Alpha Strike: [An interstellar Weapon Platform’s Guide to being a Dungeon Core] (Book 2 title)

 

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Book 1 - Lesson 25: "Taxi Services cost extra."

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Zolzaya was not having a pleasant day.

It started with an argument between her parents just before the start of the hunting trip. Her mother had always been protective of her, even if for the wrong reasons. Her mother loved Zolzaya in her own way, but to her, her daughter’s goal should have been finding a nice Jadewalker husband. To her mother, Zolzaya had the responsibility to uplift herself and the rest of the village.

Her father, in contrast, fully supported Zolzaya’s plan of becoming a Grassreader. Many people in the village assumed her father was a dullard, being slow to speak and always putting up with her mother’s more… aggravating traits. But Zolzaya, and those who cared to pay attention, knew the truth. Her father might have been a quiet man, who rarely angered and never argued, but his mind was as sharp as a spear.

If Yutu’s parents were the life of the village, always smiling and trying to cheer others up, Zolzaya’s father was its ears. More than once, she’d found him on guard duty near the gate as some villager or another endlessly complained about some issue. Sometimes it was a serious problem that needed addressing. More often than not, it was just someone venting their frustration to someone they felt wouldn’t complain. Her father would nod, listening as he watched the prairies pass by.

Zolzaya always suspected her father was who she’d gotten her “gift” from, even if it manifested even weaker in him than in her. After all, Zolzaya was the only Esper in the Slatewalker village, no matter how minor her ability was.

More specifically, Zolzaya was what the examiner called an “Empath”-type. She could naturally read a person’s nature and intent just by being in their presence. Of course, only a few people in the village knew; not even her two closest friends, Yutu and Ganbaatar, knew. Young Zolzaya had learned quickly that people didn’t like being called out, and things could get… heated. Maybe that was why her father was such a quiet man?

That being said, her gift made her a near-perfect Grassreader. She’d taken to the secret art of the Wandering Cities like a natural. Spirit energy was said to have a “will” all its own, after all.

It had been that same ability that had drawn her to Yutu and Ganbaatar, too. Yutu, for all his awkward shyness and self-deprecating habits, had one of the kindest and gentlest souls she’d ever seen. It could never be said he wasn’t his parent’s child. Part of her wanted to protect that kindness from the harsh reality of the world, but that had only caused the man to withdraw further.

Ganbaatar, Gan… he was a rough man, filled with desire, both to prove himself and to be recognized. But he was honest to a fault and wore his heart on his sleeve. She doubted she’d even need her ability to read the man. He could be stubborn as a mule, but Zolzaya knew Gan was the man you wanted at your back when the chips were down.

They’d grown up together, trained together. They were supposed to have grown old together, supporting each other like pillars and working together to uplift their home.

Then the Beast Lord appeared.

In an instant, everything Zolzaya had worked towards was washed away by the cruel nature of their world. It took friends, both those she’d trained with for months and those she’d met only on that trip.

Then it took Yutu and Ganbaatar.

Something inside Zolzaya had broken at that moment. She didn’t have a name for it, but as the remnants inside her burned, she’d raged. She’d lashed out with blinding, all-consuming fury at anything remotely hostile. Zolzaya wasn’t a trained combatant, not by far. She’d sparred with Gan some, but a Grassreader’s skills were more… esoteric than physical.

But with her blade in hand, she moved like a storm, letting her gift guide her. It told her when the enemy was coming, where and when to strike. Every thought and action of the enemy was laid bare before her. She could feel her gift rebel against her, though. It wasn’t this kind of power; it wasn’t meant for killing and slaughter, and it fought her every step. Though it was only after the fact she even noticed, so utterly consumed as she was.

Only after the others dragged her back to the cart, did the flames die. All that fire had been replaced with cold, dead ash. She felt empty, and for the first time since she’d awakened her gift, so very alone. She couldn’t even muster the energy for tears, not anymore. But she knew that spark was still there, buried deep under the ash; it just needed a new fuel source to reignite.

Then the new creature appeared.

Zolzaya’s gift had screamed at her to run the moment it appeared. She’d felt nothing like it before. The creature cut through the grass at blinding speeds, mowing down the penguins like the Grand Elks reaped the prairies. When it approached, Zolzaya shivered involuntarily; she could feel this creature’s… she didn’t even know what to call it.

It had been looking for them, that she could tell. But it wasn’t hunting them; they weren’t prey or even friends. No, the creature did so with a strange, cold detachment that reminded her of watching the Alchemists pick the right herbs.

The creature wasn’t looking at them like food or a curiosity. Hell, it barely saw them as people.

They were tools.

There was no argument to be held, no choice for them. They were tools to be used for their purpose and, if necessary, discarded.

At that thought, the small spark ignited again. How dare it?! What right did this creature have to appear out of nowhere and demand they be used? Did they not deserve a moment of peace? Time to grieve? Or did the world get some sick amusement from watching them suffer and struggle? Was all this just some game for some higher powers, while those she loved and cared for died fighting?!

She refused!

Zolzaya didn’t care who or what this creature was, where it came from, or what it wanted. She wouldn’t run or bow anymore. Not to it, not to the Beast Lord, not to her mother, and not to a cruel, uncaring world.

With that thought like a raging inferno in her mind, she’d lept from the cart again and struck out at the creature. It was a foolish, stupid thing to do, she knew. But if she was going to, she was to die; she’d die making her own choices and a blade in hand.

Her opening blow had done… absolutely nothing.

She could feel the surprise, then amusement, ooze off the creature. That only fueled Zolzaya’s rage as she stood and prepared for another attack.

Then a miracle happened.

Rather than the inevitable blow that would end her life, warm, familiar arms enveloped her, and a voice she thought she’d never hear again called out to her. Zolzaya’s fury was buried in the warm hug like a raging wildfire smothered by fresh spring rain. When she could see through the tears, she looked up at Gan, wondering if the creature had killed her without her even realizing it.

What other reasons could her lost friend be here in front of her?

Reality soon inserted itself, though, as the rest of the survivors rushed the pair.

Despite the tears, the fire in her heart still burned, unwilling to die so quickly. The young man pulled himself free of her death grip, intent on giving whatever asinine reason he had for abandoning her like that. She wasn’t hearing it, though, and did the only reasonable thing in the situation.

Her father always said she had a mean right hook…

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Elder Xiurong stood from the patch of burned grass and lifted the small metal cylinder. The small, solid object, the length and width of her pinky to the first joint, was made of a metal she couldn’t place. The spiraling groove and warped tip were unlike anything she’d ever seen. It wasn’t hard to understand its purpose, though, given the large splatter of gore it had been found in. A few of the more… intact bodies even had several of the objects still inside.

Elder Xiurong turned to the three behind her and asked.

“Tell me, what do you see?”

The first, a scholarly young man whose shifting eyes always seemed to scan everyone and everything, pushed up his glasses. No one knew why he wore the things since, as a Cultivator, his eyesight was better than even the healthiest of mortals.

Excavation Squad Leader Lin Weiyuan spoke in a practiced and academic tone.

“The bodies are cold, suggesting it’s been more than a few hours since the fight. Despite that, their bodies are mostly untouched. Grassbreakers are known to be cannibalistic, but we see no signs of feeding by them or any other animals. This is even more evidence that the animals and Spirit Beasts have fled the area for an unknown reason.”

Lin Weiyuan pointed to the object in Elder Xiurong’s hand and continued.

“The weapon, whatever it might be, is thrown at high speeds. On impact with flesh, the tip bursts and spreads, utterly destroying any soft tissue it passes through. I can’t even identify what parts of some remains are. I’ve never heard of such a weapon, but it is exceedingly cruel and powerful at the very least.”

Elder Xiurong nodded and turned to a large woman whose body seemed chiseled from stone. Despite her beauty, her perpetual frown and sharp glare had made many a man turn away in fear.

Defense Squad Leader Fang Peng spoke next, her voice deep but melodic.

“They could take out a flock of mature Grassbreakers three dozen strong without moving a step—.”

Fang Peng gestured to the spotless center of the clearing otherwise filled with penguin gore and continued.

“—Several flocks, in fact, if the bodies of multiple leader class Grassbreakers say anything. That is an anomaly as well. Flocks don’t hunt together; they’re too territorial for that. If they DO meet, typically, the leaders will duke it out. The losing flock is absorbed, while the leader is… disposed of.”

Elder Xiurong again nodded, then turned to the last group member.

The petite, pale woman dressed in black robes, reminiscent of her own, bowed and smiled. She might have been the youngest of the three, but that didn’t mean she was any lesser. If anything, that she’d gotten her position on this expedition at such a young age spoke volumes about her talent and craftiness.

Scouts Squad Leader Qi Mingxi covered her mouth with the long robe sleeve and spoke, her voice soft and sweet as honey.

“The target has been moving without real purpose for quite some time. It looks to be searching for something, given the markings we’ve found leading into various Radiant Pits, but what, I cannot say yet. One thing we know is that the target isn’t moving alone.”

Qi Mingxi gestured to several more whole bodies.

“Some Grassbreakers show markings similar to bodies found along, but away from the target’s path. These bodies are in better shape but show evidence of a struggle. Most of the beast cores have been removed as well. This suggests the target is traveling with some manner of tamed Spirit Beast. It’s unlikely to be the assumed Akh’lut pup; the trails are too far and freely roaming to be a hostage.”

Elder Xiurong gave the three core disciples a wide grin. They might have been on an important mission, but that didn’t mean there weren’t learning opportunities. She was proud of these three’s growth during the Fallen Star excavation trip. Considering the event’s nature, it might have been rushed, but each had fought hard for their given position and earned it fair and square.

That was the primary reason for selecting the three to accompany her on this presumed rescue mission. Each was a powerful combatant on their own, but skilled in different ways. It was hard to tell what they’d encounter when they found the Star Thief, so the broader their skill set, the better. Just as important, all three were at the peak of [Shackle-Breaking]. They wouldn’t suffer the same suppression she would, the deeper into the prairies they got.

They would need that strength as well. The closer they got to their target, the more it seemed they weren’t dealing with some low-level Cultivator or Mage who got lucky and was in the area when the Fallen Star fell. No, this was a skilled warrior of unknown ability. They would have to proceed with great caution.

It didn’t help that something, the Star Thief or maybe even the Fallen Star itself, had thrown the prairies into chaos. They’d already rescued two smaller villages making their way to a nearby Earth Shrine, which was attacked by a horde of Grassbreaker Penguins. They’d unfortunately not made it in time to help a third. Such distractions were becoming an issue.

She’d already sent the fourth that had accompanied them, Wei Fa, back to the excavation camp to request teams be sent out. With that covered, they’d be free to fully focus on pursuing their target.

Even so, something about this whole mess didn’t sit well with Yu Xiurong.

That quiet little voice in the back of her mind felt like it was saying they were running out of time. Yet for what? They couldn’t say.