Chapter 5

• Cattepillar in a cocoon!
• Though they are not as tight as Redd's current situation, their wingspan is way longer than Redd's arms in comparison of size proportion.
• Much more those caterpillars can't even see a thing while Redd still has a guide, as he can still clearly see the light coming from the end of the vortex.
• "Hmmm..." Redd muttered as he analize his options. His arms are fully stretched above his head and his body is tightly tied by the vortex's 'walls.'
• Currently, the only part of body he could move were his bleeding fingers. More to his predicament is no matter how he put all his physical and internal strength on his fingers to pull him up it bears no fruit.
• After sometimes, Redd suddenly remove all his internal strength on his fingers and devided it on his two knees and two elbows.
• "This vortex is by no means composed of a matter. It was composed of high speed air but no matter what it can be bend! Aaahhhhh!" Redd encourage himself as he put all his strenght to bend both his knees and elbows.
• At first it was fruitless but after few tries he finally had a small success. But not without pain, his four limbs are now all bleeding from air resistance when he bend his knees and elbows.
• Yet he ignored such pain as he knows pretty well that his time is constrained. He need to move. With his shoulders as impact receiver, Redd crawled.
• "Aaahhhh!" Redd cried in pain but joy filled his heart. He was able to move!
• In face of unbearable pain, he slowly lessen his distance towards the exit.
• Until finally he was but half a meter from the edge. He fully stretched his arms as he gripped the edge of the voltex.
• Then with all his remaining strength he pulled himself up...
• ...
• "Was it worth it, general?" The young soldier again dropped another question. He was referring to all the sacrifices this Generation of Fate and their families had to take just for that small percentage of success.
• After all, not only this 2000 people belong to this age group. But they were trim down through a series of tournaments. Then this? One of fourth of those selected 2000 could only manage to survive.
• General Lim looked at his questioning subordinates. With wyr smile then give his answer, "That is their gamble! Which part of cultivation does not include cultivators gambling with their lives? Boy, everything in life is a gamble. Everytime you decide on something, you are betting on that decision."
• Giving his point of view, he paused. Then he shift his anwer towards the concern, "And this 'Land of Nature,' Generation of Fate' and 'Harvest Time' was implanted in this youngsters mind ever since they were born. And it could also be said that it is why their parents will do everything so they could conceive a child 17 to 19 before the 'Harvest Time.' In short, from day one this could their mission. The reason for their existence...
• Low percentage you may say? But once a fellow manage to survive this event, that low percentage you said will turn a high percentage for their family's rise. This is the reason for their family's investment."
• General Lim suddenly became talkative. And his mind is flying to the events he encountered a century ago. His words is actually a reminising his past.
• General Lim, who used to belong to a medium class family, paved way for his family's success and rise in the succeeding decades.
• But just as the general is having his mind sharing moment, a subordinates exclaimed.
• "General, they're back!... Huh! Hey! What's going on?" the subordinates, who was so excited in his earlier words suddenly changed his words with confused face.
• "What the... Soldier, make yourself clear!" General Lim shouted and almost curse due to his subordinates inaccurate report.
• But his other subordinates also shouted their report,
• "General, something's wrong!"
• "Yes General, it seems that..."
• "Sir, please sense it yourself. I think..."
• Dozens of soldier all give an unsure report in one go. Everyone seems confused.
• General Lim, wish to scold his subordinates at first, finally give in to the demand of the moment and spread his senses.
• "Wait... what?" The general exclaimed. "Damn! Bandits!"
• Their current location could be said as the best spot to watch over the entire mountain, as the watcher can see and sense almost everything that is happening on it.
• Specially such as big as the opening of the vortex that could mean the ending of the 'Harvest Time.'
• But at the moment something strange is happening, as General Lim and his subordinates could sense that not only one location manifest a sudden inflock of people but hundreds of location.
• "See it with your own eyes!" General Lim give an order. He could vaguely guessed what is happening.
• As everyone is well aware that 'Harvest Time survivors' bags could be considered as treasure trove at this very moment.
• Much more, this treasure trove's defense is at its weakest since it's keeper had just survive the 'Harvest Time.'
• With the way things is happening, General Lim could already guess that this might be a work of an organized outlaw group. Such thing that never happened before.
• During those previous 'Harvest Time,' there were cases of bandits snatching those Generation of Fate's storage bags. But is usually done by a roque individual or an small group of desperate bandits.
• But it was never this organized. To the point that this group was actually using dozens of diversion technique.
• Yes, what General Lim and his group could sense are dozens of suppose 'landing area' for those Harvest Time's survivor.
• "We already did, Sir! But the more we are confused as we can't see a thing." The soldiers reported.
• "Then think of a way to figure the real location! Damn!" General Lim cursed as he also runs his mind for a counter to solve this 'attack' the fastest possible time.
• Time is the very essence of such situation.
• 'They came prepared! And well aware of the emperial army's strategy of fetching this survivors. Probably a traitor, a former army is among them.' General Lim thought.
• Their current location is the usual place the emperial army awaits the survivors as this place could covers almost the entire mountain.
• But this bandits did their assignment and created a clever strategy. As all of those suppose 'landing area' that General Lim and soldiers could sense are all in this place's blind spot.
• 'Whoever their strategist is, he diffinitely clever and bold!' General Lim can't help to appreciate this group's mind. They really caught the emperial army by surprise.