Chapter 11 - Ambush

A cool breeze swept through the dense forest, rustling the leaves and carrying the scent of damp earth. Alex lay inside his tent, one arm under his head, the other resting on his stomach. His mind wandered as he stared at the ceiling of the small enclosure, thoughts drifting between his goals and the strange companion he had acquired.

John was an odd one. Rich, powerful, and yet… naive. Alex could tell the guy had never truly suffered. Not like he had.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. He needed rest. The journey ahead was long, and—

A sharp rustling sound snapped him awake.

Alex's body tensed.

Before he could react, something or someone lunged at him.

His instincts kicked in. Twisting to the side, he barely avoided the blade that stabbed through the fabric of his tent. A fraction of a second slower, and it would have pierced his throat. His heartbeat sped up as he almost choked on his breath.

Ambush!

He rolled out, his motorcycle quickly in air kicking up dirt as he flipped to his feet. Shadows moved all around him.

Damn it! How did I not sense them?! He was certain John will also be in danger, and his prediction proved him right as he heard an explosion go off.

John's tent exploded, a massive figure crashing into him before he could even take off.

"Ugh!" John grunted as he was slammed into the ground.

The enemy had struck while they were vulnerable.

Alex barely had time to process before another attacker came at him—a man with red hair and a scar across his face, moving with lethal precision.

Alex dodged by instinct, but the man was fast. Faster than most he had thought.

"You should've stayed asleep," the red-haired man taunted, slashing at him with a curved dagger.

Alex sidestepped, but before he could counterattack, something wrapped around his ankle—a wire.

A sharp yank pulled him off balance.

Before he could recover, a boot slammed into his stomach, sending him flying backward.

He crashed against a tree, the impact rattling his bones. His body shook as blood leaked from his mouth.

Damn! That hurts like hell. Good thing his body was strong due to whatever was in his body. The attack shook him to his core.

They weren't just some random bandits.

They were professionals.

John groaned, feeling the weight of his attacker pressing against him. He barely caught a glimpse of his assailant—a massive brute with inflated muscles.

Henry.

"You're a lively one," Henry sneered, gripping John's arms in a vice-like hold. "But I like my prey struggling." He said as he licked his lips as if John was a delicacy he couldn't wait to savor.

John struggled, trying to activate his suit's boosters, but Henry slammed him into the ground again before he could react.

"Stay down," Henry growled.

But John wasn't weak.

Boom!

A sudden energy blast erupted from his wrist, sending Henry staggering backward.

John gasped for breath and rolled away, regaining his footing.

But three more enemies were already closing in.

One of them—a woman in a black suit, her face half-covered by a mask—Eva.

The moment their eyes met, she threw something at him.

John's instincts screamed. He barely dodged before the small device detonated midair, creating a shockwave that shook the ground.

These guys are prepared! But he wasn't also just anybody.

John clenched his fists, feeling his blood boil.

"You picked the wrong people to mess with."

Alex twisted midair, using his momentum to snap the wire wrapped around his ankle.

Before his attacker could react, he landed on his feet and charged forward.

The red-haired man met him head-on, dagger flashing.

Alex ducked low, avoiding the first strike, and slammed his elbow into the man's ribs.

A sharp grunt escaped his opponent, but he recovered too quickly.

Alex's eyes narrowed. This guy's trained.

The red-haired man smirked. "You're quick. But I—"

Alex didn't let him finish.

He spun mid-step, using the force of his turn to launch a devastating kick into the man's chest.

The red-haired man flew back, slamming into a tree.

No time to celebrate—another shadow rushed at him.

The masked leader.

Alex barely dodged as a blade sliced past his cheek and grazed him. Alex felt a scorching pain where the leader's blade grazed him. He felt his cheek swell as if something was struggling to come out.

Shit! The blade was a poison weapon. Who the hell are these people?!

The leader was different. His movements were too fast, too precise.

Alex could feel it—this one was dangerous.

John, still dealing with Henry and Eva, caught sight of Alex's struggle.

"Alex!" he shouted.

Alex gritted his teeth. The leader wasn't giving him any room to breathe.

Every strike was meant to kill.

No wasted movement. No hesitation.

Alex blocked a downward slash with his forearm guard, but the sheer force behind it sent him skidding back.

His arms tingled from the impact.

He's strong… But he's not invincible.

Alex took a deep breath.

Then—he grinned.

"You're fast," he admitted. "But I'm faster."

He suddenly disappeared.

The leader's eyes widened.

Before he could react, Alex reappeared behind him, blade aimed at his spine.

The leader twisted, barely deflecting the attack—but Alex had anticipated that.

Using the rebound force, Alex flipped over him and delivered a brutal kick to the back of his head.

The leader stumbled.

For the first time, his composure cracked.

John, seeing an opening, finally broke free from Henry's grasp and fired a full-powered energy blast.

The masked leader tried to dodge—

But Alex was already waiting for him.

"Checkmate."

With one final strike, Alex drove his knee into the leader's gut, sending him crashing into the ground.

Silence.

The battle was over.

Henry groaned, barely conscious.

Eva lay on the ground, tied up by John's restraints.

The red-haired man? Out cold.

And the masked leader?

Still breathing, but badly injured.

Alex crouched next to him, his blade hovering near the leader's exposed throat.

"Start talking," he said, voice deadly.

The leader chuckled weakly. Blood dripped from his lips.

"You're stronger than I expected," he admitted.

Then, before Alex could react, the leader pressed something on his wrist.

A teleportation device.

No—!

In an instant, the leader's body vanished. A small explosion followed as if celebrating the man's departure.

Alex cursed. "Damn it!" He quickly jumped but was still hit by the shockwave.

John let out a breath. "Well… That was a mess."

Alex ran a hand through his hair.

As the smoke cleared, Alex and John stood amidst the destruction, catching their breath.

John sighed. "What the hell was that about?"

Alex dusted himself off. "Bandits, probably. They thought we were easy prey."

John snorted. "Joke's on them."

They began checking the battlefield for anything useful. Henry's unconscious form was gone, dragged away by his teammates. But something was off.

Alex frowned. Something was missing.

His eyes scanned the area, his mind replaying the battle. Five attackers. The masked man, the scarred man, inflated man, the innocent looking lady…

"Where's the other woman?"

John blinked. "Which other woman?"

Alex looked at John like he was a lost cause.

"Don't tell me you forgot."

Silence.

They both turned in circles, searching the area. There was no trace of her. No signs of struggle, no footprints leading away. It was as if she had never been there to begin with.

A cold shiver ran down Alex's spine. "She was with them, right?"

John nodded slowly. "Yeah… but now she's gone."

Far from the battlefield, Evelyn knelt in the shadows, her eyes glowing faintly in the dark as she looked at the projection before her. The projection showed a man that was wore a brown regal robe. A crown with twelve shiny pearls adorned his head. He appeared to be sitting as he rested his chin on his palm. His face was blurry as if the world wasn't worth to observe him.

Evelyn noticed the patch of grasses and the ground lose color as they appeared to be poisoned. She broke out in cold sweat. This man was a monster, affect the terrain by a mere projection.

"They're strong. But not stronger than we expected."

A distorted voice crackled in response. "This world looks interesting. Good think I decided to also move. Guess everyone wants a piece of a blooming flower."

"What about fifteen?"

Evelyn's breath hitched up as she quickly replayed the scenes of the battle.

The man laughed out loud which made Evelyn's ears drip blood.

"Good. Good! Who expected that stone to be here?"

"Fifteen is quiet cunning, pretending to be weak so to avoid fighting."

Evelyn, still kneeling felt a foreboding. Everytime this man laughs, it was always up to no good.

"Proceed with the mission. No failure, and tell fifteen to keep up the good work."

Evelyn's lips curled into a smirk. "Understood."

The communication ended as Evelyn stood up and noticed that the poison had spread far, not that it concerned her.

What's special about this world?

She checked her suit and noticed it had lost color a little, now she had to use another one later.

She tapped a button in a small device on her wrist and an incorporeal door manifested before her. Stepping into the door, she vanished. The door then blurred out of existence.