Chapter 139 - The Forsaken
Fynn raised his brows but relaxed as if he understood something and said, "Brother Damien, doesn't know? Well, I guess it's not a surprise as you are coming from the Rong Empire."
He looked around and checked to see if anyone was hearing in on their conversation and said in a cautious tone, "Actually, whatever I am going to say, it's best to not talk about it in public. There is an organization of insurgents known as 'The Forsaken', and it seems as if they exist for the sole purpose of destroying the Xeton Empire. Rumors say that they are made up of Zirian rebels who somehow found a workaround for the curse. These days they are not active, but more than just a decade ago, they attacked the Xeton Empire, and quite a lot of important officials and other people died that day."
Fynn continued with a downward gaze, "Even though we are already ostracized, because of that attack, everyone started looking at us as if we were traitors, and not a day went by where they didn't throw nasty remarks at us. I would get bullied and get beaten up but unable to fight back."
Fynn gritted his teeth, "Why should we suffer just because a group of rebel Zirians seeks to destroy the only peace we have? Why can't they just be happy with the mercy the Xeton Empire had granted them? I came here not only because I want to elevate my family's status but also to show that not all Zirians are like the insurgents. That we can also contribute to the empire's welfare and not be seen as a threat to the empire."
His expression relaxed as he looked at Damien and said with an awkward chuckle, "Sorry for ranting, Brother Damien. I hope you don't mind."
Damien shook his head with a faint smile, "It's fine. You must have gone through a lot, and it's perfectly okay to let out your frustrations. I just never thought such a powerful empire like the Xeton Empire still couldn't snuff out the rebels."
Fynn said, "The Forsaken is not a simple organization, and they are quite powerful. However, once they attack, they would lay silent for a few years. This pattern has been repeated all these years. And no one is allowed to talk about them or write anything about them. Because they don't want the people to give The Forsaken too much importance as it would only help their cause."
'Even such a strong empire has terrorists...seems like The Forsaken is truly not simple.' Damien mused, but he didn't think further as it was of no concern to him.
*BLINK*
Suddenly Damien and Fynn's wristband lit up as it showed three lines,
Team 1
Vs
Team 10
"Seems like we are up against Team 10," Fynn said as he looked at his wristband.
He continued with a nervous expression, "Whew, it's finally starting. I hope the other team has members with the same cultivation as ours. Else we would be forced to work with that Cedric."
Damien chuckled, "Who needs that douchebag? You try to get hold of the farthest flag, and I would get the others."
Fynn said with a perplexed expression, "But how can we get those flags alone? Our cultivation is too weak unless we face off against someone with equal cultivation."
Damien said in a thoughtful tone, "They would most probably try to snatch the closest flags and might do it in a group just to be safe. If there is a loner, he or she would also go for the closest flag first. Remember, it doesn't matter if we win or lose, but make sure we give it all and not be scared to capture the flags even if we are up against someone stronger. You can send me a distress signal if there is an enemy, and I will rush to your location."
Fynn was still puzzled and asked, "But how can you still capture a flag on your own. At least I can wait for you to join me, but you would be going towards a flag where the enemy team might also be there."
Damien smiled, "Trust me. If I say I will capture the flag, then I will do it. You only need to care about the farthest flag. You think you can do this?"
Fynn had no idea why Damien felt so confident when his cultivation was belonging to the weakest category. But he still nodded, "Alright. I guess it's better than sticking with Cedric."
Soon, the five of them entered a teleportation formation, and they were suddenly transported to a vast open field with no one in sight except them.
However, in Damien's mind, he got the location of all three flags, which were spread out across the field. The closest of them was at least twelve kilometers away, and the farthest one was thirty kilometers one while the third one was eighteen kilometers away.
All three of them were in totally different directions, and both teams did not have any idea of the power distribution in the other team. Of course, the obvious and safest option in most of their minds was to group up and capture the flags.
But they can never guarantee that some of the other team members would go alone and capture all three flags sooner. They could chase and steal from them, but the time limit was only fifteen minutes.
*DING*
Damien heard the sound and heard in his mind that the match had started.
Cedric looked at Damien and Fynn and scoffed, "Hmph, make sure you follow my—"
"Fuck off." Damien curtly said without even looking at him. He understood that cooperating with Cedric wouldn't get the team anywhere. He looked at Fynn and said, "Go. Let's do as we planned."
Fynn nodded slowly and dashed off to the farthest flag located thirty kilometers away.
Cedric bellowed, "Hey!! You fucking pig!" Cedric wanted to bash up Damien but knew that they were being monitored and watched by everyone on a big screen outside.
His face became red with anger being insulted at by a weakling from a lowly empire. With his elevated status, no one with inferior status had ever dared to cuss at him.
He held his anger in and said in a cutting tone, "Fine. You want to play solo? Go ahead. But don't—"
"Yawnnn…" Cedric was interrupted by Damien's loud and lazy yawn.
Damien's eyes focused in a certain direction. The direction in which the second flag was located, eighteen kilometers away.
Damien cut off the Origin seed connection to his Lightning elemental seed. He saw that it turned bright purple, no longer giving off the jet black color.
*Whizzz*
Crackling purple lightning streaks danced on his body as he dashed off in a certain direction.
Cedric and the girls had a dumbstruck expression just as soon as Damien left.
'Lightning seed!' They screamed in their minds. Cedric now felt that it made sense why Damien seemed so unfazed. He knew even if Damien's cultivation was weaker, he would have more value than him in the long run, and the Xeton Ethereal Foundation might even pick him just for this reason alone.
Jealousy and anger numbed his veins. He coldly harrumphed and turned towards the girls, "Let's go. We don't have to care about what those idiots do."
The audience on the outside and even the instructors all focused on one of the many screens. All of their eyes were glued on Damien's match, and they were surprised, just like Cedric.
Many whispers were going around, and even the instructors seemed to discuss something with each other.
Meanwhile, a few seconds before, in Team 10, four youngsters were standing meekly behind a rosy pink-haired girl who had a hand scythe wound around her arms.