Jarren was greeted with a notification urging him to make his way to the mission hub. Reasons unspecified. Sprucing himself up, he ignored the merit points he has scored from yesterday's expedition. Along with Callista, he had managed to slay ten dreadhorns amounting to a total of twenty thousand merit points.
With all the fees spent to take the mission, he had managed to make his points back and make a profit as well. Stretching out his crease-less coat, he looked at the amount of merit points he had.
[{35,000 merit points}]
Something to be proud and yet he glanced over this as he marched through the halls, his strides slow and deliberate. "Good morning my cute little cat." His tone playful as he lightly pet Callista's head, ruffling her hair. She didn't object, merely let him do ass he pleased.
"So what's the issue now?" Her tone flat ass she tried to straighten her hair. Her once bob hair had now lengthened to her waist and kept on growing, the dark circles that once rested beneath her eyes now faded. The existential dread that had firmly clung to her was now air to her.
"Let's just say that someone was shocked with your performance yesterday. After all we did wipe all the dreadhorns in the mountains." His voice light as the two made their way to the hub. "So what choice have you made, my little kitty?"
Recalling their chat from the day before, she drew in a sharp long breathe. "I want to see how the rabbit hole is." Jarren merely let out a smile, plain yet containing an unsettling edge she couldn't quite pinpoint. The doors slid open, revealing the rest of the students, most tensing seeing the two.
"So it's because of you that this mission isn't available!" Diana was the first to groan, her eyes shifting from Jarren to Callista. Her gaze landing on the latter still in stupor with the choice she had made. "If you had no plans of doing it then why is it a shock that we took it upon ourselves. Besides I'm sure that you can trek the mountain five times over."
His serpentine smile make Diana's face contort into that of disgust, she didn't bother with Callista. The rest took sneak glances at the two, still baffled that they were able to complete such an arduous task so effortlessly. Brose, however felt a seething rage build inside of him, yearning to be let out.
"Okay since you're all here I can finally get to the reason why all of you are here." Eric's face flashed on the screen, illuminating everyone present. His eyes darted from student to student before landing at the pair, standing side by side. "Thanks to Jarren Velros and Callista Vaewlyn for clearing all of the dreadhorns, we will have to switch the program."
Looks of bewilderment were etched on most of the faces present, nothing surprising to Eric. "Thus we will have the two removed from the program for the next month. They will be sent to the outskirts of Reuthar to vanquish demons that have been sighted."
Erica paused, his gaze shifting to Diana who was calm despite his anticipation. "As for the rest of you, the mandatory mission will be postponed to a later date. The cleanse brigade will have to take place three weeks from now. Jarren and Callista,make your way to the runway."
The screen cut to black, the weight of Eric's words simmering in the minds of those present. The pair didn't waste any time as they left the hub, the rest forced to watch them leave. As much as they felt less than, deep down they knew their own limits and a direct confrontation with either of the two would be nothing short of delusion.
"So they'll just get to leave this place three weeks sooner than us?" Some groaned but didn't dwell on the matter. The screen flickered back showed a completely new set of missions to pick from. Brose however was more focused on a certain individual, Diana Emberborne.
He could feel the resentment she had for Jarren, and with his rage still thirsting for revenge, a sinister idea came to mind. 'I may not have the necessary power to take you down Jarren but with the game that you play, even you will have to succumb to the rules.'
A grin, dark and malicious stretched across his face as he approached her.
***
"They would have us pulled out of the Ark Facility for some low level clearance?" Callista sighed, though Jarren kept his smile. "Well what use were you getting from being here? It's a waste of time my dear." Their eyes met, one reflecting hollowness that lurked within and the other something from the beyond.
"But still, I don't want to waste my time doing something as trivial as hunting demons." Her tone snarky as they came to face the chopper. It towered over them, gleaming from the sun's rays casting it's shadow over the two. "Isn't that what the purpose of malcore experts are? Or what else do you want to do as a substitute?"
Callista shone a smile, it was thin and light which was more than enough for Jarren. "So you're slowly unraveling in the darkness huh?" His tone low as Eric's image came onto he scene. "Well when the only way to go is down, what else do you expect from your loyal cat following it's master?"
The two broke into a chuckle, light and short before Eric came before them. "It would seem that the two of you are excited to get this mission underway!" His figure wide and broad as the two finally came to get a good look at him. His face rough and bearded with scars trailing his right eye now covered with an eye patch.
His demeanor cold and crisp, demanding respect with a mere stance, something the two didn't seem all that fazed with. "However this time it won't be as easy. You'll be facing actual dreadhorns, awakened and ready to tear you to shreds but I have faith that the two of you will prevail."
The easygoing air that hovered over the two had melted and replaced with indifference. Callista had a look of disinterest, Jarren his signature smile that made Eric think that he had other plans in mind.
[{Ding: Both of you will be required to defend a distant Reuthar town for one month.}]
[{Rewards include 100,000 merit points and a special bonus}]
The two didn't seem thrilled at the slightest as they brushed the notification to the side. Hopping in, they were greeted with a cozy haze. Well furnished leather seats, the chopper reeked of technology and development however the look of shock never crossed their faces. 'Do these two have something going on?'
Recalling their giggles from before, he couldn't help but wonder. "We won't be heading there directly but dropping you off at a closer outpost to familiarize you with the commander. They are aware of you statuses as students of Reuthar and will protect your life should you be in danger however that doesn't mean that you get to laze around!"
His words felt like falling on deaf ears, neither facing his direction. 'So will it be puppets or close quarters combat?' Callista asked in her mind. 'Depends with you darling, I'm quite eager what game you have in-store for me.' Jarren shot back, Eric's words passing past them.
"Did you two even hear what I said?!" Eric roared, his face visibly enraged. "Huh? Yes we heard what you said." Jarren mused absentmindedly as his eyes were focused with the world below. "Really? Then what did I say?" His tone filled with skepticism.
Jarren let out a sigh, his head supported by his hand. "The outpost is called Horshaw post, it has a population of four hundred occupants. Most unawakened or in the first tiers of the malcore path. The commander we'll be meeting is called Neil Parlose. The outpost itself is of some importance to the kingdom, capable of making green malcore shards."
"Neil has been in defense with the demons for the past two months and so far he's held down the fort but his efforts have started to take a dive. It would take way too long for a proper military wing to be sent to secure the outpost so we'll have to delay it for the month to come till backups arrive." His words flat as he kept on staring out the window.
Eric's gaze narrowed, his suspicion growing but forced to ignore it for now. "They're still new to your glyphs so keeping a low profile would be beneficial. You're there to observe and mildly participate, don't do anything that would draw too much attention to you two." His words though stern failed to ruffle the two.
"Understood." Was his response from Jarren, halfhearted and forced as he kept looking out the window. Realizing how futile it would be to gain the pair's attention, he rose and left. 'A kill race? Will it be strictly for demons or could we divert to other targets?'
Jarren posed in his mind, eager with the challenge that Callista had been stringing along. "Since I'm indulging, I could give the exception of killing anything with a pulse provided it's necessary." Jarren mirrored a smile as he realized a flaw with her logic.
'Doesn't this mean that I can kill and feign that it was for the sake of the game?' Seeing her smile, thin and playful he knew that it was deliberate on her end. 'Should we kill him right off or wait till later?' She asked, her mind drifting to Horshaw. 'It won't be as exciting killing him right away, his shock and bewilderment will be amusing to watch.'
Eric's figure returned, this time much calmer and relaxed. "We should be there in a couple of hours." The two gave no response, lost in the game that they were organizing.
*Somewhere at Horshaw*
"We should be able to have the mines taken over in the next two weeks in nothing out of order happens." A voice could be heard, low and subtle. Across from the hooded individual a demon could be seen. It didn't have the brute aura around it's figure but poised and collected, adorned in luxurious clothes.
"That's great to hear, carry on with your task as planned and you should walk out of here rich ." The demon cooed, soothing and assuring. "Of course, after all it's only a matter of time before the kingdom loses this mineshaft and is relegated to the demons before they claim it once more." The masked individual chirped, their voice filled with expectation of what was to come.
The demon finally rose to their feet, a bewitching charm hanging about him. "But of course Nucanor." The door shut behind Nucanor leaving the individual alone with his thoughts. "Huh, that bastard wants me back. What could it be this time?"
Annoyed with the interjection of his badge, he reluctantly rose to his feet and left the tavern.
...
The chopper came to a soft landing at an open field. By the scope of the land, it was clear that the technology had yet to reach such areas as those present still had the medieval touch to them. Stepping out, the three were met with the face of the commander and his deputy.
Eric was the first to bridge the contact. "Eric Polker , it's a pleasure to have you here." Neil mused, a smile adorned on his face before shifting to the two. "And these must be the students you were talking about." Jarren reciprocated the favor of the handshake, Callista gave him the cold shoulder which he nervously laughed off.
"These are Jarren Velros and Callista Vaewlyn, the aspiring talents of the Reuthar kingdom. I hope that I can leave the two in your care." Eric went on with his ramblings, the pair merely watched those around them. A pair of horses had been set aside for the two, a bunch of soldiers waiting from the sidelines and the deputy who stepped up to greet them.
"Eric Polker, this is my deputy and right hand man Geraint Armon." Gesturing to the man next to him, the two shook hands. 'But he's here, can't I just kill him already?' Callista cried in Jarren's head. 'Patience is a virtue. We'll have to wait, when the time comes, you can kill him to your liking.' Jarren shot back as he mindlessly shook Geraint's hand.