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Chapter 142: Turning The Tables Over

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Amanda stole a glance at her direction and she saw her looking at theirs as well.

If Amanda wasn't wearing a mask right now, Loni would've noticed the flustered look of surprise and panic on her face. She wasn't good at these poker games.

She could only bite her lower lip and lower her head in reflex and then look at Rex, wiping beads of sweat falling from his face.

After she was done, she said: "I don't know what's happening inside but I'm sure that he'll still end up with a win. I believe in him. He's just having a hard time... is all......"

Although she sounded unsure, her words did still mean something else. Amanda didn't want them to dwell deeper into the lie that "something in the NLD was putting stress on him" because it's not wise to continue building more lie above more lies from the words she already said.

And the bigger reason she wanted to dismiss this talk is because she felt uncomfortable lying to her friends like this. She felt her heart aching that she had to compromise so much to protect all of Rex's secrets. Truthfully, she began to think about the warning that Janus gave to her back then: that this mission is going to be hard on her because it will bring about suffering and she will have to sacrifice many things in order to see it done. If she wasn't prepared for the task, she could only say no that one time. If she agreed to take on the task, then it was a mission that will not only affect her but will also affect the lives of the people around her...

...as well as ultimately bring changes into her.

She accepted the task.

To her, this was a personal mission. In order to prove herself worthy of him, she undertook the task given by an in-game character.

Was it preposterous? Yes. Absolutely.

Terroa is just a game-world so why believe any of the things happening inside it as if it was real?

Why did she believe it? It's because she saw a lot of things happen and learned a lot of secrets after seeing the things that occurred to Rex four years ago in Terroa. It could all have been just a farce though, but she didn't think so. After all, Baron's situation was connected to everything and at least she believed that Rex wouldn't put Baron's safety into something as outrageously unbelievable as a [Quest] or a [Mission] given inside the game.

Amanda believed the dangers of [Direct Neural Impulse Therapy] which Baron was subjected into in order to cure his condition.

The succeeding events after she learnt of it: when she met Kathleen Brew, learnt of the "secrets" as told by her father; learnt of the real-world impacts that "The Destroyer, [Siva]" could bring...

—those were all reasons enough to make Amanda believe everything and put her all into completing the tasks to save Rex.

And as soon as she had learnt it all, she began to also connect the dots of these secrets.

Why is Rex special? Because his parents helped in inventing a device that could change the world forever.

Why is he strong? Because if he wasn't, then his efforts and his reasons for fighting on would have all been in vain... but the biggest reasons is... if he was weak, then he won't be able to protect the people he ought to care for.

Why was he and Baron got kidnapped? Because the people who held Baron hostage wanted what "something" Rex had hidden, learned, and lived in Terroa back then... four years ago.

What was that "something" four years ago? It was the Kingsley Doctors' invention, the [key] to reach the place called [Salvation]... as spoken by Janus.

What made his family special? Because everything was connected to Rex.

Answering these questions, she landed on a piece of truth that shocked her very core until now. That Terroa is not just a game world; it was a man-made alternate Universe with real people living inside it.

Ever since then, Amanda had viewed Terroa as not just a game-world but an alternate reality. The people here, at least those "NPCs" that she'd met and talked to, all of them, have lives and emotions.

She accepted the "people" living inside. She had accepted the history, the events, and the struggle for survival the people was experiencing inside.

Especially after she learnt that there's an invasion nine months later. It scared her so much.

Margrave John Bryn's revelations a day ago only solidified everything else she'd learned. If there's something else, then his revelation only gave way on the question as to how everything in Terroa felt real.... it's because they are all people.

And at the center of it all, the person making the difference in this world and that world, Rex, was all but a victim in her own understanding of these facts. It breaks her heart to know that Rex had no choice in the matter.

Perhaps it was just pity...

Or maybe it was indeed love...

Possibly even both...

Who's to say? Only she can assert over it.

But Amanda had decided to stay by his side and endure these changes. She was prepared to bear the brunt with him. She was prepared to do all that it takes to ease up a little bit of his pain.

—even if she had to lie about it to her friends for a few deeper matters... she will still do so for him.

For Rex Kingsley.

Because she loved him with all her heart.

Amanda's words weren't only meant for them but also for herself. She wanted to believe in Rex.

"He can do it." he asserted again. "...he can."

*****

BANG!

"Argh! D-Damn you..."

"Eeeeeekkk...!! I give! Please don't kill me!"

Of the last six, one person on each team declared surrender and begged not to be killed.

The first one to give up was already tied up back in the mountain side where Siva was located. This guy right now surrendered and was being tied up.

One guy from the second squad was shot dead in the head by a lucky bullet and this made the Sqd Ldr of the team very angry at Rex.

Still, killing Rex... well, it's not his call.

Although Rex was a neutral hostile and killing him would bring points to them, the fact remains that the final call to do it was still with the CP...... with SSG Herbert Batista, the Drill Instructor.

The Squad Leader looked over Rex who was on a rock wall, grabbing his head.

In the middle of their operations, he had begun to minimize his influence and that's why they lost one of their squad members who was shot in the head.

After the operation, a minute later, the entire team assembled in the mountain side around Rex.

"Hey! What are we going to do about these two?"

The Squad Leader yelled at Rex who seemed to not have heard him at all. He walked over and was just about to grab him up but he stopped midway, seeing the beads of sweat and the delirious look of pain written all over the kid's face.

"What.... the hell... is wrong with you..." he could only mutter in incredulous surprise.

Rex, this time, *painfully* looked at him and then to the two prisoners and said: "Make them join your squad. They'll help lessen my burden."

Those two 'prisoners' looked up at him and their eyes were wide. This was the person who single-handedly annihilated their team and now, he was trying to recruit them into his own squad?

Wait... does the neutral hostile even have a squad of his own?

The two exchanged glances; seeming to have the same question in their head before looking like two wet puppies begging for shelter at the Squad Leader. Truthfully, there was no rule saying that the squads can't replenish their numbers by using the other squads' members as substitutes.

In fact, with the Drillmaster's word, they could get changed and that the dead members still won't be replaced, only increasing their numbers and even decreasing the other's.

Of course, once that was done, the stars from the other teams won't be transferred as well.

Rex's declaration gave the two new life and they smiled at him, wanting even to give him a hug but he stood up and went back to where his rifle was.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Finishing my mission." Rex replied weakly thru gritted teeth. The Squad Leader followed him with his gaze until he disappeared in the bushes. His mind, however, was filled with questions as to the thing he just saw.

—pain? No. He wasn't even that injured. And he was grabbing his head... it was a headache. But a headache that could make him look like a devil was just too bizarre!

Of course, the source of his headache, again, was Cortana using 25% of her data-processing limits to help get more time to repair the ruined firewalls of the Echelon Network.... faster.

And although it worked, it only put Rex into a bit of a burden as he was still in the middle of a fight at the time. Good thing that the reinforcements came or he wouldn't have lasted two minutes.

But the situation was by no means warranting him to relax one bit.

[Boss. Twenty seconds until Lily's defenses fall.]

Lily could only buy them time. She said that there was the last quantum-drive facility that can give them a boost of 30% in this fight but that was still a minute more in the outside world.

Multiplied by ten, that's 600 seconds here; ten whole minutes of waiting!

If he was only allowing the standard 15% Cortana could exert for now, they would only last three to six minutes of time even with Lily's protection. So in order to extend that time, Rex had to endure all pain again and increased the cap to 25%.

But, again, if the enemy wasn't conscious even by one bit, they could have continued the 15% limit usage and maintained the stalemate until they find a way to upgrade Cortana's External-HD or find a facility with the same features lent by Thorn.

But no, reality was cruel and so he landed on his current predicament.

But... help...... comes to those who seek it.

*****

Thorn's message broke the silent minute that may have lasted an hour in Amanda's world.

Although there were the occasional noises from the crowd, this prompt still made Amanda wake up from her momentary distraction. She immediately turned to her assistant.

"Lily!"

[Initiating synchronization sequence... synchro is complete! Mom, it's ready! ~~~~~Hm! Okay! I will cover your tracks!]

*****

"Should I help?"

"...but to think that Rex and this third party AI can force you to use 85% of Database's external drive output is already praise-worthy. Tell you what. Let us work together to capture that third party AI. It's a less boring task than actually waiting here for ten minutes without doing anything."

"Ha! I've decided. Let's capture that third-party AI."

"Don't waste time. I want this to end now."

"What?"

*****

[Ten sec —starting synchronization setup! Synch complete! Rebooting defense lines...Sir, we may still have the chance to fight back this attack and turn the tides against them!]

'Cortana, you mean—'

[Though we will have to abandon our other plans within this event...]

'Do it. The Echelon Network is more important than anything else!'

[Affirmative. Establishing connection! Transferring necessary location data-signatures into the server! Transfer complete! Lily, I need you to cover our tracks!]

*****

Chronos' eyes went wide. Just as he was about to press the button to help him with [Abraxas], the old gangster yelled out again in surprise.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Chronos was also shocked to see that the last layer of Green Tide in the holo panel screen remained but the Blue Tide in the middle who recovered the last line of its firewall's integrity suddenly began to expand like a balloon inhaling fresh air.

The situation reversed and developed rapidly. The Red Tide was pushed back and the Blue Tide and Green Tide occupied the other half of the panel. It was a complete standoff —no— the two Tides of cool colors were beginning to overpower the Red Tide and push it back.

It was this sight that surprised Chronos greatly.

He looked at Rex in their monitor and saw him run like a raccoon on steroids. He was running at the direction of his Hum-Vee to replenish his arsenal and also proceed into the attack. In short, he wasn't affected by headache anymore and was even wearing a savage smile in his face.

Chronos still had his finger floating and couldn't say a word or speak anything else due to shock.

But more than that, he had a bad feeling seeing that sinister smile hanging on Rex's face. He had seen many people wear that kind of smile before.

It was the smile of someone who had a plan. It's a smile of someone who can't wait to enact a plan to vent his rage upon his targets.

—THAT was the kind of smile Rex wore.

Chronos knew it because he himself wears that kind of smile at time whenever he thinks that his plans would happen without a glitch. After all, with a Battle-Ai on the level of Abraxas who could make his plans more polished, failing was reduced and his will was always established.

As such, when someone else was smiling like that in front of him, he couldn't help but think.

But then, just as he was about to give the order, he was distracted by the cursing old gangster.

Chronos then looked at his finger and said, "You should have asked me to help now! No. I think I should! I have a bad feeling. Okay, here we g—"

"..." Chronos wanted to slap the man. He wanted to say something is wrong with Rex but the man's fury was off the charts, it choked his words on his throat like a phlegm.

"..."

Chronos saw the madness in the old gangster's face and was shocked despite of himself being an old monster with a lot of power in his hand.

He then realized, why should I be worried with a brat with a dying defense system?

Chronos looked over the old gangster and made a long sigh. I almost lost composure seeing that Rex smiling like he had a plan. What plan does he have anyways? He's trapped and his Echelon is about to fall apart. He knew I was watching so he is just making a show for himself. Genius indeed.

—This old coot... aye, this was the true face of this old bastard...

–—he wasn't gentle and wasn't generous. Not in the very least. You can't survive in the criminal underworld by having a merciful personality and a soft and tender character.

—–—this time, that third party AI, or whoever sent it to help, would have to face his wrath!

—Ah, he's really mad this time...

——just whoever was it that had this stolen good?

———really, even I am feeling irritated by these staging powerups.... Ah wait...!! Could it be...

"Abraxas, trace major activities regarding all super-computers and external data-processing requests in your domain. I want to know if there are people using our own facilities against us."

"I just had a hunch. These staging power-ups are all too sudden. Perhaps there are people asking for help somewhere and using our own facilities against us."

Realization dawned on the old gangster and his burning fury subsided and he smiled.

"Don't get your hopes up. It's just a hunch."

As soon as he finished speaking, a pop up prompt appeared in front of him.

[Search Complete. Allied Log-data analyzed.]

"Display." Chronos gave command.

In the map that happened, three facilities were red marked and a listing record of usage requests are itemized with the latest record just a few minutes, no, seconds ago.

The two old men's eyes went wide. The origin of those requests was none other than the Prince of the Thornberry Family, Anthony Thornberry.

Goldwyn narrowed his eyes in fury.

Chronos nodded this, "Abraxas, display request logs and processes transfer and origins. Overlay result with Database's data."

From the two's commands, an overlaid view of two panel screens were put together and there was at least 95% match between the time frames of when the requests for the facilities were made and the actual time that the "staged power ups" happened.

"Hold it, old fool."

Being called a fool, the old gangster looked with a furious gaze at Chronos. But then again, he saw the old man having a serious face.

But,

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