Natives.
For the gamers' community, they are known as amother name: Non-Playable Charaters (NPCs).
They are the ones that makes the game, and the "pathways" in which gamers need to take to be able to finish or move forward to the game.
These NPCs are, sometimes, also the protagonist of the story, while the players help them, and some other times, the roles are reversed.
Yet, in Project: Zerø, there are more interactions than what is the norm.
Sometimes, NPCs act as villains, or the cause of something. Sometimes, they are the result of something.
And sometimes, they are the ones that doesn't accept the Players in their world.
In the game, they were called by the other Natives as the "Foolish".
The Beast Queen, Adelaide, is branded as one.
And not just a low follower or whatnot.
She is one of the top executives.
Although she needs the help of players from time to time, she is also one of the most experienced hunters of Anomalies.
Anomaly, as said, is a rift, or a space or blank, that is the start of the world falling apart.
These anomalies bring disaster, and Adelaide is one of the known victims of the Disaster.
Unlike Armon, who fought on the frontlines, Adelaide is the daughter of another Hero, Gimalus.
She was a kid back then, and she is his only daughter.
Gimalus is the Beast King that time, and his might can be compared to the might of Armon, but sadly, they all lost their lives.
Some conspired that they are still alive, others said that they were wiped out.
But nobody knows what happened that day.
Only Armon, who, being a puppet and an android, lost a part of his memories.
So although Adelaide hates his guts on coming to her teritorry, she still needs him to know what happened to her father.
"Ughh..rkk..."
A small groan escaped from Zaon's lips as he tried to gasp for air.
"Get a priest here." Adelaide commanded a knight, which then the knight ran towards the biggest church nearby.
"Slick."
Kruger said, as he smiled towards Adelaide, who in return, just brushed him off.
Armon then walked towards Zaon, who is now gasping for air, fighting for his life.
And 1.8 APH is a pretty high pain receptor, and Zaon feels it intensely in his body.
The heat he feels as air tries to rush into his lungs, like a wound being exposed to humidity; the grinding of his bones and muscles, as the support of the muscles are taken out, so they just fall down.
"Ma'am, she's here."
The knight came back in time with a nun. The nun is a small, youth girl with big round eyes.
Adelaide did not waste any time as she pointed towards Zaon.
"Use Mold Heal."
"Pardon?"
"Mold Heal?"
"But he is conscious."
"Mold. Heal."
Adelaide's energye shot up, and this sudden change in the atmosphere pinned Zaon down more to the ground.
'I'm fighting for my life here, hello!'
His mind screamed but his lips were shut.
"I-I-I'll do it."
The nun said, aiming the staff towards the almost dying Zaon.
Adelaide's pressure went down, making the girl breathe.
"Babe, relax. It's okay." Kruger put his arm around Adelaide's shoulder, but she dodged it cleanly that he almost fell flat on his face if he did not hit a burly metallic body.
Feeling this, Armon looked back, and saw what was happening.
"Boy, you better keep your hands to yourself, or I will break them."
"You wanna go?"
Kruger's intensity flared up, but as they were starting, a cough stopped them.
"What a line up."
Zaon, who was now sitting, said as he placed a hand between him and the healer.
"Thank you, that's enough."
Bewilderment colored their faces as they saw the dying man, refuse to be healed.
Well, for starters, it was not a bad call.
Mold Heal, by the name itself, uses the previous mold of the body, to heal the injuries, wounds and even fractures.
It straightens up the body, and it fixes it, but not in an instant, but in a gradual, slow way that makes the receiver feel a great deal of itch in the parts that they have injuries with.
It is like a torture, and in his current pain setting, it is like he is being drilled by multiple excavators in his body.
"This is just right." He then looked at the three big shots in front of him.
He then closed and open his arms, like a baby trying to learn what his body can do.
"Say.."
"Huh?" Zaon answered.
"Are you of the Dark League?"
Hearing this, Zaon stopped what he was doing.
Fear? Nope.
If you spent a lifetime with a person, you won't feel any fear towards them.
"The convincing answer? Or the best answer?"
Zaon said, eyeing the lady in the middle.
"You frea-"
"Stop. I'll be the one asking questions."
Adelaide, hearing Zaon's answer, looked at his face.
"Look here, young man."
Adelaide knelt down and met him eye to eye
"Are you..."
Adelaide's hands rested on his shoulder.
Pressure piled up on him, as his half-recovered body started to churn again.
"...of the Dark League?"
Zaon felt the heaviness of the power of Adelaide, and he, now, is being grounded again, like a fine mess.
But, he has a goal.
All the playing tough, all the acting, is for this moment.
He smiled and looked at Adelaide's eyes.
Muttering slowly, Adelaide's gaze soften, and within mere seconds, the pressure stopped.
What made it more beautiful is the crack in the icy, beast queen's face.
But, in a mere moment, that crack was covered up by the thick ice again.
PLOP!
Zaon's body fell down as the pressure is gone, but his consciousness shut out.
"Healer, cast a Grand Heal on him."
Adelaide stood up and faced the two men.
"I will be taking him. Anything else?"
Kruger shook his head fast, just like a dog who sways their tail to their master.
"Are you sure he is safe, niece?"
"Yes, he is safe..."
Adelaide walked over and uttered.
"...and I am not your niece."
Armon sighed.
Although he forgot most things, he doesn't forget the last words of his comrades, and his heart is set on protecting Gimalus' daughter.
As he shook his head in grief, he heard her footsteps stop.
"What was his name again?" Adelaide asked.
Armon touched his chin as he deeply pondered.
"Oh. I believe they call him Zypher."