Chapter 668: Vigilante (1/2)
Hades, long known as the god of the underworld, one of three greats presiding over multiple domains, a being of legend, accidentally had a portal open in an unforgiving land. The details are known and not understood. Alphia opted for a defensive strategy against the current upheaval. News reports are scares, and reporters are lacking. Access to Odgawoan is but gone. The powerful pulled resources into a single pot and stood behind the town. Between medics and supplies, a lot of money was used.
An information blackout meant no sufficient support from the outside. The Emperor saw best to limit knowledge to the land of dreams. Alphians needed to keep their expectation high, and not face the reality of what a shame it was.
Hope wasn't far. The reinstated AHA, aided by big firms, bonded to form a temporal barrier. Monster invasions were frequent and hard. Experience of battle at Whuotan, against monsters, prevented further casualties.
”Wake Voraum, the day has settled for the night.”
”Pesky Kazalon, what brings you to my rest area?”
”The birds, Voraum, the birds.”
”The dead one I refer?”
”Yes.”
Military outposts after Fuda Mountains shut, no questions asked. The mountain faces were surreal, at night and day, the perpetual fear of attack lingered. Here, tucked away behind the first range of the mountain range, camped two otherworldly beings. Voraum, a somewhat humanoid figure, to be pleasant. A true description would be shadows surrounding a stickman figure, no heads, instead, an upside-down metal bucket, two beady lights to mark eyes. Next, Kazalon, a mangled mess of sea creatures supported by tentacles. Claws of a crab, head of a shark, and the rest being a guessing game. The appearance fluctuated; for the sake of not looking like an idiot, Voraum and demons alike, referred to the beast by his name.
”Say, tell me, Voraum, what did the master ask?” a surprising normal fire burnt.
”I don't know,” echoed the voice, each work expulsed mist down the bucket, ”-as assistant to our lord, we mustn't get complacent.”
”I know. Don't repeat what I know,” he snatched the uncooked birds and ate, ”-Lord Cimi doesn't like a battle.”
”Yeah, I know,” more mist gathered at his feet, ”-the duty says to observe the mortal races. My minions have gathered much, this realm brims with mana, we're close to Creation. Mana is abundant, the rupture was quite a shock to us. For the first time in ages,”
”-We can walk free from the punishment of our grandmaster.”
”Let's go, we need information.”
Backpedal to the prior battlezone and the reinforcements stand sternly. Road traffic detoured and completely boycott the northern part of town. The equivalent of adventurers, per Alphian standard, were Sultrians, humans with super-human abilities. No use of mana, instead, the evolution of genes. Despite their numbers, the true abilities able to save and help people are few. Only a handful make it to the title of Hero, regardless, the ones not acknowledged by the AHA, are known by the simple moniker of Vigilante.
”Welcome to the gathering of Sultrian. I'm sure the pleasure is yours,” notes and files dropped on the desk with a loud crash. Countless men and women stared the front, the atmosphere resembled the start before a presentation. Chatter and inattentiveness diffused. The speaker, a man in a black suit, bore a stern expression through the rigidly square forehead. An uncleaned stubble exuded seriousness. ”-Another bunch of weaklings,” murmurs silenced the crowd in a belligerent manner. ”-Listen up, Vigilante, many of you are new to the situation here. I don't know why the brass would allow these much to come here. If my tone isn't clear enough, I hate each and every one of you with a passion. While I'm at it, here's my name – Brand. The manager of the Scaica's western division. It means I'm in charge of the heroes who come and go into Odgawoan,” animosity grew, he paused and glanced the first row, eight seats of which four were empty. ”-Trafall…” the arms crossed audaciously to a few taps of the index, ”-TRAFALL!”
”Here, don't shout.”
”Where's Orisia and her team?”
”I don't know,” he shrugged,”-man, cut the bull already. My team is on break, it's not the time to play house.”
”Whatever. Koft, Strema, and Glacia, stand up and show the Vigilante who they have to aspire to.”
”Stand up team,” the nonchalant Trafall, an average joe, by all means, yawned at the crowd, ”-I don't need to introduce myself, do I?” The response said no, they knew as did part of Alphia. Trafall, an average man on the surface, has the ability to evolve his body into a metal suit, he can reproduce any machinery and implement it into his body.
”-'Ello people, the name's Koft,” the standard superhero with heightened ability. Cliché to some extent, true is, people with said ability are very sought after.
”Strema,” smiled the next, a boy barely of age inherited the ability to control puppets. The scale starts from figurines to behemoths.”
”Glacia,” whispered the last, the twin sister of the fallen hero, Snowflake. Her ability, precognition.
”There you have it, Vigilantes, the heroes who you'll never surpass. They're the best of the best.”
”Can we leave?” interjected Trafall.
”Yeah, go on.”
”As I was saying. Don't ever compare to them, you'll die needlessly. Each of you will be assigned to one of the eight heroes. Did I mention how the AHA works?”
”No,” returned the crowd.
”Damn, should have started with that. Alright, here's the deal, bunnies. The Alliance is supervised by a board of directors. Below them, the Faction Managers, split into North, South, East, and West. The latter two are in charge of the main province, Scaica. After the managers, we have the Heroes who aren't ranked, once a certain criterion is reached, the company sends a congratulation, you've done it, type of letter. Don't get your hopes up; Vigilantes die easily,” a pause settled the disrespectful waves, ”-don't want to die, get out right now. Else, stay and have the chance to earn mediocre money and live through constant danger. That's the price to become strong, and I mean it.”
”The hunting hour begins,” stated Koft. ”What you think, Glacia, the bunnies going to survive the night?”
”I don't care,” she murmured and simply left.