by John Nest
“Well? Let’s have it,” he said to his Shade, and an information window popped up in front of him.
Daga’s Reconnaissance Report:
>> Target: Buktot <<
10:00 AM
-> Met with a villager named Saka. Discussed the current conditions of the Agricultural Research.
11:00 AM
-> Went home to check on his treasured box, containing previously investigated items.
01:00 PM
-> Met with the family of Biik. Checked on the situation with the boy. On a side note, the boy is still as hefty as ever and is eating even more now.
02:00 PM
-> Went home to check on his treasured box (again!), containing previously investigated items.
02:30 PM
-> Visited Duda’s house, but was denied entry by her sister Hinala.
03:00 PM
-> Went out of the village, bringing his barrels inside a cart. He met with a man near the edge of the forest. Was not able to go any closer as the man had sand cats with him.
05:00 PM
-> Arrived back in the village and is currently resting in his house.
06:00 PM
-> Decided to return to master Smoke, as my stomach was growling and have deemed the target to be inactive for the rest of the day.
‘There sure is a lot of useless information here,’ he thought, peeved. After reading through his Shade’s report, he felt the presence of someone heading towards his cabin.
“Daga, hurry! Come here,” said Smoke, grabbing the little gray mouse and leaping into the small tunnel he had dug earlier.
“Sir Ilad? Sir Ilad, are you still there?” asked a female’s voice. “My sister Duda and I were wondering if you’ve already eaten?”
‘That must be Hinala,’ surmised Smoke.
“Sir Ilad? Are you there?” Hinala repeated. “I’ve bought you a bowl of rabbit stew.”
However, Smoke remained hidden and quiet.
“Hmm… I guess he must have already left for his world,” said Hinala and left.
Five minutes passed before Hinala left his short-term house. His Cunning of the Dire Fox indicated that she was heading towards Duda’s home.
“Igniz, I should have let you out earlier,” whispered Smoke, scratching his head in frustration.
‘Now, I have no idea what’s going on outside,’ he came to realize. He pointed his hand upward and used his Earth Manipulation to conceal the entrance of his tunnel.
“Alright, let’s head for the surface,” said Smoke. He equipped his Digger’s Wand and pointed towards the direction of the nearest wall.
Despite moving at his fastest, it still took him twenty minutes to reach past the premises of Nadaya Village. His delay was caused from a traumatic experience. When he was digging tunnels before, he had almost fainted from lack of oxygen, which was why he always made sure to create breathing holes every twenty meters.
“Right, this should be far enough,” he said to Igniz. “Remember, Bud, you have to dim your flames.”
Despite his reminder, he knew that Igniz would be easily spotted. Yet, he still created an earth-cannon which protruded out of the ground. Without concern for his ember sprite to be discovered, he launched Igniz out of it.
Using his Symbiote Vision, Smoke observed the village from an aerial perspective.
However, he only realized that he could not see anything clearly. The Zectas sun had long set and the quarter moon had not fully risen.
Fortunately for him, Igniz spotted some movement on the opposite side of the village.
Flying at his fastest, the dark ember sprite dove down and followed the source of the movement.
It was then that Smoke saw Buktot running away from the village. He held a sickle and was heading into the forest filled with lemurcats. Not far behind him, Igniz spotted Duda chasing after the hunchback.
Although the Symbiote Vision had a clear resolution, it was only limited to sight. As such, Smoke could only guess what Duda was mad about, as she was flailing her arms at him.
With a wave of his hands, Smoke increased the circumference of his earth-canon.
Taking a running start, he launched himself out of it and glided towards Nadaya’s interim chief.
“Igniz, to me!” he called out.
At once, his symbiote flew towards him and the two of them melded into their Synergized state.
Smoke estimated that it would take him two minutes more before reaching the hunchback.
Then, without any warning, Buktot began to run faster.
Before Smoke could catch up to him, the hunchback disappeared into the lemurcat filled forest.
Landing at the entrance of the forest, Smoke relied on his Cunning of the Dire Fox to pick out Buktot’s general location.
Thankfully, Buktot was still within the range of his sensory ability.
Using his Hyper Jump, Smoke chased after the speedy hunchback. As he pursued him, Smoke felt the presence of ten lemurcats.
‘Better use the serval shoes,’ he thought, hoping that the resulting flames would frighten the lemurcats away. But before he could do so, he noticed something else. Strangely enough, the powerful beasts were already fleeing the opposite direction from where Buktot was headed to.
‘Did the lemurcats pick up my scent?’ wondered Smoke, remembering how these beasts ran away from him earlier.
‘At least I can concentrate on Buktot now,’ he thought, pleased.
After three more Hyper Jumps, Smoke finally saw Buktot’s back. The hunchback stopped in the middle of a small clearing in the pomegranate forest.
“What are you doing here, Buk—” began Smoke, but stopped himself when he saw Hinala in front of Buktot. The hunchback was pointing his sickle at her.
Hinala yelled, as soon as she spotted Smoke. “Stay away from me, Buktot! Sir Ilad, please help us!” she said and indicated that she was carrying Duda’s baby with her.
At once, Buktot turned around and faced Smoke. “Sir Ilad? No, it’s not what you think. She’s the one trying to take the baby away!” he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her.
Just then, Duda arrived from behind Smoke. She was panting hard, as she tried to catch her breath.
“No! No! It was Buktot that was trying to take my baby!” she said in between breaths.
“Wait!” shouted Smoke. “What exactly is going on?”
“I was walking home when I found Buktot carrying a sickle. He was chasing after my sister and my baby outside the village,” began Duda. “I’m just glad you were able to run away from him,” she said to Hinala.
“Yeah! Exactly!” said Hinala. “I told you he was trying to sell off the children,” she stammered.
“No!” argued Buktot. “That’s not what happened! I was trying to—”
SLAP
The hunchback was not able to finish his explanation, as Duda appeared in front of him and smacked him hard across the face.
“How dare you!” she yelled. “What is wrong with you?”
“Duda—” began Buktot, but was cut off.
“So, it is true? You really do have a ton of money set aside, huh?” accused Duda.
“I do,” replied Buktot. “But it’s not for me, I’m saving it for—”
“How could you do this?” she screamed again.
“No, Duda, you’ve got it all wrong,” said Buktot, shaking his head in denial. “Hinala is the one who’s lying! She’s the one who—”
SLAP
“Shut up!” shouted Duda. “Sir Ilad, can you please take him away from here?”
“Um…” replied Smoke, uncertain.
Amidst Duda and Buktot’s fight, Hinala ran off with the baby.
However, Smoke caught sight of this and chased after her. Utilizing his Hyper Jump ability, he managed to snatch away the baby boy from Hinala.
“Aaaaagh!” screamed Hinala in retaliation. Her face contorted to that of an ugly monster. Her teeth turned into sharp fangs, her fingernails protracted into sha
rp points, and her skin turned to pale-gray.
After securing the baby, Smoke instantly felt a lump on the baby’s back. ‘Did she curse him?’ he wondered.
“Stupid Ilad! Why did you have to come here?” said the monster.
“Aswang! Aswang!” screamed Buktot, pointing at the transmogrified Hinala.
With disregard for her safety, Duda rushed over to where Smoke and her baby was. “Is he alright? Give him to me!” she yelled, her hands longingly extended.
As Smoke was about to hand over the baby to his mother. The Aswang charged towards them.
Bare-handed, Smoke pointed his palms at the ground and launched two magma-spikes. The sudden melded elemental attack only grazed the Aswang’s shoulder as it was able to pull back at the last second.
“Hinala! What are you doing?” asked Duda, clutching her baby tightly. She trembled as she hid behind Smoke.
“Fool!” screamed the Aswang. “Your sister Hinala was the first one I ate. She screamed in agony as I devoured her.”
“You monster!” yelled Duda, lost for words.
“Monster? Of course, I am!” replied the Aswang. “But before your sister died, she said something really stupid.”
The Aswang paused, as its long slimy tongue licked the sharp points of its fingernails. “She prayed to Tlaltezin to spare your life, your sister’s Alay, and your son. I bet Alay is already dead. Who in their right mind would send someone so young to another kingdom?”
“Nyak nyak nyak!” chuckled the Aswang. “Isn’t that stupid? Tlatezin is the great god of power and might. He wouldn’t care if I killed you since you’re all weak—”
The voice of the Aswang became muffled as Smoke enclosed it in an earth-dome.
“It’s fine, I got it—” began Smoke, but the Aswang destroyed the earth-dome with one claw strike. It leaped up and stood on top Smoke’s failed trap.
“Was that supposed to keep me in?” taunted the Aswang. “Do you know how many squishy children I’ve already eaten?” it paused as if waiting for Smoke to answer. “Only one more and I would have been powerful enough to become a Manananggal!”
However, Smoke was not listening to the Aswang. Instead, he equipped his manatl staff and flamberge sword.
With his back turned to Buktot he said. “Get Duda and her baby to safety.”
“But what about you?” asked Buktot.
“Don’t mind me,” replied Smoke. “I can handle this monster.”
“My, confident, are we?” said the Aswang. “You know? If you’re so sure of yourself, why don’t you let me the baby? You can fight me after I transform into a Manananggal. So? What do you—”
The Aswang was cut short, as Smoke’s flaming flamberge scorched across its chest. It dealt 30% damage on the monster’s life bar.
“Argh!” screamed the monster, as it leaped backward. “Fine! Looks like I’ll have to kill you first then,” said the Aswang and vanished.
It leaped up and disappeared from Smoke’s sight, but not from his Cunning of the Dire Fox.
As he needed to block the Aswang’s escape, Smoke channeled his mana through the brown metallic staff. He was taken aback at large manatl wall that displayed before him, as he did not intend to create such a massive covering.
‘This must be from my being a Beggar Evocati,’ he grimaced, pleased at himself.
DOOONG
The Aswang’s head smacked hard into the purple force field and sent the grotesque monster falling down, straight towards Smoke.
In preparation for the Aswang’s drop, Smoke created four magma-pillars to capture it. The monster only had 70% left on its life bar.
‘Looks like it really is weak against Fire,’ he surmised.
However, the Aswang’s body stretched into thin sections as it fell down. It escaped Smoke’s trap.
Then, in one fluid motion, it latched its sharp fangs into Smoke’s neck.
– Infliction: Life Drain
Smoke tried to smack the Aswang off of him, but a second warning notification popped up.
– Infliction: Paralysis
Smoke’s arms went limp, lifeless. Both his manatl staff and flamberge dropped to the ground. With his face up close against the slimey Aswang, he could smell the rotten scent of decayed flowers.
Minutes passed and Smoke’s life bar was sapped down to 70%. Meanwhile, the Aswang’s life bar was almost filled to 90%.
‘Maybe I can cancel my Synergized State,’ he thought.
Yet, before he could execute his plan, his little gray mouse leaped out of its hiding place and bit off the ear of the Aswang.
“Aaaahhh!” yelped the Aswang in pain, releasing its fangs on Smoke’s neck.
Freed from his status ailments, Smoke swiftly created magma shackles and strapped them on the Aswang’s limbs.
Even though the monster could stretch its limbs, the molten shackles melted into its flesh and prevented it from escaping.
“No! I’m not done yet!” screamed the monster.
With its arms and legs shackled to the ground, It stretched its head and upper body to its maximum extent.
“Stop it,” said Smoke, quickly picking up his staff and sword. “This is it for you. Now, why don’t you tell me more about the Aswangs?” he threatened, pushing his flaming flamberge against the monster’s neck.
“Pweee!” the Aswang spat on Smoke. “You think you got me? I’m not dying here!”
Small black wings sprouted out on its back and attempted to unfurl.
“More! More!” exclaimed the Aswang. “I’m almost turning into a Manananggal!”
Yet, before its wings could grow any bigger, Smoke’s Incinerator lit up the dimly lit forest.
A sphere of fragmented flamberge shards minced, sliced, and diced the elastic flesh of the Aswang.
“You stupid, Ilad!” screamed the Aswang.
“Nanang Aswang will avenge me!” it screamed, as its life bar steadily dropped to zero.
After a few more seconds, a notification window popped up.
+ You have dealt a fatal blow to the Aswang: Sawi
+ You have killed the Aswang: Sawi
+ You have gained 1,000,000 XP
It was only after reading this that Smoke canceled his Incinerator ability.
After vanquishing the horrific monster, Smoke spotted something within its remains.
+ Acquired forging component: Aswang Tongue
After defeating the monster, Smoke hurried towards the village. He needed to know if Buktot, Duda, and her baby reached Nadaya safely.
* * * * * *
The quarter moon had fallen past its apex, as a worried Smoke circled over the village.
With the aid of his Telefax Vision, he searched for Buktot, Duda, and her baby. Looking for familiar landmarks, he spotted the dozens of stacked barrels outside Buktot’s house. Next to them stood Buktot and Duda. He glided down fast but landed softly in front of them.
“Are you guys alright?” asked Smoke, but was surprised at what he found.
Duda was rocking her baby to sleep as she told him a bedtime a story.
“…So, the scared and witless boy realized that this was going nowhere,” Duda said in a calming voice to her baby. “Until, he meets a beautiful and smart girl… with a passion for music.”
Buktot’s face cringed at Duda’s words. So, he stood next to her and hijacked her story.
“But the boy took an instant disliking to Du— the beautiful girl. Her brash and callous ways that she learned during her years in the Thanotl Kingdom left to be undesirable.”
This time, Duda took charge of her story.
“But an evil Aswang tried to kidnap the handsome prince. Out of all the people in the village, it was only Buktot— the witless boy who came running to rescue the prince,” said Duda. She paused and blushed as her eyes met with Buktot’s. “It was then that Queen remembered how kind hearted the village boy was.”
As the two of them shared a moment, Smoke found it awkward to interrupt them. He tried to w
alk away but stumbled onto the stacked barrels next to the house.
SPILL
Pomegranate juice spilled out of the barrels. The purple goo made Smoke slip and fall on his back.
“Sir Ilad, are you alright?” asked Buktot, who hurried to help him up.
“I’m fine,” replied Smoke, propping himself up before Buktot could reach him.
“I knew it! I knew Sir Ilad would kill that Aswang in no time,” said a cheerful Duda.
After he wiped off the sticky purple juice, Smoke turned to Buktot. “So, the barrels were filled with pomegranate juice.”
“Hehehe,” chuckled a nervous Buktot. “Yeah. Our agricultural research indicated that the land around the village was hopeless.” He paused and let out a forced laugh. “Since I didn’t want our agricultural research to fail, I had Saka investigate on the potential uses on the fruits that were still thriving. Fortunately, he learned about the process of making pomegranate juice and I’ve been selling it to a Sonstwelter from the Thanotl Kingdom.”
“So, that’s where you got your money from?” said Duda. “I knew there was a reasonable explanation for it.”
“So, are you heading to the Thanotl Kingdom to heal your hunchback?” Duda asked Buktot.
“No, I’m saving up money for another reason,” replied Buktot.
“I see…” said Duda. “You were saving that money for someone else.”
Without a word, Buktot shyly nodded.
Smoke looked at Duda with a raised eyebrow, something had been bothering him ever since his return to the village.
“Duda, I’m glad that your baby is safe,” said Smoke. “But aren’t you sad about your sister Hinala?”
He found it suspicious and wanted to clear the air. He thought about enclosing her in a manatl sphere but decided not to, not until he found a more substantial evidence.
“Of course, I’d be happy,” said Duda. “Hinala is alive!”
‘Oh, looks like she lost it,’ thought Smoke.
“Listen, the Aswang said—” began Smoke but was interrupted.
