Chapter 116: Eating and Reminiscing


    ****(POV)


    This is insane!


    Right now I am devouring everything on my te. I should know better than to do something so dumb. I have been a mercenary leader for a long time after all!


    That food might very well be poisoned but I just can''t stop my hands or mouth.


    It is that delicious. Who doesn''t love pancakes! But there is something weird about the whole thing. I can see one of mypanions eat it ravenously too. The thing is he hates pancakes. Chances are this is not real.


    Earlier we stumbled upon the kitchen. It was totally empty. Yet here we are eating a feast. Either our host knows storage magic, or this is all an illusion. Both cases are extremely scary as both are extremely strong magic.


    Talking about our host there is obviously something wrong with him. More urately he is perfectly fineas a vampire. I''ve heard tales of them. Some extremely powerful and evil race. Illusion magic tends to be right in their cords. The moment one falls to the charm it is already toote to fight back. He could simply kill us all while we are feasting.


    I know that, but I still can''t stop at all!


    This is crazy! I was about to despair, but then that man told us to keep eating. That everything would be fine. Not to use that so-called newfound energy, however. Of course, an illusion is not filling at all. That''s when I realized something. He knew all along.


    He saw through the illusion instantly. We all sumbed to it, yet it never affected him in the first ce!


    He alone is stronger than all of us. Is it him being on another levelpletely? Is it his will being that firm? After all, I was able to discern the threat, I am just not resolute enough to defend against it.


    I that survived many life and death fights and am known for my cool head is not his match.


    At all.


    I''m truly d we came here with him. Otherwise, we would have joined the pile of skeletons outside. Maybe the most unresolved to death between us would have turned into wraiths.


    Yet all because of him, we are still alive. And now we get to just rx while he takes care of everything.


    I''m not sure if I should feel bad or just ask him if he won''t take us under his wing. That would be pretty shameless wouldn''t it?


    Now that I think about it I should have known something was up since the beginning.


    He requested guides, never protectors. He didn''t bat a single eye to therger and stronger mercenary group. He didn''t have to.


    Thenter on he met a unicorn. Stuff like that doesn''t happen to themon mortals. These creatures are way too proud to show themselves to normal guys, or so I''ve heard anyway.


    After that, we got ambushed on the road. Not sure how they evaded his detection, but we did fall into their trap. Still, he never panicked. At first, he had a smirk on his face and then surprise, but not fear. Not once. I first mistook that for him being too surprised but turns out I was the one in the wrong.


    Well after a while he dide back to his senses and started running with us too. Was that all an act? He seems to like to act weak for some reason.


    We dived right into an unknown portal and came here.


    He guided us all around evading the enemies until we reached the middle area where we fought the skeleton army.


    When people were getting antsy, he started singing. Good n, but it requires the courage to apply it. A weak soul would just despair and want to run confronted by such an army. Not him. Even then kept leading us.


    Then came a huge bone dragon. That is when we all collectively gave up on life. No one spoke but we all knew this ce was going to be our tomb. Still, I wanted to try onest stand burning my life soul. He went alone to confront the creature. Alone against a damn dragon! He did it naturally without a hint of doubt too!


    He seemed to have trouble dodging every attack, yet he remained fine. I concentrated on my casting. Chanting is not always necessary but it does increase the power of magic. I was going to pour everything into that one spell: my power, my body, my soul, all of it.


    We kept charging through and actually made it across finally reaching the fog. I understood how after looking at him dancing with the dragon. He wasn''t only dealing with the big guy but also countless skeletons at the same time.


    All the while dodging barely at thest second and making it look as clumsily as possible. That''s when I truly understood that he had been faking all this while. His unsteady posture only an illusion. This man was a hardened warrior. The worst is he had many opportunities to counterattack yet he would yfully run around the dragon even then.


    I figured he might be able to actually produce a miracle. Especially with my support.


    I waited for him toe nearby and started enchanting his sword. This would have been my most powerful cast everexcept I never even finished it. First I realized he didn''t have his sword anymore. Not sure when it disappeared. Then when I was about to ask someone to lend him one he took something that was hanging at his neck. I never really paid attention to that.


    Grave mistake. Or it would have been had he been an enemy. For us, it was the best news possible.


    He took out something I will always recognize instantly. The Bringer of Cmity.


    The sword that made the Eagle of Massacre into a legend.


    Right there and then I simply nked out.


    The only thing I could think to myself was


    WHAT THE FUCK!!!!