Chương 21: Celebration. (Arc 2: Road to The Misfit City — Completed.)

(Arc 2: Road to The Misfit City — Completed.)

"Oren, listen to me." I shouted. Before I say anything else. He stepped in front of me. Between me and Drago. And pressed the trigger. … BANG! … The flare came out. Drago's eye followed the fire and watched it come over him. For a second, he just stared and didn't react then as his body started burning. He screamed louder.

"AHHH!" Body rolling on the ground. He tried to stand up, tried to get rid of the fire, but he couldn't as his body was badly damaged, caused by my Apex state. Even his reinforcement magic couldn't stop the fire burning. For a minute, he couldn't help but scream from the pain.

"AHHH!" Then his screams stopped. Oren stood there looking at him, still holding the flare gun in his hands. His hands were shaking terribly, I knew his mind had already made that decision for him. And before I could reason with him, he had already pressed the trigger. His expression stayed still, like a heavy weight had dropped from his chest. He didn't react for a few seconds. Suddenly, the gun slipped from his hand, and landed on the ground. He turned his face and looked at me with a widened eye.

That look had said everything there was to know, at that point he realised what he dad done. He looked at him, Drago body had burnt and blackened by that fire, he walked close to him and stood their silently, just staring.

"No, what have I done. Not again." His knees dropped to the ground. Something else riled up inside him, a moment of realisation before tears flooded through his eye. I stood up slowly and walked to him, my legs couldn't walk like usual. The Apex state had weighed me down. A sharp pain still shot across my ribs, I pressed one of my hands on it as I walked.

"Activate advance recovery." I mumbled. TECHNOLOGY LOG ADVANCE RECOVERY: ACTIVATED A warmth spread inside my body, it was intense. Everything inside me just calmed down, like a gentle soothing effect. Which gave relief to my muscles beneath it.

"Oren." He didn't say anything and just kept staring at Drago. I picked up the gun and put it behind me, I crouched down to him. He still kept staring at him and was completely lost. I knew that guilt and pain was hurting him from inside, and he needed something that could divert his mind from those thoughts.

"Oren, you are free." His eyebrows raised, I knew he was listening to me carefully.

"You can go see your family now." His gaze turned towards me, filled with tears. Then a chuckling voice came. It was Drago.

"You think… you're free." He coughed.

"You are not…" His voice was quiet.

"You can never…" He paused"Free… them." He said that with his last breath. Then his voice was gone. Silent. His words stayed with me, my mind began to think what was he talking about. But at that time, it was not important. The important thing was Oren's safety, their safety. To take them back to their families, to return back the hope that they had forgotten.

"Come on, get up." I offered him my hand as a support. He looked at it for a second.

"What was he talking about?" He asked.

"You don't need to worry about that, you need to go to your family Oren. They are waiting."

"You're right." He grabbed my hand and stood up.

"Let's go to others. Do you know where they are?" He nodded yes.

"Okay… then let's go."

"No, you stay here and rest, please." He paused.

"I'll bring them here. The city is closer from here." I smiled at him.

"Okay…" And I sat down near the tree, breathing heavily. Oren ran towards all of them, to bring him here. My eyes looked at Drago in the near distance. His words came to my mind, I was thinking what he had meant by that. A flicker. The display appeared in front of my vision. SURVIVAL LOG Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. URGENT QUEST: SURVIVE OR KILL STATUS: COMPLETED LEVEL UP: +1 CURRENT LEVEL: 20 EXPERIENCE POINTS: +5 (TOTAL EXPERIENCE POINTS: 55) Wait…

I did not unlock a new skill? Then, I realised something in that moment. I didn't kill Drago, i t was Oren who killed him.

"Open my stats log." NOVA STATS LOG STRENGTH: 10 AGILITY: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 11 DEXTERITY: 10 VITALITY: 10 PERCEPTION: 12 HEALTH POINTS: 623/2000 (AVAILABLE POINTS TO REDEEM: 3 POINTS) Right, I'm still healing. Looks like, I've gained three levels after the cliff. But, w hat should I upgrade? Perception is really useful, Intelligence is necessary as well. But maybe I should focus on developing other stats for now. Maybe strength, I still don't have control over the Apex state.

It took everything out of me to gain control. And agility, I was barely able to dodge the attacks, if only I was quick on my feet. Then there is vitality and dexterity, those are important too. But for now I think strength and agility would be the best. STRENGTH +2 AGILITY +1 The Log closed. I looked up, the stars glimmered at the night sky, it reminded me of the time when I used to stargaze with Iris. It was the same kind of peaceful and quiet. That I haven't really felt in a long time. Even when she wasn't here.

She still saved me, her voice saved me. I know she is still alive, somewhere. Just this once — if I could just see her. Multiple footsteps approached in my direction. Oren had brought all sixty one of the people.

"He is really dead." One person among them said, "I can't believe it." That reaction caused a chain reaction among all of them. Some crying, some hugging each other.

"I can't believe I am free…"

"I will be able to see my family again." Some came to me and thanked me, some just rushed towards the city. This feeling, it makes me wonder. If I were to see my crew again, would I feel the same as all of them? Would I cry or rush to hug them? The thought of that made me smile. Oren walked to me.

"Thank you." I knew those words he spoke, it came deep inside of him. His voice was quiet, like a soft breeze blowing along the sea.

"Please come with us." A man among them said.

"We want to thank you properly by treating you to a feast." Well, I was on my way to the city anyways, I wouldn't mind a feast. But, I just wish there were protein bars in this world.

"I was planning on heading there anyway. So I'll come." Oren and all the men started walking towards the city, and I followed them. I was walking in the lands surrounded by trees and yellow grass, but then a path showed up. It was naturally formed by people's footsteps. That's where I knew I had reached The Misfit City. There were no walls, or guards or barriers of any sort. That's what I imagined it would be, at least in the ancient era on earth it was this way.

But instead, it was just an open land with houses built in short distances. People already gathered in the street, waiting. The ones who ran, must've told citizens. We reached closer, until their figures looked clear. One by one, people from both sides started running towards each other. Families began to reunite with each other.... Voices of crying spread all around the city, tears of joy and happiness came down on their faces.... Then a woman looked at Oren.

For a second, neither of them moved and just stood still. Then a step from Oren, and a step from that woman. Both of them rushed.

"Freya." Oren said. But she didn't reply, she extended her hand and cupped his jaw. And smiled at him. Tears rushed through his eyes and he started sobbing into her shoulder. Like a baby to his mother. It made me smile, and I stood there too for a moment. Just hoping that someone might come running towards me. But it was just a foolish wish. Freya started walking towards me. I looked at her, She grabbed my hands.

"Thank you so much, dear." She said, Her voice sounded just like my mother. It made me speechless. I couldn't even look her into the eyes. She still smiled and patted my head. At that moment it felt like my mother was present at that moment. It slightly made me uncomfortable, the kind that felt awkward. I was never good at gratitude. So I nodded yes. Soon after, people started crowding me, and thanking me. At that moment I didn't feel like I was alone anymore. They started to welcome me to the city....

As I walked in the city, people had started gathering at one place. They were holding something in their hands. Food of all sorts, some of them behind me rushed in their home to bring food. The city was celebrating the reunion of their loved ones. I turned towards the other direction, but Oren and Freya stopped me as they stood in front of me.

"Please come with us. It's a celebration but it's our way of showing gratitude to you." Freya said. I couldn't decline and smiled awkwardly.... We were sitting near a fire that looked like a bonfire, only larger. People started singing and dancing, a song that I never heard, a dance that I never saw. Some of them started bringing food to show their gratitude. And more people came bringing their food. Soon after the food in front of me began to grow in a pile, it was too much and could last a whole month.

"This is from our family." I smiled awkwarly. This was too much I can handle. Then I looked at the food, some of it was kinda strange and unusual. Not what I had expected. Meat and leaves with roots paired together. While some fruits were raw and some were also paired with meat. What kind of food are these people eating? I looked around and people ate it like it was normal to them, but for me just looking at those made me anxious to eat.

"Please, try this…" People kept asking me and handing me the food, I swallowed hard.

"Oh, god save me." Their eyes kept staring at me aspecting me to eat it, I had to, I couldn't disappoint them. When they said feast… This was not what I had in mind. What have I got into… Those eyes stared as I was about to try the food they offered me, I picked up meat and took a bite. It was raw and I had to chew a lot of it like it was rubber, it wasn't cooked fully and wasn't seasoned; it tasted like smoke and blood, with a bitter taste of the vegetable roots that they prepared it with.

"It's tasty." I said even though it wasn't. Tears came from my eyes.

"Oh look, how much she is enjoying, please have more." They thought I loved it but that was because it was very spicy. I swallowed it barely, I wanted to scream. Oh I miss you so much my protein bars…

"Thank you for this wonderful gift. Please eat it too and enjoy." Apples. I gently kept down the meat and grabbed an apple. I'll just stick to the fruits, if I eat another bite of that I would literally puke. Someone, really need to teach them cooking, how are they surviving this torture…

"Is something wrong, dear?"

"No, I'm fine. I like this very much." I grabbed another bite of apple so they don't suspect anything.

"I am glad you liked it. What's your name dear?" Freya asked.

"Nova." I replied.

"You know Nova, you remind me of my daughter." My eyes widened, the resemblance of the voice moved something in me.

"She is just like you, brave and kind." she paused.

"If she was here, you would have become good friends." I listened to her in silence as she continued speaking.

"When she comes back, she will be very happy to see her papa. And no amount of gratitude could fill that, you brought a smile on our faces. A hope we had lost forever."

"Please it's okay, you don't need to thank me anymore. Anyone would've done the same thing." She nodded no, slowly.

"We are misfits. An outcast by every nation. No one helped but you did."... Suddenly, the streets got quieter and people started stepping back bowing their heads. A figure appeared in my vision along with two others. They looked familiar to me somehow. Their faces and those robes. I had seen that before somewhere. Then I remembered. Bishops. Wait, they are the same bishops that were on the other side of the cliff. My mind started filling up with all kinds of questions. They stopped in front of me.

"So, you're the one who freed all of them." The older bishop said. I didn't say anything. Just looked around and saw everyone had bowed their heads, including Oren and Freya.

"The Archbishop wants to see you."