Chapter 302 - What did you Maniacs do?

Reaching the low lands through day after day of travelling have granted the two heroes with something they for sure have missed, the comforting warmth of the sun. As soon as they crossed the specific part where snow and greenery separates, they started feeling the amazing warmth and their frozen souls started heating up.

Now it is June in this fine continent and world for that matter, but the Climate in these High mountains of Ignis still remains as cold as ever. You would think that by the passing years the temperatures would eventually get better but no!

However apart from freezing your soul, this Continent's climate is amazing, one would think that an ice age has specifically hit only one portion of this world. This exaggerated coldness doesn't just occupy the High mountains of Ignis, but the cold sea waters behind these mountains is also a victim along with a small portion in Ratan, the Continent of the flying people and fairly the biggest Continent in this world.

It is as if the previous ice age left an aftermath on corners of the world when it met an end at the beginning of the first era, 6,112 years ago. Amazing indeed and as good as it is to share this world's History, we will have to get back to the story.

They are very close to Crutal Kingdom, but more and more worry has struck them the closer they've got. Eric for example, about 9 months ago when he was just living in a little farm house near Crutal Kingdom, life and death didn't really matter.

He spent his whole time with his father, at winter battling cold and at summer battling the unforgiving summer heat. Death would be a reliever for him, but what about now? He has made so many amazing friends, this way or the other escaped poverty and he even is close to getting a girlfriend.

Would he be able to do any of those when he was isolated from the rest of the world in that little farmhouse? Hell no, the best friends he could have made would be Wildboars who would try to kill him. He doesn't know if he can let go of the world and leave everything behind, these thoughts have occupied every corner of his mind and he isn't a fan of it.

You would think that he even is a few steps away from depression, he barely spoke throughout the journey. Less than usual actually, which really says a lot. This task has taken his energy more than any power move ever could, but what's more? He is scared for once again, he knows that he can't win against the manbeast with the current arsenal to his disposal.

What's worse? He turned 16 years old when he was a week deep in to this journey, at May 15. Heck of a Birthday isn't it? The climate freezing his behind, no friends or family around apart from Mogranius, and all those thoughts occupying his mind.

And as for Mogranius although he portrays a fearless figure, he too is scared. I mean, he is 59 years old and has lived his life the way he wanted. But what about now when he made new discoveries, such as love? As if the Ghost Tree being damaged wasn't enough to steal portions of his sense of humour. Well I did say portions! Throughout the journey he cracked jokes often to keep the morale up.

...

Reaching closer and closer towards Crutal Kingdom, they've decided to hide what they have already at the forest surrounding them so they can pick it up for later if survival becomes an option. They don't need camping equipment in a battle field and carrying the extra fur clothes they stuffed on their backpacks made the load on their backs a lot heavier.

They tip toed their way towards Crutal Kingdom, with no aims to hide their faces and a lot of confidence in their step even though deep down they were cowering in fear. The Guards likely forgot their faces by now and if the special farmers walked by, they would surely keep their mouth shut in hopes of not losing more than their genitals, if they survived all that blood loss that is.

But as you expected, the Guards at the main entrance debated the second they had the chance. Two of them stood by the Gate, but Eric knows for sure that they are different Guards. Perhaps the ones that harassed them year after year were victimized by the blazing flames Eric unleashed when met with his outburst?

"What is your business here? Where is your Wagon?" Became the first Guard suspicious, he doesn't know these two "visitors" which gives a hunch that they don't live here. So stereotypically, merchants or any other come with a Wagon.

When the first Guard finished his sentence, the second one is either more paranoid or more retarded. Because he slowly started pulling his sword slowly from his Scabbard, ready to slice these two upon the smallest mistake.

Right before Mogranius was about to answer, a thunder like explosion echoed behind the Guards and grabbed everyone's attention! Wasting no split second, the other Guard pulled out his sword and bashed through the main entrance along with his Guard friend to see what happened.

Mogranius took a peek at Eric, looking him in the eyes without saying a thing he just tilted his head to the left, gesturing to dash in to Crutal Kingdom along with the Guards. Although they didn't exchange any word, they both are smart enough to understand that this distraction can be used to take the king down by a blind shot.

But once they've entered, what was to see? People sliced in half across the street, some being children and some being random passer by's and a lot of Guards were dead too. A terrible scene to look at indeed, the Guard who pulled out his sword to begin with at the main entrance, threw up all over the walkway thanks to this scene, his stomach couldn't take it.

Seconds after, they saw random civilians running towards the main entrance, obviously scared of the explosion. But the aftermath of the explosion brought a lot more deaths to this Kingdom, because pieces of rock ranging from big to small started falling from the sky.

Hitting people on the head, breaking their necks or crushing them completely depending on the rock. Throughout the process, Mogranius took a couple of steps back before he grabbed Eric by the arm and forcefully pulled him from his spot

A second later Eric saw a boulder half as big as a house fall to the ground and crushing a portion of the house he was close too, more and more rocks fell after but neither of them managed to hit Mogranius nor Eric since once he pulled Eric over ten steps back, he busted a Fire Shield open without the fear of being seen using his powers in public.

The situation is already a big chaos, and last thing they both need is to panic like the rest and become victimized by this situation. As for the Guards, they just glanced at the shield once and never again since they have a lot more trouble on their hands.

"Explosions can't slice people like this, can they?" Eric asked as he started to panic, shaking Mogranius' shoulder to further grab his attention as he was under the comfort of the Fire Shield.

Seeing that rocks stopped falling from the sky, he broke his Fire Shield and answered. "No, they can only rip people in half!" Approaching a dead child a few meters away from him, he continued to explain. "These people are sliced clean!"

Afterwards they heard one of the Guards yelling, "I thought you said that the Guards can handle that large man!" Throughout that sentence, he gave the Guard a strong punch and threw him to the ground as if this was all his fault.

The explosion got them distracted to the point where they didn't yet figure out where the explosion came from, they became so focused on the dead people that they didn't see a huge piece missing from this Kingdom. A piece that was visible instantly once any individual passed through the main gate.

The Castle! The whole god damn Castle is missing! Eric became the first to notice this tremendous fact and instantly became terrified of the circ.u.mstances of this explosion. "Chan came here before us, I think he got Xakro's power!"

Eric didn't know what else to think, had it hard to put pieces of the puzzle together. Wouldn't such transaction of large power cause a terrible aftermath along with success? The odds are likely!

"We didn't make it in time..." Mogranius instantly felt disappointed, they failed! Failure isn't something good to taste.

A flash of a moment later, they both heard a shout behind them from a familiar voice. "What did you Maniacs do!"

Turning around, they saw none other but Guard Commander Chan along with his crew of 11, blaming Eric and Mogranius for this Earth trembling explosion.