Chapter 1006: There is no rest
Chapter 1006: There is no rest
As Erik finished his discussion with Commander Zephyr-71-E, he made his way back to June and the others.
"There is some news," he said as he entered the tent where the others were resting. The group gathered around him.
"Somehow, I think I might not like this news at all," Amber said.
Erik didn't reply.
"The commander just briefed me on the situation, and it's not looking good. The blackguards have reinforced the troops around here, and their equipment is making it harder for our forces to hold the line."
June, his brow furrowed, stepped forward. "So, what did they ask us to do, master?" That was the only logical conclusion to the situation since Erik was here. It was clear the clones were going to ask him for help.
Erik sighed. This situation would make them lose some time, but it wasn't like he could simply walk away. These were his clones; they were protecting his people.
"The commander mentioned Etrium is transporting new weapons and armor to the base, taking care of this sector. If we can locate these shipments and share the coordinates with the Chimaeric Demons, they can send a team to retrieve them. There might even be manuals and schematics that could help us in the war."
Mira nodded. "That's certainly a great idea, and I agree with helping them. Getting our hands on those schematics and equipment could help this sector push the front lines. The schematics alone might help the whole front lines."
Amber and Emily, though, remained silent.
"The problem is, even our intelligence doesn't know exactly when and where these shipments will arrive at the enemy base. We don't even have the precise location of the base itself; we just know it's in this sector."
"Well, there might be a simple solution for that." June turned to look at Emily. The woman noticed and understood what June was thinking.
"Emily, do you think you could use your brain crystal power to help us out? I know it's stronger when the visions come to you in dreams, but any glimpse of the future, even if not that precise, might give us a clue and cut the time we need to find this place."
Emily wasn't certain she might be able to do this. Her powers were... complicated. As Erik said, they were very precise when they came to her, but they were much less clear when she tried to glimpse at them voluntarily.
The young woman took a moment to compose herself, then nodded.
"I'll try my best, but I can't promise anything. The problem is that I do not have control over the quality of my visions, but I can't even control what I see. I might end up seeing something completely unrelated to the matter at hand, so I suggest keeping searching regardless of what I do. However, if I can get even a hint of when and where those shipments will arrive, I'll let you know immediately."
Erik smiled, placing a hand on Emily's shoulder. "Thank you, Emily. You just try your best, ok?"
Emily blushed at that.
"Does this mean we'll have to wait here while Emily tries to see the future?" Amber asked. "No, we can't afford to stay put. Regardless of the situation, as Emily suggested, it will take us some time to reach the enemy base. Actively searching for it is our best course of action, especially considering that we might shorten the time needed to reach the place."
The group nodded in agreement.
Erik turned to the three Chimaeric Demons accompanying them. "You three will have to help us. When we camp, take on the form of some flying thaid and scout around. We might miss the base, but with an aerial view, the chances of that happening would lower."
"Yes, Master."
Erik clapped his hands. "All right, everyone, since we are done here, let's pack our things. We're leaving immediately."
Mira scoffed. Even if he agreed to Emily and Erik's suggestion, she hoped they would stay here at least for a couple of days. To get a warm shower, at least.
"And here I was, hoping we'd get to sleep on actual beds and use actual toilets for once instead of having to dig holes in the ground to do my business."
Emily and Amber gave each other a look, knowing exactly what Mira meant. They were also looking forward to the outpost's convenient amenities.
"Oh, come on," Erik said, trying to lighten the mood. "Stop whining! You were a mercenary before joining us. You should be used to it. Besides, camping is fun, you know? You've got to take things in a positive light."
The three women gave each other a look, slightly annoyed. They knew Erik meant well, but his enthusiasm for roughing it in the wilderness wasn't exactly contagious.
"Oh, yes, Erik. There's nothing quite like the thrill of squatting in the bushes and praying you don't get poison ivy on your backside," Amber said, making the girls laugh.
"Hey, see it as a fun adventure, at least!"
"Master, I think the ladies might appreciate a bit more comfort than what we are currently doing. Perhaps we could make our campsites a bit more accommodating?"
Erik's brows furrowed, but then he nodded. "All right, I will make some wooden buildings with a toilet and a way to send our waste far from us."
He turned to the Chimaeric Demons. "Can you find some better bedrolls for us all?"
"Yes, Master!"
Mira, Amber, and Emily couldn't help but laugh at that point.
"Anyway, master," June said. "I think it would be a wise idea to spread some of the Luminara Serpentis around these parts. We have planted it a lot since we left New Alexandria, but here,
it might be really useful."Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Yeah. I've already thought about that. I don't know if it will actually work against so strong thaids, though. Remember what it did with the wyverns? It only made them enraged." "That's true, but it will keep the weaker ones away. They might end up attacking someone else." June gave Erik a wink.
"Let's hope so."
The group then packed their belongings and prepared to set out once more.
The mood in the outpost had lifted a lot thanks to Erik's presence, and for sure, the
commander told everyone he would help them.
This was an outpost where only Chimaeric Demons were present, so there wasn't even a risk
of someone warning the enemy.
Regardless, this didn't mean Erik and the others didn't have to pay attention.
There were many ways for the blackguards to learn about what Erik wanted to do, so the more they kept silent, the better it would be.
With a last check to ensure they had everything they needed, Erik and the others set out of the outpost, knowing they would have to spend some time in the area.