Protect the Code (3)

*Ting

[Cancelling Emergency Quest. . .]

Just like how Yurik turned on and off his Bloodlust the man in front of her did the same.

That move ticks her off.

The fox man put his sword in his subordinate's throat and let the sword's tip dig in shallowly. The kneeling man didn't give much reaction or even went against the fox man. Even if the bloodlust is off, the fox man still gives an aura of a killer.

"Give me that person's code or I'll have your throat!"

"As you wish, my Lord." He bows down again and says in unison with the others.

They disappeared from their spot right after.

*clash clash clash clash

Kali received non stop attacks from all sides. She counters their weapons just fine but . . .

She sprint away from them. She keeps running and running.

'When did I get hit?' She covers her bleeding arm with her hand because among the three new wounds she acquired the one in her arm is bleeding the most.

*Clash

Kali avoided the long sword aimed at her as she single handedly rotated the spear.She stuck it to ground and spun and gave a full kick from her pursuer's back. Her pursuer backs away only an inch which gives her only a split second to continue running away from the dangerous men.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 00:32:51

Kali is confident she manages to counter and evade their continuous attacks but only when she counters she receives a wound from an invisible attack.

It happened three times. She received one in the thigh, around her shoulder and her right arm.

'What is it?' Kali's desperate thought.

After she turned one corner, she came face to face with the fox man.

"Fuck!" She shrieks as she strains her feet to make a stop as the sword directly aims at her face. Her body was a little late against time and her ankle gave up on too much strength.

Her body slides down from the side and turns to face the grass. She tried to grab the ground to make her body slide stop but that too was a little too much.

She slid planking down, a few meters away from the fox man.

"HAHAHAHAHA! That was hilarious!!" The fox man laugh while holding his mask up.

Kali evaded the sword swing but she is all bruised up. Her body was on fire but she still stood up quite proudly.

She knows she cannot run anymore. Her left ankle is at least strained if not broken and she is currently surrounded.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 00:28:13

'Now what should I do?' Even Though she was in an unfavorable position, she remained calm.

"You have nowhere to run, little thief"

As if they were given a signal, the fox man's subordinates went for her. Kali ignored the throbbing pain in her ankle and took a defensive position.

'I guess it wasn't broken.' the pain is giving her electrifying feeling everytime she put pressure on it but that kind of pain is tolerable. Her body had been unwillingly trained to withstand pain.

There are three incoming swords at her. She dodge the first one by bending her upper body and kicking her attacker on the chin. She put more weight on her upper body as she bent it and continued her kick to back flip to avoid the other two swords aimed at her side.

*throb

As she landed on her feet the pain traveled all throughout her body and she felt it in her bones.

"Argh." She let out a groan.

The attack continues. She dodge as many attacks as she can and block only if it's necessary and those unnecessary blocks make her body covered in multiple slice wounds.

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 00:26:18

Those 2 minutes felt like hours. Her breathing is starting to rough up but her back remains straight and never falters at the sight of her enemies.

"Aren't you a tenacious bastard ?" The fox man mocked her.

The fox man motioned his head signaling to resume on attacking her.

Kali pulls her right foot and places her spear in front of her.

'This will get bloody.' She is referring to herself and has already concluded. Whether she blocks the incoming attacks she will still get caught in those invisible attacks that continue ripping her skin.

*crack

At that sound Kali realized, no matter how much she endured and tolerated the pain it would not change the condition of her body.

It was the sound of a sprain injury. She broke her ankle.

"ARGHHHH!" a strained pained voice escaped through her gritted teeth.

'I cannot avoid it.' She is falling forward and following the sword tip. She did not close her eyes until a stabbing pain pierce through her side.

She was so focused on the sword in front of her that she noticed another incoming from her side. The damage has not yet fully registered in her brain when the sword in front of her pierce her right shoulder.

"Survive I need . . . to survive" She removed her body away from the stab sword and was forced to jump backward, using only her right foot. She keeps stumbling and losing her balance. She currently looks like a newborn deer who is learning to stand but she couldn't care less.

Kali slumps down on the grass and the blood leaks through her body.

"Haaaa. . . haaa." She is panting heavily and her fatigue is rising fast.

*Swish.

Kali reflexibly turns her head to her back and sees one of the fox men subordinate mid air with his sword in the middle of a swing.

'Dammit!' Kali internally swore as she hardened her grip on her spear but she cannot lift her weapon. It was suddenly too heavy for her.

*Clang

Kali's vision darkens. Her eyes are opened wide but she fails to see what happened only after a second that it did register.

"Master, we are here to pick you up."

She turns her head towards the voice and sees the familiar black outfit almost identical to her and the same poorly made mask.

'Vico.'

At his side, there is a person with the same outfit and mask but his build is smaller. She returned to the side where she was supposed to be attacked. The thing that suddenly blocks her vision is another human in the same outfit. His back is small but it looks reliable to Kali at that moment.

"Heh. Seems like you are really one of those guilds." The fox man said. His subordinates were keeping their distance from Kali's group.

'Guilds? those people who came for the Code?' Kali thought

Kali struggled to stand up and eventually received help from the person who saved her earlier. She glanced towards the direction of her attacker and saw him holding his shoulder before he blended in the darkness.

"Master, Are you still alive?"

"Are you disappointed?" Vico's indifferent tone made Kali relax.

"You sure do know how to piss people off!" The ignored fox man angrily said as hundreds of mana sparks begin to appear around him

"Ignore him, Let's go back" Vico and the other two bow down at her command. While the other two support Kali. Vico opened a match

'I will kill him next time.'

Vico let the match hit the ground and a small fire started. Vico waved his hand and suddenly the small fire began to spread fast.

*crack

A portion of Kali's mask cracked. The black tinted cloth covering her eyes got ripped too. Showing part of her forehead and illuminating golden eyes.

The fox was frozen still from his spot and his mana sparks began to die down.

'Golden eyes?' He is staring at the empty space of the other side of the fire.

****

Kali peaked in by the window before stepping inside the darkened room. It was a small window that she needed to squat to enter. Inside she finds Konrad by the couch beside the empty bed sipping tea.

"You should change." Konrad's first words to Kali who is a mess. Her tattered clothes have a mixture of blood, grass, leaves and soil.

"Yeah I think so too." Kali responded with a slight smirk.

No questions asked. That discussion is for another day.

Kali walks towards the bathroom door and closes it behind her. She removed her clothes one by one. She stares at her messy reflection. All her injuries are healed thanks to the medium healing potion. The only marks on her body are the brown patch marks and the hole in her upper nape, and at her side.

She intently looked at her naked body with indifferent eyes.

The door opened and Konrad went outside first followed by Kali in her blue dress. Her hair has been let down and the curls from the tight bun left marks on her hair. Her hair is free from accessories and there is no make up left in her face.

Aside from the hair and makeup there is nothing new in her appearance except for the oversize coat she is wearing at her shoulders. It was Konrad's coat. She is pulling the sides of the coat to cover her front.

"Done with your little outing?" Kali flinched at Theo's word but she just shrugged and said.

*DING * DING * DING * DING

The Bell clock rang and that signals for the midnight time.

*Ting

~ Quest Completed ~

[QUEST :  Protect The Code]

Time Remaining: 00:00:00

Rewards:

1000 Experience Points

Millano Imperial Palace Blueprint

Kali looked forward and smiled.

*Ting

[LEVEL UP]

"Yeah, for now." She answered Theo.

"Okay then, Let's go home." Theo gently brushes Kali's head which surprised her a little, even if Theo often does this to her.

"Yes brother"

If one thing was confirmed tonight is that Kaleena's existence is one hell of a deal to lots of people.