Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

[Main Text] Uninvited Guest: Chapter Two, you said, what's wrong with my hair?

"We're probably in Kazdel now. If we fly early tomorrow, we can get to Yan Kingdom. If we make it back and forth, we'll be able to get back to Rhodes Island before New Year's Eve."

The skyscrapers beneath the thick clouds showed no trace of any mobile platform, and the buildings, though familiar, were utterly out of place with the Terra they were currently in, making it seem as if this was not the world Tomat had always known.

However, it is said that such undeveloped ancient building complexes are not uncommon in Terra, and because they cannot be moved, they are often abandoned.

Kazdel, a land filled with ancient ruins, is the homeland of the Sarkaz.

Although Tommat had met many Sarkaz operators after arriving at Rhodes Island, such as the Blood Demon Warfarin or Kroos, what left him with a stronger impression of this race were the group of Sarkaz mercenaries he saw when he met Frostnova in the ruins of Chernobog, who were covered in a bloody aura.

They were essentially a warlike race who had left their homeland and made a living through warfare, and were thus demonized.

This group seems to face far more prejudice than the average person, not just because they are mostly infected, but more simply because of their "Sarkaz" identity.

They are born with an extraordinary talent for Originium Arts, and in order to further enhance themselves, they will not hesitate to come into contact with Originium or even directly integrate it into their bodies. As Sarkaz, they also have extraordinary physical qualities, which usually prevent them from being weakened by Oripathy and allow them to survive even in highly infected conditions.

The most obvious example is Patriot. According to the operator who witnessed Patriot's activities in the ruins of the core city and had the opportunity to ask him questions, his Originium cell fusion rate has exceeded 60%, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is a living Originium block.

Furthermore, the deaths of Sarkaz are usually unrelated to disease; they mostly die on the battlefield or from murder. A non-infected Sarkaz who dies of natural causes is a rare species in Terra.

This is probably one of the reasons why people have prejudices against Sarkaz.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone around. It's dilapidated and the atmosphere is very faint. It looks like there are only some small animals."

Immediately after, Nian landed on the open ground of the ruins. Tomat briefly sensed the surrounding atmosphere, and looked at the devastated buildings. The air was still filled with the old smell of blood and the unique smell of Originium explosives.

It seems that many battles took place here a long time ago.

However, there is only deathly silence here now, with nothing but the sound of the wind, and only a faint scent of small animals in the distance.

Economic backwardness, constant civil war, and a lack of mobile platforms mean that even with vast amounts of undeveloped land, it ultimately becomes a wasteland ravaged by natural disasters.

"I mean, can we just go to another country's territory without a visa?"

Of course, after years of introductions and learning that this place was already in another country, Tomat surprisingly asked a rather serious question.

With a serious expression, he put on a shocked look, unfolded a fan to cover his lips, frowned, and asked in an incredulous tone:

"You... you're actually a law-abiding person, you even know about visas?"

"What exactly do you take me for?"

Thomas looked around at the buildings, stood on a relatively intact building ruin in a sheltered spot, and went inside, intending to use it as his resting place for the day. He didn't forget to ask Nian, who looked shocked.

"A monkey, or ape, that uses force to exterminate everything?"

After thinking for a moment, he answered.

"...Although I really want to punch you, what you said is actually true."

Because clouds were gathering in the sky that looked like they might bring rain, Thomas made sure the building wasn't leaking before coming out again and saying:

"However, this is the first time I've heard these two names from the locals. Most people even called the giant ape a monster or a giant beast. It was only after Kal'tsit talked to me that they started calling it 'giant ape'."

"After all, many species on Terra have disappeared, either by name or simply forgotten. It's not surprising."

Answering questions that ordinary Terrans wouldn't normally understand, Nian entered the house Tomat had chosen. With a casual wave of his folding fan, a golden light burst forth, instantly purifying the weathered surfaces and transforming them into a new layer of fine lacquer. Cracks that had been visible everywhere were now intact, and missing doors and windows were replaced by intricately carved wooden panels that not only provided shelter from the wind and rain but also added to the aesthetic appeal.

"Creating something out of thin air, that's way more outrageous than anything other operators have done."

Tomat marveled at the incredible phenomenon, which even Originium Arts couldn't explain, and the places he touched felt real, not just illusions.

"No problem. By the way, do you sleep on a bed?"

"Just find something you can lean against."

Then, in that year, two more beds were created. After that, he went into another room in the building, looked around, and created a complete set of stoves and utensils to serve as a kitchen.

"Alright, let's get something to eat and then rest. Did you bring any food?"

"...You didn't bring it?"

After exchanging puzzled glances for a while, the two of them surprisingly rubbed their foreheads in unison, both with expressions of headaches.

Thomas believes that the reason he was directly invited in 2016 was because he was well-prepared.

Nian assumed that Tomat had agreed to go out without hesitation because he was already prepared.

As a result, Tomat arrived at the highest point of the ruins in the blink of an eye, sensing the presence while wondering if there were any edible animals in this place.

After all, this place has been ravaged by natural disasters, and most of the remaining creatures are Originium creatures, which are not reliable to eat.

After sensing a slightly farther range, Tomat noticed dozens of faint, motionless auras not far away—possibly a herd of beasts.

But it's also possible that some fearless people have settled here.

Regardless of the method, there is a relatively high probability of obtaining food.

After creating a sonic boom in the air to signal his takeoff, Tomat arrived at the location of the aura in the blink of an eye.

Before he got very close, he saw flickering flames and faint smoke rising from what appeared to be a plaza.

It also has a smoky aroma similar to that of roasted meat.

Without a second thought, Tomat landed right in the center of the area.

But perhaps he was noticed as he fell, or for some other reason, when Tomat was about to land in front of a huge pot placed over a campfire.

A gray-haired woman in this cold region, wearing only a thin shirt, put down the spoon she was stirring in the pot before Tomat landed. With a wary expression, she instantly drew a dagger from her waist and turned to face the direction from which the sound came.

Meanwhile, the other figures in the area, dressed in various styles, also took out all sorts of weapons, some even possessing Originium Arts that emitted bursts of light, and turned towards that direction.

But before anyone else could act, the woman closest to Tomat froze.

Tomat was the same. The woman, who had been facing away from him and he had only seen a fairly common Sarkaz tail, turned around and, from her two very eye-catching tufts of red hair, Tomat remembered someone he had seen in Chernobog.

"Aren't you that Sarkaz who's like a cockroach?"

"You're the bald guy with the M-shaped hairline who blew up Chernobog!?"

[Main Text] Uninvited Guest: Chapter Three - The End is Not Allowed!

W, the Sarkaz mercenary who replaced former captain Garsen as the new mercenary captain, provided combat support as a partner of the Reunion Movement, at least until the end of the Lungmen riots.

Of course, after W realized that Talulah was up to no good and that the Reunion Movement was doomed, she chose a suitable opportunity to take Talulah's head as a souvenir of her mission—which was when the elite forces were wiped out and Talulah was seriously injured.

After all, if they killed Talulah under the pretext of "fooling the Sarkaz warriors to die for him," they could be held less guilty even after returning to their king's side.

However, W miscalculated two things.

Firstly, even if Talulah was injured, she was strong enough to protect herself and not be easily defeated. Meanwhile, the last remnants of the Reunion Movement—the Patriots Guerrilla—were on their way after hearing the news, so she had no choice but to hastily blow up the roof, burying everyone directly.

Whether Talulah lives or dies is entirely up to fate.

Secondly, there is the reason why W appeared in this place.

The Sarkaz king, the man named Theresis, is now in Victoria, in the exact opposite direction from where she is in Kazdel. W's arrival here is not because she has completely declared her independence, but simply to take advantage of the current situation to distance herself from control.

The so-called situation was that "the capital of Victoria, Lentinium, was severely damaged, and the fate of most people, including members of the royal family, was unknown," which naturally included Therese.

To be more specific, Londinium was unfortunately on the path of the giant ape's attack. Although it only grazed the area in mid-air, it, like all other regions on the attack path, was essentially cut off from contact. However, apart from Kalan being hit by the Holy Mountain, Ursus, Kazimir, and Letania were only affected by the attack. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Victoria was the biggest victim of the last riots—but people think this mainly because there have been no actual reports of damage in Kalan yet.

The extent of the disaster in even Karan reached Lungmen to some extent, so there was no reason why Lentinium, which was relatively close by, should not have been unaware of it.

She was preparing to pass through Lungmen, shake off the Kingslayers who were pursuing her, and head to Victoria's W. However, after learning this information, she simply turned back to Kazdel in the opposite direction.

W was unaware that the Kingslayer's failure to catch her was not due to her successfully shaking him off, but rather because Tomat had captured her along the way.

Some time later, W learned of the destruction of Chernobog and the overnight annihilation of the Reunion Movement. Although it happened faster than expected, it was still something that was anticipated.

She was glad she had made a wise decision, and then once again united a small mercenary force in the Kazdel region, returning to her familiar "way of life".

As for his own king, whether Theresis was dead or alive, W planned to investigate it personally after some time.

Now, she is in a good mood and enjoys the taste of his suffering.

However, W was in no good mood at this moment.

That face, which she had only seen once, left a deep impression on her, but if asked whether W wanted to see it again, the answer would definitely be no.

—I remember it was someone named Thomas, and he's wearing a Rhodes Island uniform right now.

But how did he find this place? And why did he come here?

Could it be that the purpose is to completely eliminate all the old cadres who have been integrated?

Tch, I should have just confronted that old lynx directly instead of hiding from the storm...

All sorts of ideas filled W's mind, but despite always managing to break through in dire situations by relying on his own intellect and tactics, W couldn't find a single thing that could be called a tactic in his complicated thoughts.

The tail behind him swayed, a tail that was usually used to distract others by showing leisure or absent-mindedness, but now it was anxiously swaying. W's wicked smile, which he could always use to shake others' minds, could only be forced into a bitter smile. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his cheek, and the dagger he was holding in his pale, unwarranted hand trembled in the air from being gripped too tightly.

Close combat?

The other party was able to kick away the already triggered explosives before they detonated, their reaction speed was on a completely different level.

Detonate all the explosives?

Regardless of whether such a suicidal tactic would actually work, there weren't many explosive devices already set up in this temporary rest camp.

While W was still brainstorming and thinking of a solution, Thomas, just two seconds after seeing W's face, focused his attention on the large pot behind her that was emitting a rich aroma.

Meanwhile, the other Sarkaz around them dared not open fire rashly because W was in a standoff with Tomat and they were not clear about the other party's intentions. Once they confirmed the hostile intentions, these mercenaries would launch a concentrated attack that would completely disregard the safety of their captain W in order to eliminate the danger.

"Damn it! What are you doing here?"

With the dagger held protectively in front of him, W looked at Tomat, whose gaze was completely fixed on him, and gritted his teeth, using all his strength to speak.

As expected, there was still no way to deal with it. Faced with an opponent whose maximum firepower might not even be able to hurt them, no strategy was applicable.

The next moment, Tomat stretched out a hand towards W and pointed one finger in W's direction.

"Fire!!!"

Before Tomat could do anything, or even utter a word, the Sarkaz mercenaries around him shouted and launched an attack on his location using every means at their disposal.

In their view, the person who drew their dagger and became wary must be no good, and when they saw Tomat raise his hand, their habitual thinking made them feel that this suddenly appearing guy was about to launch an attack.

Since they're the enemy, let's kill them first!

In fact, no one needs to say the word "fire" for the mercenaries to tacitly ignore W's presence and launch an attack.

Explosive crossbows, Lateran guns, and ranged spell impacts filled the air with the sounds of explosions and bullets leaving their barrels. The light from the successful firing of spells far outweighed the tiny campfire that burned nearby.

The large-scale deployment of explosives, coupled with the offensive spells used by the Sarkaz, masters of Originium Arts, resulted in a scale of destruction far exceeding that of ordinary weapons.