Black Lightning's Jungle Reunion

Once again, the familiar dampness of Nakan Jungle. The familiar wooden stockades. Nakan Jungle once more. And... those familiar yellow eyes meeting mine yet again.

"Why'd you ask me to come?"

"...I needed help."

"Heung..."

Kiara tilted her head. Her gemstone-yellow eyes curved slyly.

"I'm glad."

Glad? What did that mean... Before I could puzzle out her implication, Kiara bolted toward the opposite side of the stockades.

"But this comes first, right?"

Quick on the uptake. I tensed my toes.

"How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"That blood trick. Smells like bats."

Ah? Since it was a wave full of normal monsters, I'd unleashed Blood Cannon freely, and that's what caught her eye.

It made racking up contribution easier than last time, but... bat smell? Did it actually smell like something? I hoped not.

No... no smell!

I prayed it was so.

"Heung..."

Her hum dripped with meaning. At the same time, her forsythia gaze swept over me.

"Whatever. More weapons are good. Weapons."

Weapons...? She meant Blood Cannon, right?

An alert window bobbed in front of me. Should I have left one like in Gravenfelt? Whatever—easy 1,600 Cron. Plus, not knowing return timing made it trickier. And who knew how long consultations would take.

"Doing it again. Save some. Or do you like Nakan?"

As white light enveloped me, Kiara added one more line. Despite the grumbling tone, she looked pleased.

"I said I have stuff to discuss."

"Tch."

Wait, earlier she was glad I needed help...

"I am Morga, Nakan's second claw. Nakan's warriors welcome the Black Lightning. Warrior. Long time no see."

Inside the familiar stockades at last. A massive, bear-like man with an axe on his back addressed me.

So they'd keep calling me Black Lightning. As I nodded in greeting, Kiara beside me naturally corrected my posture—grabbing my right arm and placing it over my left chest.

"Nakan greeting. Remember it."

She whispered right in my ear, naturally. If she was whispering anyway, couldn't she just tell me verbally? Anyway.

The warrior who'd introduced himself as Morga mirrored the pose toward me.

"Nice to meet you, Morga."

Morga smiled warmly at my greeting. See? What a nice guy, proper manners too. That community merc must've slandered Nakan for sure.

"This wave wasn't tough. Why call, Great Warrior?"

"He asked."

He glanced at me, then Kiara. Nodding like he got it.

"Understood."

What did he understand? Seemed like nothing at all. Should've just told me the greeting verbally...

"Heung~"

Another hum. Different tone from before. Better wrap up urgent business before more misunderstandings piled up.

"...Let's head to the barracks."

"Oh? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Manly, Berga."

"Lightning indeed."

No! I said I had stuff to discuss!

Ending up like this again.

"Kiara. Important talk."

"Spit it out."

"First, scoot over."

"Doesn't matter."

"It's really serious."

In the familiar barracks' small reception room, Kiara sat glued to my side again. Like a cat through and through in moments like this. But important stuff, so.

Reading my gaze, she shifted to face me properly.

"Starting with Pordia."

I recounted Pordia, Edenfelt, Gravenfelt, Ashburn, even Gratia and Nox—battlefields I'd been summoned to, events there, the odd disconnects and questions I'd felt. Resolutions and branching guesses, all of it.

Kiara hummed, pondered, lost in thought at times, but listened to the end.

"...That's it. Know anything? How's Nakan?"

"So the bats were called Ashburn."

Non sequitur. That's not the point. Dimensional layers...

"Hm. From a great warrior's view—what folks call commander—Nakan's... same deal, just different words. Warrior's trials, seized honors, next steps. Identical to what Nox's saintess said."

"How'd you become great warrior?"

"Huh? Strongest? Just happened naturally. Woke up one day and felt it."

Like a chosen hero from some cliché novel? Fits, world-guarding role and all.

"Cron?"

"No clue. Just piles up for me? Never thought about it."

Made sense. Kiara was off-spec commander. Nakan strong enough without Cron.

"Heard of mercs? Summoned ones often."

"Hehe... Jealous? Not anymore."

"...Stick to the point."

"Ignore braggarts. Hm... Once, yeah. Decent merc. Not your level. Old sword guy. Said to me..."

"What?"

"'We'll pass through here' or something?"

Pass through. Probably meant wave-clear promotion. Mercs knew the structure... But Nakan passing? So Nakan-level was normal?

"Mercs, tell me if needed later. Summon both here, right?"

Unexpected. A chance meeting I'd figured might happen someday—on demand, chosen merc.

Like today's deliberate summon.

"That possible...? If I get names, sure."

More importantly.

"What can I do for you?"

Too much received from Nakan—or Kiara precisely. Felt like constant taker. Wanted to help somehow. Could brute-force other walls, but Nakan didn't need that.

"Keep entertaining like now. That's plenty."

"Meaning?"

"Heung... Dunno other worlds, but commanders here? Boring gig. Can't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leave post freely, just small-fry monsters incoming."

She met my eyes straight.

"No one with eyes like yours. No one stronger than me."

Cryptic. Why do women always spout vague stuff? One clear bit: like now. So my actions till now were on track? Like now...

"Thanks. Appreciate it."

Time to go.

"See ya."

"Yeah. See ya. Don't die, Berga."

"You survive too. Waves get tougher."

"Heung... Won't help?"

"Of course not."

My reply echoed unheard in the waiting room. Fine, though. Help when truly needed. Words always paled against actions anyway.

Now we had someone to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rely on. Each other.

Rely on? Ah.

Three more from Lena. Last batch was weird ramblings, so I'd packed in tactics and ignored... Glad it helped. Solid commander at least. Feed her strategies, she'll eat 'em up. Occasional freakouts aside.

Messages shifting to countermeasures meant her waves toughening too. Less leeway? Or growth? Hoped the latter.

Time to tell her she's doing great.

Replied sincerely, checked shop, then summon hit. Not Edenfelt hopefully...

Nope. Forest. Not jungle, actual forest. Kinda predictable. Checked Belt Pocket one last time, faced the pouring white light.