They all huddled around the old man, clutching sticks in their hands, which seemed pitiful compared to his massive sword.
But he did not attack.
This time, the old man simply stood, gripping the hilt, waiting.
And there was a reason for that.
The branches stopped four steps away, not moving closer but gradually sealing off the path forward and back. They did not attack. They were herding them.
It all happened too fast.
The old man silently raised his sword, and a flash of light enveloped him. One step, a sharp thrust—and a slashing strike tore forward, dispersing the darkness.
It seemed as though his sword was the only thing illuminating this world.
The torches flickered like weak flames, but their light was nothing compared to this radiance.
The air rang from the strike. The bright aura pierced the darkness, but only a few branches shattered into splinters. A waste of energy.
The old man frowned but did not hesitate. Instead, he barked:
— FORWARD!
They rushed into a desperate sprint.
The old man flew ahead, his speed astonishing. It seemed as if he wielded his sword like a cane, swinging it without the slightest delay.
The branches lunged to cut them off, but the blade cleared the path faster than they could block it.
And then, the rain intensified.
Not ordinary rain—a scorching downpour, cutting into their skin like thousands of tiny blades.
Screams rang out in the darkness.
Torches flared up and went out, one by one. These torches, which should have withstood the rain, but this… this was an anomaly.
Even the moon disappeared, hidden behind black clouds.
Only the light of the sword remained, tearing through the gloom.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
— OLD MAN, — Gloomer shouted. — YOU PLAN TO ESCAPE ALONE AND LEAVE US BEHIND?
No answer followed.
Vale suddenly spoke, his voice trembling:
— Guys… if we die… just know… that I… love you…
Lark and Ars had remained silent the whole time. In a situation like this, they had no words to describe this nightmare.
Even Gloomer had no idea what they were feeling right now.
Gloomer clenched his teeth.
Was this really the end?
His whole life had been torment. And now it was about to end like this? He hadn''t even gotten to see the world…
The old man suddenly stumbled.
And in an instant, they were trapped.
It seemed that the strong old man had died first among these weak people.
The branches closed in, walls of darkness sealing them from all sides.
Twenty beggars, without strength, without magic, without hope.
Gloomer held his breath, watching as a sharp branch swung toward them, ready to pierce—
But in that instant, fire erupted.
Not the sword’s light.
A bright, blazing flame burst forth to the side, surging from… a pickaxe?
A man. Gaunt, battered, covered in wounds—but with fire in his hands.
Arlo.
He raised his hand, and the flames surged in a wave, forcing the branches to retreat.
The shadows scattered, as if they had never existed.
Gloomer breathed heavily, unable to believe what had just happened. It all happened so fast.
— Damn, feels like I’m watching a play again, and as always, I understand nothing.
And then… a figure stepped out of the darkness.
He swung his sword.
And the world changed.
The branches vanished. The moon returned.
But the rain still poured.
It was the old man!
He crossed his arms and looked at Arlo.
— So now you call yourself Arlo?
Gloomer turned to him sharply, not understanding what was happening. After everything he had just seen, he noticed the despair in the man’s eyes.
At that moment, the old man seemed completely serious.
Gloomer analyzed the situation from all angles.
They should have passed this path long ago. They were walking in circles. These damn strange Anomalies…
Arlo clenched his fists.
— How… how the hell did you know it was me?
The old man smirked.
— Don’t make me laugh. Your wounds, your excuses about the east of the island… even your "comrades" who wear different clothes. You don’t even need to be a tracker to figure you out.
The crowd slowly stepped away from Arlo.
Each step back was instinctive.
The old man continued:
— To be honest, I wasn’t sure you were the one I was looking for. The one I went out for a walk to find. But how lucky for me that this anomaly played into my hands.
Arlo flinched.
And then he exploded.
— AGAIN! — he screamed, pounding his fists against the ground. — MY DAMNED LUCK!
His voice broke into a hoarse roar.
— WHY?! WHY DO I HAVE THIS LIFE?!
He lifted his head, his eyes blazing with fury.
The old man looked at him with pity. He spoke just one word:
— TRASH.
— This is my damn life. As a child, I wanted to become a great warrior! Then… I just wanted to escape poverty! But when I grew up, I realized…
He laughed. A hollow, bitter laugh.
— …that my wretched life was worth nothing.
Silence.
Only the rain drummed against the ground.
Arlo slowly turned to the crowd.
— You idiots don’t get it. You think you can escape this hell?
He shook his head, grinning.
— It doesn’t matter if you’re talented. If you’re blessed by the gods themselves. Even if you receive great luck…
His eyes narrowed.
— This world is designed so that you’re always missing something. So that you remain a pawn. So that you can be discarded at any moment.
And he spoke the last words:
— Because you are all… just side characters.
His head flew off before anyone could react.
One moment.
One swing of the sword.
The old man silently picked up the flaming pickaxe.
Without turning to the others, he said:
— Don’t take him seriously. Just a desperate thief who stole an artifact from the mine.
He paused.
— Forward. We’ve reached the cave.
Gloomer looked at the lifeless eyes at his feet.
Their expression was… strange.
But he pushed the thoughts away.
Survival came first.
Lark placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his daze.
Ars struck the ground. With bloodied hands, he placed his hand on both their shoulders and said:
— Thank you, all of you.
He looked back.
— And of course, you too, Vale.
Vale, who had stood at the back, ready to die, smiled. He immediately leapt onto the three of them with
a hint of laughter.
A lot had happened.
But whatever lay ahead, all four of them suddenly felt much better.
Gloomer shook himself off, inhaled deeply.
They raised their heads.
And kept moving forward.