Chapter 109: Town Of Opportunities
The desert trembled violently.
Sand rolled across the battlefield in waves while the overturned vehicle creaked behind the team.
The atmosphere had changed completely.
Mardale Aranos looked at the two defeated Lieutenants quietly.
Both women were battered, bruised and bleeding.
Yet somehow still standing.
Chuff...
Sasha spat blood onto the sand.
"…We're not done…"
Mira steadied herself beside her.
"…We'll hunt Daito… until the end…"
Mardale stared at them for a moment.
Then sighed heavily.
"…You two are seriously annoying."
Champagne cracked his neck beside him.
"Yeah. At this point they're asking for it."
The Lieutenants raised their Savage Powers again.
WHOOM!
Energy distorted around them, even injured they still wanted smoke.
Mardale slowly rolled his shoulders.
"…Alright then."
The sand beneath his feet exploded.
BOOOOM—!!
Before anyone could blink he vanished.
Then appeared directly in front of both Lieutenants simultaneously.
"DOUBLE."
His fists shot upward.
THOOOOOM—!!
The uppercuts landed perfectly.
Sasha and Mira's bodies folded from the impact before launching skyward like missiles.
Blood scattered through the air.
The team looked upward in shock.
"FAST!" Brandon shouted.
But Mardale was already gone again, he teleported above Sasha first.
Grabbed her face.
Then air twisted.
FWOOOM—!!
The desert vanished as Sasha's eyes widened.
The area was cold, endless cold.
They appeared inside a gigantic frozen mountain, an entire glacier hollowed from within. Blue light reflected endlessly through layers of ancient ice.
And inside the ice, people.
Hundreds of Warriors, Savages, Monsters, Assassins, etc.
Unknown beings frozen in suspended animation like insects trapped in amber.
Sasha's pupils shrank.
"…What… is this…"
Mardale shoved her backward.
The ice instantly swallowed her body whole up to the neck.
SHIIRRKK!
She tried using her ability but the ice absorbed the impact before it could spread.
Ting-ting!
Mardale casually poked the ice beside her ear.
A tiny hole formed.
"…Can't have you messing with our plans."
Sasha glared at him furiously.
Mardale looked around the frozen mountain calmly.
"…This is where I leave powerful enemies."
He pointed toward the countless frozen figures.
"…Every dangerous person I've ever fought."
Sasha finally noticed them properly.
Some looked ancient and some terrifying, some still had expressions of rage frozen on their faces like a graveyard of unfinished battles.
Mardale smirked.
"…Don't worry."
He turned away.
"…I'll come back for you someday."
Then disappeared leaving Sasha trapped in eternal ice.
* * *
Back in the desert, Champagne still stood charging energy into one hand.
SWOOMM!
The entire area vibrated from the pressure alone.
CRASH!
Mira barely landed on the ground before coughing violently.
She looked around desperately.
"…Sasha…?"
Then Mardale reappeared beside Champagne casually, dusting off his coat.
"All yours."
Champagne grinned.
"Finally."
His Savage Power erupted fully as a massive dragon-shaped aura spiraled around him.
FFRRTTL!
The sand beneath his feet shattered apart.
"MYSTIC—"
The dragon aura opened its jaws.
"DRAGON—"
Mira widened her eyes.
"DESTROYER!!"
Champagne thrust his glowing hand forward.
The dragon-shaped blast exploded outward instantly.
SKRRRRAAAAAAAASHHHHHH—!!
The beam consumed everything ahead of it.
The desert split apart, mountains in the distance cracked and the team threw themselves onto the ground as the pressure wave erupted past them.
A gigantic explosion swallowed Mira completely. The blast rose into the sky like a second sun. Even Mardale shielded his face slightly.
"…Damn."
The explosion continued roaring for several seconds.
Then finally silence.
Smoke drifted slowly across the desert at the center Mira stood barely conscious. Her clothes burned black, her body steaming and her eyes unfocused.
Crash....
Then she collapsed forward Mardale walked over casually.
Grabbed her shoulder.
"Nap time."
FWOOOM—!!
She vanished too, sent into the frozen mountain prison beside Sasha.
When Mardale returned Champagne was still standing in the exact same attack pose. Arm extended dramatically, coat fluttering and hair moving in the wind.
Silence.
Mardale blinked.
"…Do you want applause for the fireworks?"
Champagne slowly lowered his hand.
"…A little appreciation wouldn't hurt."
Suddenly—
FWUMP!
A giant pile of sand hit Champagne from behind.
Aerin climbed out the dunes angrily.
"YOU BLEW HALF THE DESERT AT US!"
Wei-Wan spat sand out his mouth.
"…I ate enough sand to build another town…"
Wasabi slammed her tablet against Champagne's chest.
"My sensors went blind for ten seconds!"
Brandon pulled himself from the sand quietly.
"…My back hurts."
Even Zachia looked irritated.
"You attack like a natural disaster."
Champagne pointed at himself defensively.
"Hey! We won didn't we?!"
Mardale laughed loudly while walking past him.
"…Yeah."
"…But next time warn the team before trying to destroy the whole place."
Champagne brushed sand off his shoulders dramatically while still trying to maintain his cool pose.
"…Stop glazing me already."
Mardale Aranos folded his arms.
"I'm not glazing you."
He pointed toward the desert destruction around them.
"I'm trying to understand why your attack almost buried the whole team alive."
Champagne clicked his tongue.
"Minor side effect."
Aerin popped her head out the sand again.
"MINOR?!"
Wasabi adjusted her cracked glasses while pulling sand out her hair.
"My tablet has desert inside the motherboard…"
Wei-Wan sighed deeply.
"…I genuinely hate traveling with you people."
Meanwhile, Nyx slowly stepped out from behind a dune, staring at the battlefield with widened eyes.
"…You people are out of this world…"
Champagne grinned proudly.
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
The team finally turned toward the massive sand mound where their armored vehicle had disappeared completely.
Only silence remained.
Champagne blinked.
"…Uh."
"…Did I destroy the ride?"
Wei-Wan calmly pointed toward Brandon.
"Not really."
Everyone looked at Brandon.
Brandon walked toward the giant sand pile silently, with no expression nor reaction.
Then he shoved one arm deep into the sand.
Everyone watched quietly, five seconds passed, then ten seconds.
Then suddenly—
RRRRRMMMMBLLL—!!
The buried armored vehicle got yanked out the desert in one violent motion.
Sand exploded everywhere again.
The vehicle landed heavily beside them, still intact mostly.
Mardale stared blankly.
"…Right."
"…I keep forgetting he's built like a construction machine."
Brandon dusted off his hands.
"…Can we leave now."
Champagne immediately pointed at the vehicle proudly.
"See? Problem solved."
Aerin looked at him with dead eyes.
"You CAUSED the problem."
Champagne ignored her expertly.
Mardale stretched his neck before looking toward the horizon.
The sun was beginning to fall slowly.
Orange light spread across the desert dunes.
"…Alright."
He pointed toward the vehicle.
"Everyone dust yourselves off."
Then he smirked slightly.
"Next stop…"
"Playmore."
Nyx crossed her arms.
"The Town of Opportunities."
Wasabi immediately opened her tablet again.
Multiple holographic screens appeared around her.
"There's heavy economic movement there."
"Black market activity."
"Entertainment industries."
"Corporate influence."
"Savage Organizations."
"Underground auctions."
Wei-Wan whistled softly.
"So basically trouble."
Nyx nodded immediately.
"…Exactly."
Mardale looked interested now.
"…Sounds fun."
Champagne stretched his arms while entering the vehicle.
"As long as there's food and money, I'm good."
Aerin sighed.
"You are unbelievably simple minded."
* * *
Meanwhile far away deep beneath an isolated mountain range the scene shifted once more.
Inside a gigantic underground laboratory, machines hummed endlessly.
Blue lights flickered across metallic walls. Large glass chambers lined the facility. Inside some of them things moved.
At the center of the laboratory stood the three members of Silver Moon.
Mirage stood quietly beside his brothers, Shogun leaned against the wall eating from a food container casually and Baekho had finally woken up from his nap.
In front of them their Boss sat surrounded by screens and floating data projections.
Headphones around his neck, gloves covered in oil and strange black liquid.
He continued working on a machine while speaking.
"…So."
"…Daito."
Mirage nodded.
"Yes."
The Boss adjusted his glasses.
"And the others."
"They're stronger than expected."
Baekho folded his arms.
"That Wei-Wan guy is a problem."
Shogun laughed while eating.
"And that green aura lunatic is annoying."
The Boss finally stopped typing as silence filled the laboratory.
Then he smiled.
"…Interesting."
He turned slowly toward them.
"Thank you for the information."
One of the monitors behind him displayed a giant city glowing with neon lights.
Tall towers, massive billboards, entertainment districts and floating advertisements.
At the center of the screen.....one name appeared.
PLAYMORE
The Boss adjusted his gloves calmly.
"…It's clear now."
"…Their next destination is Playmore."
Mirage narrowed his eyes.
"What are your orders?"
The Boss stood up slowly.
The lights around the laboratory dimmed.
"…Prepare the samples."
"…Wake the carriers."
"…And contact the brokers."
He looked at the glowing image of Playmore again.
Then smiled wider.
"…If Daito's group enters that city…"
"…the entire board is going to move."
* * *
WWHOOM!
Space folded.
The world twisted inward like paper being crushed by invisible hands.
Then everything snapped back into place.
The team stumbled forward as neon lights flooded their vision, towering skyscrapers stretched endlessly into the sky.
Massive holograms flickered overhead, music blasted from distant clubs, people moved everywhere.
Savages.
Businessmen.
Mercenaries.
Politicians.
Dealers.
Performers.
Criminals.
The streets of Playmore were alive in a way none of the previous towns had been.
It didn't feel like a town, it felt like an empire pretending to be civilization.
Wasabi panicked immediately.
"THE VEHICLE!"
She rapidly opened holographic screens trying to activate camouflage systems.
Mardale Aranos calmly grabbed her wrist.
"Relax."
She blinked.
Mardale pointed around them casually.
"We're already inside the city."
"No need to infiltrate anymore."
He smirked slightly.
"In Playmore…"
"…you survive by blending in."
Nyx smiled while fixing her hair.
"I like men who can control the situation."
Mardale dramatically placed a hand on his chest.
"Don't worry."
"…I'm here."
From the side Champagne narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…This guy is starting to annoy me."
Aerin laughed quietly.
"You're jealous."
"I AM NOT."
"Your face says otherwise."
Champagne instantly looked away.
"…Whatever."
The team moved into a narrow alleyway hidden between massive glowing buildings.
Mardale opened a large bag.
Inside were clothes, different styles, urban jackets, casual outfits, dark coats, and streetwear.
"We can't walk around dressed like fugitives from a battlefield."
He tossed clothes at the team.
"Change."
A few minutes later everyone emerged looking completely different.
Wei-Wan wore a long black coat with gold details. Brandon looked like a silent bodyguard. Wasabi wore a techwear jacket full of hidden compartments.
Aerin wore layered dark clothing with silver accessories woven into the fabric. Zachia looked like an underground swordsman. Even Nyx changed into something simpler to avoid attention.
Then everyone looked at Champagne.
He wore sunglasses indoors.
A fur-lined jacket.
Chains.
And somehow fingerless gloves.
Silence filled the alley.
Aerin blinked.
"…Why do you look like a retired celebrity?"
Champagne adjusted his glasses slowly.
"…Aura."
"No."
Meanwhile Mardale looked around the city seriously now.
His playful tone vanished slightly.
"This place…"
"…is different."
Everyone went quiet.
He pointed toward the endless streets.
"Kingsville had order."
"Ash-En-Town had mystery."
"But Playmore…"
"…Playmore is chaos pretending to be luxury."
The team listened carefully.
"It's bigger than every town you've visited."
"It's crowded."
"It's politically unstable."
"It's filled with Revolutionists."
"Savages."
"Traders."
"Mercenary factions."
"Information brokers."
"Black market kings."
He looked toward the horizon.
"And above all…"
"…The King resides here."
Everyone froze.
"The… King?" Brandon asked quietly.
Mardale slowly pointed toward the center of Playmore.
Far in the distance a gigantic palace-like structure towered over the city.
Gold and black architecture. Massive walls, thousands of lights. Guards stationed everywhere.
It overlooked the entire city like a ruler watching subjects beneath him.
Even from this distance its presence felt overwhelming.
Nyx crossed her arms.
"That palace belongs to royal blood."
Wasabi zoomed in with her tablet.
"…Security systems are ridiculous."
Wei-Wan narrowed his eyes.
"So this place is being ruled directly…"
Mardale nodded.
"Playmore isn't just a city."
"…It's a kingdom."
Champagne whistled softly.
"…Damn."
Then he suddenly clapped his hands together.
"Alright then."
Everyone looked at him.
He pointed at himself proudly.
"Daito isn't here."
"So naturally…"
"…we need a temporary leader."
He smirked confidently.
"And since I'm here—"
"No."
Everyone answered immediately.
Champagne froze.
"…You guys didn't even let me finish."
Mardale folded his arms.
"You don't know anything about Playmore."
Champagne pointed aggressively.
"I know vibes."
"That's exactly why you can't lead."
The team nodded in agreement.
Champagne looked betrayed.
"…This is oppression."
Mardale turned toward the others.
"As much as I may look like the perfect replacement for Daito…"
He shrugged dramatically.
"…you need someone reliable for situations like this."
He pointed toward Wei-Wan.
"I choose Wei-Wan."
The team immediately nodded.
"Agreed."
"Good choice."
"Makes sense."
Only Champagne looked offended.
Wei-Wan sighed deeply.
"…Honestly…"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"…I don't think I'm the right choice either."
Everyone looked surprised.
Wei-Wan glanced toward Aerin.
"The only person here who might actually think like Daito…"
"…is Aerin."
Silence.
Aerin blinked slowly.
Then pointed at herself in confusion.
"…Me?"
The alleyway grew quiet.
Even the noise of Playmore seemed distant for a moment.
Neon lights flickered across the team's faces while crowds moved endlessly beyond the narrow streets.
Aerin stood still for a few seconds.
Almost unsure of herself.
Then she slowly nodded.
"…Alright."
Everyone looked at her attentively now, even Champagne stopped joking around.
Aerin stepped forward.
"Back before we reached Ash-En-Town…"
"…Daito spoke to me privately."
The team immediately focused.
"He told me that after gathering the final Rebel…"
"…we would head to Playmore."
She looked around the glowing city carefully.
"The Town of Opportunities."
Mardale smirked slightly.
"Sounds exactly like something he'd say."
Aerin nodded.
"He said this city is the center of movement."
"Money."
"Politics."
"Information."
"Business."
"Entertainment."
"Corruption."
She pointed toward the towering cityscape.
"Important people gather here."
"Meaning information spreads here faster than anywhere else."
Wasabi adjusted her tablet thoughtfully.
"…That makes sense."
Aerin continued.
"And because of that…"
"…there's a chance we might finally learn more about our real target."
The team's expressions slowly hardened.
Then Aerin finally said the name.
"The Frevage-creating drug…"
"Stimuleigh."
Silence.
Even Nyx looked disturbed hearing the name spoken openly.
Wei-Wan folded his arms tightly.
"…So that's the real mission."
Aerin nodded.
"Our objective is simple."
She raised one finger.
"Find information about Stimuleigh."
A second finger.
"Locate where it's being made…"
"…or stored."
Then a third.
"Steal it."
"…and disappear."
Mardale whistled softly.
"…That's not simple at all."
Aerin ignored him.
"Daito believes Stimuleigh is connected to Disorder itself."
Her eyes narrowed.
"He said if we understand that drug…"
"…we might finally understand what's happening to this world."
The team fell silent again.
Because deep down they all knew Daito was probably right.
Wasabi's fingers moved rapidly across holographic screens.
"I've heard rumors about Stimuleigh before…"
"Illegal experiments."
"Frevage mutations."
"Savages losing control."
"Organizations fighting over formulas."
Nyx quietly looked away.
"…People disappear over information like that."
Aerin nodded.
"Exactly."
She took a deep breath.
"There are only three kinds of places in Playmore where people might openly discuss something that dangerous."
She raised her hand again.
"Political meetings."
"Underground auctions."
"And black market locations."
The team understood immediately.
Every single one of those places screamed danger.
Zachia leaned against the wall.
"…So basically we're walking straight into hell."
"Pretty much," Wei-Wan replied.
Mardale suddenly laughed quietly.
"…This is why Daito interests me."
Everyone looked at him.
"He always chooses the missions normal people avoid."
Champagne smirked slightly.
"Yeah."
"…That idiot treats impossible situations like side quests."
Aerin crossed her arms.
"But knowing Daito…"
"…there's definitely a catch."
The atmosphere changed again.
Because everyone knew that sentence carried weight.
Aerin looked toward the crowded city carefully.
"We're probably going to attract powerful enemies."
"Associations."
"Underground factions."
"Unknown Savages."
"Hunters."
"Politicians."
"Mercenaries."
Her expression darkened slightly.
"And worst of all…"
"…we might get chained into conflicts we know nothing about."
Champagne finally spoke up again this time seriously, with no jokes nor arrogance.
"Worst case scenario…"
"…we anger royal blood."
The team immediately understood how bad that would be.
But Champagne wasn't finished.
"Or…"
"…we accidentally catch the attention of a Supreme Authority member again."
Silence swallowed the alleyway instantly.
Even Mardale's expression shifted slightly. Because all of them remembered Cassian Vanderbi. And surviving one Supreme Authority encounter already felt like a miracle.
Champagne exhaled slowly.
"And if that happens…"
"…that's basically suicide."
Nobody disagreed.
Because for once he was completely serious.
to be continued...