KEEP BUANA (Rise of Darkness)

Enemy In Blanket

Gentayu intended to stay for a while in the village built by the king and the rest of his followers from Lamahtang. At least, he will stay at that place until the competition between Kelana warriors held in Muara Sabak ends in two weeks. His instinct was that something big would happen within two weeks.

Unlike while living in the 7th Curtain Sect where Gentayu actively strengthened every member of the sect to at least two levels, in this place he did not want to involve himself too far. Strengthening people who work and serve the country just because they are paid according to Gentayu is not the right choice. And Gentayu until now still think so against most of the remaining soldiers who numbered no less than 200 people. At least, Gentayu's thinking has strong evidence because every day there will always be soldiers who resign or disappear without news. It seemed like they had no hope in this king of theirs so they chose to retreat. Quite reasonable and realistic in fact, yet clearly wrong in the eyes of a knight like Gentayu.

Now, the king's bodyguards number no more than 30 people outside Mahapatih, Panglima and Binduriang and the Captain, Dandun. Although the number of soldiers is only 30 people, but in fact they are the chosen soldiers who have gone through many difficult times in their careers as soldiers. Their average abilities would be slightly superior when dealing with a level two swordsman even offsetting an early level Madya swordsman. When dealing with ordinary soldiers who were generally only at the beginner or first swordsman level, then obviously they were no match for him.

Gentayu warned the soldiers through his adoptive father as well as Benduriang not to let down the vigilance in the next two weeks. The soldiers understood, and they did not want to risk the safety of their king. So during the two mingu, they shared tasks and worked in turns in shifts that were shared by Dandun as the head of the king's guard. One of the procedures established by Dandun is to make danger warning markers at several points that are easy to reach and not to let the king, empress or prince Lokajaya alone when outside the house.

This last plan was met with strong opposition from the king. He insisted on not being too strict in escorts on the grounds that they felt like prisoners to be guarded everywhere. Of course, this was the reason the king made up. In fact, the king was already beginning to despair and there was no longer any desire to reclaim the throne. Living in a village and being a commoner like this is much more convenient than being in a palace with a variety of rules and responsibilities, he thought.

When that happened, Gentayu was under a large banyan tree. He meditated at the place continuing his habit while in the 7th Curtain Sect. Gentayu gained a new understanding after living together with the spiritual sect. Now he realizes that a person's greatest strength is not in his physical self. More about his soul power. Actually, this philosophy was also taught by his teacher, Ki Brajavana but deep understanding was obtained from the 7th Curtain sect.

Physical strength would be meaningless without the power of the soul. It is the power of the soul that will determine the quality of life of a human being, regardless of his physical weakness and strength. Many magic warriors who do not get honor, tranquility, even living in a void because of the emptiness of his soul. On the contrary, many ascetics were actually physically weak but with the strength of his soul he gained honor, tranquility, and happiness in the course of his life. In fact, even a strong person will still be considered weak as long as he submits and is enslaved to his passions.

For five days Gentayu meditated. Today is the day of the start of the match or martial competition between wandering swordsmen or warriors without a college in Muara Sabak village. During meditation, Gentayu felt a calmness that was impossible to feel in his state of consciousness.

A very deep feeling of calm. Until he could feel his breath going in and out of his body. Feel every cell of his body regenerate and work to serve every end. It was as if he was his heart beating continuously. To be his hull which now rests because of his fast. Become the skin that sweat. And Gentayu got into him so much that he could hear every sound of his body parts working and resting. Then he heard a very subtle sound around his body. Then heard the sound of a fight that was very far away, at the mouth of the sabak. Even the sound of the fight became increasingly clear as Gentayu concentrated his senses at that point. Apparently, Gentayu managed to open one of the keys in him, the key to hearing.

Now he can even hear the sound of a fly and a mosquito flying no less than 50 meters from him. Even the sound of the legs of the ants not far from him sounded very noisy.

When he pointed his hearing towards the king's village, Gentayu was startled and immediately opened his eyes... “Attacks!!” He cried while jumping in shock.

As expected, the attack actually happened.

Apparently, their existence in this place was sniffed by the Lamahtang who were now under the power of the prince of Tulung Selangit. Huge prizes and the lure of facilities for anyone who provides information on the whereabouts of king Prabu Win made one of the soldiers who resigned darkened his eyes. He exchanged information about his king in hopes of obtaining the gold coffers as promised. But instead of getting rewarded, the soldier was instantly snuffed out after relaying his information.

“A worthy punishment for a traitor is Death. Because once he betrayed, he, then there is no guarantee he will not betray his new master in the future” it is the words of Mpu Jangger before deploying and leading no less than a hundred warriors of the black flow alliance towards the king's village.

Gentayu saw the corpses of the soldiers and the second-class swordsman black stream lying in several places. Gentayu followed the sprawling corpses dominated by black warriors into the forest. Apparently, the king and his supporters were on the run and were being chased.

Gentayu sharpened his sense of discernment and found the sound of a fight not far from where he stood. Rushing he headed to the source of the voice and found Commander Wiratama and Benduriang being ganged up by three powerful warriors from the black-flow alliance.

Looking at Gandos, the bald high-ranking man from the Demon Hair group attacked using dozens of barely visible daggers, aided by a beautiful silvery-white-haired woman dressed in black with a black fan weapon, who was not a half-dozen, she is the Goddess of the Black Rose. While another is Piyut or Swordsman Blood Centipede from the Black Centipede College with a weapon similar to a jagged silver whip with a thorny ball-like ujuang.

The three managed to urge the two military officials of the Kingdom of Lamahtang. In fact, the Wiratama commander who holds the title of Steel Arm Swordsman with his immune body has now been filled with several wounds on his body. Apparently, the silver whip weapon became a weakness of the warlord's immunity, because at the end of the silver whip in the form of a spiked ball was embedded thousands of years old stealth mustika.

Benduriang himself fared no less bad. His apparent ability under commander Wiratama was the reason why the senopati had not been killed. The gangsters thought that killing Benduriang was not difficult. Even one of the three must be able to eliminate the senopathy. Their big problem is precisely in the existence of Commander Wiratama.

This commander was even able to snuff out nearly sixty more warriors of the alliance that Mpu Jangger had brought alone. The weapons of even the poison of the high-level swordsmen of the black stream were unable to deal with the rampage of this commander. Thus, Mpu Jangger felt the need to directly bring down the three strongest warriors from the black-flow sect of its members. Mpu Jangger himself led the rest of his troops in pursuit of King Prabu Win who is now only protected by Mahapatih with five guards remaining.