RB Chapter 176 Food, Monki's Honesty

During Balimi city's golden age, the building in the center of the city used to hold a very high amount of importance, but all it had was one basement level which was used as parking for the vehicles.

Eric had given it a look before ascending the building. It was dark, and it was filled with the unknown, so no one in their right mind would dare venture within, no matter how courageous they were...well except for idiots.

Right now in this dark basement, there was a carpet formed of thick brown things, they were like an amalgam of brown snakes. They were plant roots. They had grown so densely together that they had formed a carpet, covering every inch of ground and sealing the soil beneath them. Even though they grew so densely together, everything seemed to be in harmony, no root was growing above the other, and they also appeared to be originating from the same direction.

If you followed them, then they would lead you to the center of this basement where a curious scene could be glimpsed. A large egg-like sphere, releasing a dull green light. All the roots that were forming a carpet on the floor led all their supply of nutrients towards this egg, where they merged underneath it. The sphere was transparent and a green liquid was contained within it. The source of the dull light was from this green liquid.

From the top of this oval egg, green vines grew out, and as of pumped with adrenaline, they covered the entire ceiling of the basement. They were healthy and filled with life. Dew drops were condesced along their green stems. The basement was just their starting point, they had grown through every entrance and vent, making their way outside, where they proceeded to conquer the building, claiming it for themselves. Older ones had become so powerful, that during their growth, they even shattered pieces of concrete which blocked their path and continued on. Almost half of all the building's floors had been claimed by this plant lifeform.

In the oval green egg, green liquid wasn't the only thing that was inside, there was also something, it resembles a fetus, but this fetus was green. It had grown to the same size as a baby who was a month old. It had green skin, covering its body, its limbs matched those of humans, with five fingers and toes. It was hairless, and its closed eyes kept twitching.

It could feel them, all its limbs, even the ones above...the vines.

The warmth of the sunlight that fell along the vines and leaves made the fetus feel very comfortable, but also through the vines, it could feel other things, like some sort of organisms. They were cutting down, stepping and pushing away the vines. It felt all the sensations. The most painfully one being when the vines were cut. The pain was akin to being stung by a bee. That was the reason why the eyes were twitching beneath those closed eyelids. According to the sensations transmitted by the vines, there were about eight lifeforms and they were making their way upwards. These weren't those hairy ones...it wondered where they had gone, they used to be a delicious snack. These ones were different, it could feel it, but couldn't really tell the difference as they had a very strong resemblance to those hairy ones. It wondered whether they had replaced the hairy ones.

Though it was still a fetus, its brain was developed enough to allow it to ponder these questions. They were important as that meant that the quality of the food had changed. This was a trap, a trap it had laid down to capture the food. The higher they climbed, the happier it was.

As its emotions became more pronounced, it shifted around within the green liquid. Through the body parts that made contact with the vines, it tried to form outlines if their forms in its mind, forms which became more accurate the more vines they made contact with. Of course they weren't the only ones, another two had passed through earlier. It was sure that they were still up there. It had started pumping energy, making the vines grow so that it could reach them, but when these ones arrived, it halted the growth. It had to be cautious, food must not be allowed to be startled away. It also felt an instinctual feeling that if it devoured these lifeforms, it would change in some way, so it had to make sure they weren't startled into running away.

They rose so high up that they left the vines...its limbs behind, but that didn't matter, it had already ascertained that they didn't have those wings like those damnable birds, so there was no way that they could escape.

-----

"We have finally managed to leave those vines behind!" Njibwa commented as she stood along a balcony, allowing the sun's rays to fall upon her face. The weather had started to change, but the clouds hadn't yet covered the sun entirely.

"Now we need to find Monki, have you managed to come across any clues?" She asked as she basked in the sun. The vines had made the previous floors humid and uncomfortable. The warmth along her skin made her feel as if she had been reborn.

"Not yet." The woman who had teamed up with her curtly answered. The question had encroached on her work. She was currently working hard to find any clues, and she didn't like to be disturbed.

Njibwa got the subtle message so she proceeded to look out into the city. The trees were lush, the atmosphere very good, with the occasional breeze. Clouds were gathering in the sky, sometimes obscuring the sun, while at other times moving away to let the city bask in the rays.

'This place is beautiful.' Njibwa exclaimed in her mind. She was right. This place was really great, it would be a great tourist spot, the arrangement of the ruins and the trees growing upon them were all attractive features.

Thump!

"Hmmm!?" A sound had emerged from above startling her. She hurriedly turned around exchanging glances with the other woman. Both got a tacit understanding to keep quiet.

"Njibwa, I know you are down there." Monki's voice cane from above the floor they were on. The origin suggested that the guy was standing on the balcony, the same as her.

"I am only here for a chat." He continued. His voice appeared calm, not at all appearing like it was from someone who was panicking.

"What do you want?" Njibwa asked, removing a strand of hair the wind had blown onto her face. She was reluctant to leave the balcony as the view was simply too mesmerising.

"I want to know what my punishment will be when am captured?" He asked. Njibwa felt pity for the guy's current predicament, but he brought it on himself so all the blame fell on him.

"Probably life imprisonment." She answered after a few seconds.

"..." She heard sighing from above the moment she answered.

"Did you expect something else." She asked with coldness dripping in her tone.

"No...I more or less figured that this will be it that. But I have a condition..."

"Do you really have any idea about your current predicament? Or are thinking of using that girl as a hostage to bargain?" She interrupted him.

"No...I Monki will never hide behind a shield. Don't you know me?"

"I don't think I know you any more after what you pulled." Njibwa answered honestly.

"I didn't pull anything, I simply wanted to murder the other brat, but...as you can see, everything escaped my hands." He honestly divulged.

"I feel you, even I sometimes want to kill that blue eyed brat. What condition do you have to say? As a person who used to be your friend, I will gear you out." She said, sitting down onto the floor. She had a feeling that this conversation would last a while. She could pick out the clues through the relaxed tone with which he was using.

On the other side, through the earpiece, the woman had sent out a missive for the other teams to converge upon their position.

"I can hear you other woman, but it doesn't matter. I have already decided to surrender." Monki's words caused a jolt to run through the two women's hearts. The woman part of tge captain's team even wondered whether she shared the same genes as Monki.

"There is no need to be startled. This is just a minor trick I picked from that assassin." Monki said.

"My condition is for me to be imprisoned by the Black Diamond Group instead of the city." Monki said.

"That is simple. I believe all who have come with me will agree."

Njibwa's answer caused a few minutes to pass in silence, but She knew that he hadn't left, he was still there, above her.

"Did you know that I am in love with you...been ever since the first time I laid eyes on you." Monki started.

"The clues were there. I picked them up." Njibwa's expression became stoic at that, sealing off any emotional turmoil she might, or might not be experiencing within her mind.

"I used to think that love was something that was pointless until I met you. You were vibrant and and kind, my heart sped up just by being in your presence, words always used to fail me, and I would lash out at anyone nearby to hide my frustration at not being able to have any meaningful conversation with you..." Monki continued. He seemed to have entered a daze, recounting the most precious memories in his mind.

"The way you laughed, the way you moved, the way you always try to mask your emotions beneath a cold expression...essentially everything about you made me fall deeper..."

"...and then one day, by accident, I noticed that you had fallen for Baguma. I was so devastated that I killed a few of my followers in rage. I drank, trying to clear the memory away, but it all ended in failure." Monki's voice chocked up. He must have been overwhelmed by emotion.

Njibwa felt her heart move out to him, but she had someone else she loved so she couldn't return his love. She had seen all the clues, but her heart had been taken by another, so she had ignored him.

"If you had rejected me outright, maybe it wouldn't have hurt as much as it did. Did you know? Every single day that I saw you looking at him was painful. Sometimes I even developed multiple methods to kill him, but ultimately dismissed them. That would have caused you pain...ultimately it wasn't worth it." He said.

Njibwa balled her fingers into fists and clenched so hard that they became white. Her lips along had a drop of blood lingering on them after she bit them hard enough.

"If he had died, I would have killed you." She said through gritted teeth.

"I know...and I wouldn't have put up a struggle. I would have accepted the death calmly." He answered without skipping a beat.

"..." Words failed her.

The other woman had been listening to their conversation and felt that it was a pity for Monki. The guy seemed to love the woman genuinely. That caused the woman to envy Njibwa.

"Is Baguma good to you?" He asked.

"Yes, he is." She answered without skipping a beat. Any hesitation would lead to Monki getting the wrong idea.

"That girl, is she alive?" Njibwa changed the topic.

"She is in good health."

"Why did you save her? I don't think you are any saint, right?" Njibwa pressed.

"She deserved it. She saved my life." Monki answered causing Njibwa raise an eyebrow.

"Everyone has to have a bottom line...mine is honor. Someone honorable deserves respect. Mugumivu is another of those I dream honorable." He sighed at that.

"Are you going to allow yourself to be captured or us it going to be a battle?" Njibwa asked. She was curious. Her battle intent was still there. It had been some time after her last battle and she felt herself getting duller. Besides, she wanted to try out energy channelling.

"I won't struggle. That would be pointless. I can feel your battle intent, but save it for later." Monki's words caused her disappointment. She looked above, at the concrete ceiling that separated them and wondered what was going through his mind.

"Monki, you have changed. Or could it be that this predicament has allowed you to grow up?" Njibwa asked.

"I am still the same old Monki. Its just that I have finally managed to see things further. Though this situation was the most contributing factor." Njibwa's eyes widened at his words.

"I am happy for you. Too bad you became enlightened too late." Njibwa felt it to be a pity.

"Better late than never. There is that saying." Monki's voice came from the top.

"I am leaving. Nice chatting with you...I am on floor 87, in a wide hall. Tell that to your companions." Njibwa heard his feet when he stood up and also heard them going away. She didn't say anything or try to stop him. She had entered a daze.

'So he changed.' She thought.

"Madam Njibwa, do we follow, or wait?" The other woman's voice broke her out if her thoughts.

"We will wait for the others. She said, before looking out. Clouds had obscured the sun during that short period that they had been chatting. The wind had started picking up and it brought coldness along with it.

"It is going to rain." Njibwa said it with conviction as she looked at the grey clouds. Thunder occasionally boomed in her ears, shattering the peace of the place.

"What is your name?" The other woman was jolted from her thoughts upon hearing g that question. A few minutes passed like that.

"Monki's change made me feel that even I need to change a bit. So I will start with knowing your name." Njibwa had her back to the woman so she couldn't see what kind of expression she was making.

"I am Rose. Njovu Rose." She answered.

"Huh! Were you a Njovu clansman?" Njibwa turned around in shock.

"No." The woman answered curtly, but Njibwa didn't fail to catch the dash of complicated feelings in her eyes.

'She probably used to be a clansman.' Njibwa concluded.

"Rose, I am called Njibwa. That's my only name. I don't have a second one as my parents were undecided." She explained.

"Hmmm!? Something is flying in the distance. Is it a bird?" Njibwa abruptly stood up. Rose followed her gaze and saw three black dots, conspicuous against the grey clouds.

"Let me listen." Rose's ears twitched as she tried to capture the sound.

"They are drones." Rose said.

"I wonder who sent them." Njibwa commented.

"The most likely person is probably the city lord." A voice cane from someone else, attracting their gazes.