Code Collector

The next day, the group followed Lin's instructions and went to Camp Twyla's Skill Altar to burn the Codes and gain EXP so they could ascend. While Allen was convinced that Lin was on their side, the others were still too skeptical about it.

"Hello," Allen simply approached the guard. He showed him the card that Lin gave him and the guard nodded right away. "Can we enter now?"

"Of course, you can," the guard bowed. Allen looked behind him where his friends are, eyes wide open as he was in shock by how the guard reacted. When they got inside, he whispered to them instantly.

"What the hell?" Allen whispered. "He didn't have to bow like that."

"Wait a minute," Gwen pursed her lips. "Give me that card."

Allen showed the woman the card, to which Gwen gasped."You little twat. You have no idea what this card is."

"What is it?" Allen asked. He looked at the card and was equally as surprised as she was. "Diplomatic pass? I never realized that this was a thing."

A diplomatic pass was an authority given to certain people. These people has the rights to not be investigated and their records shall remain anonymous. The diplomatic pass was usually given to a royal family member or someone with a very powerful background.

"That explains the bow," Jeremy smirked. "He must thought that we're VIPs. To enter the Skill Altar, you have to log into the system and then when you exit, you have to log the skills that you have burned. But with the diplomatic pass, we don't have to do that."

"But why does she have to let us burn into different camps? She can just let us burn here in Camp Twyla since our records aren't logged."

"But the Skill Altar has a maximum burning limit per day," Allen said. "The reason why Miss Lin told us to burn into different camps because the skill altar has a maximum of ten thousand EXP limit. A couple of Sacred grade Codes amounts to that limit, making the Skill Altar stop working. This would raise the suspicion on us."

"That makes sense," Jeremy nodded. "But since Lin had already prepared this for us, all we have to do is follow it. We have the blueprint, now we work on building this entire parade up."

"Right," the others responded. 

After they finished burning one Sacred grade Codes each, it was their turn to leave the altar. Allen was still looking around in case anyone would identity him, wary of the things that might happen when he lets his guard down.

Nothing happened, and it was time to leave the camp. Allen showed the card to the guard and the woman smiled at them, bowing as they left. The old man who tried to made a deal with Allen was nowhere in sight.

This led him to believe that the man was only there to wait for him to act. Lin knew that Allen would and will act, so she placed a man there for him. The woman really had an incredible mind, Allen was now sure of that.

It took them about a day to get to the next camp. It was called Camp Saber named after Saber Malek who died after reaching Paradise. He was killed by a giant whale when he tried to hunt in the ocean. The whale swallowed him and the grinding machine-like system of the stomach of the whale secured his death.

Camp Saber was famous for their rather tropical vibes. They said that this place felt like Hawaii island, filled with happiness and joy and a lot of floral t-shirts.

But that was not the case right now.

Like Camp Twyla, Camp Saber was almost like a ghost town. The streets were barren with people, and the buildings and businesses were mostly closed apart from some.

Allen felt anger towards the person who killed Drake Nelson and attacked the other Bearers. The Hunters were retiring one by one, returning to life on Earth who was harder than hunting. The ones who chose to stay are not living anymore, barely getting by of what they have in their pockets.

"I've been here before," Gary said. "This place used to be filled with bright smiling faces. What happened to it?"

"This is why we need to get stronger now," Allen said. "We're currently the hope of these people and if we don't act, they're not going to live properly again."

Three days have passed and it was the moment they've all been waiting for. Three days into the forests and different camps, and they arrived at the final camp that would let them ascend to Paradise.

Their final destination was Camp Valentina. This camp was named after Valentina Jade who is now reigning Eternity with her group. She was a mage type and was regarded as the most powerful non-Bearer mage.

Valentina has a Code which allows her to mimick a Code that had been used by a Hunter. This allows her to become a multi-role because of the nature of her Code. She could cast a powerful destructive skill Code or mimick even a weapon Code for a period of time.

Valentina was a force to be reckoned with and her legacy had lived on. In fact, inside the camp was like none other like the camps that the group had been on.

In their view from the gate, instead of the typical barren and lifeless camp, Camp Valentina was filled with joy and music. People were littered on the streets, drunk and screaming with happiness. A lot of businesses were open even when the night had arrived.

"Is this it?" Allen asked, walking into the gates where a large man was guarding. "Hello."

He showed the man the card, and the man narrowed his eyes before nodding and letting them enter. This nearly made Allen's heart fall from his chest, thinking that Lin had betrayed them. 

"Been a long time, Jeremy," the man suddenly said, making Allen turn around and form an O with his mouth. "Your father must've sent you here."

The reason why the guard looked at them funny befor letting them enter was because he knew one of them. And since diplomatic pass are only given to people in royal families and strong family background, the guard must've thought that Jeremy was given one by his father.

Allen wanted to slap himself for worrying over nothing. He had become a man who had nothing better to do than worry about unimportant things. Just because of the anxiety that his responsibilities had given him.

"You know I can't say that, Bruno," Jeremy smiled. "We'll talk more soon. For now, I have something to do here."

"Do what you must do," Bruno the guard said. "I'll be here and I'll protect you."

"Thanks," Jeremy smiled and then he followed his groupd who was waiting for him a couple of meters away. "He was a friend a the police academy. He's actually my best friend, but then my father thought friendships were too feminine, so he promoted Bruno to become a high guard even before we graduated. Then Bruno was assigned to a camp far away. Pathetic, ain't it?"

"Your father is really a b*tch," Gwen groaned. "I remember meeting him one time and his aura was cold as hell. Then when we talked, he lacked substance. As if he was nothing but a shell talking nonsense."

"He's still your father though," Gary suddenly said, and then chuckled. "I wish I knew my dad."

Allen nodded and flattened his lips. He, too, didn't get to meet his father or mother. He was left in an orphanage while he was still a baby and he has never known any family member ever since. His definition of family was even blurry by the fact that he doesn't know what to feel about them.

Jeremy felt this presence and he suddenly cleared his throat, "If I ever get to choose my family. It'd be you guys. You're so much better than my dad and my b*tch of sisters."

Gwen cheered playfully, "I feel the same way."

Gary nodded and they all looked at Allen who was also looking at them, smiling. "Yeah. Me too."

"Make way!" A male voice suddenly screamed from behind them. Allen instinctively ran to the back and placed both his hands in front of him, just in time to stop a cat from running over them. "Oi, my car!"

"Is everyone okay?" Allen asked as he checked on his group. He didn't notice that there was a car behind them and he didn't even notice that they were in the middle of the street.

The crowd was too dense to even look at which part of the city you are. Everyone was partying and having no care at all. It was hard to notice all the details at the moment.

"Why you little–" the man walked out of his car and suddenly dropped jaws after seeing the group. "It's you, guys!"

"Matthew Gray?"