Rabbits

“How’s the pasta?” Jimin asked.

“It's good, I really like the sauce. Right amount of richness and aromatics,” Derrick said. “Was there no meat option?”

“Nuh uh. Only vegetables. The lady in the inn said they had to ration meat due to the goblin issue.”

“That makes sense,” Derrick said, slurping up another mouthful of pasta.

“How is it still steaming hot?” Jimin asked, leaning forward curiously.

“Another one of my gadgets. A self heating lunch box. It can pressure cook food too if I connect it to a power source.”

“You, my good sir, are basically a walking electronics store.”

“That's a bit of an understatement considering I can build combat gadgets. Electronics stores don't usually sell those.”

The mechanical horse continued on autopilot mode, rolling deeper into the mountainous forest. The path was dimly lit by the inconsequential rays of light that penetrated the dense canopy above, and Derrick had no choice but to activate the horse’s headlamps — literal horse headlamps where light of an absurd amount of lumens shone out of the horse’s eyes.

The path ahead was lit with light brighter than daylight itself.

The cart rolled steadily onward.

Derrick continued eating his lunch. Jimin was fiddling with the good luck charm tied around her wrist. Rei sat beside her with a book open on the retractable table Derrick had installed earlier, the words illuminated by a small orb of floating light she had casted.

Voidborn looked outside silently.

Towering tress pressed closed to the narrow mountain path. Moss-covered boulders and thick ferns lined the route irregularly, creating pockets of dense and sparse undergrowth.

“That looks quite atmospheric,” Jimin said, pointing at an abandoned wooden carriage half-buried in the undergrowth beside the path. Its wheels had been broken, and its frame was tilted at an awkward angle. The wood showed subtle signs of rot, with vines that strangled and consumed it as if the forest itself was slowly erasing any trace of those who had passed through.

“So,” Derrick began, wiping his mouth with a cloth, “want to hear about the six factions? We’re basically cruising now anyway.”

“Okay.”

“Jimin, would you do the honours?”

“W-wha—me?”

“I don't see anyone else named Jimin. Is your actual name Jimin, Voidborn?”

“No.”

“Why me?”

“If I remember clearly, you're the one attending the event, not me. Don't worry and just say what you know. I’ll add on if you miss anything out.”

“Ugh, fine.”

She crossed her arms and straightened herself proudly.

“So uh… if I remember clearly, there are six factions in total. Each faction is tied to a Reborn type. We have of course the Machinist Union, which my family is part of, and that’s the Mechanist faction.”

“Very good, Jimin. Well explained.”

“Why are you praising her?” Rei asked flatly. “That's literally the bare minimum!”

Jimin stared at Rei with narrow eyes.

“It's called encouragement,” Derrick said. “Don't you think you are more likely to remember if I praise you? Or do you want Voidborn to praise you?”

“Y-you crazy bastard!” Jimin squealed, her face turning red. “I’ll complain to Dad when we get back.”

“Sure, go ahead. Your face says otherwise though.”

“Hmmph. Anyway, Zylos has two other factions — Spellbound and Claustrum. As you already know, Rei is from Spellbound, which is the Scholar faction. As for Claustrum, it is an Architect faction.”

“Right, it is because of these three factions that Zylos is known as the Knowledge Sanctum,” Rei said, closing her book to join the conversation. “If you remember MS ADAM, that was a construct that had the combined efforts of these factions. Whilst you may not have seen its capability, the barriers that Claustrum made are top tier.”

“Correct,” Derrick explained. “Architects are exactly what they sound like. Builders. However, they focus on physical constructs and barriers. They are heralded as the defense experts, and even a Rebirth 1 is highly sought after in teams.”

Voidborn raised his hand to ask a question.

“Voidborn… why are you so cute?” Jimin giggled. “This is not a classroom. You can just ask!”

He lowered it immediately.

“What are the known Rebirth names for Architects and their corresponding skills?”

“Good question,” Derrick replied. “I can only tell you up to Rebirth 3. Anything more than that is classified as controlled information.”

“The Architect’s Rebirth 1, 2 and 3 stages are Mason, Builder and Warden. Masons gain the skill to shape terrain, where they manipulate nearby materials to create constructs.”

“For Builders, they can erect barriers out from thin air that are capable of defending against physical and spell damage.”

“And Wardens?” Jimin asked.

“They gain matter manipulation.”

“Matter manipulation?” Voidborn asked.

“Think of it as controlling the matter itself. As long as they have sufficient mental energy, they can reshape material into practically any form.”

“Yeah,” Rei added. “I once saw a Warden harden air itself into invisible platforms and barriers. He literally ran through the sky.”

“That's insane,” Jimin muttered.

“Exactly,” Rei said. “Highborn Reborns are monsters.”

The cart rolled over something hard.

Crack.

Everyone looked down briefly.

A shattered goblin skull disappeared beneath the wheel.

Silence lingered momentarily before Voidborn spoke again.

“What about the other regions?” he asked.

“Hmmm, in the Battle Haven Fortis, it is solely dominated by one faction — Battleforge,” Jimin said “It’s the Savage faction and there's only one rule there. Strength. Winners take all.”

Voidborn gaze drifted back towards the forest. Surrounding trees showed signs of damage — broken branches, slash and claw marks, blood stains that had dried. With the darkness, it was hard to determine if it was fresh or not. He wondered if he should request a stop to invest—

“Hello? Earth to youuu~”

Jimin squeezed Voidborn cheeks.

“Are you listening to what I’m saying?”

Voidborn shook his head and apologised.

“No. Sorry. I was thinking of something else. Could you repeat?”

“Fine. Only because you're cute.”

Rei’s and Derrick’s gaze flashed towards Jimin.

She ignored them and cleared her throat.

“Ahem. As I was saying, there exists a giant gladiator arena in Fortis called Bloodforge. Reborns from all around the world head there to fight for fame, money and glory. They're like barbarians.”

“Did you know that the hairpin you promised to give Rei was a prize from Bloodforge?”

“What?”

“So you're calling your dad a barbarian. I'm going to tell him.”

“Wait—what? No! That's not what I meant.”

Jimin immediately grabbed Derrick’s sleeve.

“Derrick pleaseee?”

“Alright, alright. I’m kidding. Let go of my shirt. It's gonna be out of shape if you continue pulling, you dinosaur.”

“Bleh.”

“But yes, like what I said, you can win all sorts of prizes at Bloodforge. Shells, Rebirth stones, weapons, all kinds of treasures.”

Derrick adjusted his clothes and continued speaking.

“There’s also plenty of information regarding Savages there. You may want to visit there eventually.”

Voidborn nodded silently.

Jimin raised her arms and gave a lazy yawn as she stretched her body, before continuing.

“Then thers’s Vita, the City of Life. The Apothecary faction’s Eden’s Hand rule there, but Spellbound maintains a sub-branch there too. It's a very valuable place since Apothecaries control the world's production and development of almost all types of potions and medicine.”

“As for Shadow, not much is known about its faction other than the fact that its base is located in Kandar. As a matter of fact, all six factions exist in Kandar, but none of them rule the region. Kandar belongs to the Empire.”

“Is the Empire a Reborn faction?” Voidborn asked.

“No one knows,” Rei replied.

“Then how does the Empire keep all six factions in check?”

Derrick glanced around briefly before lowering his voice.

“Keep this to yourself. I’ll say it since there's no one here.”

Voidborn nodded.

“There are rumors that the Empire is a Reborn family that has deep roots in history.”

“What type?” Voidborn asked.

“No idea. Some have said that he is the sole Rebirth 6 Reborn in the entire world. An Overborn.”

Jimin looked at Derrick and blinked.

“How strong is an Overborn?” she asked.

“Don't ask me. I don’t know. But records say Rebirth 4 Rulerborns can destroy towns by themselves.”

“And Apexborns?”

“Some say they possess enough power to alter the fate of nations.”

“…What the hell,” Jimin muttered.

“Errr…” Rei interrupted. “As much as I would like the conversation to continue, we may have a problem.

Everyone turned.

The forest ahead was a mess.

Derrick immediately slowed the cart.

Rei summoned her tome and the pages flipped rapidly before stopping. With a wave of her hand, the opened pages glowed yellow and four small orbs rose from within. The orbs floated outwards, spreading out into the vicinity.

“Flash.”

Brightness flooded the forest as the orbs lit, illuminating the mess for all to see.

A caravan smashed into pieces. Furrows carved deep into the ground. Broken blades scattered beneath shrubs, blackened scorch marks on the remains of burnt trees.

It looked as though an intense fight had happened.

Voidborn got off the cart and walked to inspect the nearest tree. He raised his hand and touched the bark.

“Blood. Relatively fresh.”

“How recent?” Derrick asked.

“Last night. Maybe earlier today.”

“Do you think this—” Jimin swung her finger around, “—is from the suppression squad sent by the Empire?”

“Highly likely, going by the timing and the traces of battle,” Derrick said, already dismounted from the horse as he inspected a broken blade laying on the soil beside the wrecked caravan.

He picked up the sword guard and passed it to Rei.

“It’s definitely from the empire,” she said, cleaning the dirt off the handle. “There's the seal of the Royal family.”

Voidborn picked up a leather glove, flipping it outside in. The glove was smeared with blood and upon wiping its top with his thumb, it revealed the same seal as what was on the sword.

A symbol of a crown that overlapped two swords crossed at the back.

It was simple but straightforward, as if to symbolise that regardless the power anyone held, royalty will ultimately take precedence.

Voidborn wandered towards the shattered remains of the caravan. Something black fluttered weakly beneath a broken plank.

He crouched and picked it up. It was a silk medallion embroidered with a multicoloured mandala. The same good luck charm from the village.

“It belonged to one of the soldiers?” Jimin asked.

“Probably,” Derrick replied absentmindedly while inspecting nearby scorch marks.

Voidborn stared at the charm for a second longer before slipping it into his pocket.

“So what now?” Jimin asked. “Do we continue forward, or do we head back to the village? I’m worried about them. It doesn’t seem like the suppression squad will make it back today.”

“I say we stop for the night and set up camp,” Derrick said. “There's no immediate danger, considering that there's no bodies here, and the damage looks to be minimal. This is highly likely a scuffle between the Empire’s suppression squad and patrolling goblins.”

Voidborn nodded in agreement.

“The Wordwraiths should have reached the village by now anyway. They’ll be fine. Plus, it’s getting late. Given the circumstances of lurking danger, I’d rather rest for the night and travel tomorrow morning.”

“…Alright.”

Jimin still looked uneasy, but eventually nodded.

“Let's go further ahead,” Derrick said, mounting the horse again. “I see a good spot.”

The trio watched as Teeth and Tear scattered out, taking their positions in discreet positions outside Gunrage.

Crushing snaps and whirring barrels echoed through the forest.

The traps were operational.

“I’ll head to shower first. I'm exhausted from driving all day.”

“Sure,” Rei said, summoning her tome. “Here are your shower spells.”

She tore three separate pages from the tome and handed one to each of them.

“I hope you gave me the correct spell this time…” Jimin narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“I did,” Rei giggled. “The last time was just to teach you to be more observent.”

Derrick took the page and grabbed his towel from the bunk room, heading to shower.

“I’ll be outside.”

Voidborn walked out of Gunrage, leaving the two girls to their own chatter. He walked toward the cart and retrieved the bundled nooses he had prepared the previous night. Undoing the knots, he slung them over his shoulder.

It was time to get to work.

He scouted the perimeter, looking for possible escape points, dangerous spots, and the sign of any suspicious activity.

There was no harm in being extra cautious. After all, safety doesn't take breaks.

Compared to the battlefield they had encountered earlier, the forest here felt peaceful. Crickets chirped and trilled as night descended, sending the forest into a deep meditative state of tranquility.

He approached the first tree he had inspected after circling the perimeter. In the same fashion, he tossed the noose over the branch and set up the trap.

Voidborn nodded in satisfaction.

One by one, he went to each tree, setting up the noose traps in quick succession.

Satisfied, he gave the place another quick scout, before heading back to Gunrage. After fastening the trap lines to the bell alarm system, he finally considered his task complete. It was time for him to shower.

The shower was occupied. He walked into the bunk and took a look — Derrick and Rei both already deep in slumber atop their bunks.

He reached into his side pocket and pulled out a whetstone, before making his way to the communal table at the centre of Gunrage.

Cloth of Light untied, he began to sharpen his sword.

He lifted the blade and placed it on the table. Propped on each end by cups acting as makeshift holders, he held the whetstone in his hand and gripped tight.

Voidborn focused his eyes, staring at the blade. Thirty degree angle tilted from the blade, he slide the whetstone across the sharp edge in one smooth motion.

Shhk.

A crisp metallic grind grated through the air.

Whetstone back at the starting point, another slide.

Shhk.

The sound became less gritty; the glide smoother. With each cycle, the blade became sharper, and the sound more refined.

He set the whetstone down. Gripping the handle, he raised the blade and inspected it.

Sharp.

Voidborn gave an internal nod of approval and proceeded to work on the other side. The rhythmic sounds of stone grinding against metal filled the air. He worked methodically, flipping the sword to sharpen every edge until the blade gleamed with lethality.

“Hey, what's up?”

Jimin appeared from behind, her hair still damp from the shower. She wore only a thin white bathrobe that clung to her damp skin, the belt loosely tied around her waist.

“Just sharpening my sword.”

She walked closer and slid into the seat opposite him.

“Mind if I take a seat?”

Voidborn stared at her blankly.

“You are already sitting.”

“Right,” she said, leaning forward. She propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. The motion caused her upper body to rest atop the edge of the table, the soft swell of her chest subtly accentuated by the thin robe.

“I know we're not playing the question exchange game anymore, but do you mind if I ask a few more questions?”

“No.”

Voidborn shook his head and sheathed his sharpened sword, tying the Cloth of Light back on.

“I was just wondering, do you hate being around people?”

“No.”

“Then why are you always so quiet?”

“I don't know what to say.”

“Why? You’ve completed so many jobs before this, right? Surely you have stories to tell.”

“I rarely take breaks.”

A momentary pause. Then Voidborn continued quietly.

“I have no one to talk to.”

Jimin’s playful expression faded.

“Do you ever feel lonely?”

Voidborn thought for several seconds.

“…I don’t know.”

“How do you not know?”

“I don’t know what loneliness feels like.”

Jimin looked at him quietly.

“That sounds lonely though.”

Voidborn tilted his head.

“Does it?”

“Hmmm…” Jimin hummed, leaning back onto her chair. She slid her palms underneath her thighs and swung her legs lightly.

“Let's me ask you this instead. Do you have a dream?”

“… No. I’ve never thought of it.”

“My dream is to make sure no one ever feels lonely and sad.”

She laughed softly.

“I hate being sad. It's kinda lame, right?”

“No.”

Jimin’s eyes widened, looking at Voidborn in surprise.

“I think you're very kind,” he said, before pausing again, unsure of what to say.

“I don't know how to dream,” he admitted, “since I don't really feel anything. I just keep taking jobs because that’s the only thing I know how to do.”

Jimin looked at Voidborn, staring into his eyes. Then she glanced towards the small widow beside them.

“Have you ever looked at the stars?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think of them?”

“They're bright. Pretty.”

Jimin smiled faintly.

“I think you're like a star.”

“Why?”

“Because even though you look cold and distant, you still shine,” Jimin said softly.

Voidborn blinked.

“You protect people. You help others even when you don't understand why. And even though you say you don't feel emotions, you still try your best to understand everyone.”

She looked upwards through the small window beside them.

“I don't think you're emotionless. Stars are far, far away, but people still look at them when they're lost.”

He stayed silent.

Voidborn followed her gaze towards the night sky.

“…I don't understand.”

Jimin laughed quietly.

“I know. That's why you're like one.”

The forest outside remained still.

Too still.

At some point during their conversation, the cricket chirps had ceased completely.

Then—

Clink.

Voidborn's eyes shot towards the alarm system. One of the ropes had gone taut, causing the bell to tremble slightly.

“What is it?” Jimin asked.

Voidborn immediately rose from his seat and rushed outside. He grabbed the rope and yanked hard. As he kept pulling, something was dragged out from the darkness.

“A rabbit.”

He walked towards the struggling animal and lifted it up by the rope. Its hind leg was strangled by the noose, tightened painfully around it as it struggled wildly. Taking out his pocket knife, he cut the rope and set the rabbit free.

It instantly bolted into the darkness.

“False alarm,’ Voidborn said, turning back towards Jimin.

“Let's sleep. Long day tom—”

Clink.

Another bell rang.

Voidborn stopped.

Clink.

Then another.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The surrounding bells began trembling one after another.

Voidborn’s expression darkened.

“Wake the rest.”

Jimin froze.

“Now.”

As he said that, he drew his sword and gathered all the ropes, pulling them as hard as he can.

Bodies began sliding out from the darkness.

One.

Three.

Seven.

Nineteen rabbits in total.

They were all running, but not away.

They were running towards Gunrage.

INFOGRAPHIC