Once Sleazy was taken care of, the rest of the bandits lost their will to fight and imdiately surrendered themselves to the Red Mankeys.
The Rebornian soldiers imdiately cuffed them up with tal chains and subdued them completely.
The Red Mankey leader looked down at his shadow and bowed as a sign of respect.
"Senior Orcs. We request that you take these miscreants and send them to prison," he said solemnly, as if praying.
It didn't take long before the Red Mankeys' shadows converged and coalesced into one big hole in the ground, right where the bandits were subdued.
Their personal Orc bodyguard, one whose job was to constantly protect a Rebornian they were assigned, transferred over to the bandits. They then used their [Shadow Transportation] skill to take them to the Parched Lands in a matter of a few seconds.
After falling for what seed like a minute, the bandits fell on their butts and saw the darkness around them subside into the ground. The world opened up to them, allowing them to see a large wall enclosing them in, about thirty ters in height, with barbed wires on top that prevented anyone from escaping.
They weren't the only ones there. They looked around and saw other people wearing a uniford orange jumpsuit, looking at them with pity.
One of them approached the bandits.
"What you in for?" he asked.
"What?...We tried to rob an automobile. We didn't know they were protected."
The prisoner inhaled a sharp breath. "Tsk, tsk, tsk…we learned that the hard way. And it seems you were quite lucky you didn't see the Orcs."
"The Orcs?"
"Look at them," the prisoner said, pointing to a group of other prisoners who sat on the ground, grabbing their head intensely and rocking their bodies back and forth like a madman. "If you t them, that's what would have happened to you."
…
…
…
After all that was over, the Red Mankeys approached Michael and Barcus back at the top of the plateau.
"We have successfully subdued the bandits, boss."
The Red Mankeys kneeled in anticipation, waiting for Michael's acknowledgent.
"Congratulations," Michael said to them. "You have proven yourselves worthy to be the first platoon in the Rebornian Army. I hereby give your group the na: 1st division Golden Road Troopers!"
The Red Mankeys rejoiced. All their hard work had paid off.
Just then, Michael suddenly saw a notification flash in front of his eyes.
[New Evolution Path found for the Red Mankeys!]
[Golden Road Troopers]
— These Red Mankeys dedicate themselves to the safety and maintenance of the Golden Road. They gain a 150% boost in all attributes while in the presence of the Golden Road. They gain another 50% boost while riding in a fast-paced vehicle.
Michael eyed the words with surprise. This new evolution path coincided perfectly with what he had in mind for the Red Mankeys.
ChatJK4, did you do this?
[No. Upon their triumph against the bandits, the Red Mankeys achieved enough experience to evolve a second ti. Your words of praise gave them a solid sense of identity and solidarity, which seed to have pushed their evolutionary path into a completely different one from normal.]
His words influenced their evolution path?
He looked at the Red Mankeys and saw them shoulder to shoulder, jumping around and celebrating this montous occasion. They seed to love the new title he gave them.
This was a very welco surprise, and one that he hoped to use in the future.
He raised his hand and activated his Supre Skill: Gift Bestowal.
The Red Mankeys found themselves glowing with a bright white light, blinding them for a few seconds.
Once the light subsided, they looked at themselves and found not much difference in their physical bodies. Yet, they felt an intense connection on their right side, towards the Golden Road. It was calling to them, beckoning them to return to their rightful place.
They kneeled again towards Michael, this ti with much more passion and zealousness.
"We thank you for this gift!" they scread.
Michael nodded. With their new evolution path, they were perfectly suited to beco the protectors of the Golden Road.
"Return to our headquarters," he said to them. "Narito and Sasuki will give you your designated Shadow Orcs."
Because their Shadow Orcs transferred the bandits to the Nation of Reborn, they were now currently without a 'shadow'.
"Also, seek out Sheina and tell her to call the Centaurs. They will be your new teammates."
Michael planned for the Red Mankeys to ride on the Centaurs, creating a terrifying combination. After all, their new evolution gave them a 50% boost upon riding a fast-paced vehicle, and the Centaurs qualified as one.
He just hoped that the Centaurs would work well and soday have the opportunity to evolve into Golden Road Troopers as well.
But that was a problem for another day.
He then used his own shadow clone and used it to 'swallow' the crashed wreckage of the automobile truck, and the crates of Dwarven equipnt strewn about in the Golden Road.
anwhile, Barcus, who watched everything unfold, still couldn't close his mouth from the shock.
Sleazy and twenty bandits. Defeated. By none other than ten Red Mankeys, who were supposedly the weakest demi-humans in the entire world.
This whole trip to the First Settlent truly opened his eyes to the reason why the Reborn company shot up through the Golden 500 rankings so fast.
They had it all. Money and Power both.
It was then that Barcus slowly realized the magnitude of what he had just seen. If Michael could turn the weak Red Mankeys into these officer-level caliber fighters, then it ant that he could give any skill he wanted to anyone who wanted them.
If that was true, then what stopped him from arming all the Rebornians under his control, civilian or not, to cast a devastating 4-star [teor Shower] skill at the sa ti?
Nothing. He could do that if he wanted to.
Not even a well-equipped army could stand a chance against forty thousand civilians casting devastation from far away.
Only now did he finally realize why the Rebornians were so lax against the looming threat of Flarecorp. It's because they don't see it as a threat, just a roadblock.
…
…
…
Back in the center town of the Grafted Cluster, Bulren–Barcus' twin brother–found himself pacing back and forth with worry.
As the days passed, the domination of the Reborn company beca ever so clear. Their fast construction of their so-called 'Golden Road' felt like a virus that spread even faster than the plague.
Bulren Inc. sales were already down. It would only continue to plumt even further later.
Just then, a resounding knock knock rang out from his door.
"Sir, you have a visitor," said Bulren's personal butler.
The door opened, and Bulren saw a man who wore bright orange armor with flas jutting out from his chest. His presence alone brought a heavy, intimidating air in Bulren's own bedroom.
"Who are you?" Bulren asked.
"I am here on behalf of our glorious king. You may have heard of his company: Flarecorp."
Bulren's eyes widened.
"I am here to discuss a possible agreent between our companies, one that would benefit both parties simultaneously," the man in orange armor smiled confidently.
Bulren imdiately stood up. Perhaps, they were the answer to his problems.
"Are you here to deal with the Reborn company?"
The man in the armor scoffed. "Who?"
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