Chapter 39: The Silver Moon Organization
The whole place was once again filled with steam, thickening the air until it became suffocating. The scorching heat consumed the moisture from Richard's body, dehydrating him to an extreme point. His skin, dry and brittle, took on the appearance of a mummy freshly ripped from its sarcophagus.With his strength at the limit, his lips parted just enough to let out a faint, hoarse whisper:"Water."
His body collapsed heavily to the ground, but luckily everything was already prepared, and just as a sword needs to be cooled after being forged, his red-hot body began to revitalize with the cold H₂O entering through every pore of his skin.
The water enveloped him like a divine balm, seeping into his organs that were on the brink of failure. His heart, beating erratically, regained its rhythm; his lungs, dry as old leather, expanded once again. Even the strands of hair he had lost in the process—leaving his head momentarily bald—began to grow back, sprouting in fine, more resilient threads.
Isolda, watching the metamorphosis, let out a malicious laugh."At least he won't wake up scared of being bald… Although, if I'm honest, that military cut doesn't suit him in the slightest."
She began circling the unconscious body.She had to admit that, unlike before, when he seemed like a manly figure who might make it onto some girl's list of possible weekend dates, now he had changed… and had become directly the first choice.
His skin had taken on the smoothness of porcelain, the envy of any woman with perfect skin. His eyelashes, lengthening once more, framed a face that was no longer simply masculine: it was the very image of a dark prince, one of those attractive villains who inspire as much fear as desire in novels.
Luna, who couldn't stand Isolda's insinuations, flapped her wings and pecked her in irritation."I wouldn't be surprised if, were you not a ghost, you ended up taking advantage of poor Richard…"
* * * *
Richard's eyelids trembled as he felt the icy cold of the ground pressing against his back. The dampness enveloped him, soaking every fold of his clothing until it reached his bones."I hope it wasn't a morning accident… I'm too old for that."
His voice came out hoarse, barely a murmur. He opened his eyes with effort, noticing how the water covered him up to his ankles. The entire floor was flooded, as if the base itself had wept liters of water through some invisible crack. The moisture-laden air scraped at his throat, and for a moment, he thought he was trapped beneath a swamp.
With a frown, Richard turned his gaze to the raven and to Isolda."I think you overdid it with the water…"
However, the sacrifice had not been in vain. His body felt different, firmer, as if the muscles were freshly tempered iron. He had only grown a few centimeters, nothing comparable to the monstrous height of 2.10 meters he had reached in his past life."At least I'm no longer a giant…"
A strange mixture of relief and nostalgia washed over him. Being too tall was imposing, yes, but it distanced him from the agile and balanced figure he had always wanted to have. After all, a true survivor didn't only need strength… but also balance.
The raven fluttered until it perched on his shoulder. Its dark eyes gleamed with a playful spark."I see everything turned out well… good thing you didn't drag us along if you failed."
A sharp peck on Richard's head accompanied the words."Now you really are hard-headed… too bad I won't be able to punish you anymore when you mess up. Although, if I get stronger… maybe I'll regain the fun."
It flapped its wings, letting fall some of its feathers that had been singed by the earlier heat.
Isolda, meanwhile, pursed her lips and crossed her arms."I already knew this was going to turn out well. That's why you shouldn't doubt me."
Her haughty tone contrasted with the fragility of her tiny figure.
Richard let out a brief, restrained laugh. After what had happened, it was almost ironic that the atmosphere felt so light. It was like breathing fresh air after a fire. Although all good things had to end."It's time to find a vehicle."
Isolda raised a hand, pointing to a rusted metal door in the back."If my memory doesn't fail me, there were several military vehicles behind the base, near the emergency exit."
Isolda raised a hand, pointing to a rusted metal door in the back."Follow me, at least with that we'll be able to move around more calmly… I just want to leave this place, it only makes me feel a pain in my chest every time I see the entrance to this place."
Her tiny figure tried to fly away, but she couldn't get too far before being pulled back to Richard's side again."How I hate this… at least you could have allowed me to move within a radius of a thousand meters. That way I'd feel less like a prisoner."
Before she could continue complaining, Luna interrupted her."That's not what someone who drooled just by looking at him used to say…"
* * * *
The emergency exit was not as he had imagined. Although it made sense, after all the cleanest and most controlled part would always be the garage with the military vehicles.
To the right, several armored vehicles were lined up. Some were new models, so immaculate it seemed they had never been used. The metallic gleam in the midst of that decayed environment gave Richard the impression that someone far too spoiled had been in charge of the operations there.
His gaze calmly swept over each vehicle, evaluating options. Although he was satisfied with what he saw, a slight trace of disappointment flickered in his eyes."It would've been nice to find a tank. With that I could bombard everything in my path."
The thought made him smile ironically. The secret dream of any man: to drive a steel beast capable of destroying everything without worrying about anything. But it was only a dream.
Besides, a shot received by a tank was still fatal for an awakened in the flesh-forger stage, although it wasn't as if a person would fight while taking every hit.
It was obvious that a level two awakened could eliminate tanks as if it were child's play in a real battle.
"We'll take the armored one," he finally muttered, resting a hand on the cold surface of the nearest vehicle. "Although we don't have anyone to man the turret if we end up needing it."
Richard still didn't know what had happened to those two who had left.As far as he knew, Damian and John should be able to remember everything they had gone through after being freed from the leech's control. In the worst case, both of them simply had personalities different from the ones they had shown.
Luna perched on the turret, spreading her feathers with a defiant gesture."In the worst case, I can take care of it."
The raven's comment made Richard look her up and down.Richard looked her up and down with disbelief. It wasn't that he despised her, but it was absurd. She had no hands, no feet. How did she plan to aim and fire with that small feathered figure?
The tension grew when their eyes met. Luna seemed to bristle immediately upon noticing the spark of disdain in Richard's gaze. Her claws gleamed under the cold light of the garage, and Richard couldn't help but imagine how easily she could tear his skin if she decided to take more offense.
"...Women."
* * * *
Both of them felt confused by the course of action Richard had taken after they got into the vehicle. They had been driving for more than 9 hours, leaving at first light so that night wouldn't take them by surprise.
Isolda, sitting in the passenger seat, checked the map for the third time."So where are we heading?"
Eight locations were marked on the paper, but according to the direction taken and the shortcuts followed, the first stop was in Arizona.
The chosen route led them through rural roads, covered in lush vegetation. Everything was green and beautiful… too beautiful. The silence was so oppressive that anyone with some instinct knew something was wrong.
Richard took his eyes off the road just long enough to lock them on Isolda."We're going to a bar…"
An instant later, he pressed the accelerator. Among the trees, the head of a bear slowly emerged, its eyes glowing with a sickly green light. Richard shifted gears sharply and almost made Luna, perched on the turret, fall off the vehicle.
"Careful!" screeched the raven, clinging to the metal edge with her claws.
The bear seemed calm when it saw them pass, although the green in its eyes meant it had a high degree of infection. It was possibly already a class 2 infected. Had he missed something while he had been clearing Isolda's tomb?
Finally, Isolda put the map aside and looked at him with a hint of distrust."But the place you marked leads us to a school. I don't see any bar in that area."