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Day 359 - 12:19 PM - Kudus, Kudus Regency, Central Java, Indonesia

Mark watched the situation silently while pulling the rest of his group behind Luna and the others. He did it to observe the situation first before making his move. And what he would do would depend on the people the military sent.

In the first place, Mark did not have any plan to make Luna and her group take responsibility for who killed the [Fog Crawler]. While letting them take the glory would raise the Moon Chaser's reputation, it would also put them in a difficult situation. If it came to a point where the [Fog Crawlers] began attacking the fortress, the people would bring the Moon Chasers to the front lines. There, Luna and her group would only face death in their current state.

Letting the Moon Chasers take the blame or glory for what the Evernight did was not a good thing from the start. In the first place, Mark only gave the remains to Luna's group but never told them to cover for his group.

Mark looked at Luna's back.

***

Luna had a few plans in mind, for sure. She wanted to take the responsibility for bringing back the remains of the [Fog Crawler].

However, it was not because she wanted glory. Luna had already discussed it with her friends. The Moon Chasers had already experienced a lot in this place and knew many things. Given the abilities and capabilities Mark's group had shown, they would surely become the target of the snakes lying in wait. They wanted to shield Mark's group from the eyes of those snakes.

Luna had already prepared a few lies and excuses to say about the death of the [Fog Crawler]. Although these lies would not last, everything would be fine as long as they had already sold the remains.

What was outside Luna's calculations was this crazy scientist. His behavior and appearance might look crazy, but none of his deductions were wrong.

Due to the crazy scientist, Luna was unable to proceed with the lies she prepared beforehand.

"It's us. We killed it," When Luna was at a loss for words, Mark's voice echoed in everyone's ears. "We just don't have a use for it, so we gave it to them, but it's us who killed it."

Everyone turned to Mark as he grabbed everyone's attention. He then walked forward with every one of the Moon Chasers making way for him.

"And you are?"

General Wijaya asked as he stared at Mark while racking his memory. However, he was sure that Mark was unfamiliar to him.

But then, Captain Timur stepped closer to the General and spoke.

"He is from that group," Captain Timur then looked at Mark's group, who wore similar-looking robes. "They seem to be from outside. They arrived earlier together with everyone here."

Captain Timur's words surprised General Wijaya and those listening around them.

'There were still people living outside the fortress?'

Everyone had the same question in their minds.

Given the situation within Indonesia, everyone was sure all the remaining people in the country were within this fortress. Although they were still unsure about the situation on other islands, at least, this was the fact in Java.

But now, a group of people from outside came. And it was not just a simple group. It was a group of people with beasts amidst their ranks and claimed to be the ones to bring down the nightmare known as the [Fog Crawler].

General Wijaya tried sizing up Mark and his members. What surprised him even more was that the opposing group was composed mostly of females with even four children with them. This kind of group lived outside. They even brought down something the military could not. It felt unlikely.

But as General Wijaya focused his attention on Mark, he felt the same feeling as Captain Timur.

This person was no mere survivor. This stranger was a dangerous individual. Why could they say so? Could it be because General Wijaya and Captain Timur could feel something strange about him? No, it was the exact opposite. It was because they could not feel anything from him at all. Looking at this person was like staring at a predator stalking his unknowing prey.

If this person was like this, then it was even more likely that there was no lie in his words.

Mark could feel the General's probing stare as he walked forward. However, he did not mind. This General was quite good. It reminded Mark of General Perez in Corregidor Island.

But, all of a sudden, a face blocked Mark's sight.

Mark stopped on his steps. The face of the crazy scientist was just an inch away from his. If one did not know any better, one would think the crazy scientist was trying to kiss Mark.

"Are you alive? You're not dead, right?"

The crazy scientist asked Mark as he slightly backed away, to everyone's shock.

Mark looked at the crazy guy. This crazy scientist might behave weirdly, but he seemed to have an outstanding intuition.

The [Blessing of Death's Aura] would make Mark look weird to regular people, but those with a high enough level of intuition would question whether he was a living person.

It was the first time someone asked Mark such a question. Even the Demon Diety of Flames, Gar'Vlam, did not notice this fact. If Gar'Vlam did, he would not be as careless in front of Mark.

"Take this idiot away."

General Wijaya could only massage his forehead as he ordered his men to pull away the troublemaker.

"HEY! MY QUESTION IS NOT ANSWERED YET!"

The crazy scientist screamed as the soldiers dragged him into one of the trucks. Funny enough, he was not complaining about being dragged away but about his question being left unanswered.

"My apologies about that idiot."

General Wijaya said to Mark with an exasperated sigh.

Then, the General extended his hand towards Mark.

"Susila Wijaya."

General Wijaya humbly introduced himself without his title as a soldier.

"Mark. Just Mark."

Mark returned the gesture and shook hands with the General.

The General did not mind Mark just stating his name. Many people had already thrown away their surnames, while some even went further, like giving themselves different names and aliases. 

After the initial introductions, the General went straight to the point.

"Is what you are saying true? You killed the [Fog Crawler]?"

However, Mark shook his head.

"Not me, we," Mark emphasized that this was not the work of a single person but his group. "We just have the means to do so. However, I won't go into details here."

General Wijaya observed Mark as he spoke. However, Mark did not show any hesitation or change of expression as he said those words. That aside, the General also understood what Mark was saying. Mark could say they killed it, but going into detail in public was just asking for trouble.

"Do you have time? We can talk privately."

General Wijaya offered. He was quite suspicious of Mark, but he was already at least eighty percent sure that the [Fog Crawler] fell by the hands of Mark and his group. The evidence was open for everyone to see, after all. The [Fog Crawler's] head was here.

And since it was very likely the truth, General Wijaya wanted to secure the information first before anyone else. Mark's methods might greatly help the military and its people, but it would be bad if they fell into the hands of those who bear evil thoughts.

However, Mark had a different idea.

"Can we do this later? We just arrived here, and we're tired. We only stopped by for Miss Luna to sell the stuff. If not, we would have already headed straight to their settlement."

Mark spoke without being overbearing or disrespectful. What he said was the truth. Besides, it was not like Mark declined. He just said that they could discuss this stuff at a later date.

General Wijaya looked at Mark and then at Luna. He then nodded. It looked like the Moon Chasers found a powerful ally this time. And it was a good thing.

If Mark had not chosen to follow Luna and her group, General Wijaya would have asked Mark and his group to accompany him instead and prepare dwellings for them. However, the 38th Settlement, a settlement prejudiced by a lot of people at the top, was one of the most honorable and powerful settlements in this place.

Many antagonistic parties wanted to erase the 38th Settlement and its allies. However, it was hard to do so because of their strength, not just as a group but as individuals.

"Then, we can arrange a meeting some other day. I will send someone to inform you."

General Wijaya decided.

"That's fine. I'll tell the details at that time," Mark then spoke in a lower voice, which only General Wijaya could hear. "I'll also answer questions you might want to know about the fog."

General Wijaya froze as his eyes widened in disbelief.

Even the scientists they had here in the fortress were unable to pinpoint the cause of that strange fog and why it could not affect Mount Muria in the slightest. Did this mysterious person know something about the fog?

The questions inside General Wijaya's mind started to pile up.

General Wijaya snapped out of his stupor and wanted to ask Mark immediately, but the latter had already turned around with a playful grin.

"Please settle the transaction with Miss Luna first," Mark said as he started walking. "Your questions will find answers later."

Everyone watched as Mark said those words while returning to his group. They were all in disbelief as to how Mark could speak to the General on equal terms. After all, the position itself warranted fear from the masses. However, it seemed that General Wijaya's position did not matter to Mark at all.

Some felt strange, while some admired Mark's demeanor. After all, many people would not feel comfortable talking to people in high positions, especially armed soldiers.

General Wijaya gave Mark one last glance before turning to Luna.

"Miss Luna, how do you want to settle this transaction?"

Hearing her name getting called, Luna immediately stepped forward.

"We want to exchange this for an equal value of goods and equipment, if possible."

"Alright," General Wijaya nodded and turned to his subordinates. "Quickly assess the price of the goods."

The soldiers from the logistics and some lab personnel came forward and began inspecting the [Fog Crawler's] parts. Normally, these kinds of transactions would have fixed suggested pricing on the traded goods. It was especially the case for common creatures like the [Vine D'holes] and other mutated insect carcasses.

But this time, it was different.

It was the first time these people dealt with a [Fog Crawler]. Aside from the research value, they also had to assess the usability of its parts, especially the carapace.

After a few minutes, the logistics came out with a negotiable estimate of the price. Normally, it would be the logistics who would handle the negotiation. However, General Wijaya stepped in. He raised the price higher than the estimate and offered it to Luna.

Seeing the price that was higher than expected, Luna and her friends felt dizzy. This was the first time they had a transaction as expensive as this. With the amount given to them by General Wijaya, they could probably buy enough food to feed their settlement for half a month without needing to risk themselves to go out and hunt.

"Is the price fine?"

General Wijaya asked.

"It's fine! No problems!"

Luna excitedly replied.

Seeing Luna and her friends excited like little children, General Wijaya showed a faint smile.

"Then, we'll finish the exchange at a later date in the center," General Wijaya said as he took out a metal badge. "Use this to claim the goods. That way, no one can steal it."

This time, it was not just Luna and her friends. Even the soldiers felt the intensity of the situation.

What General Wijaya had in his hand was his personal badge. It meant no one could claim the goods in this transaction unless they had his badge.

Luna was hesitant, but she was happy as she accepted the badge. There were some incidents of claim theft before. Even they became a victim of it twice. But now, it was impossible to fall victim to it.

"General, is this okay? People might think you are giving preferential treatment."

Captain Timur whispered to General Wijaya.

"It's fine," General Wijaya replied with a serious expression. "The [Fog Crawler]... It isn't something our soldiers can handle. You know what this meant, right?"

Captain Timur looked at Mark and his group, sitting silently with their ferocious-looking pets.

The General was correct. This time, it was not the these people who needed to curry favors with the military and the government. It was military who needed to curry favors with people who could kill a [Fog Crawler].

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