historical

"Oh! That. Your friend Valencia helped them out," she spoke with a smile.

"Huh?" I looked at her with my eyes widening slowly.

"Well.. You don't know her?" asked Linda with a bit of a worried face as she observed me and I just closed my eyes for a few moments before I spoke,"what did she say?"

Linda gulped a little before speaking.

"She just came here and introduced herself as your close relative and a good friend. Helping almost everyone, she won our hearts one by one. Even Theia, who was sceptical of her, started talking to her as if they were best friends later on.

We actually waited for you for another extra month then the initially planned date but since you weren't arriving and the Death Energy was taking toll over the others, she said that she will help everyone move out of Netherrealm including Theia too."

I observed Linda before asking,"hmmm.. why did you stay behind?"

"That's because Theia needed a replacement that would take over her job in this realm. Since I was improving at a rapid rate without any problem, I believed it would be better to stay here and get strong then move back and be a burden later," she answered as she looked at me and I sighed.

"What? Did we do something that we should have not done?" Linda asked with a worry filled tone and I shook my head as I answered,"no. You guys actually did the right thing. Though, can I ask you how that girl.. What does Valencia look like?"

A bit taken aback by my question, Linda observed me with a careful expression before she spoke.

"Red hair, with the most fair skin that I had ever seen in my life. There was a strange warmth around her and the atmosphere turned lively whenever she spoke. Her face is quite cute and her eyes.. they felt so pure with that fire in them."

Linda spoke as she tried to describe Valencia and I recalled the face of that girl who saved me when I was drowning on the 34th floor...

I took a deep breath as I looked at Linda,"Can you contact Theia at least?" and she shook her head,"I lost my connection as soon as I connected with Netherrealm."

I felt a strange feeling in my heart as I tried understanding what Valencia was trying to do. While she did take people away from here at the right time, as I initially planned, but taking Theia with her too..

There are two meanings behind this action of hers.

One, she was just trying to be nice and.. I kind of find it hard to believe. There is bound to be a catch.. and that brings us to the second option.

She knew that the Parasites were coming.. and took everyone from here, leaving the weakest among us, Linda here all by herself.

[The Parasites will be here in 4 months Netherrealm time]

I recalled that guy who could be a possible future me though I am not much sure about it either..

Well, whatever she is trying to do, I would clarify it after I meet her in Planet Vermillion.

About the upcoming Parasites..

What's the worst that I can expect, huh? A Royal Parasite.. that would be an overkill.. then.. A Duke Parasite? That's like.. S7 Grade..

'X-Grade, huh?' Should I decrease the difficulty and prepare accordingly or should I keep at it and think about how to deal with it?

'Though how much can I really deal with?' I pondered as I reviewed the whole situation carefully. It's not exactly impossible to deal with that too.. but I would need to be prepared completely, along with being ready to lose an arm or two.

'Will the monsters of the Neatherrealm be enough?' I questioned, before pondering about it a little.

'The strongest are S6 level and their total number is 7. As for the weaker ones.. Hmmm.. This is going to be a bit troublesome,' I thought as I started calculating the number of enemies and allies I had here.

If I remember correctly, then the Parasites had a way to kill the monsters here once and for all. Hmmm.. Well, I should prepare for the worst-case scenario as well.

"Linda, I need you to do something for me," I spoke and Linda concentrated on me with an intent gaze as I continued,"Call all the Kings from different parts of Netherrealm. Use your powers as much as you want. If they come here on their own accord, then fine, else force them to come here."

She looked at me and, though a bit confused; she nodded, and I looked at the Deaths of Duality in my hands.

"With this and the Death Energy.. I should be able to hold against the S6 ones.. If I focus solely on the battle and ignore other things, then I could match against the Duke as well," I muttered as I started walking around the place.

"Hmmmm.. I will need more time.. more power.. Is there something that I am forgetting.. Umm.. Ah! That.. maybe that can help," I thought with a sudden realisation as I looked around the place before entering the treasury of the castle.

Since I knew my way around this place, it was easy to break into the treasury. I entered the treasury and started searching for the thing I was looking for, and soon enough, I found it.

A piece of half broken slate.

One of the broken pieces of the Gate of Avalon was in my hand.

"Now let's see if there is anything we can do to make you work," I thought as I started researching it. It took me about 4 or 5 hours to finally realise that I can't do anything with this piece alone.

"Sigh.. looks like it is going to need its other half to work. Well, it will be kept with me for the time being then," I muttered with a dejected look before I moved out, only to find Linda standing in front of the main gate with the 7 Kings of the Netherrealm.

"That was fast," I muttered in surprise before moving towards them. It was about time we started making Netherrealm a perfect defence fort.