Day 364 - 1:21 PM - Workshop, 38th Satellite Settlent, Muria Sacred Fortress, Mount Muria, Kudus Regency, Central Java, Indonesia
The 38th Satellite Settlent was among the most powerful of the Muria Sacred Fortress, although they were also among the less regarded. While it was not well known to everyone, this place was governed by the previous original settlers of Mount Muria after the apocalypse ca.
Although the Moon Chasers were powerful, they barely let anyone into their tight-knit group, making them one of the lesser candidates when one would want to join a survivor group.
Furthermore, there was an obvious bias against the Moon Chasers from the governnt for so reason. It was also the sa with a few military factions, and, most importantly, the sa could be said for the religious group residing in the fortress.
It was sothing that even the Moon Chasers could not understand. However, they could only persevere against the harassnt they were receiving.
But now, everything... No, mostly everything. The disregard and other stuff pointed at them turned around a hundred and eighty degrees for the Moon Chasers.
In the past few days that passed by, the Moon Chasers had been racking out achievents and rumors. The return with the head of a [Fog Crawler], traveling with ferocious beasts, saving the mbers of the 41st Satellite Settlent, and even the battle in the market had sothing to do with them. And although the initial discovery of the [Face Wearers] barely had to do anything with them, the fact that the man who could detect the impostors was with them added to the positive rumors.
After General Wijaya began acting against the [Face Wearers], the source of the badges and the detecting equipnt was quickly traced back to the Moon Chasers.
Since then, the 38th Satellite Settlent turned into the central hub for eliminating the hidden threat within the fortress.
Right after the fact beca known, people began visiting the 38th Satellite Settlent to inquire about the badges, the so-called [Disguise Dispelling Badges].
Unfortunately for those people, they could only co back ho without success. The badges were limited in number, and the person making the badges also had limits in manufacturing the badges. Not to ntion the limits of materials needed to make the items.
So "intelligent" people also offered "help" with the manufacturing and stuff. However, their goals were way too obvious for everyone to see that it was far harder to accept their offer than to decline them bluntly.
In any case, the main distribution of the badges was already in General Wijaya's managent through an agreent. That reason alone was more than enough to chase people away. But, just in case, the Moon Chasers also took a rather corporate decision. It was to allow the selling of a smaller number of badges at fixed intervals. This would make it easier for the badges to circulate while not infringing too much on the deal with General Wijaya.
The lucky group chosen to sell the badges was the Astria Corporation. And it was to everyone else's jealousy.
Right now, the people distributing the badges have the authority because of the threat caused by the [Face Wearers]. Those who had this opportunity would accumulate more influence and power within the fortress, even after the threat had already been solved.
It was why many factions, and even survivor groups, wanted a share of this authority. Unfortunately, the Moon Chasers had always been a tough nut to crack.
***
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Noises of clashing tal echoed loudly within a house in the 38th Satellite Settlent.
This house built near the center of the 38th Satellite Settlent was not here a few days ago. It was recently built, and it was built rather too fast. This house beca Mark's workshop, and it was built with the help of General Wijaya.
Even though this workshop was managed by Mark and owned by the Moon Chasers, none of them had to spend anything for it. While the Moon Chasers did search for so of the equipnt inside, most of this necessary equipnt was also brought by General Wijaya and his soldiers.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sounds of tal being worked on continued.
However, as loud as the sounds inside might be, barely any noise from inside could be heard outside.
Luna looked at the workshop, looking a bit tired, although she looked happy. She entered the workshop and felt the sudden change in ambiance and temperature. It was as if the inside and outside of the workshop belonged to different worlds.
Looking around, Luna saw a few n hamring so tal molds into place. These people were volunteers from the settlent, working on the few chanisms that Mark built himself.
Luna had no idea how Mark built these things in one night. However, due to these chanisms, making the badges beca easier even in larger numbers.
"Sothing wrong?"
So asked Luna. She turned her head and saw Mark coming out of the inner room where he worked alone.
"Just visiting before more annoying people arrive."
Luna said in exasperation.
It was good that their group and settlent were becoming more important to the people of the fortress. However, Luna was not fond of the annoyances it brought.
"So, they won't just stop, huh?" Mark shrugged. "Well, it's sothing we already expected, though."
"It's acceptable if all of them were new people coming here for the first ti, but more than half of them are ones we already declined before. Is it hard to understand we don't want to cooperate with them?"
"You should expect that to happen," A female voice echoed, also coming out from the sa room Mark was just now. "I was also in the sa situation before until I began chasing everyone with a hamr."
The woman was on the tall side, wearing work clothes. Although she looked thin, one could see that she was on the muscular side, especially with her well-defined arms and upper body.
"Kela," Luna smiled. "What are you doing with Sir. Mark inside?"
"The usual," Kela shrugged with a little hint of disappointnt. "I'm asking him to be my master, but he won't budge."
"The usual, huh."
Luna bitterly smiled. It had been like this for two days now.
Kela was neither a mber of the Moon Chasers nor a resident of the 38th Sattelite Settlent. She was from the 43rd Satellite Settlent and the third in command of the group that called themselves Aqua Terra.
Within the fortress, Kela was the only professional craftswoman. All the others were male. Furthermore, she was the only crafter in the southeast quadrant of the fortress.
Due to her skills, many asked to have their equipnt and weapons made by her. However, her approval was rather hard to receive. Most of the ti, she would only take requests from friends and allies. Because of these reasons, the 41st and 38th Satellite Settlents were able to get cheaper and better equipnt.
The Aqua Terra was one of the few female-led groups in the fortress and was one of the two in the southeast quadrant. It was also one of the two only allies the Moon Chasers had.
Kela's works were in demand as they were proven to be better than most.
And now, that professional craftswoman was asking to be Mark's pupil.
If other people saw this, they would think Kela had gone mad. However, while Kela was talented, she was mostly self-taught. And most of her knowledge was built up to make props for cosplays and stuff.
Yes, Kela was in the sa field of work as Mark before the apocalypse. However, even she admired Mark's works as she learned from Luna about so props of a popular cosplayer in the Philippines to be his masterpieces.
Since the badges were released, there was no way Luna would not give so to their allies. As such, Luna contacted the leaders of Fire Fighters and Aqua Terra to visit that very sa day General Wijaya distributed the badges.
And then, Kela saw Mark working in this workshop during their visit.
Compared to Kela's superficial knowledge, Mark was definitely soone who was taught the right ways of blacksmithing. Since then, she had been asking Mark to be her master.
Kela had yet to succeed in that, although she was allowed to watch Mark with his current works. And she was specifically told to steal anything she could steal from Mark's skills.
Mark might not accept pupils, but Kela was free to learn by watching.
"Oh, by the way," Mark suddenly spoke to Luna. "I'm working only your equipnt, but you said you don't need a new lee weapon, right?"
"Right," Luna nodded as she tapped the sheathed Silver Keris hanging on her waist. "I already have this one. It served quite well since I found it months ago."
"Can I have a look, if you don't mind?"
Mark asked.
"Sure."
Luna did not hesitate, taking the Silver Keris from its sheath and carefully handing it to Mark.
Mark received the Kekis. He had been curious about Luna's unusual weapon for a while now. However, he did not have the ti to ask to take a look at it. Besides, it would be just plain rude to ask soone for their weapon until enough trust was built between them.
"Hmmm..."
Mark carefully observed the Silver Keris.
"I took a look at that weapon before, too," Kela spoke. "It's pretty well made. It might be antique since Luna said she found it in a museum."
"It's the sa place we t before," Luna added. "I found it there when we first found that place."
Mark rembered it. It was the small building in the middle of nowhere where they found the box that could push away the fog from the [Magical Overflow].
It made Mark suspicious.
No, Mark was already suspicious since the start.
Everywhere Luna went, Mark could detect two ntal fluctuations from her, although the second one was so thin that it was easy for him to neglect.
Mark had said before that his [Empath Detection] had less effect on children because of their simple mindset and shallow emotional fluctuations.
However, the other fluctuation from Luna was even thinner than that. At first, Mark thought it was her hidden ability after he heard what happened to Luna after she beca consud by her overwhelming anger.
But now, Mark was sure. It was not from Luna or her hidden ability.
Mark frowned as he finalized his theory.
"Is there sothing wrong with my weapon?"
Luna nervously asked. Mark was a rather emotionless kind of person, but it was the first ti she saw him behaving this seriously.
"Let's get out for a bit," Mark told Luna before turning to the n working on the badges. "Continue your work. I'm going out for so ti."
"Leave this to us, Boss!"
"Yeah, we got this!"
The n enthusiastically replied.
Mark then beckoned Luna to follow.
"Hey, wait for ! I'm coming too!"
Kela shouted after almost getting left behind.
The three walked around the nearby building and ended up in the training area behind the Moon Chaser's base.
There, Mark saw Feng Zhiruo teaching so basic swordsmanship to the mbers of the Moon Chasers. Luna should be there too, if not for the annoying visitors she had to et.
"What are we doing here? Are you going to test it or sothing?"
Luna asked in confusion.
"I'm going to try sothing, so I needed a wider space," Mark replied. "And just in case, get ready to back away if sothing strange happens."
Luna and Kela were confused. What would Mark need to do that required them to back away?
However, as the two wondered, Mark sat on the ground and closed his eyes. Both his hands were holding on the hilt of the Silver Keris.
Mark's tal fluctuations soared. And all of a sudden, an Oriental Sword appeared out of nowhere and floated beside him.
Now, everyone in the training area was looking at Mark and whatever he was doing.
However, sothing that everyone never expected was for the Silver Keris to suddenly surge with bright light.
Reviews
All reviews (0)