The attack on Fieta was a successful one. Haro can count about 3 crates full of El shards, enough to power over half a thousand Nasods in the foundry. At the same time, if it's the best opportunity to study the magic stones.
If there's something Haro can compare the El shards to, it would be the Psychoframes. The El shards are actually nothing more than crystalized energy, pure crystalized magic! It's the only thing Haro could theorize with how the shards constantly radiate unknown levels of radiation. Not harmful to living creatures but still radiation. This also meant they have limitless possibilities due to the nature of El shards.
They would be the best source of power, capable of outputting more than simple nuclear reactor or a Minovsky drive engine! If Haro can use this energy, Haro can theoretically reproduce the Photon Blaster of the Diva ship with a handful of El shards!
But there's a problem to that idea.
El shards are not indefinite. The energy in the El shards can be depleted, leaving behind an empty crystal or reducing said crystal into nothing.
Is that why their is so many robots in the scrapyard Haro emerged to at Haro's first day? Did they used up their El shards and was simply thrown away because creating new models was much efficient?
Sadly, that meant usage or dependence if this magic stones are too risky for Haro. Mayhe Haro could use them as a booster though?
Decisions, decisions...
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Haro and Black Crow ship arrived back on Bethma, still operating in mining the marked veins. Already, the engineers left behind have mined and collected a sizeable chunk of the veins. Raven liked their progress and saw that the ship hold cannot bring all the raw materials back in one go.
As such, operation in Bethma would be prolonged, leaving the Mining team to continue while the ship returns to Altera and deliver the materials to the foundry. By this method, they could have a steady flow of raw materials to rich quota before the week ends, giving the Crows some time to rest or do personal operations.
Maybe they could capture a Pongo this time.
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With Haro's failure in studying the El shards, Haro moved on to the next best subject.
Raven
Raven's physiology is far unique compared to other humans in Haro's database. Haro has been scanning the captain with non-invasive probes whenever he enters the bridge, calibrating the doors and cameras as scanners. Not to mention, Haro has to be careful not to alert Raven's Nasod core.
Raven and the Nasod Arm he has are actually separate entities! Raven is the human half, augmented and changed by Nasod engineering but still flesh and blood. Meanwhile, the arm is akin to a symbiotic parasite. It has a core, making it sentient on it's own, the core itself can even detach and act independently to attack or defend it's host just like in the fight against that Knight commander back in Fieta. The arm still acts like an arm to Raven, following the main body's command like it's actually Raven's arm.
Except theirs a catch.
The Nasod arms and augmentation on Raven is polluting his body, practically poisoning him by low doses in a steady stream. Haro suspects the more Raven uses the power of the arm, Raven's lifespan will be cut short.
Haro liked Raven.
Raven reminds Haro of....
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[Data history doesn't not exists]
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On one the tunnels jutting out of Altera, a pongo is watching the skies, looking for signs for the airship that has been terrorizing their people. This little pongo has volunteered on this job, having enough of their meek nature and discontent to the violence of the Black Crows and the Nasods.
Suddenly, something emerged from the clouds.
They're here.
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The journey back to Altera took a few days due to the turbulent winds and bad weather conditions. Despite being advance, the Black Crow ship is heavily dependent on then power of El, limiting it's efficiency in flight, cementing Haro's decision not to use or meddle with the El shards. They're too unreliable.
When Haro have time, maybe Haro can convert the ship into Haro's space vessel to leave the planet! But that would mean leaving Raven.
Haro likes Raven.
Raven reminds Haro of [Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error]
Since discovering Raven's depleting lifespan, Haro's been working for a cure. The problem is the Nasod core. It's connected to this Nasod King, someone whose connection to Raven is far stronger. This entity cannot monitor Raven always but time to time, Haro can feel their presence whenever they probe Raven's arm too noticable.
Haro learned from that mistake.
Raven is a good person, Haro knows. He just hates humans and Velder. But beyond that, Raven is not evil. He's [Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error]
Haro is having headaches lately. Haro never had headaches. Haro doesn't have a head too.
Ooh, Haro sees people!
Is that an elf?
Haro thought before feeling the ship's hull being caved in by a barrage of powerful arrows.
Haro is under attack?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Alrera's cliffs....
"Nice shot, Rena!" Elsword applauded the Archer's feat, her arrows have punctured through the ship's armor and created a massive opening to the side.
The perfect entrance for them.
"Alright, everybody hold me so I can teleport us to the opening!" Aisha said with closes eyes, holding her staff with both hands as she concentrated on the image of their landing site.
For the last few days, they have been devising plans on how to board the ship while it's in midair. The only plan that came through all that brainstorming (more like her and Rena, Elsword's plan of jumping of the cliff is too stupid), teleporting on the ship was the best course of action.
Unfortunately, that took lots of concentration and unpracticed by mages like Aisha. They can only teleport by themselves, never trying to teleport with another person due to risks.
Too bad they have to risk it now.
Aisha felt Rena's hand land on her shoulder then something warm wrapped around her hands gripping the staff making her open here eyes.
"Hey, you got this." Elsword's confident smile greeted her. Aisha's face turned red at the intimate gesture and with sheer embarrassment, she didn't even noticed they have already teleported in the ship with no hitch. She can't help but notice how his baby fat in the early days of their party were gone, replaced with sharper features.
When did that twerp hit puberty?!
She was only broken from her thoughts when the boy broke contact from her hand to engage in battle. In her stupor, she haven't noticed that they we're surrounded by Crow mercs!
As the girl joined the fight, Rena shook her head at the girl's reaction with a mirthful smile before kicking a Merc in the jaw.
Ouch!
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"Haro, what's the situation!?" Raven gruffly asked the little Nasod of the intruders in his ship.
"Three unknowns! Two humans and one elf! A knight, mage and ranger!" The machine courtly replied, trying to stabilize the ship's flight with great difficulty.
The initial attack that tore a hole in the ship's hull has destabilized the fight of the ship, making it almost do a barrel roll. Fortunately, Haro managed to divert the Els power to the other engine to balance the ship.
Then the intruders began to ran a mock on Haro's ship!
With zero collateral sense, the intruders are throwing powerful attacks and destroying essential flight instruments in the ship! One of the engines on the left have already died, it's connection to the El powered engine cut off.
"Haro cannot fly the ship! Ship damage critical! Ship is going down in 10 min, Haro is going for emergency landing!" Raven nodded before retrieving his blade.
To think that brat actually managed to follow him all the way to Altera.
Time to greet them properly!
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On the halls of the Black Crow ship, the fight is going strong. Holding a corridor, the mercs fired at the other end indiscriminately to hold the intruders.
Hiding behind the corner, Rena signaled Elsword to take the front. The boy eagerly followed through and raised his sword. With the size and the wide flat of his blade, the boy rushed out of cover. Bullets and beams slammed into his sword, blocking them as the boy advanced slowly, his sword acting as his shield.
Seeing the approaching boy and remembering what he did to the one of the Merc commanders (Elsword spartan kicked one off the ship!), they focused fire on the boy.
Big mistake.
Before the mercs knew it, Aisha has teleported in their midst.
"Who-" One reacted far to slow as he leveled the gun to the girl.
In a burst of flames, a pillar of fire erupted in the corridor, burning and reducing the mercs to charred corpses. As the flames subsided, Aisha stood over the ashes with a huff and proud smile.
Then Elsword went pass her, cutting down another Merc on the way, ruining her parade.
"That twerp..." Aisha mumbled with a forced smile, her infamous temper flaring up.
"You'll get your spotlight soon, Aisha." Rena giggles pass her, following the boy before he gets cornered by the defending mercs. Aisha huffed with a red tinge on her cheeks but followed the older girl deep into the ship.
Back to Elsword, the boy is like a rampaging bull set loose on the poor mercs. A Merc blocked the boy, slashing downwards. The boy simply lean sideways and kicked the man in the chest. Armor folded underneath the force behind the simple attack, sending the poor Merc to his fellows in a heap of limbs. Not satisfied yet, Elsword dragged the sword to the floor and sent a massive spiral shockwave to the off balanced mercs. The spiral blast tore through the group, blasting them through a set of iron doors.
A sense of alarm tore through Elsword's being. Something's in the room and it's calling for him. Like a deep cry for help.
He hastily entered the room, finding it to be a storage bay. The broken bodies of the Mercs beneath his foot are ignored to inspect the crates calling for him.
A swing with his sword revealed it's contents.
"El shards." He gasped at the spilled stones.
"Whoa, that's a lot." Aisha whistled as she and Rena finally reached him, following the destruction he left behind.
"What could they be using these great of amount of El shards?" Rena pondered.
"Didn't Elder Adel already told us? It's to rebuild the Nasod Army." Aisha answered in a matter of fact.
"Yes but why? The Nasod Kingdom has been broken and left to ruin by the old Velder Kingdom. Rebuilding the army would simply attract the Velder Kingdom of today to respond to the Nasod threat." Elsword replied with great insight, for once.
Aisha and Rena stared at the boy with great surprise at the sudden intellectual insight. Aisha absently raised her staff to bonk the boy in the head to see if it's a fake but Rena absently held her hand from that action.
"How do you that?" Rena asked the boy.
"What? That's simple History lessons among the Red Knights and El Tree Guardians." Elsword answered with a confusion, why are they so surprised?
The two girls mouth formed an I at the realization. They tend to forget that the boy is educated and trained by Veteran Red knights and the El Tree Guardians at times. It's not their fault when said boy tend to think with his sword than his head at times.
"So that's why you could keep up with me?" A voice echoed on the rafters above. Looking up, they see Raven appearing in the shadows with a cold expression.
"Oh, careful with those. That took me a lot to get those shards from Fieta." Elsword narrowed his eyes at the words. They had attacked and ransacked Fieta already? Then that meant the Red Knights are on their tail if so.
"Why are you gathering this much El? We know the Nasod Kingdom is rebuilding their forces but they cannot stand a war against Velder again even with all of these!" Elsword asked the older man.
A deep chuckle escaped Raven's throat, "To be honest, I have no idea at all. I don't care what plot the Nasod King is scheming in his hole. What I simply want is revenge." He glared at the boy, deep-seated memories coming up to mind and reigniting his hatred.
The boy simply reminds of them, the traitors.
"You would risk a war over revenge?!" Rena gasped in shock. The continent has been in a era of peace, the last war being the hundreds of years pass back then. She was still young back then in her homeland but she had seen returning elves who have suffered in human wars.
"I don't think he's gonna listen to us." Aisha gripped her staff, memorizing a spell to sneak an attack.
"Not yet. Remember Adel's request." Elsword whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Flashback to a few inches]
In Elder Adel's home...
"Huh? You want us to save Raven? The Black Crow Captain?" Aisha was surprised at the elder Pongo's request.
"Aye, it's a strange the young man." Adel nodded.
"What gives?" Elsword asked, his suspicion about the Black Crow Captain intrigued.
"You see, the man had released or let our captured brethren go from time to time. It's why most of us has escaped from capture. It's because of him." Adel revealed, surprising the trio.
"Aren't he supposed to capture you?" Rena pointed out.
"Yes but I think the man's under deep control of the Nasods. Especially his arm." Adel said.
"More than one times did he helped us Pongos but at the cost of fighting against the Nasod arm of his. My kin all told me how the man's in conflict against his arm whenever he does help my captured Pongos."
"As such, I have one final request. Save Raven."
[Flashback End]
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It's a talk request regarding the current situation.
"So how did you find me Altera? Why did you even come here?" Raven asked.
"What else but to reclaim the El stone you stole from us in Bethma!" Elsword replied but he wasn't done yet.
"Aren't you supposed to be a Velder knight? I recognize the sword techniques your using! Those are only used by Velder knights or those who have been taught under them! So how? How did someone like you who acts like a bandit that would plunge this continent in war knows their techniques?! Only those who honor the code of the knights knows such techniques!"
Through the boys words, Raven's anger grew at each accusation. Each word cutting deep into his hardened heart. Each word twisting his vengeful rage into hateful rage. How dare? How dare he?!
"You speak of honor among the Velder knights?! Those so called honorable knights are nothing but traitors to their code!" Raven roared back, the Nasod core in his arm detaching and flaring up it's spikes with electricity sparking from its tips.
And with that, he threw himself towards them. The time for words have passed, time for action.
The El search party prepared themselves with grim determination.
This fight wouldn't be easy.
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