The loud cry shook the air and stunned everyone on the ground. Alexia who had fallen unconscious was startled awake. The first thing she saw was the group of Antworms surrounding them. The sight had made her want to throw up again, but she managed to hold it in this time. She finally realized that they were outside the cave. Jake who was carrying her on his back was silent and looking up at the sky. Following his gaze, she lifted her head to see what he was looking at. Her mouth hung open at the sight.

A huge figure was circling above them in the sky. Its upper torso was that of a bird with vibrant multi-colored feathers, while the lower half was reptilian and covered in dark green scales. With every flap of its wings, it would blow strong gusts of air, shaking the trees and making their trunks groan. Its pair of golden eyes continued to look at the creatures beneath it.

With one quick swoop, it landed by the cave entrance. Its clawed reptilian foot crashed on the Class VI Antworm that had just emerged from within the cave. The sound of tearing flesh and breaking shell could be heard as the Antworm’s body deformed under the force of the impact. With a cry, the giant half-bird half-reptile creature raised its feathered wings. From beneath, strands of thin crystals could barely be seen reflecting the light of the afternoon sun. Those strands lightly floated, then with the flapping of those giant wings, the strands extended in all directions.

Blazing flames and freezing ice erupted from those strands. The two conflicting elements caused erratic temperature fluctuations in the atmosphere. The air expanded and compressed, causing gusts of wind to move in all directions. The soil and grass was lifted of the ground. Trees were uprooted. The Antworms that tried to burrow back into the soil were sucked out and raised into the air. Everything that touched the strands were either burned into a crisp or frozen and broken like glass.

Before this had all happened, Allen was the first to react. He had already noticed that Alexia was awake, so he pulled her down from Jake’s back.

“Shield up!”

Jake responded quickly and raised his shield in front of them. Allen had sheathed Novo Vulpia, then held the two. He forcefully used Dash while dragging the both of them. They quickly broke free from the disarrayed encirclement of Antworms, but the erratic gusts of wind produced by sudden changes in the air temperature caused by the crystal strands of fire and ice broke their balance.

“Hold on to me!”

Allen once again unsheathed Novo Vulpia and quickly summoned the 3rd Form and stabbed them into the ground. Alexia held both him and Jake, screaming as the air’s pulling force threatened to suck Jake back into the disaster zone, almost ripping her arms.

“I’m not gonna make it!!!”

Alexia had almost given up, when the sucking force changed into a pushing one, and they got blasted off a distance away. Using this opportunity, they scrambled on their feet and ran to create distance between them. After a few minutes of non-stop running, they slowed down and checked the situation.

“It doesn't seem to be after us.”

Alexia and Jake had fallen down on their butts, exhausted. Traces of fear were still on their faces. Then, after looking at each other, they began to laugh.

“That was a close call!”

“What the heck was that thing?”

“I don’t know. There was nothing like that in the Codex.”

“Judging by the strength it showed, I wouldn't think it strange if it was a Class X.”

Having said those words, the three’s mood suddenly turned sullen. Class X was an existence that was hard to fathom. They could only speculate that the creature they had seen was such, but they could still be wrong. It was only speculation after all. The only people that may have encountered Class X before were the Base Establishment Group.

’Maybe, I should ask the assistant trainer…’

The clamor had died down followed by another loud cry from the distance. The sound of flapping wings could be heard gradually fading away.

“Looks like it left.”

“I think that we now know the reason why the base was attacked.”

“Huh?”

“The Vulpia were driven away from their den by the Antworms who were fleeing from the creature from earlier.”

“Is that definite?”

“It’s only a theory, but the one with the highest possibility based on the circumstances.”

Allen started walking back to where they came from.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to the den.”

“Why?”

“We’re still not done with the mission, right?”

“Ugh…”

Alexia and Jake reluctantly got up and followed him. They were grumbling about how annoying it was and how things had gone in strange directions. They had lived withing the safe confines of the base. Jake had experience going out but only as part of the transport team. Alexia had always been in the base training as medic. The first time they actually did a mission outside turned out to be beyond their wildest imaginations.

“Sorry about this.”

Hearing Allen apologize, the two can’t help but form awkward expressions, especially Alexia, since she was the one who was so excited to tag along. Looking back, she had done nothing except being a burden.

“No, this is none of your fault.”

“Yes…”

They awkwardly denied Allen. They walked in silence back to the rocky hill. After a while, they finally arrived. The scene was a mess. Antworm corpses were scattered everywhere. The rocks on the hills were blown away and broke some of the trees in the nearby forest, not to mention that uprooted trees that had also been thrown away. Burn marks scarred the ground along with the scorched remains of the Antworms. There were also frozen areas that had yet to thaw.

“Keep your guards up. There may be stragglers.”

Allen was right to the point. The ground behind Alexia had started to move, and an Antworm emerged from underground. It tried to bite her foot, but Jake had reacted quickly. With the lance at the ready, he lunged forward and pierced the head of the Antworm. It easily died, as it was already low on health after the incident from earlier.

Alexia thanked Jake. This time she kept her eyes on the ground around her to avoid letting the same thing happen. She tried to use the Cloak skill, but Allen told her to conserve her in case of emergencies.

“It’s gone…”

The Class VI Antworm was nowhere to be seen. Even if it had died earlier from the initial attack, it should have left behind a corpse. There was only one conclusion that they could think off, and it was that the half-avian half-reptile beast had taken it away.

“We could salvage some of these…”

Most of the corpses were burnt black or crushed into frozen fragments, but there were still a few that were only cut to pieces or partially crushed. Allen and company started gathering whatever materials they could like the Antworms’ crystal flesh and carapace.

After that, they went back in the cave. They encountered a few more Antworms, but they were also low on health and easily dispatched. There were no signs of another giant Antworm appearing. With that, they ‘safely secured’ the cave.

“Good work.”

A group of people had arrived at the scene after Allen sent the signal. They ignored the bloody mess, quite used to this sort of job. They had equipments which they used to probe the walls and floors of the cave. After a while, they cheered in excitement, clearly finding what they were here for.

Allen and his team rode the Worldrunner, which miraculously survived the clash with only a few scratches, back to the base. They then made their report back to and received extra rewards for reporting their findings with regards to the Vulpia possibly attacking the base because of the Antworms being driven away by the half-bird half-reptile monster from their habitat.

“We had seen a bit of what happened through the long-distance observation optical device.”

“What’s that?”

“In simpler terms, binoculars with some upgrades.”

The Director gave a hearty laugh before making a serious expression.

“I, too, have no idea what that monster was, but the Head Trainer and Assistant Trainer may have some idea. I suggest you talk to them about it.”

“I’ll do.”

Quest Complete!

Securing a Resource Spot

The former Vulpia den had been successfully claimed.

Rewards:

+100 Energy

+250 Creation Points

+1500 Credits

Allen parted ways with the other two after leaving . He then opened the and sent a message to the Assistant Trainer asking to meet up with her because he had some things to talk about. A reply came within minutes.

From: Assistant Trainer Natalie Myers

To: CrySol I-7 Codenamed AllIsDead

Subject: Re:

Congratulations on returning safely after another successful mission.

I will meet you in the Lounge Private Room 2 in 20 minutes.

The message was short and direct. Allen let out a wry smile as this type of message perfectly suited the Assistant Trainer’s seemingly cold and serious personality.

Natalie Myers was known to be as strict as the Head Trainer, especially when it comes to training the new recruits. She was known through different names like the Rookie’s Terror, Ice Queen, Nightmare Flower, and many others. Of course, these names were spoken behind closed doors in secrecy. They fear the consequences if she found out.

She knew of the existence of such topics and Natalie could only smile wryly inside. Her cold appearance was the result of her serious attitude in ensuring the safety of the new soldiers. She had experienced deep pain with the loss of her former comrades, and she didn't want to see the people of her new home to experience the same. Even if this caused her reputation to drop among the soldiers, she didn't care as long as she could achieve her goal.

While she was with the Head Trainer in the watching over a group of new recruits, her beeped, signaling the reception of a message. She opened it and was surprised to see that it was from the promising new recruit who seemed different from those before him. She had told him before about the existence of the Establishment Group and what had happened to them after the establishing of Base 19.

The message asked her to meet up with him as he had some questions to ask regarding the incident with the mission he had just taken. She had observed his progress by asking one of the personnel in to send her updates with regards to any mission he participated in.

She sent a congratulatory message and asked him to meet with her in a private room in the Lounge after asking for permission from the Head Trainer. She then quickly went back to her room to pick a change of clothes out of her usual uniform. Why she did this, she herself didn't know. It was probably because she had a favorable impression with this new recruit, and she wanted to keep a good relation with him. This was the first time that she dressed up for a meeting with the opposite sex since the loss of the Establishment Group.

When she arrived at the Lounge, all eyes were on her. She was wearing a tight-fitting plain gray shirt and jeans. This appearance was something that the soldiers had never seen before. Although it was mediocre compared to the fashion of other female soldiers and personnel, this change was still a head-turner for most as it was out of character for the Ice Queen that they knew.

“Oh, you’re here.”

The informal greeting further shocked them as they saw the new soldier clad in full white stood up from the bar counter to greet her. At first they thought that he would receive a beating from the Ice Queen, but what followed next almost made their jaws drop and their eyes pop out.

“Let’s go.”

Natalie ignored the response of the crowd while smiling bitterly. She lead Allen toward the deeper area of the Lounge to one of the private rooms, while sending glances behind her. She had spent time to come here because she wanted to choose an appropriate outfit for the meeting, but the other party was still clad in his battle wear with traces of dirt and blood on it. It seemed like he went straight to the Lounge after making his report in .

As they entered the private room and closed the door, the people in the Bar and Lounge suddenly erupted into a clamor. Everyone was truly shocked with this development. In the end, all they could do was shake their head in admiration and envy. The Ice Queen had a pretty face, but her personality was what pushed the men away. Despite that, it seemed like the new recruit with high future prospects had successfully melted the ice case of the queen. Not only could he assimilate 100% with , he could also do the same for the queen’s ice.

“Sorry for that.”

Natalie made an apology as soon as she closed the door behind them. The atmosphere outside was awkward to say the least, and she was afraid that the person she had hopes for would avoid her because of that. If she invited him to her room again and someone found out, it might cause an even bigger ruckus than just now.

“No, I should be the one apologizing.”

Allen, of course, had figured out what the problem was. He was not dense, and he easily figured out the reason. There was no one who actually at fault, but things had already gone this far and all they could do was just go along with it.

“Let’s just forget about that and worry about it later.”

He made the suggestion and Natalie nodded in agreement.

“So what is it that you want to know?”

“Did you know about the incident from the resource mission I took earlier?”

“Yes. Ive been up to date.”

“Then this makes thing simpler. I want to know about that beast that we encountered.”

Natalie sighed.

’So this was what it was about.’

As she gathered her thoughts, she made an order on the holographic screen floating above the table. Allen did the same, and they waited for the order to arrive. They both ordered iced tea.

“On the house.”

The personnel who delivered the drinks said as she placed a pitcher of the same ice cold drink between them along with empty glasses. She then winked at Allen before leaving. The two sighed and smiled wryly at each other, knowing what each of them were thinking at the moment.

“We call it Cockatrice, based on old legends and myths.”

She immediately dropped the bombshell after taking a small sip. This did not surprise Allen as he had already thought about this probability based on the characteristics that he saw. Still, having the fact confirmed had shocked him a bit.

“It’s strength was presumed to be that of a Class X.”

Another bombshell. This time, Allen was genuinely surprised. The strength of a Class X was, at the moment, considered to be unfathomable. The strongest players were around Class IV in strength at the moment, and they form parties and their combined strength could probably reach that of Class VI. Remembering the power shown by the Cockatrice from earlier sent shivers down Allen’s spine. With a single flap of its wings, it took down dozens of Antworms known for their high defensive abilities in one fell swoop. Even the giant Antworm which was Class VI in strength was easily taken down with one attack.

“We encountered this creature during the northern expedition, but it had not attacked us. It was only flying around, seeming to look for prey. In its eyes, it didn't even consider us as such. In the incident earlier, you were only dragged in its attack. Its actual target where just the Antworms.”

“Yes, I've already considered that. We were lucky to have made it out of there safely.”

’It’s not like we would actually die, with the emergency warp and all.’

It was only now that Allen remembered about that function. They were so surprised by the sudden turn of events that they forgot about such thing that can be considered as common sense for the soldiers.

“Still, a Class X… Pretty hard to fully imagine its strength despite having witnessed it earlier with my own eyes.”

“And I’m assuming that was not even half of its actual capabilities.”

The two went silent for the moment and they continued to sip their drinks until the ice cubes clinked in the empty glasses. They then refilled their drink and continued their silence.

After a while, it was Natalie who broke the silence as she entered something on her .

“I just sent you a small bonus reward for the mission and the information. Knowing that such a terrifying creature was actually nearby will help the base by improving our defenses in case the worst comes to pass.”

“I’m glad to be of help.”

The silence continued.

“Are you free for dinner?”

Natalie asked an unexpected question.

“Uh… Yes, I think so.”

“I see. Meet me again here at 8 pm. Don’t worry, it’s my treat.”

After that, they left the Lounge, followed by curious gazes.

You currently have 150 Crystal Energy stored.

Stored Crystal Energy will be automatically transferred to you when you access the terminal.

+150 Crystal Energy

Rank 7 —> Rank 10 (500/500)

You are now eligible for a Class Up. If you have a Class Up recommendation, please proceed to the .

Note that you can not receive further Crystal Energy unless you increase your Class.

The bonus reward that Allen received from the Assistant Trainer was an extra 50 Crystal Energy along with some more materials that could be useful for crafting.

He had also checked the and saw that the Antworm’s crystal flesh was actually a good material for crafting clothing. Currently, he was satisfied with his outfit, so he decided to put the materials on . There was an option where the materials could be bought by other players using the in-game Credits or real money. He set the option to receive either and set the price at the recommended retail price.

’Finally… maybe I could make enough to pay for the next month’s rent. I had completely forgotten about it, but I might just make it.’

Allen breathed a sigh of relief, but still kept in his mind that it was too early to relax. The troubles he had gone through in the game had stirred his mind away from his real life problems.

He would proceed to the and receive a Class Up, then attend the dinner invitation of the Assistant Trainer. It wouldn't make him full in reality, but having to taste something other than instant noodles and bread was definitely a good thing.

’As long as nothing troublesome comes up, when I reach Class II, I could focus on making some money first before trying to class up again.’

With that plan set, Allen prepared to go to the .