Aren''s glow dispersed as he hastily got out from the puddle, eyes still closed, and went to Misha¡¯s general direction. Though being temporary blind, he hit a tree on his way, dropped down, flopped his hurt arm on the ground, and screamed in agony as the adrenaline from the fight slowly dissipated.
¡°Aren! Are yo okay?¡±
Aren turned around to look at Misha, running to him in a hurry. He looked at his arm, then back at Misha, tears running from his eyes. His left arms is bleeding profusely, and his body aching all over from doing too much while still in recovery. He hates to think like this, but he¡¯s going to die for realsies. Misha stopped short after seeing Aren in despair, feeling frightened at the thought of losing him again.
¡°I¡¯m not okay, you idiot¡¡±
Aren took a deep breath.He then slowlyturned his head to look at the canopy above. What¡¯s going to happen to him now? He can feel his blood running and his consciousness fading. There¡¯s no way that he can be saved right now. Unless if Misha actually secretly had a really good skill. Aren dismissed that idea, knowing that a kid like her could do nothing in this situation. Damn that god. Alas, he accepted his fate and closed his eyes, lying against the ground with his arms spread wide.
When was the last time he felt this cold? Cold and relaxed, as if he was floating in a cold spring. Aren rummages through the memories he had kept, and there he found it, a memory from long past. He sat there, under the cold hard rain in an alleyway. No one was there, no one knew he was there. He was all alone. Dark and gloomy, the skies wept as John contemplated about what happened. Why it happened, how it happened, when it happened. Despite how his mind went crazy with questions, he did nothing. His body didn¡¯t want to move. It was too comfortable, too satisfied that it felt like he finally found some rest after a long year of moving. That, was the first time he felt released from mortal coil. Unfortunately for him, even death did not want to claim his life. Even until now.
Aren awoke, eyes closed, with memories a little hazy. A warm sensation enveloped his arm, comforting to the flesh and heart. Then it all came back to him, making him open his eyes as fast as his eyelids can, but soon immediately dropped down to cover the eyes from the sight before him. Sunshine from the canopy filled his retina, but as bright as the environment was, his body wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood to get moving. A long grunt came out from his mouth, his expression clearly forming one of disgust and frustration.
¡°Damn morning¡¡±
He was never a fan of morning.
¡°Aren! Youare alayb!¡±
Aren turned his head to look at the source of the voice, finding a crying Misha holding his left arm. Though there was one peculiar thing that he noticed, and that is Misha¡¯s hand is glowing with a green hue. If he hadn¡¯t known any better, he would think the green glow means some kind of poison due to how screwed his left arm looks like. But since he is well and alive, he would have to guess that it¡¯s somehow related to healing. While he thinks that, Misha pulled his hand to her cheek, crying softly as she looked at Aren with relief.
¡°Reawly, I¡¯m sho glad¡¡±
Despite the atmosphere, Aren is just not feeling it right now. His body is aching, and he still feels lingering pain from his left arm, as well as feeling sour from something he can¡¯t remember. For the sake of the mood, Aren forced a smile which Misha didn¡¯t seem to notice. Even though he feels grumpy, it did not mean that he wasn¡¯t grateful. After all, they''re both alive and kicking.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m glad too.¡±
Misha clutched his hand gently, the green glow never once fadedor ceased to continue healing Aren''s arm. Once again he saved her, and once again she shall do what she did before.
"Thank you..."
Thank her saviour, with a bright smile, the greatest joy points she could give. The smile was so infectious, that Aren''s forced smile eased and became a genuine one. If Aren''s parents can''t win against him, then he cannot be not happy around Misha which he, frankly, doesn''t mind at all.
On that particular moment,they weren''t the only one smilingon his survival.
Fresh Start 8
Aren¡¯s previous experience left a sour taste. For one, he almost died and almost went on to face Seto once again after fighting two wolves who would have probably shredded him to pieces if it weren¡¯t for his current stat boost. He was also blackmailed to do the whole ordeal before this whole mess happened by Stan, the cunning old bastard who had already successfully made it to Aren¡¯s hate list. But probably the greatest reason, is that he cannot remember anything during the time he passed out.
Normally, this would be just pushed aside like any other irrelevant thoughts in Aren. He actually thought that it was just a bad dream that he most likely forgot. However, a bad dream shouldn¡¯t have left within him a feeling of uncertainty, anger, frustration, and self-deprecating amusement.Dreadslowly filled his mind, subconsciously telling him that there is something wrong with him, but he can never tell what. Its pulling him in the back of his mind, yet he can do nothing about it. Bearing it was all he could do, but not a tiny bit is he getting used to it.
¡°Ar you okay?¡±
Misha dutifully held his left arm, the signs of wounds he received from the attack still there. The lacerated skin was obvious, as well as the fleshy open wound that Misha tried her best to avoid. For now though, she looked at Aren as he grimaced from his thoughts, worried that her healing is somewhat getting less effective. Although it wasn¡¯t the case, the fact that she is running low on mana was enough of an evidence for her claim.
¡°No.¡± Aren said bluntly.
Misha straightened he back a little, looking apologetic for some reason.
¡°I¡¯m shorry, I¡¯ll try to hweal yo fast-¡±
¡°Nah, I¡¯m just kidding.¡± He cut her off, smugly looking at Misha¡¯s pouting face.
Misha then just refused to look at Aren and focused on healing him instead. Aren got a good chuckle out of that, but it didn¡¯t mean that he was actually okay. In fact, he¡¯s far from it in both body and mind, but chose to pretend otherwise for the sake of Misha. On a side note, this was a pretty good chance for him to check out Misha¡¯s stats after being curious on how he got her healing magic.
| General Info |
| Name: |
MishaJoman |
| Affiliation: |
None |
| Level: |
4 |
| Age: |
5 |
Gender: |
Female |
| Health: |
18/18 |
| Mana: |
34/68 (-2 /s) |
| Fame: |
41 |
| Experience Points: |
74 |
| Strength: |
5 |
Vitality: |
5 |
| Endurance: |
7 |
Agility: |
4 |
| Dexterity: |
6 |
Perception: |
4 |
| Intelligence: |
27 |
Wisdom: |
9 |
| Fortitude: |
11 |
Charm: |
8 |
| Faith: |
42 |
Luck: |
19 |
|
| Jack''s Eye is now Level 2!
Info screen now shows more status screens
Jack''s Eye may now be used on items |
Well that was the shittiest timing Aren has ever seen. The current Jack¡¯s Eye could¡¯ve been very useful on gauging the wolves and would¡¯ve allowed him to pick out the wolfs to fight on. Instead, it only became convenient when it wasn¡¯t needed at all. Sometimes Aren wishes that his luck wouldn¡¯t be so bad, and it would¡¯ve saved him a lot of trouble. Nevertheless, what is done is done.
According to Misha¡¯s screen, she inherited her mother¡¯s Apothecary job which is surely where her healing came from, knowing that Villager is probably more work oriented than healing. Though it seems like the apothecary¡¯s healing is largely inefficient, seeing that Misha¡¯s mana is being continuously drained but Aren¡¯s health is not at at all improving that much. If he were to guess, Misha cannot heal his arm completely and which he thinks would really suck.
It¡¯s been a few minutes since Aren woke up with Misha still continuing to heal his wound. The basket that spilled the herbs earlier is now beside them, the herbs being used as another fuel for Misha¡¯s healing skill. Apparently, Misha¡¯s healing is called ¡°Herbal Imbue¡±, which allows her to turn herbs into mana that has the effects of the herbs used for healing. A convenient skill for apothecaries that doesn¡¯t have time to properly apply the herbs. With the kinds Misha picked up however, it¡¯s suffice to say that it wasn¡¯t doing very good at all. She had already used the only herb that¡¯s potent at healing wounds. Now she only has herbs that disinfects, with not much for healing wounds. At least she¡¯s keeping the wounds free of infection.
Speaking of healing, what would happen if he came back home with this kind of injury? Scoldings and beating probably, but rivers of tears most likely. A lot will happen, that¡¯s for sure. He could always blame Stan for all of this, but that would cause more harm than good since Stan have a good grip on him and all. Sometimes he wished that luck would take his side every once in a while.
¡°I see you survived. Well done.¡±
Stan reveals himself by stepping out of a nearby bush, startling both of the little children before Aren snapped at him.
¡°You¡¯re late!¡± he barked.
¡°Well, I did have something else to do.¡±
¡°But I almost died!¡±
Stan paused.
¡°But you are alive, are you not? That¡¯s what matters.¡±
¡°I ALMOST DIED!¡± Aren reiterated in anger and frustration.
But before Aren could could lash out anymore, he clumsily caught something thrown by Stan at him and upon closer look, it was a vial with red liquid in it. It was a health potion judging from how similar it is from the ones he saw on video games and such. Aren gave him a suspicious look.
¡°It¡¯s a health potion, if you are wondering.¡± Stan explained.
¡°I know. Why?¡±
¡°I was originally there to look after you while your parents talked. It would be a problem if I bring you back looking like that, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
Of course, it wasn¡¯t in regards of his actual health. Aren figured out as much, so he sighed in defeat then chugged the potion without knowing what it tasted like. It tasted horrible.
¡°Blegh.¡±
In an instant, Aren suddenly feels better as his wounds recover. The wound on his left arm regenerated and healed up completely without leaving a scar. His hands ran through his left arm to confirm what he¡¯s seeing, baffling both Misha and Aren at seeing the potion at work for the first time. They both got distracted for a while, pinching and caressing Aren¡¯s arm as if it was some kind of divine artifact handed down to man.
¡°I take it that you are okay now?¡± asked Stan.
Aren glared at him as he stood up, making Misha support his weight with how he still feels sore and weak. The potion may have healed his wounds, but it apparently didn¡¯t heal his body and mental stress. Aren took a deep breath, closed his eyes and huffed through his nose. Stan already knows where this is going, so he just casually stroked his beard in anticipation. Aren finally opened his eyes while pointing up a finger.
¡°First of all, why did you bring me to the wolves? You even got Misha included! And we¡¯re both little kids! Who does that?¡± he said while gesturing his hands wildly.
The old twig chuckled, agitating Aren even more.
¡°I only wanted you to escort the package, Misha, out of the forest-¡±
¡°Wait, the package was Misha?¡±
¡°...and I didn¡¯t send the wolves in, nor did I know they were coming to your way.¡± he continued, ignoring Aren¡¯s remark.
Stan was lying of course. He knew full well that Misha was in danger and that she¡¯s not going to make it. Rather than going in himself however, he wanted to see Aren¡¯s capabilities and so sent him out on a seemingly harmless errand of finding a package to bring back. He then watched the entire endeavor in the town center on his mental radar, tracking Aren, Misha, and the wolves. He did started to go to Aren when he was on the brink of flickering out of his radar and actually almost dashed like hell when he faded completely, but changed his mind when Aren suddenly lit up in his radar again.
A peculiar event for sure, since Stan has never experienced someone dying then suddenly living again in his entire life. Not only did this aggravate his interest on Aren, but it also made him worried. Disturbed even. The only things he knew of that could do such a feat were the undead and no other else. He thought that Misha may have resurrected him as some kind of prodigy, but he knew it was impossible because she is an Apothecary. Apothecaries were only meant to heal minor to medium injuries and he knows sure as heck that death isn¡¯t a ¡°minor¡± thing.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He¡¯s probably overthinking this. His radar isn¡¯t exactly the most reliable in keeping track of anyone¡¯s health as it only shows living beings as specks and dots of green or red light. The only indication oflow health is their lights either fading or flickering, thinking the latter may be the reason for his light blanking out for a while.
As for why he didn¡¯t take action until now, there was some sense of confidence and gut feeling that Stan felt when Aren started confronting the wolves. As if he knew Aren¡¯s going to be alive no matter what. Stupid reason, he knows, but he was somehow correct. However, being correct only made him even more worried. It meant Aren is more than another "chosen one" by the god of creation. This gave him a feeling of uncertainty whether Aren was in his capability, or that he''ll be too much to handle. But worrying over such things would be a little stupid. After all, what was the point of making him his disciple if it were not to pave the road for him? And somewhat manipulate him, but that''s besides the point.
¡°Okay, secondly,¡± Aren continued on. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just do it yourself? With that much jobs in your arsenal, I doubt that the wolves will even have a chance against you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m too old for this.¡± Stan said, chuckling.
¡°Bullshit.¡± Aren retorted.
Misha gasped in exasperation on Aren¡¯s remark.
¡°Aren! Langwage!¡±
¡°Oh come on Misha. This will be one of the many times you¡¯ll hear me like this in the future, so get used to it.¡±
Misha puffed her cheeks and considered dropping him, but continued to support his weight anyway. She isn¡¯t a meanie, unlike a certain someone. Stan gestured for the children to go towards the town and stepped aside for them to go on.
¡°You first.¡±
Both of the children felt relief with this being finally over. No more wolves threatening their lives, and they are going to finally back in their homes. Aren is still bothered by what he doesn¡¯t remember earlier, but he¡¯s pretty sure it will be gone with a good sleep. At least what he felt back then is subsiding. That gave him reassurance since he doesn''t know how much more stress he can handle.
Stan stayed behind for a while, looking at the corpses of the wolves. Both of the children managed to endure the sight of their mangled corpses and the smell of exposed flesh, making him feel somewhat proud on the both of them. In reality though, both of them avoided their gaze on the corpses and almost threw up with how horrible the stench was, but they thankfully managed to keep their breakfast in their stomach.
But Stan is not here for that. He¡¯s here on briefly investigating why the wolves were so close to the outskirts of the forest. They went out of their way to go this far, not mentioning that they attacked at broad daylight. Heisen wolves are known to be nocturnal cousins of regular wolves and lived near at the core of the woods, yet the lesser counterparts ended up here. The only reason that they would be doing this would be because of desperation which concerned him greatly. The forest is safe in his standards being that they are weak enough for his village to fend off for themselves, so there shoudn¡¯t be anything that would drive the heisen wolves off. The food is also abundant, so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue of hunger.
Stan makes his way back to the children, leaving the scene behind. Whatever that drove them here, he hopes that it would not find its way to his village.
Norman comes out from his humble abode, meeting Stan, Misha, and Aren going to his way. He gave Stan a suspicious look as he approached the trio. Misha was not supporting Aren anymore as he stopped for Norman¡¯s patting on his head. Norman looked at Misha with a smile.
¡°Did you play with Aren?¡± he asked.
¡°Y-yeah! We had fuhn.¡±
Stan instructed the two back at the forest to keep the incident a secret, or else the three of them will have to deal with troublesome interrogations and long-term grounding. Although Misha could barely keep an innocent faced, she is known to be an honest girl so Norman didn¡¯t doubt her as much.
¡°Yeah dad. Grandpa Stan was there to look out for us.¡±
Stan stroked his beard with a grin as he met Norman¡¯s glare.
¡°You did ask me to look out for your son, no?¡±
Norman sighed and motioned for Aren to go inside and gave Misha permission to go inside as well, with both going. Norman shifted his attention to Stan, serious and undeterring.
¡°You did nothing suspicious, did you?¡±
Norman expected some kind of retort, but Stan just laughed it out.
¡°18 years we¡¯ve been in this village together, and you still don¡¯t trust me.¡±
Norman wasn¡¯t pleased. Stan calmed down after a few seconds then cleared his throat.
¡°Of course not.¡± he assured.
Norman doubted him for a moment, but his child didn¡¯t have any obvious injuries or stress, so it should be fine. He may be a bit biased against Stan, but he admits that Stan can be really reliable when he puts his mind into it.
¡°Are you going to tell Aren?¡± Stan asked, surprising Norman. ¡°I know that you didn¡¯t want him to hear, but it¡¯s bound to be revealed sooner or later. I¡¯m sure you know that.¡±
Stan gave Norman a pause. Norman looked down at the ground, uncertain and conflicted. He swore to never leave his son¡¯s side, but he also didn¡¯t want him to be grievously sad. His heart aches just thinking about what might happen if he told him. But all of this was already considered earlier before he reached a decision.
¡°No.¡± he said. ¡°Not now, not yet like we agreed upon.¡±
Stan momentarily gave it a thought, before sighing and shaking his head. Norman arched his eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything.
¡°You are still like that, huh?¡± The madman. ¡°But it is not my place to judge, nor decide. If you feel like this is the best, then so be it.¡±
With that, Stan slowly walked away towards his own home, but not before saying something else.
¡°And oh, your son has agreed upon my tutelage.¡±
Norman¡¯s eye opened wider than an owl¡¯s from his statement, then childishly threw out wild gestures and yelled at Stan.
¡°You old prick! How dare you not ask me for permission! Stan! STAAAAAAN!¡±
But it was too late. Stan was already cackling and treading away, leaving Norman in his self-imposed tantrum.
Inside the Montrea household was Martha talking to both Aren and Misha after hearing Norman¡¯s yell outside. They sat in the dining room, chatting over the table
¡°Sheesh, he¡¯s really loud when it comes to Stan. Really now.¡± Martha said with a sigh.
Martha talked about the dangers of the forest in the east and how they are lucky to be able to explore it a bit because of Stan. She warned them that even though the forest seemed interesting for them, they must never go in without the guidance of an adult. Misha, having going in the forest without permission alone, was guilty of that. She tried her best to hide the fact that she went in alone, but Martha already knew from how her gaze averted her own and her cold sweat dripping from her paled face.
¡°Misha, honey, did you go there alone?¡±
Misha jolted up, confirming Martha¡¯s suspicions.
¡°H-huh? N-no, I didn¡¯t auntie.¡±
¡°Hmmm? Really?¡± Martha asked with a hint of teasing in her tone.
¡°Yeah right. You were lucky grandpa Stan and I ran unto you, or else the forest monsters would¡¯ve eaten you!¡± Aren teased.
Aren then imitated a wolf by putting his hands up in the air, looking like he would grab Misha. Misha retaliated by repeatedly and harmlessly pounding on Aren¡¯s shoulder while puffing her cheeks, but Aren¡¯s condition made him pretend to laugh at her attack while he internally screams in pain from his body¡¯s soreness. He mustn¡¯t let Martha know that he¡¯s feeling more sore than earlier. Martha, not knowing the whole situation, modestly laughed along with Aren¡¯s teasing. She then motioned them to stop.
¡°Misha, I won¡¯t be reporting this to your mother this time, but there won¡¯t be anymore second chances okay? You musn¡¯t step foot on the forest alone ever again. Do you understand?¡±
Misha dropped her gaze down on the floor.
¡°Yesh, auntie.¡±
Aren noticed that Norman suddenly became quiet outside. He was just throwing verbal insults at Stan earlier, but he just stopped abruptly without any signs of slowing down. Just as Aren was about to say something, the door opened with Cecil wearing an annoyed expression mixed with frustration and worry. Aren immediately knew Misha was in trouble.
¡°Misha! You went in the forest alone, didn¡¯t you?!¡±
¡°Wah?! N-no I did not!¡±
¡°You took my book of medicine and basket. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t take those for a skip in the forest.¡±
Misha turned to Aren, hoping that he would save her from the wrath of her mother. He looked away. She then turned to Martha in the verge of tears, hoping she would save her. She looked away as well. No one was on her side, after all, her mother is already looking like a monster from the abyss.
¡°Explain yourself young lady.¡± Cecil demanded, her tone frightening even Martha.
Misha fidgeted on her seat in fear, not knowing what to say.
¡°I¡ jusht wanted to hewlp yo mom¡¡± she bagan, letting whatever she thinks run out of her mouth.
Cecil¡¯s face eased as Misha began her explanation.
¡°Yo hab been working hard fow me, even sleeping on the tabel. So, I, uhhh¡¡± Misha averted her eyes towards the floor, her voice getting lower and lower. ¡°I taught I should at list pick sum herbs to help yo a bit. I guesh it¡¯s too much¡¡±
Misha cluthed her dress and closed her eyes in anticipation. Her mother have never hit her before, but she isn¡¯t so sure that it would remain that way right now. She disobeyed her mother¡¯s warning, and even got herself in trouble just because she wanted to make her happy. She didn¡¯t even count the fact that if she died back there, her mother would¡¯ve been devastated. Everything she did, would¡¯ve been for naught. Misha then suddenly got a warm embrace from her mother, surprising her.
¡°Oh Misha, you didn¡¯t have to.¡± Cecil said. ¡°I¡¯m already happy enough that you¡¯re here with me.¡±
Both Martha and Aren watched as Misha hugged her mother back, nodding her head. Once the hugging was over, Misha was still not out of trouble yet. Right after she let go of Misha, Cecil immediately pinched her cheeks, makingMisha flail her arms in pain. Misha was then dragged out of the house as she begged for mercy, her voiceslowly getting mroe faint as they move farther into the town center. Aren and Martha just watched, not wanting to do anything with howangry Cecil was.
¡°Whew, I thought she was going to get wild in the house.¡± Norman said as he walked in the house. ¡°She looked like a demon when she asked me where Misha is. She look kinda like you Martha-¡±
¡°What?!¡± Martha raised from her seat aggressively with a glare.
Aren knew from that moment that his father screwed up.
¡°N-no! I mean, when you look like a demon, you look beau-¡±
It seems those were the wrong words, since Martha suddenly rushed at Norman at full speed. Despite Norman¡¯s clear physical advantage, he was no match for the wrath of his wife who was continuously chasing him around the house. Despite the ridiculousness, Aren oddly feels warm and comfortable. He feels home despite having lived in the house for only three days. Certainly an improvement of his perspective from first he came here. However, his previous experiences just made it clear to him that not always will his life here be this laid-back. He reluctantly prayed to Seto for a good luck blessing, seeing how random things just gets in his way insome way or another. Contemplating his future amidst the lovebirds was the only thing he could do for now.
"I''m sorry, Sweetie! Honey! Sugarcoat!" Norman desperately said, trying to get Martha off his tail.
"You''ll be sorry once I haul your ass out of here!" Martha declared, ferociously chasing down his husband surprisingly without breaking anything in the house.
For now though, the future can wait. Aren willingly prayed toSeto for the two to just stop already. He already had enough of the romcom show these two are playing.
Interlude - Meeting with a god
John found himself in a place full of grass, with the wind blowing as gently as an angel¡¯s calming whisper, and the sky clear as the waters of purity. Sunshine came upon him that touched his skin ever so gently, the warmth enough to feel the sun¡¯s loving light and powerful might. It¡¯s not at the break of morning, which was a plus, and the weather looks like it won¡¯t be getting rowdy any time soon.
¡°So¡¡±
But the scenery would have been better, if it weren¡¯t for the person in front of him, sipping a cup of tea in his comfy and luxurious chair. John would know that blindingly white attire from anywhere, as well as that shit-eating grin that constantly mocks his entire person. His sense of fashion that came from a fantasy novel about nobles wasn¡¯t making himself look better. A tailcoat, really?
¡°How was the past few years?¡± Asked Seto.
It has been five years since John¡¯s arrival in Alterea, a long time but flew by in a flash. In those five years John did nothing but train under Stan, and do other minor things that are too unimportant to talk about. His previous years had been uneventful except for the occasional errands Stan gave him. Those mostly involved fighting monsters way over his league, or go on a fetch quest that makes him want to throw the item at Stan¡¯s face. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t much that he can remember that is exciting or at least vivdly memorable. Therefore, it was only natural that John¡¯s reply is something expected.
¡°Pretty fine, actually.¡±
Seto raised an eyebrow, incredulous at John¡¯s reply.
¡°You say that, but you are actually waiting to explode.¡±
Thanks to Seto¡¯s almighty omnipotence, he can see the John¡¯s pent up anger is already starting to burst out from his throat. He didn¡¯t have to use his power though, since it was already evident from the way John twists his face in an attempt to hold himself together. Expecting some kind of retort, he was taken aback from John¡¯s unusual sudden calm exhale. He apparently succeeded and making his anger disappear without it spitting all over Seto, but what it left was something Seto expected.
¡°I can¡¯t even¡¡± John lazily said, slouching on the couch in front of Seto. ¡°...I can¡¯t even take a rest. Each day, train and then go do something absurd like climb up a tree then jump unto the next.¡±
John can¡¯t even begin to describe the misery he has been put to because of Stan. Unfortunately, he knows that Stan is just making use of his full potential to make him something greater than he has ever been before. It¡¯s because of that he can¡¯t exactly loathe the twig, even though he wants to reallypunch him in his wrinkly old face. Despite the hellish training he has to endure, he can¡¯t deny that he has been getting steadily stronger with each subsequent days. Like many say, ¡°No pain, no gain¡±.
¡°Well, at least you are still alive.¡± Seto remarks, taking another sip from his tea.
¡°You are starting to sound like Stan.¡± John replied.
¡°Oh well, I¡¯m not here to discuss your pains and sufferings.¡±
Seto suddenly shot up, and stood with fancy as he threw the now empty tea cup away from him and unto the grassy ground.Columns and walls suddenly rose up from the ground as it shook, enclosing the both of them in the process. Then a roof slid above their heads and turn the whole area into a place of darkness. John heard a clap, before everything was in sight again as lights filled the room.
¡°Welcome to Temporary Discussion Room No. 420!¡±
The room was painted with white, with sky blue secondaries all around. In the middle was a table and a lonely chair. Seto prompted John to sit down as he prepares his slideshow projected by a projector hanging from the roof.
¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± asked John as he sat down.
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know too.¡± admitted Seto ¡°Frankly, I forgot cause I prepared this ages ago, but I¡¯ll remember once I start this show.¡±
A button materialized on his hand and upon holding it, pressed the button to start. The wall the projector projected on then showed a picture of Seto doing a selfie with a burning village behind him. There seems to be another person with him, all clad in modern and black clothing as he frantically called out on Seto to look at the village due to how he points at burning scenery behind them.
¡°Huh, I still don¡¯t remember. Unto the next slide then.¡±
The first picture disturbed John and made him uncomfortable, knowing that Seto probably didn¡¯t mind the destruction behind them when he took that. That picture alone dictates how much of a non-caring god he is, and possibly could¡¯ve been the reason for the scene in the picture. He just hopes that he won''t end up like the burning village in the future.
The next picture was more wholesome and less stress-inducing. It¡¯s Seto with the other guy again, baking a cake. It¡¯s clearly shown that Seto is the superior one with how clean and calm he is whisking the flour, while the other guy¡¯s counter is a mess and his whisking is almost comically horrible. At this point, John is not sure if Seto has seriously forgotten what he wanted to say, or he¡¯s just messing with him with the photos.
¡°I still don¡¯t remember. What slideshow is this even?¡±
A series of photos then flashed in the projector: one was where Seto sat on a throne, one was him sitting atop a pile of dead bodies, another was him getting clobbered by the black-clothed guy, another was him falling comically from the sky, and many more. John had mixed feelings after the slideshow ended, considering that many of the pictures shown warrants so many feelings to be felt. In the end, he concluded that the pictures were random. There were absolutely no correlation between them, except for the fact that Seto is always in all of the pictures.
¡°Oh! That was my best moments slideshow!¡±
Well, John sat corrected. Seto then materialized a phone, scrolling through it.
¡°My bad. No wonder I wasn¡¯t remembering anything.¡±
For a god, he¡¯s unusually forgetful. Seto finally found the slideshow he was looking for then showed it to John through the projector. He finally remembered what he was supposed to discuss after seeing ¡°For John¡¯s Case¡± on the wall, snapping his fingers after doing so.
¡°Oh right! Yeah, I was supposed to answer most of your any ongoing questions.¡±
The button was again pressed, and the slideshow shifted to a blank, dark picture. A chair then poofed out from a puff of smoke on the other side of the table John¡¯s staying in. Seto sat down, leaning against his chair and his feet up on the table. With his usual mocking grin, he gave John a prompt to start asking away.
¡°I know you have a questions kiddo, so I¡¯ll do my best to answer any of your questions.¡±
¡°Really?¡± John asked
¡°Ye.¡± Seto said with a snap of his fingers.
¡°Okay.¡± John then leaned on the table, donning his serious face. ¡°So what was that thing you wanted me to do? You know, that thing when I was first thrown into Alterea.¡±
¡°Right, I can¡¯t answer that.¡± Seto rejected with a dismissive gesture.
¡°Wha?¡± John raised his hands in a confused and agitated manner. ¡°I thought you said you would answer any of my questions!¡±
Seto put his feet down and pointed at John, grinning mischievously.
¡°I said ¡®I¡¯d do my best to answer¡¯ and not ¡®I¡¯ll give the right answer¡¯. See the difference?¡±
John leaned back and grunted in defeat. There was no point in arguing over it, so he just moved on to the next question.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°How can you snap with those gloves on?¡±
A bit of a pointless question, but he¡¯s not going to let that get in the way of his curiosity. Seto arched his eyebrow upon looking at his glove clad hand, then snapped his fingers to once again make that snapping sound.
¡°It¡¯s just a cloth glove. Of course I can snap it.¡±
He then snapped in succession to prove his point.
¡°Well, it is a bit muffled, but it¡¯s still snapping.¡±
As Seto continued playing with his snaps, John moved on with his next question.
¡°Alright, this one¡¯s serious. Will I ever get back to my world again?¡±
Seto immediately stopped and looked at John like he just said the most unbelievably ridiculous thing ever. Not that he can blame Seto for acting that way. He himself have forgotten that there was another world he needs to go back to, only resurfacing when he was once again faced by the god who started it all. Seto sighed, but kept his grin afterwards while showing another picture in a press of a button.
The picture showed a hand pointing at John. Pretty straightforward.
¡°That depends on you.¡± Seto answered. ¡°See, you have a way of going back.¡±
The slideshow shifted to another picture, which shows an amulet with a single circular white crystal embedded on it. Engravings run along the golden frame as it hangs from a series of miniscule gold chains. It was pretty to look at, at least for John, and gives a sense of divinity and power from how sacred it looks. John already knows where this is going just by looking at it.
¡°This is one of my divine artifacts, the ¡®Amulet of A Poor Man¡¯s Wish¡¯.¡± Seto explains, pointing at the amulet in the picture. ¡°Just like its name would suggest, it grants the user one wish granted by yours truly.¡±
Seto ended his explanation by a courteous bow.
¡°How do I get it?¡± John asked, intrigued.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t right now.¡± Seto admitted. ¡°It¡¯s stuck in a buried ruins somewhere in Alterea, and I don¡¯t know where that is.¡±
John let out a grunt of frustration, slamming his fist on the table. Seto has been just smiling, and still will.
¡°You¡¯re supposed to know this kind of stuff! You¡¯re a god!¡± John argued.
¡°I¡¯m not omniscient, John. I know a lot of things, but knowing where my divine artifact is seated is not one of them.¡±
¡°And you don¡¯t even use your omnipotence to find it?¡±
¡°Hey, we play it fair and square here. I gave you the advantage of ¡®where¡¯s the way out¡¯, but I won¡¯t hand over the ¡®how to get out¡¯.¡±
John let himself plop down on the table head first, feeling utterly hopeless despite the light of hope in his reach. It seemed like there was no point in Seto telling him when he can¡¯t even get it anyway due to some bad RNG. Seto only grinned at his despair, letting himself lean back on his chair.
¡°Can you give me any details of your other divine artifacts?¡± John asked lazily as he raised his head.
¡°The only things I can tell you is that there is 4, including the amulet, and that they grant something more or less as powerful as the amulet.¡±
¡°Useless info.¡±
John then fell back to a state of despair as his face firmly placed itself on the table. He isn¡¯t gaining much from questioning Seto, and he doubts that he¡¯ll gain anything more than vague hints. The whole meeting made John want to go back and just sleep as this has really taken a toll on his mind. Despite Seto promising to give out his best answers, he never thought his ¡°best¡± was not in line with his own definition of ¡°best¡±.
¡°Cheer up bud! It¡¯s not like you won¡¯t have a choice.¡±
John gave Seto an incredulous and suspicious look.
¡°Look, I get it.¡± Seto says, shrugging ¡°I did force you to be transported here, probably meddled with some of your affairs, and even defied the law of the mortals for you. But that¡¯s where me being a dick ends.¡±
The projection shifted to another picture, showing a lot of arrows of varying sizes pointing at different directions in a disorganized manner, not holding any common theme to them at all.
¡°From here on out, your life will be dictated by how you shape it.¡±
Then it changed again, showing a picture of a decorated golden wheel, with a calligraphy text on top saying ¡°Wheel of Fortune¡±.
¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time. Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll decide to stay someday.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t do that.¡±
Seto snickered at his remark, shrugging. John arched his eyebrow at Seto, which was returned back with a sneer. His face made John can¡¯t help it but think how manipulative Seto has been. It¡¯s not obvious from the beginning, but him openly admitting it just made it clear as day. It shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise considering what happened five years ago, but there¡¯s just something bothering him from this interaction with the god. A gut feeling, he might say, that this isn¡¯t just a simple errand of ¡°doing what I want you to do¡±. He can of course always put ¡°entertainment¡± as the reason why he¡¯s here in the first place, but it seems very unlikely that it is the case now that he had more time observing the god.
First of all, Seto¡¯s giving him a hint of a way out. Sure, even if he doesn¡¯t get the amulet, he will still die either way and the god¡¯s entertainment will end once one ending comes or another. However, the crucial part was the timing of the hint. It¡¯s too early to for the endgame goal to show itself, whenhe¡¯s still too weak to actually journey to god knows where the amulet is. This could also mean Seto is already bored of him thus the reveal of the amulet, but hismeeting with Seto is saying otherwise. If he was indeed bored of him, then this meeting would''ve never happened. Let alone be watched.
Then there¡¯s him outright refusing to tell him what he¡¯s supposed to do. Seto already knows that John¡¯s answer will be entertainment judging from his observation, but he still didn¡¯t admit that what he¡¯s supposed to do was entertain him. Therefore, what he¡¯s supposed to do is not entertainment in any way. Seto can always try to manipulate John¡¯s fate, fortunately in a more benevolent way according to his words earlier, and it will always guarantee to lead to an entertaining situation. At least, for the almighty god. So there is no need for him to do that. Thus, he''s once again in the dark on what he should do. There''s no other ideas or hints that could lead to another answer. At least now John has an alternative if ever Seto decides to be a dick again, change the end goal and be cryptic about it once he found out what he''s actually supposed to do.
¡°You¡¯re thinking too much about it.¡± Seto suddenly remarked, snapping his fingers.
The room then disappeared in a puff of smoke, showing once again the grassy plains they were once in earlier. The sky is once again seen over their heads, and the chill breeze of the wind is again felt by their skin.
¡°I hope so.¡± John wished
Seto stood up and stretched his entire body, joints loudly cracking and body bending in inhuman ways. John could not help but flinch at the way he does this, but it¡¯s not like he hasn¡¯t seen anything much more disturbing like this, so he wasn¡¯t as disturbed as much. He''s just surprised, is all.
¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s the entire time I have for you. You don¡¯t have anything else to ask anyway, so this is a good stop.¡±
John stood up with the table and chairs disappearing in a puff of smoke immediately after. He sighed and stretched, but not in a way that would need the help of an exorcist. Both of them stopped at the same time, earning a chuckle from Seto. John¡¯s unamused expression just fueled his laughter. Snapping his fingers, John once again started to light up as he soon will be put back in the body he doesn¡¯t own.
¡°Oh, before I forget.¡±
John gave Seto a look as he started to fade.
¡°I¡¯m a hypocrite.¡±
And just like that, vision turned to black.
Aren woke up on his bed as the sunlight rays pierced his eyes. This, of course, gave Aren momentary pain before he looked away from the light, trying to cover his delicate eyes from the dreaded sunshine. He took a while to recollect his thoughts after his meeting with Seto, trying to remember every bit of detail he could remember. Although this was the second time they talked, it felt like it wasn''t any different from the first. In a sense that although the earlier meeting was obviously somewhat important, it still retained the kind of casual atmosphere the first meeting had. Well, half of the first meeting anyway. Still, it doesn''t change the fact that he hates the god. Getting those thoughts out of the way, he remained in bed for a while to allow his mind to fully wake.
He then sat upright, stood up, and walked before the mirror he got four years ago. He combed his brown hair with his hands to try and make himself look presentable for the purpose of his own vanity. His amber eyes trace the contours of his face, which he is actually proud of. He wasn¡¯t the handsome type back at home, and he is still is presently, but at leastthis body has it better. He gave his body a long observational look, before curving his lips in a smirk. Those training from Stan gave him some gains which Aren is highly grateful for. He reminded himself to thank Stan later.
Despite being 10 years old, he looks 13. Aren doesn¡¯t really understand the biology of humans in this world, but at most he understood that aging here is faster than on the previous world. That, or the years are shorter here. He can¡¯t really tell, since the calendar in the Montrea household does not even have the same format as the calendar back at the other world. Not that it matters anyway since today is just like any other day. Train untilthe twig decides to stop. That¡¯s just how it¡¯s been for five years, and it won¡¯t be stopping soon.
Preparing himself for the day, he wore his usual dirty white shirt and brown trousers with a number of pockets on them. The pockets may be something with him and pockets or just a fashion statement, but Aren can¡¯t deny their usefulness when it comes to some of Stan¡¯s errands. Because of this, he has indeed developed a thing for storages of any kind, not in a sexual way but it can come close to that. Thankfully, he isn¡¯t one to obsess over such trivial things.
After sharing a usual breakfast with Norman and Martha, he completed his attire with the leather gloves and boots gifted to him by his father three years prior. He took his leather sling bag hanging on a hook in their living room, before clutching the door handle. He took in a deep breath, exhaled, then opened it to greet the new day.
¡°I wonder how many of my bones will break today.¡± He asks himself, as he exits his house in his usual indifferent mood.
An Errand 1
Aren has never been fond of mornings, but the past five years had made it all the more unbearing for him. The reason is Stan¡¯s training sessions, which included training for half a day nonstop while reserving the other half for rest and recovery. With how much shit he has to go through for just one training session, it¡¯s only understandable that he would need that much rest if he¡¯s ever going to be able go at it again for another day.
So just like always, he¡¯s making his way to Stan¡¯s abode along the streets of the town. Many of the townsfolk naturally greets everyone they see every morning, so of course Aren would be included too. Waving his hand and replying everyone else¡¯s greets, he came along a familiar face.
¡°Oh, Aren. Going to Stan¡¯s house?¡± asked the patrolling guard.
¡°Yep.¡±
¡°Haha, it must be tough huh?¡±
¡°Yeah. Compared to me Kail, you only had a year of treatment from him, lucky you.¡±
The guard before him none other than the Red Hook bandits leader, Kail. Despite being a bandit years before, he has become a fine guardsman despite his mage job. He¡¯s personality has also become much more bearable thanks to Stan¡¯s guidance, which is something Aren doesn¡¯t want to know judging from how he and his comrades were foaming at the mouth each time he found them outside Stan¡¯s home. If Aren were to be frank, he¡¯s glad that he wasn¡¯t taking the same training as them back then.
¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me of it.¡± Kail remarked, shivering from the memory of it.
Although Kail clearly hates the suffering he had to go through, he¡¯s actually rather thankful that Stan decided to set his group¡¯s lives straight rather than throw them away because of their disposition. Sure, a few of them lost their lives from none other than the hands of their own mentor, but they have already accepted it as their fault. No hard feelings, and he¡¯s pretty sure Stan wouldn¡¯t have done what he did if they all just didn¡¯t resort to such a cruel method. Right now, he''s just grateful that Stan was able to steer them away before it was too late to turn back.
¡°Well, get going now. You wouldn¡¯t want that man to go hard on you again today." Kail said, giving Aren a pat on the back.
¡°Aight. See ya Kail!¡±
Aren walked off with a wave with Kail giving him a wave of his own before going back on patrol. The town streets is not what you would call lonely, but not busy either. There were a lot of people going on about doing their own stuff, but they weren¡¯t enough to crowd the streets. As such, Aren flowed through the street flawlessly before being jumped on by a familiar voice.
¡°Aren!¡±
Misha, the red haired sunshine, suddenly rode his back and wrapped her arms around him when he wasn¡¯t looking, prompting the poor boy to try and get her off. Being energetic has its merits, one of them being annoying to a certain person. Although Aren very much appreciate the affection Misha is giving him, he is not the type to deal with meddlesome things such as riding someone on the back without permission then just casually disrupt their balance while doing so.
¡°Misha! Get off!¡±
¡°Nope!¡±
Misha tightened her grip around Aren, allowing her still developing bosom to squeeze on top of his back. Although Aren very much appreciates the affection Misha is giving him, he is unfortunately choking. Not from breasts, mind you.
¡°Gchk! M-misha¡ me¡ dead¡ no air¡ Uhk!¡±
¡°Ah!¡±
Misha immediately let go after, allowing Aren to gasp for air and cough. He dramatically wheezed to emphasize just how suffocating the experience was, making Misha express her regret.
¡°A-ah, I¡¯m really sorry Aren. I was-¡±
¡°No! No¡¡± Aren said, dramatically shedding a single tear as he clutched his chest. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±
Aren glanced over Misha¡¯s face to get a look on her expression, only to find her horribly mortified. Before Aren could process what he¡¯s seeing, Misha fell unto her knees seemingly hopeless and limp. Her eyes were devoid of life as they lock unto Aren¡¯s, giving the boy a feeling of discomfort and confusion.
¡°Misha?¡±
¡°It¡¯s over¡?¡± She asked in a hushed voice.
A sudden realization hit him before her eyes started to leak. The panicking Aren looked around to see people silently judging him with their stinging stares. Misha is a well known girl in the town for being a cheerful and helpful girl, so seeing her in such a state would only cause the others to look at the suspect with disdain. Aren thought that maybe, just maybe, he went too far.
¡°I was just teasing Misha!¡± he explained frantically.
The life in her eyes began to seep itself back in after hearing those words.
¡°My god you¡¯re as gullible as always.¡± Aren said with a sigh.
Misha responded by pounding on him with ridiculous strength after standing straight up. By ridiculous, it means almost too weak to even notice. It¡¯s probably because how much Aren has to endure just to see another day in Stan¡¯s training sessions, so this kind of harmless attack almost feels like being repeatedly hit by pillows.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t have said that seriously!¡±
¡°Well maybe you shouldn¡¯t have taken it seriously.¡± he responded in a sarcastic tone ¡°Honestly, how long do we have to know each other for you to recognize my sense of humor?¡±
¡°Until you know how to make it sound like a joke!¡±
Aren could feel his heart shatter a bit, remembering all the time he had cracked jokes that were met with pity laughs. Although he knew what Misha meant, he was still reminded of it which made his face express an emotion in the most lifeless, straight, poker face he could do; the emotion known as sadness. A normal person would never know what he¡¯s thinking of if one were to look at his face, but Misha knows better. She knew she hit a nerve.
¡°Wait! Aren, I¡¯m sorry!¡±
Misha began apologizing before Aren turned around to continue towards his destination.
¡°Come on Misha. Stan wouldn¡¯t want me to be late.¡±
¡°Look, Aren! I¡¯m really sorry!¡±
They spent the rest of the way doing more or less the same routine, just like they always had.
They arrived at Stan¡¯s house, arguably the largest two-storey house out of all the others in the town. Aside from having a house, it is also sided with a just-as-large walled training ground that both Aren and Stan had used for the sessions. It was spacious enough to allow magic and spars to happen without anyone having to worry about going over to the wall. The training ground¡¯s flooring does not even have a proper flooring, and is instead bared with original down to earth dirty soil. Seto knows how much Aren has hit his face on the dirt, though he still questions the fact that his face is still intact after all those times.
The size of Stan¡¯s property speaks for his position as the town elder and chief. Despite his senile tendencies, he has never actually rusted in terms of skill, mind, and experience. The town most needed his wisdom, and with his grace did the town become self-sustaining and a frequent spot for visitors as well. Of course, it¡¯s not recent news as Stan has been the town elder and chief for almost 23 years, the 12th one to succeed to the position. So even though Aren hates him to the bone, there is no reason for him to not respect the ability and position this person has.
¡°Oh, welcome back.¡± greeted Stan on the training ground.
He was currently sweeping up the leaves that have made its way unto the training ground by a nearby tree that was outside walls. Aren doesn¡¯t exactly know what month it is currently, but he can tell from the yellow and orange leaves the tree sports that it is currently autumn. The wind is also starting to get chilly, so it¡¯s safe to say that they are nearing winter. Stan continued to use his long broom to sweep, focusing his eyes on his task rather than the approaching Aren and Misha.
¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s the agenda?¡±
Aren habitually took off his sling bag and hanged it at a nearby protruding nail. Misha on the other hand took her seat on a nearby bench, something she requested to be made after finding out that Aren trained here. Of course, Stan agreed, then made Aren do all the work. Even though his carpenting skills is just from videos he watched in the past and a little bit of childhood wood ¡®n nail tinkering, he made the bench pretty sturdy despite its shoddy appearance. It¡¯s a little uncomfortable, but Misha got used to it after a while as well as she didn¡¯t want to put Aren¡¯s effort in vain. That, and that Aren would¡¯ve turned into a rampaging entity of rage if she didn¡¯t use it after the stuff he has to go through just to make one bench.
To prepare for today, it was necessary for Aren to stretch and warm-up. As for Misha, she is just a visitor and has never participated in any of the sessions, save for one that made her understand that she should never ask Stan to teach her magic enchantment. On the bright side, at least now she knows how to enchant walking canes.
¡°Today¡¡±
Stan finishes up with a pile of dry leaves on the side of the wall, using the broom to lean on and act as a walking cane. Aren continues his warm-up, ears focused on what the old twig is about to say.
¡°...you graduate.¡±
Aren almost immediately kneeled down, fists in the air as he let out a triumphant cry. The day has finally come for the suffering under Stan to end, a day that he thought would never come. Misha, instead of being shocked at the sudden reaction, hugged Aren in pure joy. Both of them then jumped in circles while in each other¡¯s arms, chanting how Aren is finally free.
¡°But before you graduate, you have one more final task to do.¡±
The duo¡¯s celebration was cut short with Aren dramatically turning around to look at Stan with disappointment, shock, and frustration. Misha backed away to offer Aren a prayer of peace, hoping that he would have a safe trip to the realm of souls. Aren took a deep breath, and sighed. He should¡¯ve expected that something like this would happen, so there was no point in moping around it now.
¡°So? What do?¡±
Aren is much too disappointed to use proper grammar at this point, so he stuck with something relatively simple but understandable. Stan pointed at a stand at the side of his house, where a long sleeved shirt, padded tunic, plated gauntlets and leather boots were presented. Seeing that the stand has some protective items for show, Aren already knows where this is going.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
¡°Give weapon, tell beast, I go.¡±
This task is going to be a monster extermination. It¡¯s not something unfamiliar for him, since this has been part of his training. The target monster changes from time to time, as well as the difficulty of the extermination. Numerous times he had a lot of near death experience against monsters that he has already developed immunity against it, as well as a proportional hate for Stan. Despite this, it wasn¡¯t as bad since it means he can more effectively fight the same type of monsters in the future. Gaining combat experience through monsters was also a huge plus, since he knows his life won¡¯t be just sitting in his house all day. Eventually, he¡¯ll have to fight if he ever needs to achieve whatever he had in mind.
¡°Do you remember that time when you almost died?¡± Stan asked.
¡°Can you specify? I have, like, a hundred times where I almost died.¡±
¡°Are those times related in someway to me?¡±
¡°You should ask me what times did not relate to you.¡±
¡°Well, I finally found out why there were so much monsters that you had to deal with.¡±
Aren arched his eyebrow in suspicion.
¡°Are you sure that it wasn¡¯t because of you?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare risk the town, Aren.¡± he replied. ¡°Even if those two are around.¡±
Stan paced around the training ground as he starts explaining.
¡°For five years I¡¯ve been observing the local monsters in the forest. As you can tell, deep-dwelling monsters began to appear at the shallower areas after that incident with the wolves when you were still 5.¡± He then paused, putting his broom next to another stand where his cane rested before picking it up. ¡°One culprit I have guessed was the sudden decrease of food. However, the corpses that you have brought me showed no sign of malnutrition whatsoever.¡±
Aren had already started donning the long sleeves and tunic at this point to prepare as he listens to what Stan has to say. Likewise, Misha was intrigued by the reason why the monsters has been moving near the shallows.
¡°Mind control is out of the picture, since I have confirmed that their minds were clear. We also didn¡¯t disturb the society inside it in any way, so there was absolutely no reason for them to move.¡±
Hanging on the stand near Stan were a sheathed shortsword and a dagger, and where promptly thrown to Aren. Aren caught them with ease, equipping the dagger behind his lower back and the shortsword on his left hip.
¡°So the only reason is... hierarchy. I suspect that somewhere in the forest, there is something or someone that is ordering these monsters to move closer to the town. Not with powers or abilities, but the power given by position.¡±
It was then when Aren realized what will Stan make him do.
¡°No, no no no no. You have my parents for that!¡± he argued.
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
Aren blinked.
¡°Weren¡¯t you going to make me hunt down a high level monster?¡±
¡°Yes. However, they haven¡¯t noticed the increase of monster activity because of your efforts. So why should you involve them in your endeavor? Keep the unnoticed streak going.¡±
Stan ended his words with a smile, irritating Aren even more.
¡°You fucking twig¡¡±
Aren sighs, before drawing his dagger to check it.
¡°So, what¡¯s the monster?¡± he asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sending you in.¡±
Aren immediately threw the dagger to the ground in silent rage. He spent a few minutes silently gesturing towards Stan, mostly trying to convey how everything he does is bullshit. Of course, Stan knew completely what he was trying to tell him, but chose to smugly grin against his protests.
¡°The monster you¡¯ll face will be unlike the others before. This time, it¡¯s a real threat.¡±
¡°Yeah, it is unless you do something about it rather than ME!¡± Aren retorted, yelling the last part at Stan.
¡°Aren, are you forgetting the fact that you are about to graduate?¡±
Aren immediately quickly did a 180 and turned to leave.
¡°Aight boss, see ya around. I¡¯ll handle this task easy peasy.¡±
Despite his complaints, he is actually willing to put up with it if it meant for the suffering to end. He feels like he have already done and learned enough to deserve being free. Even though he has some deep grudge on Stan¡¯s antics and personality, he¡¯s still thankful for Stan¡¯s tutelage. The great thing about these five years is that he actually learned a lot from Stan, and by a lot, he means a lot. He has a knack for roundabout ways when it comes to teaching, but once you got to the point, everything just clicks and it¡¯s like a whole new world.
It is especially true when it came for him to learn about magic. It was frustrating at first and actually made Aren get discouraged and thought about giving up on magic, but Stan¡¯s guidance made the effort all the more rewarding once Aren finally got a good grasp in the arcane arts. Stan¡¯s a good teacher, it¡¯s just that his usual methods that made it feel like attending an efficient school while it¡¯s burning down in the depths of hell.
¡°But before that, a piece of advice.¡±
Aren stopped on his tracks and directed his attention to Stan. The advices Stan gives are especially useful, so useful that Aren literally memorized all the advices that were given to him by Stan. After all, he didn¡¯t become the town elder and chief as well as his teacher if he didn¡¯t even have the wisdom to turn the town into a successful one, or generate an efficient student. Granted that the student complains a lot, but that¡¯s besides the point. Even so, the advices are usually general and forgoes helpful bits and pieces that could make his task easier. It¡¯s nothing more than a guide, not a walkthrough, like an advice should be.
¡°Be sure to know where you look at. Preparation comes first when facing adversaries.¡±
¡°Of course, I know that.¡± Aren replied.
¡°But how can you prepare against something you do not know?¡± Stan asked.
¡°Are you telling me to scout first before doing anything?¡±
Stan said nothing but gave a smile. Before Aren could say anything else, he caught a pouch that was suddenly thrown to him by Stan, containing three pieces of Gails and full of Vins. Vins are silver circular coins that are the second unit of currency of the Gailan Kingdom, the kingdom where Rosenvolt and the town is seated at. It has the Gailan kingdom symbol on one side, with a sword on the other side. A few pieces is usually enough to get you through the day with food, and a few more is enough to buy average equipment. Gails are gold circular coins, slightly larger than a vin, and has the symbol of the Gailan kingdom on one side and the face of what seems to be a lion engraved on the other side.
The budget he has been given seems a little bit too excessive for just an extermination of one monster, but he knows better than to run short on preparations because of the lack of money. He graciously accepted the pouch, making his way over to his sling bag to put it inside and wear it.
¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡±
Both Aren and Stan looked at Misha who just demanded something completely out of the sky.
¡°No.¡±
Wanting to keep Misha out of harm¡¯s way, his reply of course was a hard no. She may have helped him numerous times as a supporting hand and thus have just as much, if not less, combat experience than him. However, the situation is clearly in steeps in terms of difficulty and there¡¯s no telling whether she could hold herself out enough. Aren is certainly strong by this time, but he isn¡¯t strong enough to protect himself and Misha at the same time. Misha is capable, but she isn¡¯t as enduring as him.
Misha¡¯s mood naturally went down, this being the first time he ever rejected her participation. It¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t understand where he¡¯s coming from, but she would like it if she could come along with Aren task. She had already made the decision to help him in anyway she can after being saved by him that one time, and it seems like the only way she could help him in Aren''s eyes is to stay out of the way.
¡°Of course. Spare equipment is in the back. Go fetch it, and you¡¯re all set to go with him.¡±
Misha quickly sprang and went inside the house without hesitating in haste, clearly eager. Aren gave Stan the glare of disbelief as if he just made the worst decision possible.
¡°You are going to need extra help if you are going to accomplish this task. It¡¯s not as if she is useless. You¡¯ll thank her after, believe me.¡±
Aren can argue with him, but knowing Stan, it might be best if she does come with him. Just thinking about her going with him has already kickstarted his mild paranoia, thinking about the numerous possible events that could happen while they are out on an extermination. Needless to say, death was taken into account and how much it would affect him if she died. After all, he treats her like his little sister, precious and innocent, not to mention breaking the news to her mother Cecil would most definitely take a toll both on him and her.
¡°I¡¯m back!¡±
Misha came back a while later leaning on the door with rapid breaths and forming sweat. It was clear that she rushed donning her equipment since she¡¯s still braiding her long hair when she arrived. Her outfit looks completely reasonable, but the silhouette seems oddly too feminine to be just some ¡°spare¡± equipment. The sleeveless padded tunic does not expose it, but the thigh high boots were obviously not something a man would wear, and would only work if one were to wear shorts as short as Misha¡¯s. Aren give Stan a questioning look, silently pointing at Misha to get his point across.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I got it from, no? Run along now, the sooner this ends the sooner you¡¯ll graduate.¡±
Stan gave a dismissive wave, before Aren sighed and prompted Misha to follow him outside the house. Aren gave himself time to think before moving on, staying just outside Stan¡¯s house to put himself in thought. Misha, being familiar with Aren¡¯s methods, started to check her own equipment while leaving him in his own mind.
She isn¡¯t the combative type and is rather an auxiliary type of person during combat. She mostly stays behind Aren knowing that her endurance stat is too low for frontal combat. Furthermore, most of her skills granted to her by her two jobs are supportive and does little to no damage to enemies. Because of this, she understands Aren¡¯s worries the most, but at the same time she doesn¡¯t want to stay back when she could help Aren do his job faster and more efficiently. It honestly disappointed her when Aren decided based on his concern over her rather than the efficiency gained from working together. Granted that Aren is often dramatic and emotional, he never forgets to put logic above all else before resorting to purely following his heart. Thankfully, Stan saw her capability and allowed her to join Aren in his task, but Aren¡¯s side on this matter is uncertain yet. Even now, she thinks that Aren is thinking of ways to make her not go with him for her sake.
¡°You want a staff?¡±
Aren¡¯s sudden words surprised Misha a bit, looking at him with a confused expression.
¡°No? Well you do prefer being mobile and nimble while you do magic rather than standing still. So mana stabilizer gloves maybe?¡±
¡°So you do know what I¡¯m capable of! So why did you not want me with you earlier?¡± Misha complained.
¡°Okay, first of all, we are going to fight something unknown. All the previous monsters that both of us have faced were all defeated with the help of Stan¡¯s experience and prior knowledge.¡± he said as a matter of factly. ¡°We both know that.¡±
¡°But I¡¯m acting as support. I am never interfere with the frontline battles.¡±
¡°But you are not immune to targeting.¡±
Misha stiffened.
¡°We do not know what this monster will be, and I¡¯m not even sure scouting will help us know what it¡¯s capable of. What I do know is that its intelligence is higher than the rest because of its supposed ranking among the monsters in the forest.¡±
¡°Because it commands monsters?¡± Misha asked.
¡°Exactly. Instead of focusing on me, it might try to get you out of the picture with all its might and using any strategies and tactics it might have come up with before trying to bring me down. In other words, I¡¯ll have to direct all of my moves on defense and would be unable to fight back. A stalemate.¡±
¡°But you don¡¯t know that.¡±
¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I caved in on Stan¡¯s decision.¡±
Misha looked at Aren dumbfounded.
¡°Your train of thought catches me off guard sometimes.¡± She remarked.
¡°It was with deeper insight that I finally found out why Stan let you in.¡±
Aren wrapped an arm around her and sided his face with hers, squishing their cheeks together. Misha knew what gesture this was, and expected some corny answer along with a hand sweeping action to go with his usual dramatization of his own acts. She expectantly looked at the sky, the same spot in the sky Aren¡¯s eyes locked their vision at.
¡°Our bond is stronger than the monster¡¯s might.¡± he said, exactly in the same way Misha has predicted.
Misha laughed, making Aren let go in an unamused manner. The truth was far from that, Misha knew that Aren knew too. However, this answer doesn¡¯t seem so bad that it actually felt like the right one.
¡°That¡¯s so cheesy!¡±
Misha felt a little lighter now that she finally knows Aren isn¡¯t against her company. Aren also felt somewhat the same now that he has reassured her on his side on bringing her with him. Unfortunately for Misha, a lighthearted moment with her isn¡¯t the same without a little bit of teasing. She took a while to realize that Aren was looking at her with disappointment clear in his eyes.
¡°Wait, you weren¡¯t joking?¡±
Arennonchalantlytapped her shoulder as he headed down the street.
¡°Come on. We¡¯ll get you that mana stabilizer gloves.¡±
¡°W-wait! Aren, I¡¯m sorry for laughing! I didn¡¯t know!¡±
Before she could reach to him and explain, Aren turned around to give Misha a smug grin, before running down ahead. Misha, realizing that she was once again bamboozled, responded in pursuit and constant yelling of the perpetrator¡¯s name. Aren¡¯s final task, is now in motion.
An Errand 2
Aren and Misha made their away into the forest, treading lightly along the forest floor. The Mana Stabilizer Gloves, or mana gloves for short, that was bought by Aren for Misha was currently being eyeballed by the girl¡¯s curious eyes. In front of her was Aren leading the way as he cuts foliages with his shortsword. Although Misha already knew what it was and does, the mana gloves¡¯ embedded gem that sits atop of the hand is so eye catching that she couldn¡¯t help but stare at it. The gem¡¯s lustrous beauty however does not necessarily speaks of its potence. Misha¡¯s mana gloves are of cheap origins which uses a ¡®young¡¯ mana gem, something that can be easily be found on any cave or underground formation. Therefore, this particular mana glove can only allow its user to stabilize their mana in a substantial but definite increased rate. Misha¡¯s manual stabilization of her mana is already fast enough, but a second of delay could mean life or death for a magician so she would still definitely need the help of the mana gloves.
Aren on the other hand bought the essentials for this scouting trip without buying anything else to prevent deadweight. Health and mana potions, all of which costs too much money and tears, were the ones that were prioritized to be bought. An adventurer, or whatever the duo currently are, needs to be always prepared for the worst. A scout is just hunting without the actual hunting and thus would still pose risks and danger during the trip. Being kept safe inside Misha¡¯s numerous belt pouches, they are to provide healing and recovery if they ever decide to have a conversation with death. Speaking of potions, Aren suddenly remembered something.
¡°Hey Misha, you remember that time I got rushed to the hospital, right?¡±
Misha snapped her attention to Aren who previously kept touching the cool surface of the gem.
¡°Hm? Yeah, it¡¯s not something I can easily forget. You almost died you know.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I was about to say. I almost died, so why didn¡¯t mom and dad use a health potion on me?¡±
¡°No, Ms. and Mr. Montrea did use a health potion on you.¡±
Aren paused, turning around to give Misha a questioning look.
¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Misha innocently asked.
¡°I¡¯d be lying if I did.¡±
Aren continued on with their task, cutting another set of bushes to clear out the way.
¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± Misha said.
¡°Yeah, I already figured that out if dad had to carry me to a hospital after that.¡±
¡°Do you know why it didn¡¯t work on you? When it¡¯s been clearly working after you recovered.¡±
¡°How should I know?¡±
What Aren said contradicted with his thoughts, being he fully knows why that is so. There was no other reason than Seto himself, as this was probably his way of giving Aren the body he has now. A god taking away an innocent soul is not unheard of, but being directly related to it is not something he would be proud of. A child was the original owner of this body, and that is fucked up in more ways than one. Rather than stress himself out by thinking too much again, he instead shook off the thought and tried to be satisfied with the revelation.
Aren was quiet after, focusing on his job of clearing the way without making any sound aside from the whooshing noises of his sword.
¡°Are you okay, Aren?¡± Misha asked in a worried tone.
¡°No.¡± Aren replied.
Aren turned around to reveal his front to be full of dirt, specks of insects, and leaves from the plants he murdered. Misha held in a laugh as Aren stood there unamused.
¡°I think this forest hates me.¡±
Aren was gently cleaned with magic by the giggling Misha, who couldn¡¯t take out the earlier image from her mind. Of course, Aren wasn¡¯t happy with the way she¡¯s mockingly giggling at him, but he kept quiet for the sake of his own cleanliness.
The duo continued on, talking about mundane things and avoiding any conflict with any of the monsters and beasts that roamed around. Something that caught Aren¡¯s attention is a dead corpse of a monster. Sure, another monster may have chosen to just maul the poor sod. The problem is, no monster nor beast in this part of the forest can take it head on. The dead monster was a ¡®stray¡¯, a term he uses for monsters that aren¡¯t supposed to be here. This means that someone else was here with them.
It¡¯s not much of a problem however, and in fact it¡¯s actually helping them. The extermination of these strays would mean that the duo won¡¯t have to deal with them and would also protect the town and his secret. It¡¯s just that Aren doesn¡¯t know who is doing it, or why. People who has the ability to kill a stray, all of which are normally found in the center of the forest, can be very dangerous even for him. It probably won¡¯t matter as long as they do not cross paths.
Sounds of fighting was suddenly heard, prompting the duo to rush towards the source. They arrived at a forest clearing before making themselves hidden behind trees and bushes. Their they saw a person, as young as they are, and a monstrous large beast that is also known in earth as a ¡°bear¡±. It looks like they found the one responsible for the monster deaths.
The person fought fiercely with elegance, swiping and stepping with their two-bladedspear as if it were a dance.Their blonde hair would flawlessly flow to her every move despite it being so short, and the half cloak that covered their arm would flutter to reveal a gleaming armored limb. Aren could see their feet step on the ground one by one with flawless transition, with every step not wasted and always followed with movements against the bear. The bear meanwhile did struggle to keep up, with its rigid bear movements and predictable attacks causing it to suffer even more than its stubby limbs could ever do.
¡°Should we help them?¡± whispered Misha.
¡°If a person could lop off a bear¡¯s arm with one swing, then I don¡¯t think they would need help.¡±
Misha looked at him, confused. Aren did nothing but point at the fight happening before them. Misha redirected her attention to the fight, only to find the bear¡¯s left arm lying on the ground not too far from where it was standing. The fight had already ended before Misha could say anything else, with the bear flat on the ground and its chest bared open from a swift thrust of the person¡¯s spear.
| General Info |
| Name: |
SerisVon Rosen |
| Affiliation: |
Rosen Royal Family |
| Level: |
23 |
| Age: |
10 |
Gender: |
Female |
| Health: |
929/929 |
| Mana: |
454/493 (+0.57/min) |
| Fame: |
270 |
| Experience Points: |
26,997 |
| Strength: |
310 (+40) |
Vitality: |
201 |
| Endurance: |
189 (+200) |
Agility: |
585 (+350) |
| Dexterity: |
721 (+500) |
Perception: |
103 |
| Intelligence: |
182 |
Wisdom: |
172 |
| Fortitude: |
256 |
Charm: |
20 |
| Faith: |
121 |
Luck: |
32 |
| Bonuses: |
| Rosen Bloodline
Maharlika''s Chosen |
| Status Effects: |
| Holy: Increased effectivity against the unholy. |
|
Taking the time to see her stats, he saw how much of a gap there is between her and him. For one¡
| General Info |
| Name: |
Aren Montrea |
| Affiliation: |
None |
| Level: |
37 |
| Age: |
10 |
Gender: |
Male |
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
| Jobs |
| Jack of All Trades |
Brawler |
Mage |
Rogue |
| Ranger |
|
|
|
| Health: |
1563/1563 |
| Mana: |
616/616 |
| Fame: |
89 |
| Experience Points: |
56,789 |
| Strength: |
773 |
Vitality: |
414 |
| Endurance: |
626 |
Agility: |
476 |
| Dexterity: |
411 |
Perception: |
314 |
| Intelligence: |
221 |
Wisdom: |
232 |
| Fortitude: |
193 |
Charm: |
21 |
| Faith: |
10 |
Luck: |
21 |
| Bonuses: |
| It''s Me!
Here''s a gift. |
|
...Aren is already at his fifth job, with one attribute reaching 700s. Although she may be able to fight against him in one on one combat using only spears, she will most definitely be defeated by him in almost every other way, and that does not include the few tricks he has up his sleeves. Their age is the same, yet there¡¯s already this much difference between them. For the first time in forever, he thanked Stan for the training regime he had to suffer through.
One attribute did catch his attention with its high value; her dexterity in 700s. This was understandable considering she only focused on one job, that being ¡°Blade Dancer¡±, and the show she put on earlier. Her agility¡¯s stat also makes sense with the ¡°dancer¡± part of the job, making it completely focused on accuracy, speed, and footwork. Aren isn¡¯t nearly as fast as her or as dextrous, and with such a lower than desirable perception, he would have a hard time predicting her attacks if she goes all out on him. Everybody knows speed beats strength.
There¡¯s also the fact that her equipment are ridiculously strong and are to die for. Unfortunately for him, the spear isn''t his best weapon nor does he think her garment would fit him.
| Maharlika
(Soulbound) |
|
Type:
Spear
Grade:
Divine
Description:
A divine weapon granted by the goddess of wind and elegance, Aera. This spear is said to be a witness of many gruesome battles and a claimer of uncountable lives. Many did try to oppose the spear and its chosen, but none has ever prevailed against its might. This is the testament of Aera''s wrath, and those whothe chosen deems unworthy shall receive swift retribution.
Effects:
Grants the "Holy" status effect
Additional 300 DEX and 150 AGI
A chance to hasten movement with every attack by 10% for 3 seconds (Stacks)
No effects if wielded by other than the chosen
Skills:
Awaken (LOCKED)
Revelation(LOCKED)
|
| Wind Dancer''s Garb |
|
Type:
Light Armor
Grade:
Master Crafted
Description:
A blacksmith once denounced the gods and acted against them. His skills on his craft would be used to create heresy, and cause chaos among those who believes. Yet despite his doings, the gods that were his enemy saved him from death. For redemption and repentance, the Wind Dancer''s Garb was created for tribute to the god that spared him. The god was none other than Aera herself.
Effects:
Additional40STR, 200 END, 200 AGI, and 200 DEX
Hasteningstatus effects are 10% more effective
Slowing status effects are 10% less effective
Skills:
None
|
These obviously boosted her stats more than what they already are. Her equipment also made her look like a noble, which made the affiliation ¡°Rosen Royal Family¡± make much more sense. So then, she¡¯s part of a royal family which oddly sounds like a city he¡¯s familiar with. Aren knows that he must treat royalties with utmost respect as to not gain their ire. He has read way too much stories that involved offending the royal family, and he¡¯s sure that they won¡¯t hesitate to have him killed if this person happens to be the daughter of the king or even just the servant. He just hopes that he won¡¯t have to fight her.
¡°Wait. Why am I assuming she¡¯s going to attack me?¡±
Aren suddenly found himself outside the bush, arms spread wide as if he was making an entrance. In which he did. Aren barely opened his mouth, when thestranger has already covered groundwithher spear pointing dangerously near his throat.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s why.¡±
Dust trailed Seris after a moment, as if time wasn¡¯t able to register her movement for a while. Aren, who was on death¡¯s spear, quickly raised his hand in apprehension.
¡°I did nothing wrong ma¡¯am! I swear I¡¯m innocent!¡±
Seris glared at Aren¡¯s anxious expression with him breaking in a cold sweat.
¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°A-Aren. Aren Montrea. Nice to meet you.¡± Aren nervously answered.
Aren figured that revealing your name would be something of a trust gesture showing the other that you mean no harm. And so that''s exactly what he did.
¡°And uh¡ Misha¡¯s in the back. Misha!¡±
Shortly after being called, Misha came out from behind with her hands surrounded by glowing blue glyphs. If her burrowed eyebrows and intense stare weren¡¯t an intention to harm, then it would be her remark.
¡°Get away from him.¡±
Before this standoff could go on any further, Aren set himself between the two girls, one hand swiftly and tightly holding the spear and the other lowering Misha¡¯s. Seris tried to pull back her spear, but Aren¡¯s strength wouldn¡¯t let her. Misha on the other hand, reluctantly drew away her spell and instead settled with glaring at Seris. Aren let go after, with Seris taking the opportunity to step back and gain some distance between her and the two.
¡°Look, we don¡¯t want to fight.¡±
¡°I do.¡± Misha butted in.
¡°...We don¡¯t want to fight. I¡¯m sorry if I agitated you earlier, but I..:¡± Aren raised his hand at chest level, facing the palms towards her ¡°...won¡¯t be doing anything harmful.¡±
Seris doesn¡¯t seem convinced.
¡°What about her?¡±
Aren was pretty sure that Misha wasn¡¯t going to escalate this thing any further, only to find himself wrong when he realized that the faint glow from the side of his vision was from her powering up her spell again. Misha stopped after Aren slapped her hands away.
¡°Either way, I don¡¯t trustany of you. Coincidentally showing up afterthefight is suspicious, and the fact that your friend there tried to sling spells at me doesn¡¯t seem very welcoming at all.¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡± Aren replied in disbelief ¡°You were the one who almost shoved a spear to my throat! My throat! What kind of friend would not see you as a threat by then? Hm? I didn¡¯t even do anything yet to deserve that kind of treatment!¡±
¡°They who strikes first gets the advantage.¡±
Aren responded with closing his mouth, not wanting to say anything more with how much this little snot is being an imprudent little brat. His disappointment was expressed clearly through his gestures, which was shown with utmost intent to make this girl understand how much she is being disliked. This act of disapproval was dismissed by Seris turning around in a ¡®hmph¡¯, which did not improve her first impression at all.
¡°Do not follow me anymore, if you know what¡¯s best for you.¡±
Well, Aren expected this much from a noble royalty like her.
Seris disappeared shortly after into the forest, leaving behind the bear. Aren, still salty about earlier, decided to harvest the bear for everything it¡¯s worth to sell back at the town. The extra funds will be good for their scouting trip since Stan technically did not set any deadline for the task. For a moment there were only the sun¡¯s light and silence that filled the area, along with some sickening sounds made from stabbing flesh. Misha only looked at the direction where Seris disappeared into.
¡°Hey, Aren.¡±
Misha finally spoke up, making Aren stop to look at her.
¡°Let¡¯s follow her.¡±
¡°Aw hell no!¡±
Aren shot up in disagreement, making an ¡°x¡± with his hands to emphasize his decision. Misha looked back at Aren with worried eyes. Knowing his friend, Aren knows she is genuinely worried about that one.
¡°You tried to ice her with magic earlier. What made you change your mind?¡±
¡°She¡¯s going deeper into the forest.¡±
It took Aren cranking his head for a while before realizing what Misha meant.
¡°She¡¯s here with the same goal as us.¡±
It was reasonable, seeing that Seris was using a divine spear and had a full set outfit that boosted her attributes. If she¡¯s going to go in full gear, that would mean she¡¯s going to fight something nasty. If he¡¯s right, it might be even the same target as they were trying to scout. It would be problematic if the task was finished by someone else, since he knows that Stan would just give another ridiculous test to replace it. The forest¡¯s location would also mean that one of its sides would be directly facing Rosenvolt, and without Aren¡¯s interference, they would have most likely noticed the increase in monster appearances. Though he doesn¡¯t know why Rosenvolt didn¡¯t send in any soldier or adventurer earlier in the first place.
There¡¯s also uncertainty, uncertain if Seris is enough with how she went in with those equipment. Sure her stats are incredible, but if she¡¯s going so far as to even wield a divine weapon, then there¡¯s a probability that she isn¡¯t that confident in taking on the culprit. Is she¡¯s going to fail, then it would mean that the monster responsible would be more aggressive knowing that it is now being actively hunted, which is the worst case scenario.
¡°I really don¡¯t like her, but it doesn¡¯t mean I should leave her to the dangers of this forest.¡± Misha worrily said.
¡°Didn¡¯t you see the bear?¡± Aren asked, presenting the dead bear in front of him with his hands.
¡°Aren, you can take on a bear in a one on one. What are you trying to prove?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a bear.¡± Aren emphasized.
Misha looked at him with determined eyes. She could get very stubborn sometimes, and this is something Aren can''t steer into his advantage. He has no other choice but to give in.
¡°Ok, fine. We¡¯re gonna follow her.¡±
The meat and hide that was harvested from the bear was thrown away to prevent any deadweight in what they are about to do. Yes, they were about to stalk the poor girl on her way to slay whatever monstrosity lies ahead. Despite the malicious intent this action would imply, as well as breaking her warning, Misha seems happy before returning back at Aren¡¯s side, waiting for him to start.
¡°If anything happens, I¡¯m blaming this on you.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine. I understand.¡±
With a sigh, Arenstepped into the forest again with Misha following close.
Seris made her way inside the forest with her eyes peeled for anything suspicious. She can¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯s being watched by someone, or something. Her perception stat isn¡¯t that high, so this thing she¡¯s heard about may be the one responsible for this feeling, namely ¡°Women¡¯s Intuition¡±. She frankly doesn¡¯t know how it works, but it¡¯s a woman¡¯s thing apparently and it¡¯s supposed to work mysteriously. All the time spent on training wasn¡¯t really compatible with a lady¡¯s ways, and so she wasn¡¯t even aware that such a thing existed in every female there is. She didn¡¯t believe that it would work, but now she¡¯s having second thoughts.
The people earlier didn¡¯t seem like bad people, nor did they even know who she was with their casual attitude. It seemed like they were adventurers, or aspiring adventurers if she¡¯s mistaken. She didn¡¯t really mean to lunge forward with ¡°Flash Step¡±, but reflexes are something she can¡¯t easily control. It was thus very fortunate that the encounter didn¡¯t escalate, seeing that her nervousness just made them wary of her, which was fine anyway. The task she had at hand was not something she¡¯d want others to participate or get involved in since it would defeat its purpose. She just wishes that her encounter with the two earlier had gone better. Still, the chance of them being an opposition was there, so she couldn¡¯t risk it.
And so she treaded with her spear at the ready. She never knows when will another enemy strike at her, and judging from the 9 monsters she encountered earlier, she at least knows it will be soon. Health and mana were kept in check and conserved, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t waste any of it more than what was needed. She¡¯s thankfully still full of health, and her mana is might as well be considered full. The monsters were, after all, just small fries that cannot even stand up to Maharlika¡¯s might. Then again, this forest is known to be rather easy due to how weak the monsters and beasts are.
Still, it doesn¡¯t mean she should let her guard down. She¡¯s here for a task she imposed upon herself, and it would be shameful if she were to fail and come back to Rosenvolt empty-handed. A royalty¡¯s name is worth their merits, and she must prove to her peers that she¡¯s good enough. She must prove to her father that she¡¯s worthy of being a heir.
She tightly gripped her spear on one hand, swinging occasionally to remove hindrances along the way. The air around her started to get heavier as she drew near to the center of the forest, something that was unnatural given that the forest shouldn¡¯t have that much ambient mana to begin with. A denser mana ambience can be caused by many things, and among those things include things that aren¡¯t exactly harmless. Knowing these possibilities, she came in full gear in case something like a demon decides to be the culprit. Proving one¡¯s self doesn¡¯t always involve battles, and it is most true when you are a noble or a royalty where they must know not only how to fight, but to manage and lead as well. However, having not given any opportunities to show off on the latter, she¡¯ll have to prove herself in another way. That way being finding the source of the increased monster appearance and putting a stop to it.
As the atmosphere around her gets denser and denser, she realized she has stepped into a territory unheard of from any of the reports she has seen. The area was darker as if the sun was being prevented to shine, while a mist was slowly making itself known as she walked closer. A dreadful feeling washed over Seris, and she trembled. Never did she ever felt fear so strong that it would literally make her shake uncontrollably. There was no mistake, this is where the source is.
Despite her body resisting to move on, she steeled herself and moved forward with a silent prayer. The resolve she had was strengthened so that she may complete the task, and come back in one piece. The unease she felt in her heart from the very moment she arrived however started to grow. The place was eerily quiet, and her mind was screaming to back off. It did not stop her unfortunately as she stepped ever more closer to the cause of it all. She needs to do this. She must do this.
Seris was finally inside a clearing after a while of walking, but what was waiting inside was not something she expected. Her eyes grew wide open when she realized why the place was dreadfully uneasy to even stay at. It finally occurred to her why no one dared to go deep into the forest.
¡°Who daressss enter my domain?¡±
It wasn¡¯t because of a magical barrier, or a dungeon. Instead, what greeted her was a looming, shadow-like horned snake. Its ominous red eyes stared deep into her like daggersstabbing her soul. It was in this moment that she questioned the gods; out of all things, why did it had to be anabyssal?
An Errand 3
¡°Aren, do you think she¡¯s okay?¡±
The duo was currently at the edge of the mist that was just right in front of them. The plants around the area have become darker in shade, as well as the light being dimmer than usual as if it was covered with thick with trees. Aren was currently debating on himself whether to follow Seris in or to leave her be, both of which contains consequences.
¡°She¡¯s going to be okay. Probably.¡±
Aren was frankly not sure if she¡¯s even alive with all the creepy aura this place is giving off. It¡¯s unnerving. If there¡¯s one thing he learned in horror movies, it¡¯s that you should never go inside this kind of place. Going inside without even knowing what¡¯s in store for them is just plain stupid, relating to Stan¡¯s advice. Thus, Aren normally concluded that they should back off, turn around, and report it to Stan.
¡°We need to go in.¡±
Unfortunately, Misha had a different idea. Aren turned to face Misha in an annoyed manner.
¡°Misha, are you serious? Look at this place!¡±
Misha then looked at Aren with serious eyes, taking Aren slightly aback. He knew this look, and he knew this was bad news.
¡°She¡¯s going to go as far as to go in knowing how creepy this place is. She must have a very good reason.¡±
¡°For goodness sake Misha!¡± Aren argued ¡°For all we know, she could be out of her mind! You gotta be crazy to be walking in there without a group with you.¡±
Aren paced around, trying to find a way to convince Misha to back out. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had to persuade Misha to look to the other side and it will certainly be not the last. He would usually not create a big deal about this, but this is different. They are dealing with an uncharted part of the forest which may house something that they have never seen before. It was therefore only logical to think that it¡¯s a stupid thing to pursue the spear dancer any longer.
¡°Look, I get it that you¡¯re worried for her, but what can we do? We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s inside there, and you¡¯re telling me that we should go in just to save some stranger who, I might add, almost shanked me with a spear!¡±
¡°I know!¡± Misha argued back ¡°It¡¯s just that¡¡±
Misha trailed off, looking at the abyss of a forest that stared back at her. It wasn¡¯t just because of her usual concern for every people she meets, but it feels as if something wrong will happen if they don¡¯t do anything. She had always followed Aren¡¯s footsteps of always thinking logically, but her heart would always have the biggest say in most matters. Her instincts tells her to go inside along with Aren, and it¡¯s tugging her every thought to make the decision.
¡°...are we really going to let her be? She¡¯s going in there, alone.¡±
Aren crossed his arms, listening to what Misha has to say. It¡¯s not as if he¡¯s against the idea of following Seris in, which he actually strongly is, but if she were to give a good enough of a reason then he might reconsider and do the stupid. It¡¯s not that he hates the girl, but he wouldn¡¯t just go and help someone who hasn¡¯t even given their name without a good reason. However, this is turning into a direction of morality in which he cannot ride along.
¡°Didn¡¯t you realize how she warded us off? She wasn¡¯t threatening us. She was warning us.¡±
Misha swiveled her eyes back to Aren, determined and resolved.
¡°She probably didn¡¯t want us to follow because she knew the risks of what she is about to do. Are you just going to let a defenseless-¡±
¡°Ahem.¡± Aren interrupted.
¡°I mean, a lonely girl alone in this lonesome forest?¡±
Aren sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.
¡°Misha, you may think I¡¯m a goody two-shoes, but we both know I punched a child because he stole a Gail from me. If we¡¯re going to talk about morality, at least let it be in a situation where it¡¯s appropriate-¡±
¡°How about gaining her favour. Her stuff looked expensive, so she might be a noble.¡±
Aren lifted Misha up like a sack of potatoes without notice, surprising her, then dashed deeper into the dark forest much to her chagrin.
This was a reason he can get behind on. Of course, Seris is affiliated with a royal family. Misha may not know it, but Aren does, and he¡¯s not going to let this opportunity pass by. Sure, he may have yelled at her for being an imprudent brat, but there''s always a second impression. If everything goes well, he may even have the support of Seris¡¯ family, and no one would dare go against anyone with the slightest hint of affiliation of a royal family. This was a chance too good to be ignored. The best part about this is that it¡¯s rather easy. All he needs to do is make sure Seris comes out alive or by assisting her whenever necessary.
Aren¡¯s enthusiasm didn¡¯t last for long however when he felt fear slowly ebbing to his mind. Just as expected, this part of this forest is unnaturally creepy and filled with denser than normal ambient mana that has formed into a thick mist. Looking back at the way where he came from, he can¡¯t even see far enough to see the light of the entrance. The whole area have become so dim that it¡¯s as if it were almost night time. Aren slowly stopped to put Misha down, who seems to be feeling the same dread as him.
¡°What is this place?¡±
Aren took some time scouring his environment. The sun was almost completely blocked out, and all around them were just ominous plants, trees, and mist. It looks as if they¡¯ve come into a whole new world. A whole new world that is passively making them tremble despite the lack of obvious threats and dangers around them. He had already knew that this was a bad idea.
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know.¡±
A force so foul is at play here, and the worst part hasn¡¯t showed itself to them yet. In the moment of silence of figuring out the existence of this place, the ground rumbled as if something heavy just descended upon the earth. The duo naturally headed towards the source, forcing themselves to move despite the cold fear. There¡¯s something wrong about all of this, and they¡¯ve made the willing mistake to involve themselves.
Seris dashed from one place to another, avoiding the humongous tail that haunts her every move. The giant abyssal that stayed still in its spot never released its gaze from her, trying to crush her with its tail with every opportunity it can get. Its jaws then opened to demand with its reverberant three-fold voice.
¡°Ssstop moving, little girl. Ssstop being ssstubborn and ssstay ssstill.¡±
Of course, Seris is not going to follow the oversized snake¡¯s demands. Despite its size, it can surprisingly attack fast enough to keep up with her speed. It¡¯s because of this that she can¡¯t get any closer, along with the fact that the abyssal can actually spit out venom. Acidic venom, if the melted earth around it were of any indication. Moving to and fro, evading and dodging are the only things he can do for now. Her eyes kept caution to find any openings she can exploit, but the dreaded abyssal wouldn¡¯t let her.
Miniature craters were left at the wake of the abyssal¡¯s tail as it chased Seris ever more. Just one hit from that would be enough to cripple her, and so she would not stop moving until then. With the proficiency she has gained over training, she was practically untouchable despite the abyssal¡¯s speed. But even masters cannot run indefinitely. Sooner or later, she¡¯ll have to regain her stamina from all the running and evading she¡¯ve been doing and she¡¯ll be too exhausted to dodge any more. She cannot win with the battle of attrition, and so she must end this fight as fast as she can.
Every abyssal known to Alterea all had one thing in common; they are entities of fear. These fearful monsters harbor corrupted auras and vile souls, and are true embodiments of heresy against the gods. They are often identified by the natural dread and terror they emit from themselves, a consequence of a living being¡¯s natural instinct against these ominous heretics. Even the most proficient mind mage cannot suppress the terror they give off, for it attacks the soul itself. However, it is because of this that they are the weakest of all against anything holy.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
An abyssal is deathly weak against the holy, with even those with the faintest of holiness would be enough to damage an abyssal. But one cannot simply walk to an abyssal without it being agitated. They can sense divinity and holiness, making the only people that could stand a chance practically always visible to the abyssal itself. This is also true for any item that happens to be blessed. With Maharlika by her side, she''ll have a chance of striking down the abyssal for good.
In this case, Seris was thankful that all of those books about the general bestiary of Alterea were forced on her by her trainer. If she hadn¡¯t known those, she might¡¯ve already given up and let death take her. Anyone who has seen this monster would know why Seris would think of doing so.
The abyssal¡¯s body was darkened by the shadow of it¡¯s own visible corrupted aura. It appears as a long coil of dark cloud, with its glowing red eyes illuminating in where its head should be. Its horns makes itself distinct from its body, as if separate from the apparition. This horn faintly glows red, with it getting brighter as it nears the tip. Thus Seris cannot fully see the actual snake, but the light from its eyes and horns reveals the scaled face a snake would have, and its hidden fang whenever it would open its jaws. It¡¯s because of these features that Seris could only think of the abyssal as not a snake, but something else entirely.
The irritated abyssal finally started to move, withdrawing its tail to raise its head. Seris, finally having the opportunity to rest, stopped on her tracks to face the monstrosity. Her spear drawn at the ready, she awaits for a chance to strike. One good thrust into the abyssal¡¯s stomach should be enough to take it down. She clutched her spear tightly, springing into a stance to prepare for her decisive blow.
The abyssal reared its head, but when she was about to go in, its horns brightly shone red as a shockwave knocks dust and leaves away from itself, prompting Seris to block. She peeled her eyes a moment after against the wind, only to witness the abyssal glaring at her very eyes. Chills ran down her spine to the sudden realization of what was about to hit her.
In an instant, the giant abyssal shrieked and howled with such power that it shook the earth and routed the wind. Two frills suddenly protrude from the sides of its head as they shake violently to the vibration, serving more intimidation to the terrified Seris. She somehow managed to stay in one place, but found herself to be immobile and intensely trembling from the abyssal¡¯s dreaded shriek. She was then suddenly flung to the side like a fly and into a nearby tree after the abyssal¡¯s tail whipped her away. Maharlika landed itself next to a crippled Seris, bloodied and bruised.
¡°I told you to ssstay ssstill, yet you didn¡¯t lisssten. Ssshameful and ssstubborn.¡±
Seris tried to reach for Maharlika, but she could not find the strength to wield her weapon again. She could only do nothing but cough out blood and watch in horror as the abyssal slowly made its way to her. That single hit from the abyssal disjointed her elbow and fractured her ribs, causing her to have difficulties in breathing. It only took a single hit from it to effectively take her out of the battle.
¡°If you had ssstopped, you wouldn¡¯t have to sssuffer.¡±
The abyssal once again lifted its tail, only for it to unwrap into an appendage with three finger-like protrusions, then picked the helpless girl up. Seris didn¡¯t even have the strength to struggle and could do nothing against it.
¡°But do not worry, it will be over sssoon.¡±
Seris closed her eyes, accepting her fate as she was lifted up high over the abyssal¡¯s opened jaws. Her life flashed before her, with all the memories of the good and the bad giving her a nostalgic feeling. She remembered her family that once supported her. Most of all, she remembered her father and the words he would speak to her. He was right. He was right all along.
¡°Forgive me father¡ forgive me all... I failed you.¡±
The abyssal suddenly paused, suspending Seris in the air with its tail. A presence unexpectedly made itself known as a tiny speck in the distance. The problem is, the presence seems to be getting closer in a ridiculous amount of speed. Curious and intrigued, the abyssal decided to stall the time to inspect the rapidly nearing visitor.
Meanwhile, Seris opened her eyes after realizing she¡¯s still not in the abyssal¡¯s stomach yet. She found the abyssal facing to its side. Not long however, she could soon notice the instantaneous expression of surprise from its face, as well the whistle that was quickly increasing in volume.
¡°AAAAHHHHH!!!¡±
Selis then fell without notice, only to realize that the abyssal has been hit in the head by something so blindingly fast that it whirred past them and destroyed the trees in its path. She could hear the object whack and crash along the forest while she fell rapidly down to the ground. Everything happened so fast, there wasn¡¯t even enough time for her to blink.
¡°I got you!¡±
Misha was already at the ground before Seris could fall any more, catching her just in time. Unfortunately for Misha, she didn¡¯t take into account Seris¡¯ weight before she almost broke her spine after cushioning her fall with her arms, with the catching alone taking all of the air from her lungs. To save herself from any encumberment, she had to put her on the ground before preparing her spell.
¡°W-what?¡± Seris asked dumbly.
¡°N-no time to¡ huff... explain.¡± Misha said as she gestured her hands for casting.
As Misha hastily casted a spell, Seris looked back at the abyssal that once overwhelmed her, now howling in pain as it flailed its body wildly. The damage seems to be insignificant, but its screams of agony says otherwise. Luckily for the both of them, the force of the impact was enough to disorient it and give enough time for Misha to finish her spell.
Misha finished casting her spell, letting a portal open before her that ends away from the clearing. Misha hurriedly dragged Seris on the other side of the portal, before going back to retrieve Maharlika. The abyssal has recovered by then, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch Misha before she closed the portal with Maharlika in hand.
Misha had to dive jump into the other side to avoid the abyssal¡¯s grasp and just barely made it, and thus why now she found herself lying on the ground with heavy breathing, clutching Maharlika tightly. She looked over to her side to see Seris struggling to breathe as she eyes the red head.
¡°W-why?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s Misha we¡¯re talking about.¡±
Aren suddenly shows himself from behind the tree Seris was leaning on, causing her to recoil as well as hurting herself in the process. Aren was insulted by her shock, but refrained from saying anything for the sake of second impressions.
¡°Careful. You¡¯re badly injured.¡±
Seris eyeballs Aren, who was ironically more or less in the same shape as she is. It seems as if a torrent of attacks hit him all at once, considering that one of his arms and legs are limp and his body is full of fresh wounds. The padded tunic and pants that once covered hisbody is now tattered and is in a dire need of repair.
¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±
Aren shrugged, albeit with pain and difficulty.
¡°I¡¯ve been through worse.¡±
Aren then placed himself on the other side of the tree, sitting down to the ground full of dead leaves and twigs prickling his bottom. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable place to be in, and frankly the whole place is really shitty to stay on, but he can do nothing about it right now except complain. Misha have calmed down enough to give back Maharlika as well as hand a health potion to Seris, who expressed her gratitude.
¡°Thank you... ¡°
Misha sweetly smiled as a reply. She then went and gave Aren another bottle to help him recover. Seris gazed at the two for a second, before turning her attention on the potion.
Looking at the potion on her hand, Seris contemplated on what has just transpired in the past few minutes. She nearly died in the hands, or tail rather, of an abyssal that was surely much stronger then her. She even thought she could have an advantage against it just because she has Maharlika by her side, only to realize soon after how naive she has been.
¡°Father was right¡¡± she softly mumbled.
Time and time again she felt the need to prove herself to her family. They were all outstanding people, her siblings and especially her father who have been there for her since forever. Yet despite the excellence of her family, she was the only one who was inferior. Talentless, with no promise on becoming a potential heir of the royal family. She was always below them no matter how hard she tried. They say it¡¯s fine, they say it¡¯s okay, that they¡¯ll still love her no matter what. Eden so, their love couldn''t erase her bitterness. She can¡¯t accept the feeling of inferiority, and she did want to prove to herself and to others that she¡¯s capable. She wanted to show them.
And so she trained in the only thing she¡¯s mildly good at; combat. She trained and trained until her footwork was practically flawless, until her movements were akin to a beautiful dance, until Maharlika chose her. However, her accomplishments weren''t even outstanding in the slightest to the others that shared the Rosen family name. Her siblings were in an unfair distance ahead of her, and the only thing she took pride of only shattered once she realized that she could not reach what the others have achieved.
Her father had already warned her to never be too stubborn, to never try to reach something without knowing the path ahead of her. She has been too focused on her inferiority that she has started to neglect what she already has. Alas, no matter how hard her father would speak to her, she never listened. Instead she stubbornly followed what she blindly desired into this cursed forest. And now, she regrets it. How her fixation got the best of her, how she ignored the words of the person that loved her the most.
Now she knows. It was never meant for her to be better than her siblings, or even just to be better at anything at all. Even the spear that gave her newfound hope only filled her now with doubts. Is she even truly worthy to be its chosen? Why did Maharlika choose someone as stubborn and weak as her? Every second that passed only filled her heart more and more with doubt and sorrow.
It was only a miracle that she survived. Even the heavens took pity of her weakness by giving her a second chance. She was so pitiful that she needed two people to save her. She was so pitiful that she needed to meet death before she could truly realize what she really is. She was so pitiful, that the gods¡¯ merciful eyes wanted to see her try once again, but she can¡¯t anymore. After what has happened, she doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever be able to repent and repay. What only remained in her was a shattered soul, trapped within her own inferiority.
One more time did she look at the red liquid inside the vial, before slowly gulping the potion. She had hoped that her body¡¯s recovery would ease her thoughts. Her wounds healed, bones fixed, and body felt better than ever. She slowly lowered the now empty bottle and placed it on the ground, shedding tears. Sadly, the feeling of revitalization that washed over her seemed so insignificant from the misery she felt.
¡°It¡¯s bitter¡¡±
Seris then could only gaze on the ground after, softly weeping and brooding. For a moment, for a precious while, she trembled not in the grasp of fear, but the sadness and regret that welled in her heart.
An Errand 4
Aren faced the direction of the abyssal and, with his ranger skill [Hunting Instinct], made sure that the abyssal wasn¡¯t coming after them. He can sense how near a monster is and its general direction, with the feeling getting stronger the closer it is or the stronger it is than him. Even though he¡¯s in a fair distance away from that monster of darkness, the feeling was still strong and almost palpable. It hasn¡¯t increased in intensity, so the enemy might have decided to not chase after them.
There¡¯s something that he has been thinking about, and that is the passive trembling his body has been doing since their arrival.
| General Info |
| Name: |
Aren Montrea |
| Affiliation: |
None |
| Level: |
37 |
| Age: |
10 |
Gender: |
Male |
| Jobs |
| Jack of All Trades |
Brawler |
Mage |
Rogue |
| Ranger |
|
|
|
| Health: |
1032/1563 (+4/min) |
| Mana: |
436/616 (+2/min) |
| Fame: |
91 |
| Experience Points: |
56,792 |
| Strength: |
773 |
Vitality: |
414 |
| Endurance: |
626 |
Agility: |
476 |
| Dexterity: |
411 |
Perception: |
314 |
| Intelligence: |
221 |
Wisdom: |
232 |
| Fortitude: |
193 |
Charm: |
21 |
| Faith: |
10 |
Luck: |
21 |
| Bonuses: |
| It''s Me!
Here''s a gift. |
| Status Effects: |
| Soul Terror: Your body passively experiences minor tremors. Fear strengthens the effect. Can cause paralysis. |
|
Thankfully, it¡¯s just that; bodily tremors. It only makes things harder to do but doesn¡¯t actually affect anything else as long as he is not extensively scared. Of course he still feels afraid, but it¡¯s so weak that it¡¯s basically just background noise to him now.
He suddenly felt something cold on his neck, then turned around to find Misha handing him a health potion. It wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable having open wounds on your body, so he gladly accepted and drank from it. Being tired from the earlier ordeal, Misha sat upon the place next to Aren to rest as well.
¡°Are we safe?¡± she asked.
¡°Bueh.¡± Aren spat, still not used to the potion¡¯s taste. ¡°Yep, we¡¯re good. It¡¯s not moving any closer to us.¡±
The potion began work and healed him up. Aren looked at his side to see Seris sitting just near them. Seris had already recovered from another health potion Misha gave her, but now she¡¯s only sitting down with her spear on her lap. Her gaze faced downwards, and her expression full of grim.
¡°Is she going to be okay?¡± he asked.
Misha followed his gaze, and became concerned as well.
¡°I hope so. We¡¯re going to need her to come with us, if we¡¯re going with your intent.¡± Misha replied. ¡°Even if we want to help her, we can¡¯t if we don¡¯t even know what¡¯s bothering her.¡±
¡°Why not just ask?¡±
¡°Aren. You can¡¯t just go to a depressed person and casually say ¡®Yo, what¡¯s the problem?¡¯¡± she argued, saying the last part in the best Aren impression she can.
The impression was so spot on that Aren didn¡¯t even bother to be irritated. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re the expert here.¡±
Aren started approaching Seris, which was quickly interrupted by Misha grabbing his arm. It was clear in her face that she¡¯s serious about the whole situation, wanting Aren to stay back or else he¡¯ll make it worse. But Aren stubbornly pressed on, ignoring Misha¡¯s miniscule strength before her hold was broken.
¡°Yo, can you still get up?¡±
Seris looked up at Aren, before staring at the side. She wasn¡¯t in the best mood to do anything right now, but figured it would be rude to not give an answer to an innocent question.
¡°Yes, I can, but I won¡¯t.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±
Seris suddenly found herself being carried like a sack of potatoes. Her face stuck, stupefied, and the situation barely registered on her head, before she started to flail around. Aren casually adjusted her on his shoulder as she flailed.
¡°W-what are you doing?!¡± asked the confused Seris.
¡°Aren! What are you doing?!¡± Misha asked as well.
Aren took Maharlika and carried it over on his other shoulder. Seris naturally yanked the spear away from him, and was about to whack him in the head before he talked.
¡°It¡¯s clear as day that she won¡¯t go. So I¡¯ll have to force her to get out with us.¡± reasoned Aren.
Aren himself doesn¡¯t want to resort to this method, but it¡¯s his only hand. He can try and let Misha talk it out with her, but he doesn¡¯t know for sure if she¡¯ll succeed. He can also try do the talking, but having a [Lv.3 Persuasion] with a low charm isn¡¯t going to do a lot for him. He¡¯s pretty sure that her current mood is drastically putting his chances in the negative side, so he didn¡¯t bother. The only surefire way he could get her out of here was force, and what other way could he do that other than literally carrying her out?
¡°Can you not at least respect my decision?¡± Seris angrily protested.
¡°And then what? Leave you to die?¡±
Seris fell silent for a while, prompting Misha to look at her with worry.
¡°Yes¡¡±
Misha looked at Aren, who shrugged at her. Knowing that Aren is right, she finally agreed to his idea.
¡°Don¡¯t let her go.¡± Misha demanded.
Aren obliged by adjusting Seris on his shoulder along with a nod.
¡°What? You as well?¡±
¡°Do you think your life is dispensable?¡± she suddenly asked Seris, walking around Aren to face her. ¡°We are not just going to let you die. Don''t just decide on your own about waht you''ll do with your life.¡±
Seris silently stared at Misha¡¯s eyes.
¡°Just, please. Don¡¯t be so selfish.¡±
Misha tugged on Aren to start walking, clearly upset. He shook his head, then continued on their way with Misha by his side, and Seris over his shoulder. However, Misha¡¯s agitated scolding wasn¡¯t enough to completely stop Seris from actively complaining and wriggling on Aren¡¯s shoulder. He¡¯s surprisingly really strong as she can barely pry herself free from his grasp.
¡°Release me! This is beyond unreasonable!¡±
Sighing can be heard from Aren¡¯s mouth.
¡°You¡¯re the one being unreasonable here.¡±
¡°How come?! I did not ask to be saved, much less be dragged out of this place against my will!¡±
Aren pensively, almost mockingly, tapped his chin as he looked up.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Well let¡¯s see¡ you¡¯re really stupid. That¡¯s all.¡±
Aren felt pain from the back of his head. He was hit by something really hard, as if it was a spear.
¡°Your rudeness was not asked for.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t have to whack me. Geez.¡± Aren complained, scratching the back of his head.
In truth, there were many reasons Aren could probably spout at her, but he isn¡¯t so insensitive that he¡¯ll do that though. Her expression before was imprinted on his mind, and he doesn¡¯t want that to happen again. Contrary though, it wasn¡¯t out of his goodwill but rather it would be an annoyance if she turned back like that. That kind of attitude won¡¯t bode well with his plan. She¡¯ll probably anchor herself if she did that, so he absolutely had to make her move no matter what.
That is why she is now over his shoulder, and making her irritated to take her mind off whatever that was in her thoughts. Misha tried to stop him before but decided to go with it once she understood Seris was indeed serious about staying. She wanted to talk to her and wanted Aren to not resort to this kind of method, but she had no choice as she doesn¡¯t even know her circumstances.
¡°It seems that you absolutely won¡¯t let go of me. Fine. Let us have it your way then.¡± Seris finally conceded.
Misha looked back at Seris who were hanging like a sack of potatoes. She was momentarily surprised after seeing her expression, but eventually felt relieved and giggled. Seris was pouting, almost childishly at that. It was as if a father was carrying her stubborn daughter, a scene that alleviated Misha¡¯s mood somewhat. Hearing Misha giggle of course made Seris glare at her, but she had already looked away the moment she turned her head.
As for Seris, she didn¡¯t really think that she would be carried like this by some person she just met. She was carried in a manner that was unsightly and embarrassing, something a royalty like her absolutely would not want to be subjected into. The only ones that would do this to her was her father when she was a child, and her combat instructor. That is why she couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated and flustered. On one hand, she felt a nostalgic sense of security from being carried, but on the other, it feels wrong when a stranger does it. She wants to be put down, but also not.
The conflicting feelings all naturally turned into the pout she is currently wearing on her face. Though she isn¡¯t aware of it, being carried like a child somehow awoke something inside of her and started to drown her other emotions. Maybe all she really wanted was for someone to stop her. Someone to slap her across the face and tell her that she¡¯s being a pain. Being forcibly opposed breathed relief on her for some reason.
Seris held Maharlika and gazed at it for a while, noticing the tremor that her body¡¯s still doing. She forgot about it, but it seems that this trembling is not exactly from fear. Sure, she¡¯s a little afraid, but not to a point that she would be petrified like what happened earlier.
That point of her life made her realize a lot, one of them being her absolute inferiority. Despite having years of training, and Maharlika in hand, she was still driven to death¡¯s doorstep easily. Knowing that, gloom slowly seeped back to her mind again, threatening to put her back into that sad state again.
¡°You know, I was worried back there.¡±
Aren¡¯s voice snapped Seris out of her thoughts. She looked at his back incredulously, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t see her expression.
¡°Why would you be?¡±
¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t make it.¡±
¡°With those injuries? You shouldn¡¯t have made it.¡±
Seris haughtily huffed at his statement. Remembering earlier, he was badly injured when he appeared behind her earlier, evident from his tattered clothing. He must¡¯ve fought some monsters before coming here and took all the blows. But she has to hand it to him, he¡¯s pretty tough to be able to survive all of the injuries he sustained. Granted many of them were shallow, but it was a significant amount of damage nevertheless.
¡°But not unless if you shoot through the air.¡±
Her mind grinded to a halt after Seris heard Aren say that. She wasn¡¯t sure if they are even talking about the same thing. But more than that, he apparently claims he ¡°shot through the air¡± which were a very familiar set of words for her.
¡°I overshot a little and didn¡¯t actually know the exact angle and direction I had to go for, but it thankfully worked somehow.¡±
It finally dawned upon her what he meant by ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t make it.¡±
¡°Wait... that thing that flew... it was you?!¡±
¡°Hm? Is it that surprising?¡± Aren asked casually.
¡°Of course it is!¡± flared Seris, surprising both Aren and Misha ¡°You could¡¯ve died you madman! You¡¯re even more stupid than I am, moron!¡±
This was a development that both Aren and Misha did not expect. They thought that Seris wouldn¡¯t care about it with their first impression of her. Misha might¡¯ve held an ounce of hope that Seris wasn¡¯t like that, but even she believed it to be unlikely. As such, it was surprising for them that she would just suddenly scold Aren from this.
¡°Think before you act, idiot!¡±
But before Aren could think properly, Seris had already berated him. The insult wasn¡¯t what irked him, but the fact that she thought he didn¡¯t think. The highest form of insult anyone could spit at him would be anything related to not using his brain.
¡°Hah?! You¡¯re the one to talk!¡± argued Aren.
¡°Be careful. Your rear is exposed.¡± Misha chimed in teasingly.
¡°And it looks like it has a mighty need to be spanked.¡± threatened Aren while wiggling his fingers menacingly.
¡°Eek! Don¡¯t!¡±
Seris tried to cover her hind, but couldn¡¯t do so. Feeling very exposed and vulnerable, she started to borderline cry. All of this could end if she just whacks Aren repeatedly until he let¡¯s go, but couldn¡¯t actually bring herself to do it. Is it because she has been recently conscious about her own ability? If she can¡¯t even break free from him, how did she think she¡¯ll be able to resist their persistence? Or is it because she subconsciously wanted company after avoiding it for so long? Once again she felt very weak and could only look at her spear.
¡°But you know, it¡¯s shocking.¡±
Aren once again snapped Seris out of her thoughts. It¡¯s almost as if Aren can sense that Seris is going to lapse into a state of depression again.
¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.
¡°I thought you¡¯d be the kind to not be worried over something like this.¡±
¡°You do care about us even though we just met, just like us.¡± Misha added.
Seris looked at Misha, who slowed down to look at her face to face, with confusion. It was natural for her get worried. They were speaking as if she¡¯s not human and didn¡¯t care for others.
¡°It means that Aren was right. You really are stupid.¡±
Misha followed up with a poke on her nose and a smile. This naturally fueled Seris with irritation, causing her to flail around as Misha gleefully retreated.
It was very ironic how Seris, who wanted to stay and die, scolded Aren for almost dying. She thought of Seris as someone who would just brush off Aren¡¯s earlier attempt of saving her. Her impression of her is cold, but strong and independent. These were the qualities of someone who wouldn¡¯t bother about someone else¡¯s achievements, only their own. It is why Seris warned them both to keep out from whatever she is doing. But for some reason she¡¯s being awfully less nonchalant and more expressive this time. Was it because of her defeat earlier? It¡¯s plausible that her sense of pride shattered in that very moment, and now she¡¯s someone who¡¯s given up.
What¡¯s even more surprising is the way Seris is currently acting. Despite all her annoyance and irritation towards them both, she hasn¡¯t shown the slightest bit of hostility. In fact, Misha can say that this doesn¡¯t feel any different from Aren teasing her. With these facts together, she can conclude that something switched in her mind in order for her to act like this.
Misha would like to rack her brain more, but she has a feeling that it would only lead to her viewing Seris in a pointless perspective. Meanwhile, Aren is doing the exact opposite. He went into thinking overdrive, like he always do, and simulated numerous scenarios that would likely be the cause of her current attitude. Fortunately, he couldn¡¯t come up with anything concrete. Unfortunately, this only led him to overthink more.
¡°The two of you are being little brats. Can you not at least act a little more mature?¡± demanded Seris.
It was Aren this time who had his thoughts broken by Seris, snapping back into reality. However, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was indeed reality after hearing what Seris asked.
¡°What do you mean ¡®act a little more mature¡¯? We¡¯re still ten.¡± retorted Aren.
¡°Yes, ten, just like me. You don¡¯t see me acting like I child, do you?¡±
Aren and Misha looked at each other. Is she being ironic or hypocritical?
¡°Are you serious?¡± asked Aren, genuinely confused.
Seris only arched her eyebrow at Misha, not understanding what Aren meant by that. Misha sighed and shook her head. How come someone like this could be so dense on their own self? Even she knows how herself acts. Then again, Seris is someone who couldn¡¯t recognize the true value of her own self, so she¡¯s not that surprised.
¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t give up my immaturity just because you demanded it so.¡± Aren answered with Misha nodding along in agreement.
Seris on the other hand only grumbled after not understanding what these two meant. Well, it¡¯s not like she greatly cares anyway. As long as they do not get too ridiculous in what they do to her, she wouldn¡¯t do anything. Granted that she literally can¡¯t do anything because of Aren.
¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± Misha asked.
Aren, already knowing her name, forgot to ask before. It was a good thing he didn¡¯t just blurt out her name, or else he would¡¯ve been in big trouble. Ignorance showed through Aren¡¯s face as he waits for her answer. Seris thought for a while, before giving an answer.
¡°...Seris.¡± she answered meekly.
¡°Seris? What about your last name?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just Seris.¡± She affirmed with more vigor this time.
¡°Ah. Okay.¡±
Misha didn¡¯t press further as she understands. Although tempted to reveal her name, Aren refrained from doing so to avoid any trouble. If a royalty or a noble hides their last name then decides to just die, then their endeavor must be a secret that they keep from their own family. Maybe she¡¯s a runaway or a really stubborn one who wants to prove her family wrong. Either way, it was best not to get involve in her personal affairs. All he has to do is to get her out, get his and Misha¡¯s name known, then he¡¯ll let time do the rest. In order to do the second part though, he has to at least establish a friendly relationship with her.
¡°Nice to meet you Ris.¡±
Misha has already started the friendship route with a nickname.
¡°It¡¯s Seris!¡±
But Seris didn¡¯t agree.
¡°We heard you the first time Ris.¡±
¡°Argghh!¡±
However, she could not win against the combined might of these two.
The group continued to walk away from the center, often engaging in playful banters against each other. It was only until a few minutes later that they noticed something was off. They were still not anywhere near the border with them still inside the gloomy and dim forest, and Aren¡¯s [Hunting Instinct] hasn¡¯t change in the slightest. Another round of walking finally confirmed their worries. Not only were they unable to reach the outside, but they kept coming back to the same spot over and over again. They were undoubtedly trapped.
Trying to find another way, the group decided to walk into another direction still far from the center. They walked for a few minutes in dead silence until they reached a certain area. Seris then noticed that the both of them have suddenly stopped. Before she could say anything, she was put down and Aren walked forward, his eyes fixed on something. Turning around, she could not believe the scene before her.
As if it was kind of a nightmare, a mass grave of corpses and skeletons laid before her; haunting her very eyes.
An Errand 5
Aren walked around the area, inspecting the dead with his eyes. His face twisted to that of a grimace from the thought of all the lives that has been claimed in this place. From his estimation, there seems to be about more than 40 skeletons and corpses scattered around. There was a faint smell of rotten flesh from the dead bodies from the yet to be fully skeletonized corpses. Seeing this much dead bodies for the first time was an awful experience for the boy. It made him feel sick just watching all of these. It didn¡¯t help that they probably died from deprivation since they must¡¯ve been in the same circumstance as them.
If that were the case, then it must mean that they too did not know how to get out. But why? From the equipment they left behind, they shouldn¡¯t be short in preparations. Granted that nearly all of the corpses are still newbies judging from these equipment. There he paused, racking his brain to come up with an answer.
Misha was full of worry, but no one can see her frown hidden behind her hand. The scene before her was breathtaking in a bad way that she could not think properly. Her heart throbbed faster and her breathing became haggard as she discovers more and more of the dead. However, seeing Aren calmly assessing the place gave her resolve. She held her chest, and slowly calmed herself. This was not the time to get all worked-up. They are all dead, and there was nothing she could do about it. All she can do is pray that their souls could rest in peace.
Seris, on the other hand, only watched silently. Deep down however, she was conflicted and in deep regret. She believes that she is the reason why Aren and Misha are trapped here. They were doomed to this fate before them, and she didn¡¯t know any better. It would¡¯ve been fine if she was the only one to disappear, but she could not accept that two innocent people would go with her. Unable to contain her emotions, silence was broken through one word.
¡°No¡¡±
Seris fell on her rear, despair showing through her face. Both Aren and Misha turned around to find her eyes start to water again. The thought of indirectly murdering her newfound friends, her only friends, could not stop herself from weeping. Yes, she had already considered them as her friends from the short amount of time they have interacted. The Seris who hungered for company was devastated realizing that she would be the cause of her own and other¡¯s misery.
¡°Because of me, we will...¡±
She started losing it, trembling and shaking from the horrible future that awaited them.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
The same words came out from her mouth again and again as despair slowly seeped through her. She could only hold herself and cover her crying self as she repeatedly apologized. Misha, heartbroken after seeing Seris blame herself, tried to open her mouth and say something, but she was nudged aside by Aren. Her eyes immediately widened when she saw how he lifted Seris off the ground. He grabbed her by the collar, with Seris staring at him with wide eyes.
¡°Aren! Stop tha-¡±
¡°Listen here!¡±
But before Misha could stop Aren, he had already started to talk. Seris mind immediately halted, dumbly staring at Aren¡¯s infuriated face. He did not allow her to mope any longer, whether it was for good or for bad.
¡°Do you think that¡¯ll help?! Do you think being like that will make us feel better?!¡±
Aren¡¯s intense expression was something Misha has seen for the first time. Why is he so furious? She has never seen him like that before, as if he was a completely new person. Despite her time with him, there was still things she didn¡¯t know about him. All this time she thought that he knew him very well, but this moment only proved to her otherwise. Because of this, she couldn¡¯t even let out a word or do anything to stop Aren. She simply didn¡¯t know how to deal with him. He¡¯s not the Aren she used to know.
¡°B-but¡ It¡¯s my fault that you-¡±
¡°Bullshit!¡± Aren cut her off ¡°Just because you think it¡¯s true, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s absolutely true!¡±
He immediately let go, leaving Seris to fall back and look at him with dumbstruck eyes.
¡°Did you really think we would blame this on you? You¡¯re the only one doing this to yourself. Don¡¯t beat yourself up for a reason that doesn¡¯t even make any sense!¡±
Aren couldn¡¯t hold his anger this time. He hated anyone who cries for the wrong reason, at least in his own definition of what is the ¡°wrong¡± reason. Not because he despised the idea, but because he could see his past from such action that he hated it. Only memories long gone ran around his mind, reliving those moments that he tried so hard to forget. He couldn¡¯t stand it.
¡°B-but...¡± Seris was still in deep resentment of herself ¡°I¡¯m the one who dragged you along with me...¡±
He was about to explode.
¡°Who said that?¡±
But Misha intervened, surprising even Aren.
¡°We were the ones who followed you here by our own will. You did nothing to us at all.¡±
It was time for Misha to step in. She spared a quick angry glance at Aren, causing him to flinch and looked away. She could not stop him, so the only thing she could do was intervene and grab the conversation to herself. She didn¡¯t want to continue this any longer. Thankfully, Aren can regain some of his composure through an angry Misha.
She then lowered herself at Seris¡¯ eye level. Her tearful eyes met hers that were kind and reassuring. For the longest time, Misha had wanted to properly talk to her. Despite this was the highest peak of her emotion, she had to act now or it would all go downhill thanks to a certain somebody. Aren only knows how to solve a problem, not teach it, so she was always there to fill up what he was lacking. This time, she¡¯s going to be the support she has always been.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you think of us. It could be strangers, acquaintances, or maybe friends. But, please remember, it¡¯s not so wrong to rely on others. Don¡¯t try hold everything by yourself.¡±
Misha held her hand, her soft and warm skin soothing Seris. Her gentle look contrasted with Seris¡¯ awestruck expression. For being a ten years old that looks like thirteen, she awfully acts too much like a mother would. This allowed Seris to ease up and cease her tears, finding comfort from Misha¡¯s caring presence.
¡°I can¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯m here to listen.¡±
Seris gazed down on the ground, averting Misha¡¯s eyes.
¡°I¡¯m¡ weak¡ inferior to everyone else.¡±
Misha lost her smile as she focused on listening.
¡°My siblings, even those who were younger than me, were always better than me. When I do something, another would always overshadow me.¡±
Misha could only be silent. Aren was also oddly silent, and none of the girls knew of the expression he was making.
¡°Even the abilities I am so proud of, wasn¡¯t enough to even defeat one enemy. Maybe I was just too ambitious, but it shows how naive and weak I am. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever needed if there are always people that could do a far better job than me.¡±
Misha, knowing full well the fallacy of her own actions, wanted to tell her that¡¯s she¡¯s been wrong on her view of things. However, she also knows the effect it will have on her. Saying it will only prove the point Seris made more, so she refrained from doing so.
¡°I¡¯m just a burden, useless. Even now, I needlessly dragged you in to my business. I am the worst.¡±
¡°But you are not.¡± Aren finally spoke up.
Both Seris and Misha looked up at Aren, whose fury was nowhere to be seen from his face anymore. Instead, there was only empathy and determination left on his eyes. He was finally back to the Aren that Misha knew, causing her to inwardly smile.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
No matter how Aren looked at it, he simply went too far. He could¡¯ve just did the same thing with less anger and more control, but he still let his emotions take over him. This was unlike him at all that he even refused to believe it for a moment. But what has happened has already happened, there¡¯s no taking it back. Because of this, he wants to make it up to her.
¡°And I¡¯m going to prove it.¡±
Aren¡¯s words rang through the mind of Seris. It was bold of him to declare something like that, even Misha could temporarily not believe what he said. However, Misha knows better than that. Aren would never declare to do something that he can¡¯t do.
¡°P-prove it?¡± she asked dumbly.
¡°Yeah.¡± Aren clenched his fist. ¡°By finishing what you ought to do.¡±
¡°W-what?!¡± Seris shot up, doubting her ears. ¡°You already know it yourself! Even I can¡¯t touch the abyssal! How will you be able to prove anything?!¡±
¡°She¡¯s right Aren.¡± Misha stood up, calming Seris down. ¡°How are you going to do this?¡±
Though she trusts his decision, doubt can still come up considering that even Seris was powerless against the abyssal. She can imagine that the situation would still be the same even with the three of them.
Aren, however, has already figured out a way. It¡¯s easy to imagine that the previous victims did not know how to get out, so there was a certainty that the key to the exit is hard to find. But after thinking about it for a while, Aren began to focus on the why. Why did they not know how to get out? Some surely must have made a trip around the area once to try and find some kind of device that would allow them to get out. If it¡¯s an isolated space like he think this place is, then there¡¯s no doubt there¡¯s an anchor to keep the place stable. If it¡¯s the same as Stan¡¯s [Silent Keep], then the anchor must be in the center. That¡¯s when he realized it.
It''s not that they did not know. It was because no one could do anything about it. No one was able to get out, because the anchor was the abyssal itself. In order to leave the place, they must confront and kill it, and no one was prepared to do so. So the answer was obvious; kill the abyssal.
¡°There¡¯s a reason why you still faced that abyssal head-on despite knowing the disparity between you and it. Am I right?¡± asked Aren to Seris.
However, to do that, he¡¯ll need the help of Seris. Not just that, he must have the help of Seris. This was crucial to the plan as he needed to make sure that Seris would deal the final blow for the best result. Misha, sensing that Aren was unto something, decided to trust him like she always has.
Seris flinched as she realized that Aren had already deduced the reason why she fought needlessly. Ashamed of her own mistake, she answered meekly.
¡°Y-yes¡ abyssals are deathly weak against anything holy, that was why I was foolish enough to think that I stood any chance against that thing.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Aren muttered.
Aren closed his eyes for a while before opening them to scour the area. The corpses and skeletons were still there. Yet, some things caught his eye amidst the equipment that littered the area. He turned around to face both of the girls.
¡°But fortunately for you, you now have us and this goldmine of equipment, which means we have increased our chances.¡± Aren crossed his arms and grinned. ¡°Plus, I have a plan.¡±
Aren pointed at Seris, prompting Misha to hold her shoulders and surprising her. "And youcannot back out of this one, whether you like it or not."
In the lonely and grim silence inside the isolation barrier, a lone abyssal senses three holy presences approaching, two people and one weapon. The dim lighting of the area did little to hinder this abyssal, as it is Jriv¡¯Filt the Shapeshifter. Among its brethren, it was the only one who can freely shift its body to its liking. As such, giving its eyes night vision was a simple task not even worthy of mentioning.
But even with this ability, Jriv¡¯Filt was known as an ¡°exception¡± of the abyssals. Not in a way that it is resistant to holiness, but the fact that it wasn¡¯t natural born. Every abyssal are formed from the heresy and negativity of Alterea, giving them particular abilities that denote the kind of heresy or negativity that mostly composes them. But as an exception, Jriv¡¯Filt was different. Whereas something like Zeckabar is the embodiment of slander, Jriv¡¯Flit does not even know what it¡¯s supposed to be. Without knowing what it''s supposed to represent, this led to it turning into the only abyssal to be able to shapeshift freely.
However, despite this, this particular abyssal does indeed have a preferred shape; the horned snake, its original body. An artificially born abyssal will always have an original body, unlike the pure mass of atrocity that is a true abyssal. It might be an abyssal, but it still retained its infantile-like memories from its original body. Thus, making the horned snake its default form was for its comfort rather than convenience.
Today, a particular set of humans entered its territory. At first, only one easy prey came in and was almost devoured, but another set of annoyance came barging in and damaged Jriv¡¯Flit. Resentment and rage welled up inside the abyssal not only because of the disturbance, but also because of the destruction of its eye. What¡¯s worse, it cannot regenerate it with its own shapeshifting ability. This has permanently hindered its vision. It tried to create another eye to replace it, but it cannot even form it properly. It would¡¯ve understood if it was low on mass, but it wasn¡¯t and its shapeshifting wasn¡¯t helping.
Then, whatever or whoever hit it, must have something greater than being holy. It didn¡¯t want to accept it, but there was no other possible answers. One of them has divinity. It wasn¡¯t stupid enough to deny that fact. Only those favored by the heavens can inflict this kind of damage on an abyssal. And now, one of those favored is at its doorstep. This was the worst situation it could ever come up with its whole five years of life.
However, it still had a chance. The best equipped of them, the one with a holy weapon, could not even touch it even with the little brat¡¯s incredible speed. It would also seem like she was very vulnerable to magic, as it was able to increase [Soul Terror]¡¯s effect and inflict paralysis on her through its [Abyssal Bellow]. If it¡¯s the same for the others, then it would be easy to get rid of them. Even if it did not work, the abyssal¡¯s power far surpasses that of the intruders. It wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest bit when it concerns with its power. That was why, it was confident.
¡°Hello! How¡¯s it going?¡±
But that confidence got completely overshadowed by the arrogance of this one boy. This boy nonchalantly showed itself in the clearing, clearly confident and unafraid. He must¡¯ve known that hiding won¡¯t help it because of the holy aura its emitting, even if it¡¯s faint. Behind him was another hidden presence with a stronger aura, but it knows there is one other.
¡°Let me introduce myself, I¡¯m-¡±
¡°Sssilence!¡±
Its words echoed throughout the area, anger clearly evident from the tone.
¡°Where are the othersss? I know there are three of you, fool.¡±
¡°Ahahaha!~ Right!¡± Aren shrugged. ¡°Welp, you heard him.¡±
Out from the bushes came two, one who it fought before with the strongest holy aura, while the other doesn¡¯t even have a speck of holiness with her. This was advantageous for it. Now that they have revealed themselves, they don¡¯t have the element of surprise anymore.
¡°Resssissstance isss futile. Your pain ssshall end quickly.¡±
The girl with highest holiness is visibly shaking from fear. This would only be natural since it did beat her badly. Jriv¡¯Flit inwardly smirked at the stupidity of bringing someone who is afraid of itself. Its view shifted to the other girl, and was momentarily inwardly surprised. She was the same as the boy, there was no fear that it could sense. It figured that they are this way because the two of them haven¡¯t felt pain from it yet, so it planned to thoroughly make them experience what an ¡°abyssal¡± really is.
¡°I¡¯m sorry to break it to ya, but we¡¯re not planning to die so easily by the likes of you.¡±
¡°Imprudent brat!¡± The abyssal¡¯s voice rang throughout the area, routing the wind as it did so. ¡°Do not ssspeak asss if you have a chance againssst me!¡±
¡°Well, we actually do. After all, you can¡¯t move from your spot; the center of this isolated space.¡±
¡°Keen obssservation¡¡± admitted the abyssal ¡°But you¡¯re too foolish and hasssty.¡±
The abyssal soon started to convulse, surprising the trio. In the next moment, a large chunk split off from the abyssal like a mass of goo, and another one fell of soon after. The abyssal became significantly smaller, but next to it were two giant black golems of similar size. Knowing its major advantage, it unconsciously let out a wicked and abhorrent grin toward the trio, unbefitting of a snake.
Meanwhile on the side of Aren, this wasn¡¯t completely in line with his plan.
He had prepared Misha and himself by looting the dead bodies of their equipment. As a result, he has now proper full plated gauntlets, better sword and daggers, and clothing that didn¡¯t come from the homeless. Misha as well found better mana stabilizer gloves, and a brand new but low grade grimoire. This grimoire is currently revolving around Misha, closed and on standby.
Yet despite their preparation, they were still caught off guard by the abyssal¡¯s division.
¡°Well this is an unexpected development.¡±
Cold sweat dripped down from his forehead, and seeing his uncertainty made Seris doubt him more than she arleady has. Misha¡¯s hand held her shoulder, which made her turn her head to face her. Unlike her, she can see the complete faith she has for Aren. Even though she saw Aren like this, she would still be willing to believe in him? Seris understands that they have been friends for a long time, but isn¡¯t this already considered as blind faith? No matter how she would look at it, this much trust in someone shouldn¡¯t be even possible in this kind of situation. Just what kind of person Aren is to have Misha trust him that much?
¡°Just stick to the plan.¡± Misha whispered to Seris. ¡°From what I can tell, our objective is still intact.¡±
Her eyes focused on the objective in front of them. She¡¯s right, it¡¯s still there. Looking at Aren, who was earlier having cold sweat, is now on a full grin. Seris widened her eyes at the sight. How in the world did he achieve this level of confidence? Nevertheless, Seris kept strong as she fought off her fear. She doesn¡¯t completely trust Aren, but seeing Misha place her complete faith in him, she can¡¯t help but somewhat do the same.
¡°Operation: Prison Break, begin!¡±
And thus, Aren commenced the plan of action.