“Ling, Ling, Ling….” Rudo kept calling out loud for Ling to stop.

Initially Ling did not want to stop but since the call was becoming too loud that he could not resist again, he had to stop and wait for Rudo and Trisha who had followed him to come close.

As they drew near, he did not give them a chance to speak, he first spoke. “Why are you two following me? I said you should return to Sullivan as you wish.” 

Trisha was quick to give him a response, “Rudo here refused to go without you.” 

Rudo had to now speak for himself. “You know how this works Ling, Master Sullivan expects us to come back together so it is not wise that I return alone. Stop going after Stan and let’s return to the others. Together we have a higher chance of beating him than if we are alone. You already saw that we couldn’t catch him alone.” 

“And who said anything about fighting him again?” Ling asked Rudo because he was not going after Stan to continue the fight but for something else.

The question he asked was one that made both Trisha and Rudo surprised, so Rudo released the question at once. “Then why are you going after him?” 

“He knows something we don’t and I want to find out what it is.”

“Whatever Gibson knows, trust me he is not going to tell you so don’t waste your time.” Trisha advised him because she had spent a little time with Gibson and that happened to be the major thing she observed where he was.

“Come on Ling….” Rudo was tired of having that argument as he was beginning to get afraid. “We don’t want to be an enemy to the school and our colleagues.” His fear was that if Sullivan finds out that they were not going after Stan to hurt him as instructed then they will also become a target that would face punishment from the school superiors.

“That is why I am telling you to go back and not follow me. I have made up my mind and you can’t stop me.”

“Why are you this stubborn? I don’t know you to be this way.” Trisha complained about Ling.

“Tell him… Please remind him of who he is.” Rudo added as he was now on the same page with Trisha and together they might be able to bring him back to being who he is known to be.

“Shhh…..” Ling said to the both with a demonstration as there was a shift in his focus.

“Don’t shh me, you are making a huge mistake.” Trisha refused to obey him.

“Quiet and listen.” Ling added as he looked around, even to the top of the buildings around them.

“I’m not going to fall for your trick….”

Rudo had to now interrupt her as he felt and heard some noises which proved that Ling was not trying to shut them up. “Trisha. Can you hear that?”

Since Rudo had now confirmed the approaching noise, Trisha then chose to be still in order to hear what they were hearing.

“Something is coming.” Ling said with so much confidence after some confirmations that the noise was not made by humans.

At this point it was now clear to even Trisha that danger was close, the noise alone was enough proof and since she was not good in combat and would always like to run away from fight, she took off in the direction that seemed clear to her.

“Wait Trisha!” Ling called for her to stop running but since she did not stop, he pursued after her because he knew that she could fight, and Rudo did the same, knowing this also. They were now after keeping her safe from whatever was coming.

“Ow,” she cried as she was hit to the ground by something they have never seen. As she fell, both Ling and Rudo were about three feet away from her and the unknown creature that had knocked her down.

“Is that an alien?” Rudo asked because that was the only thing his mind could think of it to be.

Then two more of the same species came from the other angles, surrounding the three of them as Trisha got up again and stayed close to Ling and Rudo who took fighting posture because for the species to hit Trisha down, it meant that they were there for trouble and fighting was the only way.

“Whether aliens or not, we have to fight. Remember the first rule of combat, avoid being hit as you make the counterattack.” Ling reminded both Trisha and Rudo because at this point Trisha could not run from them, her only option was to fight.

The species were aliens from outer space, they were the enemy which Adoth had come to prepare Stan for their attack. They were fully covered with their armor as their arms generated laser blades which they would use as weapons against the three elites that were ready to fight them.

As the blades were generated, fear gripped the three of them because they were armless and to fight such an enemy that was armed with such a powerful weapon and survive was typically going to be impossible.

“We should surrender.” Trisha said out of fear as Ling and Rudo shouldn’t be thinking the same thing yet they maintained their fighting posture waiting for the aliens to attack.

“These things don’t look like they will spare us if we surrender.” Rudo was the one to answer her while Ling was seriously thinking of how they would win against those aliens in a fight without a weapon.

“I can’t fight.” Trisha said as if they were not aware of that fact. If she could fight they wouldn’t have bothered pursuing her in the first place, they would have left her to draw the aliens away.

“But you will have to. Stay close.” 

The aliens were waiting for them to attack but since they were not making any move, they had to attack, swinging their blades in an attempt to cut them.

Ling flipped backwards as he felt the speed of the blade. Luckily for Rudo, after dodging the swinging of the blade, he laid hold of a rod which was on the ground and that he picked up using it as a weapon to defend himself.

Meanwhile, Trisha was screaming as she ran up and down dodging the alien’s blade from touching her. She could not fight like Rudo and Ling so there was no use trying to hit them.

Due to her screaming all over the place, Stan Gibson who was quite far from them could hear her scream but he was unable to discern why. He could recognize Trisha’s voice and it kind of provoked him that she was still following him after their agreement. 

“What the hell is she doing here? I thought I told her not to follow me?” he asked himself as he set to continue his move because he did not want her near him again since he did not know what else she would ask from him.

[New task. Save Trisha, Ling and Rudo. Now.]

As he heard this from Adoth, he felt cold all over his body, he did not know where to start from. In the same vein, he understood that the screaming of Trisha was a call for help and from the sound of the system, he knew it was urgent. Adding to this, he was getting so fond of Trisha that he would not like any harm to come to her.

He felt like this was the actual time he was to return the favor he owes her, so he turned around and headed for the direction where her shout was coming from.