Chapter 6 - Divide to Gather

Three groups gathered in the clearing of the forest east of the society. Yin briefly learned about the two factions: Faction Thirty and Faction Twenty Eight. The former specialize mental abilities such as empathy and future sight; the latter specializing possessing animal instincts and characteristics. Three members of the all-male faction were the same age as her but Faction Twenty Four was their superiors.

Faction Thirty consisted of six members clad in military-style uniforms. Two of the youngest members were identical twins, which made her wonder why she was so curious. Faction Twenty Eight had four members. Their leader disappeared two years ago and Amber had taken on the role. The girls had more boyish demeanour than what she imagined and they were all very blunt and headstrong. The youngest member kept eyeing on her and Kai holding hands. D.O caught onto the tension she tried to create and frowned with suspicion.

When all twenty Argents finally arrived, Lu Han spoke up for everyone.

“I came up with a plan that everyone must follow because there will be no doubt that Daemens may pursue us while we’re at it. If everyone decides to go off on their own and split up, we will all die.”

Min Woo, Se Hun and Jin Ri gulped.

“With the exception of Zhang Yin, Kim Joon Myun, Oh Se Hun, Do Kyung Soo and Zhang Yi Xing, I divided the rest of us into groups of three to different destinations.” Lu Han took out his handheld holographic projector, displaying different names. 

Xi Lu Han, Amber Liu and Kim Dong Hyun were stationed to the Southern second world countries.

Byun Baek Hyun and the twins, Jo Young Min and Jo Kwang Min, were stationed to the cities in the skies.

Park Chan Yeol, Shim Hyun Seong and Chan Yeol's younger sister, Park Sun Young were stationed to the Western continent.

Huang Zi Tao, No Min Woo and Choi Jin Ri were stationed to the Eastern third world countries.

Kim Jong In, Lee Jeong Min and Jung Soo Jung were stationed to B.A.P’s base and the rest of the Northern first world countries.

When D.O heard Kai’s and Soo Jung’s names together, he paled slightly. He didn’t like the sound of that. He hoped that Yin would still be kept in the dark from them for now.

“Yin’s group will cross the Whento Tundra to get to the Hyogun Arctic Circle. They will check if the Daemen’s base is held there. It’s the safest way to get there unseen.”

“We will all meet back here in three days. If anything happens, use the rings for reinforcements and one of the groups will come as soon as they can.” Baek Hyun added.

“Any questions?” Lu Han asked.

“It’s your mission. You give us the orders,” Dong Hyun cooly replied for all. 

“Very well then. We’ll leave one at a time. Yin’s group will depart last.” Lu Han gave the last instructions before his group went through their portal first. Baek Hyun and the twins mounted on Michael and took off through the barrier. The next two went into their portals. Before Kai left, he held Yin tight one last time, giving a message that he will miss her. He gave a chaste kiss on her forehead before going after his two members through their portal.

Yin stared at the place where he disappeared, when Lay put a gently hand on her shoulder.

“We don’t have much time.” She sighed and turned around. She confidently opened their portal and pulled up the hood of her cloak. She slipped on her gloves and said, “Let’s go.”

She walked inside with the rest of the team following her.

Kai’s group arrived in front of B.A.P’s base. Jeong Min scanned the exterior for a few brief moments.

“Hey, Kai. I don’t get it. You said that there are six members in B.A.P, right?”

Kai raised an eyebrow and nodded.

“Either you’re a liar or you’re an idiot for letting a team of humans and one Argent join forces with us.” Soo Jung stared at him in disbelief. She hated humans and didn’t understand what he was trying to get at.

“I’ll be right back.” Kai said before teleporting inside. Jeong Min and Soo Jung looked at each other in confusion for a few seconds before the teleporter returned with Bang Yong Guk. She took a defensive step back.

“It’s time, huh?” The leader nodded at him.

“You bet. You guys ready?”

“Always.” He smirked.

“Kai, what are you thinking?” Soo Jung crossed her arms.

“These guys have, what you call, a debt. They saved our asses a few months ago back at Notro. This guy also fixed Yin’s sword.” She frowned at her name. “His price was the front lines position for the battle.”

“I’m still not convinced, Kai.” Jeong Min put his hands on his waist with an amused expression on his face.

“You will be, when you see them in action.” He chuckled mysteriously.

Lu Han and his group continued to talk to Seo Eun Kwang, who was the leader of his group of Argent friends. The latter repeatedly and politely refused his request.

“I’m sorry, but it is better if we were not involved. We are peacekeepers, not soldiers.”

“This war affects us all. We need you, Eun Kwang,” Dong Hyun pleaded.

“I’m pretty sure you guys were attacked by Daemens recently,” Amber said.

“We did not have a choice.” He reasoned.

Before Lu Han could speak again, a wall of vines and hibiscuses blocked them from walking into the next room. Yook Sung Jae, the youngest, overheard them.

“I want to join,” he said so casually.

“No, you will not,” the leader sternly ordered.

“I don’t think the rest of us agree with you,” Sung Jae pointed his thumb at five other members behind him. 

“Kyung Soo also requests for your service,” Lu Han added. Eun Kwang sighed, clearly seeing that he was outnumbered.

“That settles it, then,” Dong Hyun said. “We would like your group to come to the society immediately.”

The leader thought to himself for a moment before giving Sung Jae the signal to remove the vines. “Well,” he started, “I suppose I cannot decide against the others.”

The telekinetic smiled in content. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“Are you sure you two know where we’re going?” Baek Hyun asked the twins. The busy streets looked the same after walking for the last ten minutes.

“Sure we do,” said Young Min.

“Of course we do,” Kwang Min said almost overlapping his brother’s voice.

“We’ve been here-”

“More than a hundred thousand times-”

“Ever since we were three years old-”

“Three years and two and a half months to be exact.”

“This group is like our brother group-”

“When our group formed-”

“About five years ago-”

“But we couldn’t leave the society until now-”

“Because we were underage.”

“Whoa, slow down you two. I can’t exactly keep up with you guys going back and forth so fast.”

“Don’t blame us,” Young Min pouted.

“We do this all the time,” Kwang Min added.

“And speaking at the same time is more difficult, you know,” they said at the same time.

Baek Hyun was petrified for a second before exasperating, “Alright! I get the point, although you two spoke together as if you do that all the time.” He muttered the last bit to himself.

They turned into a neighborhood where each house was grand and luxurious. Baek Hyun gaped a little with each residence they passed by. They stopped in front of a pristine white and pearl light green mansion with a white gate guarding it. The twins took a deep breath and hollered, “Kim Hyun Joong!” They broke each syllable like a chant. After their echoes faded, a tall man emerged from the group through a shadow-like riff.

“This is a pleasant surprise in a long time,” the man slurred with drowsiness.

“Big brother Young Saeng, is big brother Hyun Joong around?” Young Min asked.

He shrugged. “Didn’t see him all day.”

“Because you nap too much,” Kwang Min rolled his eyes.

“Hey, you three. I don’t want to break up an argument on such a beautiful day,” a smooth voice joined the conversation before the gates opened before them. Baek Hyun could have sworn that the man was actually related to the twins.

“This is a pleasant surprise indeed. Byun Baek Hyun of Faction Twenty Four, what brings you here?”

“Big brother Hyun Joong, it’s that time you told us before,” Young Min reported seriously. Hyun Joong closed his eyes in remorse.

“I see. You three are here to recruit us?”

“It would be a blessing if you five would join us to fight,” Baek Hyun bowed slightly.

“Young Saeng, call the others.” He ordered. The sleepy Argent bowed his head and disappeared back into the mansion.

Chan Yeol led his group to a port where warehouses created a maze for them. Hyung Seong, who possessed sonic hearing, followed voices through their complex path. Before they took one more step towards their destination, Sun Young stopped them.

“I smell a rat.”

Chan Yeol spotted a dead rat laying on the ground about a foot away from the perimeter, matching her discovery. Hyun Seong threw a bottle cap that was near his foot at the warehouse and a wall of electricity appeared around it. The fire-user found the generator and projected a fire bullet at it. The generator blew up and the trap disappeared.

“Typical. Yang Seung Ho! Your traps !” He taunted and a blonde head popped up from a window with an annoyed face.

“Don’t even go there!”

“It’s the truth,” Chan Yeol mused.

“Tell me then: how am I supposed to make them better so I can actually catch you in one?”

“Just add water,” he deadpanned.

“What an embarrassment,” someone from inside said. Hyun Seong heard it and snickered.

“Hey! Lee Joon!” He barked inside.

“Enough! You five get out here now!” Sun Young’s temper could not be avoided and Seung Ho immediately retreated, while Hyun Seong eavesdropped on their squabbling and hissing. They quickly came out from the front door with four other men.

“About time, MBLAQ.” Hyun Seong drawled.

"Just so you know, never mess with this hot head when she yells," Chan Yeol patted his sister's head, which she smacked away.

Tao and his group walked through what seemed like a training ground full of warriors in black.

“Are they all humans?” Min Woo asked.

“Seems like it. They don’t really compare to us though,” Jin Ri answered.

“They’re still kept in the dark about their identity, I see,” Tao observed.

“Who are we trying to find?” he peered up.

“Some old friends of mine,” he said. They were stopped by a guard. Tao stepped up to them.

“Announce me,” he said in his language. The guard nodded and went inside the office. The younger Argents continued to watch the warriors train as Tao waited patiently. Jin Ri giggled lightly as she spotted a handsome soldier performing a sword sequence near her.

The guard returned, “Please go in, sir.”

“Thank you,” he said. Min Woo and Jin Ri followed him in.

After opening the door, a leg swung at him but he easily blocked it with his hands. A woman with sleek ebony hair with messy bangs greeted him. She tried to budge but he playfully tightened his grip.

“You still have a long way to go, Suzy.”

Her stern face broke into a playful smile as he let go of her leg.

“It’s been a long time, master,” she greeted with a fist in her palm. “Is there something you need to discuss about?”

“As a matter of fact, I am here with an important message for you and your group members.”

“What is it?”

“There isn’t much time. Before that, Suzy, I would like to introduce Min Woo of Faction Thirty and Jin Ri from Faction Twenty Eight accompanying me.”

Suzy cheerfully bowed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Her smile made them feel more comfortable. “It’s nice to meet you too,” Jin Ri responded.

“Please, come and sit in the conference room. The other girls will come shortly.” She went to the back as the three Argents went into the room, relieved that the group would be easy to convince.

D.O sneezed twice and sniffed.

“It’s getting colder,” he noted. Se Hun pulled on his cloak tighter to adjust to the dropping temperature. Lay spotted a couple mountains ahead through the light fog.

“We’re getting closer. That is the most important part,” the healer said.

“It looks like rain came here yesterday,” Yin wondered.

“It’s strange,” Su Ho said. “Usually in tundras, it never rains. It only snows. If it did, then there would still be some patches of them sticking to the ground.”

“It’s a bad omen. This place will turn into a bog soon if rain continues to come,” Lay warned.

“A bad omen of what?” D.O chattered.

“A bad omen of the war coming soon. The weather of the world is changing for the worse.”

“But is this place supposed to be this cold?”

“Not this far from the mountains.”

“I guess it makes sense.” D.O sneezed again and covered his nose and mouth with his scarf.

Yin and Su Ho began to walk side by side as the other three lagged behind.

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. I didn’t mean to make you uneasy,” she tried to start the conversation. Su Ho stayed quiet before he spoke up.

“I don’t doubt you, but I do admit,” he paused, “That I wanted to try to save him myself.”

“It’s just your pride, right? I understand.”

“No, you don’t. When you made that promise to me, I couldn’t feel any pride coming from you at all. I thought you were trying to fool me.”

“I didn’t.”

“I figured by now. I won’t deny that he’s still too strong for you to take on alone.”

“I won’t deny that I would risk my life to try.”

“Can’t you take a hint, Yin? I’m trying to say that,” he trailed off.

“Trying to say what?”

“I’m trying to say that I want to save him. Together.” He finally uttered.

“I’d appreciate that,” Yin expressed.

“Of course you would. You’re just foolishly selfless.”

“As foolishly selfless I am, there would be less to fear.”

Su Ho nodded, “That’s true.”

They looked at each other and both smiled to themselves, feeling a bit more relieved.

Lay watched them converse from behind them, happy that they reconciled. He looked behind him seeing D.O and Se Hun trying to start a conversation of their own. He chuckled to himself with the fellowships forming around him.

When they reached a portion of the land completely covered with snow, Yin reverted her gaze to a cave nearby and abruptly stopped when she saw something unusual. She saw some traces of static coming from the rocks. The clouds began to come together and darkened the sky. Su Ho stopped walking, realizing that she wasn’t beside him anymore.

“What is it?”

She still kept looking at the cave. Before she answered him, the sky rumbled and flashes gradually grew more intense. They looked up.

“This isn’t right,” Su Ho said.

“This isn’t normal thunder!” Lay shouted, prompting them to take battle stances. Suddenly, pillars of lightning pierced the ground around them and creatures took shape of people. The Argents moved themselves back to back as the monsters drew them together.

“They’re not Daemens,” Yin said.

“Nonetheless, we’re their enemies,” Su Ho added.

“I think it’s because we’re intruders or something,” D.O whispered.

“I don’t think it’ll matter anymore,” Yin finished and attacked first, equipping the Rune of Telepathy. She tried to push them away with a telekinetic force but they didn’t sway. She tried to use hand-to-hand combat but even one touch damaged her. She avoided using her sword because the metal could conduct the electricity and shock her. She bit her lip and scowled, frustrated about their invincibility.

Su Ho threw small ripples of water but they neutralized them easily. He tried to thaw the snow and hurl them but they still cut through it like paper. Lay tried to pin point on an internal weak spot but all he saw was a mist-like vapor as a skeleton. Without any way to land a hit, he dodged all their attacks. 

Se Hun and D.O ran towards the other three while emitting earth shards and razor winds around them. Because their abilities have an advantage over electricity, they nodded at each other. Se Hun created a tornado engulfing the group in the safe-zone while D.O gathered dust from a hundred meters away from the large patch of snow and mixed it with the winds into a large sandstorm. Since earth neutralizes the static energy, the creatures disappeared into nothing.

When the storm faded, Yin broke away from the group and ran towards the entrance to the cave. She gripped her sword hilt tighter and she could feel the Rune of Telepathy resonating within her Origin Arm.

“Is there one here?” Lay asked. Yin didn’t answer but she commented, “There’s someone with a strong power in there.”

“In this small cave?” D.O wondered incredulously.

“We can’t avoid this place now. After all, we don’t have anything to lose,” Lay stated.

“Be careful, everyone - especially you two,” Su Ho directed to D.O and Se Hun. “If by chance we will encounter more of those, we’ll need you to save your energy until then.”

Se Hun’s eyes became firm and D.O ceased his fidgeting. Yin drew her sword with caution and ventured further in the cave with the four Argents close behind.