[Quest Cleared]
[Reward: Mana Storage Core]
[Confirm to equip]
A strange pulsating part of the gun appeared in his hand, seeing its design Ash could tell it was meant to fit in place of the magazine.
"Confirm," Ash said, and the core vanished and was equipped into the gun.
He checked the usage on the screen and a smile bloomed on his face.
[Mana Storage Core: Enables user to store Mana bullets up to 15 bullets]
"So equal to a standard magazine," Ash said. He knew there was a restricted and extended magazine for Glock-19 but 15 was standard.
But his mind quickly came out of these ordinary thoughts. The only restriction he had till now was limited use of the gun and now the Mana core would allow him to stuff it with Mana bullets. And after recovering he would have 12 more bullets as his current 60 MP cap.
That meant he would be able to use 27 bullets strategically.
While he was entranced in his rewards, the group had decided something on their own.
The armored men kicked the rods aside, already barking orders to the loggers in the distance. It seemed that they were retreating.
Ash maintained his distance, following them to their base. He just hoped for it not to be a closed civilization where outsiders were not allowed.
He could barely hear murmurs from the group, there was dissatisfaction in their tone.
"It's all ruined, we will be punished."
"Commander will understand, these Nymphs are too powerful for individuals to hunt. We were so close to killing them but these fucking tools gave up at the main time."
"And what if he doesn't?"
"Don't worry, he can't afford to lose us."
He couldn't infer much information from their talk but anything was better than nothing.
In around half an hour they reached in front of large towering walls. There were some soldiers standing atop the walls equipped with crossbows.
Ash hid behind a half-broken tree that seemed damaged in a fierce battle.
The gates opened, taking the group inside.
Ash looked around, waiting for a while. His physical condition was already bad, his clothes were rugged and tattered but he sat down and rolled in the dirt to make himself look weak. Then he grabbed a stick and scratched his arms and legs until clear bruises could be seen.
After waiting for another hour he revealed himself from the woods. He walked staggering towards the gate.
As guards noticed him they rushed forward with questioning gazes, their swords ready to lash out.
"Relax, it's Ash," one of the guards ordered.
Hearing his name Ash was shocked, but he kept his calm not even changing facial expressions in the slightest.
"Hey kid, what happened to the merchants and why did you come from the forest?"
"You know it's forbidden to go in the expansion zone, and where are the others?"
Ash was bombarded with questions.
"Calm down, can't you see his condition? Take him to the medic," another guard ordered.
Ash kept his silence maintained while the guard took him inside.
His eyes shimmered at the ancient architecture and large walls towering around the city.
Most of the people had weapons on them and none of them looked like ordinary people.
Just by their intent and unwavering gazes he could tell all of them were seasoned warriors.
Walking on the path, they passed several boxy houses with bare minimum design and resources. The whole settlement looked temporary, soon to be destroyed.
He was taken to one of the similar houses.
During the walk the guard treated him roughly as if venting his frustration out.
"Sir Wilbert, would you mind giving this kid some slaps so he could wake up and talk?" the guard said to a man.
Inside the house there were many beds with partitions and some soldiers lying there on the beds.
He could smell the aroma of wood inside the wooden house.
In a corner of the room there was a table full of bottles filled with bright liquids of different colours. Some of the bottles were filled with tablets.
"Yeah yeah, why not, make him sit there," an old man with a long white beard pointed at one of the beds.
Ash sat down comfortably on the chair and noticed the surroundings. Then he saw some familiar faces. They were the ones who fought against the Nymph in battle.
The man grabbed his hand and shook his head in dejection.
"Why are you so serious? I can't even see a single serious injury on your body except some shallow bruises. This generation is doomed, crying over scratches."
Despite the taunt, the man healed him with a gentle touch of his hand. It was a soothing feeling for Ash.
"You can take him back, he is perfectly fine," Wilbert the healer said to the guard.
Ash could see suspicion in the guard's eyes as if he was seen through.
But at that moment a pressing aura that made Ash hard to breathe fell on him. Though the reaction was similar, some weak soldiers had contorted faces and the soldiers who returned from the forest had paled.
A tall broad man with well-defined muscles entered. Strangely, he wore nothing on top and simple shorts on the legs unlike other armored soldiers.
As his presence was evident, all the people in the room knelt down on the ground, only leaving Ash and Wilbert standing.
Seeing others, Ash also knelt down.
"Greetings, Commander," Wilbert said in a calm tone, standing upright.
The man just nodded with a smile, then gave a cursory glance towards Ash and then looked around. His eyes locked with the soldiers who were in the forest.
He walked, the pressure increasing with every step as he stood in front of four soldiers.
"So, may I know why you came empty-handed?" His voice was controlled but an underlying press graved in every word.
"We seek pardon, we failed to accomplish the task," one of the soldiers said hesitantly, his head was almost kissing the ground.
"Despite the burners?" Commander asked in a questioning tone.
Seeing an opportunity to shift the blame, the soldiers quickly blurted out, "It broke down mid-fight."
"I checked the condition, something fast and sharp had hit it. Someone had sabotaged it.
The culprit must come forward or I will torture him to death," Commander ordered.
As time passed, none came forward.
"You brought this upon you."
Before Ash could blink, Commander's sword flashed, a head rolling on the floor.