BXBX NOVEL Chapter 107: Off the Grid
They had been traveling for a week now, and they were told that they just needed another day to reach their destination.
The travel between Tier Cities was much farther than they expected. And the presence of the black fog outside made the journey even more unnerving.
Only the light emanating inside the heavy armored train provided some peace of mind, making the journey more bearable.
Fortunately, they did not encounter any danger this time
"I think someone badmouth me," George replied.
"Is it Reign?" Mellissa asked, her mind immediately jumping to him as the only person she could think of who would openly insult George.
"Why would he insult me? I even made a cool nickname for him," George replied, sounding perplexed.
"You mean that 'Rain of Terror' thing?" Mellissa rolled her eyes. George could be a little bit childish.
"Rain of Terror?" Cyril asked, her curiosity piqued. She knew that 'Rain' was his code name, but why add the 'Terror' part?
"Because that guy is evil personified," George replied.
"Is he really that bad?" Cyril asked, casting a skeptical glance. She had now taken off her visor and face mask, revealing her beauty .
Even George had to admit that she was very close to Anna in terms of appearance and charisma.
"That guy likes to insult people and treat others like tools," Melissa sighed heavily, as if recalling all the mistreatment she had endured.
However, Cyril could discern from her exaggerated reaction that Mellissa was mostly joking.
"Yeah, he's also insensitive. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even have a heart. If he had one, I doubt it's beating," George added, intensifying their conversation.
But he had an ulterior motive: to make Cyril see Reign's bad side, so she wont steal him from his daughter.
The duo continued to mock Reign behind his back, but somehow, they ended up laughing while sharing stories about his personality that contradicted their earlier words.
Cyril observed the dynamic between the duo, finding herself intrigued by Reign enigmatic nature.
'I should give them my address so I can invite him for some food in the future,' she thought to herself, contemplating the idea of extending an invitation to Reign.
She made plans to retire from her role as a Veiled Nights member after reaching Green Valley.
With enough money to last a dozen lifetime, she envisioned starting a small business, perhaps a restaurant, fueled by her passion for cooking.
"You really like him, don't you?" Cyril giggled, her playful tone prompting wry smiles from both Melissa and George.
They couldn't deny her words.
Despite Reign's nature as a monster, killer, borderline psychopath , man-eater, insensitive, selfish, blunt, and trashy person, they knew one thing for certain: he was very honest.
While he never went out of his way to act friendly towards them, he also refrained from doing anything that could directly harm them.
In fact, he went as far as buying a ticket for Melissa, and paying Cyril to protect them.
It was clear to Melissa, and George that beneath his rough exterior, Reign knew how to repay favors.
And often, actions speak louder than words .
***
"Status"
============
Name: Reign
Level 14
Age. : 18 (+1 year)
Race: Skull Master (System Enhance)
Strength :B
Agility. :A
Stamina :B-
Endurance : A+
Intelligence: B-
Energy: S
Bite I
Undead Eye I
Night Crawl X
Clawer VIII
Viral Slash X
Claw Bullet XX -
Claw Barrage XIV-(SP)
Death Aura XI
Enhance Bones XX
Bone Control XX
Bone Eater I
Seed I
Hawk Bones [30%]
Scorpion Pores [30%]
Mantis Eyes [25%]
Drug Immunity
Drug Resistance
Drug Enhancer
[Points]
Attribute Points: 30
Skill Points : 3
Evolution Points : 0
============
'I need 6 more levels to reach level 20,' he thought to himself.
Reign planned to reach level 20 and evolve before leaving for Green Valley.
This way, he'd feel more confident in a Tier 3 city, where strong opponents were much common.
As he contemplated his next move, he recalled purchasing a digital map from the black market detailing still-functioning mining areas.
These locations were deliberately kept off the local internet for privacy reasons, making the map a valuable resource for him ,because they were normally found in off the grid area
'That's it,' he mused to himself. He had formulated his plan: to visit these mining facilities and massacre everyone present.
Since he would control how much power he show, they wouldn't immediately realize he was already an Upper Demon.
Instead, they would likely assume he was a regular demon killing people and send hunters after him.
As the Hunters slowly realized they were facing a powerful demon, Reign would capitalize on their underestimation.
He would continue to kill and devour them until they finally grasped the true extent of his power.
By that point, it would be too late for them.
He would seize the opportunity to launch a devastating attack on the city, maximizing casualties before retreating , biding his time until the next opportunity presented itself.
Even if the Hunter Association reported the threat to other Tier Cities, it would take several days for reinforcements to arrive.
This provided him with ample time to disappear and lie low for a while.
With his plan firmly settled in mind, he drove his Hammer to the nearest gasoline station. He filled up several backup containers, just in case, before setting off straight out of the city walls.
As he drove, he gazed out at the trees lining the highway, their branches swaying gently in the breeze.
He rolled down the window, allowing the fresh air to caress his face.
"Country road... Take me home... To the place... I beloooong! ," Reign mumbled along to the music, remembering about a century old songs from his previous world.
Having grown accustomed to traveling with George, he now found himself feeling a bit bored, so he started singing songs .
***
Around 4:00 pm, he reached a mining town located very far from the main road.
He was glad for his decision to purchase a pick up instead of a sports car, as the uneven ground would have rendered travel impossible otherwise.
This place was a huge, bustling with activity.
With around 1,000 workers residing here, and some bringing their families along, the total population reached almost 1,500.
What they were mining here was Cobalt, a material in high demand for batteries making.
As Reign surveyed the scene, he observed numerous heavy machineries and workers toiling away on what appeared to be white sands, likely the cobalt-rich ore.
In the middle of the mining activity, he noticed several towering structures where the cobalt was being processed.
These massive facilities indicated the scale of the operation and the importance of cobalt extraction to the community's economy.
***
'This town is good,' he chuckled to himself as he parked it at a distance mountain.
Knowing full well that his vehicle would attract too much attention, he decided to conceal it from view.
'I still have a couple of hours before night, so I'll take a nap first,' Reign thought to himself as he climbed onto the roof of his pickup and settled down to sleep.
The trees provided shade from the sunlight, and the gentle breeze from the forest area felt pleasantly comforting.