Way of the Knights

"Yep..." Raven muttered to himself as he frowned towards a certain direction. "I fucking knew it." 

He didn't just see one group, oh no! There's a whole platoon of them. 

From a single glance, these people didn't look friendly or civilized. There's a blood thirsty aura surrounding them and their weapons are already out. 

Raven can feel the fluctuations of the star cores they harvested along the way. When he saw the look in their eyes, he instantly realized that reasoning with these people is not an option. 

"Thankfully, I was prepared.." Raven muttered under his breath. "If you think that you all can just bully me through sheer numbers, think again motherfuckers. You don't who you're dealing with." 

---

It took them sometime before they arrived. Raven isn't aware of how long, just that it's plenty to create all the preparations he needed. 

The young star is armed. These people are up to a nasty surprise if they decide to come close. Raven didn't move away from the star. He just looked at the approaching platoon of Outsiders and this time, he didn't hesitate to bypass their security and listen to their discussion bet it vocally or mentally. 

"Oy, Punk! You told us that it was here but I don't see it. Were you lying to us?" One very aggressive Outsider stepped forward and asked a man that's bound in a rope.

"N-no, I wouldn't dare Sir!" The captive said while trembling and stuttering, "T-trust me! I heard it from them. They said this was where they found that young and lively star! I'm telling the truth Sir! They said that there should be an Insider here somewhere who's in-charge of the star. He's weak but had proof so they left him alone since they don't want the Insiders to hunt them down!"

"Yeah, you've told that to us before. But see, I don't fucking see neither the star nor the Insider here! Are you telling me that I'm blind huh?" 

"N-no Sir!! Of course not! I wouldn't dare!!" 

"Oy, Gil. That's enough." One of the Outsiders stepped forward reeled in his comrade. "Even if you beat up this punk, you won't get anything in return so it's just a waste of time and effort."

"Tch." The man named Gil said as he let go of the captive. He then took a look around and wondered, "Are we too late?" 

"I don't think so." One man answered. "We were the closest team towards this direction and we immediately took a detour the moment we caught wind of this news. This fella right here immediately told us the news the moment they announced it so I don't think someone came before us. If they did, then we'd discover traces of their battle."

"But the star and that Insider is nowhere to be seen, Rocky." Gil groaned in frustration. "Are telling me we came all the way here for nothing!?"

"That might not necessarily be the case." Rocky replied as he frowned while expecting the area around them. He looked back to their men and yelled: "You guys! Scatter and sweep this area! Use the tools we've got!"

"Aye, Sir!!"

"Something smells fishy here." Rocky's frown deepened as he scanned the area before them. "Gil, Adie, Hank! Stay on guard! The moment you feel something wrong, don't think, act! Am I clear?" 

"Aye, Sir!"

As soon as their leader handed out the order, the platoon dispersed and began scrying the area. They had tools that helped them with their tasks while Rocky along with his own unit stayed at the back and waited for results. 

Rocky's frown never went away. If anything he just got more suspicious about this place since it's too clean and quiet. He didn't trust it one bit. 

"Sir! I got a hit!" One of his men suddenly reported. 

Rocky and his unit approached the guy. 

"I found a trace Spatial Tampering here. It's very faint but I can't be mistaken. I believe this is a forged space. Must be the work of that Insider. It's sturdy but I believe we can pry it open and see what's on the other side."

"Good work, you extra!" Gil said while laughing, "You've done a great service, expect some rewards when we get back." 

"T-thank you Sir."

Gil then turned to the unit and asked: "What are we waiting for? Come on, we're close to the treasure!!"

"Relax, Gil." The man named Hank frowned upon Gil's over-zealousness. "Leader is still thinking."

"You guys are boring!" Gil snorted. "What, you guys scared of that Insider? If you are then I can go alone but don't expect me to share profits with you." 

"Just shut-up, Gil." The girl named Adie glared at Gil. "If you won't, then I'll shove my fist down your throat." 

"..." Gil didn't say anything. He can hear the others snickering at him but he didn't care. This madwoman will actually do what she said if he dared to utter another word. Better safe than sorry.

"What do you think, Hank?" Rocky asked. 

The man named Hank contemplated briefly before answering. 

"I have no opinion about this, Sir." Hank said decisively. "Honestly, I don't feel anything." 

"Isn't that good then?" Gil suddenly interjected, he already forgot Adie's threat just now. "Hank's instincts are sharp. If he doesn't have any bad feeling then we're safe. We can make the gap and enter it!"

Rocky stared at Hank and the latter just shrugged with a sigh. This was him saying that 'I don't know man, you decide I guess.'

This caused Rocky to sigh, he then said: "Initiate the operation. Be on guard you lot. Don't underestimate the Insider. The moment you see him, kill. Don't let his lies fool you. We're not here to negotiate. We're here to scavenge and survive." 

"Aye, Sir!" 

The Platoon grouped up and initiated the operation. They gathered at the spot where they got a hit earlier and used their tools to pry open a Spatial Tear in there. It didn't take them long before manage to make the gap wide enough to fit everyone. 

Once the passage was established and stabilized. Rocky took the lead and said: "Here we go, you folks. Keep your wits about you."

After he said that, he lead the Platoon inside the passage. They eventually reached the other side, only to find the same exact scene. 

The platoon was dumbfounded. The place on the other side of passage was the same exact place that they saw before they entered. They only difference is that the passage is now behind them. 

"What the hell?" Gil was truly shocked. None of this made any sense to him. His excitement about the prospective profit died down due to this strange scene.

"Oh, you poor idiots." 

"Who!!??" Rocky immediately took out his weapon and searched everywhere. His men also did the same thing. They were frightened badly by that voice since it practically came out of nowhere. In addition, they can't find who said that anywhere. 

"I've been watching you...and eavesdropping as well." The voice spoke again, causing chills to run down their spine. 

"This is my first and final warning to you Outsiders." The voice continued. "Leave through the passage you created, and none of you dies. I'll leave that passage intact and safe for one hour and one hour only. If none of you leaves within that time, then you will never get out of here. Your timer starts now. I'm expecting you to make the most logical decision."

The voice died down after saying that. 

"Show yourself and face us Coward!!!" Gil roared. He felt really incensed right now. Despite his outrage though, the stranger didn't appear. 

"Damn!! Damn! Fucking bastard! Coward!! Grrr..." Gil gritted his teeth in anger. 

"What do we do, Boss?" Hank asked Rocky in a solemn tune. 

"Do guys think that this stranger is bluffing?" Rocky asked back.

"Of course he is!" Gil was the first one to answer. "If he isn't then he'd show himself to us. He's probably quaking in fear right now." 

"Hank, do you really not feel anything?" Adie asked. 

"Unfortunately no." Hank shook his head. "My instincts are quiet, it's not warning me of any dangers around. If anything, I'm inclined to believe that the stranger is doing something to counteract with my danger sensing ability."

"Damn, that's a problem then!" Adie said as he bit her lips in frustration.

"Woah! Woah! Don't tell you guys are freaking out right now!?" Gil asked in a dumbfounded manner. "Seriously!? That Insider got into your brains that bad!? I must've overestimated you lot if that's the case."

"See this is the problem with you." Adie glared at Gil. "You have a fucking brain but you're not using it. How you survived up until this point is purely because we exist! Not only were you grateful for that, you're looking down on us!" 

Rocky's unit argued with each other while Rocky himself was in deep thought. Time ticked down and eventually, the time to make a decision came.

"Alpha Platoon Six!! Get ready for Harvest!!" 

"Oh, that is a bad choice." The voice sounded next to their ears once again. The passage closed behind them which caused many to flinch. 

"Oh, well. Sucks to be you then." 

After the stranger said his mocking line, a huge silhouette of a hulking beast emerged out of nowhere and glared at their direction.