章 61: Death match
The fighting started with a pair of macha, one black and blue while the other black. The blue macha released a long knife from his armor, floated with blue flames surrounding him. The armor has a basic shield established to protect from a level 7 attacks but if one aims it accurately at the weak spots it can take down an entire army with less effort.
These armors were made with superior material others in the factory will not be so lucky. It's just these will be the first in battle in the future so they can not fall first.
Flames attacked first, aimed like a sharp dagger at the joints and the head as if the person has thoroughly studied all the weaknesses of the armor. The attacks are blocked by the sheilds followed by a swift counterattack from the black armor whose weapon is a gun. He fires several shots that somehow made it to the weakness of the armor hitting it before the opponent opened the secondary shield.
This doesn't take out the blue armor it just momentarily slows it down. A second later bullets come flying overwhelming the blue armor and when all it can do is defend, the black armor started a fist fight and basshed the opponent until it's blue flames were extinguished leaving slight smoke as evidence they were ever there.
The blue armor gains distance after a small distraction and then takes a stance that will enable him to use the long blade which is his specialty weapon.
Black armor also takes out the same long knife and the battle of skill begins. Both of their movements are swift and precise, Amelia who had initially not expected much to become interested.
The blue armor gains an advantage but is not able to match the fluid movements of the black armor. It appears the person inside the black armor is more skilled at using the armor which means they are more skilled at using mental power than the one inside the blue armor.
The fight gets more intense as each fighter is showing their skill without holding back. 30 minutes pass the teo exchanging deadly attacks from each other, an hour later the black armor makes a decision to accept a stab wound on the side of the chest just to get close enough to shoot the blue armor in the head exploding the brain inside the armor.
Reviews on the screen shows the place where black armor had shot the opponent. The shot is on a spot where soldiers press to open the face part of the armor. It turns out this is another place that can result in instant death if the shot is accurate enough.
The place is very small and has a cover that was pulled off during the fight just so he could make the shot. Amelia realizes the cover is lifted up with mental power whick is not obvious and doesn't raise the person's guard immediately.
Amelia's expression doesn't change but she is gratified inside. This soldier is exceptional and without a doubt worth training. But something else bothers her now.
She has realized her soldiers do not know how to use mental power properly which is a huge waste since they have tremendous amount of mental power in their disposal. The problem is that she doesn't have too much experience in using mental power to control a piece of armor like this piece of technology.
She doesn't want to dwell too much on it but it's in her head now, she will probably be driven cranky by this problem. Unknowingly she looks at Blake wondering if he can help. She has never met someone with his amount of mental strength in this world.
The fights continued but Amelia's mind is wondering and she can no longer focus on watching them. Blake approached her masking his concern for her well being and just asked if she wants to leave.
"Can you help me teach a few of them how to maximize the use of their mental power? They waste too much of it, if they are in a drawn out battle they would be exhausted." She straight up asks him on the spot.
Blake wants to digest her words but there is no time so he says the first thing on this mind. "I am your bodyguard. How can I turn around and become a teacher?"
Amelia knew he is negotiating and he has occupied a high ground from the start. Accepting she is in a disadvantageous position she doesn't play around her question and continues with the same straightforward approach.
"Tell me what you want in return." Amelia doesn't want to be distracted by this so she would rather put it aside.
"I want a date. With you." Blake says in a business like manner making it hard for people to find fault.
"I don't agree. Going on a date would mean there is hope, which there isn't. I am not emotionally stable to handle that sort of relationship so it would be great if you'd give up on this pursuit, it will be a fruitless endeavor."
Blake "...."
"May I have the hanfu traditional dress for males that matches the dress you are wearing?" He asks as if he is compromising.
"I can do that." She readily agrees to this request. "Is that all?" It seems a bit unfair.
"Can you teach me the tea brewing process that preserves the qi into the tea without wasting it?" He askes again.
"I was already going to do that so it doesn't count. Think of something later and let me know." She smiles happily that her problem will be fixed soon.
"Alright." He accepted her deal.
...
A man with a cane which he doesn't use for walking is standing in front of a table with several other people totaling 8, these people are each leaders of 8 powerful hidden families.
Ye Family, Yan family, Xu family and the Liu family are all still more powerful than the rest with a few millions of carefully trained disciples that would take over the world in a heart beat if they left the hidden world.
The hidden world is a pocket dimension said to have been created by a group of founders from the 8 families to isolate their disciples from the messy world of mortals. Mostly from the increasing environmental polution which was reducing the natural world energies in the air.
They have a stable place to recruit disciples, this arrangement protects the mortals from the power of the cultivators.
There is an agreement between the two sides part of which is why this meeting is taking place. "Ye Qingyue to summon us for such small matters, are you finally getting senile old woman?"
The man with a cane is from the Xu family and thinks highly of himself. He is very proud of his family's medicinal legacy that has made their Xu family stand firm among the most powerful three families out of the 8 major families in the hidden world.
"If I'm so old, then why have you been drooling at my breasts ever since I entered? Do you have a fetish you want to tell us about little Xu Hong?" Qingyue put her long white leg on top of the other, her qipao dress slit opened showing her delicate pale skin from underneath. Her strong thigh drawing the men's attention. Their minds became momentarily dazed.
"The point is the pack has been summoned which means we need to fulfill our part of the deal by helping the mortals take care of an imminent threat. How do we go about it?" Yan Min said with an unquestionable authority in his tone.
He is the future head of the Yan family which is the one who rules over the others in terms of strength and overall foudation. The other families have tried to attack this family in the past few centuries but they almost always ended in failure.
This family has deeply infiltrated their own families to the point it is no longer a question of who is in charge with in their own territory. If something unfavorable to the Yan family is being planned, they are treated with extreme cruelty.
This is why the other families have been reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. The current three big families have been spared because they were loyal to the Yan family to begin with. Which explains the docile attitude when the cane holding handsome man spoke.
"The plan is to take them to the hideout of the Japanese assassins but let them do most if not all the work. Let's be truthful here, what talent will we get from recruiting people from this place anymore with this virus everywhere like this? So we are helping them for free without getting any benefits in return." The man calmy said.
"They have bases to seek shelter and protect themselves and then there's this Qin family calling themselves royalty, they should be able to protection themselves if they want to be leaders." With a cold snort he delivered the plan of action.
Preparing for the meeting with the cultivators Amelia makes new talisman powerful enough to hide her intoxicating smell and her physique. There may not be immortals in here but she will not take any risks.
She spends the day forging an artifact capable of withstanding a powerful psychic attach, physical attack and most importantly a bullet will not be able to penetrate them. These are in the hanfu outfits she has made for the both of them.
Amelia calls Blake in the living room. "The cultivators are quirky and have by their own set of rules. The strong prey on the weak, but it is not always so cut throat. Use this information to deal with them. I only have filesnon a few people here."
After reading for a while Blake puts the file on the table and looks at Amelia who hands him a hanfu dress. It has a light feel but looks sophisticated nonetheless. "Think of it as light armor. It will not get wet, burn or tear unless someone uses an artifact."
"It's beautiful. Thank you. Is there something else I need to watch out for?" He went to fit it and when he came out he had transformed into an ancient otherworldly handsome man. If not for his short hair that gives him a modern feel, he would look like he came out of a painting. Looking at him looking so good looking, Amelia remembered something.
"Ye Qingyue has a poison body and her body is filed with poison yin so she needs a constant supply of vigorous yang qi from healthy young men. She will not be able to let you go." Amelia said handing him a pendant.
"This will hide your scent and everything else about you. When they see you, they won't be able to tell your special physique or your cultivation level. I have one that will hide mine as well. However, will not give up because of this but may act in the dark."
"What do we do when she acts?" He doesn't sound all that concerned.
"Don't worry, I have made plans for this." She is already using him to lure the snake out of the grass, of course Amelia will be waiting for her when she comes. That woman is currying around something Amelia wants very much on one of her bangles.
Someone inscripted a space rune in the stone and inside is a large library on cultivation technique, spells and other materials. It was said to belong to an immortal who ascended to the higher realms and he trew it in this place for a destined one.
The man who had gotten dumped by Liang Mei in the novel Ye Cheng found it after the the fight between the woman and one of the powerful Assassins elders and planned to return it to her but he accidentally bled on it and it recognized him as the owner.
He left the B base and started a small sect using the knowledge in the library, althoughsome of it was in different language he still managed to make the most of it.
By the time the aliens came, he was powerful enough to have a seat on the table. He of course didn't like the protagonist and her husband so he ends up being villainous.
When he saw that the earth was going to be confiscate by the empire he took his cult and they became a powerful pirate group after he subdued a pirate group with a few thousand soldiers.
He disappears and then resurfaces when earth is on the blink of annihilation from a swarm of zerg, he saves the protagonist who at the time is about to sacrifice herself to delay the invasion enough for reinforcements to arrive.
This left the audience sweet and bitter because he came back even though he had been angry with them. Bitter because he still loves her but she is already married to someone else.
"Amelia." She is still checking the final details on the dress when his deep voice sounded.
"Are we friends?" He asks. In the past, he heard that if you want to be with someone for the rest of your life then it should be a person who can be your friend.
"I don't know. Would you describe us as friends?" Amelia asked him back. The place had slight awkwardness but the two people are seriously considering the question.
"I am your friend." He said after giving it some thought.
"Then, I am your friend as well."
"As your friend, when you're ready can you confide in me about the origin of your trauma? It is obvious something shattered your faith in relationships and it is affecting you still." It would be cringe if he didn't have that deep sexy voice.
"I appreciate the gesture but I don't think I will ever be able to share that with anyone. I am probably prideful and it is a demeaning story. But I can try to not let it influence me so much anymore." Amelia smiled feeling Blake's good intentions.
"As a friend, can I ask you something?" He asks.
"Yes."
"What do you think of me as a partner?"
"Risky."
"Why?"
"I don't know you and your past is shrouded in mystery. It makes people uneasy about you." Blake's heart sank. Does this mean she doesn't trust him?
"Please explain." Calming the increasing cold feeling in his heart, he asks her.
"You said that you were a soldier? Do you have post traumatic stress? Do you need counseling? Can you be around loud and chaotic scenes without freaking out?" There is a good reason Amelia is concerned about this, Blake has the heart of Slaughter after all.
His version of a panic attack probably looks like a bloodbath.
Blake smiled when he heard this. "Are you concerned about my mental state?"
"I have answered your question." Amelia said flatly. It seems the exchange ends here.
"It looks good like this, you will wear it tomorrow when we depart. I have a place to go." She got back to the bedroom and then teleported to the island where Liang Mei lives.
"So you are not going to train?" A man asked father Liang who shook his head.
"She thinks I am useless, why should I bother? Besides I am looking for another place to live." Liang Jie said in anger.
This conversation surprised Amelia, it seems Mrs Liang is destroying her marriage by her honest thoughts. Having them hate each other is the first step. The journey is long, she will play with this family slowly.
"Perhaps I can help." Amelia said from the side. The two men are startled because they didn't hear here approach.
"Amelia." Liang Jie looked at the daughter he hasn't seen in four years but she looks completely different from the coquettish girl who would call him daddy with a beaming smile.
She looks matured and composed. Too composed in fact any hope of manipulating her became ridiculous even to him.
"Father." Her voice neutral without any fluctuations as if she is talking to a stranger. Seeing her treatment he felt cold, this child used to be so dependent on him and now she looks like a cold empress high above and he means nothing to her.
"I am sorry." He said with deep sincerity in his eyes. But how can he be sorry? People who would commit such actions against someone would only ever be sorry they were caught.
"I know. If you need a vacation I have a perfect place. But you can't bring that woman and your daughter." Amelia continued speaking in the same tone.
"Is that why you came?" His eyes unreadable. He asked her after some time of hesitation.
"I came to speak to Liang Mei about tomorrow's meeting but I can't seem to find her anywhere." She is curious about where Liang Mei is but she doubts the man can help her.
"She must have left with that mysterious boyfriend of hers. I'll tell her you came bye." This means he is not taking her offer. Good, she can feel a group of powerful beasts headed this direction. A lot of people are about to die, she wonders if he'll be one of them.
"Well, I shall be on my way then." She disappeared from sight. Her heart broken but she will not look back. After master said that this body was her incantation she knew, Amelia is not some other person but herself.
And she would end up living a life worse than death even as her father is still alive. What use is there a father who can not protect his own daugher?
The reason she would end up jealous of Liang Mei is because of her childhood. She was put down and demeaned while Liang Mei got love and praises so of course she wouldn't have any good feelings for the mother and daughter pair.
Amelia will not be so forgiving when the other party has shown no repentance. Words are cheap. In any case she is a grown woman now she doesn't need to be cuddled by a superficial father.
Amelia went to the Jiangkang base. Inside the first barrier is practically complete. The several places are neatly divided and clearly distinct.
Amelia went to the west county, this land is not as prosperous as the others as the result they have less wealth and the land is too hard it must have been a forest previously.
Luckily the infrastructure was build by the base all they need is to build their own homes after submitting the plans to the county. But at it seems the people here are so far the poorest people in the Jiangkang base.
"Leader." The man bowed
"I hear this is the poorest county in Jiangkang." She spoke to the county magistrate. Seeing them all get tense at the news, she chuckles.
"No need to be nervous, I have read the report, experts say this land was never farmed before and needs half a dacade to adjust." She took a sip in the warm tea offered.
Audible exhales could be heard around the room. "Leader, we have been trying our best it is the soil. There used to be a deep lake in the edge but it was cleaned out and the soil has been covered in green moss to purify." The man explained.
"If we could get clean water then we would be able to grow fish to sell. No other county provides fresh fishes and going out all the times is too risky, the ocean and rivers mutated fishes are vicious. Not to mention the zombie fishes out there."
"You and I have the same thoughts. I have come to get you water. The kind of water I have will also help your crops and the soil to be more productive. My tea is finished, please take me to the place." She stood up from her chair.
Hearing her words the people in the room showed excitement on their faces. If they can become the fishing county, it will make them very rich and they can start living well just like the other farmers in the base.
"Is what the leader said true? This is wonderful news." The leader got up as if on a springboard and raced to the place. Amelia first took out 800 liters water tank with half full spirit water inside.
"Get someone with water abilities to fill it up and then use it to water the crops." When they got to the place, Amelia understood why they didn't try to get the water ability people to help. The lake is very large and deep but it has been emptied out and green moss is covering everything inside. It would take a lot of water supernatural power to fill it up.
Amelia looked to the people who followed her here. "You may go back, this will take me a while."
"We don't mind Leader, it will be our pleasure to accompany you while you work." The excited county magistrate said.
"Mr. Chen, I do not want others around when I start." She looked at the man who quickly went back with the few people.
Shaking her head, she called for the normal water in the mountains lake inside her space. The lake was filled a few minutes later, it is clean and plentiful. Soon this county will be able to sell fish and improve their living standards.
Amelia went to the school next. The previous three universities in South east were incorporated and innovated. A large chunk of land is used as the educational center.
They had to build new training facilities which got better with the introduction of new ore to fashion training equipment with and the gravity chambers. The improvement in technology has boosted many areas in Jiangkang base.
At this level they are being taught basic skills so the students are not aware of the armor yet. Amelia took out her horse and rode it on the sidewalk all the way to the school.
The district is very large so transportation is necessary. When the horse ran on the way, people became surprised there are still horses outside. The strong stature and the fast speed are other aspects which astounded the onlookers.
Near one of the garbage bins, three boys wearing school uniform surround a small female student. "Give it up Linruo, I am losing my patience." Amelia can hear even though she is far.
"I just want to go to school, what does it matter to you?" The girl's voice is cold and detached as if she is an empathetic person.
"You will embarrass me in school. Does mother know about this? Go home, the school fees may be free but if you disgrace yourself here our entire family will be embarrassed." The boy said in anger.
"I am not going."
"Your ice power is so weak you can't even fight with it. What is the use of wasting time here? If you don't go back, your punishment will be double." The boy said smugly.
The small girl trembled hearing that but she still stubbornly persisted. The boy is so immersed in his anger he is about to lay his hand on her. A transparent barrier covered the girl.
The three people turned and saw a black horse facing them coldly and a girl sitting on it whose face can not be seen through the light.
"Lady, this is family business." The boy who had his hand violently land against a hard space barrier spoke first.
"Girl, come with me." The pleasant voice stunned the people while Amelia brought the girl on her horse using space power and started going forward again.
"Linruo is your name yes?" Amelia asked the girl softly.
"Yes." Her cold voice sounded although Amelia can detect an undercurrent of emotions. The girl only says this one word.
"How old are you?"
"17" She answered surprising Amelia. The girl is so small it wont be a problem to guess her age around 11. Sending her spirit force to check. She found that this girl is malnourished but her body is also sick.
"Does your body gets especially cold even on a hot day? On the full moon you sleep well but on normal days your body is freezing?" Amelia asked the girl.
The girl stiffens in her arms but spoke nonetheless. "Yes. How....how do you know?" In disbelief, the girl asked Amelia.
"I am a doctor." Amelia chuckles in disbelief at her fortune.
"Doctors don't know what is wrong with me." The girl said in a whisper.
"That is because you are not sick. You are special."
"But I feel sick."
"That is because you lack the right tools."
"Can you help me?"
"What would you do for me in return?"
"Whatever you want." The girl may be young but she is resolute.
"Good." She poured some of her spiritual energy into the girls body. Her cold temperature went to normal body temperature and the girl became so comfortable she wanted to close her eyes and sleep.
She felt her body being brought to the ground. "This is the management offices. Why are we here?" This little girl...
"Shh." Amelia shush her and walked in through the glass door. Upon entry a reception dest with a young man behind it smiled.
"Miss Leader..I mean how can I help you?"
Flustered, the young man just stands there with reddened cheeks after finally uttering the question.
"I am here to see the dean." Amelia walked towards the office, she had already read the map of the place the young man didn't dare to stop her.
She knocked on the door and entered right after. "Leader." A middle aged woman wearing a black shirt and an office skirt stood up to greet her. Amelia left Linruo in the waiting area.
"Mrs. Yu" Amelia shook her hand. "How is everything?" She hasn't had time to come by ever since the school was built because she was in seclusion. Old Mo said he personally recommended this lady for the job.
This place is to grow her army and not so much as a profitable business so as long as the people under her do not suffer because of her incompetence, Amelia doesn't mind too much about who is in charge.
"All is well, I am impressed with the amount of resources the base is giving to the institution since we are not very profitable." The woman is suspicious of her motives but Amelia wouldn't rise to the bate.
Noticing she is being ignored, the woman went on to report on important matters. The institution is currently operating below capacity just like the rest of the Jiangkang base because of lack of people but this is not a bad thing.
"The base will not take any active role in recruiting for the time being so that we build our own foundation first." Amelia can see the women's line of thought and she shut her down immediately. After they concluded the meeting, the woman made an inquiry.
"I would like to be briefed on the whereabouts of the school's top military graduates. Every six months they graduate and the military comes and pick the most outstanding students and then we never hear from them. This is alarming and I would like to put my heart to rest." Mrs. Yu spoke as if she is reprimanding Amelia fir going something immoral to the students.
"You don not have clearance and therefore are not privy to the information. If you have a fragile heart and find yourself feeling out of sorts because of this matter, speak to the my three remaining secretaries to find your replacement with immediate effect." Amelia did not change her tone but the dean knew she has made her upset.
The recruits are able to communicate with their families this woman just wants to strong arm Amelia to give her sensitive information by speculating on the nature of the program.
She left the dean's office with the same spirit she had ome with but the dean had beads on cold sweat on her forehead. Whoever said the leader is a silly little girl should come out she promises she won't kill them.
On her way back she gave 100 horses to each country for the patrol and selling to the public. The guardians were given 200 horses for patrol but they had to build stables and hire people to take care of them.
"Are you really the leader Amelia?" The girl asked from within Amelia's arms as they ride the horse to the inner base.
"I am. What? Regret it now?" Amelia asked with a chuckle.
"No, I just....how come you saved me?"
"What is the logical thing to do in that situation if you were me?" Amelia asked with intrigue.
"It depends on who you are I guess. Most people wouldn't pay attention once he says I am his family."
"I know better, family destroyed me." Amelia laughed a self deprecating laugh.
"I am sorry." Somehow, the girl could feel the loneliness in that laugh.
"Don't be. It made me who I am." Amelia said flatly.
"You can really save me? From the sickness I mean?"
"Although you are not sick, your special physique will kill you before you turn 21." Amelia took the girl down from the horse.
Along the way people greeted her with 'Leader' and let her pass. LinRou can see the admiration in their eyes as they greet Amelia.
Thinking about it, Amelia is an amazing base leader even as she is mostly absent from the public eye. She opened an orphanage and then sends all youngsters to school for free unless they want resources in which case they have to pay for them unless it is he basic necessities.
Soldiers in the army get most resources free of charge and they grow powerful easily in a short time. Thinking back to their conversation Linruo has cold sweat, did she just say she won't live past 21?
"How would I die?" She asked in a daze.
"The cold would consume you from inside out. It should be only slightly painful, dying from hypothermia is basically a nice way to die because the cold just send you to sleep."
Not knowing whether to be comforted by the explanation, Linrou shivers at the thought of being frozen to death.
"I have noticed you don't seem too intimidated by my identity. Why is that?"
"Honestly I don't know. To me, you are the first person to see that I need help and took your time to help me." Linruo said with a bit of pain in her eyes.
"Like I said, I am a doctor." She smiled at Linruo. It feels nice to have someone to talk to.
"What would you like from me as payment?"
"Your life. Your loyalty and service." Amelia answered the girl as they made it into her room. She waved her hand and a cleaning spell made the place spotless.
"I can agree to this. It is not a degrading service right?" The girl remembered something and quickly asked Amelia.
"I will make you powerful, resourceful and resilient. Then I want you to lead my men to battle and slaughter all my enemies. I will not make you do anything degrading Linruo, I will make you my general."
.....
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