Ugh, my head. Victoria Santos woke up with a bad headache. The lack of blood was affecting her more than she thought. “Ah,” she winced. The cauterized leg of hers was starting to be a pain. She looked and saw what Max did to her. I lost my leg. She was downcast, losing a leg meant an honorable discharge. Max’s face came up in her mind. Where is that guy? The growling noises from the ground made her peered downwards. “My goodness…”

She was speechless. The man that she put a knife on the neck was killing these wolves like they were nothing. The hot blade of the machete burned bright. Max used it to downed these wolves, hacking them up into pieces. Incredible, thought Victoria. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Even her whole squad couldn’t face these numbers not without casualties. She knew since she saw it herself. Her brothers in arms died one after another, by the jaws of these wolves. Them, who had trained in a previous Rupture had reached level six in average and yet they still couldn’t contend against them. Not in these settings, not in their enemies' element.

Is he one of them? One of the elites? Victoria heard stories regarding the elites. Soldiers who survived the first day of Anno Monstrum. They were the cream of the crop and survivalists by nature. Unlike them, she and her deceased squad were like babies. But if he’s one of them, why does he look so... bony?

***

This is bad. He sliced the head of a green wolf and kicked another that was gunning for his legs. My chakra ran out. Well, both of his tanks were emptied. He even used up the extra MP after getting another level. Yet despite the absence of it. He pushed on and continued his killing spree demonstrating the use of Soaring Rage Blade. The effectiveness of the skills dwindled down without its fuel. It made his machete blade less sharp and less destructive. Nonetheless, he executed it without flaws and killed his way until he broke an open path. Yup, I shouldn’t have dumped it in Charm. But on second thought, shouldn’t it work at the soldier?

He shrugged it off and ran. The man was smiling even when he was being chased by a pack of green wolves. Just like in the old days. He reminisced the time when he was always being chased by demon beasts.

Then, a green wolf leaped from the back, aiming for Max’s neck. He sensed it, and he swung his machete. The blade slashed right through the opened jaw, and the green wolf dropped dead on the ground. These dogs are relentless.

The shrub from the side rustled and came out another. Max dodged and pulled out his combat knife. He swung both his blades, the machete in his right and the combat knife in his left. Two deep cuts ran down the green wolf’s flank as it crashed on the ground, disappearing into a nearby shrub.

Level up to Lv.9

What a coincidence. He smiled. In less than a second, his empty tank recovered a bit. He would prefer using his own chakra, but he couldn’t be choosy. He turned back and witnessed the incoming pack. His MP fueled his body as Soaring Rage Blade ignited once more. The green wolves pounced, and Max went wild. He killed. He stabbed. He slashed, and he cut them down like a tyrant in the middle of a battlefield. Despite the rage in the skill’s name, Max was calm and collected, with a light smile hanging on his face. He was being the opposite of rage and yet, he demonstrated the perfect reenactment of the original creator. A silent rage, hiding beneath a smile. Not fake but genuine in nature.

Soaring Rage Blade level up to Lv.3

His skill was enhanced by another notch, further increasing its destructive power along with the swiftness of his move. He glided on the forest floor, dodging and striking. Some of the green wolves managed to scratch him, and yet it was too shallow. These wild beasts were going in for the kill, and they were relentless. Unfortunately for them, Max was as slippery as an eel. He countered with an immediate kill, and he went on for a bloodbath.

He stood in the middle of carcasses. Nothing unusual. It was just the norm for him. How many times it had been? The third? Or was this the fourth? Fifteen dead green wolves were around him, and his knife made quick work of it. “Two? I guess my day just getting luckier.” He pocketed the two nail-sized beast cores, and by chance, he heard something from a distance. He walked away and found what he was searching for, a rocky stream with the current flowing down. He looked up at his bloody hands and smiled. “Indeed my lucky day.” He washed up and traced down where the water flowed. “A lake. How authentic,” Max said. It was a bit bigger than a pond but smaller than a lake. The scene was serene and untouched, beautiful in the eyes as the sunlight reflected over the tranquil lake. Then he reminded of someone. Hmm, I better pay a visit to the rude soldier.

***

“Hi,” Max jumped in front of Victoria. “Geez.” She jumped on her butt, startled by Max's sudden appearance. “You scared the shit out of me,” said Victoria. Her hand rested over her left chest, trying to calm her rapid beating heart. Another fainting session was not welcomed at the moment.

“Sorry bout that.” Max flashed a smile. “I know we got on the wrong foot. But considering our situation, I think working together would be wiser. Don’t you think?”

Victoria stared at Max in silence. Few seconds lapsed, and she still didn’t say a word. Max cocked his head to the side, wondering what was happening. It felt weirder than a knife on his neck. Victoria suddenly shook her head. “No,” Victoria said. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine, and I apologize.”

Unexpected, but certainly a welcoming one. “So we’re on the same page?” Max asked. “Affirmative,” Victoria replied. “Then first thing first.” Max placed his arms under Victoria. “What are you doing?” Victoria asked. Max lifted her off and jumped down from the tree branch. Victoria hugged Max’s neck by reflex. Both stared at each other's eyes, and Max gave a smile. “Since we’re friends…” He paused. “Are we?”

“Allies,” Victoria answered with a straight face. “Ouch, after all I did,” Max said. “Since we’re now allies, I think it would be best if we get your wound properly clean.”

“We’re going back?” She knitted her brows. “No, we’re not.”

“Then where are we going?” she questioned. “You’ll see,” he grinned. He carried her off in his arms and headed for the lake. Victoria stared at him from underneath, trying to figure out who this man was. She tried to look at every nook and cranny on him, and she found nothing. He wore only a long sleeve shirt and sweatpants. Quite simple for someone who entered a Rupture and unless he took off his clothes, she might find something. But she did pick up something, a sweet lingering smell akin to perfume and the kind that woman used. It got her more confused. Who is this man?

“Like what you see?” Max drew a question, grinning. “You wish,” Victoria replied. How did he know? She didn’t saw him looking down or even a hint of peeking. “We’re here,” Max said. The lake right in front of him with the meadow on the other side.

“A lake?” Victoria asked. Max approached the edge of the lake. “You think this lake is sanitary?” she questioned further.

“Probably not,” Max said. “And?” she stared at him as sharp as daggers, waiting for a worthy answer. “And, it’s cleaner than whatever dirt and dust inside the woods.”

“Fine,” she agreed, not like it would stop Max from bringing her here. He lay her close to the edge and dropped her all of a sudden. She fell on her bum, and she felt it at the tailbone. She kept the pain inside and gave a quick glare at Max. “I slipped,” Max said. He smirked. “Funny,” she replied.

Victoria turned back to her leg stump. True to Max’s words, it was dirty beyond recognition, and a proper cleaning was required. She restrained her groan and pushed herself closer to the water. It was very painful, and the deep crease on her forehead showed it. No normal human could withstand the pain, not without screaming a yell or two. Victoria’s puffed her cheeks and exhaled slowly as she prepared herself. She reached out for the water and noticed her trembling hand. Her other hand grabbed it and pulled it close to her chest. She heaved as her breath got rapid. But then, a splash soaked her from the top. She felt the chill of the water and stared at the sight of a man floating on the surface. That damn smile on his face annoyed her, and if it wasn’t for him saving her, she would have tried punching Max on the face.

He swam closer to Victoria and eyed her stump. “What are you doing?” She turned cautious seeing what Max was doing. “Relax.” He glanced at her and winked. His hand emerged with a handful of water. Slowly, he poured the water over the stump, washing the dirt and dry blood. Victoria shuddered with a hiss. The stump jerked away. “It’s fine, it’s fine.” Max’s careful hand guided her stump back to the lake. He held her thigh as gentle as carrying a baby, and his free hand drizzled the cool water.

Needle-like pain came and went with each drizzle on the stump. Yet slowly, the pain subsided, numbed by the chillness. Max put his whole attention in cleaning the stump, not minding the bewildered stare from Victoria. First, he acts like an asshole, and now this. “Who are you?” she asked. She couldn’t contain her curiosity.

Max glanced at her and gave a smile. “The name’s King. John King.” He waited for a response. But looking at her unchanging expression told him something else. She didn’t get it. He was stunned. She didn’t get the reference. How old is she? He didn’t break character and went back to pouring care in cleaning. He removed most of the dirt and dried blood. It would have been better if he had soap with him. Yet he heard her voice. “My name is Victoria, Victoria Santos.” She would never believe she just said that. The end of her lips raised a bit, too subtle for anyone to see but Max never missed. And his Perception helped a bit. “You look prettier when you smile,” Max said. Victoria turned back to her usual and raised her eyebrows. “Are you hitting on me? Now? In the Rupture?” Victoria asked.

“I don’t hit my woman. I prefer spanking them,” Max nonchalantly said, gazing her in the eyes. She smiled, and it was more apparent. “Do you know how cringey you sound?”

“Well, it only happened with the right woman,” Max replied with a devilish grin. She smiled and so did he. She splashed the water at Max, and he did the same. They shared a moment together, a moment that was free from the stress of being in a Rupture.