Chapter 32: Beyond The Wall

Rayleigh had, of course, found himself thinking about why a few Mulkans chose to live in the settlement where there was a city.

Although he had no idea what the city looked like, he had a slightly good idea of one of its major importance, and that was the fact that it protected its inhabitants against the creatures of the wild.

After the Intermediate-Rank beast had attacked the settlement yesterday, the settlers just went back to their lives like nothing had happened. Like they didn’t almost lose their lives if it hadn’t been for him.

Typically, one would run for the hills or look for possible solutions.

He had wondered why anyone would choose to live in the settlement where every waking moment must feel like an impending death sentence; He was about to find that out.

"The truth is that we did not come here by choice. We were forced out of Andor," Jax explained, his voice breaking. "Everybody you see today at the settlement were once Andorians, and what we all have in common is that we are defaulters. Once an Andorian defaults, we are exiled or banished out here no matter how small your crime is."

"This punishment serves as a fear factor for every Andorian; a warning never to break any of the rules in order not to end up here because the chances of surviving out here are very slim. All the individuals in the settlement would have been dead if it wasn’t for you, Rayleigh. You saved us."

Rayleigh honestly had no idea what to do with someone’s gratitude. Unless he could convert it to spaceship fuel, he couldn’t care less about appreciation.

"So, the crystals? Why do you need them to get back inside?" Rayleigh asked the most underlying question.

Jax exhaled, his eyes staring into the distance. "The Overseers figured that we shouldn’t just waste away in the desert settlement. Our meaningless lives could actually be worth something to them."

"The second and first cities run mainly on glowing orbs, or crystals. The energy in these crystals is insurmountable, especially when you have an unlimited supply of them. The Overseers proposed that if we could get twenty weaker beast crystals, we would be let back inside the wall."

Something wasn’t adding up, Rayleigh figured quickly. For one to hunt beasts, they needed to be able to fight. The Mulkan settlers seemed normal as far as normal could get, without any special abilities.

"How are you supposed to hunt beasts?" Rayleigh couldn’t help but ask. "You don’t seem to possess any magical attributes. Even a beast weaker than a Lesser Beast would rip you to shreds before you even blink."

"We have a weapon in the settlement provided by the second city of Veyrion. The weapon could kill most weaker beasts. But not one at an Intermediate level." Jax answered.

’So that was what that Intermediate beast was after. I knew a beast wouldn’t just ignore a meal unless there was something better,’ Rayleigh thought.

Beasts, in fact, were known to be drawn to strong power sources. It was uncommon, but there were a few recorded cases of beasts hunting other beasts and digesting their crystals..

Everything Jax was saying was making sense to Rayleigh. Any advanced species in the universe used crystals for energy. The Silver Corp used them for their barriers and defence systems.

Even the Advanced Romulus System could absorb crystals, although Rayleigh was still yet to find out what happened after. He had never had the pleasure of absorbing crystals.

Jax’s story made sense, except for one thing: Why weren’t any of the settlers actively hunting beasts if they had the means to?

Jax carefully explained that.

"Having the weapon is one thing. Having the proper skills to fight is another," Jax explained. "Most of the people in the settlement don’t have the skills required to hunt beasts. The weapon can kill weaker beasts, but that doesn’t mean it makes someone a skilled fighter."

Rayleigh remained silent, listening to him.

"There have been others who successfully hunted twenty beast crystals in the past," Jax continued. "Those people were allowed back into Andor. They completed the requirement and were allowed to return inside the wall."

"So why didn’t everyone else do the same?" Rayleigh asked.

"Because most of them gave up. They accepted their fate and decided that this settlement was where they would spend the rest of their lives. But not me. I always believed I would return to Andor."

"So that is why you tried to run away with my crystals," Rayleigh muttered.

Jax immediately lowered his head. "I am sorry. I know what I did was wrong, but I did what I had to do. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life out here."

Rayleigh did not say anything else. He remained silent in contemplation. He understood why Jax did what he did, and he knew to a large extent that he would have done the same.

Actually, he did. A different scenario, but with selfish desires; when he stole from Cassandra Moon, he wasn’t exactly thinking about what would happen to her for losing such an important device.

He only cared about completing his mission and getting what he needed.

Rayleigh looked at Jax. "And why should I believe everything you’ve said aren’t just carefully thought out lies you made in place for when you get caught?"

Jax immediately shook his head.

"I swear I’m telling you the truth. Nothing more. If you don’t believe me, we can go back and ask the settlers. They will corroborate everything I’ve told you."

Rayleigh found no use for that because he believed Jax. There was always some fucked-up civilization somewhere out there, just like humans. Guess he found them.

Rayleigh looked toward the wall again. "Why did you need thirty crystals if twenty are enough to get inside the wall?"

Jax hesitated for a moment before answering. "Because the Intermediate crystal can give me more than just a way back inside."

"If I return with an Intermediate Beast Crystal, I can earn a higher-ranking status in Andor," Jax explained. "Perhaps I may even be able to sign up for the magic school in Veyrion."

"You want to go to magic school?"

Jax nodded. "Yes. I’ve always wanted to learn magic. If I can return with an Intermediate crystal, I may finally have the chance."

Rayleigh smiled.."Well, guess what. You’re not going to magic school."

Jax’s face dropped.."What?"

Rayleigh turned his attention toward the crash site of the meteor; the beast he had just killed was actually an Intermediate-Rank beast.

If he took the crystal, he would have two Intermediate Beast Crystals, which were worth about twenty Lesser Beast Crystals.

And with the additional twenty crystals Jax already had, it was enough to get both of them inside the wall.

Rayleigh walked toward the dead beast.

He harvested the crystal from its body, and not long after, both he and Jax’ulkan were on their way, heading toward the wall.

Fuel lay within the walls of Andor, and Rayleigh needed to get inside to find it by whatever means necessary.

With everything Jax had explained, Rayleigh knew what the first and second city—Andor and Veyrion—had installed for them.

But what about the first city?

What goes on in the city of Aurelis?