“That must be it right?” I said as I looked into my spyglass.

We peeked into the outskirts of the city from the window of a building, where a shimmering sea of glowing green was laid bare to see. The sight of the Glowgrass never seemed to grow old for me, and I still found myself entranced by its wonder. I’m sure the Over Sectors had similar sights like these, but I didn’t really have the time to go sightseeing. I took it all for granted.

Of course, that wasn’t the focus of our mission. Rather, it was a particular spot among the grass that caught our attention. Waves of yellow energy surged out from the ground and gathered together to form a sphere of light, shining with a ray that appeared to be brimming with life.

“Yep. That yellow thing over there is what we call the Blossom,” Spitz replied. “All the life energy of the Glowgrass accumulates into the Blossom, and the Blossom nourishes them in return with a bountiful harvest. Fruits, vegetables, grains….this is where we get most of our crops from, which in turn, is one of our main sources of food supply. The other being animals.”

“I have a feeling there is a ‘but’ in this case.”

Spitz nodded her head. “But the Blossoms only thrive in peaceful areas. So the constant warfare is disrupting the natural order of things. Thus, they have become a rarer occurrence. And because they are rare…."

She pointed back to the Blossom.

"People will do whatever it takes to farm its blessings."

A slave could be seen running through the grass, headed right towards the shining yellow light.

I looked back to see Spitz lifting up her sniper, her eye focused right on her scoped as she took a deep breath.

"W-Wait, are you going to shoot that guy?"

"Not him."

Another slave came dashing from a different direction. Before I could react, a third person joined the fray. Then a fourth, fifth, and a sixth……. It was at that moment, when I realized how valuable the Blossom really was. The number had reached over twenty slaves, all aiming to get close to the yellow light.

“S-So many….”

I watched as the slaves searched through the Glowgrass, frantically running around the area for crops. Their careless footwork and chaotic movements told me that most of them were in a state of panic. The atmosphere appeared intense among the slaves, almost as if I was watching a fierce competition take place.

“Tsk, it’s a lot more than I expected.” Spitz shifted her sniper around.

The search went on for a long while. Not a single person paid any attention to the others, their eyes completely focused on the Glowgrass around them. That was until one of them let out a yell.

“That guy found something!” He pointed towards a young man.

The man was kneeling down, with his hands forcefully shoving some crops into his basket. Immediately, some of the slaves went on a frenzy, chasing after the harvester. As the young man looked up, he let out a yelp and started running away. A bigger man tackled him to the ground, and started beating him into submission. Another person took advantage of the situation and stole the basket from both of them. The more distant slaves began to find other batches of crops as well, gathering as much as they could before anyone else could notice. However, they couldn’t avoid any conflicts, as they were all too greedy to settle with what they had. It was a mixture of gathering and brawling around, which made me feel a little sick to my stomach.

“Why are these slaves fighting each other? Aren’t they supposed to be working together as a team?”

“It depends,” Spitz said. “Many slaves work for Dober and Kangal, while the other slaves want to have all the food for themselves. When it comes to the Blossom, it’s survival of the fittest.”

“Shouldn’t we be stopping them somehow?”

“I wish we could, but that isn’t the best thing to do right now. Remember, the Cer and Be gang are probably watching from a distance. Our goal is to make sure they don’t shoot down any slaves. If you interrupt the slaves now, they’ll be forced to take action.”

I bit my lip. 

I wish it could all end without anyone getting hurt. Where everyone can be saved. But I’m not that naive. At least, not anymore.. It’s already been made clear to me multiple times. We don’t have the power to save everyone. The only thing we could do is try to save as much as we possibly can.

Wow, look at how much you’ve matured! Applause! You’re finally getting more realistic than idealistic!

Don’t mistake my thoughts, Gray. There’s no way I’m going to let go of my ideals. Someday, I’m going to strike the perfect balance between idealism and realism. Watch me. 

Ahh….balance. Music to my ears. You’re beginning to vibe with me.

“You better get going now, Lars,” Spitz said. “Remember your role?”

“You are the eyes that watch in the light, and I am the eyes who watches in the shadows.”

“I’m impressed that you still remembered.”

To translate ber flowery words, I’m going to be searching the places Spitz can’t watch over. Places that can’t be reached by her sniper. That means scouting inside all the buildings in the vicinity.

“And don’t forget about me!” Hephy called out on the comms. “I’m the eyes who watch from the sky.”

I wasn’t sure where her drones were, but I can assume that they’re somewhere watching over us. Thinking that made me feel a whole lot safer.

I bid farewell to Spitz and went on my way.

Traversing through the silent streets of lush, I went after the locations Hephy and Spitz had told me to check. There were a lot more than I initially expected, but I couldn’t blame them. It’s not like they were all-seeing. It’s up to me to deal with any blind spots. 

I entered the first building with that mindset. I searched through every corner, every room, anything that I could consider as a hiding spot. Closets, chests, beds, barrels, small spaces between furniture, no matter how unlikely anyone would actually be hiding there, it didn’t hurt to be extra sure. Those were places I would have considered if I played a game of hide seek. After searching through every floor, all I was greeted by were clouds and specks of dust entering my nostrils.

“Achoo!”

I closed my nose and mouth immediately after I let out a sound. 

How could I be so careless?!

“If you find any Blue Glowflowers, you should try pulling out their petals and rubbing them on your nose,” Spitz said. “Their minty scents are good for soothing allergies.”

I was fortunate enough to find one a few seconds later, growing amongst a couple of Glowgrass that had infiltrated the house. The sheer amount of plant life here was intimidating. If left unchecked for too long, they could probably take over the entire Sector.

The second building I checked was just the same as the first. I went through everything and inspected every floor, but not even a single trace of any human activity could be found. The third was also a no-go, which started to make me feel even more anxious. The eerie silence of the place got on my nerves. It felt like there were shadows following behind me, but whenever I turned around, there was no one to be found. 

I think you’re just feeling lonely, Lars. 

Gray appeared before me and wrapped her arm on my back.

Perhaps my presence will calm you down.

“No thanks, Gray.” I moved her arm away. “I need to concentrate, there’s no way I’m gonna let myself feel comfy.”

All riiight then. Wouldn’t want to get ambushed like last time.

Yeah.

After what happened with Kangal, I was never gonna let my guard down ever again.

Even the slightest feeling of danger could not be ignored. I couldn’t just rely on my senses. I have to trust in my intuition.

“What’s going on in the fields now, Spitz?”

“It’s just the slaves. No signs of the Cer and Be gang anywhere. Have you found anything?”

“Not yet.”

“Lars!” Hephy called me out. “I’d like you to check the building two blocks northeast from you. Something’s fishy going on there!”

“All right, I’ll be heading there now.”

Following Hephy’s directions, I lurked my way over to the suspicious building. Instead of approaching from the front, I moved over to the side and came across an open window on the wall. It would have been a nice way to sneak inside, except it was too high for me to reach on my own. I tried thinking of another way in, but Hephy interrupted my thoughts.

“Hey! What are you standing around there for? You aren’t gonna get anywhere by staring at the window. Use the Grappling Gun!”

I gulped down on my throat.

I’ve already practiced with it a couple of times, but I still wasn’t confident with my skills with it. The first time I used it still brought shivers through my spine. If it weren’t for Hephy, I might have fractured a couple of bones. This time, however, no one would be able to catch me if I fell.

“Aw, come on, you pussycat! Just release the trigger slowly like I taught you!” Hephy said. “I thought you wanted to finish this as soon as possible!”

Ouch, I feel offended. Personally, I wouldn’t let that slide.

I clicked my tongue.

“Fine.”

I aimed my gun at the top of the window and closed my eyes.

Deep breaths, Lars. One……two……three. 

My arm still wavered, but the breathing exercises were enough to keep me somewhat calm enough. I took one last deep breath and pulled the trigger. The hook shot out and hit the left side of the window.

Pretty far off from what I was aiming for…..but it’s still good enough.

I took another deep breath and released the trigger gently. Unlike last time, the cable brought me up at a slower pace. I stretched my hand over to the window and climbed my way inside.

Phew, that was better than I expected.

However, before I could take a sigh of relief, I overheard some voices at the end of the hallway, coming from one of the many rooms of the building.

“Can’t we just charge in now?! This is getting too boring!”

“We have to be careful about this. The Cer and Rus Gang could be watching at any moment. If we act now, we’d be dead meat.”

Be gangsters. Kangal’s men.

“What are you talking about? Spitz doesn’t kill people! Sure, his wind bullets hurt, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t lethal!”

So Spitz really doesn’t like to kill people. I guess we really are alike.

“What a load of bull. He’s killed many people before. Do you understand how many of my friends died fighting him? You were just lucky to be alive.”

A shudder ran through my body.

Spitz….killed many people? But I thought…

“And from what I’ve heard, his kill count greatly surpasses both Dober and Kangal combined.”

E-Even more than those two? 

“I thought that was just a myth!”

“You absolute dunce. It sounds more believable than your story.”

I don’t understand. What’s going on? Why the discrepancy between the two? Is Spitz a killer or not? 

Oooh, contradictions! This sounds fun, fufufu! Maybe you two aren’t exactly alike after all!

That can’t be true, right?

I recalled Spitz’s words.

“I’d prefer not to. I don’t believe in killing.”

Now that I think about it, her phrasing felt off. Preferring not to kill. She never said that she didn’t kill. But she wanted us to spare Cerberus? Something doesn’t add up.

I gritted my teeth and shook my head.

Now’s not the time to think about such things. I need to focus on the mission.

I entered the room and saw two men looking at the window. One of them was holding a sniper, most likely aimed towards the Blossom, while the other stood up with his hands on his waist. They both continued to bicker with each other, not noticing my presence.

How do I take out both of them at once? No, that won’t be possible. I’ll have to start with that guy first!

“White…” I whispered.

I struck the man who was standing on the back of his head. The force of the blow sent his body over to the window, but I caught him before he could fall any further and threw him towards the sniper. The sniper was not given a single moment to react, and I took the opportunity to put him on a chokehold.

That’s two men down.

How many more of them are out there?

I proceeded to the upper floors and found a few more people camping around the rooms. Fortunately for me, none of them bothered to check their backs, so I took all of them out with ease.

After cleaning up most of the building, I decided to collect all their guns and smash them as much as I possibly could. I even took away all of the bullets and hid them somewhere else as an extra precaution. 

I might as well disable their means of force if I’m not going to kill any of them. 

“I cleared out the building,” I reported on the comms.

“Very good. Now let’s proceed to the next target buildi-”

Before I could hear Hephy’s next words, the front door of the building slammed open, revealing a couple of gangsters forcing their way inside with rifles.

“It’s the Be Gang! Shoot!”

 

“Tsk!”

Everyone blasted their guns towards me, forcing me to activate one of my sword’s skills.

“Protect!”

I dashed away and rushed back up the stairs. The hard clacking of wooden steps sounded right below me as I ascended higher and higher up the building. Trails of bullets shot up above, piercing through the platforms as they continued to give chase. I reached the top of the building, only to find myself stuck on an open balcony. My head peeked over to look at the view. 

A long way down to the cobblestone floor. My heart dropped dead at the thought of falling.

The chasers were fast approaching. I didn’t have any more time to think. They had already caught up to me. Just the mere glance from their eyes caused them to charge forward guns ablazing.

Screw it, I’m doing this!

I jumped out of the balcony. Gravity was pulling me down to the ground. It was now or never. I aimed the Grappling Gun over to a random wall and opened fire. The hook latched onto stone, but I let go of the trigger too early, launching me forward towards the wall. I panicked and shot the gun somewhere else, causing me to swing in the air like a pendulum. Before I could hit the wall again, I shot the gun towards another direction, taking me even further away from those gunners.

“Wow! You’re actually a natural at this, Lars!” Hephy praised me.

I couldn’t even find time to scream. My voice failed to catch up with my current speed.

Unfortunately, my beginner’s luck could only take me so far. I lost control of myself and crashed down rolling all the way to the ground. I groaned in pain as I struggled to get up.

Hope it’s just a few scratches.

A few bullets landed right in front of me, and I moved back instinctively. I was finally able to pick myself back up and run away from the incoming gunfire.

Those gangsters sure are persistent.

I escaped through the walls of the other buildings close by and lost sight of them after a few minutes of running. As soon as I was sure that no one was around, I took a rest inside a building that Hephy deemed safe.

“I-I wasn’t expecting that sudden ambush.”

“I think I have a full grasp of the situation,” Hephy said. “The Cer and Be gangs are trying to hunt each other down. That’s why no one has attacked the slaves yet.”

“I agree with Hephy,” Spitz said. “They’re trying to make sure they reap the benefits of the Blossom by taking out the possible threats, so they’re still too preoccupied with each other. Which leads me to the next course of action.”

“Are we finally gonna go for it?” I wondered.

“Yep. Time for you to run through the grass.”