Chapter 36: Prey
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Within a short while, Kadin summoned the most striking hunters in the underground keep. He briefed them on the situation and he also let them know that they were going after a man who was consumed with taking down orcs.
The hunters weren't in the least scared. In a way they were kind of excited. They all saw the expedition as a chance to prove their bravado and gain for themselves the glory that came with engaging orcs..
Plus, Kadin was leading the group. The old man was well respected in these parts. He was something of a local legend himself, so the hunters considered an honor to ride along with him. Thus, armed to the teeth and equipped with all manner of weapons, the small group set out to seek out Xzavier.
Tacy decided that she wasn't going to wait around for good or bad news, she stubbornly went along with the band of crude hunters to search out the cold quiet man who had stolen her heart.
Completely oblivious of the happenings on the other side of town, Xzavier was submerged in his mission. The attractive young woman with him found it increasingly difficult to keep up with his mysterious ways. Adalia watched on as her traveling companion carried out the strangest task.
From the short distance which she stood away from Xzavier, she could barely make out the physical form of the strange items he was burying on the road. Adalia thought to herself;
"These alchemists are a weird bunch. What could this possibly turn out to be?"
Her curiosity soon got the better of her. Adalia called out softly to Xzavier;
"Those iron blocks look kind of heavy. Would you like some help burying them in the road?"
Xzavier looked at her like as if she had just asked him to do something crazy like setting her ablaze. It was evident that there was definitely more than what Xzavier had chosen to let on.
"Adalia, listen up!"
His tone betrayed another level of utter seriousness which Adalia hadn't seen before.
"Do not ever step into this mass of land I have just napped out. No matter what!"
The warning was supposed to serve as a deterrent to discourage her from indulging any adventurous thoughts she was breeding, but somehow, it had achieved the opposite of the intended effect! It only further strengthened Adalia's suspicions. The young woman hadn't the slightest clue of the nature of the strange iron blocks which Xzavier had carefully buried, but her sharp mind discerned that it was probably designed to ambush the enemy in some kind of entrapment.
After Xzavier finished up with the setup on the ground, he took out one of his favorite pieces; the assorted sniper's rifle that was fully equipped with a night vision scope. This rifle had proven to be very effective during his previous bouts with the orcs. The killer in Xzavier was already forming a sentimental bond with the weapon.
The cliff was the perfect spot to set up the rifle. There was ample space to maneuver and it offered a clear line of sight to his prey.
After completing everything that needed to be done, Xzavier and Adalia lay down at the edge of the cliff in crouched positions. Anxious about the slaughter that was to come, like crocodiles waiting to snatch up babies at a watering hole, Xzavier and Adalia remained still as they waited for night to fall.
As dusk slowly faded into night, Xzavier suddenly got an unexpected surprise from the Military System.
"Major Xzavier, do your require some ration?"
Xzavier was taken aback. He wasn't quite sure how to take this sudden display of concern by the Military System. Up until this moment, Xzavier had nothing to worry about with regards to the system. But right now, Xzavier was shocked by the humane way with which the system had approached him.
Xzavier decided to take advantage of the sudden change of pace. If the Military System was offering him food ration, then who was he to turn down such a golden opportunity. He thought for a second before replying it accordingly;
"I wish to redeem one point for a pack of compressed cookies."
The reply was prompt as usual. Xzavier could have sworn that he detected a faint note of eagerness in the Military Systems voice. Though he was wasn't completely sure, but it almost sounded like the Military System was actually happy to serve him this time.
"One pack of compressed cookies coming right up!"
The package emerged and in a generous quantity. Encased in a thin white foil and locked in a takeout pack, Xzavier received the full measure of his request.
It wasn't that he was hungry, no. Xzavier had undergone intense training in his past, so basically it virtually impossible for him to allow a trifling craving like hunger to keep him away from succeeding at his mission.
The real beneficiary from Xzavier's request was Adalia. The young girl had been through so much in the past couple of days. Exhausted, hungry and sleep deprived, it was a true miracle that she had survived this long. Xzavier retrieved the pack and handed it over to Adalia whose eyes were fastened upon the valley before her.
"Here, have some of this. You need to replenish your strength."
Completely unfamiliar with the fancy packaging of the snack, the bewildered Adalia eyed it suspiciously. Xzavier encouraged her;
"Go on then. It's yours."
He tossed it into her hands. Even as she clasped the fancy snack in her hands, Adalia wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. Its entire outlook seemed too sophisticated for an ordinary snack. She looked at the compressed cookies in her hands, and looked back at Xzavier with unknowing eyes. She had no idea what to do with it.
Xzavier soon realized that they young girl probably hadn't seen a something of this nature before. This was clearly centuries ahead of culinary packaging.
Xzavier was truly amused. No wonder she had seemed so lost. He took it back from her and casually unsealed the takeout package, releasing the aromatic, sensational smell of the cookies. Adalia gasped aloud right before her throat made a gulping sound.
"Mister Xzavier! What manner of sorcery is this? How did you summon a sweet flavored meal of this nature?"
Her eyes were wide in shock and surprise was plastered all over her face. Xzavier chuckled slightly before patiently replying her;
"It's not sorcery Adalia."
"But…" the oblivious girl began to protest as she pointed her finger at the unveiled delicacy.
"But nothing." Xzavier silenced her. "Now eat up, we have a long night ahead of us. You need every energy you can muster right now."
Xzavier had managed to shut her up, but no amount of brainwashing could make Adalia believe that this was nothing other than magic. In her sight, Xzavier was truly an extraordinary mage. She gingerly took a piece out of the silver foil and took the first bite.
Xzavier felt like he was watching a movie, Adalia's performance was worthy of an Oscar. As the first bite entered her mouth and melted in her tongue, he could literally see the burst of flavors spreading waves of joy across the young woman's face.
Her countenance brightened immediately, as her eyes regained a tiny fraction of its original light. She beamed with smile as she stared at the unbelievably sweet snack.
"Heavens! What is thisss!!??"
She looked at Xzavier with delight. He didn't bother to answer her, he simply sat back and enjoyed the look on her face as she digested the exotic snack. Adalia continued her praises.
"This must be what Kings feast on!! Oh Xzavier, what is this snack made of? I have never tasted anything so incredibly delicious in my life!!"
Adalia seemed to conjure more praise by the second. She thought she could eat a whole sea of cookies, but after gobbling up a few, she discovered that they were not just empty snacks. To what appeared to her as sorcery, she found out that she didn't need to ingest too much before she got full.
With a handful of cookies and a protruding belly, she expressed her concern to Xzavier;
"What is this? I have barely eaten and yet, I feel full already? Oh Xzavier, you have to tell me what this is! Please!"
Once again, Adalia did not wait for Xzavier to reply her, she immediately went back to forcing herself to ingest the delicacy despite the fact that she was full. If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed that Xzavier's attention had shifted from her to the valley below.
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Within a short while, Kadin summoned the most striking hunters in the underground keep. He briefed them on the situation and he also let them know that they were going after a man who was consumed with taking down orcs.
The hunters weren't in the least scared. In a way they were kind of excited. They all saw the expedition as a chance to prove their bravado and gain for themselves the glory that came with engaging orcs..
Plus, Kadin was leading the group. The old man was well respected in these parts. He was something of a local legend himself, so the hunters considered an honor to ride along with him. Thus, armed to the teeth and equipped with all manner of weapons, the small group set out to seek out Xzavier.
Tacy decided that she wasn't going to wait around for good or bad news, she stubbornly went along with the band of crude hunters to search out the cold quiet man who had stolen her heart.
Completely oblivious of the happenings on the other side of town, Xzavier was submerged in his mission. The attractive young woman with him found it increasingly difficult to keep up with his mysterious ways. Adalia watched on as her traveling companion carried out the strangest task.
From the short distance which she stood away from Xzavier, she could barely make out the physical form of the strange items he was burying on the road. Adalia thought to herself;
"These alchemists are a weird bunch. What could this possibly turn out to be?"
Her curiosity soon got the better of her. Adalia called out softly to Xzavier;
"Those iron blocks look kind of heavy. Would you like some help burying them in the road?"
Xzavier looked at her like as if she had just asked him to do something crazy like setting her ablaze. It was evident that there was definitely more than what Xzavier had chosen to let on.
"Adalia, listen up!"
His tone betrayed another level of utter seriousness which Adalia hadn't seen before.
"Do not ever step into this mass of land I have just napped out. No matter what!"
The warning was supposed to serve as a deterrent to discourage her from indulging any adventurous thoughts she was breeding, but somehow, it had achieved the opposite of the intended effect! It only further strengthened Adalia's suspicions. The young woman hadn't the slightest clue of the nature of the strange iron blocks which Xzavier had carefully buried, but her sharp mind discerned that it was probably designed to ambush the enemy in some kind of entrapment.
After Xzavier finished up with the setup on the ground, he took out one of his favorite pieces; the assorted sniper's rifle that was fully equipped with a night vision scope. This rifle had proven to be very effective during his previous bouts with the orcs. The killer in Xzavier was already forming a sentimental bond with the weapon.
The cliff was the perfect spot to set up the rifle. There was ample space to maneuver and it offered a clear line of sight to his prey.
After completing everything that needed to be done, Xzavier and Adalia lay down at the edge of the cliff in crouched positions. Anxious about the slaughter that was to come, like crocodiles waiting to snatch up babies at a watering hole, Xzavier and Adalia remained still as they waited for night to fall.
As dusk slowly faded into night, Xzavier suddenly got an unexpected surprise from the Military System.
"Major Xzavier, do your require some ration?"
Xzavier was taken aback. He wasn't quite sure how to take this sudden display of concern by the Military System. Up until this moment, Xzavier had nothing to worry about with regards to the system. But right now, Xzavier was shocked by the humane way with which the system had approached him.
Xzavier decided to take advantage of the sudden change of pace. If the Military System was offering him food ration, then who was he to turn down such a golden opportunity. He thought for a second before replying it accordingly;
"I wish to redeem one point for a pack of compressed cookies."
The reply was prompt as usual. Xzavier could have sworn that he detected a faint note of eagerness in the Military Systems voice. Though he was wasn't completely sure, but it almost sounded like the Military System was actually happy to serve him this time.
"One pack of compressed cookies coming right up!"
The package emerged and in a generous quantity. Encased in a thin white foil and locked in a takeout pack, Xzavier received the full measure of his request.
It wasn't that he was hungry, no. Xzavier had undergone intense training in his past, so basically it virtually impossible for him to allow a trifling craving like hunger to keep him away from succeeding at his mission.
The real beneficiary from Xzavier's request was Adalia. The young girl had been through so much in the past couple of days. Exhausted, hungry and sleep deprived, it was a true miracle that she had survived this long. Xzavier retrieved the pack and handed it over to Adalia whose eyes were fastened upon the valley before her.
"Here, have some of this. You need to replenish your strength."
Completely unfamiliar with the fancy packaging of the snack, the bewildered Adalia eyed it suspiciously. Xzavier encouraged her;
"Go on then. It's yours."
He tossed it into her hands. Even as she clasped the fancy snack in her hands, Adalia wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. Its entire outlook seemed too sophisticated for an ordinary snack. She looked at the compressed cookies in her hands, and looked back at Xzavier with unknowing eyes. She had no idea what to do with it.
Xzavier soon realized that they young girl probably hadn't seen a something of this nature before. This was clearly centuries ahead of culinary packaging.
Xzavier was truly amused. No wonder she had seemed so lost. He took it back from her and casually unsealed the takeout package, releasing the aromatic, sensational smell of the cookies. Adalia gasped aloud right before her throat made a gulping sound.
"Mister Xzavier! What manner of sorcery is this? How did you summon a sweet flavored meal of this nature?"
Her eyes were wide in shock and surprise was plastered all over her face. Xzavier chuckled slightly before patiently replying her;
"It's not sorcery Adalia."
"But…" the oblivious girl began to protest as she pointed her finger at the unveiled delicacy.
"But nothing." Xzavier silenced her. "Now eat up, we have a long night ahead of us. You need every energy you can muster right now."
Xzavier had managed to shut her up, but no amount of brainwashing could make Adalia believe that this was nothing other than magic. In her sight, Xzavier was truly an extraordinary mage. She gingerly took a piece out of the silver foil and took the first bite.
Xzavier felt like he was watching a movie, Adalia's performance was worthy of an Oscar. As the first bite entered her mouth and melted in her tongue, he could literally see the burst of flavors spreading waves of joy across the young woman's face.
Her countenance brightened immediately, as her eyes regained a tiny fraction of its original light. She beamed with smile as she stared at the unbelievably sweet snack.
"Heavens! What is thisss!!??"
She looked at Xzavier with delight. He didn't bother to answer her, he simply sat back and enjoyed the look on her face as she digested the exotic snack. Adalia continued her praises.
"This must be what Kings feast on!! Oh Xzavier, what is this snack made of? I have never tasted anything so incredibly delicious in my life!!"
Adalia seemed to conjure more praise by the second. She thought she could eat a whole sea of cookies, but after gobbling up a few, she discovered that they were not just empty snacks. To what appeared to her as sorcery, she found out that she didn't need to ingest too much before she got full.
With a handful of cookies and a protruding belly, she expressed her concern to Xzavier;
"What is this? I have barely eaten and yet, I feel full already? Oh Xzavier, you have to tell me what this is! Please!"
Once again, Adalia did not wait for Xzavier to reply her, she immediately went back to forcing herself to ingest the delicacy despite the fact that she was full. If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed that Xzavier's attention had shifted from her to the valley below.
Within a short while, Kadin summoned the most striking hunters in the underground keep. He briefed them on the situation and he also let them know that they were going after a man who was consumed with taking down orcs.The hunters weren't in the least scared. In a way they were kind of excited. They all saw the expedition as a chance to prove their bravado and gain for themselves the glory that came with engaging orcs..Plus, Kadin was leading the group. The old man was well respected in these parts. He was something of a local legend himself, so the hunters considered an honor to ride along with him. Thus, armed to the teeth and equipped with all manner of weapons, the small group set out to seek out Xzavier.Tacy decided that she wasn't going to wait around for good or bad news, she stubbornly went along with the band of crude hunters to search out the cold quiet man who had stolen her heart.Completely oblivious of the happenings on the other side of town, Xzavier was submerged in his mission. The attractive young woman with him found it increasingly difficult to keep up with his mysterious ways. Adalia watched on as her traveling companion carried out the strangest task.From the short distance which she stood away from Xzavier, she could barely make out the physical form of the strange items he was burying on the road. Adalia thought to herself;"These alchemists are a weird bunch. What could this possibly turn out to be?"Her curiosity soon got the better of her. Adalia called out softly to Xzavier;"Those iron blocks look kind of heavy. Would you like some help burying them in the road?"Xzavier looked at her like as if she had just asked him to do something crazy like setting her ablaze. It was evident that there was definitely more than what Xzavier had chosen to let on."Adalia, listen up!"His tone betrayed another level of utter seriousness which Adalia hadn't seen before."Do not ever step into this mass of land I have just napped out. No matter what!"The warning was supposed to serve as a deterrent to discourage her from indulging any adventurous thoughts she was breeding, but somehow, it had achieved the opposite of the intended effect! It only further strengthened Adalia's suspicions. The young woman hadn't the slightest clue of the nature of the strange iron blocks which Xzavier had carefully buried, but her sharp mind discerned that it was probably designed to ambush the enemy in some kind of entrapment.After Xzavier finished up with the setup on the ground, he took out one of his favorite pieces; the assorted sniper's rifle that was fully equipped with a night vision scope. This rifle had proven to be very effective during his previous bouts with the orcs. The killer in Xzavier was already forming a sentimental bond with the weapon.The cliff was the perfect spot to set up the rifle. There was ample space to maneuver and it offered a clear line of sight to his prey.After completing everything that needed to be done, Xzavier and Adalia lay down at the edge of the cliff in crouched positions. Anxious about the slaughter that was to come, like crocodiles waiting to snatch up babies at a watering hole, Xzavier and Adalia remained still as they waited for night to fall.As dusk slowly faded into night, Xzavier suddenly got an unexpected surprise from the Military System."Major Xzavier, do your require some ration?"Xzavier was taken aback. He wasn't quite sure how to take this sudden display of concern by the Military System. Up until this moment, Xzavier had nothing to worry about with regards to the system. But right now, Xzavier was shocked by the humane way with which the system had approached him.Xzavier decided to take advantage of the sudden change of pace. If the Military System was offering him food ration, then who was he to turn down such a golden opportunity. He thought for a second before replying it accordingly;"I wish to redeem one point for a pack of compressed cookies."The reply was prompt as usual. Xzavier could have sworn that he detected a faint note of eagerness in the Military Systems voice. Though he was wasn't completely sure, but it almost sounded like the Military System was actually happy to serve him this time."One pack of compressed cookies coming right up!"The package emerged and in a generous quantity. Encased in a thin white foil and locked in a takeout pack, Xzavier received the full measure of his request.It wasn't that he was hungry, no. Xzavier had undergone intense training in his past, so basically it virtually impossible for him to allow a trifling craving like hunger to keep him away from succeeding at his mission.The real beneficiary from Xzavier's request was Adalia. The young girl had been through so much in the past couple of days. Exhausted, hungry and sleep deprived, it was a true miracle that she had survived this long. Xzavier retrieved the pack and handed it over to Adalia whose eyes were fastened upon the valley before her."Here, have some of this. You need to replenish your strength."Completely unfamiliar with the fancy packaging of the snack, the bewildered Adalia eyed it suspiciously. Xzavier encouraged her;"Go on then. It's yours."He tossed it into her hands. Even as she clasped the fancy snack in her hands, Adalia wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. Its entire outlook seemed too sophisticated for an ordinary snack. She looked at the compressed cookies in her hands, and looked back at Xzavier with unknowing eyes. She had no idea what to do with it.Xzavier soon realized that they young girl probably hadn't seen a something of this nature before. This was clearly centuries ahead of culinary packaging.Xzavier was truly amused. No wonder she had seemed so lost. He took it back from her and casually unsealed the takeout package, releasing the aromatic, sensational smell of the cookies. Adalia gasped aloud right before her throat made a gulping sound."Mister Xzavier! What manner of sorcery is this? How did you summon a sweet flavored meal of this nature?"Her eyes were wide in shock and surprise was plastered all over her face. Xzavier chuckled slightly before patiently replying her;"It's not sorcery Adalia.""But" the oblivious girl began to protest as she pointed her finger at the unveiled delicacy."But nothing." Xzavier silenced her. "Now eat up, we have a long night ahead of us. You need every energy you can muster right now."Xzavier had managed to shut her up, but no amount of brainwashing could make Adalia believe that this was nothing other than magic. In her sight, Xzavier was truly an extraordinary mage. She gingerly took a piece out of the silver foil and took the first bite.Xzavier felt like he was watching a movie, Adalia's performance was worthy of an Oscar. As the first bite entered her mouth and melted in her tongue, he could literally see the burst of flavors spreading waves of joy across the young woman's face.Her countenance brightened immediately, as her eyes regained a tiny fraction of its original light. She beamed with smile as she stared at the unbelievably sweet snack."Heavens! What is thisss!!??"She looked at Xzavier with delight. He didn't bother to answer her, he simply sat back and enjoyed the look on her face as she digested the exotic snack. Adalia continued her praises."This must be what Kings feast on!! Oh Xzavier, what is this snack made of? I have never tasted anything so incredibly delicious in my life!!"Adalia seemed to conjure more praise by the second. She thought she could eat a whole sea of cookies, but after gobbling up a few, she discovered that they were not just empty snacks. To what appeared to her as sorcery, she found out that she didn't need to ingest too much before she got full.With a handful of cookies and a protruding belly, she expressed her concern to Xzavier;"What is this? I have barely eaten and yet, I feel full already? Oh Xzavier, you have to tell me what this is! Please!"Once again, Adalia did not wait for Xzavier to reply her, she immediately went back to forcing herself to ingest the delicacy despite the fact that she was full. If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed that Xzavier's attention had shifted from her to the valley below.
