Helena: What the hell was that noise?
Max: Chill, it¡¯s nothing. Just some brats testing the patience of a demon.
Helena: Huh?
Max: Forget it. Wanna stuff your face with cheesy burritos, just how you like ¡¯em, babe?
Helena (smirking, surprised): What¡¯s gotten into you? You¡¯re in a mood today¡ªwho even are you right now?
Meanwhile¡
The explosion devoured two whole houses around us, but somehow we were still breathing. Everyone shielded themselves however they could¡ªexcept the bastard who caused it. His power wrecked everything except himself, ¡¯cause that¡¯s how shit works in this messed-up world.
But right before everything blew sky-high, he managed to slam my skull into the ground. The pavement cracked, and I almost blacked out, but I snapped back fast to finish the job. I twisted around, grabbed the arm he¡¯d used to claw at my face, locked it between my legs, and snapped it. Then I pulled my last trick¡ªthe one that always lets me out-speed my master: my Key, a device that teleports me anywhere I can picture. I spun mid-air, balanced on the wall behind me for a heartbeat to aim, then kicked off hard, hitting the Key¡¯s button. A portal flashed, and I shot through¡
Time crawled. I spotted the asshole trying to grab Mar¨ªa from the left. Rage boiled up. I knee-dropped his teeth, shattering his jaw. But I was moving too damn fast. When I crashed into the wall¡ªright fucking there¡ªhis skull split against it. Then everything exploded. I barely shielded me, Mar¨ªa, and her mom by hardening the ground into rock, sweating and bleeding to make it hold. Thanks to my master, I¡¯d unlocked two skills: Pyrokinesis and Geokinesis.
I had to protect her mom solo ¡¯cause she was too far. Now that Mar¨ªa¡¯s with me, I can breathe. Dropping the earth shield, I muttered:
¡°Now I gotta figure out how to explain this mess. They¡¯ll pin it on me if these pricks escape¡ and I just offed two of ¡¯em.¡±
Mar¨ªa (stunned): Don¡ is that you?
Fire User: You¡¯re worse than a cockroach¡ªyou never die!
Don (to the sobbing girl, weakly): Easy there. They won¡¯t lay a finger on you again.
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She bawled and clung to me like glue. I lowered the earth shield over her mom and growled: ¡°Go to her. Try to¡ wake her up¡ and run. Now.¡±
Mar¨ªa: But¡ you¡¯re bleeding!
Don: If I¡¯m standing, I¡¯m fighting. You wanna be strong? Start by saving your mom. Go.
Mar¨ªa: Okay! Mam¨¢!
Don (to himself): Fuck! My regeneration¡¯s busted when I need it most. Shouldn¡¯t have jumped in reckless. Never again.
No time to rest. Still two problems: the fire user in front and that slimy water bastard behind me, who just popped up and hasn¡¯t shown his full hand. But I¡¯m done playing hide-and-seek. I stopped holding back my transformation, shattering the potion¡¯s suppression¡ªmy true form fights the effects over time. My veins lit up, my eyes reverted, and as my tail started forming¡ I felt sadness. Like I¡¯d lost something vital. Again. The void turned to rage, and for a split second, I heard laughter¡ªhysterical, happy laughter. I shut it down. Going full monster ain¡¯t worth blowing my cover. I forced the transformation back, chugged another potion, and cursed: Idiot. Now I¡¯ve only got one dose left for two days. Not. Enough. Gotta make it work.
Boss: I don¡¯t know how you survived, but you¡¯re one twisted fuck. What the hell were you thinking?!
Fire User: Sorry, boss!
Boss: You killed two of my men. You¡¯re not walking away unscathed. Should¡¯ve fled, dumbass¡ªnow you die!
Like my master said: ¡°Evil just exists, but humans perfected it.¡± Time to make these pricks choke on their own shit.
Both attacked at once. The boss hurled a wave of ice spikes growing bigger every second. I threw up a stone shield, but his attack pierced through, gouging a hole. The fire asshole sprayed flames nonstop. I blocked, then slammed both walls forward at full speed, crushing everything toward them. The fire idiot amped his blast, stalling my wall¡ªbought me seconds. Gotta end this without accidentally killing ¡¯em. But the water freak¡¯s pissing me off. No matter what I did, he kept coming.
Water User (stunned): Who the hell are you?! How do you have two skills?!
[Far off, unnoticed in the chaos, eyes watched from the moonlit sky¡ªfixated on Don. A woman, ethereal and deadly, silver hair cascading to her waist, glowing faintly. Her sapphire eyes pierced the dark, ears slightly pointed, a coiled serpent tattoo behind one. The wind kissed her hair, revealing a predator¡¯s grin.]
I didn¡¯t answer. Raised my hands, summoning rocks orbiting me like a goddamn asteroid belt, flames dancing in my palms. His face twisted¡ªfirst envy, then that same cocky smirk.
Water User (laughing): Interesting.
Water User (screaming): INTERESTING!
THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL: My first adventure – CH7
And immediately from where I was, he became more cynical and murky, throwing many sharp ice needles at me, more compressed water balls, non-stop, shouting at me again and again:
¡°Show me!¡±
Then I had to protect myself and dodge twice as fast, but I didn¡¯t notice that the water balls I was dodging were coming back. That was impressive, but when I realized, I already had two balls compressed on my head until the others came together, forming a bigger mass.
Breaking through my defense, he hurt me by stabbing an ice needle into the thigh of my right leg. Screaming in pain, I swallowed water and began to choke. I forgot about the pain because I felt like I was going to die. Maria, who still couldn¡¯t lift her mother, was screaming for me, but I didn¡¯t know what to do. I clung to the idea that it¡¯s a bad idea to kill him. I was desperately trying to get out, but I could not. The water, the flow of water also started to compress my neck, and I heard as from far away he laughed and said something that made me change my mind:
¡°You¡¯re trying to cover up that you¡¯re not a fucking nutcase like us, but I¡¯ll tell you what: either you let me leave with these two girls you want to protect so much, or I¡¯ll kill them in front of your eyes now,¡± he said while pointing at them.
I immediately screamed in anger out of impotence:
¡°May he rot in hell!¡±
And I raised under his left foot a long, pointed rock form, which split his foot and grew rapidly toward his head. But the good son of a bitch is inhuman: with his reflexes, he dodged it and broke it in half, avoiding the point. But from the suffering, he lost his concentration; the concentrated ball of water deformed and, for a second, watching him suffer for his badly wounded foot, it felt good to finally have power over him. He tried to run toward me in desperation. At the unexpected moment, my head clicked, and I became aware of the ground.
I formed solidified earth that froze his movements, and to the other, who barely managed to get to his feet, I did the same. And with each one, I began to enclose and compress their wounds to cause them more pain where it hurts most¡ They screamed and screamed, and for a moment, I felt and focused only on causing them pain. But at that, at last, the guards appeared.
¡°But what is all this commotion?¡± he looked at me.
I didn¡¯t know what to answer, but the least I understood was why he was looking at me if I am the victim. I immediately looked around and noticed that there were two men kidnapped and suffering, a mother just getting up, her little girl crying with her eyes closed, clinging to her mommy, and two dead people. And me, standing in the middle of all this¡ I¡¯m a suspect. I¡¯m screwed, I thought.
¡°Hey¡ I¡ I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±
The guard looked at me and then at Maria and Kira, but when Kira saw that it was me, she recognized me and was surprised but didn¡¯t give the best face.
The dirty guy saw the opportunity and took advantage of it to get away with it:
¡°Guard, he set us up and attacked us! Me and my companions tried to protect these defenseless ladies from this pervert. We resisted, but some of us didn¡¯t¡¡±
Angrily, I shouted:
¡°Shut up, you damned toad!¡±
And immediately I locked him up even more until I broke his left leg completely. Of course, he screamed, and I made sure that, at the same time the guards jumped on me to arrest me, I put my index finger down so that the bastard would never speak again in his life.
¡°Arrest the boy,¡± said one of the four guards who arrived.
I let them catch me so they could do what they would have to do to me. Kill me, I guess. They are going to execute me, but quickly little Maria comes to my defense:
¡°Let him go! He didn¡¯t do anything!¡±
¡°And now what did you do to the girl, poor dirty thing?¡±
And he hit the guard¡¯s leg and shouted, ¡°Oh, little booger¡¡± As the girl has tremendous strength for her age, I¡¯m sure the guard felt it.
¡°Let him go! Don protected us.¡±
But he could already see my misfortune. The guard pushed him away, and as Kira, barely conscious and in shock, remained on the ground without saying anything, staring into the void. I called out to her to try to do something, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. I think I¡¯m the same or worse. And I was planning to meet lots of new people, go on my first adventure, fall in love with a beautiful girl, and live happily together, as grandmother and teacher¡ But I¡¯m going to die before all that happens¡
¡°Let the young man go!¡±
¡°Sir, but¡¡±
¡°Capture the other one who¡¯s trying to escape from under your noses, you pair of fools!¡±
And indeed, when I looked up, I saw that the fire user was slowly trying to run away. Until he tried to run, but the captain, or seems to be the boss, that same imposing man who warned me about the nights around this place, electrocuted him by sending a burst of lightning on him. And I learned that the guy was a lightning user, one of the most overrated skills in the world.
¡°Let the boy go now and capture that ruffian for me. Take him to the capital of Montesis.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
He looked at me indifferently, as he did before, with a look that doesn¡¯t judge but with words that I know hurt:
¡°I warned you, boy. For a moment, I thought I heard my master. How awful,¡± I thought. And he went on:
¡°They always hang around with their boss of the worst kind, rank 4, who thinks he¡¯s the big deal. They have done many ugly things in almost every town. They are wanted and are part of a gang of ruffians called the Weeping Snakes. But you were lucky we got there as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Hey, what rank are you?¡±
¡°Rank 4. Why? You want to join the army? Being so heroic, you might be talented. Despite your looks, you held your own against a rank 4 and three other guys. I expected no less from the son of the Owl. I could help you get in. What do you say?¡±
¡°Well, thanks for the offer, but I don¡¯t need to. I don¡¯t want to live that kind of life.¡±
But I said quietly: ¡°But what rank will I have?¡±
¡°Don, help me! My mom doesn¡¯t react; I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±
I quickly tried to walk to Kira. When I saw her, she just stood still, her eyes full of fear and well-rounded, as if very distracted in a vacuum in which she is drowning. I touched her and tried to ask if she was okay. And, out of nowhere, the instant I touched her, she was back to normal. I just stared at her without saying anything; I didn¡¯t understand. She looked at her daughter, looked around, and the guard asked her, just as confused, if she was okay. After a lost minute, she answered:
¡°Yes.¡±
She looked at me again and stayed like that for seconds, lost in my eyes¡
¡°Kira, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±
But after I asked her, it was as if I had driven her out of her mind. She just took Maria¡¯s hand and forced her to leave without saying anything to anyone. I called him over and over again, but he didn¡¯t give me any attention. And that¡¯s when I noticed that this is what I get for thinking I¡¯m going to save someone. *Never think you¡¯re a hero*, disappointed, I thought back to my teacher¡¯s words. And sometimes I hate that he¡¯s right. But I still worry about her.
¡°Will she be all right?¡± I asked the air.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s a tough mother, despite losing her husband in the war against the impure over 20 years ago. And she has a very special ability that I¡¯ve rarely heard of. That sometimes makes her seem a bit distant with people.¡±
¡°And what is it?¡± She looked at me, and I continued. Just in case.
¡°She has an ability that allows her to absorb, manipulate, and feel what the person she comes in contact with feels.¡±
Right there, so many questions, memories, and doubts came to me. But I wondered why he was looking at me so much.
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¡°Well, kid, I¡¯m leaving. And if you change your mind, my name is Balthar Ulrich. The army at the front needs new talents to face the threat from the Forest.¡±
*Are you referring to the Forest of the Seven Kingdoms, the calamity that is slowly eating and infecting the nearby kingdoms?* But still, these are things that don¡¯t interest me. At least, I want to live, to have my fortune, a little house¡ And suddenly I melted in my own thoughts at the thought of having a girlfriend¡ What an illusion, to fall in love with a person.
Meanwhile, I was in my balls thinking about stupid things:
¡°Sir, we haven¡¯t found the boss of these lackeys. We lost him¡ He was right here; we turned around and he was gone.¡±
¡°Really? I find it rather odd that he could run away from you, Roma.¡±
¡°He managed to feel a presence besides us, but the problem is that he¡¯s here, but far away¡ I don¡¯t know! I must be a bit tired. I haven¡¯t slept for a few days. They are requesting a lot of trackers at the front these days. They say that the forest is more active than usual.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡ As long as the knights of the second division are at the front, everything will be fine. But what matters now is to find the rank 4 braggart, whose name I¡¯ve already forgotten.¡±
¡°Baldhur, sir.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. Don, you don¡¯t know¡ Hey, Don!¡±
¡°Hey, yeah?¡±
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just¡ I was imagining¡¡±
I instantly realized I was making a fool of myself and apologized:
¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, hehe¡ And¡ well?¡±
He kept looking at me as if to say, *What¡¯s wrong with this guy?* And he asked me:
¡°Didn¡¯t you see the guy in rank 4?¡±
¡°No. I don¡¯t know. Maybe that dirty guy got away.¡±
---
And while Don is making these statements, Baldhur is more than 10 meters underground, forcing him to swallow the earth through his mouth while he tries to scream from the pain and exhaustion of swallowing so much earth without stopping, until he faints. We assume that Don¡¯s idea was not just to bury him. He seems not to be playing games when he said he would give him the equivalent of his evil.
---
¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know?¡± Mr. Balthar asked again.
But, looking him in the eye, I told him again that I didn¡¯t know anything. And somehow I managed to slip away.
¡°Well, I have to go now because I still have to go to the blacksmith¡¯s shop, which I haven¡¯t been to yet.¡±
¡°It¡¯s already closed, but I¡¯ll go with you, since you¡¯re in a hurry and that grumpy guy won¡¯t even open the door for you.¡±
¡°So? Well, that¡¯s fine with me. Heh, heh¡ heh.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±
And I looked back and noticed the mess I left on the place¡ But it¡¯s not like it was my fault either. Well, partly yes, but not really¡ no. It¡¯s not my fault, the end.
On the way, I explained to Mr. Balthar about my upcoming trip and, with nothing, he proposed to help me as long as I join the army¡ He keeps insisting, but I¡¯m not interested anyway. Arriving in front of the blacksmith¡¯s shop, I spent some time looking at how simple the stores around here always are: a simple little wooden house, the usual worn stairs, the little lamp on one side¡ All the typical things of a wooden tavern. But I wonder if the houses in the metropolis look like this.
¡°Victor!¡± shouted Mr. Balthar.
He began to call him louder and louder until we heard slow but powerful footsteps sinking the floorboards. The long shadows that escaped under the light of the door defined a massive and imposing body. Right there he stood for two seconds in front of the door, and we felt it. For the first time, when he opened the door, I noticed my eyes go up and up at the sight of a gigantic dwarf.
It seems I had imagined things. I lowered my head, and he couldn¡¯t even be five feet tall, and he wasn¡¯t imposing at all. But his voice¡ it was meltingly deep.
¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°What? Aren¡¯t you glad to see me, old friend?¡±
¡°You never have a problem with bullshit, do you, Balthar?¡±
¡°You never have a problem with bullshit, do you, Balthar?¡±
Suddenly I was staring at two rough and imposing fellows trying to kill each other. I looked at Mr. Snuch on one side and Mr. Balthar on the other¡ What do I do? Do I butt in? Come to think of it, one is rank 4, and the other, to look at him like that, will have to be at the same level or more¡ No!
Definitely, yes, it¡¯s a very bad idea. I took two steps away, and then more, little by little¡
¡°What are you doing? Where are you going?¡± asked Balthar.
¡°Well¡ it¡¯s just¡ they look angry, don¡¯t they?¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong? The guy¡¯s my corduroy. Crazy, real is death! And baaam!¡±
Balthar slapped him on the back with a beautiful graceful smile of benevolence, looking at me and him. But I don¡¯t think Mr. Snuch liked it at all, returning a direct and silently penetrating look. Suddenly, he looked at me and said:
¡°What do you want, boy? I guess this mongo brought you.¡±
¡°He just needs to buy a ring, as he is about to leave on his first trip through the lands of Count Richard Choiniere,¡± answered Mr. Balthar for me.
¡°What ring? Well¡ My manners: you can come in. Not you!¡± ¡ªreferring to Mr. Balthar.
He insisted on wanting to come in, but Snuch didn¡¯t let him in. In the end, he left him waiting outside but still said he would go. Even Mr. Snuch didn¡¯t let him say goodbye and slammed the door in his face.
¡°Why are you enemies if you seem to be friends?¡±
¡°We are friends, but he owes me 1500 gold coins for everything he has on him, the good cheapskate, with all those noble superiors he has in his pocket. When he pays me, I¡¯ll acknowledge his friendship¡ And what ring do you want? Tell me!¡±
¡°A common ring.¡±
¡°A regular ring?¡± he asked in confusion. ¡°You don¡¯t buy them; you make them, kid. And why do you want a regular ring if you could just tell me the type of ring imbued and what it does?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think you can do what I want.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, boy. I assure you, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±
¡°So, could you make a blue metal-based teleporter that, with the push of a button, the place you imagine you could get to instantly?¡±
¡°What nonsense are you talking about, kid? That¡¯s impossible.¡±
¡°Impossible? What are you saying if this is the most basic of things?¡±
I immediately gave him a demonstration and, evidently, he turned pale when he noticed. He told me again that it is not possible, and I demonstrated it once more. He asked to see the device more closely. I was afraid to give it to him and began to wonder if something like this seems strange to him because I would give it to him. Well, I can make another one¡ and I gave it to him.
¡°How interesting¡¡± His left eye began to glow and create a blue sphere that contained my key inside. It has thin layers of ether layered on top of each other, with runes that are unknown to me. It also uses molten obsidian crystal¡ And¡ this is a marvel. What you did, boy¡ How much for it?¡±
When he heard that he couldn¡¯t sell it, he got a huge downer. And the excited man became the grumpy man he was before.
¡°If you don¡¯t want to sell it, tell me how to make the ring for you, at least. Talk fast, boy!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t give you details. Don¡¯t worry; I just need it to fit on my fingers.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s what you want, it¡¯ll cost you 10 gold coins.¡±
¡°And why so much?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re asking for double the work without information. If you¡¯re going to argue anymore, get out of my house!¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Here¡¯s your payment. Well, I have a little bit more left because I don¡¯t know how much I have left to go to the city.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can stay here because I¡¯ll surely finish tomorrow¡.¡±
And a little girl came running down the stairs shouting:
¡°Grandpa, grandpa, I¡¯ve already made my first fireball!¡±
And her mother running after her:
¡°Maria, it¡¯s too late. Go back to bed.¡±
And I was surprised to see that the little girl who came downstairs and called the grumpy grandfather ¡°grandpa¡± was little Maria. But everything was so tense a while ago? What is this? Do I still have to be here?
Maria, with an innocent smile, greeted me the moment she noticed me. But I, lost, when her mother came downstairs, my heart was already pounding. I think I was feeling fear and stress¡ and I don¡¯t know why. Maybe it was because I was looking at her again¡
¡°Mr. Snuch, it was a pleasure. You can keep the money. I¡¯ll find someone else.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? Hey, kid! Where are you going?¡±
I opened the door, and the good gentleman got up and continued:
¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you, but it¡¯s very bad manners to put a craftsman to work and leave. I offered you to sleep at my house. Are you going to wait upright or what? Stay and tomorrow you¡¯ll leave my house with your ring. Got it, kid?¡±
In the end, I couldn¡¯t stand such a bad mood anymore and I got hot. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt he was already teasing me¡ And I stared at him without saying anything, but I just wanted him to come a little closer and burn those eyes he dares to throw at me¡ And once again, I heard something weird again, just like a laughter between the teeth that delights in evil.
Kira:
¡°Maria, show Don his room, please.¡±
Maria:
¡°Anh?¡±
Kira:
¡°Now.¡±
She went straight up to her room after she said it, and Maria came and took me by the arm. I left with her because I was already getting irritated staying around this midget. It was the night I wished like never before that it would be daylight in a moment, and I immediately tried to sleep.
After a while, during the night, I almost didn¡¯t sleep because I heard a fucking shit hammer¡ Well, I already think it wants to bother me. But I also heard an argument¡
Suddenly, little Maria opened the door and came into my room. I asked her:
¡°What are you doing here? Everything all right?¡±
¡°Grandpa said to me: ¡®Tomorrow you¡¯re leaving.¡¯ So I wanted to spend the night with you.¡±
¡°And your mother agrees?¡±
¡°About that¡¡±
¡°Maria¡ You should listen to your mother. Don¡¯t be a tantrum¡ You¡¯d better go sleep in your room,¡± I said with a smile.
¡°I can¡¯t¡¡±
After hearing her answer, I thought about it. If I¡¯m going away from this town tomorrow, you¡¯d better spend some time with me.
¡°Well, now. Come here,¡± I said.
Then I went back to sleep, and he said to me:
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°And why?¡±
¡°I think it was too bad to leave without saying anything to you.¡±
¡°A toothless, tantrum-throwing little girl like you shouldn¡¯t think about that. I appreciate that, but it¡¯s okay. Try to forget what happened,¡± I said, but I was even more worried about what would happen next.
¡°Is your mommy okay? Does she hate me?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so¡ She just said she was afraid of you and to keep me away from you. Don¡¯t tell her I told you.¡±
I smiled a little, although confused and disappointed.
¡°Relax, it¡¯s our secret¡.¡±
We continued talking and singing songs that my grandmother used to teach me. I had a good time getting him to sleep, and I noticed that he had a bit of a temper like that grumpy old dwarf. But I still can¡¯t get it through my head that Kira is afraid of me¡ Do I think I¡¯m doing something wrong? Why would she be afraid of me?
THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL: My first adventure – CH8
The next morning¡
I got up real early and went to brush my teeth next to her. Of course, wherever I went, the kid lagged behind. Since old man Snuch hadn¡¯t finished making the ring yet, we had to kill time. How? Playing around, practicing our gifts. Looks like hers were already developed way before she turned 5. These signs usually show up in first-division knights. But I think this day brought something¡ special.
Every activity we did, her mom was watching, I guess, like we were two kids messing around. While I was teaching Mar¨ªa how to train under heavier conditions¡ªlike underwater¡ªher mom barked:
¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, Mar¨ªa. You¡¯ll catch a cold. Get out of there, now.¡±
¡°Okay, Mommy! Coming!¡±
¡°Stay right there,¡± I said, defending her. ¡°Her mom¡¯s no warrior anyway. What¡¯s she gonna do?¡±
¡°What did you just say?! I¡¯m her mother! Mar¨ªa, hurry up, come here.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯re her mother? Big deal. Seems like everyone here¡¯s infected with bad fuckin¡¯ moods.¡±
I stepped out of the water and started walking toward her.
¡°Don, what are you¡ª? Hey¡ HEY! Let me go! Don¡ Let GO! No, no, NO!¡±
Next thing, I dragged her. Now the pissed-off mom stormed straight into the water, so I backtracked fast to Mar¨ªa. SPLASH! She started screaming her head off, which was kinda impressive, but I was too busy laughing my ass off.
¡°Why¡¯d you do that, Don?! What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡±
¡°You¡¯ll see¡ Grumpy. Mar¨ªa, stick by me.¡±
She tried lunging for Mar¨ªa. Probably wanted to jump my neck and choke me out, but nah¡ªnot happening. I made sure she couldn¡¯t move by slamming her with hardened earth, then launched her 10 meters above the water. She screamed bloody murder while I chilled.
¡°Last night, you talked about your mommy¡¯s fears. Remind me¡?¡±
¡°What? Heights?¡±
¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± she shrieked, furious. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±
¡°Should we send her higher?¡± I asked Mar¨ªa.
¡°Higher? Like¡ with your second elemental skill?¡±
¡°Yeah. But keep it secret, ¡¯kay?¡±
¡°Don, you bastard! Put me down NOW!¡±
¡°Do it! Send mommy up to the sky!¡± Mar¨ªa cheered.
¡°What?! NO! Put me down¡ DON¡¯T!¡± she screamed. ¡°For Kora¡¯s mother¡¯s sake! Why are you doing this, Don?!¡±
¡°Give me a smile, and this ends.¡±
¡°ALL THIS FOR A FUCKING SMILE?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, YOU STUPID ASSHOLE?!¡±
Seeing reason was off the table, I went with the classic ¡°force what you want¡± approach. I yanked her up so high from the surface she looked like she was about to shit herself from fear. Then I dropped her back underwater at near-breakneck speed¡ªbut not enough to kill her. Don¡¯t wanna give her a heart attack¡
¡°Now this is hilarious!¡± I said as Mar¨ªa and I doubled over laughing. Looked like torture, sure¡ but beauty¡¯s in the eye of the beholder, right?
I knew she¡¯d murder me once I let her down, but whatever. If me and Mar¨ªa were having fun, it¡¯s all good. After minutes of this, she finally cracked:
¡°Stop this shit already! Fine, I¡¯ll do it¡ªjust put me down!¡±
¡°Nope. Smile first.¡±
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¡°What?! NO! Put. Me. DOWN. I¡¯m scared of heights!¡±
¡°Alright, fine¡¡± I shrugged. ¡°But honestly, it¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re still scared of heights with all that rage.¡±
I lowered her and stared her down.
¡°Well? My smile?¡±
She looked rabid. Even though I could feel her wanting to murder me¡ªget close, and she¡¯d probably bite my eyelashes off¡ªshe took a shaky breath and forced a gorgeous smile. Gotta admit¡ didn¡¯t expect her to look even hotter when she smiles. So I said it straight up¡ª¡¯cause I meant it.
¡°You¡¯ve got a beautiful smile, Kira. And¡ I really love it.¡±
She froze, silent for a few seconds. But then¡ª
¡°Not convincing!¡± she snapped, looking away.
So I made her suffer again. Her screams returned, and I cracked up. We kept this up a few more minutes, but I couldn¡¯t hold out. My aeteris was drained, and I was dizzy from overusing it. Time to drop her. I planned to run, but she still pummeled me. Punches, kicks to the face, the gut¡ She beat me till my face swelled up like a potato from my master¡¯s farm.
Eventually, she got tired of whaling on me and just sat by the lake, while Mar¨ªa poured water on my face to cool the bruises. She hit me so hard my self-healing kicked in. Guess it only works when I¡¯m near death. Damn, this woman¡¯s got rage.
I pulled myself together slowly. Once I was okay, I walked over and sat in front of her. She scooted back like I¡¯d start shit again. Still pissed, so I tried apologizing.
¡°What do you want now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ Went too far.¡±
¡°Yeah. Sure,¡± she said coldly, ignoring me.
Silence settled. I stared; she didn¡¯t. Looked lost in her problems, and it bugged me¡ªsomeone I like being hurt, and I can¡¯t help¡
¡°Kira.¡±
¡°WHAT?!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be like this. What¡¯s wrong? Feels like something changed. Let me help¡ªI¡¯ll do anything.¡±
She glanced at me.
¡°What if you can¡¯t help? I don¡¯t need your pity. It¡¯s stupid¡ªI¡¯m too old for this¡¡±
She trailed off, staring at the water, barely whispering:
¡°Habits just¡ become normal.¡±
I didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡°I get that you care, but don¡¯t waste your time. You¡¯re no hero, Don.¡±
I thought for a second.
¡°I know. But¡ didn¡¯t know you had this much fire. With that temper, no doubt you¡¯re stronger than anyone I¡¯ve met.¡±
¡°Stronger than your precious master?¡±
¡°Not gonna lie. That old man¡¯s a psycho. No brain, just giant arms for hitting and threatening¡ªlike your grumpy grandpa.¡±
I thought I¡¯d messed up, but she burst out laughing. Confused me¡ªno clue why¡ªbut it was weird. When I looked closer, her smile¡ her eyes glowed. So I lay back on the grass, stared at the calm sky, and thought¡ I could die happy now.
She said, ¡°You¡¯re a lot like him, somehow.¡±
¡°He¡¯s cold, combative, and angry. I¡¯m not. I hate seeing suffering¡ Like feeling guilty for a crime you didn¡¯t commit. Just seeing someone¡¯s pain eats at you. It¡¯s awful. So if I can¡¯t be a hero¡ I¡¯ll protect the people I care about with everything I¡¯ve got. And you? I¡¯d love to protect you. No one touches you again. Sensible goal, right? Protecting what¡¯s yours¡ like your smile.¡±
¡°So¡ should I call you ¡®my protector¡¯?¡±
¡°Huh. Sounds good. Maybe¡¡±
Silence crept back in, that same wall between Don and his unreachable crush.
Without me noticing, she was staring. I asked:
¡°You scared of me?¡±
¡°Why ask that?¡±
¡°I wanna know how you really feel. You can read everyone else, but no one knows your thoughts. You always hide when I get close. Or lie to keep secrets. Feels like you¡¯re punishing yourself for no reason.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t expect that,¡± she chuckled. ¡°So you¡¯ve been watching me, boy? Fine. If you think I¡¯m scared¡ I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯m thinking, Don.¡±
She leaned in close. So close I could only stare into her eyes. But she just¡ froze. Dumbass me, my gaze drifted. I know it was rude, but damn¡ªthose lips could kill a man. She knows I¡¯m into her, teasing me, driving me crazy to taste ¡¯em¡ but I¡¯m scared.
She glanced at Mar¨ªa playing far off, then back at me.
¡°I¡¯m thinking¡ I might¡ª¡± She caught me looking past her. ¡°What are you staring at?!¡±
¡°Your grandpa¡ is watching us,¡± I said, calm as hell, while internally screaming.
THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL: My first adventure – CH9
"What''s gonna happen now?" was my question when I felt this whole situation was¡ off.
Mr. Snuch stared at her, then at me. Not a word. She jumped to her feet, and I quickly noticed the old Kira was back¡ªcold, pissed off¡ but this time, I don¡¯t think it was just anger. When I looked into her eyes, it was something else. Fear, maybe. She immediately called Mar¨ªa out of the water, and they went inside.
Me? I had no fucking clue what to say or do. Everything felt awkward as hell. I glanced around, avoiding the dwarf¡¯s piercing stare. When he finally spoke, he barked:
"Your little request is done. Someone¡¯s waiting for your trip. They¡¯re ready. Finish up whatever you¡¯re doing and get your ass over there." Firm. No room for arguing. He left before I could reply.
"Y-yes¡ sir," I muttered.
I stood up, scanning the area like an idiot. My brain was scrambling for¡ something. No idea what. I just stood there, zoning out at the lake. After a while, I wondered: What the hell was that?
Unwanted memories flooded in. I pressed a hand to my head, trying to shut out what happened five minutes ago¡ Those lips¡ her breath, those goddamn beautiful eyes¡ My heart pounded from fear. Didn¡¯t wanna admit it, but¡ what if I¡¯d touched her, just a little? And I wondered: What could she even do beyond her powers? Her words echoed: "An ability to absorb, manipulate, and feel whatever the person she touches experiences." She¡¯s way more dangerous than she looks. No wonder it¡¯s such a rare skill. But¡
Gotta get the fuck outta here. Time to tackle the list. But where do I even start?
When I walked inside, besides the dwarf waiting, there was a hooded woman at the back of the room, distracted, twirling a tiny 7-centimeter knife. Looked like she knew her shit. She stood, walked over, and introduced herself with a handshake, pulling back her hood.
And there she was¡ªa real, live elf. Her presence alone screamed authority, from her glare to her posture. The silence thickened, and I felt the clear gap in our levels. It made me even more curious about what lay beyond this shithole village. Her features blew me away: sleek silver hair tied up, fancy clothes¡ªlike high-society shit¡ªadventurer vibes. Hypnotic sapphire-blue eyes. And of course, sharp ears decked with circular earrings. She looked young, teenaged. The books weren¡¯t lying¡ªelves are physically flawless¡ Damn.
"You must be Don! Pleasure! Heard about your exploits. Impressive stuff," she said, way too chirpy up close.
Weirdo. Straight-up bizarre. I backed the hell up¡ªshe was in my face. Forced a polite, confused smile:
"Nice to meet you¡"
"Miriel. Miriel Rockstone, at your service. I guide people."
The dwarf slammed the ring on the table in front of me, still glaring:
"Here¡¯s your basic ring, smart-ass kid," he sneered, but no one laughed. "Added some engravings based on what you showed me last night. Deciphered a few runes, so this thing can handle more applications¡ªthree max. Runes were a bitch; couldn¡¯t do more. But I know you lied. I recognize the Owl¡¯s work. Called you a guide ¡¯cause only you¡¯d know what the fuck to do with a null-influence ring. She¡¯ll help you find whatever you need. Now pay up."
"Not paying for that crap," I shot back.
"Just pay for the ring upgrades. Miriel¡¯s services are a gift for two days. Heard what you did for them. Consider it payback for helping my stepdaughters¡" His glare sharpened. "But if I ever catch you laying a finger on them again, you¡¯re dead. Clear?"
I ignored him, but Kira and Mar¨ªa flashed in my mind. With this asshole around, I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye. Unsettling, but I¡¯d rather dodge the drama.
I showed Miriel the list and asked where to find the items.
"Looking at this, it¡¯ll be a long trip. Interesting, though," she said. "Molten obsidian crystal? Easy. Red leaf from a royal tree? Nah. Doesn¡¯t exist. Myth. Whoever gave you this is wasting your time."
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The dwarf butted in¡ªuninvited, as usual¡ªflexing his anger issues:
"Let me see that list." He skimmed it and nodded. "Ah! Azulis¡¯s tear vials, a transformation scroll¡ What¡¯s this for?"
Why the fuck do you care?
He went on:
"Back in my bounty-hunting days, I snagged a map pointing to a hidden city. Giant trees¡ªents. Powerful guardians of nature¡¯s balance. Their kings and queens hold power over the future. Infinite wisdom on magic, seals, universe-level shit¡ Place called Luminalia." Paused for dramatic effect. [1) Alternative world, connected with Earth 0.
2) It is the light that maintains the positive flow of the eter].
"Where¡¯s this going? Luminalia¡¯s fake. Kids¡¯ tales," Miriel argued.
The dwarf smirked:
"Really? Think. They say the Underworld exists¡ªgenderless king, violent sociopath, kidnaps royal kids every millennium, lives in hell¡ªthat sound believable? Why not a paradise? Plus, I¡¯ve got a map of its ether flow. Natural."
"A map¡¯s impossible," she repeated.
"Just ¡¯cause magic¡¯s banned here doesn¡¯t mean you, an elf, play dumb."
Tension crackled. I started tuning the dwarf out¡ªdude loved stirring shit. Cut in:
"You got that map here?"
"Yep. But favors are over. Thirty gold coins."
"Nobody¡¯s buying your fairy tales. If it was valuable, you¡¯d have sold it already. Five coins. Take it or we¡¯re done."
Oddly, he laughed:
"You¡¯re the Owl¡¯s kid, huh?"
"He¡¯s my master. Why?"
"Too much like him. Annoying. I hate you, but doing this for a friend."
This guy has friends? Shocking.
"Listen, kid: be careful with that thing of yours. People¡¯d kill for it. For the map¡ seven coins."
"Obsessed with cash, like every damn merchant. Fine¡ªdeal."
¡®Don¡¯s Funds: 148 M. Gold¡¯
"Alright. Now get the hell out!" he kicked us out, no remorse.
No choice¡ªgot tossed like stray dogs. Last time I¡¯ll hire him. Crossing Duncaster¡¯s border after 60 years here, I felt something¡ªsomeone¡ªdidn¡¯t want me leaving. Turned¡ Holy shit. Kira was sprinting, screaming "Wait!" like a maniac. Me? Clueless, too scared about leaving town. She nearly tore my shirt, gasping:
"Thi¡ this¡ is yours," she panted. "Mar¨ªa was playing with it. Lets you travel, so¡"
"But¡ how? I swore I had it. Thanks, Kira."
No words. She continued:
"So¡ good luck out there."
"Don!" Miriel yelled. "What¡¯re you doing? We¡¯re burning daylight!"
"Coming!"
"That your guide?"
"Yeah, and she¡¯s a real elf. See her? A real elf!"
"Yeah¡" she replied flatly, disappointed. "You should go. She¡¯s waiting."
Wanted to say something, but nerves choked me. Blurted:
"Y¡¯know what? Keep it. You know how it works. If you and Mar¨ªa need to escape, teleport wherever you¡¯ve been with it."
"Won¡¯t stop, will you?"
"Take it. My master says gifts are blessings from the giver."
She half-smiled:
"Your precious master sounds wise."
"Nah. Just a grumpy old fuck who sees the future," I deflected. "Thought I¡¯d never see you smile again. Got a question¡ something¡¯s missing."
"Need help?"
"Last time, by the lake¡ you were gonna say something. Didn¡¯t catch it."
"By the lake¡" She sighed, tense. Suddenly, she cupped my cheek. Fear surged¡ªlike she¡¯d exposed a secret I didn¡¯t know. I cut in: "Wait¡ Your grandpa warned me about touching you¡ª"
"Fuck that damn old man!" she snapped. "Here¡¯s the truth¡ I¡¯m a Synapse user. I see you. Your fears, joy, pain, rage¡ your curiosity about the world, even if your face hides it. And your¡ love for me. You¡¯re not the age you claim. Older. I see your lifespan, abilities, intentions. I know who¡¯s under all those layers. But something¡¯s blocking me¡ªyou¡¯re a puzzle. There¡¯s¡ endless rage. Quiet hatred. Scars¡"
Silence. A tear rolled down.
"I stayed away ¡¯cause you¡¯re drowning in darkness. Terrifying. What you show isn¡¯t who you are¡ªthat¡¯s why I stick around, smiling when I see you. So much pain inside¡ I¡¯m sorry about your village."
Confused, I mumbled:
"What¡¯re you talking about?"
"You¡¯re a whole damn universe," she smiled weakly. "Stop hiding. Those red eyes shouldn¡¯t be disguised as human. Take advice from someone not your grandpa. Maybe then¡ women would flock."
"How can you see my eye color?" I gasped.
She smirked, kissed my cheek, and walked off:
"Stay safe, Don. What¡¯s out there¡ might not be what you dreamed."
"Thanks!" she yelled back.
"For what?"
"The gift."
That was it. Miles from Duncaster, Miriel camped by the road after 15 klicks. Settling in, I replayed Kira¡¯s words: "Drowning in darkness." My master always warned about something inside me¡ Whatever. Didn¡¯t get it all, but she knows who I am. Always exposed, never realizing. Fell into mental loops and muttered aloud:
"Wish I¡¯d asked her to come. But she¡¯s got responsibilities."
"You into the dwarf¡¯s granddaughter, huh?" Miriel asked.
"No¡ dunno. Maybe¡ nah."
"You¡¯re obsessed. Worse than I thought."
"That obvious?"
"Don¡¯t wanna crush your fantasies, but forget her," she said, feeding the fire.
"What if I told you¡ you can¡¯t help me anymore?" Kira¡¯s words echoed, about her, her grandpa, and little Mar¨ªa¡
"The woman you love so much¡ she¡¯s sleeping with her grandfather."