DRAGON: First Link

20.0: Alliance

The boxhead was right; the sun was never that hot in this sandy lot. We finally reached the place where she asked us to meet-up. My team didn't have trouble finding it: the tent was the only thing standing in the dessert.

"Yo." A nymphos in healer robes greeted us as we got out of the local transporter. There is also another nymph who was nursing her head, and a dragon Fauna petting a red dragon na ngayon ko lang napansin.

"Morning." I replied. Pr3sh and Cr1ng did the same. "Where are the others?"

"How rude." The other nymph replied. "Chio, the guests are here."

"Good morning." Lumabas naman ng tent ang boxhead na dala-dalang ang pet nyang si Mole. She looked up. "Uh, you might want to step aside."

"Eh, why?" Cr1ng asked. Pr3sh instinctively grabbed her to the side as a Mech Suit plummeted right to where she stood earlier. "Ooh, that's why."

"Pardon the Mech. The driver and some other guy are lovers. You really can't pry them apart." Chio motioned for the tent. "So, come on in? I just fixed the AC in there."

The inside of the tent was a mess. We continued towards a pillar and the boxhead pushed a button. The floor itself descended under the ground, and moments later, what was a simple tent became a huge underground hideout, complete with equipment, storage, and heck, even a swimming pool!?

"Wow."

"Yeah right? Our defender found this dungeon several days ago." Chio said nonchalantly. "We conquered it, and I got enough time and materials to renovate the place."

We are all awed.

"But it ain't gonn' be trouble when another boss appears and tries to get this dungeon?" Pr3sh asked.

He was right. Even if bosses only spawn once, there would be another ruckus amongst monsters as one might want to get dominance over everyone. And when one wins, the system automatically grants it increase in power. They will find a dungeon fit for themselves, and claim it.

"Daishobu, daishobu." The dragonid commented. "This place is a one-monster territory. No other monsters in the place. And as for domination. We do have a dragon in our midst."

"Dai?"

"Sho?"

"bu?"

"Japanese." The dragon girl smacked her own face. "Nahawa ako kay Chio."

"Hey guys, better come over here."

We all huddled to a table. Again, the boxhead pushed another button, and a map containing the Lush Dessert and the places around it flashed in the table. Chio pointed at the dessert.

"The team has set up territory in this white part. If the team joins another team and forms a guild, the territory will expand by 300 miles, containing the Lush Farmland, and the Lush Forest. Both are valuable for their high level monsters and high grade materials."

"Right." I scratched my head. "So, simply speaking, you want an alliance."

"Right to the point." Chio looked at me and my fellow CloverLeafs intently and continued. "All of you are valuable players. Take this praise because I mean it. Kulang nga lang sa strategy. But we can fix it, really. If we are to form a guild, you get additional support without paying the price, along with better weapons and a clear tactical plan. As for our part..."

She looked at her teammates. For some weird reason, there was a calm disposition dancing in all of them.

"Wait, I forgot the reason." The Mecha scratched her head. Her teammates growled. One of them mumbled 'idiot'. "Just kidding. We do not need a reason. This was my team's dream a few days ago in the real world."

She closed the map. The table went dark, and the whole group was silent. Everyone was thinking.

Hindi maipagkakailang wala talaga kaming plano in battle. The last game with boxhead cleared that up. To be honest, we all relied on luck, hence our team's name. But it all changed when the Ruster came, bringing her flock of turrets and her trusty mine-planter. Heck, she even gave a good lecture to GreyShorts in the last moments of that battle. So, a win-win for the guys if we merge and create a guild.

"So?" Chio broke the silence.

"We accept, as long as you do not have hidden motives. Not that I can notice it, but this proposal is too good to be true." I said.

"Trust issues?" the nymph guy laughed.

"Yeah, if that's the word for it."

"No, we do not have any hidden motives." Chio grinned good-naturedly, making it all too clear that what she just said was true. "The Holocaust Company will be established in a few minutes, I believe."

"Right, right." I looked at the contract that the boxhead just handed to me. Hmm, might as well. After I signed it I raised my pen. "To the Holocaust."

"Sacrifice by fire." The three members of the team Sands replied. Weird.

"So, let Anvil get a good look at your equipment." She clapped her hands. "Anvil!!"

A servant robot came and answered to the Mecha's call.

"Repair mode activate."

"Yes ma'am." Anvil looked at us, "if you may follow me."

"Guh, they even have a walking repair-kit." Cr1ng said, amazed.

Just then, a radio transmitter boomed inside the place.

"Mayday!! Mayday!! We need assistance here!!"

Chio immediately grabbed a comm wire. "Cuishel, Status?"

"It was Sky, and, and, a pervert biker!!"

Gahd. I face-palmed. Mukhang kilala ko na yang pervertido na yan.

"Let me take a look."

"I'll be going too." Chio joined me in the rising platform. She looked at the others. "You guys chill. There're drinks in the fridge."

As the 'elevator' worked slowly up, Chio tried to smother a laughter.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." She waved her hand at my question. "Come to think of it, now we have two dense guys."