The Wastelander

by Tipsy Wanderer

  When Cloudhawk looked at this tough, pious warrior woman, he felt like he could see the glory, the sincerity, the steadfastness, and the virtuousness of the Elysians. They were worlds apart from the brutish, twisted, brutal, and berserk wastelanders. This distinction only made Cloudhawk long to visit the Elysian lands even more.

  But of course, the Bloodsoaked Queen wasn’t exactly easy to befriend. She was filled with a superiority complex that Cloudhawk did not understand and she seemed to feel as though living with a wastelander like Cloudhawk for a few days were the greatest stain and blot on her honor she had ever experienced. It was like the noble daughter of an empress had somehow been forced to live in a beggar’s shack and share his food for days on end… and the fact that the beggar had saved her life was the worst part of it!

  If it wasn’t for the fact that she wanted to recover as quickly as possible in order to fight her mortal foe, there was no way she would’ve accepted such humiliation!

  But the Bloodsoaked Queen’s wariness continued to slowly diminish by the day, while Cloudhawk slowly grew more and more daring. Nagging, whining, pleading… he used every method at his disposal to try and find out more about the outside world. He really was like a mosquito that buzzed around her all day long. How could the Bloodsoaked Queen not find him irritating?

  Still, compared to the other wastelanders, the kid had his own good traits, such as his stubbornness and tenacity. Although he was laughably foolish and ignorant, he really was an exceptional person for a wastelander. She had never before encountered any wastelander who dreamed of leaving the wastelands.

  As a result, every so often she would answer one of his questions. Based on the scant bits of information she provided, Cloudhawk slowly gained a brand new understanding of the outside world.

  The wastelands constituted roughly 95% of the world… but there really were blessed lands. Only, they were all very, very far away, with the nearest one still around 2000 kilometers away.

  The vast majority of wastelands vehicles rarely travelled more than 150 kilometers in any direction. You’d run out of supplies and fuel and there would be no information about the area you ended up in. You’d be swarmed by beasts, robbed by men, choked by sand, or perhaps fall into one of those terrifying regions where space and time were both twisted. There were countless unknown variables in any long-distance journey, and thus not even the most experienced of demon hunters would dare claim that they could definitely traverse the vast wastelands by themselves.

  A weak wastelander who spent all his days dreaming about leaving the wastelands was nothing more than a fool! The Bloodsoaked Queen didn’t even try to disguise her disdain for him, often throwing a few mocking words his way as she pointed out how foolish and unrealistic his dreams were. Even assuming this weak wastelander youth really was somehow able to survive his trip into Elysian lands, did he really think they would let him in? Him, a lowborn heathen?

  But Cloudhawk didn’t let himself be discouraged by her words. In fact, he only grew even more excited. The Elysian lands might be very far away, but they weren’t unreachable. Having a goal to work towards was better than just wandering about, completely lost! Even though he knew his chances were slim, he’d still go fight for it. As for whether or not the Elysians would accept him into Elysium? He didn’t care about that at all.

  The kid’s hopeless! The Bloodsoaked Queen eventually got bored of mocking him.

  What was the relationship between the “gods” and the “demons”? Between the “wastelands” and the “Elysian lands”? Cloudhawk still didn’t have a clear answer to this question, but he was slowly beginning to understand.

  The Elysian lands were paradise, blessed with prosperity and filled with piety and faith. The gods had bestowed endless fertility onto the Elysian lands, gracing them with endless crops, which permitted all Elysians to eat to their hearts’ content. The gods had blessed the Elysian lands with special livestock that grew very rapidly, allowing all Elysians the ability to drink the most delicious cow’s milk. As for the Elysian children, the gods had blessed them with inconceivable power and wisdom.

  The gods had brought order and peace, and cast all calamities, illnesses, and pains away from their Elysians. They even bestowed mighty artifacts and special powers upon their demon hunters and established vast cities and marvelous temples through which they wrought the most inconceivable of miracles. Every single person living in Elysian lands was filled with nothing but the most absolute of reverence towards the gods.

  As for the demons?

  As their name suggests, they were freaks and abominations that were completely antithetical to the gods. They were incredibly brutal and savage, filled with naked ambition and diabolical cunning. On numerous occasions, they had very nearly caused the destruction of the human race. It was only thanks to the guidance and the assistance of the gods that humanity had defeated the demons. Thanks to the many Elysiums the gods established, tens of millions of humans were able to live in peace and prosperity.

  The rest of the world, however, was consumed by the wastes. The wastelands had previously been dominated by the demons and the ancestors of the wastelanders had supposedly been the servants of the demons. This relation was why wastelanders were usually hideous and brutal, and why they were not accepted into Elysian lands!

  But that chaotic era of war ended long ago, with the demons having all but vanished without a trace. The gods unified the world, making it orderly and peaceful. However, there were still a few demons hiding in the various corners of the world who foolishly sought to cause trouble, fomenting one vile scheme after another. The league of demon hunters was established to put an end to their wicked sins.

  Demon hunters were the most elite warriors of the entire human race. They were all sincere, devout warriors of the gods who had been bestowed with special powers… and as the title implied, their divine mission was to hunt demons. Each time the Bloodsoaked Queen mentioned the demon hunters, a look of undisguisable pride appeared within her eyes.

  She had been born into an entire clan of demon hunters and was the youngest and most talented demon hunter of her generation! Her father, her grandfather, her uncles… all of them were glorious demon hunters!

  ……

  Cloudhawk shook the bottle of medicine before shrugging his shoulders helplessly. “We’re out of medicine again. I’ll have to steal a bit more from Mantis’s workshop.”

  By now, the Bloodsoaked Queen had recovered approximately thirty to forty percent of her power. She no longer needed to fear anyone in the outpost… but of course, she wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to hunt demons yet.

  The Bloodsoaked Queen had yet to personally battle against any demon. When demon hunters went hunting, they generally moved in groups. The Bloodsoaked Queen had travelled all by herself to this place, so deep within the wastelands. Although she was undoubtedly brave, she was also undoubtedly rash.

  As for her injuries, they would take at least two weeks to heal! Her hope was that the enemy would give her at least that amount of time to recover.

  The Bloodsoaked Queen rose to her feet, preparing to leave.

  “Where are you going? You are still injured. You can’t leave yet!” Cloudhawk hurriedly moved to stop her. He still didn’t have the answers to his questions yet; if he let this opportunity slip away, he would probably never have another opportunity again.

  “There’s no need for me to continue hiding in this shabby room any further.” The Bloodsoaked Queen had already made up her mind. “I admit that you were of assistance to me. The warriors of the gods do not forget those who provided them succor! I can agree to any one request of yours, so long as it isn’t excessive. Speak!”

  Cloudhawk was instantly stunned. The Bloodsoaked Queen was promising to grant him a request? What incredible luck! If Cloudhawk so chose, he could consign any person in the outpost to death; who could possibly be a match for this freak in front of him? But of course, Cloudhawk would never waste an opportunity like this
on something so pointless.

  “I want to leave the wastelands!”

  “Impossible!”

  The Bloodsoaked Queen was quite displeased. She had already told him numerous times that this request was impossible, and yet the kid continued to persist.

  Cloudhawk frowned, a frustrated look on his face. He thought the question over and came to a decision. “Then I want to learn demon hunter techniques. Can you teach me?”

  The Bloodsoaked Queen didn’t understand. “Why would you want to learn that?”

  “I just do!” Cloudhawk said firmly, “Maybe I can become a demon hunter as well!”

  The Queen couldn’t help but let out a laugh. They had spent several days living together, but this was the first time Cloudhawk had witnessed her smiling and it truly stunned him. It was like an iceberg that was frozen for ten millennia had suddenly thawed and melted, revealing the dazzling, lively, and beautiful soul hidden inside. He was momentarily dazed by the sight.

  “You obstinate, daydreaming fool!” The Queen’s face quickly hardened once more. She said in her customary, cold voice, “I can teach you, yes… but I have to warn you right now that if you don’t have the necessary talent or the blessings of the gods, these techniques will be completely useless to you, even if by some miracle you actually manage to master them.”

  Cloudhawk revealed a look of absolute ecstasy. He really hadn’t expected her to agree… but she really had! “I don’t care! I just want the chance to learn it!”

  “If you truly are going to be so stubborn as to try and learn demon hunter techniques, then I’ll teach you. However, I’ll only teach you for a day.” The Bloodsoaked Queen re-donned her silver mask and her voice became hoarse and grating once more. “Come find me when you are ready.”

  After speaking, she departed from the room. Cloudhawk just stood there dumbly, staring as her willowy form departed.

  35 The Conviction of the Weak

  Nightfall. Training had concluded for the day and the mercenaries had split off into small groups in search of entertainment.

  Cloudhawk, however, was stealthily creeping towards Mantis’ workshop. He wanted to seize advantage of this period of time, when no one was around, to rifle through Mantis’s stash and pilfer a few jars of medicine. He remembered how Mantis had mixed the various restoratives and medicinal fluids and was sure he could do the same. Freaking Mantis. He keeps on ordering me around all the time. He can just consider this stuff my salary!

  Cloudhawk wasn’t a saint who had come to save the masses, nor was he a gentleman who followed a code of chivalry. Blackflag Outpost was about to face a powerful enemy! This issue was what Cloudhawk was really concerned about. The stronger the Queen was, the safer the outpost would be… and the safer the outpost was, the safer Cloudhawk would be. Besides, befriending the Queen was a form of investment that might pay off in the future. He might be able to learn a few things from her.

  All done! Cloudhawk smugly cradled the two jars of medicine and prepared to leave. Right as he turned, he suddenly saw a tall, skinny figure standing directly behind him. The man stood there like a wraith, making no sound at all and covered in the darkness of dusky night. He had a silent, sinister aura about him, but no expression could be seen on his face. His spectacles, however, gleamed with cold light.

  Cloudhawk nearly jumped into the air with fright. “Are you a freaking ghost?!” When had this guy appeared? Why hadn’t Cloudhawk noticed anything at all?

  Mantis turned his gaze to the jars of medicine Cloudhawk held. Cloudhawk had been caught red-handed and there was no place for him to hide. All he could do was come up with a frantic, far-fetched excuse: “I feel like I’m still not completely healed yet, so I thought I’d grab a bit more medicine. Don’t be so stingy, alright?”

  Mantis’s face remained blank and impassive, like an ever-frozen piece of ice. There was no way to tell whether he was angry or not.

  Swoosh! Mantis took a single step forward, and as he did, an ice-cold scalpel suddenly flew out from between his fingers. Cloudhawk’s eyes widened. Holy shit. It’s just some medicine! Are you seriously gonna kill me over it?

  Mantis stalked forward, as agile and silent as a cat, his movements ghostly and unfathomable. The icy scalpel kissed Cloudhawk’s ears as it flew past his head… and then Mantis walked straight past him, not even glancing at the boy as he returned to his usual work station. Mantis put on his gloves, picked up his tools, lit a lamp, then began to carry out his normal work with his usual unflappability.

  Cloudhawk’s clothes were completely matted with cold sweat. For those few seconds, he felt as though he had been facing a viper, as though he had attracted the attention of a death god. After he recovered from his fear, a surge of anger filled him. “What the hell, man? Are you trying to scare me to death?”

  All three of the captains were bastards. Slyfox was insidiously vicious. Mad Dog was brutal and violent while Mantis was completely unfathomable.

  However, Mantis’s next words caused Cloudhawk’s rage to completely vanish. Cloudhawk stood there, a stupefied look on his face. Mantis’ voice was calm and cool, as though he were discussing nothing more than the most minor of matters, but his words were like a bolt of thunder.

  “Her world is not meant for you. We were born into the darkness of the wastes, and to the darkness and the wastes we shall forever belong.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Mantis split open the corpse before him with precision using his scalpel, and said in his customarily emotionless voice, “Just remember what I said. You can leave now.”

  The stunned Cloudhawk stood there for five full seconds. Mantis didn’t turn to look at Cloudhawk, nor did he say anything further; he seemed completely absorbed in his research.

  By now, Cloudhawk was fairly familiar with Mantis’s temperament. The man valued his words like gold and never spoke nonsense. Did this mysterious, secretive man know something? Cloudhawk wanted to ask, but in the end, he swallowed his words.

  If Mantis didn’t want to talk, there was no way Cloudhawk could pry any words out of him. Besides, this really didn’t matter right now. The most important thing for the moment was to go find the Queen. He had no time to waste here so he immediately hugged the jars of medicine tightly as he fled Mantis’s workshop.

  ……

  There was a large apartment compound at the very center of Blackflag Outpost. Not only was this structure large, it was also extremely sturdy; in the wastelands, it could absolutely be considered a luxurious mansion.

  Cloudhawk wanted to learn more about the world outside the wastelands, as well as the skills and techniques from that world. He grew more and more excited just thinking about it. He rubbed the stone hanging around his neck. Perhaps if he became a demon hunter, he would learn how to unleash the true power of this stone. This possibility was why he insisted on learning demon hunter techniques from the Bloodsoaked Queen. Although he didn’t know where the stone came from, he felt certain that it was extraordinary.

  But just as Cloudhawk was about to enter the Bloodsoaked Queen’s private residence… swish! A feathered arrow suddenly flew past Cloudhawk’s nose and plunged into the boulder right next to him. A quarter of the arrow was buried in the stone and the feather still quivered. If it had been just a few centimeters to the right, it would’ve blown a hole straight through Cloudhawk’s head.

  “This place is off limits for you. Fuck off!”

  An enormous man walked over, a number of elite guards by his side. Cloudhawk had seen this man before and recognized him; he was the (now only) captain of the elite guards, Grizzly! He was an elite expert who was on par with the three captains of the Tartarus mercenaries. Cloudhawk wouldn’t be able to beat any of the elite guards, much less Grizzly himself.

  “Why are you stopping me?” Cloudhawk stared straight at Grizzly, neither obsequious nor overbearing in his manner. “The Bloodsoaked Queen summoned me!”

  “HAH!”

  “Go piss in a pool a
nd take a good look at yourself.”

  “Do you really think the Queen would summon a brat like you?”

  The elite guards began to mock and jeer at him.

  “So a rookie of the Tartarus mercenaries has come to my turf to cause trouble, eh?” Grizzly walked towards Cloudhawk, seeming like a mountain moving towards him. He stared at the brat before him, his bestial, hungry eyes glowing with anger. “Not even Slyfox would dare to cause trouble here. You need to fuck off before I start to get seriously pissed.”

  Cloudhawk wasn’t frightened by Grizzly’s intimidating words at all. He glared right back at the mountain-sized man.

  “You little shit.” Grizzly was infuriated by the kid’s demeanor. Just as he was about to strike, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out from inside the residence. “Let him in!” The voice sounded like the hissing of a hundred serpents and was absolutely hair-raising.

  Grizzly came to a halt, looking dazed. “My Queen…”

  The Bloodsoaked Queen’s hoarse voice rang out a second time. “Do you have any objections?”

  “N-none at all!” Grizzly hurriedly stepped back respectfully. He was a legendary warrior of Blackflag Outpost, the first captain of the elite guards… yet he didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly in the Queen’s presence!

  Cloudhawk truly had to admire the Queen for this show of respect. There was no way someone like Grizzly could be easily tamed. Take Slyfox or Mad Dog as examples: although they feared the Bloodsoaked Queen’s power, there was no way they would truly be willing to whole-heartedly submit to her!

  Grizzly watched as Cloudhawk sauntered straight into the Queen’s private residence, a flicker of jealousy deep within his eyes. He had followed the Queen for nearly a year, but had never had a chance to enter her private residence. How had this piece of refuse the Tartarus mercenaries had picked up from who-knows-where managed to worm his way into the Queen’s good graces? How? HOW?!