RE: Reality Smuggler (R-18)

While I was putting on my pants, a hulking figure approached us.

The figure looked like one of the Kin Soldiers, but bigger and with dark green skin. It was a Soldier-type Kin Leader.

What caught my eye, however, was what it wore and held. It wore almost complete armor, including a full helmet, body armor, shoulder guards, arm guards, leg guards, and even armored gloves and boots. It also held a 2.5m long spear, just a bit taller than it, and a thick and large shield covering two-thirds of its hulking mass, with two extra spears held from behind and a sword strapped to its belt. They were all made from some form of a smooth golden material.

But what caught my eye the most were the strange black inscriptions on its gear, as if etched by a finger. At first glance, they looked like random tribalistic inscriptions made by some shaman. However, on a closer look, they held a form of systematic completeness in the randomness.

Until now, all the leaders I met were unarmed and stark naked like the humanoid monsters they are, but this one was different, like some weird Medieval or Hellenistic honor guard.

"Was this made by the Ascended? But why not arm it with modern weaponry instead?" - I wondered.

While I was observing it, the Kin Leader also looked at me.

The Soldier Leader looked at me, then at Primrose, and then at me again, likely deciding that I, the grownup, am the decision maker.

And then it spoke to me in a guttural voice.

"Grawr Raa. Snap* Grr Roar." - It said in its beastly language.

Perhaps because I am technically a Kin, and perhaps because of my trivial knowledge of True Tongue, I understood what it said.

"Ascended one, please follow. Lord Arnerd awaits." - Was the meaning of its words.

In return, I tried speaking to it in English.

"Alright, lead the way." - I replied.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, it understood me and nodded before turning around and walking.

"Let's go, Primrose." - I turned to Primrose, who finished taking the blood-covered nylon off her body.

"Yes, Iver." - She replied in a low tone, but I failed to notice anything abnormal.

This time, she called me Iver like I instructed her to because we were in the presence of outsiders.

And so we followed the Kin leader deeper inside the Kin Field while looking around.

Previously, I ran like a madman, so I didn't have the leisure, but I can now.

We were now inside a forest. Like any forest, there were trees, bushes, mushrooms, flowers, fruits, ivy, weeds, and many other plants and fungi, some I can name, and some not. However, these plants looked... alien. Mystical even. Almost like out of a fantasy book.

It wasn't like the depressing Fields of grey outside but more like a colorful and glowing painting of many colors. Oddly beautiful. Even more so at night.

Some of the plants released a light golden fog, and when I breathed it, my tired body that ran dozens of miles with a 60-pound package felt re-invigorated, and the slightly cool air around felt just right. And the ground felt comfortable to my bare feet. I almost felt like I am one with nature.

I also noticed some unrecognizable insects here and there, adding more life. Perhaps the Kin Field is developing a complete ecosystem.

Another thing I noticed was the passing Minions. Those slow-moving and clumsy Minions moved faster and agilely. Although not as good as a Stalker, they had movements comparable to humans.

And there were also the passing Kin Soldiers and Stalkers. Previously, because I was running like a maniac, I didn't notice, but I now saw them wearing yellowish armor and holding weapons. They were not as intricate and complete as the Leader, and they didn't have inscriptions, but they still had them. The Soldiers had heavier armor, shields, and throwing spears, while the Stalkers had lighter armor and compound bows or slings. Also, I noticed that the claws of the Stalkers were gone, assumably to allow wielding these weapons.

Likely, if I faced something like this at the start as a regular human, I would die without a grave.

But in any case, I, as an Ascended, felt strangely at home here, safe and comfortable.

"Isn't it beautiful here, Primrose?" - I asked the quiet little girl.

"Yes, Iver. It is beautiful here." - She answered mechanically.

This time, I noticed her depressed tone.

"Primrose, what happened? You can tell me." - I asked with concern.

"... You put yourself at risk to save me. I... I don't know how to feel about this." - She said in a depressed tone.

"It was my fault in the first place. I was being unthoughtful and negligent, and it led to this outcome. I have to take responsibility for it." - I spoke earnestly.

"N-No! How can I blame my L— you for it!" - She stopped walking and shook her head vehemently, clearly distressed.

Hearing her words, I couldn't help but stop walking and turn to her.

"Hah... Primrose, we will talk about this later, alright? So try not thinking about it." - I sighed and said.

Honestly, I am pretty tired from all the running, and it was inconvenient to talk about this right now.

"I... Yes, Iver..." - She looked down dejectedly again.

I shook my head and kept walking, and she followed.

Trying to get the uncomfortable vibe out, I looked at the armored Leader in front.

"Excuse me, Kin Leader. I was wondering what that armor is." - I asked.

Without turning around, the Leader answered.

"It is a runic armor forged by the Ascended ones in the primary Kin Field North West from here. Besides being incredibly durable, it also has decent directed energy shielding properties, able to resist the Human's directed energy weapons to an extent." - The Leader explained.

"Runic armor? Did some of the Ascended evolve into Relicsmiths? Maybe some of them also evolved into Biomancers, too." - I thought.

"Oh? And do you know how it was made?" - I continued to ask.

"No. Lord Arnerd provided me with the equipment. I am just a guard and not privy to further knowledge. If you want to know more, ask Lord Arnerd." - The Leader said.

"I see... And what about firearms? Have the Ascended not tried providing you with some instead of cold weapons?" - I asked.

"Ascended one, do you not know!? Were you not born in a Kin Field?" - The Leader asked in surprise.

"I suffer from heavy memory loss, so I do not know many things." - I gave my prepared cliche answer.

Perhaps because it is a more simple-minded Kin and not a sophisticated Ascended, it didn't question the authenticity of my words.

"Ah... Sorry to hear that." - The Leader said with a hint of sadness.

Shaking its head, it started explaining.

"You should have noticed by now that the pollen around us is easily absorbed by our body as ready energy, making us stronger. In addition, it also has a crucial defensive property. When ignited, it produces smoke that blocks light and chokes fire, rendering lasers and chemical fire ineffective, and the pollen can cover exposed machinery, causing malfunctions. Here, it is better to use cold weapons and organic weaponry than mechanical technology, such as guns, bombs, missiles, and vehicles." - The Leader explained.

"Wow... Talk about an ultimate defense against humans." - I thought.

But then I noticed a specific term.

"Wait, you said organic weaponry?" - I asked.

"Indeed. A few Ascended experts can use organic armor and weaponry in the Kin field, but they are limited to personal use. I heard they are experimenting to enable their use by others, but there are no useable results as far as I know." - It replied.

"Ascended experts? Do you mean Ascended that evolved once and have unique mind powers?" - I asked to confirm.

"Yes." - It replied.

"Then, how many Ascended and Ascended experts are in the main Kin field?" - I asked.

"I am unsure, but I hear they number in the thousands. As for the Ascended experts, there are at least a few dozen. I suggest you check it yourself when this trouble blows over." - It suggested.

"Hm... Thank you for answering my questions, Mr. Kin Leader." - I said honestly.

"No need. It is part of my born duty to guide you." - The Kin Leader shook its head and said.

"..."

For some reason, I started feeling sympathetic toward these monsters. Sure, they are man-eating monsters that almost killed me, but they are surprisingly human and are now on my side and even helped save me and Primrose. These creatures have emotions and complex thoughts and yet have an inbuilt servant mentality, eternal servants to the Ascended race. They wouldn't hesitate to lay their life for their masters.

Many in my reality would consider this evil, cruel, and unjust. Perhaps there were better ways to solve the alien crisis.

Yet, I dare not climb the high horse and shout thoughtless slogans.

For all I know, this is the only means of survival of this civilization, of this version of humanity, now in the form of the Ascended and Kin.

Mother nature is cruel, and only those that adapt survive. To survive, many would resort to necessary evils... And I am no different.

Shaking my head, we continued our long trek.

 

As we kept walking, the foliage in the Kin forest became denser, and the trees became taller and thicker. 

And soon, I could hear the sound of water, and then it clicked in my mind.

"Are we at Cle Elum Lake?" - I wondered.

When I thought about it, it was just about right. I do remember I needed to cross over a creek when running away.

And my thoughts were soon proven right.

We soon arrived at the edge of a large lake. The gentle wind was filled with flakes of gold caressing the water as the plants danced to their rhythm under the bright moon and stars, creating a magical atmosphere.

Cle Elum Lake is beautiful as it is, and I even had an outdoor picnic there. But now? Now it looked like something out of fantasy art made manifest.

I would have loved just staying here for a few hours, admiring this natural work of art, if not for the pressure of survival.

Futuristic humans armed to the teeth are hounding our asses, and I dare not relax yet.

At this moment, the Kin Leader finally stopped walking and turned to us.

"Ascended one, this is where we part ways. Lord Arnerd awaits you over there."

The Leader said and pointed in a direction with its spear, around 500m away from us, where the golden mist was the thickest. It appeared that it came from there.

"Then where are you going?" - I asked.

"I must return to prepare the defenses against the humans. The Ascended ones have already predicted such a scenario, and we know they will not give up so easily. Look." - The Leader said and pointed up with its spear.

Looking at where it pointed, I saw a small dark dot flying in the sky.

"Drones..." - I cringed.

Yeah, like we thought, they still didn't give up.

"Yes. I am heading out now, so take care. Oh, and stay away from the lakeshore. We are raising mutated amphibian lizards inside for food."

It said and left.

"Mutated amphibian lizards? Crocodiles?"

I muttered and stared warily at the peaceful lake.

"Yeah... I think I will pass on taking a dip..."

With that in mind, I turned to Primrose and said, "Let's go, Primrose."

"Yes..." - She said in a downcast voice.

"..."

I didn't say anything and reached my hand to her head.

Pat* Ruffle* Ruffle* Ruffle*

"I-Iver! Please stop..." - She protested meekly.

"Not until you start cheering up." - I said and continued ruffling her hair.

"Uuuh... Okay! You win! Now please take off your hand..." - She said with a blushing face, her previous gloominess diminished by two-thirds.

"That's better. Now let's go." - I smiled and walked in the direction pointed out by the Leader.

Honestly, we didn't need its guidance, and we would have found the place ourselves thanks to the crystal network, but it saved us some time and energy by avoiding detours.

After walking through the thick golden mist, we arrived at a massive dome-shaped structure.

The dome was made out of interweaved trees and climbing plants, and growing on these plants were colorful flowers that gently released golden mist.

Of course, the mist was pollen or spores, and breathing it should make me cough, if not choke me. But because I am a Kin now, it was somehow okay to inhale it. Healthy, even.

After circling the dome for a bit, we soon found an entrance guarded by eight Kin Leaders. Four were Soldier types like the one that brought us, while the others were Stalker types like the one we killed. The four Soldier types were equipped the same as our guide, while the Stalker types had complete light armor and crossbows.

The eight guards turned to us for a moment before ignoring us. Likely they were more concerned about guarding whatever was inside.

Soon, I reached in front of the entrance, where I saw what was inside the dome.

It was a brass statue of a towering armored knight seated on a greyish-green throne with a football-sized black crystal embedded on top. It held a sword-shaped broad lump of hard material(Assumingly a greatsword) in its right hand, stabbed firmly to the ground, and a massive tower shield in its left. They were all covered in runic carvings, much more intricate than the Leader's equipment.

Also, I saw three plant domes inside the massive dome, one on the right, one on the left, and one at the back.

Of course, I already knew the statue's identity through the crystal network.

"Lord Arnerd?" - I probed.

"Come in." - The statue, Lord Arnerd, rumbled.

Getting its permission, Primrose and I entered the dome.

After we stopped about ten meters from the giant, it finally moved its hulking body. Even when seated, it was taller than me by two heads.

"Welcome, Ascended ones. You have brought quite the hassle to my domain." - Lord Arnerd said with a hint of blame.

"My apologies, Lord Arnerd, but the humans didn't leave us a choice." - I replied respectfully.

Sure, it is a Kin, but it is also above me on the leadership scale. Although it can't command me, it rules over this entire territory, and I can't take over its control.

Besides, it is hard NOT being respectful to this towering knight statue. It is a Kin Lord. A Kin Leader almost killed me, so one can imagine the raw power this guy wields.

"I know the gist of things. From my subordinates' report, the Field is now surrounded by four lightly armored vehicles and a hovercraft, and they also tried capturing you alive. I assume the ones chasing you are Apex Technologies, right?" - Lord Arnerd asked.

"Yes. It is likely them." - I nodded in agreement.

"Then I am afraid this domain is not safe anymore. The Ascended ones in the primary Kin Field already predicted this scenario. As directly entering the Kin Field is suicidal, they will send for reinforcements and create an encirclement. As flammable chemicals such as napalm are useless here, they will use bio-chemical weapons to flush us out in a certain direction, forcing a fight in unfavorable conditions." - It said.

"Can we expect reinforcements from the primary Kin Field, then?" - I asked hopefully.

"I have sent a few runners to inform Ruler Tyangulf about the situation, but you should expect no aide. His priority is to protect the entirety of the Ascended race, not individuals like you and the newborn. Besides, outside the Field, the Kin race is vulnerable to advanced weaponry. We usually use Minion numbers to counter it and force them to waste ammunition and stamina. But Minions move slowly outside the Field, and only the more precious evolved Kin can come at a reasonable speed. However, you should know they will not throw away so many forces for a single Kin Field and two Ascended ones. It is a pure, calculative consideration." - It explained.

"Welp, so much for that." - I thought bitterly.

"Then what should we do, then?" - I asked.

"There is little we can do. I can only try to fight them and hope my sacrifice will buy you enough time to escape, but the hopes are slim." - Lord Arnerd said while shaking its head.

"..."

"Dammit, now I feel guilty..." - I thought bitterly.

For fuck sake, having someone sacrifice his life for me, even if a monster, does NOT feel good, especially when willingly told to the face.

As the cogs of my mind swirled, I couldn't help but look at Primrose.

"Primrose, any ideas?" - I asked hopefully.

But to my question, Primrose shook her head.

"No, Iver. What Lord Arnerd said is correct and is the optimal course of action." - She said.

"Damn..." - I thought bitterly.

The previous tactic with the bedsheets couldn't continue since I ran out of them. And, as a lone individual, even as a pseudo-god, I am insignificant in such a large-scale battle. I would be lucky if I could even keep my life here.

Thinking about it, I started hesitating again while looking at Primrose, my selfish and compassionate sides colliding. I felt an angel and a devil appearing on my shoulders, attempting to persuade me.

"You did enough. You risked your life to protect her once and owe each other nothing. You should say your goodbyes and return to your reality. You can develop yourself for a few months there before returning for revenge. Their life is expendable, but yours is not." - Devil Iver whispered.

"Don't listen to that devil! You can't leave all of them to die! You would be as bad as your shitty parents! You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself for it. How would you face great-grandpa Ryan's grave later? How can you let others continually sacrifice themselves for you? How can you let a little kid like Primrose die like this?!" - Angel Iver protested.

"Don't listen to that emotional freak! It will get you killed! It's not too late for a gentleman to take revenge for ten years." - Devil Iver said righteously.

"Iver, you won't necessarily die if you stay. Maybe there is a way." - Angel Iver persuaded.

"Quiet, you! Are you trying to get Iver killed?! What do you think he is, a God?!" - Devil Iver reprimanded.

"I... Wait... god... TROD! Ask Trod!" - Angel Iver suddenly exclaimed.

"Oh, right! It is worth a shot! Iver, go ahead and ask him! Maybe you can benefit from this..." - Devil Iver suddenly changed sides and agreed while rubbing its palms greedily.

With both sides agreeing, they both vanished in a puff of smoke.

"..."

My lips twitched involuntarily.

"Why all that drama, then?! Just say it earlier, you fuckers!"

After conveniently blaming them, I asked the relevant party.

"Trod, any ideas on how to get out of this mess?" - I asked.

{That depends on who you are facing. Are they regular humans?}

"I... I don't know. Let me ask."

"Primrose, do you think we will face regular humans?" - I asked.

"Apex Technologies personnel are unlikely to have undergone extensive genetic augmentation, or at least not through bio-crystal technology. Also, they probably avoided mutating themselves with harvested bio-crystals. So, yes, they are, at most, elite-trained human soldiers." - She replied.

"Hm..."

"And there you have it, Trod. Now what is the plan?" - I asked.

{So long as they are fundamentally regular humans, I have a way. Try using True Words.}

"True Words? How am I supposed to do that? They are miles away! Besides, I would risk myself by going near the edges." - I said.

{Use your Crystal Neural Network to observe them through the eyes of the Kin. They count as extra-sensory organs, allowing you to observe through their eyes and extend the range of your True Words.}

"Oh... Didn't think about it. Nice thinking, Trod." - I complimented.

{Not thinking, but experience, something you sorely lack but gain in due time. I suggest you ask me more things to cover up for this flaw.}

"Hm... Noted..."

Trod had a point. I am, for lack of better words, inexperienced. How inexperienced? On the level of a newbie playing the tutorial on a MOBA game. Almost anyone can become decently good with enough practice, but it takes time, time that, right now, I didn't have.

Shaking my head, I turned to Lord Arnerd.

"Lord Arnerd, may I connect to the Kin on the edges? I wish to observe the human movements." - I said.

As an Ascended, I have the authority of a Kin Leader. Although it is already high, it is lower by a level than Lord Arnerd's authority. I need its permission to connect and control the Kin under it.

"Go ahead." - Lord Arnerd agreed.

With its consent, I connected to the evolved Kin on the edges and asked them to report sightings of the humans. Soon, I got some replies.

I then connected to a Stalker and saw through its eyes a human jeep parked over half a kilometer away on a strategic hill.

Although I didn't see them well, I could make out their vague appearance. Two were outside, one was in the car, and one held the machine gun on the roof.

"Empower Words."

Basic Energy: 10,104 -> 10,094

I then looked at one of them and said the magic words.

"Ȼħ'nǥłᵾɨ'Ⱥħ๘ǥ."