New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Alex and Kary took much longer than they would have liked to explain everything to Clark. But they couldn't blame him.

Up to a few months ago, anyone telling them the same thing would have been considered crazy. To him, that was most likely what they sounded like: crazy people.

"So. You good with all this?" Alex asked at the end of his explanation.

"…"

It took a moment for Clark to open his mouth to speak. He just looked at the images, the charts, and all the information on the TV before him, and his mind went blank.

"I… You… I have so many questions…"

Alex chuckled at his reaction.

"I get it. But they'll have to wait after the raid. For now, I want to know if you feel okay being there?"

Clark nodded his head absent-mindedly.

"How many people would be affected if we don't go?" he asked, wanting to know the gravity of the situation.

"I looked up the info on the town. There aren't many people up there. Maybe two hundred? But it's fishing season. And I can only assume there will be swarms of fishers for tourism. So I wouldn't expect under three hundred casualties on the first day."

Three hundred may not be a massive amount in the grander scheme of things. But that would only be on the first day.

How far could a pack of wolves the size of these travel in one day to reach their next hunting ground? How much time before they went further south and started attacking larger towns?

This wasn't something they could gloss over and let the police handle. Especially not if what David had told them earlier that day held true.

If guns barely tickled them, then what would stop them?

But Clark couldn't wrap his head around something.

"Wait. If guns can't hurt them, then how are we supposed to take them down? I doubt I can punch harder than a shotgun slug shell…"

Alex scratched the back of his head.

"I'm not sure myself. It's probably something caused by mana. When we got attacked in the service tunnels, the cops shot at the rat queen many times and did nothing to her. Yet we had already wounded her a few times."

It made little sense to Clark, as his mind still functioned according to societal standards. Humanity transitioned to guns because they were more lethal than blades, bows, and arrows.

He hadn't seen what it was like to fight monsters in this world yet.

"Well, in that case, maybe I can be of assistance. I'm unsure how much help I'll be, but I'll be there. Just tell me when we leave and from where. I'll be there."

Alex smiled and nodded.

That made another person for their mission.

Now, if he managed to hire the merc he had seen a few days ago, they would be at their goal of ten people. This would be as safe as the mission could get for them.

"I'll make sure the arrangements are made. Someone will get you to your apartment tomorrow morning, around seven. That good for you?" Kary asked.

She was already texting Mr. Gu, who was in charge of dealing with those details, and he confirmed her request just as fast.

"Then it's settled," Alex exclaimed, rising from the sofa.

Clark followed suit, ready to take his leave for the second time today.

"Want a lift down?" Alex joked, taking a step toward him.

"Don't you! I swear, I will knock you out! I'll take the elevator, thank you," Clark scowled, raising his fists.

Alex raised his hands in a peace gesture, laughing his ass off. He found his joke to be hilarious.

The same couldn't be said for Clark or Kary, as they looked at him with death glares.

"Sheesh! Tough crowd. Fine, take the long way down. The boring way," Alex mocked, pulling a fake yawn.

Clark walked to the elevator, keeping his eye on Alex in case he tried something stupid. He stayed wary until the doors shut on him, and he was alone in the metal box.

But his mind was already some place else. Thoughts of fighting with his life on the line troubled his mind, the threat suddenly so very real.

'Let's hope the danger he claimed was overstated…' he thought, reaching the ground floor.

In the meantime, Alex was already calling someone else from his penthouse—the person he least wanted to deal with: Richard Bellemare.

Somehow, he felt like Richard would try to screw him out of his money. It was his modus operandi, as far as he was concerned.

His flip phone rang a few times before connecting to Alfred.

"Yes, Mr. Leduc?" Alfred's calm voice echoed from the other side of the call.

He sounded winded, like he had been running or doing some other kind of exercise.

"Hey, Alfred. I was hoping to talk to Richard. Can you put him on?"

"Sadly, Mr. Bellemare is out of town for a few days, which is why I took the call. What can Bellemare & Delphis do for you, Mr. Leduc?" Alfred asked, sounding super professional.

Alexander sighed.

'Why do I feel like Alfred will ask for even more than Richard? He knows his men better. Something tells me he noticed one of his men had awakened…'

"I need a set of arms for a mission. And I have particular requirements. Do you see where I'm going with this?" Alex asked.

From his end, Alex could almost hear the grin stretching on Alfred's leathery face.

"I certainly do, young man. But you had to know it would cost you. Are you ready to fork out?"

Sighing loudly again, Alex replied, "Of course. I wouldn't have called if I wasn't."

There wasn't much he could do anymore. With Richard, he was hoping to curry it as a favour.

But with Alfred? That chance flew out the window the moment he picked up the call.

Now, it would be a negotiation. And god knows how bad Alexander was at negotiating.