Chapter Twenty Three

"Another one?" The group surrounded a large pile of bones. Unlike the bones of people, these ones were not small. A singular bone was larger than any of them.

"We have been seeing weird things ever since we started travelling. Do any of these have a meaning?" Alem rubbed his chin, confused yet excited.

"First it was a coffin, then a face carved into a cave. Now, these bones?" Despite being the smartest, Nor was unable to wrap her head around the many things they had seen. "This test is not so simple."

[System Notice!]

[As the top thirty factions have been decided, the world will begin to sink into the "Year of Blackness" in one years time.]

[Note: The "Year of Blackness" will commence on the fifth year of the survival round. In order to avoid being eliminated, please meet the first requirement!]

[System Notice!]

[As all contestants have met the first requirement, faction's must establish 'Beacon of Light'!]

[Second requirement: Steal the "Beacon of Light" from other factions! A faction must have two "Beacon of Lights" including their own in order to pass!]

[System Notice!]

["Beacon of Light" has been awarded to all faction leaders! Please establish before the arrival of the "Year of Blackness"!]

[Note: Combining factions will not count as stealing! It will result in the dominating faction to keep their beacon!]

A series of messages suddenly roared in the sky. Everyone looked up, including Alem's group.

"So, things are not as simple as just surviving." Alem rubbed his hands together. "This is getting very interesting." In his mind, a small beacon suddenly appeared.

"Alem, you have the beacon, right?" Nor had a serious face as she spoke.

"Yeah." He thought of it and it suddenly appeared in his hand. "This is it."

"We should quickly establish it then. I feel, if we waste time, it may not be a great thing." Her gut told her that wasting time was not actually a good idea.

"I feel the same." He replied. "Let's head back. It has been two years already." Not only had they seen a lot in these past few years, Alem had run into more than one faction. Some were large, some were small. He destroyed a few that tried messing with him, but he didn't really gain much. Currently, his faction was sitting in first place, with almost two hundred points.

They still had yet to run into George's and Tirax's faction. No matter what they did, they couldn't find it. Of course, it was also because they weren't done exploring. They hadn't even explored the map Linsal provided, which wasn't didn't even encompass the whole world.

"Krck, how's the exit looking? Any people spying?" For more than a few months, they were being followed by random people. Some were killed, others escaped.

"It's clear." The ape man had become accustomed to the faction during the past two years. He was even better at scouting then Eli.

"Flor, can these bones be used?" Alem asked.

"They are usable, but something is ringing in my head, telling me not to touch them." The crystal hairs man took a few steps back. "I think we should just leave. Ever since the announcement, a feeling of danger is filling my body."

"I feel it too." Kir also spoke with a frown.

Looking around, Alem sighed and nodded his head. Though he felt something, it wasn't anything dangerous in his mind. It was like an itch that irritated him. "Alem, let's head back." Renis spoke with a pale expression.

"Alright, let's head back to the border." It was unreasonable to stay when everyone was starting to feel like something was wrong. 'It's been four years in this world already.' Walking out of the narrow cave, Alem looked in front of him and sighed. Wrapping around him was a thick coat made from a the Serpent Hounds fur. It was very warm, especially where they were.

The group made their way down the steep hill and mounted the many goats. Sadly, Alem had lost Sandy a during the beginning of the trip. With a lack of food and too much cold, it died. For some reason, Alem was hurt yet calm about this.

"Hey Alem, what's the base like?" As Alem rode in the front, Renis neared him with her own mount. In the beginning, Renis considered Alem only a protector, but now she was similar to Eli. She also had feeling for the 'Solo Faction'.

"It's nothing crazy. As long as no one has raided it by the time we get back, it should all be good." Alem looked at Renis and then the few animals that were being pulled by ropes. Aside from the beasts he would get from Linsal, he collect a few of his own from various places. He even got many eggs which were being pulled on a cart Flor made.

"I heard you have a Soar Wolf alpha as a pet? Even a Lacky Bear?" These animals were not unknown. They were powerful in their own territories.

Smiling, he nodded his head. Of course he knew of Renis' interest. He didn't mind Renis liking him.'Let's see how it progresses. If she throws herself at me, I wouldn't mind starting something small.' Renis was truly very attractive. More than Eli, about the same as Nor. "Yeah, the wolf is called Yellow and the bear is Brown."

"You have a weird naming sense, huh?" She jested. Around others she was quiet, but when speaking to Alem, she found it pleasant.

"It just makes it easier to remember." Alem didn't really say much else. In the past, he used to flirt a little with girls he worked with, but that had already changed. Eli was one of the few that he would flirt with in the past, but now he didn't with anyone. "Anyways, did you learn the basic replacement of a knee?" He had been teaching Renis Earth medicine. Surgeries, basic wound repair, etc.

"I have the procedure memorized, but without actually doing it, I won't know." She sighed. 'His medical knowledge is different from mine. Sure, it isn't as good as mine back in the cultivation world, but right now, it is very useful.'

"That's one of the biggest issues." Without proper patients or even dummies, he couldn't perform any surgical procedures. This meant, all knowledge he could impart to Renis would be theory at best. "Maybe we could try working on dead people?" This was something he thought about before, but it was basic knowledge that once someone died, their bodies with stiffen. Doing anything would be difficult, unless they could get the blood running. 'As inhumane as it sounds, I would need live subjects. Wait!' He suddenly had an idea.

"What is it?" She noticed an expression of surprise appear on his face.

"it's a secret." He giggled as he continued to face forward.

"Look at those two." All the way in the back was Eli with Kir.

"Eli, why does it matter? Let him do as he pleases." Kir shook his head. Eli's attraction towards Alem had only increased in the past two years. Yet, Renis showed up and also began to develop this attraction. Both were competing in a way. "If he wanted to make a move on anyone, he could have. He knows both of you like him, yet he hasn't done a thing. Meaning, he doesn't really care for it."

"Doesn't care for it? Or doesn't want it?" She wondered.

"Don't take what I said wrongly. He doesn't want it." Kir felt his head hurt because of this cousin. 'She is truly a lost cause.'

"Do you think I should make a move?" Eli suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kir was taken aback.

"Nothing bad you idiot. I won't be poisoning or anything, that's just stupid. I like him after all." She laughed at her younger cousins reaction. "I mean, since he doesn't want to start anything, why don't I?"

"That's not a good idea. It might make things awkward and just bad between the two of you if it fails." Kir had only recently gotten over the Nor situation. Because of this, he did not want to make things worse.

"But what if it works out?" She could only think of the results if they worked. After all, it was a dream. She and Alem were close as friends and were not strained in any way. Taking a step further would only make things better, rather than worse.

Kir turned his head and stared at Nor, who was in front of him. The latter looked back after a few seconds, only to give him a questioning look. Waving his hand, he gestured to come to the back.

"What is it Kir?" She asked.

"Talk to Eli." With that, Kir tapped the side of the goat with his heel, making it move forward.

"What's wrong?" An eyebrow raised on Nor's face as she saw this.

"Listen." With her female cousin now here, Eli felt it was better to ask her rather than Kir. "Do you think I should be a bit more active in pursuing Alem?"

"Are you still thinking about this?" Nor suddenly wanted to slap her younger brother. 'You set me up.'

"You know I like him, so why wouldn't I think about this?" Eli smiled sweetly in response.

Scratching the side of her cheek, Nor shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. He doesn't like you that way, which I'm sure of. But, that doesn't mean he has no interest."

"Huh?" Eli suddenly felt excited.

"Unlike you, I have to be perceptive of many things. Reading our members moods is very important, especially Alem's. He is the reason we are even surviving. So reading his moods is the most important." She was tasked to be the brains so knowing what everyone was feeling based on expressions and tones were vital. If Alem suddenly started disliking a member, she needed to know who it was so that she could make counter measures. If Alem suddenly wanted to do something but didn't say it aloud, she needed to figure out what that was. Essentially, if Alem didn't want to, the group couldn't. He was the leader and the strongest in the group after all.

"Does that mean he likes me?" Eli knew that Nor was very good at things like this.

"I'm not saying that." Snorting slightly, Nor rolled her eyes. "What I mean is, Alem considers all the girls in this group as potentials. Meaning, he has no interest right now, but that doesn't mean he won't. Plus, he does occasionally look you, me, Renis, and even Salea up and down. He is a man in the end." Nor wasn't disgusting by this only because she was used to it. That didn't mean she liked it, but she found a way to ignore it. It was the fate of a beauty to be stared at.

"So, what do you suggest?" Eli never noticed this, so it was exciting news to her.

"Suggestion one. He likely will not go for any sort of relationship. Unless something special happens, he is not interested in anything like that. So, try to avoid falling for him." Nor could tell that Alem wasn't looking for anything like that. He was just attracted to the girls, that was it. "Second, if you want to still go for him, know that you likely will get hurt. Essentially, convince yourself that even if he doesn't like you, it is no big deal. There are many men out there who are not only better looking than him, but also very strong. A lot of them want to marry you."

"I understand all of that, but give me something else." Eli was eager to know what she could do.

"Well, I have been paying attention to Simar a lot during these past two years, trying to gather a bit of information as to where Alem comes from. From his conversation with the other men, relationships are not all that important from where he comes from. Sure, people do get married, but it isn't always permanent." Nor was like a stalker, listening to every little thing. "Point being, if he is looking for anything, he will at most be willing to sleep with us, nothing more."

"Us?" Eli raised an eyebrow, which made Nor shake her head bitterly.

"I'm not interested in him, don't worry. He is just someone I need to protect us three. The reason I say us is because he does check me out too." Luckily, Alem didn't have a dirty stare when he looked at the girls, or she would have said something by now. He only looked them up and down and then would look away. It was natural for a guy to react that way.

"What I hear is that he will likely only sleep with me?" Eli was a little stuck when she thought of this. Back in her world, sleeping around was not a good thing. If she slept with Alem but didn't marry him, it would a stain on her image. Her family would look down on her and potentially marry her off to some random big shot as a concubine. She wouldn't even get to be the main wife or only wife. Plus, not everyone was like Tirax; overly obsessed over one girl. 'If Nor ever slept with anyone, Tirax would be mad and hurt, but he would treat Nor the same. I'm sure of that.' She had met Tirax once and had her own impression.

"There is a high chance he would sleep with you, is what I'm saying. But this isn't a good idea, so don't actually pursue it." After saying her piece, Nor rode to the front of the group. What Eli did was not something she could control. Even if she slept with Alem, Not didn't consider it a bad thing per se, after all she understood how much Eli liked Alem doing the past two years. 'If she really does it, she is really just harming herself.'

Alem and his group arrived at Linsal's base after traveling for about two weeks. "Wow, it changed a lot." Seeing the high walls even higher and the the towers not only increasing in quality but also quantity, Alem couldn't help but sigh. There were now large ballistas along the walls. The watch towers also had archers sitting on the top. Men and women with swords walked along the walls, each with better armour than before. There was even a small moat surrounding the walls, though no water was inside of it.

"This is a difficult place to intrude, even for me." Alem smiled a little. 'It would be fun to try though.' The size and quality of the whole camp was different from before, but Alem didn't feel much fear. Even if he died trying to attack it, he didn't mind. It was just death. "Linsal!" Not nearing the walls yet, Alem shouted for the only person he knew from the faction.

"Enemy attack!" Suddenly, someone shouted from the top of the walls.

Everyone in Alem's group suddenly paled. "Shit, run!" Simar was the first to turn around and try and leave.

"You guys get back, let me find Linsal." Seeing the faction rumble with activity, he couldn't help but sigh. 'Just my luck.'

"Be careful." Renis said with worry before moving back.

He casually waved his hand. 'Now then, let's see what's the best way to get inside.'

"It's best to rush in with the goat, but jump off last minute." Unexpectedly, Nor was still near him.

"Hey, stay back. I can handle this much." Alem looked at her with a smirk.

"Even someone like you can't intrude a place like this. Atleast, not easily. I can give you good advice." Nor didn't move and just concentrated on the area.

"Alright. Tell me boss, where should I go?" With a laugh, he lifted a spear from the back behind him, tossing the rest to Nor. In group fights, spears were more handy than the large sword. He could kill more.

"Don't actually kill any of them Alem." Seeing him get ready for battle, Nor couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "These are Linsal's men. If you injure them, it might cause a feud between the both of you. In this second round, we can't have more enemies. Even you have a limit that can't be crossed."

Nodding his head, Alem threw the spear towards her as well. "I'll use my fists then." Laughing a little he watched as a group gathered outside of the walls. "Weird, none of Linsal's men are here."

"That is a little worrisome." She frowned. "Something is amiss." She looked at the leaderboard and frowned. "It shows that Linda's faction is still number three. What's going on?"

"Only way to find out is by entering the camp." Although Alem didn't consider Linsal a friend, he was still somewhat of an acquaintance that could bring Alem a few benefits.

"Alright, let me follow you." Nor suggested.

"I don't know. It's a little dangerous." Alem hesitated.

"You can't protect me? What happened to the 'Solo Faction'?" She teased.

Hearing her words, Alem smiled bitterly. "Because of the archers, I don't know if I can protect. If those archers can be immobilized somehow, then I could take you in."

"Why not use the paralysis arrows that Flor and Renis made?" During their travels, Alem wasn't always able to speak with animals who were going crazy. To fix that, Flor and Renis worked together to create a paralysis arrow tip which wouldn't hurt them, but would paralyze them for about an hour. Of course, the dose was meant for animals. Humans would likely get extremely hurt or atleast feel the paralysis for a much longer time. "Take aim and shoot them, they should survive."

Looking at the five arrows Nor was passing him, Alem nodded his head. "You're wild, huh?"

She shrugged. "Staying around you for this long, I've learned to rush in and do things out of the ordinary. After all, if you have absolute power on one side, one should learn to use it. Our absolute power is you." She smiled and said.

"Nice answer. Because of that, I'll try a little more." Alem suddenly narrowed his eyes. He took a small breath. "Since you really consider me absolute power, let me personify that thought of yours." Lifting his bow, he attacked an arrow and aimed for the further tower. For some odd reason, he could see clearly where he needed to aim despite his powers being restricted by the world.

Nor watched from the side with a small smile.

Swwwwwsssss

Akin to a silent shriek, the arrow cut through the wind. Everyone below watched as the arrow traveled at high speed. It zipped through the walls and neared the furthest tower.

Sws Sws Sws Sws

Four more arrows were shot right after and the people by the wall watched with serious expressions.

"Now then, let's enter." Before the arrows even hit the five watch towers, Alem looked back and smiled.

"AH! IT HIT!" With his head turned back, noise erupted from the walls. Nor looked in slight shock as she saw the men in the tower either disappear or fall outside.

'He actually hit them so fast. This is even scarier than his previous moves.' She blinked and looked at Alem's confident smile. 'If Eli could win his heart over, who knows how powerful he could be once he cultivates to the top?'

"Pass me the wooden rod and then let's go." With those words spoken, he whispered something into the goats ears before grabbing a wooden rod from Nor. Alem's goat then began to rush forward. Nor's goat followed along as well.

"HERE HE COMES! ATTACK!" The men and women by the walls lifted their weapons. The ballistas were quickly loaded. "SHOOT!"

"Turn left now!" Alem commanded to his and Nor's goat.

SCRR BOOOOMMM

Nor looked back with a pale expression. 'That was too close.' Behind them was a large crater. In the middle was a long arrow which was deep inside of the ground.

"Right!" Alem commanded again. They rushed through the onslaught of giant arrows, barely dodging each one. Once they got near the wall, Alem saw everyone rushing towards him, so he smiled. "Jump off!" With that, Alem and Nor hopped off their goats. The latter rushing in without a single thought. Ramming into the men. Everyone was pushed aside as the goats made it into the town.

"Why didn't we ride in with them?" Nor asked as she noticed the uninjured people beginning to surround them.

"I want to show you a bit more of my capabilities. In the past, I've only fought with a bit of skill, now watch as I show you a bit more." With a smile, Alem spun the wooden stick and pulled Nor behind him. "Don't fight, just stay here." As soon as he said these words, the surrounding people began to tighten the circles, rushing in with their weapons. Swords, spears, hammers, mallets, weapons of all kinds began to surround them.

With a smirk, Alem began to collide the rod with all of the other weapons.

"What the fuck! Hit him!" People screamed as their felt the rod hit their face, back, arms, really any part of their body. They couldn't block it.

"Haha, you guys think you can block me?!" Alem laughed loudly as he continued to attack anyone who got near.

'Seeing him fight up close is really different from afar.' She thought of this quietly.

"Get her! He's too strong!" People noticed Nor standing there with a large bag of weapons. She was without any way of protecting herself.

'Oh no!' She dropped the bag and quickly pulled out her sword.

"ARG!" The one who rushed towards Nor first suddenly felt something pierce him.

"If you touch her, don't blame me if I use more than just a rod." Alem glared at the man who fell to the ground. In his throat was a long spear. "Come at me you wimps!"

With a roar, the battle continued. A few would try and attack Nor, but they would meet certain death.

'There goes our plan of not killing.' Nor sighed when she saw this. 'Still, Linsal can't blame us.'

The fighting continued for a long while. Bodies piled on the ground. Most were just knocked out, while a rare few were killed. Of course, the ones who were killed were members who tried to attack Nor.

"Alright, let's head in." Alem led Nor through the large gates. His clothes were a slight mess, but that was it.

"Ah!" A few people rushed at him the second he entered the camp, but Alem hit their legs with the rod.

"Where is Linsal." Alem asked calmly.

"Linsal?" The ones who were on the ground looked at him with a frown. "Why are you looking for him?!"

"He's a friend. Where is he." Alem asked again.

"A friend? Fuck off!" The man growled. Alem frowned because of this. He lifted his rod and smacked him in the face.

"Any who don't answer, will be beat by this rod." Alem said with a cold expression.

"He's over there!" A woman quickly said with fear on her face. "That hut has an underground part, he's over there."

Nodding his head, Alem looked back at Nor. "Let's go. I feel that Linsal is not welcomed in this place anymore. He is liked locked up."

"That's the only explanation." Nor also felt that something was wrong. "Let's quickly check it out then."

Both of them walked towards the hut that was pointed at. They looked at their surroundings at the same time. "This place has been built up very well."

"The buildings are efficient. If it wasn't you intruding, I don't think any other faction could do so. It is fortified well." Taking a few mental notes on the design, Nor and Alem finally arrived at the hut that was pointed at. "I'll take the lead, watch my back."

"No problem." Alem didn't reject. It was easier to protect someone if they were in front rather then behind. It would allow him to always keep them in his field of vision.

As they entered, a staircase that led downwards appeared. It was a dark path. Both of them looked at each other before heading down.

"Linsal!" Alem shouted. "Are you here? Your members have been beaten up already so don't worry."

"Can you quiet down?" She looked at him with a glare.

"Why?" He asked in confusion. "Its easier to find him if he replies. Plus, it's not like anyone could beat me here." He shrugged. "Linsal!"

"Something feels off." She said with a frown. "Don't make any more noise."

"Fine fine." He said with a bitter expression. As they made their way down, Alem suddenly frowned. "Nor, go back up." He spoke with a low tone.

"Huh?" She asked with a look of confusion. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but my gut is telling me something is wrong. Go back up." He pulled her behind him.

"You can't protect me huh?" She tried to joke, but Alem didn't laugh this time. His face was extremely serious.

"Bells are ringing in my head. Something is down there. I don't know what. This time, I can't guarantee a thing. Go up and get out of this camp. Kill anyone that stops you." He took the bag from her and passed her a few bottles with liquid and her sword. "Just run."

"What's happening?!" She asked with a deep frown. 'He has never been this worried before. What is down there?'

Despite her having various thoughts, she still abided and ran back up.

Alem watched her leave and the grabbed only two weapons from the bag. A thin black sword and a dagger. 'I don't normally use this combination since nothing ever forced me to. But, something is down there that might even be dangerous to me.' With a deep breath, he held his weapons tightly before proceeding slowly.