Marvelous Pals #65

Materializing near the Palbox at my base, I paused to take in the surroundings. The familiar scent of pine and earth filled the air, and the soft rustling of leaves added a serene backdrop to the scene. I scanned the area, looking for any signs of activity, and it didn’t take long to spot Elena.

She was at the side of the loghouse, her hands gripping two makeshift handles she had installed high up on the wall. With fluid, powerful movements, she pulled herself up repeatedly, her muscles rippling beneath the skin of her back.

For once, she wasn’t clad in her usual armor, but instead wore a simple sports bra that revealed the chiseled contours of her back and shoulders. The sight was... distracting, to say the least. I caught myself staring longer than I should have, momentarily forgetting why I had come here in the first place.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to refocus. The sound broke the rhythm of her pull-ups, and Elena instantly released her grip, dropping lightly to the ground. She turned to face me, a puzzled expression crossing her face for just a second before recognition dawned.

A smile spread across her lips, warm and familiar. “You took your time coming back, boss.”

I returned the smile with a tight one of my own, trying to keep my thoughts from straying. “Had some urgent matters to tend to,” I replied, pulling a Pal Sphere from my pocket.

The cool metal felt heavy in my hand, heavier still with the burden of what it contained. “But maybe you can explain something for me,” I said, my voice dropping as I hurled the sphere onto the ground.

It snapped open with a bright flash, and from within it emerged Kraven, the notorious Hunter, now kneeling before me like a trained beast. His feral eyes flicked around the area before settling on me with unwavering loyalty, something I still wasn’t used to seeing from him.

Elena’s gaze flickered to Kraven, then back to me. She sighed, the sound filled with a mix of resignation and something else—alarm, maybe? “I was hoping you wouldn’t find out about this,” she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck as if this whole situation was more of a nuisance than a serious breach of trust.

“Find out about what, exactly?” I demanded, my tone sharper than I intended. The absurdity of the situation was wearing thin on my patience.

“The fact that you conveniently forgot to mention I could capture humans with these things?” I motioned towards Kraven, whose presence felt like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

Elena shook her head, meeting my gaze with a steadiness that suggested she’d already prepared herself for this confrontation. “It’s true,” she said slowly, “capturing humans with Pal Spheres is possible. But it’s not something we do. It’s... frowned upon on Palbagos Island.”

“Frowned upon?” I repeated, incredulity creeping into my voice. “Is that why you chose to hide it from me?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, the muscles in her arms still taut from her workout. “I didn’t think you needed to know this for survival,” she replied, her voice firm, almost defensive. “Besides, capturing a human in a Pal Sphere is dangerous. The spheres weren’t designed for that, and there’s no telling what kind of side effects it might have on the person...”

I scoffed at Elena’s concerns, the sound sharp and dismissive. “I didn’t bring you on to play moral compass,” I snapped, my voice cold. “Your job is to tell me what you know, no more, no less. I couldn’t care less about the scruples of these islanders or their precious code of ethics. All that matters to me is survival—and maybe if you’d shared this information sooner, I wouldn’t have had to go through so much bullshit.”

Her expression softened into one of regret, and she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. “Alright, I get it. No more secrets,” she said, her voice edged with weariness. “And for the record, there’s nothing else I’ve been keeping from you.”

I didn’t bother hiding the icy glare I shot her way. “For your sake, I hope that’s true,” I warned, my tone hard as steel. “This marks your second strike. A third, and you’re out.”

Elena sighed again, this time deeper, as if the weight of the situation had finally settled on her shoulders. “I get it already,” she muttered, almost to herself. “Like I said, I’ve got nothing else to hide. I really am sorry.”

I held her gaze for a long moment, my mind churning with conflicting thoughts. I didn’t want to be the harsh taskmaster, the tyrant who ruled by fear. But the truth was, I didn’t have the luxury of trust—not when the stakes were so high.

Things were finally starting to fall into place for me, and I couldn’t afford to have anyone in my camp with questionable motives or wavering loyalties.

I let out a breath, slow and measured, before speaking again. “An apology isn’t enough, Elena. Actions have consequences, and you need to understand that.” I paused, letting the words sink in. “You’re banished from the base for the next two months. If you come back after that period with something—anything—that can make up for this blunder, I might consider letting you stay. But if you don’t, don’t bother coming back at all.”

For a moment, she just stared at me, stunned into silence. I could see the protest forming on her lips, the urge to argue her case, to plead for a second chance. But one look at me—one look at the cold resolve in my eyes—was enough to tell her that there was no changing my mind.

She let out a resigned sigh, her shoulders slumping as the fight drained out of her. “Alright,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll pack my gear and go.”

She turned away from me, her movements slow and deliberate, like someone walking towards their own execution. I watched her go, a part of me regretting the harshness of my decision, but another part—the part that had kept me alive this long—knew it was necessary.'

I couldn't afford to be lenient or too trusting. This world I found myself in wasn't so forgiving, and I had no intention of putting myself in a situation where I'd be fucked over by an unreliable underling.

I didn't need the people around me to love or even love me—their loyalty and respect, even fear would be more than enough. As for friendship and camaraderie, I'll put such things into consideration once I am confident enough in my strength to survive the whirlpool of craziness that is my current life.

With my spear firmly planted in the ground beside me, I leaned back against the rough bark of a tree, watching Kraven as he delivered the final blow to the last of the three Vanwyrms that had ambushed us. The thrill of the hunt was clear to see on his face, and I couldn't help but ask, "So, Kraven, does this place live up to your expectations?"

Kraven, breathing heavily but clearly exhilarated, looked over his shoulder at me. "It’s everything I ever imagined and more. So much prey... creatures I could only dream of before coming here." There was a wild gleam in his eyes, one that I recognized all too well—he was in his element, and the island had become his personal hunting ground.

I nodded, satisfied. Our journey had been anything but dull. We had started at the Ravine Entrance, just west of the Syndicate tower, and from there, we had delved deeper into the island. The Pals we encountered were as varied as they were dangerous.

The first encounter, and the most dangerous, was a group of blue dinosaur-like, chubby pals. There more than fifteen of them, all following a particularly large one among their fellows, guarding three large purple eggs with black patterns.

I knew we couldn't match so many of these creatures, but I still wanted to take one of the eggs to try out the incubator, the blueprint of which I recently unlocked, so I took a gamble, and had Kraven make a distraction.

The result was a success with one egg successfully stolen, but both I and Kraven barely managed to escape without suffering any injuries.

After that we encountered, Wolf-like creatures that prowled the shadows, aquatic beasts lurked near the lake, and then there were the Mossarina and Woolipop—two of the more bizarre creatures we’d come across.

Mossarina, an oversized cow with a rotund body, could shoot mud from its mouth like a cannon. And Woolipop? A massive sheep-like Pal with pink wool, capable of producing cotton candy if placed in a barn.

According to the Paldex in my wristwatch, Mossarina could also produce milk. It was the kind of ridiculousness that reminded me this world was a game, but I knew better than to underestimate it. I couldn’t see how they’d be useful to me right now, but in a place like this, everything had a purpose. I’d figure it out later.

For now, there was still work to be done. Pushing myself up, I retrieved my spear, the weight of it comforting in my hand. I glanced over at Kraven, who was already scanning the treeline for movement. "Let’s keep moving. There’s still one more prey for you to hunt today, and it’s not far off."

Kraven's smile widened, the promise of another hunt stirring his blood. As we moved deeper into the island, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was waiting for us ahead.

But that’s what made it all the more exciting. One more hunt, one more challenge... and then we’d see what this island truly had to offer.