The Phantom Riser

CHAPTER FIVE - GRIMSLEY

System Update

Kiro Ner

Test passed

You have been awarded 500 coins

You have been awarded 500 more coins for your cleverness.

***

“I guess that’s it then,” he said, right before he let the force ball drop with all the people inside. No one could believe what had just happened. Victor and Karenia stared at Kiro in utter disbelief. “Save everyone? Are you all dumb? Can’t you see what’s happening around? And you were all so quick to trust someone you hardly even knew. All because it was convenient? Wake up! Nothing’s the same. Nothing ever will be,” Kiro lamented.

“You betrayed us,” one of the men cried.

“I saved you the trouble of getting your hands stained with blood. You’re welcome,” Kiro retorted.

“But we had already passed. You didn’t need to,” another woman lamented.

“Then why didn’t you volunteer yourself? If you are all so selfless, why aren’t you all on the other side? Why did you allow them step forward in your stead? You want to know why? Because you are cowards. Hiding behind the mask of ignorance. An illusionary innocence whose light faded the moment those meteors came through our clouds. Don’t try to lecture me when you’re not any better,” Kiro said.

“And what makes you think we won’t make you pay?” an angry man proclaimed. Others began to cheer in support of him.

“Be my guests,” Kiro challenged them with his arms spread. Karenia and Victor immediately got up to defend him. They were not exactly sure what happened nor were they in support of Kiro’s action, but they knew he had their interests at heart and they would defend him whether they thought he was right or wrong.

As someone approached them, he is forced to come to a halt by the screams from the other cabins. The onslaught had begun. The passengers in Kiro’s cabin became reluctant to attack. Either as a result of gratitude of saving them from such a fate or fear of creating that fate for themselves.

Noah appeared in their cabin. He didn’t look surprised. Rather disappointed. “I thought you were going to be a ruler, yet you chose the hero’s path. You have condemned yourself to a lonely death,” Noah said to Kiro.

“That suits me far better than a lonely life,” Kiro retorted.

“You created a force field to take half the people of this train out, therefore passing the requirements. If you had brought them back in, you would have automatically failed everyone. Dropping them in that barrier kept them alive. And their penalty for failing the test is having to walk all the way to Grimsley. That was your plan, wasn’t it?” Noah asked, much to everyone’s surprise.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That was very crafty, I’ll give you that. How much do you know about the system?”

“Enough to keep me and my friends alive.”

Noah smiled softly. “And yet you called them all naïve. Force fields? That quite the ability. It hasn’t surfaced since the very first harvest. The one who owns that power no longer bestows powers on risers. How did you get it? Is that why you know so much? Are you by any chance connected to the Phantom of the Eight?” Noah asked but is only met by silence.

“Feigning ignorance I see. Well, let’s see how long that will last. Until we meet, enjoy your trip to Grimsley. Oh and by the way, he’s right about everything he said. You are all too naïve to survive in this world,” Noah said before disappearing from the cabin.

“Is that really what happened?” one of the men asked.

“You all need to toughen up. Or you won’t survive past level five,” Kiro said.

“We owe you our lives and an apology.”

“When we get to Grimsley, those of you that have loved ones left behind should go east of the train into the woods. You should catch up to them there. Or you could just wait,” Kiro said.

The passengers were all grateful. But Karenia and Victor were the most relieved of all. Relieved that their friend was not a psychopath. And Kiro was just glad that they had his back all the same.

***

In a few moments, they arrived at Grimsley town. All the other cabin passengers came out in devastating shapes, save for Kiro’s cabin. They had had to survive the test the ‘crude’ way.

“Why didn’t you just tell them the plan instead of riling them up?” Karenia asked.

“Because I needed Noah to do it for me. it had more of an impact that way. And I’ll need their support for something later.”

“So, it was all fun and games then?” she snapped.

“It’s not a game Karenia. It’s bigger than you think. It’s bigger than everyone sees. Besides, they needed to hear the truth sooner than later.”

“Don’t you think your stunt made them even more vulnerable?” Victor asked.

“Vulnerable to me, cautious of everyone else,” Kiro replied.

“You are such a con artist,” Karenia teased.

“Why thank you. I pride myself in my job. It’s n honour to earn such a remark from the Lady Beast,” Kiro goaded.

“I hear I thought she’d be beauty,” Victor joined in on the teasing.

“Super punch!” she yelled as she smashed the ground in front of them, pushing the two of them away. It however gained more attention that she could have imagined. “Sorry, just a joke really,” she said embarrassingly. Because of how lightly they had passed their test, she had forgotten how traumatized everyone else was. All thanks to Kiro. And somewhere at the back of her mind, she thought to herself, that they couldn’t depend on Kiro forever.

***

As the three of them walk through the town, they for some reason unknown to them at that time, catch the attention of a lot of people, particularly a suspicious looking person standing on the roof of the building. “So that’s him. The one they call Ascient. He looks tasty,” he said with a drooling expression on his face.