Mutagen



Day 337 - 8:21 PM - Mountain Base, Mount Malabito, General Nakar, Province of Quezon, Philippines

Ren sat on a bench under the gigantic tree in the middle of the Mountain Base. It was already two days since he woke up after she was almost killed by her family's schemes. Although she had completely recovered from the physical effects of that event, her emotional recovery was still lagging behind.

Mako's "betrayal" was still in Ren's mind. To Ren, Mako was one of her most trusted people, her childhood friend, and more of a family member than her actual family. Yet, Mako was the one to drive a dagger through her chest and heart.

Although Mako had done something that kept Ren alive, it could not be denied that Mako betrayed them. The [Clan Seal] was taken away, and the efforts of the Black Lotus for the people of their territory had gone to waste.

But why?

Why did Mako betray them? What compelled her to follow Keiji's words, disregarding the years of friendship she had with the members of the Black Lotus?

Ren spent a lot of time these past two days mulling over the possible reasons. However, she could not think of one at all. Mako definitely left them all in the dark.

All the thinking aside, Ren was fascinated with this place she woke up in.

Ren looked up at the gigantic tree in front of her. It looked far more majestic than the Sacred Trees she had seen in temples back in her country. And from asking Mark, she learned that this tree in front of her was actually a fabled Spirit Tree. Furthermore, it was an even higher-tiered Spirit Tree that only those who knew the deep truth about the world would know about.

The tree at the center of this place was another thing that could spark a war between countries. Something that was not very likely to exist in the mortal realm.

And the most fascinating thing about the tree... It was providing vitality to everyone in this place.

Every day, people here woke up refreshed. Their fatigue from the previous day was gone through their sleep. And most importantly, this tree was able to provide everyone with faster healing from their injuries.

Both of Keiko's legs were broken by Ishii. That kind of injury would require months to years of recovery, followed by rehabilitation. However, after four days of staying here, along with proper treatment and newly developed medicine, Keiko's legs began to heal swiftly. It was now estimated that if Keiko continued her current treatment, her legs would heal in one month.

It was such good news for Ren and the other members of the Black Lotus.

"Mountain Base, huh..."

Ren muttered.

It was such a simple name, but it was a place far from being simple.

"Ren-sama."

At this time, Keiko arrived, moving her wheelchair on her own.

Ren did not look at Keiko but at the children passing by, laughing carefreely.

"This place is amazing, isn't it," Ren spoke. "Everyone is happy and united. They are all moving forward together. They might be small in number, but they can live here without worry."

Keiko could sense the emotions in Ren's words. The yearning she had for a place like this one.

A place where everyone could live through the apocalypse safely.

Unfortunately, while the Reclaimed City was deemed safe, it was far from a place Ren wanted.

The Reclaimed City was not built for the people. It was built for those who wanted to keep their status and trample over the people beneath their feet.

Inside the Reclaimed City, all those in power kept contesting against one another. They did not care about the people below them. They only cared about the fact that they had people to rule over.

Ren suspected that the fact that they failed to gather supplies despite the money they had was also the result of this contest. To be exact, it was her family, the Mitsui Clan. They were hindering her people from gaining more reputation and power. 

And it might also be because of Ren and that [Clan Seal].

The people of Kachidoki would end up starving just because of these schemes.

Ren was tired of all of it.

If Ren was capable enough, she would build her own settlement. A place like this, where everyone inside could live safe and happy.

Unfortunately, the strength of the Black Lotus alone would not be enough. And they lacked not only strength but also resources.

Keiko knew Ren was still feeling down. So, she decided to change the topic.

"Ren-sama. Want to watch the sparring? That Chinese Cultivator and Tadashi will have a spar soon."

"?" Ren was a little surprised. "Again?"

It was not the first time. Since the day Ren woke up, she heard that Tadashi and the Chinese Cultivator, named Feng Zhiruo, would spar in every free time they could get.

The fact that Mark had a Chinese Cultivator at his command was already amazing, but the fact that that young female Cultivator could equally fight Tadashi was unexpected.

Tadashi was the most skilled Ninja within the Black Lotus. Ren might be a genius and had more power, but Tadashi could win against her just with experience alone.

Yet, the High-ranked Ninja known as the [Blood Shade] was having battles ending up in a draw against a young girl.

As Keiko urged Ren, the two ended up going to the training grounds to watch. And by the time they arrived, a gallery had already gathered to watch.

Here in the Mountain Base, the residents were provided with entertainment. However, it did not mean that it would be enough. With the repeated sparring between Tadashi and Feng Zhiruo these past few days, it already became a good source of entertainment for everyone.

And just in time, as Ren and Keiko joined the other members of the Black Lotus to watch, the sparring began.

Tadashi wore his Black Lotus uniform on the southern side of the ground. On the opposite side to the north, Feng Zhiruo stood, also wearing the uniform of her sect.

Just by their clothing, the two were clearly taking their spars seriously.

The spar began as a speck of glow from the Pure Spirit Tree fell at the center of the training field. It was as if the tree was also watching the two.

And the two moved, running to the center of the field at inhuman speeds.

Tadashi utilized his [Chakra], while Feng Zhiruo utilized her [Qi]. Both were life energies with many similarities but practiced and cultivated in different ways.

The two strengthened their bodies, and their weapons clashed at the center of the field with a loud clang. In just the first clash, the intensity of the battle could be felt by everyone watching.

Fortunately, the spar was just a physical fight. If Feng Zhiruo and Tadashi fought using their other inhuman techniques, everyone could be in danger.

Still, a physical fight between the two was still something to watch. As the two exchanged swings of their weapons, kicks, and punches, cheers could be heard from the crowd.

The common people were just enjoying the show. On the other hand, those experienced analyzed the fight between the two.

It was amazing that none of the two was gaining any advantage. If this continued, it would be just like the previous spars. They ended up just falling to the ground at the same time due to fatigue.

"They're at it again, huh..."

Someone spoke. Everyone that heard the voice immediately turned to try and greet the person.

Mark just waved his hand, signaling to just sit down and watch. He then walked to where the bunch of the Black Lotus members were and sat down beside Ren and Keiko.

The members of the Black Lotus immediately made way for Mark. Everyone knew they were alive, thanks to him. Of course, they were still protective of Ren. After all, he was a man. And from what they had seen, he was always surrounded by women and girls.

Of course, that would spark some odd speculations. Not that Mark would go and explain things to them.

"Is Kachidoki okay?"

That was the first thing that Ren asked Mark. After all, Mark was not here during the day because he was in the Reclaimed City, monitoring the place and doing his own things.

"It's fine for now," Mark replied. "I went and "donated" supplies to the people you left there. But it won't last too long."

The Black Lotus Group was not staying idle. With Spera's portals, they could go to other places to hunt animals. Then, Mark would go "donate" the food to members of the Black Lotus left to manage Kachidoki.

"At least the Priestess managed to stop your family from taking control of the territory," Mark continued. "And she seemed to be a little pissed off. She's utilizing her priests and even attempted forcing the army for a search and rescue. Looks like you're really important to her."

"That's..."

Ren was touched by the Priestess' actions. The two had known each other since she was young. After all, the Priestess was her grandfather's close friend. And the relationship between the two was like sisters. If not for the difference in their families and status, the two would be seen with each other most of the time.

However, just by the Priestess' actions, it was clear that Mark did not inform her about Ren's survival.

"Hah... We can't tell her, right."

Ren sighed. She wanted to ask Mark to tell the Priestess that she was alive. However...

"Yep, we can't," Mark shrugged. "She's being monitored closely by your family and other powers in the city. Even if she tried to act after she knew you were alive, there would be people to notice even the slight change. And from what I see, that young-looking hag isn't really good at acting."

"If other people heard you while badmouthing the Priestess, you're in for a grand scolding. But yes, she can't act. She's far more childish than me that her age becomes questionable."

Ren giggled. Nonetheless, she did not deny that the Priestess was someone old despite her appearance.

"Let's move to a more important topic," Mark said, making Ren show a serious expression. "The Demons retreated temporarily due to the Alliance Meeting getting rescheduled. But now, some of them are moving back into position."

"They are already preparing..." Ren murmured. "I remember you only told the Priestess about the Demons, but not the betrayal of my family, right? Will that be enough?"

"That's right," Mark nodded. "We can't risk informing her, after all. There's also the account that there's also a spy within the Temple. But it shouldn't be a problem if your family or that spy tries to cause a problem during the meeting. I'll be there, and so as the Empress."

"The only problem will be the Demons invading the city during the meeting. We still don't know how they will invade, exactly."

Mark added.

"I see..." Ren took a deep breath. "Then, it's very likely that they will invade through the territories of the people who betrayed the city."

"That's also what I thought," Mark agreed. "However, there's also another angle I'm looking into."

"What is it?"

Ren asked.

"The subway systems," Mark replied. "Everything outside the Priestess' barrier got destroyed by the earthquake, but everything inside is intact, right? It looks like the Demons are digging in the ruins to try and access the intact subways."

"That's..."

Ren realized. Since the subways were blocked outside the barrier, no one really paid much attention to them. The entrances were blocked shut, but if the Demons managed to access the subway tunnels, they could just bust down the barricades built there.

The Reclaimed City was in grave danger. It was, without a doubt.

It would have been better if Ren and the members of the Black Lotus could return early and prepare.

Unfortunately, Mark did not allow them to return, and Ren understood why.

The absence of Ren and the important members of the Black Lotus was causing the events to move in a way Mark predicted. Ren's return did not guarantee a successful ending either since it would just turn the movements of the enemies erratic and unpredictable.

Thus, Ren could only endure.

Mark could feel the turmoil in Ren's heart. However, it was not like Mark had no plans for them.

It was hard to admit for Mark, who was an introvert, but human connections were crucial, whether it be in the past or now.

And this time, Mark decided to invest a little bit in his connection to Ren and her group. What could he give them?

[Mutator] and [Evolver] abilities, of course.

That would give them something to get used to for the next few days.

As the two talked, the sparring in front of them came to an end in another draw.

***

And just like that, the five-day deadline ended.

The day of the Alliance Meeting finally came.