Chapter 51: Pig Mask Cult’s Trap

A shadowy substance seemed to be flowing below the skin of her face before it disappeared.

’The Blood Veil Worms have completely synch their identities. their mana signitures, physical traits, and core frequencies have all been replicated.’

Roy stopped tapping his fingers on his thigh

’And the originals?.’

’Dead’.

Not a hint of emotion was given in his voice

Roy narrowed his eyes.

’Good,

Now focus,’

He turned his attention to the command dais where general Vance was giving the final orders.

’The Pig-mask cult has been working on tightening there infiltration for months.’

He lowered his voice just a bit more.

’We have one objective. To get inside the Thousand Mountain Forest, find the objective, and remain undetected until the time is right.’

The other four looked to him

’If detection happens before then..’

A slightly inhuman like smile stretched across his lips.

’...we kill them before they can raise the alarm’

Dan leaned forward as the tight leather vest rubbed against his broad pectorals as he watched the last of the students pass through Gate 3.

"So we let them into the woods?"

Roy gave a negative response

His eyes were focused on the East trail.

Evelyn had passed the Thousand Mountain Forest.

Unlike the other students she didn’t stay by the gates waiting for the others to pass, her walk was collected though her fingers occasionally toyed with the grip of her rapier.

After a few minutes Lucian passed through another set of gates.

Alone.

As expected.

Roy’s lips curled into a smile

"Not yet."

Dan frowned

"What do you mean, not yet?"

"If we move near the gate the military will be watching."

Roy looked at him for the first time

"There are more eyes on the Outter Fringe then you can imagine."

The Military had scattered out scouts through the trees, eyes on the sky as well as sensors below ground level along the forest’s borders.

"There wouldn’t be any mistaking a disturbance in the flow,"

he continued, tapping his temple

Mia crossed her arms

"So, what? We wait until they pick up an anomaly?"

"That’s right,"

Roy said, his eyes drifting towards the trees.

"The longer the students are in the woods, the more chance there will be for the Military to see that hostile forces are inside the woods."

Dan narrowed his eyes

"And Evelyn?"

Roy’s expression darkened.

"Leave her be."

Dan gave him a strange look.

"Wasn’t she one of our primary targets?"

"She is,"

Roy stated, "but she is more dangerous then we originally thought."

Mia raised an eyebrow

"Why?"

An experienced warrior, advanced senses, and a cunning mind,"

Roy replied cooly, "she would have no difficulty in reading an ambush of students. In fact, trying to kill her outright would be more damaging to us then us trying to kill her."

Mia nodded.

"So, we isolate her?"

Roy gave a satisfied smirk

"Spot on."

Roy fished around in his uniform before pulling out a small black crystal.

No larger then a thumbnail but crimson veins of energy pulsed along its surface.

Roy crushed it between his fingers sending out an energy pulse invisible to the human eye.

Then it dissaparated.

"We separate."

Roy pointed to the different trails leading into the woods.

"Dan you take the Northern Route.

Mia, stick close to the Western Ridge.

Ben, Lucas stick to the Outter ridge until I give the signal."

"And us?"

Dan asked, gesturing to himself and Roy

Roy’s gaze lingered on the Western Trail before shifting to the trail Lucian took not long ago.

"I’m going after Lucian."

Dan’s brows perked up.

"The commoner?"

"That’s Right."

Roy didn’t hesitate in his answer

Mia studied him.

"Why him?"

Roy stayed silent for a moment.

before folding his arms across his chest.

"Because Lucian and Evelyn are a lot closer then we originally thought."

Dan’s expression changed

"You mean..."

"If we go after Lucian," Roy interupted, "Evelyn won’t be far behind."

He gave a slight smile as if speaking out his plans.

"Besides, the more she separates herself from the other students, the more control we will have of her.

Mia nodded

"So Lucian is the key to Evelyn."

"Exactly.

Dan glanced at the forest.

"Than what’s stopping us from grabbing him now."

Roy’s expression hardened

"There is something about him that sets him off."

Dan frowned

"What?"

"He’s too calm."

Roy’s eyes narrowed as they landed on the trees.

"Most students entering the Thousand Mountain Forest are nervous. Even experienced ones always check their surroundings."

He tapped two fingers against his temple

"Lucian didn’t."

Mia’s eyes narrowed

"You think he knows?"

"I don’t know"

Roy paused

"But there is another reason."

He lowered his voice just a bit

"His Agility Test."

Dan snorted

"That again?"

Roy ignored the remark in favor of continuing.

"During the pre-agility evaluation, Lucian scored beyond what his combat ratings said he should have."

Mia’s expression grew more serious

"How far?"

"Far enough that the instructors saw fit to check the film over again."

Roy kept his gaze on the trees

"Several of the automated attacks were fired before the computer registered them as visible threats."

Dan’s smirk disappeared

Roy continued.

"Yet Lucian reacted before the attacks even became an issue."

"He predicted them?"

Mia asked

"Maybe.

Roy shook his head

"That’s what bothers me. The attacks weren’t random evasions. They weren’t reactions. He didn’t react to the attacks, he reacted before they happened."

His voice dropped to a whisper

"It looked as if he knew where the attacks were coming from."

Dan stayed silent

Roy looked at him

"A normal man doesn’t do that."

Mia slowly nodded

"And Evelyn noticed him because of it."

"Exactly.

Roy’s expression became more severe

"That’s why I’m not treating Lucian like some weak commoner."

Dan grinned

"So, you’re ready for a fight."

Roy gave him a thin smile

"I’m ready for a surprise."

He turned to the forest

"If he’s really as average as the military report says than I’ll capture him before long."

Roy’s fingers hovered over the gun beneath his uniform.

"But if that agility test showed just a fraction of what he’s capable of..."

His eyes narrowed.

"...then I want to know before we do anything to Evelyn."

Dan’s grin widened

"Now that’s more interesting."

Roy moved towards the Western trail

’Stay on your Routes,"

Mia called after him

"And if Lucian tries to fight back?"

Roy did not turn to face her.

"Then I’ll stop trying to capture a common student,"

he said, vanishing behind the trees.

"And start chasing what he really is."