertly dodge them. She had the five trap system all figured out. Sierra's charge to their safe zone continued on unopposed.
The two sisters were shocked. Sierra's movements became more precise. It was like she knew where everything was going to be. She gave a much more fluid performance than the previous battle simulation.
Sierra continued on by adding one more person into the battle simulation. She kept on winning the battle simulations until she was up against Sharanga, Vijaya, Ichaival, and Thyrsus. It was only then that she suffered her first defeat.
It took her the next two days to defeat the group of Hunters. The next stage of their battle simulation involved adding in the Range Siegers. The twin OrkElves used their Ballistae as shields to block Sierra's path. With all that restricted movement Sierra was easily caught in Sharanga's improved seven trap system.
Refusing to acknowledge defeat Sierra asked them to continue on with the battle simulation. Even after four days of getting the same result, she still refused to give up.
The six of them kept on winning against Sierra. Yet, as each day passed their margin of victory got smaller and smaller.
It's been sixteen days since Smoke started his 'solo' adventure on Mount Gliseloc and Sierra's been missing him days ago.
They were about to start another day of battle simulations when they saw something flying high up in the sky. It flew past Nanahuatl Village but it appeared to be trying to make a U turn back towards them.
The unidentified flying object kept on making spirals around the village. Slowly making its descent. It wasn't until the object's eight spiral that Jinggu spoke out.
"I can't believe it! That's Smoke!"
Sharur used his ability 'Far Sight' and confirmed that what Jinggu said was true. Thyrsus immediately ordered his falcon Thyr to fly towards Smoke. He wanted to see the sight for himself as well.
Smoke was still about 50 meters up in the air when he closed his cape and he started falling down towards Zectas.
All of a sudden the ground that the spectators were standing on started to shake and rumble. Instantaneously a pillar of earth sprang from the ground heading towards Smoke.
The top of the earth pillar started taking on an intricate shape. It looked like a stable helipad to land on. Smoke and the earth pillar were about to collide when he made his cape open up a bit which slowed down his descent making the point of contact between him and the pillar as gentle as possible.
Smoke was now on top of the towering earth pillar with a height of about 50 meters. Slowly the earth pillar started to descending. Igniz came off of Smoke's chest. He attached himself to him when they were gliding home towards Nanahuatl.
Everyone just stared in awe at Smoke's phenomenal arrival. They couldn't believe that he was flying. Just what kind of quest was he on?
Sierra waited near the base of the earth tower and everyone followed her lead. She couldn't wait to ask him what he had been doing these past few days.
"Hi Guys. Sorry it took me so long to get back. I thought I'd be able to return before two weeks but it looks like I'm off by a couple of days."
Everybody gave way for Sierra since they knew just how much she has missed him.
"So, what else have you learned aside from flying?"
"Oh, I wasn't flying. I was just falling with style. I got this epic hooded cape from the monster boss Cologus, it gives me the ability to glide. As for my new abilities. I just learned 'Earth Manipulation' and 'Item Transmutation' and acquired the hidden basic stat, 'Wisdom'. It increases my maximum Mana and Mana regeneration rate and best of all it reduces the required reading time of acquiring knowledge."
"Just that huh? Sounds like your solo adventure was pretty productive after all. Well, let me tell you that everyone here also did their best to accomplish the tasks you've given them. Sharanga, managed to make a trap strong enough that I could never break out of and everyone else managed to gather 20,000 phasmatodea bones."
"Great! I knew that you guys could do it but I thought I only asked for 15,000 bones? Anyway, what was that battle that I saw from up above? Was that some kind of mock battle?"
When Sharur heard that Smoke was watching them from way up high, he just had to ask how he was able to do that, when their 'Far Sight' ability only managed to see him when he got nearer to the village.
"Ah, yes. I forgot to mention that I also learned this melded symbiote ability called 'Telefax Vision'. Igniz shares his Mana flow into me and together we focus our Mana into my eyes. It doesn't really work well on the ground though, I'm not sure but I think that being close to the ground causes a lot of interference in our 'Mana Melding'."
In a blink of an eye, Darius came out of nowhere. He was clapping energetically.
"That was amazing! It reminded me of the time when Kumbaba was still learning his new abilities. He always liked making flashy entrances. Where did you get the ability tomes for 'Earth Manipulation' and 'Item Transmutation'?"
"Oh, I accidentally found them at my house. I knocked over this beam and a secret compartment appeared. There were a few other books as well. I'll show them to you later."
"Really? There was a hidden compartment that stored many useful ability tomes. Well, that's Kumbaba for you. He always liked leaving some mysterious things."
"I guess. Well, if you'll excuse me. Guys, thank you for such a warm welcome but if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Sierra alone. Oh, and I want you to start preparing for our hunt on the Maneator. Let's meet up at my house in about 30 minutes."
The gathered crowd nodded and respected his wishes. They slowly scattered in different directions. He then pulled Sierra to an isolated corner.
"Thank you for not saying anything about Giro's note. I didn't want to tell Darius about that yet. I know that I can trust him. In fact, he's probably my most trusted NPC in the game. That's why I didn't want to tell him about Giro's note. I wasn't sure if he would be okay with me snooping around Giro's secret study and I didn't want to lose the opportunity of gaining such amazing abilities. I thought that if I didn't tell him, I won't be risking Darius' Intimacy."
"Ahh... Now I get it. I knew you always had a good reason for doing things. However, don't make this sneaky behavior turn into a habit but you will still tell him right? By the way I forgot to thank you for making me train with Sharanga and the rest of your private Army."
"Of course, of course, I'll tell Darius about Giro's map eventually... By the way, I saw your battle simulation and you were amazing! I didn't know a bear could be that nimble."
"Correction, I'm a WereBear not a bear. Now, do you think we're finally ready to face the Maneator?"
Smoke turned to look at the backs of his private army. They were slowly moving away from him. He thought to himself that he had never seen such trustworthy backs.
"Definitely! I'm sure we can take on the Maneator and we'll do it without taking any casualties."
"Although, we still shouldn't be cocky. I know that both of us... make that all of us has grown stronger. I just hope that we'll really be able to defeat that beast without any serious injuries."
"I understand, but it's not being cocky when what you're saying is the simple truth."
Smoke, Sierra, and his private army all gathered in front of his house. They had a short update meeting about everyone's improvements. With all their equipments prepared, they rode on the Gandiva's and Laernea's carriages and headed for the Forest of the Maneator.
This was the result of their preparation against the Maneator. Smoke was now level 87, Sierra gained one level and was now 93, Adder leveled up to 86, the Hunters were all now level 82, the Range Siegers were level 84, the Pathfinders were level 81.
