Chapter 38: A Lazy Hunter’s Resolve[2]
Xior and Becca walked around aimlessly under the moonlit sky. Xior had a bag in his hand while in his other he had an ice cream cone.
Becca trailed beside him, with the same ice cream cone as him in her hand.
"Doesn’t this remind you of when we were kids?" Becca asked as she took a bite of the ice cream.
Xior looked at her and didn’t speak, his black eyes shimmering under the night sky. Then he opened his mouth and said, "Yes, yes it does."
They always went out to eat ice cream as soon as they had enough money for it. They’d walk around Sector H just like this.
They were innocent and didn’t have to worry about things, but now they had a lot of things. To keep each other safe. To provide the shelter kids with everything that they don’t follow their footsteps and lead a normal life.
They were now walking back home when suddenly a hooded man grabbed onto Becca’s and whispered, "Long time no see Becca."
Xior quickly turned and grabbed his wrist, making him let go of her hair and jump in pain.
"I know her, leave me you son of a bastard." The hooded man said as he tried breaking free from Xior’s grip.
Becca kept quiet, she had recognized the man and so had Xior. He was a man they both deeply hated.
"Let me go you bastard, I’m her family." The man screamed in pain as Xior tightened his grip.
"Don’t you dare say that with your filthy mouth, Derek. You died for me five years ago in that gate." Becca declared, her voice full of hatred.
"What I did was necessary to save you, and this is how you’re treating me you useless whor-"
His sentence was cut off by a kick to his jaw, Xior had enough of it. He pulled Derek’s arm and looked down on his.
Just before with Becca they were soft but now they encompassed an unfathomable abyss inside.
His gaze pierced through Dereck’s body and he felt his soul frozen, his body unmoving and his breath not coming.
"Derek, you can’t fool us again. We’re not the same kids anymore." Xior said.
"You...know me?" He asked.
"Yes I do know you. In fact I know you very well. Derek of Sector H, the son of a prostitute mother who was killed in a brothel and of an unknown father.
I’m saddened to see you not recognize who I am." Xior mocked him. "Let’s go down memory lane, five years ago you committed a grave sin.
A sin which turned me who I am today. You killed the boy too early Derek, you killed an innocent boy...all because you wanted to save your skin.
You’re selfish and you only care about yourself, money and women."
Every word from Xior was like needles which poked his whole body. Memories of what he did five years ago came back.
Of when he entered the gate, lost his arm and then finally betrayed Xior and traded him for HIS safety.
He looked above into Xior’s eyes and instant fear enveloped him. "Xior?" He said as he jumped back, but Xior’s grip was tight and he didn’t move much.
Becca gestured Xior to leave him and turned away but Xior didn’t let go, instead he raised his left hand and pointed his index finger towards Derek.
Becca turned and saw, but before she could grab his hand, a concentrated beam of fire erupted from his finger and went through Dereck’s shoulder making a hole the size of a walnut.
Dereck screamed in pain but Xior didn’t again, this time it went through his thigh. Becca jumped in front of him to stop it and he did.
"Stop this Xior, don’t act stupid. This is not like you."
"I promised myself to take revenge on these people, Becca. Get away and let me do my work."
"No!" Becca declared.
But Xior wasn’t going to stop, he raised his right hand and activated his runes, a wind bullet shot out of his hand as Dereck’s arm burst into a mix of flesh blood and bone.
Xior didn’t say anything and started walking in the other direction as he left Derek to bleed to death on the sidewalk.
*****
It was the next day, the sun was barely out when Xior stood in front of the gate. He had cleared till the ninth floor.
Only the tenth floor was left. He didn’t waste any time and entered and went towards the boss room.
As he entered the room he was faced with 20 hobgoblins, these ones bigger than any he fought with.
He jumped towards them without wasting time and started his fight.
He swung his sword and then shot fire arrows, wind bullets and other spells at the others.
He was actively using all of his different runes on them. He needed to become better, to become strong for the Dragon Tribe.
He quickly killed half of them, his sword was now a red color. But he didn’t stop.
He cut, he fired spells and he regenerated his torn muscles, cut body and impaled organs.
Nothing could stop him, he felt ecstatic as he slaughtered the Hobgoblins, none stood a chance against him.
After twenty minutes he finished and cleared up the boss drops which were runes and dragged the bodies outside.
On the other side Maria waited for him along with Becca. He went to the Dragon guild building for a briefing.
*****
Rain sat inside his office when a sudden tremor shook the entire building.
Multiple fire orbs hit the building and it’s surrounding. He jumped out of his window and saw the sky full of dragons flying and attacking.
Just then a dragon dropped down and clawed his back clutching him into his talons and flying away.
Aegis city was in ruins, people bled everywhere in front of the mighty of the dragons.
They couldn’t do anything. They were helpless. The dragons came unnoticed and destroyed the city easily.
Without Becca or Xior there was no hope. They took Rain and killed almost everyone. It was serious now, they didn’t want to dwell any longer.
It was fight or flight now, Xior and Becca would have to face the consequences of this.