《I CHOSE STRENGTH OVER MAGIC》 01 - Still a Boy Alejandro''s nose bled as he kneels on the ground, looking down at the hard wood floor. He saw the blood falling into the floor and pondered, "Whose blood is this?", he then touches his nose and realized that it is his blood coming out of his nose. "So, are you still not gonna practice magic?", A tall height with an average looking man asked Alejandro as the boy starts to stand up. "Never!", Alejandro charged to the man with a frustrated face with a clenched angry fist. SWOOSH Alejandro was blasted away to the wall, he then starts to puke blood, covering his white shirt with red bloody liquid. "Hmph, I''m disappointed. You''re still a boy after all. Talk to me when you''re ready to learn about magic. Magic is the only way to survive in this harsh world, you''re better off dead if you have no interest in magic." The tall man is Alejandro''s father, a despicable man that will do anything just for Alejandro to be interested in magic. His name is John, he only have low level of magic but rather explosive types of magic. The boy, Alejandro, is only 12 years old. He does not have any interest about magic nor learning about it. He might be the only person in the entire world with a mindset like this. As literally all people in the world have magic, even majority of them only has low to medium level of magic. The important thing is having magic, because there are things in the world that you will instantly die just because you have no magic. Let''s say, a man travels around the forest and encountered a bear with a snake head, then this creature attacks the man. However, the man has no magic, thus the result is being him dead, lying on the floor. In this world, creatures like a bear with a snake head exists, these kinds of creatures are aggressive and are dangerous to humans. This reason is why majority of the humans started to learn magic, simply to defend their selves. "Goddamnit!", Alejandro shouted as his father walked out the room, leaving the poor boy alone. "I will never want to learn about magic! I don''t care how useful it is to other people, I don''t find it cool nor manly!" Learning magic in this world is very simple, it is like learning how to cook a simple rice. However, not everyone is blessed with a great magic level. Once a person learns magic, the concept of magic itself will automatically tell the person what level their magic is. If a person has a low level of magic, they can improve this level into medium level in 20 years by practicing and leveling up their mana storage. However, leveling up a mana storage is like taking care of a boar. One must eat and drink magic food types, these types of foods are rather expensive if you are only a regular human with a regular job with a decent pay. Even as a 12 years old boy, Alejandro realized this kind of system long ago. He knows that his parents only works in a bar, thus having decent amount of money. By realizing this, Alejandro''s hate towards magic grew even stronger. He knows only rich people can be strong in magic and can level up their magic level even faster by having unlimited resources. Alejandro took off his dirty shirt and goes to kitchen to grab something to eat. He sees a fresh bread in the table, a delicious scent can be smelled just by standing afar. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Just before Alejandro can grab the fresh bread, his mother slapped his hand. "You disgusting worthless kid! You dare roam in my house, stripped naked?! You don''t even deserve to eat in the first place! I mean what do you even do in this house, huh?!" "But moth-", Alejandro''s mother immediately cuts him off, shouting to him even louder. "You don''t have magic because you don''t want to learn about it, that is why you quit going to school because your teachers and classmates bully you everyday! The only thing you do here is doing push ups and sit ups everyday like that is gonna help you!" Alejandro looked down as he continues to listen to his mother. His face does not have any expression as he already grew in this type of conversations with his mother and father everyday. "What is the look on your face?! Not listening to me again huh? Why do I even let you live in this house?..." Alejandro was very hungry at this moment, he has not eaten in the past 3 days. Because of the hungriness, his instinct and reflex immediately ordered his hand to grab the fresh bread. As he was about to grab the bread by his right hand, his mother immediately cast a spell on his arm. A spell that puts his hand into zero motion, thus Alejandro''s entire right arm froze. "You sneaky little rat. You don''t have any manners. He''s right, you''re still a boy after all. A na?ve boy to be specific." Little did his mother know, Alejandro''s everyday workout did not go into vain. This spell is too weak. Even if this type of skill is powerful, if the person using it only has low level magic, then this is nothing to Alejandro. The mother''s eyes suddenly opens widely and shocked as Alejandro broke free out of her spell. "What?! How can this be?! This is impossible!" Alejandro managed to take one bread and ran away from his despicable mother. He is about to go outside to eat the bread that he has stolen. Even if he is running, he starts to eat the bread like a dog that has not been fed by many days. "Oh man! I haven''t eaten in so long! This bread is delicious! Too bad it has barely any protein." I don''t care if they think I''m still a boy! I''m not foolish enough to be deceived by their words, they just want me to learn about magic! They think too shallow about the situation and in life. No wonder they are just low level magic user. When Alejandro opened the front door that leads to outside, his father stands before him. "Oh no! It''s father! He''s going to beat me up again!" Alejandro thought as he saw his father standing outside looking at him. "Alejandro, I want you to meet someone." "What? Who is it father?" John then steps aside to reveal someone behind him. "This is Raphael, your new brother." "What?!" Alejandro was very shocked about this information. He did not have a brother until at this very moment. Just who is this brother of mine that father is talking about?! "Hello. Nice to meet you, I am Raphael. I will be staying in here starting today." Raphael approach and greeted Alejandro. But to no avail, Alejandro was dead silent and just watched Raphael''s hand, making a gesture of handshake. "I heard that you don''t have any magic? Father told me you''re still a boy that needs to learn." Raphael started to make conversation to Alejandro after he puts down his hand because it seems Alejandro does not want to handshake with him. "What?... Father told you about that?..." "Don''t worry, I will tell not a single soul about your pettiness." Alejandro was furious about Raphael''s reply, he starts to clench his fist, ready to punch Raphael at any moment. "Now, now. Let''s not make a scene children, the two of you go inside. I am excited to introduce you to your mother, Raphael." "Yes, I am also excited father. I can''t wait to see her." John and Raphael went inside, talking sweet to each other as they walk forward to where Alejandro''s mother is. I can''t believe this! A brother of mine that shows up just now?! Have mother and father not told me anything about this? Wait, but I heard father that he is excited that Raphael will finally be able to meet mother! That means only father knows about Raphael''s existence! I smell bad aura and vibes on this Raphael guy, I must learn who he really is and what are his intentions! 02 - A New Brother The sky is as clear as a clean ocean, dazzling and making people''s eyes amazed by it. In the small village of Holm, people are busy buying foods and drinks that are mana type. There are different kinds of foods and drinks that are mana types. Bitterz is the name of the cheap mana types of foods, while Joyful is the name of an average price of mana types of foods, next is the Spices which are the expensive mana types of foods. Lastly, Deaths are the most expensive mana type of food. ¡°One Bitterz please!¡± a man shouted as he pointed at a Bitterz type of meal. ¡°That will be 5 bronze coins, sir.¡± the seller replied. The man purchased the Bitterz as he gave 5 bronze coins to the seller. Meanwhile, in an average size of house, a new brother showed up. A boy that is the same age as Alejandro, slightly taller than him, with majestic face features and with an amazing magic aura. His name is Raphael, an unknown kid not until Alejandro met him today. ¡°Dear, this is our new son as I¡¯ve told you these past few days.¡± The mother looked at Raphael and she was overjoyed as she could sense a great amount of magic aura around him. Not to mention, a handsome face with an average built type of body. Truly, giving her a sign that he has a huge potential to be a strong magician. ¡°Well it¡¯s about time! Hello son, I will be your mother starting today. What is your name?¡± Raphael replied with a smile and kneeled before her mother, as he was about to kiss her hands. ¡°Hello mother, I am delighted to finally meet you. My name is Raphael, I am honored to be by your side.¡± ¡°Oh my! What a wonderful child! You¡¯re the most well-mannered child that I have ever met in my entire life, haha!¡± Alejandro, who was watching in the back, was still shocked. As a 12 years old kid, he is having a hard time to perceive all of this. ¡°What am I thinking?! I should be happy with his information! I have a new brother now, that means I won¡¯t be lonely. I could practice with him, I could show him my moves that I have been practicing.¡± Later in the afternoon, Alejandro was done in his daily workout session. As he walks by the training room, which he is not allowed to enter, he hears a sound that resonates with powerful magic cast spells. The door was slightly open, enabling someone to see the inside of the training room from the outside. Alejandro quietly sneaks and tries to watch who is practicing in the room. He sees Raphael practicing his magic spells, emitting a powerful aura. He bumped his own fists together and a fire comes out and burns the practice dummy, this ragdoll immediately burns and vanishes like it¡¯s nothing in just a matter of seconds. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. However, seeing this, Alejandro was confused. Raphael¡¯s magic spell that he just casts, was not fire nor explosion type of magic. Yes, it does emit a fire-like burning power, but Alejandro never saw this kind of magic in his entire life. Raphael was sweating, the boy was practicing his magic really hard, casting the same spell over and over in order for it to improve. Thus, the training room is very hot inside, making it hard for the boy to breathe. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there. Come inside.¡± Raphael said as he was standing, coughing and rapidly breathing as he just finished his training. Alejandro was shocked that his brother noticed him. He had no option but to enter the training room, as his brother ordered him. ¡°Hello brother, your training must be hard. You¡¯re having a hard time breathing. What is that magic that you casted a while ago?¡± Raphael turned back and looked at Alejandro. ¡°I have the most powerful magic in the entire village, that is why mother and father adopted me. I have the sun magic type. Burning enemies faster than fire type magic.¡± Alejandro was amazed by his brother''s magic type, making him nearly want to learn magic. However, deep in his heart, he does not want to learn anything about magic. ¡°Why do you not want to learn magic? Are you that ignorant to learn something so simple and powerful? With your state, no one will accept you, even mother and father. You will die alone in this world with such an ignorant mindset.¡± Alejandro was furious when he listened to his brother, his fists starting to clench. ¡°I am not like anyone! I do not want to learn magic just because it¡¯s not manly, I also know mother and father have financial issues, thus making it hard for me to level up my magic if ever I learned about magic.¡± Raphael smirked and laughed quietly as he heard Alejandro¡¯s thoughts about learning magic. ¡°I did not have a father and mother until now, did you think I had this powerful magic when I was just an infant? No! I learned it, I nourished it, I improved it, I worked hard for it, I had to lick people¡¯s feet just to have coins to buy myself magic type foods! I am not ignorant like you, brother! You look at me like I was talented from the start, you are gravely mistaken.¡± Alejandro stood there listening to his brother¡¯s words, thinking his brother is right and Alejandro is in the wrong one. His words struck Alejandro¡¯s heart, making him want to learn magic and work hard for it just like his brother did. ¡°Still, if you learned about magic, you will still not be able to defeat me. You¡¯re just inferior to me. I will now go eat, brother.¡± Raphael walked away and exited the training room, once again leaving the poor boy alone. However, as always, Alejandro manages to get up from the things that are weighing him down. He hated his brother¡¯s last words. Alejandro thought his brother was actually nice deep down, but he was mistaken. Thus, he wanted to challenge his brother into a sparring session. He started to run outside the training room, chasing his brother into the dining table. ¡°Brother Raphael! I challenge you to spar with me! Whoever wins will have 5 bronze coins!¡± Raphael stopped walking towards the dining table which had delicious meals prepared for him. His eyes twitched as he heard his brother challenge him, thinking he could beat him. ¡°You really are ignorant and a fool, brother. Without magic, how could you possibly beat me? Hmph, fine then, I accept this challenge of yours, after all 5 bronze coins is what all I need in order to buy a special item in the merchant.¡± Alejandro smirked and shouted, ¡°Then tomorrow morning, I will wait for you inside the training room!¡± Raphael continued to walk towards the dining table and sat, preparing his plate and fork as he grabbed a Joyful meal. 03 - The Burning Sun The night was young and beautiful, the moon shines so bright without the clouds covering it. The villagers are all entering their own respective homes, merchants start to close their store, children jumping up and down as they are excited about what their dinner will be. In an empty dark room, there is a boy training his body to near death. Doing push ups and sit ups nearly a thousand times. This boy refuses to learn magic, only relying on his strength and willpower. He could hear his family laughing and joyfully eating at the dining table. Alejandro has no food to eat nor any beverage to drink. He continues to train despite the distracting conversations that could be heard coming from the dining room. Alejandro is preparing for the sparring session with his brother tomorrow. He just can¡¯t rest now, knowing his brother has a powerful type of magic. Not long after, he passed out due to exhaustion and overworking his body. Finally, the sun has arrived. Shining at the sky, asserting dominance to all the people. The merchants start to open their stores, villagers prepare to go into the forest to gather daily needs, hunters are also preparing their magic aura and swords that are enhanced by magic as they are about to hunt creatures that are consumable. Alejandro¡¯s father and mother are also on their way to their bar for they are about to open the business. Only then, Alejandro and Raphael are the only people left in the household. Meanwhile, Raphael is in the training room, alone. Wondering where in the world is Alejandro, the one who challenged him to a sparring session? Birds are chirping outside the house, making Alejandro¡¯s finger twitch. He then immediately stands up as he realizes that it is morning already. The day of the sparring session! ¡°Oh no! I overslept! I should have rested early last night rather than training until I fainted.¡±, Alejandro ran to the training room as fast as he could. He knows he may be late and Raphael is already waiting for him inside. He opened the door and saw his brother standing looking at him very angry. ¡°Why are you late, fool? You were the one who challenged me and you dare show up late?¡± ¡°I am sorry, brother. I overslept due to fatigue, but don¡¯t worry I will give you a battle that will make you struggle and lose!¡± Alejandro said with a proud posture and preparing his fists. ¡°No matter, let us begin. The one who falls off the floor first is the loser, thus making the one who is still standing be the victor and receive the reward.¡± Raphael replies as he prepares his magic aura, making his classic signature fists bump into each other, giving Alejandro a sign that he could still retreat from a foolish decision. However, Alejandro is not scared, he even prepares to make a stance that a fighter will make when a duel is about to start. The room was silent, only the birds chirping can be heard. An intense atmosphere can be felt and none of the boys started to make a move yet. They both know that the one who moves first is the most likely to be defeated first. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. However, Raphael had the upper hand as his magic spells are mid range, allowing him to make the move first and cast a spell. But Alejandro was also not a fool, he already knew this and he had a plan from the very beginning. Raphael started to bump his own fists together, casting the magic spell. ¡°Feel the heat of the sun, brother!¡±, just as Raphael made his fists bump together, Alejandro already ran towards him, his reflex and speed is just incredible, hence avoiding the burning magic spell that Raphael casted. Even though he managed to avoid it, he could still feel the heat like a lava from a volcano. ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Raphael shouted as he was shocked that Alejandro avoided his spell. He then sees Alejandro¡¯s fist in his very own eyes, thinking if he gets hit by this fist, he would probably be thrown off across the training room and immediately falls on his knees, his nose bleeding and will vomit a mouthful of blood. However, just as Alejandro¡¯s fist could reach Raphael¡¯s face, Raphael¡¯s instinct and reflex made him duck and open his hand as he reached Alejandro¡¯s stomach. He did not make his fist clenched, rather he opened it as it touched Alejandro. Casting yet another spell that burns like a sun that burned off Alejandro¡¯s shirt. Even though it all happened so fast, the burning fire was still spreading in Alejandro''s stomach. However, Raphael underestimated Alejandro¡¯s reflex. Alejandro knew every part of his body and how to control it, thus when he felt the burning fire in his stomach, his knee already made a move that will hit Raphael¡¯s jaw as it is already in his reach. Nice reflex brother, however I am the master of my mind and body. I already know how to utilize every part of my body, making it a machine that is only intended for defeating enemies only. Your magic is truly powerful, I even feel the burning pain in my stomach even if it is still spreading, but you cannot simply beat my body¡¯s speed and power. Alejandro thought he already won, but at the last second, before Alejandro¡¯s knee could hit his opponent¡¯s jaw, Raphael shouted ¡°Arghhh!!!¡± making his spell reach past its limits. The burning fire increases its speed and swiftly spreads through Alejandro¡¯s entire stomach up until his throat and his arms in a matter of seconds. The boys simultaneously got thrown off the training room. One was blasted by a painfully burning fire and the other one that got hit by a knee in his jaw. They were separated but they could still see each other in the distance, wondering who won. Even though Alejandro¡¯s body was burned and it was emitting smoke, he couldn¡¯t care less as he wanted to see if his brother got knocked down, but a fog of smoke was covering his surroundings, making it hard to see if his brother is still standing or not. Finally, the fog of smoke cleared out. Alejandro¡¯s eyes were wide open as he saw his brother still standing, blood coming out on his mouth and a disfigured jaw. ¡°It looks like you lost, brother. What a shame.¡± Due to Alejandro¡¯s excitement of knowing if his brother was knocked down, he didn¡¯t realize he was actually kneeling on the floor. His both arms were unable to move and he then just started to realize the burning pain over his entire body. ¡°ARGGHHH!!!!!¡± Alejandro shouted on the top of his lungs, feeling the pain of a burning sun. ¡°You did this to yourself, brother. I did not want to do this, but your punch that nearly landed on my face, could have killed me. You were serious about this fight even though it was just a mere sparring session, you made it into a duel. A match ¡®til death.¡± Raphael walked past Alejandro and said ¡°Don¡¯t worry brother, I will not ask for the 5 bronze coins. I knew that you had no coins to begin with. I simply wanted you to see the power of the magic that you were not interested in. You were a fool thinking you could beat me to begin with.¡± Raphael left the training room, leaving Alejandro behind as he was still shouting from the burning pain that he was feeling. Alejandro nearly won, however the truth won. The truth was simply that a magic user is more powerful than a regular human with no magic power. Hence, the victor of the duel was his brother, Raphael. 04 - The Burned Son It hurts. It¡¯s like I am being thrown off a volcano full of burning lava. I can¡¯t move my entire body. Even though the burning fire stopped at my throat and in my arms, it still hurts. Help, father and mother. Suddenly, his mother and father arrived, they looked at Alejandro. ¡°This¡­ Raphael did this?!¡± shouted his father. Ah, father and mother. They must be so worried about me. I want to yell for help but I am unable to speak¡­ ¡°This is amazing! Raphael¡¯s magic power must be so powerful even though he is still a mere child!¡± the mother amazingly looked at Alejandro¡¯s burned body. Wait, what? Mother, what do you mean this is amazing? I am suffering from a burning pain here and you think it¡¯s amazing? Please help me. John started to carry Alejandro, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s bring this worthless child to a healer.¡± Worthless child? Me? Do you really think of me that way, father? Even though I nearly won the match against brother Raphael? Suddenly, Alejandro¡¯s eyes closed. He was then brought to a healer in the village. Elizabeth is the most talented healer in the village of Holm. Despite knowing how to cure and heal any diseases such as fever, disfiguration and bleeding, she could not heal Alejandro¡¯s body. ¡°Sir John, I apologize but I cannot do anything to heal your son. Where did he get this burn scar, anyway? I could have healed this burn scar of his if it was just a mere fire type of magic.¡± ¡°The burn scar he has now is a battle scar against my other son. He explained what all happened to my wife and I at the bar. True, that burn scar is not a mere ordinary burn scar as it was not burned by a fire type but rather a sun burning type of magic.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Elizabeth shouted as she learned about the truth about the origin of the burn scar. However, she could not believe that it was burned by a sun type of magic. A sun magic type is a rare form of magic that one could not simply learn nor be blessed with. ¡°That is a shame, it looks like he will wear this battle scar for his entire life. Is there any way for you to heal his arms, Madame Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Yes, I may not be able to heal his burn scar, but I could heal his arms. Although, after I am done with the healing process, it will take days for him to move it again.¡± ¡°It is alright. How much will it be, Madame?¡± ¡°5 silver coins, Sir John.¡± John sighed and gave Elizabeth 5 silver coins. Elizabeth then started to heal Alejandro¡¯s arms, casting a magic spell that is only for healing. As she is healing Alejandro, a green aura can be seen around Elizabeth, giving John a sign that she truly is a powerful healer. ¡°All done, Sir John. Please take care of your son next time.¡± ¡°Yes I will, Madame Elizabeth. I will.¡± John smirks as he carries Alejandro outside Elizabeth¡¯s house. ¡°Poor boy, having to suffer something like that in a very early age of his life. I wonder what he will be like when he grows up?¡± It¡¯s dark. All I can see is pitch black. I cannot move yet I could hear my own thoughts. Did I already die due to the burning pain? If so, then this is the afterlife. A lonely yet peaceful paradise. I cannot believe I lost to brother Raphael. I really thought I already won the moment my knee was about to hit his jaw. It seems I underestimated brother Raphael. Maybe everyone is right, maybe learning magic isn¡¯t so bad after all. Too bad I am dead, but I guess it is okay since I can¡¯t feel the burning pain anymore, hehe. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Wait, is that light? It¡¯s shining! Oh, I guess this is not the afterlife paradise! Am I going to be teleported to the real paradise? Where there are delicious foods and drinks? I can¡¯t wait! Alejandro¡¯s eyes start to open up, seeing the bright sun in the sky. He wakes up and stands up, his surroundings were all trees. ¡°Where on the earth am I? Is this the real afterlife paradise?¡± Alejandro looked at his hands. It¡¯s all burned up. It¡¯s already dry but it is still a burn scar. A burn scar that covers his entire body. ¡°Oh no¡­ What is this? Am I not in the afterlife? I¡¯m still alive?!¡± Alejandro is shaking as he remembers the day of the match and how his body burned so painfully. ¡°What is happening? Why am I trembling? It does not hurt anymore yet I could still remember all of the details of the burning pain. Father, mother, brother Raphael, where are you?!¡± The boy is all alone in a place where only trees can be seen. However, he sees a piece of folded paper in the grass by his foot. He opened the paper and read its content. ¡°Alejandro, we have decided to let you go. You will now be free, none will distract you. Please do not ever come back here, if you manage to find a way to go back to the Holm village in the future. We have decided to give you a parting gift, one gold coin, five silver coins and five bronze coins. If you want to live, search a way out of the forest, you will then see a river with a bridge leading to a new village, where it will be your new home. Farewell.¡± The boy starts to realize that his parents abandoned him and left him in this forest alone. He was just still a child, a boy his age would cry if their parents would abandon them. Thus, Alejandro started to cry after reading the message within the paper. The boy knelt down as he crumpled the paper with his hands. His eyes were full of tears, falling down on the grass. The boy was crying non stop but he slowly stopped as he saw another folded paper in the grass that was covered with the coins that his parents gave him. He first picked the coins and put them inside his pockets, then he picked up the paper and opened it. He read the content that is written in the paper. ¡°Dear brother, I made this letter without father and mother knowing about it. Father told me that you will wake up in a few days according to the healer. I just want to say brother, that I planned this from the very beginning. I knew you were a fool, that¡¯s why I poked and insulted you every time we had a conversation with each other. Leading you to think to have a duel against me. I could have been the one to challenge you, but mother and father would not think highly of me if I were the one that challenged you. I am glad you fell for my trap. However, the outcome was different than I planned. I admit I was nearly defeated, I was afraid my plan would not work when your knee was about to hit my jaw. However, the outcome matters the most, and it did go as I planned.¡± Alejandro flips the paper as there is still content in the back side of the paper. ¡°With you gone, I can now fully nourish my magic storage with all of father and mother¡¯s salary from the bar. I can finally now live a luxurious life without an annoying brat like you! It seems like mother and father gave you a parting gift, some coins for you to continue living on. However, do not be sad, brother. For I also have a parting gift only for you! A dagger! If you want to die because you think you suffered enough, please use my dagger. I will be delighted. Farewell, brother.¡± This¡­ is cruel. This is just so cruel! Brother Raphael planned this all along?! And I fell from his trap? He even gave me a dagger to kill myself?! He is just so cruel and cunning! Brother Raphael! I swear¡­ I swear I will kill you with my own hands! I will make you suffer just as you made me suffer! I will cut you down into pieces and grind you down in the very core of the Earth! I will not be satisfied until I find you again and kill you! Just you wait brother, you will regret that you made me a string puppet in your own game! Alejandro¡¯s eyes were burning like a fire, he grabs the dagger and stabs the paper multiple times as he continues to swear that he will kill his own brother. His face was like a demon that is very furious and a weird aura that just gives anyone a sign that if he sees them, whether your distance is far, he would sprint into you holding the dagger and would immediately slit your throat. His body was burning from his heated rage, thus enabling it to emit hot smoke out of his body. Even though Alejandro is still a child, anyone that would see his state right now would not think that he is a child. The boy was very angry, he gritted his teeth, slammed his arms up and down in the grass, banging his very own head in the grass, and even eating the grass out of the dirt. A mysterious figure was watching the boy from a far distance as he mumbled to himself ¡°It is not time yet. I will wait for another time.¡± 05 - Stranded Birds chirping as they fly across the forest. A river flowing can be heard nearby. Trees are all huge compared to a regular person. The grass is also green, smooth to step on. The forest is very peaceful with only the swaying of the tree¡¯s leaves can be heard. The sky is almost dark, the sun is almost gone. Soon, it will be dark with no light source around the forest. Complete darkness will surround the entire forest. Only then, creatures that hunt only at night can be heard running swiftly and howling across the forest. A footstep can be heard, with the boy walking aimlessly, not knowing which the sound of the river comes from. Alejandro has calmed down yet his eyebrows are still frowning. He heard yet another sound of someone or something running around in circles. Yet, this boy is as calm as an interrupted water. ¡°I need to get to the village, I need to refill my stomach.¡± the boy mumbled to himself as he continued to walk aimlessly, holding the dagger in his hand. Suddenly, a wolf with two faces appeared right before Alejandro. This wolf¡¯s face has two faces, one is of just an ordinary wolf face, the other resembles a moose. Its size is just the regular size of an adult wolf. It seems this creature saw the young boy walking aimlessly and does not know where to go, plus the wolf does not sense any magic aura around this boy, making it an easy prey for him. ¡°I am hungry too, I haven¡¯t eaten since the bread I stole from mother. If I kill you first, maybe I won¡¯t be hungry anymore.¡± Alejandro made a stance, his left side of the body is at the back, while his right side of the body is at the front. He pulls up his right arm with him gripping the dagger. The dagger facing the wolf¡¯s face. Alejandro is a mere child, making his size the same as the wolf. If he was a little bit older, he may be taller than the wolf. The wolf prepares to run into Alejandro as it makes a stance that means it would attack at any moment and devour its prey. Alejandro realized that, even though he had not encountered any creature yet, he still knew that it was about to come after him at any given time. This wolf is like me or any other human being, when one is about to attack and charge its opponent, one must make a stance that will put their body into fighting mode. The wolf suddenly sprints onto Alejandro, opening its mouth and showing its sharp fangs that could easily rip apart a human¡¯s arm off. When the wolf began to sprint onto Alejandro, the boy then made his move, also sprinting to the wolf. Alejandro could have thrown his dagger onto the wolf, dealing damage to the wolf. However, he knew that if he threw his dagger onto the wolf, it would only deal a little damage to the wolf. Hence, he chose his decision to run onto the wolf instead, even if it risks his life, he knew that gambling in this decision is much better than just throwing the dagger onto the wolf. The wolf and the boy finally clashed together. The wolf jumped into Alejandro, however with such reflex, the boy managed to dodge it and simultaneously he was able to slit the wolf¡¯s throat. The boy and the wolf exchanged their original position when they first met, however this time, the one that can be seen left standing was Alejandro. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The prey and the hunter exchanged their original position, making the boy the hunter, while the wolf is the prey. ¡°AWOOO!!!¡± shouted the wolf as his last words. Calling its companions to kill the boy as it failed to hunt its prey. Alejandro doesn¡¯t know what the wolf is doing, he thinks the wolf was simply crying because it was about to die. Naturally, this boy does not know nor saw any creature up until now, hence he does not know what the wolf was howling for. He would just stand there and look at the poor wolf, unable to stand and kept howling until its voice faded away and died. Alejandro was about to leave the dead wolf in the middle of nowhere and continue on his search for the river, however four wolves suddenly appeared right before his eyes. These wolves were not happy after seeing their dead companion at Alejandro¡¯s back. They growl at the boy, their saliva dripping out of their mouth. Sharp fangs can be seen as they continue to growl at Alejandro. The boy felt fear as he watched the wolves preparing to jump onto him and devour his entire body. If it could have been another one wolf, he would be confident to kill it again. However, four wolves is just out of one¡¯s mind! Even though the boy was trembling, he had no choice but to make a stance too. He puts his left side of the body at the back again and his right side of the body at the front, facing the bloody dagger into the wolves. In the blink of an eye, the wolves'' throats were slit and their blood gushed out covering the whole area with a pool of blood. Alejandro was shocked and confused as to what just happened. He did not move a single step from his location yet the wolves were suddenly dead. He calmed down and approached the dead wolves, wondering how were they killed and by who? ¡°What happened? Their throats were slit in the blink of an eye¡­ Who did this? Wait, what could this be?!¡± The boy saw a dark red dagger that was left behind in one of the wolves'' throats. He picked up the dagger and investigated it. It is a dark red dagger with an unreadable language written on it. It was the same size as his dagger, yet it is slightly heavier. He compared it to his dagger and he noticed that the edge of the red dagger is also sharper than his dagger. Alejandro looked around his surroundings, hoping he could see the owner of this dagger. However, the entire forest is very dark, he struggles to look around as there is no light source. Alejandro knew that if he stayed longer, there would be another pack of wolves that would appear. He could not afford to risk his life once again, thus he ran away with him carrying the red dagger that he found. Who could have done it? Was their intention to save me? If so, why? I have so many questions right now, but it would be unwise if I don¡¯t find the river soon. At least I have two daggers now, and this dark red dagger is much more magnificent and sharper than brother Raphael gifted to me! While the boy was running, he did not realize he was smiling. Who could blame him? Any young boy that has been gifted a fascinating dagger would be joyous! After running and finding the source of the river sound, Alejandro finally found the bridge with a river under it. The moon shines at the background of the bridge, at long last, giving Alejandro a light source, making his anxiety stop. The bridge was magnificent like it was built just now. The sound of the river is the only sound that can be heard right now. The boy calmed down after finally finding a peaceful area with no creatures lurking around. Then, Alejandro began to slowly walk towards the bridge, leaving the forest full of deadly creatures. He sighs of relief as he continues to move forward, hoping he could rest and eat soon in the village his parents mentioned in the letter. Yet again, the mysterious shadow figure can be seen at the top of a wood, looking silently at the boy. ¡°Good.¡± the mysterious shadow figure mumbled to himself then suddenly disappeared. 06 - Boreal Village The sun is starting to rise, making the sky a little bright. As Alejandro walked to the village, he already passed many kinds of animals. First, he passed a goat that was eating grass. Secondly, he saw pigs still sleeping, and now he sees a bunch of sheep, some are still sleeping and some are eating grass. I already passed many kinds of animals, so I must be close to the village now. As long as I continue to follow this path made of stones, then I might get there in just a few more minutes. Alejandro continues walking despite being very hungry. His stomach would occasionally make a sound, giving the boy a sign that it¡¯s time to eat already. I would have eaten those dead wolves in the forest earlier if I just knew how to start a fire. No matter, I must keep moving forward or else I will really pass out due to hunger. At this point of time, the sun has already risen. The sun finally came out and gave a shining ray of light to everything. The grass, trees and even Alejandro¡¯s face got hit by the sun¡¯s rays. Not long after, Alejandro found the village even though it is still at a far distance. He began to run joyfully, already thinking of ordering two Joyful meals. After running so fast, the boy arrived at the village. He looked around and thought that this village is much bigger than Holm village! Their houses and buildings are all tall and huge! It¡¯s like I¡¯m visiting a kingdom! I must find a tavern quickly so that I may eat! There were many people passing around the village, some of them dressed nicely and some were dressed like the villagers in the Holm village. Alejandro finally found a tavern and quickly entered inside. The tavern was quite busy at this time since it is morning and many people are eating their breakfast here. ¡°One Bitterz please, Lady Ail!¡± ¡°Two Joyful meals for me and my wife over here, Lady Ail!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have two Bitterz, Lady Ail!¡± Men ordered different kinds of breakfast meals. There were many orders of meals yet the waitress managed to prepare it so fast, making the hungry men satisfied as they started to eat their breakfast immediately. Hmmm¡­ It seems the waitress¡¯s name is Lady Ail. I should order now and be respectful. I don¡¯t want to be kicked out in this tavern and having nothing to eat! ¡°Um, good morning Lady Ail. I would like to buy one Joyful, please.¡± The waitress, Lady Ail, looked at Alejandro. Wondering why there is a child inside her tavern. ¡°May I ask where your parents are, young boy?¡± ¡°They¡­ They ordered me to buy them a Joyful in here.¡± Lady Ail was starting to get suspicious. Why would the boy buy only one Joyful when he himself said he was ordered by his parents. Shouldn''t it be two Joyful not one? Or better yet, three Joyful since there are three of them. A mother, father and their child. She was also suspicious of how Alejandro looks like right now. The boy¡¯s hair was messy, clothes were dirty and in some parts of it was cut by something. However, Lady Ail came to a conclusion. This boy was maybe abused by his parents, yet he managed to steal two silver coins to buy a Joyful meal. I must give him Joyful meal right away! Such a poor boy. ¡°Alright, boy. Here is your Joyful meal.¡± Alejandro¡¯s eyes began to shine like a star after seeing the Joyful meal in front of him. This Joyful meal consisted of sliced potatoes, fresh rice, a small steak and cold water in a cup. He originally planned to eat the meal outside so that the waitress would not get suspicious of him as his reason just a few seconds ago was that he was ordered by his parents. However, Alejandro was really hungry right now and he was not able to hold his urge to eat the delicious meal right before his very own sparkling eyes. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The boy started to rapidly eat his Joyful meal as if the world was ending right now and this was his last meal. ¡°So young boy, where do you live? North of the village? West? East? South?¡± the waitress asked Alejandro while cleaning a cup of glass. ¡°To tell you the truth, Lady Ail, I¡¯m actually not from around here. I do not live here, I live in Holm village!¡± Alejandro replied while simultaneously eating his Joyful meal. Lady Ail gasped as he heard what the boy just said. The other men who were eating and having conversation suddenly stopped eating and all of them also went quiet. None of the people inside the tavern said a single word, only the sound of Alejandro eating can be heard. Suddenly a man asked Alejandro, ¡°Young boy, can you repeat what you just said?¡± Alejandro kept eating and replied ¡°I live in Holm village! A beautiful village not far from here, I guess?¡± All the men standed up while the ladies began to leave the tavern. ¡°Ah! That was delicious! I haven¡¯t eaten any food in the past few days. I wonder if I should order again?¡± Alejandro just then realized that he was the only one making a noise and all the men were staring at him. Alejandro wondered why all of them were staring at him, did he perhaps say something wrong? Lady Ail then looked at Alejandro and said ¡°Young boy, it seems you do not understand the situation you are in right now. Let me explain it for you, your people just raided our village just the past few days. They managed to kill a lot of our people here, yet they retreated immediately after our hunters and knights returned from a mission. Did you know that none of your people were killed? They successfully retreated and managed to steal a lot of valuable items and coins from us.¡± Alejandro was shocked and was trembling when he heard this information. He could not simply believe the words coming out of the waitress. His people raided a village and killed people? That¡¯s absurd, right? He knew his village and the people very well. They would not do something like killing people and stealing items and coins! However, it was the truth. As Alejandro looked at the men¡¯s faces, all angry and some of them unhappy because they were not able to defend their beloved home. Some of these men lost their child, their wife and even their pets. One simply cannot forgive the devils that live in the Holm village. ¡°You have been mistaken, sirs! I did not know of this information as I was asleep for the past few days! I am not part of the people that raided this village! I am simply a mere child that wandered here after my parents abandoned me in the forest!¡± A man approached the boy and then took out his daggers. ¡°Then why do you have these daggers, young boy? Do you plan to kill some of our people here again?¡± The angry men became more furious, preparing their magic aura and some of them preparing their daggers and swords that fused with magic aura. Oh no! These people have gone mad! If I keep reasoning to these men, I might get killed! I must run away! Suddenly, a man with a huge body and strong defined muscles approached the scene. The man wears a simple cloth with a hat that hunters wear. ¡°Young boy, you have a nice set of daggers there. A normal dagger and a unique red dagger that seems to be the sharpest dagger I have ever seen.¡± The men saw the man approach the young boy and all of them bowed down and shouted synchronized ¡°Sir Ludwig! We are at your service!¡± ¡°Give me the daggers. Actually, just hand me the red dagger instead of the two of them.¡± ¡°Right away, Sir Ludwig!¡± The man gave the red dagger to Sir Ludwig. As for the other dagger, he put it down on the table. ¡°This is indeed the sharpest dagger that I have ever seen in my entire life as a hunter. Magnificent. Where did you get this, young boy?¡± ¡°I¡­ I found it in the forest.¡± ¡°Is that so? Do you mind if I keep this dagger? Nevermind, you can¡¯t object since you are an outsider bringing lethal weapons inside our village. With that fact, you can be executed even if you are still a mere child.¡± ¡°What?! That is outrageous! You people are ruthless!¡± ¡°Says the child that belongs to the devils that killed our people mercilessly.¡± As Sir Ludwig was about to put the red dagger to his left pocket bag, the dagger floated and magically returned to Alejandro¡¯s hand. ¡°My, my! Using magic to resist now, are you?!¡± Sir Ludwig exclaimed. ¡°Wait, no! I didn''t do it! I did not use any magic or casted a spell! I don¡¯t have any magic aura to begin with, sir!¡± Alejandro was stunned. He knew he was not the one who did it, simply because he has no magic powers to begin with. And something happening like the dagger returning to Alejandro¡¯s hand is impossible without magic powers! Hmmm¡­ It seems the young boy is telling the truth. I do not sense any magic aura in him. But then who could explain what just happened? No matter, it would be pointless to think over it. The fact that he resisted is simply enough. ¡°Young boy, I have to seize you right away. You cannot object and you also cannot possibly escape. Please surrender peacefully.¡± ¡°What will happen to me?! I swear what I told you was all true! What village has such a ruthless law that imprisons a child like me?!¡± ¡°Welcome to Boreal village, young boy.¡± one of the men said and all of the men laughed at Alejandro as he was cuffed by Sir Ludwig. 07 - Tent ¡°Hunters, please continue your breakfast! I will handle this young boy.¡± Sir Ludwig announced to the hunters to continue to do their business as he walked out the tavern, holding Alejandro. ¡°Yes we will, Sir Ludwig! Thank you!¡± the men answered synchronized, showing respect to Sir Ludwig. The young boy, Alejandro, is very scared right now. He does not know what will happen to him next. He wants to escape yet he knows that if he runs, Sir Ludwig will catch him without breaking a sweat. He deduced that if the men that were in the tavern were all hunters and they were bowing and respecting Sir Ludwig, then this man must be so strong and fast. Alejandro knew he would be just like a bug to Sir Ludwig. Sometimes it is wise to retreat instead of charging into a battle that you know you have no chance to win. Sir Ludwig gave Alejandro a tour into town. The two of them look like father and son that are simply roaming around the village. They were just walking, they did not talk to each other. I wonder where he would bring me? Am I really going to be executed? Am I going to be a slave? Or would they imprison me with creatures that are gonna devour me? ¡°Are you thinking of the possibilities of where I would bring you? Hahaha! Don¡¯t fret, young boy. I will not bring you to a prison nor to the executioners.¡± ¡°Pardon me? Then what will you do to me, Sir Ludwig?¡± Sir Ludwig stopped walking and tapped Alejandro¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°You will be free. I heard all the things you said back at the tavern. I think you were telling the truth. After all, you did not lie about the fact that you have no magic power.¡± ¡°Someone finally trusts me! Thank you, Sir Ludwig!¡± Alejandro happily replied. ¡°However¡­¡± Alejandro''s expression changed from one of a smile to one of concern. ¡°I will set you free in one condition. You simply hand me the red dagger that you own.¡± The child hesitated at first, staring at the lovely red dagger, but he had no alternative but to give it up. If he did not, he would face fatal repercussions. He handed the red dagger to Sir Ludwig. The hunter received it and put it in his pocket bag. ¡°You are free now, young boy. Go outside the Boreal village and never come back again.¡± ¡°Yes I will, Sir Ludwig! Thank you for setting me free!¡± Alejandro happily replies as Sir Ludwig breaks the handcuff. Alejandro began to run in the opposite direction of Sir Ludwig. However, the red dagger floated out of Sir Ludwig¡¯s pocket bag once again! The hunter was furious this time, he knew what would happen next, so he grabbed the red dagger before it could return to Alejandro. He successfully gripped the red dagger, but it resisted and slipped out of the hunter''s grasp. It then stabbed Sir Ludwig''s palm and returned to Alejandro. "That young boy!" I am not sure how he manages it, but every time that dagger was separated, it would return to the boy!" Sir Ludwig was furious this time, he felt he was being deceived by the child. The hunter dashed after Alejandro. Sir Ludwig was so swift that he caught the child in seconds without breaking a sweat. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°It¡¯s time to stop playing, boy. You deceived me, you think I wouldn¡¯t notice the red dagger would return to you?!¡± ¡°Sir Ludwig, I apologize! I honestly do not know how the red dagger returned to me! It was like what happened earlier in the tavern!¡± "Once I believed you, but not this time. I am the legendary hunter, Sir Ludwig! I''ve spent over thirty years killing creatures and demons! You know what boy? Your priceless ruby dagger is yours to keep. However, you''ll need to accompany me.¡± Oh no. I am done for. Why did this dagger return to me even though I don¡¯t have any magic power nor the knowledge on how to telepathically control it? What is so special about this dagger?! The hunter grabbed the young boy and he brought him to a tent outside the village. A tent that is empty and is surrounded by trees. The surroundings were quiet. It was a peaceful area outside the Boreal village where no one could disturb you. ¡°Sir Ludwig, why did you bring me here? Are you going to give this tent to me? If so, I would be delighted!¡± Alejandro was trembling. ¡°Oh I am going to give you something so much better than just a tent, young boy. You see, my wife is very inactive nowadays, the only thing she cares about is her work. But I recently found out that I was mistaken. It was not the work that she was busy with! It was with another man from her work! Hahahaha! Can you guess what I did next, young boy?¡± ¡°You¡­ left your wife and divorced her?¡± Alejandro replied while he was shaking from fear. ¡°No, no, no. That is what a weak man would do if he finds out about an affair in their marriage! I¡¯ll tell you what I did.¡± Alejandro took a deep breath and fell onto his backside while he remained on the ground within the tent. "I killed that man! The man who boldly tried to take away my wife. Haha! He''s actually here with us at the moment. Take a look at your back!¡± Alejandro slowly glanced in his back. He then saw a dead man! His corpse is surrounded by flies. The corpse had no head! The boy immediately threw up. His face was full of disgust and fear at the same time. Sir Ludwig starts to take off his pants. He then slowly approached the poor boy that was trembling with fear. ¡°You see boy, I hate people that deceives me. I always make sure they pay the price. I was about to bury that man but suddenly a lady that came from the tavern rushed into me and reported about you.¡± The poor boy was unable to move. He is just too scared to move thinking that if he moved and ran away, no matter how fast he is, the hunter will always catch up and would eventually kill him. ¡°Let¡¯s take this off now shall we?¡± The hunter takes off Alejandro¡¯s dirty pants, revealing everything about his lower part of the body. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, Sir Ludwig! I beg of you, I know you are not this kind of person! Please spare me and take everything I have! My daggers, coins and even my clothes, just please spare me!¡± ¡°You are too late, young boy. My urge has already consumed me!¡± The hunter inserted his private part to Alejandro¡¯s mouth first then moved on to his butthole. No! It hurts! Why are you doing this to me?! I do not deserve this! I want to get out of this tent and run away but the hunter is gripping my arms, making me unable to stand up! It hurts! Why?! Why is this happening to me?! The poor boy was crying as he was being molested by the hunter. Being imprisoned is much better than what this man is doing to me! I hate this! Please stop! I beg of you! The hunter was enjoying every second of it. This despicable man¡¯s lust was bottled up due to his wife not making love with him for a very long time. He enjoyed the smooth skin of a young child. Suddenly, the red dagger that was behind the hunter started to fly. The poor boy saw it behind the hunter and immediately screamed help at the top of his lungs! ¡°Help me!!!¡± The red dagger swiftly slit the hunter¡¯s throat. The dagger moved on its own like it has its own mind. No one was carrying the dagger yet it moved on its own and helped Alejandro. The pounding stopped. The hunter fell down on Alejandro, spilling a pool of blood out of the hunter¡¯s throat. Alejandro pushed away the hunter¡¯s dead body. The poor boy was covered with blood, with no pants on and unable to move his entire body as it suffered through a traumatic experience. 08 - Sink Deeper A breezy sound can be heard. The sun ultimately sets down. A cheerful family begins to sit at the dining table. The mother was preparing dinner, a Joyful meal that smelled delicious. ¡°Raphael, my son. How is your progression lately?¡± the father asked his son as they started eating. ¡°It has been going well, father. My mana storage has been properly nurtured.¡± "That''s fantastic to hear, darling! I heard the duel of the magic students will begin next week, and I am curious what rank you will be! Perhaps you''ll be the top student!" the mother expressed her excitement. ¡°Thank you, mother. I will do my utmost best to beat all the other students and be the top student. But I wonder how is brother doing tonight?¡± Raphael wondered and looked at the moon outside the window. The moon was as bright as ever. It was shaped like a silver coin. The wind breezes and a sound of the trees swaying can be heard. A tent can be found by the woods. The tent was quiet. It appears that there were no people inside. However, there were individuals inside. Two dead men, one without a head and the other with a slit throat. I have to get up. It¡¯s been hours since I have been here. I want to get up but my legs are sore. The boy started to slowly get up. He then starts to wear his trousers and shoes. He grabbed the red dagger with him and started to get out of the tent. Alejandro was limping and his expression full of sadness. He looked at the shining moon up in the sky. He then saw a lake nearby. The boy starts to walk slowly into the nearby lake. He was limping, so he moved slowly. But he arrived at his destination. The lake was brilliant, indicating that it was clean. Alejandro removes his bleeding shirt. The moon shone on the boy''s upper body, displaying a massive burn across his entire body. This lake is stunning. Perhaps it can erase the dirtiness from my body. I beg of you, please cure my body from what that hunter did to me. Alejandro entered the water and proceeded to stroll subconsciously to the lake''s lowest point. Until the boy fell into the deepest part and sank silently into the water. What am I doing? Oh right, I am letting this lake clean the dirtiness of my body. I wonder why this all happened to me? Perhaps I did something wrong? No. All I wanted was to eat a Joyful meal. Simply to replenish my hungry stomach. The boy continues to sink deeper, his surroundings are dark as if he was in the void. Brother Raphael defeated me, causing a burn in my body. Father and mother left me in the forest. Brother Raphael wanted me to kill myself. I was almost eaten by wolves. I discovered that the folks in my hometown, Holm village, were all horrible people. The hunters at the tavern wanted me dead. Finally, that horrible monster abused me. What message would these events be trying to convey to me? Alejandro was nearly out of breath as his body continued to sink even deeper. I think brother Raphael is right. Maybe I deserve to die. After all, I have nothing right now. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The young boy cried, and his tears flowed into the water. He plans to drown and sink deeper. He doesn''t want to swim on the surface. Alejandro¡¯s memories start to flash. From the very beginning since he was born. His parents smile as he was born in this world. The short period of time he was in school. His classmates bullied him because he did not want to learn magic. His teacher made a disappointed face when he looked at him. The very first time when he started training his body even though he was just a mere child. His parents abuse him every day. The day he challenged his brother and was defeated by him and finally the moment he woke up in a forest. These memories flashed and the last thing Alejandro saw in these memories was his brother. Raphael had a cunning expression as he looked down on Alejandro. "I''d be thrilled if you killed yourself, brother. After all, you are nothing. If you die, I shall have a festival throughout the village to commemorate the death of a fool! Hahaha!" Alejandro suddenly opened his eyes and swam to the surface. He was almost out of breath, yet he was one stride ahead before death claimed his life. He slowly got out of the water as he stepped in the dirt. Miraculously, the boy did not limp anymore. He then wears his bloody shirt and stops moving. Alejandro was expressionless. Maybe I do not deserve to live. But what about brother Raphael? He fooled me and is most likely manipulating father and mother right now. My brother too does not deserve to live. I shall end his life with my own hands. I will live as long as he lives. I will not grant him permission to die until I am the one who claims his life! I will do anything just to be stronger than him! The red dagger immediately flies again! It is currently facing Alejandro. The boy glanced at the dagger, as if it wanted to say something. The dagger began to shine, creating a bright red aura surrounding itself. The words engraved on it began to emit a golden radiance. What is this?! What is happening to the dagger? Does it want to say something to me? The dagger moved slowly toward Alejandro. Then it came to a halt, approaching him but maintaining a safe distance. ¡°Greetings, master. My name is Bavael. I am an ancient dagger that you picked at the forest not long ago. Do not fret, master, as my purpose is to serve you to fulfill your dream.¡± Alejandro looked shocked. He took one step back away from the dagger. "You!... You are alive?! How come a dagger can speak? Even if imbued with magic, weapons such as swords, bows, and daggers cannot just speak and be alive!" ¡°I suppose it is true. But you have to understand that I am not like any other daggers nor weapons. I am an ancient dagger that has been around for thousands of years.¡± ¡°May I ask how you happened to be in the forest, saving me from those wolves?¡± ¡°I am afraid I cannot answer that.¡± ¡°Then did you have a previous master?¡± ¡°That also, I cannot answer.¡± The incomprehensible text carved on the dagger suddenly became readable. Alejandro read it, and the word was Bavael. ¡°So your name is Bavael. May I call you Bavael?¡± ¡°Why of course master. After all, I will be the one to fulfill your dream. What is your dream, master?¡± Alejandro did not hesitate to answer the question. ¡°My dream is to simply kill my brother.¡± ¡°Is that so? Very well, I will help you achieve your dream. You may use me whenever you need me.¡± Bavael then stops shining and offers himself into Alejandro¡¯s hands. The boy opened his two hands as Bavael placed himself on it. I have so many questions for Bavael. However, it appears that he is asleep. I don''t want to bother him because he has already helped me several times. A loud sound can be heard. This sound is like multiple horses are running. Hmmm? What is that? Oh no, are those the hunters earlier in the tavern?! In the distance, hunters could be seen riding horses and carrying torches. It appears that they are looking for Sir Ludwig. This is why they came out of the Boreal village. 09 - Alejandro versus Hunters The hunters that are riding horses are coming to Alejandro¡¯s direction, with such furious expressions. Some of them are carrying torches, making it their light source in order to find Sir Ludwig. ¡°Look! Sir Ludwig¡¯s tent!¡± a hunter shouted as all of them headed to the tent. "Everyone! Look at the lake over there! That boy from the tavern earlier is there!" Suddenly, the group split into two groups. The first group rushes to the tent, while the second party of hunters heads to the lake where Alejandro is. Alejandro has no plan running. He knows it is futile to run if a horse and a hunter is faster than him. Instead, he simply stands, waiting for the hunters to come. ¡°You! You¡¯re that boy earlier in the tavern! Where is Sir Ludwig, young boy?!¡± a hunter asked Alejandro while pointing his torch to the boy. ¡°Inside the tent.¡± Alejandro replied with an expressionless face. Suddenly, a hunter screamed inside the tent. The hunter got out of the tent and shouted, ¡°Sir Ludwig has been murdered!¡± All the hunters immediately looked at Alejandro and they already suspected that he killed Sir Ludwig. The hunters draw their weapons. Some carry swords, daggers and even a bow. The hunters with swords and daggers dismounted their horse, while the archers stayed on it. Meanwhile, Alejandro made his stance. His right hand carries Bavael while his left hand carries the dagger that his brother gave him. ¡°We know you are the one who killed Sir Ludwig, young boy! Just look at what you are wearing, covered with blood! Surrender peacefully or you shall die!¡± However, Alejandro was silent. He did not respond, in fact how could he respond if he hears nothing? He was so focused thinking on how to kill all of the hunters that he unintentionally began to drool. ¡°Fine then, we will show no mercy even though you are just a child! You are guilty of killing Sir Ludwig! Everybody, charge!!!¡± The hunters charged at Alejandro. While running to him, the hunters infused their weapons with magic, thus making them sharper and faster. The archers likewise infused their bow and arrows with their magic. Bavael wakes up and shines yet again with a red aura. ¡°If you wish to call for me and use my full potential, please say ¡®come forth¡¯ and I shall wake up to help you, master.¡± Alejandro slowly starts to sprint into the hunters. ¡°Come forth, Bavael.¡± ¡°As you wish, master.¡± The red dagger suddenly weighs very light, as if it was just like carrying a candle. It also shines even brighter and increases its size a little. Alejandro had planned from the start how he would kill all of the hunters. Nonetheless, he is aware that he would face some difficulty because he is up against seasoned hunters with magical abilities. ¡°Take this!¡± a hunter with daggers attacked Alejandro. However, the boy managed to simply dodge the attack due to the small range of the daggers. Alejandro did not hesitate to swing Bavael into the hunter¡¯s throat. SPLOOSH. ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡± the hunter screamed as his throat was slit by the sharpness of the dagger that the boy used. ¡°You little shit! You dare to challenge us, hunters?!¡± a hunter swings his sword towards Alejandro. The swing was so fast due to the magic that was instilled in the sword. However, Alejandro managed to block the sword using Bavael. He managed to block the sword thanks to the lightweight of Bavael, making it easy to swing around as if it was just a small stick. ¡°How?! My sword is the fastest among the other hunters'' swords!¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Alejandro takes the advantage and stabs the hunter¡¯s knee with his other dagger. The hunter screamed as he let go of his sword that was blocking Alejandro¡¯s dagger. With quick thinking, Alejandro threw Bavael to the hunter¡¯s face, leaving the hunter¡¯s face with a disfigured face with blood coming out everywhere. Suddenly, numerous arrows rain on the boy. With magic implanted in them, the arrows did not merely fall on Alejandro. Instead, the arrows moved as if they were alive, searching out for the boy''s weak points. Alejandro tried his best to block the arrows directed at him, however several of them hit him, causing scratches and minor scrapes. This enraged Alejandro, who began charging towards the archers in the distance. However, a hunter blocks the boy''s path and attacks him with a rusty blade. Alejandro blocked the blow once more and did the same thing to the hunter as before with the fastest sword. These fools never learn. I thought they were a lot stronger. No matter, they deserve to die for such heinous behavior as following and looking up at a horrible monster! Alejandro rapidly kills the hunters that were wielding swords and daggers. He had an easy time since their swings were slower than the first hunter who attacked the boy. Multiple arrows emerged again in the sky. Circling Alejandro in an attempt to confuse him and attacking once he becomes confused. However, this time, Bavael began to fly and act on its own, attempting to protect its master. Bavael quickly snapped the arrows before they could reach Alejandro. ¡°Just like how you killed that horrible hunter that abused me earlier. Thank you, Bavael!¡± The boy was grateful and smirked at Bavael as he returned to Alejandro. This time, a hunter with a massive axe blocks the boy''s path. Alejandro was astounded; he had once dreamed of carrying large weapons. The hunter used a magic spell to make the axe lighter and faster. ¡°Do you think you could beat me, boy?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± Alejandro replied as he charged first to the hunter. The hunter swings his axe to the boy¡¯s head. It was faster than the first hunter that attacked Alejandro. The boy had no choice but to block the attack as he had no time to avoid it. He used his two daggers blocking the large axe. ¡°How¡­ How could this be?! Your weapons are merely daggers, how was it able to block my axe!¡± Alejandro was likewise surprised he was able to block it. Normally, if he used typical daggers to block the blow, they would shatter, resulting in Alejandro being crushed by the enormous axe. Fortunately, he had an ancient powerful dagger by his side. Making it easy for him to block attacks even with huge weapons. The hunter raises his axe to the skies, ready for another blow. However, Alejandro has already used this brief amount of time to his advantage. He sliced the hunter''s legs. Bavael''s sharpness made it easy to slice someone''s legs. ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡± the hunter screamed as he fell down. Alejandro''s path was clear this time. The only hunters left are the archers he is currently confronting. The archers were sweating and quivering with dread, not expecting the young boy to slay all of the hunters on his own. ¡°Please spare us! We will give you everything we got! Our coins, weapons, horses and even our clothes!¡± The archers let go of their bow and arrows and they raised their hands, begging for mercy to Alejandro. ¡°Funny, as that was exactly what I said to that hunter that you guys looked up into before he abused me.¡± ¡°Sir Ludwig? No, that¡¯s impossible! He would never do such things like that!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It already happened. You archers had killing intent earlier, making me struggle to fight. But now you guys are shivering with fear. Hahaha! That¡¯s funny!¡± Alejandro then flung Bavael at the archers'' throats. Bavael successfully slashes each archer''s throat before returning to its master. The archers fell down on their horses and the horses panicked and ran away. A drop of rain unexpectedly falls on Alejandro''s nose. The boy gazed up to the sky. The raindrops multiplied in a matter of seconds. It starts to rain. Alejandro was still standing still, looking down. Alejandro managed to kill 12 hunters. However, the boy also sustained minor scrapes. The rain wiped away the blood that scrapes contained. So this is what it feels like to kill someone? It''s a heavy feeling, but I believe they deserve it. If they survived, they might abuse other children or women. Also, if I did not murder them, I''d be the one dying, not them. I would probably be executed in the Boreal village. Alejandro is wet from the rain, Bavael has stopped shining and has gone to sleep, and the boy does not dare to enter the Boreal village again. He only got inside the Boreal village once because there were no knights or guards guarding the entrance, but this time he is certain that there are guards protecting the gate as there will be reports of him that got inside the Boreal village and the fact that he is a person that lives in the Holm village. Before he leaves the scene, he picks up the hunter¡¯s black cape and wears it. The black cape covered his bloody dirty shirt. The boy then walked away from the Boreal village. He does not know where he is heading, but it is a better decision than entering the village again. 10 - Blacksmith Austin Rain continued to pour. Alejandro did not seek shelter, instead continuing to go along an unknown path. If he sought refuge, reinforcement hunters or knights might find him soon enough. He understands he does not have time to recover in a shelter. His surroundings were all dead trees. He also saw numerous abandoned houses and buildings that were already broken. Alejandro stumbled upon a dead rabbit. He kneels and looks at it. An arrow stabbed the rabbit. ¡°Poor rabbit. It seems I am not the only one having a bad time right now. May you rest in peace.¡± The boy stood up and walked away, leaving the dead rabbit. At this point, Alejandro is starving. He also sustained injuries from the recent fight with the hunters. He begins to hallucinate gradually, and his vision fades. Before his vision faded, he saw a house built of wood. This house is small and old, but there is light streaming from the interior. He walks toward the home, but he is only a few steps away. The boy had fainted right in front of the house. A girl of Alejandro''s age came out of the house. She heard the sound of the boy''s body collapsing on the ground. Though the girl is small, he was able to carry Alejandro inside the house. TING TING TING. Alejadro''s eyes sprung wide as he heard the loud noise. His posture was laying down, therefore he noticed a chandelier hanging. Suddenly, a girl''s face obscured Alejandro''s whole view of the chandelier. ¡°Father! Father He¡¯s awake!¡± the girl shouted and ran into a man. The boy looked to his side, where he noticed a man and a girl beside him. The young girl has blonde hair and the figure of a small girl. While the man has black hair and a large frame, particularly his arms. Alejandro attempted to stand up, as he was wary of strangers. However, his body is unable to move. He hurts from the pain and injuries he has sustained. "Do not move, young fellow. You must be aware of your own physical limitations. Although you are still a boy, it appears like you have seen a lot before stumbling in front of my house.¡± The man lowers his hammer, putting an end to the previously heard noise. Aleandro suddenly remembered Bavael and the dagger his brother handed him. He does not feel the daggers in his pocket bag. ¡°Old man, where are my daggers!?¡± Alejandro yelled at the old man with a furious expression. "Do not be hasty, lad. I improved your dagger as I am a blacksmith. However, the red dagger appears to have its own mind. My granddaughter chased the red dagger but was unsuccessful, so we did not disturb it anymore.¡± The young boy was shocked. The old man is a blacksmith and he helped Alejandro? Apparently, there are still good individuals in the world. Alejandro looked to the other side, and it appeared that Bavael was sleeping on the table. ¡°Even though I wanted to improve your red dagger, it seems it does need to be improved since it is already very sharp, sharper than a decent sword.¡± Alejandro calmed down, he thinks that these strangers do not have any bad intentions to him. ¡°May I ask what your name is, old man?¡± ¡°I am Austin and I have been a blacksmith since I was a young man. This is my granddaughter, Desiree.¡± The old man introduced himself and patted the young girl¡¯s shoulder as he introduced his granddaughter. ¡°Hello!¡± the young girl smiled and waved at Alejandro. ¡°I am Alejandro. I came from¡­. I travel alone.¡± The boy was close to mentioning his homeland. He learned that if he mentioned where he came from, there would be trouble again. ¡°Desiree, grab a cup of water for this young boy.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Yes, Father!¡± The young girl ran into the other room to grab some water. Old man Austin stands up from his seat and grabs the dagger that he has been improving. He then approached the boy laying in a bed. ¡°I have noticed that you have no magic aura. One cannot simply be born without magic inside their body.¡± ¡°I chose not to learn magic, old man. I do not want to rely on it.¡± The old man was astounded. What fool would not want to learn magic? Magic is everything to humans. Yet, this boy does not think about magic and learning about it. Old man Austin puts the dagger besides the red dagger on the table. In his entire life, he has not seen a child as young as Alejandro that carries two daggers. In fact, he has also not seen a dagger as sharp and has its own mind without being instilled with magic up until now. Just who is this young boy? A mercenary perhaps? Ridiculous, no child this young can travel alone with no magic powers! But it is not my business to mind. ¡°Old man, do you have any sword that I can buy? I have coins to pay.¡± Old man Austin laughed as he returned to his seat. "I do. However, you would be unable to wield it. You are only a child, with no magic. If you had magic, you could infuse a sword to reduce its weight, allowing you to wield it." The young boy was insulted by the old man''s remarks. He had already trained his body a long time ago. Alejandro believes that wielding a sword would be effortless for him. "One cup of water here!" The young girl came out of the other room, carrying a cup of water with her. She then approached Alejandro and offered him to drink it. However, Alejandro had no ability to move, so the young girl moved Alejandro''s head slightly and poured the cup of water into the boy''s mouth. Alejandro finished drinking all of the water and was hydrated after a long time. ¡°Desiree, it is time to heal him now as he is already awake.¡± Old man Austin instructed his granddaughter. ¡°Yes, Father. I will do my best!¡± Desiree creates a bright aura around herself and forms the shape of a triangle using both of her hands, pointing it at Alejandro. She is casting a healing spell to the young boy. Alejandro''s anguish gradually subsided, and he was able to move his body again. While he was overjoyed that he could move his body again, he noticed that Desiree was not finished healing him yet. The young girl was sweating and struggling with the healing process. Not long after, the girl stopped healing and nearly fainted. Luckily, Alejandro managed to catch the poor girl. "Her healing abilities remain limited. As you can observe, we don''t have an endless supply of magical foods, therefore she''s having trouble refining her mana storage. You should be thankful, young boy.¡± Alejandro looked at the young girl¡¯s face, and suddenly Desiree woke up. She gasped as soon as she opened her eyes, realizing that Alejandro was holding her. ¡°Oh my! I must have fainted, thank you for catching me!¡± the young girl smiled as Alejandro let her go. ¡°No¡­ problem.¡± the young boy was blushing as she realized that she held a beautiful girl in his arms. Then Alejandro approached Old Man Austin. Although the young boy had been healed, he continued to walk slowly since he had not totally recovered. ¡°Please, old man! I promise to pay you with a silver coin for a sword, any sword will do!¡± ¡°Why do you need a sword, young boy? You already have two daggers with you. Those daggers are more suitable for your age.¡± Old man Austin asked the boy with a curious expression. ¡°I¡­ I have a dream. And in order to achieve that dream, I must become stronger. As I said, I will not rely on magic. I will use brute strength and willpower in my journey. The daggers that I own are in great shape, however I have wanted to wield a sword since then. I understand that swords provide greater range than daggers and it is more deadly. My dream will crumble if I do not get stronger. You must help me, old man. I truly believe you are a good person.¡± Old man Austin was astounded. Alejandro is still a boy yet it seems that his dream is almost impossible to achieve. This made Austin want to help the boy, whatever Alejandro¡¯s dream is, he wants to be a part of it. Men have dreams that they desire to achieve. Austin had a dream in which he understood the boy''s desperation for assistance. Men, on the other hand, are sometimes held back by their dreams because they are too weak and lack confidence and trust in themselves. These kinds of men suffer and die without achieving their dreams. The boy knew he had to get stronger for he wanted to achieve his dream. "You have a difficult path ahead of you, boy. You wish to become powerful without the use of magic. That''s absurd. Nonetheless, you have piqued my interest. I will help you achieve your dream if you help my granddaughter refine her magic storage." Alejandro and Desiree both smiled as they heard old man Austin¡¯s words. ¡°Then does that mean¡­?¡± "Yes, I will give you a sword." In fact, I''ll create you a new sword that you can use. Until then, remain patient and rest here." The boy was overjoyed and was jumping up and down. Due to his excitement, he unintentionally hugged Desiree. The young girl was melting out of happiness. Until then, Alejandro has to stay in this small house for a few days before old man Austin could prepare his sword. Nonetheless, he is fine with this decision as he fully trusts these strangers. 11 - Waterfall The rain stopped and the sun rose as bright as ever. Birds are chirping at the trees. The boy is still sleeping on a bed when suddenly he hears a loud noise. CLANG CLANG CLANG. Alejandro woke up and rubbed his eyes. "What could possibly be so noisy in the morning?" the boy wondered as he checked the room where the noise came from. The first thing he saw was sparks. His eyes were drawn to the sparks that old man Austin created just by striking a rusted sword with his hammer. Old man Austin suddenly stopped hitting the rusty sword and glanced at the boy. ¡°You¡¯re already awake, boy? You stink, wash yourself in the nearby waterfall.¡± ¡°There is a waterfall in here?!¡± Alejandro shouted with excitement. ¡°Ask Desiree over there.¡± the blacksmith Austin pointed at the young boy. ¡°Huh?¡± Alejandro was confused. He then looked back as he saw the young girl, Desiree. ¡°Hello!¡± the young girl shouted at Alejandro. "Ah!" The boy shouted, frightened that Desiree was behind his back all this time. "Come on, let us go to the waterfall!" Desiree joyously smiled as she grabbed Alejandro''s hand and dashed outside the home. Old man Austin sighs and continues to hammer the sword. The two young children dashed outside, heading to the close waterfall. The sun shines on them as they cheerfully run. The road they''re on still has water on it from yesterday''s downpour. Birds chirp and fly into the sky. Her hand feels really smooth. She smells amazing, and her clothing is stunning. I am... happy. Perhaps being with her isn''t that awful. I wish everyday was like this. A sudden gushing of water can be heard. They''re almost there. To the waterfall. "Here we are!"" Desiree releases Alejandro''s hand as they come to a halt and reach the waterfall. The waterfall is as transparent as a diamond. The water is so clean that some fish could be seen swimming in it. The young girl stared at Alejandro with tension. "Could you please look away for a minute?¡± Desiree''s gaze softens into a shy one. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to take a bath too?!¡± ¡°Of course, what do you think, dummy?! I take a bath here everyday to stay clean!¡± Alejandro then turned away as Desiree was taking her clothes off and went to the waterfall. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done! Hehehe!¡± The boy then looks around as she notices Desiree in the waterfall. Only her head can be seen because the water was so high it touched her neck. It was then Alejandro¡¯s turn to go into the water. He takes off his long shirt, revealing the burn that covers his entire body. The girl noticed the burn and was shocked. ¡°What¡­ happened to your body? Where did you get that burn?¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you were not looking.¡± ¡°Ah! I was about to turn away. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m still wearing my pants anyway. I got this burn from my brother. We once had a duel and I lost. He was a powerful magic user, his magic was not fire but rather the heat of the sun. I got hit by his magic, thus the reason why I have this burn on my entire body. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­ Maybe I can heal it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps you can try later after we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Oh right! Sorry, I will turn away now.¡± They each bathed their bodies while maintaining a distance. They eventually returned to the surface and changed into their clothing. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go over that tree and rest for a while!¡± The young girl smiled at Alejandro and ran to the tree first. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You¡¯re slow! Haha!¡± Desiree cheerfully laughs at Alejandro while sitting in the grass with the tree behind her back. ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to run when I¡¯m still not fully recovered.¡± the boy replied. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry. My healing ability is still weak and I am only able to heal for seconds.¡± Desiree looked down with a sad expression. "Oh, no, no! That is not what I wanted to say, and please do not be sad.¡± Alejandro expressed worry for Desiree and sat near her, explaining that he had previously suffered awful things before arriving at their house. ¡°Really? That explains why you have injuries and fainted in front of our house. Say, may I ask what your full name is?¡± ¡°I am Alejandro Nightthorne. To tell you the truth, I actually live in the Holm village. My parents abandoned me in a forest because I lost a match with my brother. I wandered to the Boreal village then the bad things happened there. I¡¯m sorry I lied to you and old man Austin.¡± Desiree paid close attention to Alejandro''s words. "That''s okay. I believe I understand what you''re feeling right now. My father likewise abandoned me after my mother died from illness. I''m grateful that grand dad welcomed me into his home and allowed me to live with him! Hehe." Alejandro also paid close attention to Desiree¡¯s words, expressing concern and happiness at the same time. ¡°Say, why do you call old man Austin ¡°Father¡±? Isn¡¯t he your grandfather?¡± "Because I consider him as my father! He is a better father figure to me than my real father. Hehehe!" the girl smiled and laughed, expressing her deep affection for his grandfather. ¡°Greetings, master.¡± Bavael appears before the two children''s eyes. ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡± Desiree screamed as she was surprised that the dagger talked as if it had its own mind. She had already seen Bavael flying over the house yesterday night, unwilling to be caught. But she hadn''t heard the dagger talk last night. ¡°Oh, good morning Bavael. I forgot I brought you along. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°That! That dagger is talking! You¡¯re talking to it?!¡± The girl is trembling with fear. ¡°Do not fret, young girl. I am Bavael, a companion of Alejandro, my master. You were the one that was trying to catch me last night, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I am an ancient dagger that has lived for thousands of years. I follow Alejandro everywhere he goes as he is my master.¡± Desiree slowly calms herself as Bavael explains his origin. ¡°Wow¡­ This is my first time seeing a dagger that is alive! You¡¯re so cool, Bavael!¡± ¡°So what do you want to talk about, Bavael?¡± ¡°Do you intend to replace me with a sword?¡± Alejandro''s eyes expanded and laughed. "Hahaha! No, Bavael. I''ll never replace you. I intend to learn using both a sword and you. You know, I have a sword in my right hand and you in my left." ¡°I see. Just like in the past.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing, master. I will sleep again.¡± Bavael then returned to Alejandro¡¯s pocket bag and slept. ¡°Wow. A sword and a dagger at the same time? That would be cool! Is it okay to call you Ale instead of Alejandro? I¡¯m too lazy when it comes to long names.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s okay! I actually like it. This is actually the first time someone has called me that.¡± Desiree grinned and got up. Let''s go, Ale!" Desiree enthusiastically giggles and offers her right hand to Alejandro. The sun shines upon her as if she were an angel. Alejandro smiled back and held Desiree¡¯s hand as they ran back to the house. "We''re back, father!" Desiree greeted old man Austin as she stood in the room where he was hammering the sword for Alejandro. ¡°Oh good. You two don¡¯t smell bad this time.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re so silly, father! I¡¯ll cook some breakfast in the kitchen.¡± Desiree then left the room, leaving Alejandro and old man Austin alone. CLANG CLANG CLANG ¡°Old man¡­ I was thinking, could I live here for a few years? I¡¯m starting to get comfortable here plus I also have to train how to use a sword.¡± The sound of hammering the sword had stopped. "That''s alright lad. As long as you find a means to earn some coins and assist my granddaughter in refining her magic storage. I do not oppose that favor of yours, do you recall that I wish to assist you in realizing your dream?" The boy smiled happily. ¡°Yes, old man! Thank you for accepting my favor! I promise I will find a way to earn some coins and help Desiree with her magic storage!¡± ¡°Hmph. You better be. Now get out of the room, I do not want to be disturbed when I am doing my work.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you again old man!¡± Alejandro then exited the room as the sound of a hammer striking a sword continued. Yes! I¡¯ll be staying here for a few years before I continue with my journey. Until then, I have a lot of things to do. I must practice the way of the sword, I also have to find a way to earn some coins. Lastly, I¡¯ll have to help Desiree with refining her magic storage. This is going to be tough, but this is a good path to be stronger. It has been days since I lost against brother Raphael. I will never forget that day. I will also never forgive him for deceiving me! I will be stronger than him one day, then I will have to challenge him for a rematch. Just you wait, brother! 12 - His First Sword, Khalib The night was breezy, and the moon was obscured by black clouds. The howls of wolves can be heard. Sir Ludwig suddenly appeared right in front of Alejandro''s eyes. Alejandro began to tremble in fear, confused as to why this monster was still alive?! ¡°Boy! I finally found you, hahaha! How about a second round, huh?¡± the hunter was looking at the boy with lust and an evil expression. ¡°How¡­? How are you still alive?! You were already dead back at the tent! Bavael killed you!¡± the poor boy was trembling as if he had seen a ghost. "Yes, I am indeed dead. Look at my neck, you have done this," the hunter said, pointing to his sliced throat. The poor child couldn''t believe what he was seeing, he was sweating and pale as ever. He began to run, and his surroundings were completely dark. He yelled continuously for help, but no one could hear him. His scream bounced and resonated across the darkness. He suddenly tripped and fell. He looked behind him and saw the hunter with a cut throat and blood gushing from it. The hunter then begins to remove his pants, beginning with his belt. ¡°Can you see how pathetic and weak you are, boy? This is why you were unable to escape me the last time. I believed things would be different right now, but it appears I was mistaken. Now, shall we have a second round?" The hunter smirked, and his lust grew even stronger. ¡°No! No! No!¡± the boy screamed repeatedly as the hunter began to remove his pants. "Noooooo!!!¡± Alejandro woke in his bed, sweating profusely and struggling to breathe. He then looks out the window and notices the dark clouds passing over the moon as it unveiled itself. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK "Ale, are you alright?! May I come inside?" A girl''s voice can be heard, and it shows signs of distress. ¡°Yes, you may.¡± The girl then opened the door and came in and instantly ran to Alejandro. ¡°Are you okay? What happened? I heard you screaming repeatedly! Did a wolf enter here?!¡± Desiree was asking a lot of questions as she was worried about Alejandro. "I am fine. It was only a dream. A nightmare, specifically." Alejandro gazed down at his quivering hands. Desiree continued to ask if the boy was really okay, but her voice faded. The only thing Alejandro could hear right now is his own mind. Am I truly that weak? Was this the actual reason I couldn''t get away from him before? I thought I''d gotten stronger. Maybe he''s right. After all, brother Raphael defeated me and caused this burn, whereas that hunter was able to molest me. How could I be so weak?! I don''t want to be this weak anymore, I want to be stronger! ¡°Hey, are you listening?!¡± Alejandro then looked at Desiree again. ¡°I am fine, really. There is no need for you to heal me or anything. I¡¯ll just go back to sleep and so will you.¡± Alejandro then went back to sleep, covering himself with a blanket. As for the girl, she then exits the room with a sad expression. CLANG CLANG CLANG The bird suddenly flies away as it hears the noise. The sun rose with a shining light. Alejandro then wakes up as he smells a delicious smell. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡± the girl shouted. Alejandro begins to stand up from his bed. He grabbed his daggers, placed them in his pocket bag, and wore them. Alejandro then leaves the room, closing the door. He went to the dining room since he noticed a delicious fish on the table. Desiree and old man Austin are already sitting, waiting for Alejandro before they start to eat. ¡°What are you waiting for, Ale? Come sit beside me so that we can start eating already!¡± Desiree cheerfully smiles and offers the seat beside her to Alejandro. Alejandro then smiles and hurriedly sits on the chair besides Desiree. The girl then folds her hand together as she starts to pray. ¡°Dear God, thank you for this wonderful meal that you have given us. Thank you for the blessings that you have given to us. We promise to never waste this fish that you blessed us with.¡± The girl then opened her eyes and started to grab a piece of the fish. She also offered a piece to her grandfather and to Alejandro. The three of them are like family, peacefully eating their breakfast. As they were eating, old man Austin began to start a conversation. ¡°Boy, the sword is ready. I will give it to you after breakfast.¡± Alejandro stared at old Austin with dazzling eyes and a big smile on his face. "Really?!" Alejandro sprang out and started eating the fish quicker. He finished his first meal while Desiree and old man Austin were still eating their fish. Desiree giggled, as she was also excited to see the sword that her grandfather made. The boy then ran to the room where old man Austin would work and forge weapons. He patiently waited for old man Austin to finish his breakfast. Not long after, old man Austin and Desiree came to the room where Alejandro is waiting. As they entered the room, they saw Alejandro standing and looking at the shining sword laying in the metal. ¡°Alright, boy. I have spent days forging this sword just for you. I think you can wield this sword just fine. You see, this sword is special to me. This is what I used back in my days where I was serving as a knight in Parandor Fortress. I retired from being a knight and started the art of forging swords. Today, this sword belongs to you. May this sword guide you in your journey.¡± Old man Austin clearly loves the sword that he was holding right now. This sword was like his very own son. However, it is much better to give his son to Alejandro than being abandoned and getting rust in a basement. Although it was a hard choice for him, he already knew that this sword was looking for a new father. This sword was hungry for battle and blood. It has not been fed for many years. He then offers the sword to the boy. "This is Khalib, which indicates that he is strong and powerful. A friend of mine helped me forge this sword years ago. He was a foreigner and a fellow knight. He died during the war, risking himself to defend me. As a result, I named the sword after his name." Alejandro takes the sword cautiously. His eyes were filled with gratitude for old man Austin. The sword was light, and he could lift it with one hand. This was not the result of a magic spell, because a magic spell that imbues the sword with light weight is only temporary, and an aura will be visible surrounding it. However, the sword possesses no aura. It was simply an ordinary sword with no magic. I had long desired to acquire a sword. Today, I realized that dream. With my physical strength and willpower, I shall make this blade proud of me. This is a step closer to achieving my dream of defeating brother Raphael. I will be stronger with this sword by my side throughout my journey! "I''m grateful, old man! I swear to you that I will look after this weapon. With this sword by my side, I shall learn how to fight!¡± Alejandro expressed his gratitude to Old Man Austin while maintaining a solemn demeanor. Meanwhile, Desiree is very happy for Alejandro. She was smiling the entire time that Alejandro and her grandfather were exchanging words. The scene was like a family of three. It was as if the son received a toy from his father. ¡°There is no need to pay with coins, boy. Just remember what we agreed on.¡± ¡°Of course, old man! Thank you!¡± The boy then runs smiling towards Desiree while handling his sword with caution. Then, as they were leaving the room, he took the girl''s hand. But the girl didn''t know where Alejandro was going to take her. ¡°Where are we going, Ale?!¡± "Where? Naturally, to the tree we used to sit next to! I''m going to start training, and will help you in refining your magic storage as well!" After initially looking stunned, Desiree smiled widely. She was not prepared for Alejandro to help her in improving her magic storage. "All right, let''s go!¡± Desiree then answered, her face beaming with happiness. 13 - Magic Storage Alejandro and Desiree were once again on a tree near the waterfall. The boy was learning how to swing a sword, while the girl sat beside the tree with her eyes closed and an aura surrounding her. The sky was clear, and the breeze blew easily through the air. Although this sword isn''t as heavy as I expected, it''s still difficult to swing around with total control. I''ve trained my body to the point where I believe I have complete control over it, including my arms, legs, neck, chest, back, and hips. However, my entire body still requires time to control the swing of a sword. I must first learn how to swing this sword using only my right arm. Bavael must be on my left hand, while Khalib will be on my right. Alejandro then took Bavael out of his pocket bag and held it in his left hand while keeping Khalib in his right. However, the boy is unsure of how to take a posture when using these two weapons. First, he tried his traditional stance. The sword was in the front, facing an imaginary opponent, and the dagger was behind. However, Alejandro seems to be uncomfortable with this stance. He then tried another position, a normal fighting stance that fighters use when they carry a sword and a shield. Once again, the boy was bothered with this stance as to why should he use Bavael like a shield? Then he tried again, this time he raised the sword in front and he put his left arm to his right forearm. This! This is it! I hold Khalib in my right hand and Bavael in my left. I must then place my left hand on my right forearm, causing Bavael to extend past my elbow so that his edge does not strike me. This is how I must fight! Alejandro has learnt how to carry his weapons and take a posture with them. The boy was pleased with his improvement, even if it was only modest. He subsequently realized that he should assist Desiree in refining her magic storage. He then walked towards the girl and sat beside her. Wow, look at her. She is so focused right now. Is that what refining a magic storage looks like? It¡¯s like taking a nap but at the same time it seems like she is aware of her surroundings. Her aura is different from the others too. How should I help her, when I don¡¯t even know the basics of magic? ¡°Well, you can actually help me even though you don¡¯t know anything about magic.¡± Desiree''s voice can be heard, but her mouth does not move as she speaks. ¡°Wha-... What?! Desiree, was that you? It sounded like you, but your mouth was not moving. Must have been my imagination.¡± ¡°Nope. It¡¯s me, Desiree hehe. I am actually inside your mind right now.¡± ¡°What?!! Desiree?! You¡¯re inside my mind? How is that even possible?!¡± Alejandro was shocked, he was holding his head as he replied to the voice of Desiree. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll explain it to you, Ale. When a magic user starts to refine their magic storage, their body will remain in a sleeping posture with their eyes closed and all. They then can exit their own body, it¡¯s like we can control our own spirit. However, in order for us to refine our magic storage, we must connect with nature itself. We must be one with nature. We must know how it is to feel like grasses, trees, leaves, sticks, clouds and even the wind itself. With enough understanding and patience, our magic storage will slowly refine itself. The difficult part is that when refining our magic storage, our spirit drains our energy quicker, that is why foods that are magic types are crucial to magic users. When one eats magic type foods, their spirit will be recovered. Allowing them to refine their magic storage again.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Wow. I am overloaded with information right now. My tiny brain cannot handle such knowledge at once. Owww. Wait, but how are you able to enter my mind right now?¡± ¡°Actually, only magic users with a large quantity of storage may travel into other people''s minds. These magic users are known as sorcerers. They have superior magic spells, aura, and magic storage; they are no longer simply referred to as magic users. However, I don¡¯t want to brag but I am actually a special one. At least that¡¯s what my mother said to me. That is why I can travel through other people¡¯s minds.¡± Alejandro was paying attention to what Desiree was saying. He was amazed by Desiree''s ability to travel through other people¡¯s minds. Throughout his entire life at Holm village, no one has ever had the ability like Desiree. ¡°You said I could help you even though I don¡¯t have any magic powers within me. I want to help you in refining your magic storage. I¡¯ll do whatever it is!¡± ¡°Alright. This is still stage 1 so it¡¯s not that very hard, hehe. This method is what the majority of the magic users do when they refine their magic storage.¡± ¡°And¡­ that is?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll just have to carry my body and walk around where nature is mostly active. Nature is everywhere, but there are areas where it is very active such as forest, waterfalls, mountains and sea. You see, I only have low magic storage, which means I only have a short range when it comes to free roaming when using my spirit. Thus, I only can experience and feel a minimum amount of nature, making my progress very slow.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s actually kind of simple. I can do that!¡± the boy smiled and immediately put his dagger to his pocket bag and his sword in his scabbard. He then starts to carry Desiree. He carried her in his back while holding her feet in his arms. ¡°Good! Well, it¡¯s time to exit your mind so that I can start connecting with nature and refine my magic storage. Remember to be quiet so that I can focus. Thank you, Ale!¡± Desiree¡¯s voice then fades as she leaves Alejandro¡¯s mind. Well, it looks like she already left my mind. I¡¯m still amazed that she can do that though. Only sorcerers have the ability to travel through other people¡¯s minds, huh? She really is a special one. She said this is only the first stage, I wonder what the other stage will look like? Oh, I should also buy magic type foods so that she can refill her spirit¡¯s energy immediately. I still have coins with me, but it is inevitable that this would be gone after days. I have to find a way to earn some coins! Where should I even buy some foods that are magic types to begin with? I can¡¯t risk going back to Boreal village. Desiree going alone in that nasty village would be dangerous too. Sigh, I¡¯ll just ask old man Austin later if there are stores nearby. Alejandro kept walking, carrying Desiree on his back. Their surroundings were serene. Only the wind can be heard. The grasses are quite clean and lively. The trees tremble in the wind, and leaves fall to the ground. Butterflies with bright wings pass on to children. Even if the waterfall is still a long distance away, the sound can still be heard. It''s as if he''s connected one to nature itself. It also feels that he has everything, yet he does not. This was truly a peaceful time for Alejandro. This feels nice. I hope every day will be like this. 14 - Arena of Death ¡°Don¡¯t worry brother, I will not ask for the 5 bronze coins. I knew that you had no coins to begin with. I simply wanted you to see the power of the magic that you were not interested in. You were a fool thinking you could beat me to begin with.¡± Td``hose were the words that brother Raphael said to me exactly 5 years ago. I was not strong back then, but today is different. A young man opened his eyes as he lay on the grass. The sun has begun to go down. He then stood up and observed his surroundings. It was the same location where he swung his sword and dagger. It has always been the same. Then a young woman who had been asleep below a tree approached the young man. ¡°Have you been waiting for me? I¡¯m sorry, I just finished refining my magic storage.¡± The young woman was stunningly attractive. She has golden hair and beautiful curves. She always wore a full dress. However, this does not prevent her from being stunning. ¡°Oh, I actually finished practicing not long ago, so don''t worry.¡± This young man had an explosive physique. Although he was still in his teenage years, he had already developed muscles in his biceps, triceps, and forearms. He always wears a long sleeve shirt to conceal his body, which was burned by his brother. ¡°That¡¯s great! Then let¡¯s go home together!¡± the young woman smiled cheerfully. They walked back home together. The young woman carries a basket of apples, while the young man carries a sword on his back and a small pocket bag with a dagger inside. They walked closely together, yet none of them spoke to each other. They travel calmly past the trees and the waterfall. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it has been five years already since the day you decided to stay at our home, Ale. It¡¯s like it was just yesterday.¡± Finally, the young woman decided to open up a conversation. ¡°You¡¯re right. In these past years that we have spent together, you have grown a lot more beautiful and powerful, Desiree.¡± ¡°Wow, was that a compliment that I just heard? It¡¯s rare for you to compliment someone. Anyway, we¡¯re close to the house now. Father must have been waiting for us.¡± Alejandro and Desiree have finally grown up. It appears that the past few years have been peaceful for them. Finally, the crescent-shaped moon has appeared in the sky. Shining through the clouds, revealing a breathtaking scene. Below the moon is a modest house that appears to be old yet still looks excellent. ¡°We¡¯re home, father!¡± ¡°How is your progress in refining magic storage, Desiree?¡± ¡°Oh, I feel like I¡¯m close to improving my healing ability, father!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. How about you, boy?¡± ¡°Eh, it was the same. Swinging Khalib and utilizing Bavael throughout the entire day.¡± Alejandro sat down and looked outside the window. He saw the shining moon up in the sky and his expression changed. He then grabs a cup of water and drinks it. ¡°You guys eat first, I¡¯ll head outside for a while.¡± Alejandro stood up from his seat and grabbed his sword and his pocket bag with the dagger inside it. ¡°Where are you going again, Ale?¡± Desiree said as she was worried for Alejandro as he walked towards the door and grabbed the knob. ¡°Let the boy go, Desiree. He¡¯s already grown up, he has freedom to do whatever he wants.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be back, I promise.¡± Alejandro replies as he then leaves the house. As the young man steps the ground outside yet again, he looks up at the sky once more. Every four days, I leave the house and go somewhere else to earn some coins. This has been my way of earning coins since the past 5 years. Although I am aware that I am risking my life in this method of earning coins, this is the only way in order to help Desiree refine her magic storage. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Alejandro went into the lonely night. He walked down the path opposite the waterfall. The night was serene but lonely. There were fireflies that followed the young man for a bit before flying away. He walks the path he is heading without a map as he wears a dark cape covering his mouth. Then, a silhouette of a tunnel can be seen. However, this tunnel is not easy to find since in order to get in this tunnel, one must cross a forest that is very difficult to navigate around. As he approached the tunnel, a sign at the top of the tunnel could be seen. There is a writing in the sign which reads ¡°Arena of Death¡±. Finally, I''ve arrived. I wonder who I shall face tonight. It doesn''t matter; as long as they reward me, that''s enough for me. Before entering the tunnel, a man with a huge physique can be seen standing and guarding the tunnel. However, this man already knew who Alejandro was. ¡°Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t the dual wielder champion himself. A pleasant evening, Alejandro.¡± ¡°Thanks, Garen. Don¡¯t worry, if I win again tonight, I¡¯ll give you some coins.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Now that¡¯s the spirit! Please proceed, sir.¡± The man¡¯s name is Garen. He has a huge physique with a big sword around his back. While he wears a knight¡¯s armor in his upper body to lower body. However, he does not wear his helmet. It seems like Garen was a retired knight that served at a kingdom. He truly fits to be the one to guard the Arena of Death. Alejandro enters the dark passage. The interior of the tunnel is completely dark, with no lamps or light sources. However, after a bit of walking, a bright light ahead became visible. As Alejandro continued walking and approached the bright light that shines before his eyes, he has finally arrived at the arena. This arena was huge, with hundreds of spectators at the top of the arena. These spectators were mostly men who were hunters, knights, magic users or retired knights. These men seek pleasure in violence, thus they enjoy watching the arena where two opponents clash together and fight for death. There are two paths to take. One leads to the top seats where people will sit and watch the fight, while the other leads directly to the arena and waits for the fighters to finish their bouts. Hmmm. Great timing, it seems like the fight has just concluded and a victor has been announced. It¡¯s time to step in the arena and win! The young man followed the road toward the arena. All of the spectators began to stare at the path leading into the arena. They were wondering who would go up next and face the winner. Alejandro had just stepped into the arena, and all of the spectators were staring at him. Some are outraged, while others are excited. It''s like they already knew who Alejandro was. Then, a loud voice screamed from the top of his lungs. ¡°The undefeated dual wielder has finally arrived once again, folks!¡± This voice was from the announcer of the Arena of Death. An arena of battle is not enjoyed at its full potential without an announcer. It would only bore the spectators to death and leave the tunnel. The announcer stood in the middle of the arena. He is a man with a decent physique and seems like he is in his 50s. However, it does not stop his passion for being an announcer in the Arena of Death! Instead of making fun of him, people would fear this announcer since he possesses a rare magical ability. This ability is teleportation, which he uses every time to teleport to the arena or teleport out of the arena. ¡°Alright, folks! There is no time to waste, let us proceed directly to the next battle! The victor of tonight''s continuous match, Cain! VS! The undefeated dual wielded champion, Alejandrooooo!¡± Alejandro then pulls out his sword from his scabbard and pulls out a dark red dagger from his pocket bag around the waist. The spectators were then hyped to see the undefeated champion back in action again. ¡°Whoooo! Go for it, kid! Let us see yet again another brutal finisher move!¡± ¡°Ah, fuck! This kid again?! Why does he only appear every four days?! I shouldn¡¯t have bet all my coins on Cain!¡± ¡°Hell yeah! I almost lost hope for you, kid! All of my coins that I bet were on the challenger opponent''s side since I knew you would show up!¡± ¡°Kill that kid, Cain! Don¡¯t let his win streak continue!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± Argh, these guys are always annoying. I don¡¯t kill the opponent just because they want to or I want to. I intend to kill the opponent since I need to win in order to get the prizes of the match. This arena also prohibits opponents not killing his opponent, truly an arena of death. The undefeated dual wielder champion then started to make his classic stance. The sword¡¯s point facing the opponent''s face. While he holds the dagger in his left hand and puts it in his right forearm as the dagger¡¯s point is facing the floor. Before I charge at him, I should analyze this guy first. I have never faced him nor seen him in my entire life in this arena. He has a huge physique and wears a full set of silver armor. His weapon is a mace. Look at that huge amount of blood on his armor, that must be the blood of the opponents he has killed tonight. Anyway, looks like he has imbued a magic spell on his mace as it appears to be glowing with a blue aura. Usually, a blue aura in a weapon means that spell would make the weapon¡¯s weight lighter than the original weight, making it faster to swing around thus being more deadly as it does not give the opponent a chance to flee nor block. Alright, I¡¯m done analyzing. I am going to win! ¡°Alright, folks! Let the death match begin!!!¡± 15 - The Burden of an Undefeated Champion ¡°Alright, folks! Let the death match begin!!!¡± Both fighters charged towards each other at the same time. Cain, the champion of tonight¡¯s arena of death versus Alejandro, the undefeated dual wielder. In this arena, there are no fighters that are weak. Especially if that fighter is the last one standing for tonight¡¯s matches. Even though Cain is wearing a full set of armor and a weapon that is very difficult to handle, he is somewhat faster than the average speed of a hunter. However, his opponent is not an easy match. His opponent is the infamous undefeated dual wielder. A sword and a small red dagger, truly an unexpected dual weapon. Cain thought he will be faster than his opponent since he drank a potion earlier that will make his speed faster in the entire night. So this kid is the undefeated dual wielder? Hah, I¡¯ll claim that title of undefeated if you don¡¯t mind! Cain raises his mace as he charges towards the undefeated dual wielder. Even though he is wearing helmet armor, his mouth that is smirking is still visible to Alejandro¡¯s sight. As Cain is close to Alejandro, he then swings his mace so fast that the audience could barely see it. ¡°Kah! That¡¯s all? I instantly crushed him! That was the undefeated champion?¡± Cain thought he already smashed and killed the champion, but to his surprise, a voice can be heard. ¡°What a fool you are, thinking you already won. I¡¯m sorry but I need to win tonight so that I can help my friend in refining her magic storage.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Suddenly, Cain¡¯s mace was lifted and flew out of the sky like it was a mere wooden sword. The truth was that Alejandro¡¯s speed and reaction time was more dominant than Cain¡¯s skills. He did not in fact smash the champion, but rather the champion was able to parry it using his red dagger. With the help of his sword, he was able to fully parry the attack and he put all his strength to that parry, that¡¯s why Cain¡¯s mace flew across the arena. ¡°Wait, what the hell?! How were you able to do that?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just naturally stronger than you. Now, I really don¡¯t like to kill you as I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re a bad person or not. If you tell me honestly about your deeds, then I will spare you.¡± Cain kneeled down before Alejandro. As if this fighter has already forgotten the arena¡¯s rules. ¡°Alright! I will be honest, so please spare me! To be truth, I only recently found out about this arena and I took part in this duels since I love killing people. Before I participated here, I was a warrior that invaded villages and would kill weak people! I am a true wa- SLASH The undefeated champion did not let Cain finish his speech. He strengthens his entire right arm and swings his sword to cut off his opponent¡¯s head. Cain¡¯s head went flying across the arena and a mouthful of blood spilled on Alejandro¡¯s shirt. ¡°True warrior? You? Don¡¯t make me laugh. You are not even half of my level. What a pity.¡± The undefeated champion was standing still with a messy shirt and face that was full of blood. He was not moving, so did the audience. They were stunned as to what just happened. None of them dare to move and utter a single word. The arena of death was full of silence. ¡°The¡­ The winner¡­ THE WINNER OF TONIGHT¡¯S MATCHES IS NONE OTHER THAN THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION! ALEJANDROOOOOOOOO!!!¡± The announcer broke the silence as he declared the winner of tonight¡¯s matches. He teleported at the center of the arena where Alejandro was standing. ¡°Holy shit, that was one hell of a match!!!¡± ¡°I knew you would win again! You¡¯re called undefeated for a reason!¡± ¡°Alright! My bet was right all along!¡± ¡°That was brutal!¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely watch your next match!¡± The crowd were all hyped. They were screaming all over the arena and some of them were standing as they cheered for the champion. ¡°That was great, Alejandro! Brutal as ever, I see! Well then, here is your reward for tonight¡¯s match. Twelve bronze coins, eight silver coins and two gold coins!¡± the announcer whispered to Alejandro as he handed over the bag of coins to the young man. The undefeated champion put his sword on his scabbard and his dagger to his pocket bag. He then fixes his black hair before he takes the bag of coins from the announcer. ¡°Thanks.¡± Alejandro then exits the arena and starts to head outside the tunnel. ¡°Woah, that¡¯s a lot of blood there, champ!¡± ¡°Oh hey, Garen. Here, go get yourself some beverage to drink with.¡± Alejandro gave Garen five bronze coins and left. ¡°Wow! Thank you, champ! I¡¯ll see you in the next four days!¡± Alejandro walked farther away from the tunnel to go home. The young man was silent as he journeyed back home. He was already on the path to the house, however he did not go inside the house. Instead, he continued walking to where the waterfall was. I¡¯ll wash myself first before going back home. I smell awful right now. The young man then finally arrived at the waterfalls. However, before he could undress his shirt, he saw a person swimming in the deep area of the waterfalls. Who could that be? I¡¯ll go closer to take a good look¡­ Alejandro was very cautious of his steps in order for the person to not notice him. However, the young man accidentally stepped on a small stick and it made a loud sound as it cracked. ¡°Oh shit!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± A woman¡¯s voice can be heard as she screamed to Alejandro. ¡°Wait, is that you, Ale?!¡± ¡°Huh? Desiree? Why are you washing yourself at this hour?! It¡¯s dangerous, you know!¡± It seems that the person that was swimming in the waterfalls was Desiree all along. Alejandro calmed down as he lowered his suspicion. ¡°Are you covered with blood?! Oh no! Please come here so that I can heal you! Quick!¡± ¡°What?! Are you crazy? You¡¯re naked! And I¡¯m alright, I am not injured or anything, okay?¡± ¡°You fool! Stop lying and come here now! Or else I¡¯ll tell father about this!¡± Alejandro then ran towards Desiree. He forgot to take off his shirt as he was scared over the fact that Desiree would tell old man Austin about him being in a bloody mess. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll start healing you now.¡± ¡°But seriously, Desiree. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not injured.¡± The young woman then emits an aura as she starts to make a triangular shape using her hands. She then starts healing Alejandro¡¯s back. Ahhh¡­ My body seems to be lighter now. All of the stress in my body suddenly faded away. She really is a powerful healer. ¡°Why are you covered with blood, Ale?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Uhm, I ran over some wolves in the forest and killed them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. I can sense it.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Yes, I have refined my magic storage multiple times and my sensing ability has improved a lot. Tell me the truth, Ale.¡± The young man had no choice but to tell the truth. He was bad at lying when he was still a boy. ¡°I¡­ I found a tunnel that leads to an arena. It¡¯s an arena where fighters would fight til¡¯ death. However, if one can win, they would be rewarded with coins. Hence, the source of where I get all the coins to buy you and old man Austin some magic type foods and beverages.¡± ¡°I see¡­ But do you ever think you would lose?¡± Desiree stopped healing and put her hands to Alejandro¡¯s back. She was clenching her hands. ¡°You¡¯re going to die if you keep doing this, Ale! You have been doing this at our back this entire time?! Do you ever think what would happen to me if you¡¯d die?! Do you ever think of the consequences?! You only think of yourself, as always! You¡¯re so selfish! It¡¯s always about you! I¡¯m so sick of this! If that¡¯s the case, then from now on, stop helping me in refining my magic storage! You¡¯re risking your life just to have some food on the table?! Are you insane?!¡± Desiree was crying over Alejandro¡¯s back. Her tears continuously fell down on the water. The moon shone at them, revealing a tragic scene. Alejandro was speechless, he thought that all of what Desiree said was all true. She¡¯s right. What have I been doing this entire time? This is not my dream. It¡¯s not to kill again and again in some unknown arena. It¡¯s not to be titled as undefeated champion. It¡¯s not to risk my life on just a random fighter. It has been five years since I have been doing this. Yet, this is the first time I realized all of this. I am straying away from my dream, it¡¯s like I am walking aimlessly without knowing what my true dream is. It¡¯s not too late¡­ I think this is the right time to go back and continue on achieving my dream. ¡°Thank you, Desiree. Of all the people and enemies I have met in my life, you are the only one who nearly made me forget my dream. I will not stray anymore. I promise you, once I achieve my dream, I will go back here and live here forever.¡± 16 - A Broken Dream The dark clouds gathered together and covered the shining moon. Suddenly, Desiree stopped crying and went silent. She could not believe what Alejandro had said. It is as if he is indirectly telling her that he would leave the house forever. ¡°What are you trying to say, Ale?...¡± The young man did not utter a single word and started to walk back to the surface. He proudly walked in front and did not look back, signifying that this time, he would not falter anymore. ¡°Perhaps you are right, Desiree. I may have wasted more time than I ever needed here. You¡­. You blocked the sight of my dream, thus I was addicted to fighting and risking my life just for you. Let us go home, Desiree.¡± Desiree looks at Alejandro''s back as he walks to the surface. Her eyes were dead. Hearing all of this from someone you''ve been with for five years can be devastating. She follows Alejandro up to the surface and begins to change into her clean clothing. She behaved like a zombie, as if she had no brain and moved like one. She knew that she started the argument first and made Alejandro realize all the actions he had done. However, she was also aware that she couldn''t do or say anything to persuade the young man to stay a bit longer. At this point, Alejandro transitioned from a boy to a man. When a man resolves to accomplish something, he does not back down from his words. When a man has a dream that he wants to attain, a road will open up for him to continue traveling. However, the path they choose will not be simple. It will either have obstacles to break or it will cage them and make them suffer. Alejandro was very close to being imprisoned, however he escaped the fate that nearly cage him. ¡°We¡¯re back, old man.¡± Alejandro greeted old man Austin as soon as they entered the house, both looked like a pair of dead flies. ¡°I¡¯ll be going inside my room and rest, father.¡± ¡°Alright. Rest well, Desiree.¡± ¡°Me too. See you tomorrow, old man.¡± Both the young man and woman went to their respective rooms and left old man Austin alone in the living area of the house. I think I know what will happen next. It¡¯s as if I rewatched a scene from a long time ago, when I also decided to get back up and achieve my dream. I cannot interfere with the boy¡¯s decision. From the looks of him, he already made up his decision. Hence, I will wait for him here before he leaves in the early morning. Old man Austin seems to have already known what Alejandro will do next. He silently awaits in the living area, sitting and constantly looking outside the window and would look up in the sky. Wolves howling can be heard from a long distance. The wind blows hard yet gently. In the quiet house, a sudden creak of door noise was heard. Alejandro has left his room. The young man was dressed with all black clothes. He wears a black long sleeve shirt with a missing button at the top just below his neck. However, he suddenly covers it with a black cape. He also wears a black trouser and a black shoes. He carries a scabbard at his back and a small pocket bag that contains two daggers. He silently walks towards the main door of the house. However, a silhouette of a man that is sitting beside the door can be seen. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The silhouette then lights up a candle by using a magic spell. The mysterious silhouette that is sitting appears to be old man Austin. ¡°I was once like you, boy. I had a dream, I was so close to achieving it. I once wanted to be part of the Royal Guards. Serving as part of the Royal Guards was everybody¡¯s dream. You can enjoy the luxury of living as an important member of the kingdom, thus the citizens treat them more special than normal knights or hunters. I used every method in achieving my dream, even manipulating my friend Khalib in sacrificing himself for me in the war against the Underground Criminals.¡± ¡°Old man¡­ But you said that your friend willingly sacrificed himself to defend you?¡± ¡°Once you step in your path again, you will soon realize that you cannot merely achieve your dream without sacrificing others, even if they are innocent. That is the harsh reality of our world that we live in. As long as a man has a dream that he clings to, violence will not end.¡± Alejandro listened carefully to old man Austin. It was as if a father was teaching his son a lesson. ¡°You mentioned that you were close to achieving your dream. What happened, old man?¡± Old man Austin then started to laugh as soon as he heard the question. ¡°Well¡­ I was about to be promoted to become a Royal Guard, however there was someone that tricked me and made the King uphold his decision to promote me into the Royal Guards. No matter how many times I told the King that I was fooled by that man, there was no use. Instead of me, he was the one that was promoted into the Royal Guards. Of course I challenged him to a duel, however I lost. He was more cunning and powerful than I am. Remember kid, there is always a bigger fish out there. However, you must not falter when you encounter them, or else you will end up like me.¡± ¡°Brother Raphael¡­¡± Alejandro suddenly thought about his brother and unconsciously uttered his name out loud. ¡°Hmmm. It seems you have already encountered the bigger fish. I am sure you will meet him again.¡± ¡°I will not hold you long, boy. I am not here to block your path. I simply wish you luck on your journey. You have my gratitude for helping Desiree refine her magic storage, I already sensed that she has grown a lot stronger than before. Do you not wish to bid farewell to her?¡± The young man looked back and stared at Desiree¡¯s room. He then looks down, closing his eyes. ¡°No. Let her rest, besides she will eventually forget about me and move on to become more stronger in refining her magic storage. After all, she mentioned that her mother was a sorcerer.¡± Alejandro then started to walk towards the door. Old man Austin then looks down, closing his eyes as if he was taking a nap while sitting. ¡°Thank you for everything, old man.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Go on, do what you must do.¡± Alejandro grabbed the door knob and opened the door. A strong wind blew the moment he opened the door. He stepped outside and closed the door. He paused for a moment to think of what he should do next. Am I hesitating?... No, I must not falter. I must not look back. They have their own lives and I have my own life. There is no need to overthink it. This is the path that I chose, which is why there is no need to hesitate, instead I must keep moving forward. The young man began to walk in the opposite path of which the waterfall is located. He was once an innocent boy that did not want to learn magic and instead trained his body until failure. However, many things happened in the course of five years. He lost to a fight between his brother, thus he suffered a huge burn over his entire body. After that, his own parents abandoned him in an unknown forest. Then, he was brutally molested by a well respected hunter in the Boreal Village. For the entire five years, he trained on utilizing his weapons and even participated in the Arena of Death, risking his life just to earn some coins. He was addicted to fighting over some coins, killing fighters brutally every four days in the entire five years. He was known as the undefeated champion or the undefeated dual wielder. He was recognized by a bunch of unknown fighters. Alejandro was annoyed by the spectators, but deep inside he enjoys the feeling of being recognized by his raw strength. However, he has woken up to reality. His dream that was nearly forgotten, was rekindled with flames again. This time, Alejandro¡¯s resolve is much more powerful than ever. Once again, he continues to walk to the path where he belongs in order to achieve his dream. Will he finally achieve his dream after all the training that he had done? Alejandro sets on a journey to once again find some leads to where Holm Village is located. 17 - Denver Creed The sun has risen from the East. A young man can be seen strolling aimlessly on a cobblestone walkway. His surroundings are limited to trees, grass, and animals such as sheep and cows. A man that is riding a horse suddenly appeared right before Alejandro. This man seems to be a hunter as his clothes are like the casual outfits that hunters wear. He wears a black hat that covers his face since his posture is looking down as if he was sleeping at the top of the horse. Alejandro thought that the hunter would just pass, however he was mistaken. The hunter stopped in front of him. ¡°Hold up. I recognize you. You¡¯re the undefeated champion in the Arena of Death, aren¡¯t you?¡± Alejandro looked down, avoiding eye contact with the hunter. ¡°No. You¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Alejandro was about to pass around the hunter to continue walking. Suddenly, a sword blocks his path. He then looks at the hunter, which is the one that draws the sword and blocks Alejandro¡¯s way. ¡°I knew you. Even though I am not a hunter from the Boreal Village, you are already popular across different villages. I know you¡¯re from Holm Village and I know that you are the one that killed Sir Ludwig.¡± ¡°Say, do you know where Holm Village is located?¡± The hunter then laughed. However, he still did not put his guard down, as he thought that this man was only kidding around. How could someone forget the path from where he was born? ¡°I respect you, champ. I think we¡¯re around the same age yet you are so powerful than most of the experienced fighters. You see, I don¡¯t have a home to return to as of the moment since I left our house due to my abusive parents. I have been roaming around for the last two years and that is when I saw you at the Arena of Death.¡± Alejandro sighed as if he was bored by the story of the hunter. ¡°With all due respect, I do not care. If you don¡¯t know where the Holm Village is, then let me pass.¡± The hunter lowered his sword and put it back into his scabbard. The young man continued to walk as if nothing happened. However, the sound of the horse¡¯s foot was following him. ¡°My name is Denver Creed. I may dress as a hunter, but I am not together with the hunters that you know of. I travel and hunt alone. I do not have any guild nor companions since I despise teamwork. At the end of the day, one will betray the other thus it will be the downfall of them.¡± Alejandro¡¯s face was expressionless. It is as if all the words that the hunter had mentioned just passed through the young man¡¯s ears. He does not care if the hunter follows him, he knows that the hunter has no match for him if ever the hunter would engage and ambush him. ¡°The entire concept of teaming up is just pure manipulation of each other. Each one of them has different goals or dreams that they want to achieve. It will only result in using one another as a stepping stone closer to their goal.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The young man and the hunter continued walking the cobblestone path as if they were companions. Denver is still a mysterious person in Alejandro¡¯s perspective. He always positioned his hand near Bavael in order to draw fast if ever the hunter would draw his sword again. ¡°I know what you are doing, champ. Don¡¯t treat me as if I am only a child and an enemy. I know that you¡¯re always ready to draw your legendary red dagger. However, you are mistaken. I do not wish to draw my sword against you again. I simply do not have an early death wish.¡± Alejandro glanced at the hunter for a second, looking at his expression if he was lying or not. This hunter seems to be telling the truth. Why is he following me in the first place? Does he want something from me? It does not change the fact that he does not know where the path towards Holm Village is. ¡°What do you want from me, hunter? Why are you following me?¡± Alejandro asked as they continued walking aimlessly. The hunter looked at Alejandro¡¯s eyes intensely. As if the hunter¡¯s eyes were burning with passion. But what is it? ¡°I, Denver Creed, ask for your help to assassinate the head of the hunter society in the Wingfell Village.¡± Alejandro was astonished as to what he just heard. He stopped walking and the two stared at each other. The hunter pulled out a sketch of a person¡¯s face. ¡°This is the head of the hunter society in the Wingfell Village. I¡¯ll show you the way to the Wingfell Village.¡± ¡°And what made you think I would help you, hunter? I do not help nor associate with anyone. Why would a fellow hunter want to assassinate the leader of the hunter society in the other village anyway?¡± The hunter looked down as his hat covered his eyes. He then slowly caresses the horse. ¡°Arthur Grimm, known for his fast speed as if you cannot see his movements. He hunts women in the middle of the night across different villages. The people don¡¯t know he is a killer since all of the people that witnessed his gruesome murders are already dead. I am a lucky one.¡± Alejandro was yet again stunned from what he heard. He realized that the hunter did have a reason as to why he would assassinate a fellow hunter. ¡°I knew it. All hunters are all the same. I do not normally do this, but what do I get for helping you assassinate this hunter?¡± ¡°If what you are saying earlier is true, then I will help you find your hometown.¡± So if I help this hunter, that means he will also help me? I normally don¡¯t trust people, especially hunters, however that stare that he gave to me earlier has fire. It was as if I was looking at a mirror. I also do not tolerate the activities that Arthur Grimm hunter is doing, he must be killed or be sentenced to death by his own guild. However, he is the highest of all in the Wingfell Village and if we report this information to other village heads or to a royalty, none of them would believe us. Without evidence or other witness, they would just see us as wild dogs that spread rumors that could damage the reputation of the hunter society. However, am I strong enough to defeat a high commander such as Arthur Grimm? No, I must not falter! If I do not accept this challenge, I may not get stronger! This is an opportunity for me to test my limits. ¡°Alright, hunter. I accept. Lead the way to the Wingfell Village.¡± Alejandro replied to the hunter¡¯s favor. ¡°Please, you can call me Denver. Alright, White! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Your horse that is colored black is named White?¡± ¡°Yes, he is the only companion I trust since I was young. What should I call you, champ?¡± ¡°Alejandro. And do not call me champ ever again.¡± ¡°Alright, Alejandro. Let us go to the Wingfell Village!¡± The two then continued walking towards the cobblestone path. In order to get to the Holm Village, Alejandro must first go to the Wingfell Village to assassinate Arthur Grimm. Is this a new bond formed between a lone fighter and a lone hunter? 18 - Wingfell Village ¡°This is the Wingfell Village. I told you that it¡¯s only nearby.¡± Alejandro and Denver Creed stared at a deserted village. It¡¯s as if it is a ghost village, no single villager can be seen anywhere they look at. ¡°Hunter, are you sure we are in the right place? Isn¡¯t this an abandoned village or something?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re in the right place. Every person that lives here are all hunters. What do you think happens to a village where the entire population that lives here became hunters?¡± Alejandro and the hunter stared again at the deserted village. Just then, they saw a tavern with lights on inside it. It seems this is the only building that is still active. The two then started walking towards the tavern. As they walked, they started to see disgusting things in the surroundings. Dead dogs that are covered with flies, some of the dead dogs are already skeleton, huge rats coming out of nowhere and different kinds of weapons that hunters use are dumped in a single area. This is a tragedy. I wonder what happened here? Is it really true that this is what happens when there are only hunters that live in a single village? The hunters in the Holm Village are all good hunters, they only hunt animals or monsters that threaten danger in the village. Denver then opened the door to the old tavern. As they looked at the inside of the tavern, there were no customers around. However, there is an old man bartender at the counter. Alejandro and Denver slowly approached the bartender. ¡°We¡¯ll have some wine, old man.¡± Denver ordered as he reached coins in his pocket. Suddenly, the old man bartender flicked his entire right arm into Denver¡¯s neck. Revealing that there was a sharp knife under his coat around his hand. ¡°What are you trying to reach in there, hunter?¡± the old man bartender asked Denver as the sharp knife were so close to the hunter¡¯s neck. As Alejandro analyzes the situation quickly, he also reaches his sword in his scabbard. However, the old man bartender quickly replies as he draws a crossbow in his left arm. The crossbow was ready to fire as it pointed to Alejandro¡¯s head, all it needed was one click of the bartender¡¯s finger and Alejandro would be dead. ¡°Are you here for funny business, gentlemen? Or are you really here just for a simple drink?¡± the old man bartender asked. ¡°To hell with you, old man! You think you can kill me with that crossbow of yours?! And we¡¯re just here to drink, really!¡± Alejandro was filled with anger knowing that the both of them are at great risk and couldn¡¯t do anything to escape. ¡°Calm down, Alejandro. This old man is clearly a retired hunter. However, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he is stronger than us and has a lot more experience in fighting than the two of us combined.¡± Denver Creed tried to calm down Alejandro as he assessed the situation. The old man bartender then calmed down and put his weapons down. ¡°Great deduction there, lad. I assume you are also a hunter, however I have not seen you around here.¡± ¡°I am Denver Creed. I travel and hunt alone. I am nothing like the other hunters that hunt in packs. However, I am not alone right now, my friend and I are here to seek some answers.¡± Friend? Did this hunter just call me his friend? We recently just met and have been traveling together for merely an hour. What is he talking about? ¡°Goremann. My name is Dehter Goremann. What can I get for you, gentlemen?¡± the bartender calmly asked as if nothing just happened. ¡°Two glasses of wine, Mr. Goremann.¡± the hunter replied as he put two silver coins on the table. Mr. Goremann grabbed a bottle of wine that looks expensive. The name of the wine can be read ¡°Purple Mana Wine¡±, a special beverage that consists of mana inside it. The bartender then grabbed two empty glasses and poured the wine in the empty glasses. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. In just a matter of seconds, Mr. Goremann offered the gentlemen their order of two glasses of wine. This shows that the bartender has a lot of experience and could be the owner of the tavern. ¡°Here is your order, gentlemen.¡± the bartender offered two glasses of wine to Alejandro and Denver. The two of them then start to drink the Purple Mana Wine. After a while, Denver was glowing with a purple aura. Meanwhile, Alejandro was not emitting any aura at all. This shows that Denver¡¯s mana was recovering thanks to the special wine, while Alejandro was not emitting any aura since he has no mana to begin with. The taste of the special wine was just like an ordinary wine to Alejandro. Still, how could he not refuse a free beverage? ¡°I heard the young hunter mentioned your name earlier, what was it? Alejandro? That¡¯s quite a rare name.¡± ¡°Alejandro Nightthorne. I¡¯m not a hunter nor a knight.¡± ¡°I can tell. Nightthorne, eh? I assume you¡¯re from the Holm Village.¡± Suddenly, Alejandro¡¯s eyes widened as he heard the name of his home town. ¡°How? How do you know, Mr. Goremann? Are you originally from the Holm Village?!¡± Mr. Goremann shakes his head, giving the young man a signal that Mr. Goremann was not originally from the Holm Village. ¡°Are you perhaps the brother of the Bright Sun Prodigy?¡± Alejandro then suddenly stood up from his seat as he heard the words that came out of the bartender¡¯s mouth. ¡°Bright Sun?... A prodigy?... Is his name¡­ Raphael Nightthorne?¡± Mr. Goremann understood the situation. He understood that there could be a quarrel between the two brothers. However, Mr. Goremann thinks revealing the truth to this young man is the best thing he could do. ¡°Raphael Nightthorne. Right, that is his name.¡± A huge amount of rage came to Alejandro as all of his memories about his brother suddenly ran through his mind. Denver Creed was astounded by this information. He did not know about Alejandro having a brother separated from him. However, it is clear as day to Denver that Alejandro obviously does not love his brother due to his reaction right now. Alejandro calmed down and sat again. He then looked at Mr. Goremann with an intense look in his eyes. ¡°How do you know him, Mr. Goremann? Why is he called the Bright Sun Prodigy?¡± the young man was very curious and demanded answers from the bartender. Mr. Goremann saw the intense fire in the young man¡¯s eyes. It was as if this young man could quickly kill him without any hesitation if he did not give the truth to the young man. ¡°Alejandro, young man. I will tell you the truth. The Bright Sun Prodigy is the strongest magic user in the Holm Village as of now. I know this as I travel through different villages every night. He is regarded as the Bright Sun Prodigy as his magic core is mainly a source of blazing fire as hot as the sun.¡± ¡°I know that about him already. Is he really the strongest magic user in the Holm Village as of now? He is the same age as me! Isn¡¯t the head of the village the strongest there?!¡± ¡°He is a running candidate to be the next head of the village, young man. No one, including the current head of the village, can top his potential and his skills. It is rumored that the sorcerers from a royal kingdom will adopt and train him in the upcoming week.¡± What?... Brother Raphael is that strong already? Damn it! I have no time to waste! I need to fight him as soon as possible. All I need to know is where the Holm Village is. Wait, this old man knows where the Holm Village is! I¡¯ll just have to ask him! ¡°Mr. Goremann! Please show me the way to the Holm Village!¡± Alejandro begged Mr. Goremann as he was desperate to get revenge as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot, young man. Your partner over here would be angry if I told you.¡± Alejandro then looked at Denver. The hunter was just drinking his wine quietly. This hunter! I¡¯m sick of this! Of course he would tell the bartender to not show me the way to Holm Village! After all, we still haven¡¯t assassinated Arthur Grimm. However, I really don¡¯t have any time to waste! Alejandro stood up and grabbed his sword in his scabbard. He also grabbed his dagger out of his pocket bag. ¡°Bavael and Khalib, let us not waste time anymore. Lend me your strength.¡± Khalib¡¯s point facing Denver¡¯s face. While he also holds Bavael in his left hand and puts it in his right forearm as the dagger¡¯s point is facing the floor. ¡°What are you trying to do, Alejandro?¡± ¡°I apologize, hunter. But I really do not have any more time to waste. If I knock you out unconscious, will you show me the way to the Holm Village, Mr. Goremann?¡± Mr. Goremann smirked as he only sees this as entertainment. ¡°Why not?¡± Mr. Goremann responded with excitement and confidence. Denver then stood up from his seat. He then glared at Alejandro like a crow. ¡°If I defeat you, we will continue with our mission. Understood?¡± At this point, Alejandro was very pissed off. ¡°Sure. As if you could defeat me, hunter.¡± 19 - Alejandro versus Denver Creed The night was radiant as the moon shines brightly up in the sky. The Wingfell Village was quiet as if there was no one around in the entire village, except for a particular tavern. A commotion can be heard inside and crows watch at the outside by sitting at the top of a branch of a dead tree. The crows were not scared, it was as if they were enjoying what they were witnessing. Their eyes were huge as they looked at what¡¯s happening inside the tavern. Inside the tavern, there are three people present. However, the two young men were staring at each other as they held their weapons. One holds a sword that is very thin but very sharp and shiny. While the other one holds two weapons, a dark red dagger and a sword that looks deadly. ¡°I apologize hunter but I will have to refuse your favor this time. I cannot waste anymore time in order to get to my hometown.¡± Alejandro explained to the young hunter calmly yet with a stare that filled with rage. ¡°If I defeat you, we will continue on our mission. I will own you, champ.¡± Denver Creed also replied calmly with an intent of defeating his opponent. While the two young fighters were arguing, the bartender of the tavern was just standing behind the table. He was observing the two fighters as to what their powers would be. The bartender then grabs the empty glasses that the two fighters used earlier and starts to clean the empty glasses with a clean white sheet of cloth. Dehter Goremann, the bartender, was calm as an undisturbed water as he spectated the match. Although we have been traveling together for a short period of time, I still do not know what his powers and skills are. Meanwhile he already knows my strengths and skills since he watched my matches at the Arena of Death. He also seems to be confident about this match, this is dangerous for me. I¡¯ll just have to fight dirty this time since I really do not want to waste anymore time. ¡°Come forth, Bavael.¡± Alejandro whispered to his dagger. Suddenly, the dagger shines brightly with a red aura. ¡°I am here, master. What is your command?¡± The red dagger suddenly spoke on its own as if it was alive and had a mind of its own. Denver Creed¡¯s stance suddenly changed from an offensive stance into a defensive stance. It seems the hunter already knew about the opponent¡¯s dagger. Shit. He already knows about Bavael. I used Bavael many times at the beginning of my era in the Arena of Death. I rarely use Bavael anymore yet somehow this hunter knows about it. Just when did he know about me?! ¡°Let¡¯s do our usual strategy, Bavael.¡± Alejandro commands Bavael. ¡°As you wish, master.¡± Bavael replied to his master¡¯s command. At this point, the fight has already begun. Alejandro lets go of his dagger as the dagger floats on his own. However, Alejandro did not anticipate the hunter to engage first. Denver Creed engaged first using his fast speed. It was as if a normal person could not see the hunter¡¯s movement. Shit! He tricked me! He made me think he will be on a defensive mode! Suddenly, the hunter vanished from Alejandro¡¯s perspective. In just one second, Denver appeared right in front of Alejandro. The hunter already has its sword¡¯s point at Alejandro¡¯s stomach. ¡°Seal.¡± Denver Creed calmly uttered and dark roots suddenly surrounded Alejandro¡¯s entire body starting from his stomach as to where the hunter¡¯s sword was. ¡°What is this?! A seal?!¡± Alejandro panics and tries to cut the roots using his sword, Khalib. However, he was already late as the dark roots already sealed his both arms, making him unable to utilize his sword. ¡°BAVAEL!!!¡± Alejandro shouted at the top of his lungs! Bavael then quickly cuts the dark roots that sealed his master. In just a matter of seconds, Bavael successfully cut the seal that was casted to his master. As Bavael just finished cutting the seal, Denver Creed did not waste time and started to swing his sword from the very bottom of the floor to the top of Alejandro¡¯s head. SLASH! However, Alejandro managed to block the entire swing of the hunter¡¯s sword using his sword, Khalib. From the moment that Bavael was starting to cut the seal, Alejandro already knew that the hunter would swing his sword as he could see the hunter¡¯s entire arm¡¯s movement using the sword. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Alejandro¡¯s fast reflex finally kicked in and his muscle greatly helped the fast response of the opponent¡¯s attack. Thus, Alejandro quickly managed to block the attack from Denver. ¡°That was not a normal swing, champ. Seal!!!¡± Denver Creed shouted as he pointed his sword to the dagger this time. ¡°What?! Another seal?! No!¡± Alejandro panicked and realized that the dark roots suddenly appeared again. But this time, the dark roots came from his sword that made contact with the hunter¡¯s sword. He realized this and started to let go of his sword, but he was already late again. The dark roots quickly scattered through his entire arm, making him unable to let go of his sword. ¡°BAVAEL!!!¡± Alejandro shouted again, asking help from his beloved companion. Bavael did not waste any time and started to cut the seal again starting from his master¡¯s arm. However, the hunter predicted that this would happen again and initiated his sword to attack the dagger quickly this time in order to not help his master. ¡°You¡¯re mine!¡± Denver shouted as he swung his sword to the dagger that was about to cut the dark roots that sealed his master¡¯s arm. The hunter successfully hits the dagger and once again casted a spell on it. However, this time it is a new spell that the hunter casted. ¡°Dark Chain!¡± Denver casted a spell the moment he hits the dagger. A bundle of chains instantly appeared from the depth of the ground and started to chain and seal the dagger, Bavael. The hunter successfully sealed Bavael. ¡°I apologize, master. I have been caught.¡± Bavael apologized to Alejandro as he was chained and unable to move. The hunter relieved himself as he thought he already won the match. He then looked at Alejandro, but he suddenly disappeared from where he was sealed at. ¡°What the? Where are you, Alejandro! Show yourself!¡± Denver was panicking as he already thought he sealed Alejandro. It seems that Alejandro managed to break the seal, the question is how and where is he right now? ¡°Over here, hunter!¡± Alejandro shouted and the hunter looked at the top as he saw Alejandro ready to swing his sword to him. Denver was astounded as to how Alejandro managed to break the seal and why he was at the ceiling. Nevertheless, he prepared a defensive stance to block Alejandro¡¯s attack. Just before Alejandro was about to land an attack towards the hunter, Alejandro unexpectedly threw his sword towards Bavael. Denver noticed it and realized Alejandro''s plan from the beginning. However, he was too late as Alejandro dropped a right hook to the hunter¡¯s face. Denver was too focused on the sword that Alejandro threw and was unable to block his right hook. Alejandro successfully punched the hunter¡¯s face and he was forced to step back. Meanwhile, the sword that Alejandro threw managed to break one of the chains that sealed Bavael. This was enough for Bavael to break out on his own since the strength of the chains disappeared due to a one chain that broke. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bavael!¡± Alejandro shouted and commanded Bavael to attack the opponent together as the hunter was still processing as to what happened. Alejandro grabbed his sword and started to run towards the hunter as he was ready to swing his sword anytime. Bavael was also at the side of Alejandro, flying on its own towards the hunter. This was a two versus one match, a dirty technique yet very effective once Alejandro has decided to wake Bavael up. At this point, Alejandro had already pointed his sword to the hunter¡¯s throat and Bavael was also at the edge of the hunter¡¯s throat. ¡°How¡­ did you manage to break out of my seal?¡± Denver asked Alejandro before he plans to submit defeat. ¡°Before the dark roots completely sealed me off, I used my feet to jump high at the ceiling in order to break the seal. I was not sure that it would work yet it was my only option in order to break the seal. But it seems it did work, the seal broke as the dark roots that sealed me were hit hard by the ceiling.¡± The hunter smirked as he listened to the genius plan of Alejandro to break off the seal. ¡°So that¡¯s how you break off the seal, huh? Very well. Please surrender now, Alejandro.¡± Denver commanded Alejandro as if it was Alejandro that was caught. ¡°What do you mean I will surrender? You¡¯re the one in trouble now, hunter.¡± The hunter¡¯s eyes suddenly turned pitch black. His entire body was shaking and started to melt like a candle. Alejandro was confused as to what was going on, yet he remained vigilant and still pointed his sword to the hunter¡¯s sword. He was staring at the hunter the entire time. Dark roots instantly showed up from Alejandro¡¯s stomach. ¡°What in the hell?! Where did this come from? You did not even casted a spell!¡± Alejandro was shocked as he looked at his stomach where the dark roots came from and quickly spread out through Alejandro¡¯s entire body. As Bavael was about to help and cut the seal off, he was instantly chained again. ¡°What is happening here?!¡± Alejandro was panicking at this point. The hunter did not even speak nor move the entire time that Alejandro was being sealed. ¡°I¡¯m behind you, champ.¡± The hunter whispered from Alejandro¡¯s back. Alejandro then looked at the back and saw Denver Creed pointing his sword at his back. He then looked in front again as he saw the hunter still standing and smiling while still melting. Alejandro was completely sealed off at this point. He could not jump and use the same tactic again since his feet are also sealed. His head is the only part of his body that he could move. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice? As you landed a right hook at my face, I replaced my real body that was hit by your punch with a clone. As you can see, the clone is starting to melt right now. Eventually, it would disappear into a pile of blob. I was behind your back the entire time, Alejandro.¡± Denver Creed explained the entire plan and how it worked against Alejandro. Alejandro was panicking and started to shake his body violently. However, he was unable to break off the seal since the dark roots eventually got stronger as the process of sealing was complete. Bavael could not do anything at this point too, he was chained and could not break off the seal. ¡°Surrender now, Alejandro. This match is over.¡± 20 - The Retired Hunter, Dehter Goremann ¡°Alright, I surrender.¡± At last, one surrendered after a quick fight and that was none other than Alejandro. After he declared surrender, the dark roots slowly decayed and Alejandro and Bavael were finally unchained. ¡°You did the right thing, champ. Listen, I know you are in a rush to go back home. However, we made a deal. Remember, deals are not meant to be broken, unless you want a death wish.¡± Alejandro grabbed Bavael and put it inside his pocket bag. He did not have any choice left but to continue the mission that Denver had offered to him. ¡°GAHAHAHA! I swear youngsters these days will overpower us veterans some day! I enjoyed the friendly duel, but if I may ask what if it was a real duel? A fight to death? Who do you boys think would win?¡± The old man asked after witnessing a great fight. He was definitely satisfied, but it seems he wants more since he could tell both the youngsters were holding back. Alejandro and Denver then stared at each other for a second. ¡°Definitely me.¡± Alejandro and Denver both answered at the same time. ¡°What?! Are you delusional, champ? What do you think just happened a minute ago? You and your dagger were sealed and could not do ANYTHING! If it was a fight to the death, I would have killed you at that moment!¡± Denver Creed argued to Alejandro as to why he would win and can kill Alejandro anytime he wants. ¡°You are an utter fool, hunter. You¡¯ve seen my matches at the Arena of Death. You know I fought greater opponents than you and they have more powerful magic casts and smart tactics. Guess who defeated them all at such a young age?¡± Alejandro boasted and told Denver that he was making a fool out of himself. Alejandro did not use his full power at this fight. Now back at the main problem. I¡¯ll have to delay my travel back to Holm Village since I have to kill some random killer or hunter. I have no choice since I lost the bet, however this is a great opportunity to become stronger. I can use this old retired hunter to help me get stronger. ¡°Old man, train me to defeat Arthur Grimm.¡± There, I went straight to the point so that there would be no more delays. I think I have a chance to defeat the killer, however it isn¡¯t bad to train once in a while, especially with a retired hunter that could kill me in mere seconds if he wanted to. ¡°You¡¯re an arrogant one, boy. You didn¡¯t even win the duel between your friend and you dare commanded me to train you? You are foolish to think that I would train weaklings like you.¡± This old man is crazy! He really thinks that I am some weakling?! There¡¯s no other choice but to prove to him that I am stronger than Denver the hunter. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Then I challenge you to a duel. Just like what I and this hunter did just a few seconds ago.¡± ¡°What?! Are you crazy champ?! You do not stand a single chance against this hunter! I mean he isn¡¯t technically a hunter right now, but still! He is a retired hunter and that says a lot!¡± What? What does he mean that says a lot? It could be that this retired hunter is a mediocre hunter when he was still an active hunter. Tsk, I don¡¯t care what this fool has to say. I¡¯ll just have to defeat this old man in order for him to train me. ¡°Very well, boy. Stand ready for my strength that one could never imagine.¡± Well what do you know? The old man accepted the fight. I know that this old man is strong, however I have one move that I think would defeat him. I didn¡¯t use this move with the fight with Denver Creed earlier since I¡¯m afraid it would kill him. This old man, Dehter Goremann, does he have the will to withstand this move? Let¡¯s find out if this retired hunter is really strong. ¡°On the count of three. Three. Two. One. Begin!¡± Denver Creed shouted as the duel between Alejandro Nightthorne and the retired hunter Dehter Goremann began. ¡°Bavael!¡± Alejandro summoned Bavael and immediately threw Bavael to Dehter. This is the right time! I have to use my fastest speed in order to achieve this move! Legs, don¡¯t fail me now! As Dehter Goremann dodged Bavael, he then calmly started to prepare his crossbow. In a blink of an eye, Alejandro disappeared in front of Dehter. ¡°Hmm? Where the hell did the boy go?¡± Faster! I need to go faster to catch the speed of Bavael! We trained this before, I could definitely do this! In just a second, the enemy will be gone! Dehter Goremann thought Alejandro would be on top of the ceiling as he looked up, there was nothing in the ceiling. At this very moment, Alejandro suddenly appeared at the back as he grabbed Bavael and swung the dagger to Dehter¡¯s liver. This all happened in under two seconds. Alejandro summoned Bavael and immediately threw Bavael to Dehter and he managed to easily dodged Bavael with moving his head with no effort. As Dehter Goremann looked up at the ceiling, Alejandro appeared at his back managing to catch Bavael and swung Bavael to his liver. I won! There is no way that he would dodge this since he¡¯s distracted looking up at the ceiling! However, Alejandro was mistaken. Dehter Goremann managed to dodge the attack as he suddenly appeared at the back. The situation was reversed. This time, Dehter Goremann got the upperhand and pointed the crossbow at Alejandro¡¯s back. With no hesitation, Dehter fired the crossbow and it hit Alejandro¡¯s back. What?! Where did he go?! Wait a minute¡­ My back feels so heavy. It¡¯s as if someone stabbed me in the back with a knife, no, not a knife but a dagger! Huh?... Why am I slowly falling? Alejandro did not anticipate that Dehter would dodge his attack. The inn becomes quiet as Alejandro slowly falls to his knee and his blood slowly falls to the floor. ¡°Too bad, boy. You underestimated a retired hunter. However, that was impressive for someone with no magic.¡± Even though Dehter Goremann was talking, Alejandro didn¡¯t hear him at all. Alejandro then slowly closed his eyes as he started to faint. The match was decided from the start. Even though Alejandro has experiences in fighting warriors with magic and strong enemies, he has no match for a retired hunter that was still alive until to this day. It is said that once a hunter retires, he would be a target for all the active hunters and will be rewarded with a great amount of gold for someone that could kill the retired hunter. The battle is finished and the victor was none other than Dether Goremann. 21 - Time to Hunt Light beams into my eyes as I slowly open them. Just then, a familiar face stood before me. It was none other than retired hunter Dehter Goremann. What happened last time, anyway? Have I passed out? Most importantly, why am I in the jungle!? "You did well, boy. I approved of your abilities, which says a lot coming from my mouth. Anyway, this is going to be your training. I want you to survive in the jungle for seven days. I will just provide you a few things, such as water and a guidebook." What''s this? Even though I had lost, the retired hunter approved the bargain. Wait, why can''t I move? Oh no, I''m entangled in some vines! "All right, you''re on your own, boy. If you manage to survive seven days, come return to the inn." Dehter bolted and vanished in the blink of an eye. Heh. This training will be easy for me. I''ve gone through far worse than this. First, I''ll break out of these vines. Alejandro effortlessly breaks free from the vines. He used his pure muscles to break free and grabbed his pocket bag from the other tree he was facing. He checked the provisions in the pocket bag, and Dehter had only two supplies left for him. A few hours'' worth of water, as well as a survival guidebook written by Dehter himself. I survived living in a wilderness after being abandoned by my mother and father. What''s the worst that may occur? Good thing that I still have Khalib and Bavael on my side. A tremendous roar can be heard nearby. This made Alejandro wonder if this was indeed an average jungle. Alejandro prepared Khalib, his loyal sword and prepared a stance. A gigantic creature emerged out of nowhere, right in front of Alejandro! This monster is the size of a house, with hard scales and fiery eyes that resembled a flaming bonfire. The monster was all violet, from its head to its huge tail. The monster shrieked in front of Alejandro, displaying big sharp fangs and flexing sharp claws capable of tearing down a tree with ease. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. What is this creature?! I have never seen such a thing in my life! Am I supposed to kill this? Is it even possible to defeat this massive monster in the first place?! Tch! I don''t have a choice; kill or be killed in the wild! ¡°First, I¡¯ll have to try if I can slay this creature with Khalib!¡± Alejandro tightened his hamstrings and calves as he prepared to jump into the creature''s skull. He effortlessly made a strong jump and as fast as a bird. He swings Khalib to the creature''s skull with considerable strength, tightening his biceps and forearms and maintaining a good position on his shoulders. However, it was useless. The creature''s strong scale prevented Khalib from piercing its skull. Alejandro instantly jumped down, predicting that using a standard blade to slay this monster would be ineffective. The monster advances and prepares its fangs to bite Alejandro. However, Alejandro was not foolish, and he swiftly swings Khalib to the ground. Why? He took advantage of the fact that the ground in this region of the forest was made entirely of sand. This left the beasts'' eyes dazzled for several minutes. Alejandro summoned Bavael to assist him in defeating the monster while it was still distracted. "Let''s defeat this monster, Bavael!"" Alejandro exclaimed, and Bavael blazed pure red, indicating that he was ready. Again, Alejandro tightened his hamstrings and calves as he prepared to jump into the creature¡¯s eyes. "If I can''t get through your hard scales, I''ll have to remove both of your eyes first!" Alejandro then jumped to the monster''s eyes and pierced them! He wasted no time and went straight for the monster''s tail, successfully cutting it out. The beast yelled a huge roar and was going to flee, but Alejandro wanted to kill it so he could eat something and survive in the jungle. Alejandro quickly identified the monster''s weakness. The monster was desperate and began to strike Alejandro with his sharp claws, but he easily avoided the attack and went directly into the beast''s vulnerable point, piercing Bavael into it. The beast roared its final roar, which was faint. The beast then slowly slumped to the ground and stopped breathing. Alejandro likewise sat down on the ground soon after using a lot of stamina to defeat this beast. ¡°I did it. I thought it would be difficult, but I think I can make it out alive.¡± Alejandro relaxed as he successfully hunted down a large monster.