Chapter 62: Good, good.

The cool and dark cave gave chills to Safo. He and two of his teammates, Achraf and his daughter Luna, walked with him inside. The long tunnel sloped downward making the pace a bit extreme, due to the angle. But the spirit of the team was firm.

Achraf recently reached level 5, he was in the frontline. Right behind him, level 6, Safo Nur, and level 9 Lunayrapo backed them up from the rear.

Black dirt and rock covered the walls of the tunnel, not surprisingly the tiny jumpy monsters were the same color as the rocks in the walls. Natural camouflage.

The team took their time before moving forward to the spot where they were attacked previously. As predicted an assault didn't hesitate.

Luna was first to react, she was already holding the bowstring tightly ready to unleash an arrow reinforced with wind power. And that was what she did. An arrow winged with pressed air behind it flew quick and in a split second swooshed by two alarmed players. Unfortunately, Luna didn't hit anything.

The rock that Luna aimed flung from the wall and successfully landed itself on Safo's temple, then just bounced back as swift as it came. Safo Nur swung his emerald blade a seconds after the rubber rock jumped off back to the wall. Safo missed it.

Without any delay, the rock bounced again and flew towards the ceiling of the cave, from there it descended to the dazzled face of Safo Nur. And another impact on Safo was followed by his unsuccessful slash.

The same situation was happening to the rest of the party. No one could properly aim or hit the target. After several more attempts and tens of small hits from their bouncy aggressors Safo, Luna, and Achraf retreated.

Attempts number three, four, and five ended up almost in the same way. They ran off from the cave, all injured close to death.

Huffing and puffing Achraf was curious. "Did any of you kill something? I didn't."

"I did, only once, by luck. They are level 8. I got 50 EXP from that. It would be great for leveling up if only I could kill more of them." 4 HP left when Safo exited the cave. Currently, he was replenishing his HP, limbs widespread on the ground. The other two players were drinking their last potions.

"I killed two. Their name is Jumpy rocks. I received 24 EXP from each. I suggest we go and hunt some other place." Luna sat leaning against the tree behind her. She was exhausted after constantly focusing her eyes on super fast pinball rocks.

Some of her arrows, fire, and wind had an AOE attack, meaning that it could deal damage to nearby objects too. Utilizing that featuring Luna managed to kill two rocks.

"I agree, I do not like this place. It is thanks to this shield being a defense type, I didn't die. Let's go hunt something big and slow, please." Achraf was admiringly looking at his shield and decided to get the better one next time if the chance will appear.

They laughed at their lack of agility and fighting skill and walked away from the cave sight in search of a suitable opponent for their level.

In pursuit of better prey, the team wandered through the forest before stumbling upon a wild dog pack. 10 or so brown and white dogs with tusks looked at the trio drooling. In the muted command that only they could understand, dogs rushed towards the tasty-looking players.

In an instant, Luna sent one of her arrows with a water blade switched-on on the tip. Achraf took his improvised defense-oriented fighting stance. While Safo lashed forward with his gauntlets in a long-sleeve mode.

Brown thick leather with horizontal stripes all over the length and silver rivets to enhance the armor, covered his arms from nails to armpits. Safo assumed that the long glove mode should protect him in case of a dog bite. He didn't want to catch any rabies or something similar, even if it was a game.

Safo, in his mind, replayed Milouds movements, his smooth dodges to the side and sudden step-back motions that left an opponent stunned for milliseconds that were enough to counterattack.

A kick that came from the ground right under the dog's jaws threw it off balance which gave Safo an opportunity to jump on it and to beat it rapidly until he heard an encouraging voice of a system.

[ You have killed a Sabre-toothed dog (Level 6). You gained 18 Exp. ]

[ You have received 10 Time fragments. ]

[ You have received a Tusk knife (Tier 1). ]

Unfortunately, Safo had no time to celebrate his victory, three more nearby dogs dashed to him, locking in a gruesome bite. But luckily for him, his one hand was still free which he used to brutally bash at the dog's heads one by one. The announcement rang three more times. The rest of the group also finished off their targets.

'These dogs are too slow. Or it is me who became faster. Is that what Miloud wished to achieve? He wanted to train our reflexes in that damn cave. I should thank him' Safo wondered about the awesomeness of his teacher's performance in case Miloud were there in the cave with them.

In that manner, the trio kept on their EXP grinding. Porcupines, a flock of deer with magical antlers that could send small tornados at their foe. A bunch of foxes attacked them appearing from the holes under the trees. Taken by surprise, the team suffered more damage but eventually cleared the area.

By dawn, Safo Reached level 7. Luna was halfway to level 9 and Achraf was level 6.

Waking up, Safo was pleasantly surprised that the food was on the table, ready to be consumed. O'rmon wasn't home but she woke up earlier to prepare everything and left to get ready for the upcoming special mission.

Cheerfully men woke up one by one and gobbled their breakfast. The rest of the day promised to be busy. The first thing to do was to visit the Military Advisor, he personally asked Safo at the party. The second thing that needed Safo's attention was his brand new ship-transporter. He played CD size, but a thicker, device in his hands. It was the captain's key to control the ship.

As a new tradition, they talked about the adventures in the game while eating. Only Yon sat quietly, he swiftly finished his meal and went to wash dishes. Others loved his army attitude and left the important task of cleaning to him.

After breakfast, Yon, Kutch, and Safo drove to the main plaza where the Heroic Hall was situated. Next to it was the seemingly abandoned building with dusty windows and unclean floors. It was the Military Headquarters. Less than ten people worked in the building, including Maun Drew.

"This place certainly saw better times. It is sad what the Empire's rule, of not having an army, made to this building and the spirit of our former soldiers also broken with it." Kutch felt sad for his nation, he walked by old pictures of great generals that were covered in dust. He ran his fingers through one of them when jerked it back after seeing a luminescent cockroach doing its usual business.

Safo wanted to ask Yon his opinion about the solution of the current tense relationship between New Tenga and Empire when they arrived at the office of the Advisor.

"Enter, no one knocks on the door here, anymore. We do not have many visitors." A tall and broad-shouldered man ordered. He sat on his wide chair in front of the door. His statue somehow dwarfed the black table and the whole room with it. It seemed that the Advisor belonged to the huge halls, coliseums, open battlefields anywhere but not there, in a tiny office, to do paperwork.

"I see that the Imperial boy is with you now, smart. It is for his good, not to meet his father for the time being. Did you bring my gift with you, boy? I want you to try it." With that, he motioned Safo to proceed to equip the Troch, and it wasn't a request. Once a commander, always a commander.

The cylindric weapon, in its Nano-mechanical manner, opened one of its ends so Safo could place his arm inside. Quickly it returned to its original form making a sight as if Safo had a canon extension on his arm.

"Good, follow me." Following the Advisor, Safo found himself outside, in a garden, in the middle of the building. Neglected for a long time the garden was all bushy and messy. Rats and insects were the most likely owners of the place than the military personnel.

Maun Drew prepared for Safo a metal dummy for practice and to try the power of the Torch. Mini pillar came out to be twice as long and more powerful than before, in no time Safo melted down the training doll. It was an astonishment for everyone including Maun and Safo himself, his mini pillars never were ten-meter long before.

"Good, good. I only assume that you trust each other, and I can proceed by telling you what I wanted, yesterday." Maun Drew looked at Safo and Yon, they exchanged looks too and both nodded.

"Good, good. Do you know why your legs are broken and not cut off?" Muan Drew.