《This Clueless Hero》


 Chapter 1 - Summoning

    Sometimes I wonder if I should be thankful. Sometimes I wonder if I''m secretly in hell, atoning for some grave sin I''ve done. I''ve already done so much, what more can you ask from me? I''m starting to lose hope and I''ve long forgotten the reason I am fighting. Whatever is happening, I''m just so tired. When will this end?


    .


    .


    .


    Oh god... what just happened. There was a violent spinning, yet everything felt as though it were empty, in complete darkness. Once this sensation stopped there was a light whip on my head, it was as if somebody sent a slap straight through me. Coming to, my eyes were blinded by the sunlight.


    My mind felt dizzy and befuddled, my hands tried to cover my eyes, but I had no spatial recognition so my limbs ended up flailing aimlessly. There was someone that cleared their throat, my eyes adjusted to the light, making me realize my body was on cold marble ground.


    As my vision cleared, it was met with a stunning woman. She had glamorous blond hair and a white suit that was studded with various expensive-looking gems. She was looking at me strangely.


    "Um, why are you here?"


    My mind sobered up and took in my surroundings. It seemed to be a rather luxurious hall, next to the blonde-haired lady was another woman. She seemed a bit coquettish and was in a fairly frilly maid outfit. She leaned over to the blonde-haired lady and whispered by covering her mouth, though my ears could still pick it up fairly clearly.


    "Miss, I think the summon went funky."


    To my left, there was a grand platform. It had a few dazed people that standing there in modern clothes, like the ones on me. There was a guy and two girls, they were wearing casual clothes. After a few blinks, he was looking at me curiously, which was a bit embarrassing given my strange position. He seemed quite concerned.


    "Are you ok?"


    As he said that, the two pretty girls were looking at me as if my existence was a joke, though I couldn''t blame them for that. It felt strange to be surrounded by various pretty girls yet only feel welcomed by this random guy. If this was a game his charm would probably be max.


    After standing up my face turned to the blond-haired girl, she was whispering with the woman beside her and then turned back to face us.


    "Alright, I would like to welcome everyone here, I understand you are confused about what is happening right now, but I hope you realize this is not a dream."


    The boy on the platform was quick to respond, he seems to adapt quickly.


    "Were we summoned to another world? Will we have to fight the Demon King?"


    The blonde-haired girl looked at him with a neutral look as he asked.


    "Yes and no. You were summoned but there is no need to fight the Demon King, regardless, I will go into more depth later. We should introduce ourselves, I am known as Ela of the house Enberos."


    Wait, what?... Why were we summoned then? The maid perked up and had a friendly smile.


    "My name is Mildred Aryana, may I know your names?"


    The guy on the platform was a bit flustered, but he quickly straightened up and replied.


    "Hi, my name is Ned."


    The two girls had black hair, one was a bit taller than the other and they seemed quite close.


    "My... my name is Alyx"


    "Um, um..."


    The smaller girl was nervous, avoiding eye contact, and held Alyx''s hand tightly, Alyx spoke up for her.


    "She is my friend, Erin."


    Everybody turned to look at me. Seeing my lack of a response, Ned spoke up.


    "What''s your name?"


    My name? Ah, that''s simple it''s¡­ what was it again? I...


    "I don''t know."


    Ned seemed a bit confused and was at a loss for how he could salvage this awkward situation.


    "You... don''t remember your name?..."


    The corner of Ned''s lips twitched.


    "How about we just call you Jay?"


    Ah, well a name does seem necessary.


    "Alright, please call me Jay."


    It seemed most people did not care about me, while Ela seemed a bit irked from my actions, but she moved on.


    "Follow me, everyone, we will have a banquet and you may ask me about your concerns."


    Ela left and Mildred followed behind her after winking at us.


    Ned, Alyx, and Erin came off the grandiose platform and walked down the steps. After they got off, my steps hurried on behind them. My lungs forced in a deep breath, the air was particularly refreshing and even slightly sweet to breathe in. As we were led down a hall that had a nice red carpet, Ela started to explain the situation to us.


    "Firstly, the Demon King was dealt with by a hero 3 centuries ago and in the end, the hero was able to set up a peace treaty among the demons and so today we coexist with them."


    The world... is at peace? Ned said what was on my mind.


    "So... why were we summoned?"


    Ela opened her mouth, but Mildred energetically piped up first.


    "It is because every decade we have a celebration in the honor of the hero that saved humankind."


    Erin had tugged the sleeve of Alyx, Alyx promptly crouched down next to her. Erin whispered something to her. After which, Alyx asked Mildred a question.


    "So after the celebration, we will go back to our own world? How long will this celebration be? I hope we can limit it to a few days, we have things we need to do back in the real world after all."


    Mildred looked back with an awkward smile on her face.


    "Well... you will be here for a year."


    She quickly followed up seeing most of our jaws drop.


    "Don''t worry, not much time in your world should pass, at most a few hours. This is the best we can do since the summoning circle needs at least a year to be ready to send you back. In reality, the actual celebration will be in your last month, for the first eleven months we will accommodate you, providing you with what you need to live comfortably."


    Alyx let out a sigh of relief and expressed her appreciation.


    "Thank you, it seems like we will be in your care."


    Ah, well that seems to be more reasonable.


    Upon pondering it a question formed in my mind. Although I''ve heard of stories of heroes and such, if you think about it realistically humans are naturally weak creatures that were never made for combat in the first place.


    "Say, how did the first hero defeat the Demon King?"


    Ela proudly spoke of her knowledge in history.


    "As all summons do, they inherited natural powers contained within the place from which they were summoned that allowed them to naturally manifest upon being summoned. The first hero had powers that allowed her to create objects out of thin air. It is known that she gave a gift that convinced the Demon King to step down and make peace."


    Wow, sounds like the hero did something legendary.


    Wait, more importantly... doesn''t that mean we all have powers?


    "Does this apply to us as well? How do we know what powers we get?"


    Ela hesitated to respond.


    "Theoretically yes, however, something went wrong with the summon so I cannot assure you. For the summon only one person should have been summoned, that person is sir Ned."


    Wait... how did she know it was supposed to be Ned?


    Ned was surprised, he patted his chest.


    "I suppose I am lucky then, it sounds quite lonely to be the only person in a new world. There wouldn''t be anybody that could understand what you were going through or how much you missed life from your original world."


    Ela was silent, but we had soon arrived at a hall that looked quite extravagant and had a long table with a wide variety of foods like bread, cheese, cabbages, and many different foods that were unrecognizable. Mildred gestured towards us.


    "Please take a seat."


    There were five total seats, four along the long sides and one at the far end. Hmm... there are six people so someone will have to stand. Normally with one summon, there should''ve been plenty of food and seats. Ela realized this as she told Mildred to stand beside her after she took the seat at the far end. Mildred was a little unhappy but was understanding.


    After my hand used the fork to put some food in my mouth, it gradually kept going faster and faster. My hand suddenly froze, the other three were not really eating.


    Sweat started to form on my forehead.


    Were they not eating because of me?


    Ela furrowed her brows.


    "Is the food not to your liking?"


    Ned spoke up on behalf of us.


    "Well, we are used to foods that have various seasonings, oils, and spices."


    Ela raised an eyebrow.


    "These were all finely made with salt and pepper. What is lacking?"


    Ned shook his head.


    "It''s not that these foods are poorly made, they are great but we are used to eating other things. I can recognize these foods are from what we would call the Asian parts of our world, however, we are not used to eating these types of foods."


    Ela nodded.


    "I see, apologies for the poor service, what do you prefer out of these foods?"


    Ned pointed his hand at various foods.


    "Personally, I am fine with eating the bread, cheese, vegetables, and ham."


    Ned then looked at me and the two girls.


    "What about you guys?"


    Alyx just dismissively responded.


    "Same as Ned."


    Alyx nodded after she had said that. To me all the foods were fine but for whatever reason, my mouth could not form those words.


    "Uh yeah, same as everyone else."


    Mildred raised her hand and brought attention to herself.


    "I will see to it so your meals are properly taken care of."


    Ned stood up from the table and bowed.


    "Thank you, Mildred."


    Mildred blushed just a bit.


    "It is simply what I am obligated to do."


    We were taken outside, the sky was a bright blue and the sun was shining softly. The air was clear and refreshing. Perhaps the village filled with nature was what caused it. There was a cobblestone road and a decently big carriage waiting for us. Ela got into the carriage and turned to us.


    "We will take this carriage to my palace, where you will be living from this point forth."


    Mildred came on the carriage after the rest of us got on. The inside had nice seats that were cushioned with red velvet pillows. Ela motioned to the carriage driver and we started to move. Mildred clapped lightly to bring attention towards herself.


    "When we get to the Enberoes palace, you can do what you wish outside. Please, make sure to get back before nightfall and cause little trouble."


    We nodded and expressed our thanks.


    My eyes drifted outside the carriage and there was a breeze that went past my face.


    It seemed like it was going to be quite a relaxing time, a world in peace, free food, and being able to Iive free of charge in a palace!

 Chapter 2 - The First

    The carriage ride was not long. We had approached a rather magnificent palace.


    This was the place we were going to stay at? That seems just way too nice. Once we had gotten off the carriage Ela placed her hands together.


    "Alright, now that you are here we will bring you to where we keep our dorms. You can do as you wish. Just be careful and make sure you return before nightfall."


    Ned and the two girls were fascinated by the palace, and they made their way towards it. Erin had whispered something to Alyx, to which she nodded. Ned let out a small sigh and bowed towards Ela.


    "Thanks for your hospitality."


    Ela gave a small smile.


    "Naturally."


    Although it seemed everyone else was eager to check the palace out, my urges told me to check out the lively village. After parting ways with the rest of the group, my eyes looked over the various brick houses. My feet brought me down the cobblestone road and my eyes were drawn towards the villagers around me. Their clothes looked a little worn but nothing terrible to wear, those talking had smiles on their faces making the whole place look rather amicable.


    Down one path to the next, my journey was directionless. My eyes closely observed how the people around me were interacting. There was an old man bargaining at some other old lady''s shop that sold an assortment of fruits.


    "Ah come on you old bag of bones, just give me this apple."


    The old lady rolled her eyes as she snatched back the apple that the old man held in his hands.


    "I will give you this apple after you hand me enough coppers."


    My walk down the path continued. My eyes were on some kids playing with sticks, acting as if they were in a sword fight. They had few cuts and bruises, making me concerned.


    "Hey guys, it''s not safe to play around with sticks, you could hurt yourselves."


    The kids turn to me annoyed, one of them frowned.


    "Another lame adult telling us what to do, leave us alone."


    The kids start running away from me. A sigh escaped my lips.


    I guess I tried at least?


    My footfalls made tapping sounds against the cobblestone. My eyes were unconsciously drawn towards someone.


    It was a man with yellow hair that was too long to be befitting of him. He didn''t look much older than me, yet something about how he looked made me think he was much older. He was wearing quite worn clothing, but that didn''t seem to bother him, instead, his bright blue eyes were focusing on a small white rock in front of him. He kept turning it around again and again as if he would find the world''s secrets if he kept searching. My body was starting to lean over closer to him as my eyes locked on him, which he had noticed. He chuckled.


    "And what is it that you want?"


    What did I want?...


    "Nothing really."


    He casually threw away the stone. The corner of his lips tugged upwards and he gave a proposition to me.


    "Do you want to play rock, paper, scissors?"


    Huh? What in the world is this guy saying?


    "Uh sorry, I don''t know how to play that."


    He raised an eyebrow but explained it to me nonetheless.


    "In a game of rock, paper, scissors two people say rock, paper, scissors while keeping their hand in a fist. That fist lightly hits the palm with every word so that both sides can be in sync. After such, both sides either choose rock, by keeping their hand as a fist, scissors, by sticking out two fingers, and paper, by making an open palm. Rock crushes scissors, scissors severs paper, paper outlasts rock. When both sides choose the same technique the process is repeated. To some, rock, paper, scissors is a game of chance, to others, it is a game of deception and intelligence."


    My mind was having difficulty processing all the information he said, the focus was on the rules he stated.


    "Ok, I think I get it."


    He then put his fist over his palm after which my hands imitated him.


    "Since this is your first time I will let you know my choice is rock."


    "Oh, thanks."


    So... paper outlasts rock so I should choose paper by making my hand into a palm, right?


    We do the motions and say rock, paper, scissors together. He did not move his fist, while my fist became a palm. A flash of surprise went across his eyes.


    "Haha, you won."


    My hand arbitrarlily scratched the back of my head.


    I mean he let me win didn''t he?


    "Well, yeah I guess."


    He looked at me inquisitively.


    "My name is Mark, may I know yours?"


    My face froze for a second, my mind churned to remember the name Ned gave me.


    "...er Jay, yes Jay that is it."


    Mark smiled amicably.


    "Well, goodbye then Jay."


    "Ah yes, goodbye."


    Mark proceeded to sit down on the side of the road and his eyes inquisitively peered into the sky. After one last look at Mark, my aimless wandering continued.


    ...


    Things started to seem a bit off. The more steps my feet took, the more decrepit things looked. There seemed to be some people begging for food and the sun was just about to disappear.


    ...It seems I did not keep track of the time.


    Somehow my wandering had taken so long that the sun that was high in the sky was about to disappear. Turning back around for a few steps, there was a sudden realization.


    Not only was my path not mapped out in my mind, but even if it was, there was also not enough time to make it back. My eyes scanned my immediate surroundings for any place that looked like an inn. There was one house that was bigger than the others. My fist lightly knocked onto that house''s door, the size made me think it was the most likely thing to be an inn here.


    A skinny middle-aged lady opened the door by just a crack.


    "What?"


    My shoulders hunched, and there was a sudden desire to turn away, but my fear of the dark steeled me to keep going.


    "Um, is this an inn where I can stay the night? Sorry, I don''t have any money right now but I can get it to you later."


    The middle-aged lady had a long look at me.


    "Yes, yes come in."


    She moved out of the way and opened the door to let me in.


    "Thank you."


    The place had a strange smell and was quite dirty, there was a set of stairs leading upwards. My assumption was that the rooms were there and thus went to go up the stairs. The middle-aged lady blocked me.


    "Uh, sorry those places are already taken, you need to go into the basement."


    A smile formed on my face, though it twitched.


    "Ah, that is understandable."


    She led me through a few rooms on the first floor and removed a tarp that showed some stairs that led to a basement. The smell was really bad here, at this point it was preferable to sleep outside even if it was on the cobblestone ground and cold. However, it was too awkward to say that at this point so my footsteps trailed behind the middle-aged lady down the steps.


    The place was filled with various stains, though that was expected from the bad smell. There were quite a few doors that had simple metal door locks. She undid the latch to one of the doors and pushed me a bit forcefully into the room after opening it. She quickly closed the door after and the metal latch closed.


    "Uh... bye?"


    The place was even dirtier than outside and there was a cot that made me a bit hesitant to sleep on, but my body reluctantly laid down. After uncomfortably shifting around, sleep drifted in.


    ...


    My eyes flew open in the middle of my sleep, someone had forced me out of the cot and bound my hands in rope. In a haze, my ears picked up on screaming and crying.


    "Hurry the fuck along if you don''t want to get hit."


    The captor forcefully dragged me along. As my vision cleared up my eyes took in the situation. There were many people like me being forced out of their room, some were desperately resisting and getting whipped. There were some with a deadpan face being led away without so much as a sound or ounce of resistance. Curses filled the air from the captors as they forced people out. A little girl was muttering to herself.


    "Somebody... save me..."


    The panic started to settle in, what is happening?


    The only thing on my mind was to run, to get away. But fear overwhelmed me.


    My mind could not come up with an idea, or perhaps, wasn''t brave enough to think of anything.


    We were led out of the house and onto a carriage. It was the dead of night, the only thing that gave light was the dull shine of the moon. The ride was slow, bleak, and filled with faint crying. Whenever someone made a sound they would be whipped, but people kept crying anyway.


    There was a guy that seemed to be my age who couldn''t keep himself quiet. He had many lacerations across his body, it was hard for me to tell how long it was but eventually, he started to scream. The people acted quickly, using their fists to bash his head as hard as they could. It was very unpleasant sounding and slow. When the screaming finally stopped, a disturbing smell filled the air there was a pit in my stomach. The victims were gradually becoming more unsettled, me being no exception.


    "Haa... no... no."


    I... had to run, I have to get out of here, I... I don''t want to die. My torso suddenly launched at the wall of the carriage, making me tip over the window.


    I suppose since I came along so easily earlier my captor didn''t expect my sudden movements.


    My fall was broken solely by face and was on the cobblestone path. My consciousness wavered and my vision was blurry. Regardless, the only thought in my mind was to run. Instinctively, my hands tried to push off the ground, but they were tied.


    My chest pressed hard onto the ground and let me stumble up to my feet. My legs broke off in a sprint. There was no destination in mind, whether or not my direction followed a path was the least of my concerns, and my balance was almost lost from time to time.


    But... my body was weakening quickly. My running slowed and my foot pushed the ground in an attempt to stop. Yet, my stop was too hasty, making me fall over. Instinctively my hands tried to brace against the fall but they could only struggle against the bound rope.


    Then it was black.


    "Um, why are you here?"

 Chapter 3 - Bewilderment

    There was a light whip to my head and my vision was still blurry.


    "Um, why are you here?"


    I... I was captured, that''s why!


    The anxiety crept in fast.


    "I... I have to run... they are going to kill me."


    My feet stumbled, but they still got me up. My legs took me as fast as they could. Before they took me far, there was a strong tug on my arm. Someone had a firm grasp on my arm and sighed.


    "What are you so scared of, take a look around, nobody is chasing you."


    My bearings came back to me as my eyes locked on the person holding onto me. It was a girl in a frilly maid outfit that had long brown hair and green eyes. This was the maid from when the four of us were first summoned.


    "Ah, thank you so much, you, you..."


    I forgot her name...


    My assumption was that she had saved me after noticing my disappearance and my reaction was overdramatic. The maid had a sweet smile.


    "My name is Mildred Aryana, you must have had quite the fright."


    Mildred gave a light laugh. My lungs took in a deep breath and my shoulders loosened.


    "Yes, yes, Mildred."


    Mildred let go of me and looked at me curiously.


    "And what is your name?"


    Huh? Oh, I guess she was playing around with me seeing as I forgot her name.


    "Haha, what do you mean?"


    Mildred seemed puzzled by my response.


    "Well, how am I to know your name if you don''t tell me."


    She sounded annoyed, not playful which made me feel unsettled. Furrowing my brows, my head turned around to actually look at the place around me. Ned, Alyx, and Erin were all very flustered on top of... the summoning platform... and we are in the summoning room.


    "What¡­ What is happening? Why are we here? I¡­ I must be dreaming"


    Ela looked at me then turned to face those on the summoning platform.


    "Alright, I would like to welcome everyone here, I understand you are confused about what is happening right now, but I hope you realize this is not a dream."


    Not... Not a dream? Ned shook off his flustered face fast and asked.


    "We were summoned to another world? Will we have to fight the Demon King?"


    Ela looked at him without changing her expression.


    "Yes and no. You were summoned but there is no need to fight the Demon King, regardless, I will go into more depth later. We should introduce ourselves, I am known as Ela of the house Enberos."


    Wait, what?... Why does this sound so familiar...


    "My name is Mildred Aryana, may I know your names?"


    This... this is what happened when I first got summoned.


    "Hi, my name is Ned."


    If these guys were acting... that would be scary.


    "My... my name is Alyx"


    But...


    "Um, um..."


    It would be much scarier if...


    "She is my friend, Erin."


    It was all...


    "What''s your name?"


    Real.


    "What do you mean? You named me Ned... It was Jay, remember?"


    There was a weak and wry smile on my face. Everyone was looking at me strangely. Ned cleared his throat.


    "Er- Hello Jay, anyways Ela please continue."


    My heart dropped. My ears weren''t really listening to what was happening and my mind muddled along as they conversed.


    So... I got sent back in time? It seems only I remember the things that happened. Did... did I die? Now that I think about it it makes no sense that Mildred could''ve saved me as I really did wander far away.


    A headache was coming on.


    I suppose I was given a second chance. It is a chance for me to correct my mistakes... but...


    "Hello?"


    My body suddenly tensed. Mildred was waving a hand in front of my face.


    "Ah, what?"


    Mildred pointed towards the food in front of me.


    "The food..."


    Ah, originally we talked about the foods that we liked.


    "Oh, the same as them."


    Mildred looked at me confused.


    "I asked why you are not eating, are you not hungry?"


    Ah, well I guess that makes more sense.


    "Sorry, I just¡­ am not really hungry."


    Mildred nodded and went back to stand next to Ela. Ela then took us outside to a carriage.


    "We will take this carriage to my palace, where you will be living from this point forth."


    As my eyes landed on the carriage, the memory of what happened came back to me. The sounds of crying and screams echoed in my mind. My eye closed yet my vision was still filled with the boy who was beaten to death. There was a tug on my arm towards the carriage and instinctively my foot took a step back. Snapping out of it, my eyes looked at Mildred, who was holding my arm. She seemed a bit annoyed.


    "Get on the carriage will you?"


    "Ah- yes, sorry"


    Breaking out of my fluster, my foot stepped on the carriage after a few moments. My body uncomfortably squirmed in the seat next to Mildred. As the carriage went along it was mostly silent. My mind uncontrollably began to wonder about what happened before.


    "Um... Ela?"


    Ela looked at me with a raised eyebrow.


    "Yes, what is on your mind Jay?"


    My hand clumsily scratched the back of my head.


    "Do you know about a thing where there are people that capture others and then... take them somewhere?"


    Ela furrowed her brows.


    "Are you referring to the slave trade?"


    Uh... probably?


    "Yeah, yeah, uh do you think it is possible to stop that?"


    My decision to ask her was based on the fact she seemed to have the highest authority here and was most likely to be able to do something.


    The inner corner of her eyebrows angled up.


    "Many kingdoms have reigned and many have foolishly thought that they could create paradise. Yet in the end, success in vanquishing evil comes at great costs. However, while some succeeded, they had fallen into despair as they saw the evil that once disappeared rise once again to plague the lands... and I am no exception"


    Ela muttered the last part. Mildred reached out to hold onto Ela''s hand. Ned put his hand on his chest.


    "Even if it is foolish I can still respect someone that tries their best to fix this world."


    "Thank you."


    Ela nodded, but it seemed that she did not want to continue this topic any further since she remained silent. The rest of the carriage ride held a somber tone, but once we reached the palace, Ned and the others brightened up. They seemed to be at a loss for words looking at the palace.


    "Alright, now that you are here we will bring you to where we keep our dorms. You can do as you wish. Just be careful and make sure you return before nightfall."


    Ned bowed and sighed.


    "Thanks for your hospitality."


    Ela smiled.


    "Naturally"


    My head unconsciously looked in the direction of the village and flinched. My eyes closed and my head whipped back around.


    "Haha, well it is hard to resist exploring the palace."


    Ned grinned and gave a chuckle.


    "Well that''s a guarantee, could we have a tour please?"


    Mildred smiled.


    "Haha well while Ela has some business to attend to I am free to take you around."


    Ned and Alyx were quick to thank her. Mildred and the rest of us bade farewell to Ela who left swiftly. From there, Mildred proceeded to take us into the palace.


    The palace was quite high, the whole thing reaching a height of roughly 30 meters and 50 meters wide. When we walked in the ceiling was very high up, about 10 meters or so.


    We walked into a large room with various stairs leading to places and a large table in the middle on top of a marble floor. The walls had various golden statues of various people clad in armor and wielding various weapons, a maid had a duster and was cleaning one of them as we stepped in.


    The lighting was bright and there seemed to be some sort of massive chandelier with jewelry for bulbs in the middle of the ceiling.


    Once we walked in Erin let out a small gasp, while Ned and Alyx were curiously looking around. Mildred gestured towards the room.


    "This is where Lady Ela would host visitors to our palace."


    We nodded to acknowledge what she said. She then led us across the room into a cased opening at the left of the room. Our footsteps echoed loudly as we followed her. There was a hallway that had a stand with a vase containing various flowers every couple meters.


    The hallway soon came to a split where a path continued forward and another to the right. Once we reached this point she pointed towards the right.


    "Over there are our servant''s quarters, where they rest. Up ahead is where the kitchen is where our chefs work hard to cook for us."


    Ned''s eyes lit up. Ned did not try to hide his curiosity and looked at Mildred.


    "So we could cook here if we wanted to?"


    Mildred appeared a bit surprised.


    "Ah, what do you mean, you don''t have to prepare anything, we have it taken care of."


    Ned shook his head.


    "No, no, I enjoy cooking and I think I do a pretty good job."


    Mildred laughed a little.


    "Alright, if you are not jesting I will work it out so that you may cook."


    Ned smiled and said his thanks. Mildred took us back and into another cased opening at the back of the room, where there was a large courtyard. There were various trees and flowers as well as a very neat cobblestone path.


    "If you wish, you can have some fun here."


    Alyx seemed to be quite excited and Erin wasn''t that calm either. We continued exploring the place from the dining room to the bathroom and the needlessly large hot spring which made Ned show quite the exaggerated expression.


    Mildred did take note of the pathing to minimize our walking, but because of how long the hallways were, it soon became evening and my legs were starting to tremble... though everyone else was holding up fine. Mildred had taken us upstairs to a long set of rooms and assigned four of them to us.


    "And these are our rooms, the last of the palace, if you have any concerns just know that if I am not busy I will be in that room over there."


    She pointed to a door that was noticeably different from the others and not too far away.


    "If you cannot find me, ask one of the servants here and they should help you or find me."


    Ned nodded and thanked her. Alyx was soon to follow and before a word could leave my mouth, Erin had been at her loudest, normal speaking level, and very softly said.


    "Thank you."


    After quickly repeating after Erin, my legs started to tremble more. Mildred smiled at us.


    "This is only what we are obligated to do."


    Mildred then left to go downstairs. Erin yawned, and although Alyx and Erin were assigned to different rooms after Erin whispered to Alyx they went into the same one. Seeing the girls rush so quickly to bed, Ned turned to me.


    "Goodnight Jay, we should all talk later when we get recharged."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Yeah yeah, we should do that. Goodnight, Ned"

 Chapter 4 - Nightmares And Visitors

    My foot stepped into the room, it was larger than expected. There was a small balcony, after making my way there, my face basked in the orange glow of the setting sun. Moving towards the bed, my feet gave way, and my head slammed into the bed. There was an attempt to sleep.


    But it wasn''t easy.


    My eyes remained open, they were staring at the ceiling as thoughts about my previous life filled my mind. My mind tried my best to block out those thoughts from my head and my body rolled around the sheets until sleep came to me.


    There were nightmares. People capturing me, tying me up, and then beating me to death. Slaves, reaching out towards me begging me to save them while my legs desperately raced away. Yet, they were faster, their hands quickly catching up, then they tightly held my shoulder holding me back, and dragged me down. My mind wanted to scream and my mouth was open, but there was no sound.


    My head jolted up, my breathing was heavy and there was cold sweat on my forehead. It was the dead of night, but my body no longer felt tired, so my decision was to go to the small balcony. Upon reaching the balcony, there was a commotion to my right. Looking over, in the pale moonlight, there was Ned, whispering with a little girl that was shorter than Erin. The girl was standing on the railing, dangerously, yet she didn''t seem to be concerned as if she wasn''t over ten meters above the ground. Though my mouth hadn''t even moved, the girl was quick to turn to look at me with a weird smile. Ned curiously looked at me soon after, noticing their gazes my lip twitched as an awkward laugh was forced out.


    "Sorry, sorry, I''ll go back to my room."


    My feet hurriedly shuffled backward and my ears could barely make out Ned reassuring me.


    Hmm... it''s the middle of the night... and Ned is awake with a girl in his room.


    I am going to stop thinking about it.


    There was a table in the room with a chair and my weary body sat on it.


    I guess at this moment those people were being dragged out of their rooms, tied up, and being sent to someplace. While I was here living lavishly in a palace.


    The pale glow of the moon fell on me and my eyes closed, left to only my thoughts.


    ...


    My eyes opened to a terrible backache and pain in my neck. My night was spent on the chair...


    Anyways, my ears had picked up on the sound of knocking, which was what woke me up in the first place. My feet brought me up off the chair and my neck twisted uncomfortably. My finger rubbed my eyes as the bright light of day shone on them. My hand reached out to open the door. Mildred was waiting outside with Alyx and Erin behind her. Mildred gave a smile.


    "Good morning."


    My head was muddled but my mouth could still reply.


    "Good... good morning."


    Mildred then spoke a bit more seriously.


    "Ela has some concerns she wishes to bring up to you all, if you are not too tired could you come with me to the dining room after freshening up a bit?"


    My head nodded listlessly and my hand pulled back to close the door. The bathroom made me a little dazed. There was a rather unique large square shower. My body embraced a cold shower and my face was cleaned at a fancy sink. There was a set of clothes on the floor that looked slightly fancy, but still comfortable. My hand reached over to quickly put it on. My finger turned the doorknob and pushed the door aside. Ned also leaving his room with slightly wet hair. Seeing him made me wonder if that girl was still there but it was probably best to not bring it up. Mildred, Alyx, and Erin were still waiting for us. Mildred was standing there patiently and Erin was whispering with Alyx.


    "Alright, since everyone is here, please follow me."


    Ned yawned but was quick to follow Mildred and the rest of us followed suit. Ned then turned to us with a smile.


    "Morning everyone, it seems like everything really isn''t a dream huh?"


    Ned smiled and my face couldn''t help but sprout one as well.


    "Yeah, it still feels weird... haha."


    Alyx rubbed her forehead.


    "Well at least I can confirm I didn''t go crazy¡­ that or I truly went insane."


    Ned laughed and we continued down the steps into the dining room. There was food lined up that Ned had requested from last time. Ela was sitting at the end of the table waiting for us. She was tapping her finger against the table at an impressive speed with her brows furrowed.


    "Please take a seat and eat something."


    The atmosphere was a bit tense but not threatening. We finished our food quickly and did not comment about the taste. Ela stood up from her seat and started to talk.


    "I apologize but there has been a change of plans since we... I wish to give you all a goal to work towards so you are not aimless in your stay for this year. We will send you to a magic school, in your time there you will learn some magic, and try to awaken your innate power if you have one."


    Ned originally looked a little concerned but broke into laughter after Ela finished.


    "Don''t worry about it, I was actually planning on asking you if we could take some classes to learn magic."


    Ela nodded and turned towards the rest of us.


    "Are you all of the same opinion?"


    Alyx was quick to nod, which Erin followed. Personally, my goals currently consisted of nothing, so it didn''t really matter. Following the rest, my head nodded. Ela was fidgeting a little slower, but it didn''t seem like her anxiety was abated much.


    "Thank you for agreeing to the sudden arrangements."


    Ned looked a bit concerned.


    "Ela, is everything ok? Although we''ve just met, I wouldn''t mind helping if there is an issue."


    Ela was silent for a while.


    "It''s alright, nothing you have to worry about."


    Ned did not try to push further.


    "Alright. So will classes start today?"


    Ela nodded.


    "Yes, Mildred will help you with the arrangements, there are duties I must do. Farewell."


    Ela hastily left. Mildred stood up and smiled.


    "I will take care of the miscellaneous arrangements, and show you the way to the school today. We will depart after 2 hours, you are free to do what you wish until then, just come to the entrance of the palace before then."


    Ned looked at Mildred excitedly.


    "Can I use the kitchen to try to make something?"


    Mildred gave a wry smile.


    "Well, yes go ahead, just tell the chefs there you wish to cook."


    Erin was quick to start whispering to Alyx. Alyx then respectfully turned towards Mildred and made a request.


    "May we also use the kitchen to cook?"


    Mildred looked bewildered for a moment but regained her composure quickly.


    "Of course, help yourself."


    Ned briskly walked to the kitchen and Erin pulled Alyx along quickly, leaving just me a Mildred in the room. Mildred sat back down and turned to look at me.


    "May I know why they seem so enthusiastic to do... to cook?"


    ...Honestly, I had no idea, how was I supposed to know?


    If anything, wouldn''t it be better to ask the actual people in question?


    Not wanting to look oblivious, my brain churned for some explanation I could use.


    "For them it might be a nice experience, to create foods that taste good."


    Mildred was in thought for a moment but turned back to look at me.


    "So what do you think about cooking?"


    Well... I don''t remember ever cooking...


    "I guess I wouldn''t know since I haven''t tried it."


    Mildred looked at me intently for a while.


    "Pardon me if this is an inappropriate question, but were you a slave?"


    "Huh? Uh no, not really"


    My brows furrowed but my mind cast out the questions stuck in my head.


    "Say¡­ what happens if when we go to the magic academy we are unable to awaken any innate powers?"


    Mildred smiled, albeit a weak one.


    "If you really cannot, there is no helping it, you can continue your magic studies if you wish."


    There was a period of silence. Mildred broke it with a soft voice.


    "There is no shame in being powerless. I was once a woman with great ambitions, I had talent in the wind that many could only dream of, and worked hard to improve myself¡­ Yet, this world seems to give what it wishes to you. I ended up crippling myself to save my sister who had fallen off a building, and since I longer possessed any magical abilities my family sold me to the Enberoes family."


    My curiosity overtook me and my head turned to her. She continued.


    "Yet... I regret none of it, maybe at the moment I wallowed in self-pity, but if I didn''t put in all that work I would have watched as my sister hit the floor, powerless to do anything else. I was on the roof when I saw her fall¡­ I had to cast a spell that was beyond my body''s capability that let me fall faster than her and catch her. My body was bleeding and it was painful to even stand, but I still smiled holding my sister in my hand. I did all I could and knowing that is enough for me. Life is not unpleasant though, Lady Enberoes is so sweet. Don''t tell her I said that."


    She winked at me. My heart was a little less heavy after she told me that.


    "Thank you¡­"


    Mildred stood up and dusted off her dress.


    "I really should go now and prepare for your magic school session. Farewell."


    "...Farewell."


    Mildred walked out of the room, leaving me there by myself. A small sigh escaped me. After a while, Ned, Alyx, and Erin came back with various dishes in their hands. Erin was proudly smiling and holding onto a plate of vegetables with both hands. Alyx had a slight smile and was holding a dish of meat. Ned was grinning widely and held a plate of noodles.


    "Hey, Jay! Want to have some of what we made?"


    My head swung back with laughter.


    "Of course, in fact, if you didn''t offer I may have stolen some, it smells too damn good."


    Ned guffawed.


    "If you did that you wouldn''t get to try the food I make with spice when we find some."


    Ned took an overly pretentious position. While my eyebrow raised.


    "If I get some spices I better get the biggest portion."


    Ned smiled.


    "Haha, it''s a deal."


    We ate the food that they made, it tasted pretty good.

 Chapter 5 - Talent

    We had met up at the entrance to the palace, Mildred was holding onto some bead sized purple glowing stones.


    "Hello everyone, thank you for being punctual. I have a messenger stone for each of you, please keep this on you and if there is any emergency, crush it and you will be in contact with Ela, who will arrive promptly to help you."


    Mildred handed them out to us. As the messenger stone fell on my palm my mind could not help but think of my last death. Why didn''t they give it earlier? Ah well, what happened has happened and there is no point in dwelling upon it. Ned stretched his arms.


    "Alright, are you guys excited or nervous to start learning some magic?"


    A smirk flashed on my face.


    "Both, I mean what else could I be?"


    Alyx chuckled.


    "Well, I am more excited than nervous."


    Erin was holding onto Alyx''s arm but was swinging it around.


    "Mmm¡­ definitely more nervous than excited."


    Mildred told us to follow her and we took a walk across the cobblestone path. Ned was making exaggerated motions as he was explaining to us all the different ways he was going to cast all kinds of magic. Contrary to expectation, Erin started to join in with him, cutely making sound effects and waving her arm that was not holding onto Alyx.


    I definitely didn''t join in embarrassing myself... I swear.


    Alyx was just laughing and Mildred was smiling.


    The walk was not long, only a few minutes. Compared to the palace it was more modest but still large. The school had lots of vegetation and there was a yard that was nearly as large as the school itself that had various equipment like training dummies but was mostly empty space. Mildred took us into the school and led us to a classroom.


    "Alright this will be your classroom from now on, please remember this place."


    My eyes peered inside. There seemed to be a teacher already there, it was a middle-aged man in a suit that had an arm that hung limply to his side. There were two students already there dressed quite nicely. Mildred then bade farewell, and we said our goodbyes as well. We walked into the classroom, there were large desks that were far apart from each other, it seemed the total capacity of the classroom was ten students. Ned was quick to approach a guy that was sitting at one of the desks, he looked to be more or less the same age.


    "Hey, how is it going? My name is Ned. What is yours?"


    The guy turned around, looking surprised, but reached out for a handshake.


    "Oh, hello Ned, my name is... Dan."


    Ned smiled amicably and shook his hand.


    "Nice to meet you."


    Dan turned back after that and we decided not to bother him. There was also a girl at another end of the class which Ned decided to go to. The girl looked very sleepy and was barely able to keep her head up from falling onto the desk. Ned called out to her a few times but it looks like she didn''t even hear so Ned went to take a seat.


    "Ah, why are the desks so far apart?"


    Ned proceeded to pick up desks to make four of them much closer to each other, within arm''s reach of each other. The teacher raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. We each took a seat, as we did, one student came through the door. He was panting but quickly regathered himself as he stepped in the room, his clothes looked neat but not as fancy as everyone else''s. My hand raised and my eyes turned to the teacher.


    "Excuse me, teacher, when does class start?"


    The teacher cleared his throat and spoke in a deep neutral tone.


    "Soon, the last three should be here anytime now- Ah, look at that"


    As he said that, two girls and a guy walked in, but were a bit far from each other. Two of them looked at us strangely for a moment seeing our desks but looked away quickly. The teacher then tapped the chalkboard.


    "Alright since everyone is here we should start."


    He bowed, which was weird to me.


    "My name is Harlow, you can simply call me by my name. I will teach you the basics of magic. Now we should begin..."


    What? Are we not going to introduce ourselves?


    "Magic can come in the form of many different elements and takes on a physical form..."


    He proceeded to describe the various historical figures that had discovered uses and revolutionized magic, which did not garner my interest.


    "...Now for you, you must decide on what kind of mage you wish to be. There are two mainstream ways that 99 of 100 people use, the Collector Mage and the Constitution Mage. When we draw mana towards us we have to find a way to use it, the Collector Mage is one that improves their affinity towards mana, allowing them to retain the mana around them for use. The Constitution Mage is one that improves their body, allowing them to forcefully contain mana in their body for use. It is widely known that the Collector Mage is the best way to go, however, some people do not have any affinity in magic, thus must become Constitution mage. The reason for this is because Collector Mages can continually collect mana so long as their mind is not too strained from manipulating mana. On the other hand, while constitution mages can store mana for fast spellcasting, the body can only support a certain amount of spellcasting. You should try your best to become a Collector Mage if you have the talent, which we will check now."


    Harlow pulled out some orb-looking thing supported by a wooden base.


    "Otis, please come to the test first."


    The guy that was a latecomer stood up and walked towards the front. He seemed a bit arrogant but more nervous than anything, considering his arms were shaking.


    Was this a pretty big deal?


    Otis let out a small sigh and then put his hand in the orb¡­ wait how did he do that? The air in the room twisted and the table started to wobble. After a few seconds it calmed down and in the orb, there were three glowing balls of various colors the size of a tennis ball. Harlow nodded approvingly.


    "Good talent, good talent, you will do great in fire, earth, and water magic. You can become a splendid Collector Mage."


    Otis smiled and looked a bit more arrogant but was still reserved.


    "Haha, of course, I would have an affinity for magic."


    Harlow later called 4 other members, Dan who Ned talked to, Flora the sleepy girl who Harlow had to shake awake, Reyna who was one of the latecomers, and Mika who was also a latecomer. They all had a similar talent to Otis and they were becoming more loud and proud as they went back to their seats. Later the guy who came in winded, Kaiden went up to take his test. Upon putting his hand into the orb my body suddenly felt humid and wet. Harlow raised his eyebrow. Within the orb, there was a basketball sized blue orb that shone brightly.


    "Rare talent in water... Use it well."


    The other people who had taken a test suddenly became silent. Kaiden laughed.


    "Of course, of course."


    Ned was then called up and he walked over briskly.


    "Come on... give me something good."


    Ned slowly reached out to the orb, once a finger went in it felt like all the air came out of my body and pain as if my muscles were being squeezed like a sponge.


    Then everything was fine, my lungs anxiously gasped for air. Harlow was holding Ned''s arm which was no longer inside the orb. Ned was puzzled.


    "What? I haven''t been tested yet. How am I supposed to know my talents?"


    Harlow shook his head, he had broken out in a cold sweat.


    "No need, no need, no matter what magic you use you will not have a problem..."


    Ned looked at Harlow strangely. Harlow continued.


    "You are able to gather mana abnormally fast, so affinity or not you can forcefully use them as if you were a Constitution Mage."


    The other students who tested looked really shocked. Ned laughed and went back to his seat.


    "Alright, that is pretty cool."


    Alyx was called up, she seemed pretty composed, when she went to touch the orb my sensations disappeared.


    Everything became empty...


    Harlow was holding Alyx''s arm and he was catching his breath. There were fine cracks where Alyx had touched the orb. Harlow seemed to have a hard time speaking, and was thinking about something.


    "Your magic... is very special, it can greatly reduce or even nullify other magic, I will have a book for you so you can cast spells that use this mana."


    Alyx walked back and seemed to be wondering about what Harlow said. The other students seemed to be afraid. Harlow sighed.


    "I apologize but I must get a new Mana Enhancer."


    Harlow rushed out carrying the orb and after a few minutes walked in with a new one. My turn was next, cold sweat appeared on my forehead. Harlow seemed to be on edge, ready to grab at my arm and there were many eyes on me.


    My hand reached out to the orb and upon touching it, it felt like my hand submerged in water. Although the orb looked stationary there was a whirling that felt similar to a massage. Harlow looked at me confused.


    "How- how did you get into this academy if..."


    Harlow shook his head with disappointment seeing the lack of a reaction from the orb.


    "You... must become a Constitution Mage to use magic."


    Someone snickered but as for who, it was a mystery. Ned was looking at Otis rather threateningly and Otis was trying to pretend he didn''t exist. Reyna scoffed, but she was looking at Otis. After my dejected self plopped down on the seat, Ned had patted my shoulder and whispered to me.


    "It''s fine if you can''t use magic, we are literally in a time of peace where this magic stuff is useless anyway."


    My head gave a weak nod and a smile appeared on my face. Erin was the next person that was called up. After Alyx whispered something to Erin, she went up nervously. When she put her hand in the orb nothing happened, Harlow was quick to sigh.


    "You must be-"


    In the middle of his sentence, his eyes suddenly bulged. Everything felt... very warm... There was no violent reaction from the orb but there were many little orbs of all colors that were bouncing around as if they were alive, suddenly moving to and fro. They seemed to be very intimate with Erin, rubbing against her. Harlow took a while to collect himself and Erin was standing there awkwardly.


    "... Although your talent in a particular magic is not high... the elements will help you cast your spells and make them... much stronger."


    Erin looked surprised then skipped to her desk.


    I must say, from how Harlow put it, I was really jealous of Erin.... and everyone else too.

 Chapter 6 - Inferiority

    Once Erin sat down, Harlow spoke in a trembling voice.


    "The rest of the time will be a break, after two- no three hours, please eat and then come back to this classroom."


    Harlow ran out of the classroom carrying the orb. Ned then spoke up in an excited tone.


    "Looks like everybody can use magic, this really is exciting."


    Ned flashed a big smile. He avoided the fact that my ability to use magic was lackluster, to say the least. Despite my lack of talent, he was as welcoming as he always was. Alyx looked tired and smiled weakly.


    "That was quite the experience..."


    Erin smiled softly and raised her arms in the air.


    "I wanna cast magic! Magic, magic, magic!"


    Ned started to make jokes with me. After burying the seed of inferiority, my decision was to just have fun in the moment. After a little a desk was placed near us, we turned to look and saw Reyna who had carried her desk over to us. She had long light purple hair and seemed a tad older than us. She was smiling, while her eyebrows were trembling.


    "You guys mind if I join you?"


    Ned was surprised but didn''t seem to think it was a big deal.


    "Yeah, there is no problem."


    Reyna let out a sigh of relief.


    "I made the right gamble I suppose."


    Ned raised an eyebrow but was still smiling.


    "Since when were we gambling now?"


    Reyna laughed and pointed at the rest of the people in the classroom. They were all tense and cautiously looking in our direction.


    "All of us are scared of all of you since most of you have abnormally strong talents, but I guessed that talent wasn''t the standard you use to connect to others."


    Was that... referring to me? Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Why are you guys so caught up by talent? Is it really that big a deal that I can use magic a bit faster than you?"


    Reyna''s shoulders relaxed and she laughed again.


    "Oh come on, talent is what basically tells everyone what your status is going to be."


    Ned waved as if he wanted to shoo away the air that Reyna used to say that comment.


    "What in the world? That sounds so lame and boring, what do you even get from being so uptight all the time?"


    Reyna hummed.


    "Mmm¡­ Haha, maybe you are right."


    People started to get up and leave the classroom. I was curious why they seemed to all leave at the same time.


    "Huh? Why is everyone going? Is something happening?"


    Reyna smiled.


    "It is time for our servants to come and deliver us food, come on, follow me."


    Reyna beckoned to us and we left the classroom following her lead. We ended up going down into the school''s courtyard. There were various carriages with people giving out meals to the students.


    Kaiden had his parents giving him a meal, they didn''t seem to have a carriage. There were also a few more other people that were unrecognizable, my guess was they were in other classes. Ned rubbed his chin.


    "Why doesn''t everybody just bring their own meals to school? Wouldn''t that be so much easier for everyone involved?"


    Reyna raised an eyebrow.


    "What? You can''t expect us to eat spoiled food do you?"


    Ned was visibly confused.


    "Food spoils that fast? You can''t just reheat it?"


    Reyna made a disgusted expression and laughed awkwardly.


    "That... would be quite unpleasant, to say the least. You would have to freeze it and then reheat it if you wanted that... but it would be quite... unbefitting the status of a mage to do that."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Then we can just do that once we learn magic right? Why should you torture yourself just so you seem to be of some status?"


    Reyna blinked a few times in quick succession.


    "I suppose you are right."


    A butler came up to us carrying a dish but once he remained a couple of steps away he did not approach further. Reyna looked a little annoyed but went up to take it.


    She came back with the dish in hand. There was a decent sized piece of meat, a couple of vegetables, rice, along with a fork and knife next to the food. Reyna did not start eating but looked at us instead.


    "Do you have people who are going to deliver food?"


    A laugh came out from me, helplessly.


    "I guess we did not take that into consideration¡­"


    Reyna looked excited for some reason.


    "Well, I can help-"


    As she said her sentence a butler that seemed very tired had run up to us and interrupted her.


    "May I know if you all are Ned, Alyx, Erin, and Jay?"


    Ned was quick to reply.


    "Ah yes, that is us."


    The butler quickly caught his breath.


    "Ah sorry, I was foolish and could not tell who from who, we have your meal for you."


    The butler pointed towards a carriage that had some people carrying food. Ned laughed.


    "Don''t sweat it, how could you recognize us if you''ve never seen us before?"


    The butler nodded and calmed down. Reyna smiled bitterly.


    "I suppose there is no need for my offer."


    Ned laughed.


    "Thank you anyway, Reyna."


    Reyna smiled. The butler led us to the carriage and Reyna followed. Once we got there, some people handed us plates that had bread, vegetables, and ham on them. After getting our food, we went to one of the stone tables that had wooden seats around them.


    Most of the people here decided to eat in their carriage though. Since there were only four seats Ned took a seat from one of the other tables and sat down on it. My stomach wasn''t calling out for food and that seemed to ring true with the others as well. Ned sat back lazily in his chair with a piece of cabbage sticking out of his mouth, after swallowing it he spoke annoyed.


    "Man, I wish I had some fire magic to cook something better than this."


    My torso and head leaned back in my chair after my hand put a fork down.


    "I couldn''t agree with you more."


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "Even so, we shouldn''t overeat, it''s bad for you."


    Ned nodded in acknowledgment. Erin tore off a piece of bread and put it into her mouth before pouting.


    "Mmm¡­"


    Reyna couldn''t help but stop eating.


    "What¡­ but your meals are very finely made¡­"


    My eyes rolled.


    "These guys can easily whip up something better, you know?"


    Alyx smiled and turned away.


    "Well, I would say Ned and Erin know how to cook, I don''t really understand it."


    Reyna looked very curious and took another look at the food we had on our dish.


    "Sorry if I am overstepping my bounds but could I have a small bit?"


    Ned nodded and casually tore off half of the bread and put it onto Reyna''s dish. After thanking Ned she stared at it curiously, cut off a bit, and put it into her mouth.


    She had a dumbfounded expression as she slowly chewed it. After she finished that piece she gave a wry smile.


    "If this is truly not to your taste, do you mind if I am so bold as to ask to try some of what you cook?"


    Ned broke into a wide grin.


    "Of course, we will have to work that out, but hey you-"


    Ned turned to look at a skinny kid that was dazed out staring at our food.


    "You hungry? I can just give you the stuff on my plate."


    The kid was a bit dirty compared to the rest of the people and he had clutched his stomach in a very painful looking manner, with bright white knuckles. He broke out of his stupor and after some stammering, he became angry.


    "I- I don''t need your handouts! Don''t look down on me!"


    Ned threw his hands up like he was surrendering.


    "Ok, ok, I was just proposing an offer, after all, I don''t really plan on eating it anyway."


    Reyna looked mad, she looked at the kid.


    "Ned you don''t have to be so respectful to such a-"


    Ned cut her off.


    "It''s ok, it''s ok, don''t worry about it, Reyna."


    Although the kid loudly proclaimed his stance, he remained standing there, still staring at the food. Ned sighed helplessly.


    "Hey look I was an idiot and made us eat too much food before we came here and now we can''t even finish eating it, could you take it so that it doesn''t spoil?"


    The kid nervously fidgeted and slowly worked up the will to speak.


    "O-Ok..."


    Ned handed the kid the plate and he took it firmly. He did not begin eating it though, he turned to face Ned, gave a deep bow, still while holding tightly to the plate.


    "Thank you, I will remember this favor, what is your name?"


    Ned smiled gently.


    "Ned, what is yours?"


    The kid straightened up again.


    "Nolan."


    It seemed Nolan really couldn''t take the hunger anymore and started to eat very fast and after he put the plate back, he left. Reyna sighed dejectedly.


    "A favor from him is unlikely to be paid back, you know?"


    Ned laughed.


    "I wasn''t doing it for a favor anyway, he''s the one who decided he had to give me one."


    Reyna shook her head with a wry smile.


    "Yeah, you''re right, I suppose I am a little too emotional."


    Erin looked at Reyna curiously.


    "Hey, hey Reyna, do you want my food?"


    Reyna was surprised, she suddenly became shy.


    "There is no need, thank you, Erin."


    Erin continued with an innocent smile.


    "But you looked like you really liked the bread!"


    Reyna looked embarrassed and ended up stammering. Alyx had a carefree smile.


    "Don''t worry about it so much, if you actually like it you can have it."


    Reyna blushed but took it while muttering a thank you under her breath. Alyx and I ended up giving ours to the people who gave it to us, they said that they haven''t had their meal yet so they could incorporate it into their share so nothing was wasted.


    My thoughts were still about the kid Nolan though. He was so defiant, yet in the end, he had to bow down to his hunger. Was it that his will was just a front? Was it Ned that just tricked him? Or was it that he was truly unable to keep his pride in the face of someone of higher status?


    ....I suppose thinking about it won''t give me any answers anyway.

 Chapter 7 - Disparity

    Reyna started to fit in more to the group and was more natural in our conversations. Alyx slowly became more talkative when the topic diverted to magic, she was asking for our opinions on whether her magic would be strong, but realistically, other than maybe Reyna, we didn''t really know anything about magic so we came up with various far-fetched guesses. Ned started to look around, there was nobody around.


    "...Wait, are we late to class?"


    Reyna took out a glowing stone, it was a messenger stone, on it there was a clock... wait there''s a clock on those? Reyna panicked.


    "Oh dear, we should hurry, we are late in thirty seconds."


    We all panicked and raced towards the classroom. Alyx was normally the one walking, pulling Erin along, but right now Alyx was stumbling over herself trying to keep up with Erin, who was basically flying. Ned did not look back as he pushed on forward.


    "Don''t fall behind, I won''t save you as it will be too late!"


    Reyna was laughing freely. When we reached the door, my breaths were ragged. Upon reaching there Ned pulled out his messenger stone.


    "Ha.. one second early haha."


    On Ned''s messenger stone, there was a mini clock that had a blue glow with three hands of varying brightness. My head hung low with a smile on it.


    "No... Ha... I was... one second late... my noodle legs."


    Reyna had a triumphant look.


    "Haha... good thing I have bread legs, else I would''ve been late just like you."


    Some of the students were sneaking looks and Harlow seemed particularly confused.


    "...Since everyone is here we can start, but before that."


    Harlow walked up to Alyx with a book in hand. It was an inky black with gold engravings decorating and making the title. The title was "To Any Fellow Vanquisher".


    Harlow handed it gingerly to Alyx. Alyx took the book with her free hand and looked it over.


    "Thank you."


    We went to sit down while Harlow went back to the front. He looked quite solemn and was very serious.


    "Now, before we start I will have to warn you all. What I am about to tell you is not a joke, it is not something you should brush off with just an afterthought. Magic... is dangerous, very dangerous. Not only for you but the people around you. If you wish to cast a spell you must gain my or one of your own grandmaster magician''s permission. You must never aim your spell at or near one another, think about the consequences of the spell before you cast it."


    Harlow scanned the room, seeing nobody was taking this lightly, he started to draw a few diagrams on the chalkboard, he made various annotations and highlights.


    "First we need to draw in mana, this should be your main goal, to be able to draw in mana as if you were breathing. You need to treat your mind as a muscle, first, try your best to relax and attempt to feel the mana in the air."


    Harlow closed his eyes as a draft started to pick up.


    "You should be able to feel it, and others should be able to see it as well, as you have seen by the wind around me."


    My mind repeated the words that he had said in an attempt to memorize them so there wouldn''t be any regrets later. Ned asked Harlow if he could try but after a stutter, Harlow said that we would leave any actual attempts until we were in the courtyard. Harlow then pointed at the diagrams.


    "Now I have put up various fundamental spells on the board. These spells are not made to harm, so you can cast them as you wish, go for the one you have an affinity for. As for you Alyx just looks at the spell on the second page. Now as a mage you will have to memorize the formations of spells, if you rely on some parchment and then lose said parchment, it will become quite embarrassing when you can''t cast anything. For our final task for the day, try to memorize one of the fundamental diagrams and come to the courtyard when you are done. ...Oh right, Jay you must form the spell inside of your body, using it to force the mana in the right position."


    After saying that Harlow left the classroom and left us to our own devices.


    Hmm... isn''t this just a bit... too sudden?


    I guess what I mean is I thought maybe on the first day the teacher would hold our hand just a little bit, but I suppose this is just how it will be.


    Looking at the diagrams my focus was arbitrarily on the one that was simply labeled "Earth". My guess was the earth element sounded a bit tamer and thus less of a hassle to cast. Ned looked over at us.


    "Hey, what are you guys trying to memorize?"


    Alyx smiled sadly.


    "Well, I don''t seem to have much of a choice."


    Reyna who was sitting next to her was baffled.


    "But... pretty much nobody could choose to cast that even if they wished to."


    Erin hummed to herself.


    "Mmm... I''m going to try earth."


    The corner of my lip pulled up as I nodded.


    "Yeah, I think I will try the same."


    It became silent as everyone was looking at the diagrams on the board, reading annotations that marked more specific processes that were required to cast the spell. Suddenly, Kaiden stood up and left the classroom, everyone turned to look at him.


    The people in our group mostly looked at him in curiosity, and quickly turned back, while the rest of the class turned back to the diagram after staring at the empty doorway for varying lengths.


    After some more time, people started to stand up one after another, which made me feel pressure since my progress wasn''t that great. My decision was to generally memorize the diagram and focus mostly on the annotations. Soon it became just us in the classroom. Reyna awkwardly looked at us.


    "Should we... go?"


    Ned nodded with his hand on his chin.


    "I basically memorized the fire diagram."


    Alyx rubbed her forehead.


    "I am having trouble with mine but I should be fine, I can carry the book with me after all."


    Erin seemed very excited.


    "Ok, let''s go, let''s go!"


    With that, we made our way to the courtyard. There were many people sitting, legs crossed, and eyes closed. Harlow was watching over them intently.


    When we got closer, there was a breeze which was from people drawing in mana. As we chose a nice grass patch to sit on we saw Kaiden standup, who once again drew attention to himself.


    He grit his teeth, closed his eyes tightly, and reached out his hand. A small strand of blue started to form in the air, slowly and weakly going through motions.


    A few droplets of water started to form at the end of his hand. Harlow''s eyes lit up and took a step closer to Kaiden. He ended up forming a small amount of water that filled his hand. Kaiden let out a relieved sigh then smiled proudly. Harlow nodded.


    "Well done, you can already cast spells."


    My eyes closed and tried to focus. My understanding of how I was supposed to draw in mana was lacking. Despite multiple attempts, none were successful. As my body became a bit fatigued, it suddenly felt like my body was breathing in the fresh air. It was passing through my body, which was quite a strange, but nice feeling.


    Assuming that this was mana and my mind tried to forcefully grab it and create the earth spell. However, my memory of the diagram was too blurry and made a rather lackluster replication.


    Upon failing there was a great discomfort in my sides and my mouth opened to let out a groan. My eyes opened. Most people were still in their meditative position, but Erin was gathering mana on her fingertips. She seemed a bit frustrated.


    When she handled mana it consisted of various colors and she seemed to be able to handle it deftly. She had a good idea of the diagram but did not follow some of the specific instructions on the annotation.


    "Erin when you make the sphere you have to do it by circling clockwise then start compressing it, not just making a sphere."


    Erin perked up and then started to ruminate with her head down. She tried again but she made the original sphere too small and the compressed version ended up being too small as well.


    There was a strong wind surrounding Ned, it was causing his hair to flap in the wind and his shirt to flutter. Ned raised his hand and prepared to snap. Orange mana rapidly gathered and formed at the tip of his finger right before he snapped.


    A flame the size of a basketball formed at his fingertips and started to crackle loudly. Though the fire was quite close, the fire didn''t feel scorching, just warm. Ned was laughing and giving the flame a once over, some eyes were attracted. Harlow was shocked but quickly composed himself.


    "Haha, I suppose that is only to be expected, with talent like yours."


    Alyx was still looking at the diagram in her book furrowing her brows. Harlow peeked at her but he turned away later. My eyes took a peek at the diagram and gave up any notions of trying to understand what it was.


    It was much more complicated than the diagrams on the chalkboard, especially since it contained multiple angles to show the obscure parts of the three-dimensional diagram. The earth spell had the least amount of annotations, only two, and the most was lightning containing four. However, hers had eleven that not only were long but referred to other addendums.


    What could that spell possibly be? My head turned to Reyna but she had a troubled expression on her face, it seemed that the spellcasting wasn''t going too well.


    My head then turned to Erin. When she drew in mana it was very slow, but it seemed she was able to retain it well, given how fast she prepared her next cast. The multi-colored mana flowed at her fingertips and my eyes followed it, trying to recall the diagram.


    She condensed the sphere again, this time it was slightly too big and then the spell fell apart. Remembering the diagram my eyes closed and my mind felt the mana again.


    My mind slowly started pulling the mana in a similar fashion as Erin did, albeit much more clumsily. Once the spell was almost finished, out of anxiousness, my spellcasting sped up, however, the sphere was a tad too large and the spell failed.


    My sides started to feel like they were burning, my fingertips and toes also felt numb. My teeth grit and despite the pain, my wish to continue forced me to prepare for the next cast. My eyes were drawn towards Reyna.


    Reyna was almost done casting a spell, it was with light blue mana. Before she finished though she ended up failing it, sighing sadly. Ned was also watching.


    "Hey, what is that last part of that spell?"


    Reyna dejectedly explained.


    "You are supposed to enclose the entire spell with mana, but it is so hard to remain focused enough so that the original spell doesn''t collapse."


    Ned pondered for a while before reaching out his hand. Like last time the wind around him was whipping. Light blue mana started to gather, but slower than last time.


    Ned ended up casting the spell first try, making a cube of ice condense, about three-quarters of the size of the previous flame.


    Reyna was shocked and then smiled bitterly. Even more people turned to look this time, and Harlow had wide eyes.


    "What..."


    Ned smiled triumphantly.


    "Now I can cook and freeze our food."


    A laugh uncontrollably escaped me.


    "So that''s why you chose those spells."


    Ned started to laugh as well.


    "Damn right."


    My mind refocused on casting the spell. While my movements were clumsy, they were methodical.


    In the end, a pile of dirt fell onto my palm. A smile appeared on my face. Although my entire body felt numb and tired, it felt better feeling the dirt that was slightly overflowing from my palm.


    Before my mind really acknowledged my success or anyone else for that matter, my face suddenly slammed into the ground, in a daze, my head pulled out of the dirt and my ears picked up Erin''s voice.


    "I did it, I did it!"


    Our group was looking at the square mound of earth we were standing on, it was raised about five meters and was also five meters wide. Not a single person wasn''t staring in our direction and Harlow simply had his jaw dropped.


    My eyes shifted from the pile of dirt in my hand to the mound...


    This is a little too unfair, isn''t it?


    .


    .


    .

 Chapter 8 - Goodnight

    We had decided to just sit on the mound of dirt until the school day would end as per my request, given my tired state. Alyx ended up meditating and practiced drawing mana while the rest of us were talking about our experience in casting spells and our insights in them.


    After some time Harlow called out to us saying he had a final announcement. We slid down the mound and the people of our class gathered before him. Harlow cleared his throat.


    "This will be the end of our school day, do not feel discouraged if you were unable to cast a spell, so long as you were able to draw in mana and start the spellcasting process, that is already an impressive feat... However, some of you have already had success in casting spells, in that case, good job. For those that were unable to, if you wish to catch up to them, even if it may be hard, you need to start by learning how to cast a spell. Class dismissed."


    Some people in the crowd frowned and looked at our group.


    We parted ways with Reyna and our group went to the entrance of the school. Mildred was waiting for us there and waved at us when we came by.


    "Hello again, how was your first day?"


    Erin spoke first.


    "Super cool!"


    Ned smiled.


    "I had a pretty good time, also I can prepare meals for us now when we go to school."


    Mildred looked surprised.


    "Wow, you already learned how to use fire magic?"


    Ned grinned even wider.


    "Fire AND ice magic, I can now preserve it long enough for us to eat."


    Mildred laughed.


    "Well, it seems you had quite the experience."


    Ned nodded.


    "I did have quite the experience, though really it is because of her being able to cast earth magic to send us all up five meters."


    Erin stood there proudly, while Mildred seemed to need a second to confirm that we weren''t joking.


    "Wow, and what about you two?"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "It was mostly a frustrating experience..."


    My lips made a smile and laughed.


    "I would say the same but we probably have different reasons."


    Mildred seemed curious.


    "Oh? And why is that?"


    With a sigh, the palm of my hand rubbed against my temple.


    "Alyx had a special mana type and her basic spell is really hard to cast, while I had to become a Constitution Mage."


    Ned looked at Alyx intrigued. Mildred patted me on the shoulder.


    "Are you kidding me? Being a Constitution Mage isn''t even that bad, I was one before you know?"


    It was my turn to be surprised.


    "What? You were a Constitution Mage?"


    Mildred nodded with a smirk. Casting spells hurt so bad that my legs still wouldn''t work properly. It made me curious how to cast more spells.


    "How did you cast spells without destroying your body? Is there some way to get a stronger body?"


    Mildred laughed.


    "Without destroying my body? That is the only thing that I did. I cast spells, having it wreck my body and did exercise on top of that."


    I couldn''t help but blink a few times.


    "That sounds very painful."


    Mildred smiled at me.


    "It is."


    Although there was a desire to become stronger, there was no denying the process made me tremble in fear. My finger wiped the sweat from my brow.


    "Say how do Collector Mages become stronger?"


    Mildred looked at me.


    "A Collector Mage becomes stronger through meditation, by letting mana pass through them their affinities naturally grow stronger, this doesn''t apply to affinities one does not have, however."


    I nodded while Ned seemed to be pondering. If he really is able to absorb that much mana, he would probably get stronger really quick, like he had a cheat or something.


    Or was the main character of a story.


    Mildred walked us back to the palace. Ned was able to convince Mildred to let him cook for us. After eating, Alyx whispered something to Erin and then they went upstairs to their room. Ned said he wanted to continue practicing his magic and train his affinity, so he went to the courtyard to do that.


    Thinking back to what Mildred said my body naturally did push-ups right in the dining room, though after every couple of push-ups my breaths would be ragged. My back laid on the ground trying to catch my breath. Mildred''s voice spoke out from behind me.


    "You can''t just exercise aimlessly, if you exercise too much or in the wrong form you will end up weakening it instead."


    Mildred ended up showing me various ways my body could exercise, be it my abs or fingers. She would describe it to me and use her hands to correct my positioning. After a few hours, my back was on the ground and every part of me was numb.


    "Say... didn''t... you... say... to not... exercise too much?"


    As my lungs heaved air in and out, Mildred started laughing at me.


    "I suppose more specifically, it''s not best to overwork the same muscle over and over."


    The room was quiet other than my heavy breaths. Mildred didn''t leave and was still standing next to me. My head turned to her with trembling lips.


    "Did you have an affinity for wind?"


    Mildred nodded.


    "Rare."


    "Then why did you become a Constitution Mage?"


    Mildred smiled sadly.


    "I was originally going to become a Collector Mage, but I soon found out the Constitution Mage had advantages that mattered more."


    Mildred sat down next to me and looked off into a window up high.


    "When my parents found out I had high wind talent the first thing they tried to do was to sell me to some royalty. I ended up running away from home and lived among the beasts in the forest."


    My mouth did not move. Mildred continued.


    "I found that trying to cast things with Collector Magic was simply too slow, by the time I finished casting, it wouldn''t have mattered. The first few days ended up being very rough and I almost went back to the village. However, I stayed. With a large amount of luck and willpower, I ended up stable. I found out that if I cast spells like a Constitution Mage, it wouldn''t be too hard to hold onto them, just not finishing the final step. I also found I could cast spells I shouldn''t have been able to as a collector mage, albeit at a painful sacrifice. Doing that saved my life countless times by just a hair. Later when I was no longer worried about living, it let me take down more dangerous beasts. With proof of my accomplishments, I was able to get a position that only royalty should''ve had and was able to make a living for myself."


    My breaths were still heavy.


    "Wow..."


    We stayed still for a while longer. My eyes landed on her.


    "You sound like... a hero. I... don''t think I could do anything like that. I just end up running from the things that make me scared instead of confronting them."


    Mildred gave a silly smile.


    "What are you talking about? I don''t really get how you see me as a hero. Did you not hear me say I was running away from home?"


    A soft sigh escaped my lips.


    "Haha... well I guess that is running in a more literal term... I guess what I am trying to say is I wouldn''t have had the courage to run away like you. To fight so that my life wasn''t so miserable or filled with regrets. I probably would''ve let the rivers of time carry me to wherever it decided to."


    Mildred laughed awkwardly.


    "Maybe I put it the wrong way but... I really don''t think that I''m that different from you."


    Mildred stopped smiling.


    "After all, I''ve given up already..."


    My mouth opened, then closed a few times.


    "Why?"


    Mildred tucked her legs and wrapped her arms around them.


    "I lost the will to fight after I lost my ability to use magic. I suppose there was not much I could really do anyway but... I lost something. Lady Enberoes has treated me very well and my time in serving her was pleasant but... I was pretty much a dead corpse walking. I''m wasting away my life, completely aimless, powerless against whatever fate has in store for me. I suppose I''ve already let the rivers of time carry me to where it wishes to."


    Memories of how Mildred was before came to me. She always had a smile on her face and seemed to be so happy. The memory of when she first cheered me up was clear in my mind.


    "...I guess we are pretty similar... I never thought that was even possible."


    Mildred smiled sadly and seemed to be lost in thought.


    "Many things are not as they seem..."


    Were Ned, Alyx, or Erin were like that too?


    ...Maybe everyone was like that.


    For just a moment, there were no worries in my mind.


    "I suppose you ended up helping me again... Thank you."


    Mildred smiled at me.


    "I suppose you could say that."


    My lips smacked.


    "Say, Mildred..."


    Mildred tilted her head.


    "Yes?"


    My lungs hacked out a cough.


    "Could you..."


    Mildred looked at me strangely.


    "Could I...?"


    Ah, whatever I will just


    "...Carry me to my room? I can''t really move."


    Mildred rolled her eyes at me.


    "Alright, I''ll even tuck you into bed."


    "Thanks."


    Mildred was able to easily pick me up. She held me at my knees and also my back. My whole body relaxed, other than my neck which needed to hold up my head.


    At a moderate pace, she walked back to my room. She opened the door and the room was dark, only the moonlight let me see. Mildred laid me in bed and put the blanket over me. She walked over to the curtains to shut them.


    As darkness covered the room there was nothing my mind could hide behind anymore. My thoughts started to swarm me. Yet... they started to calm down. The door squeaked and started to close.


    "Hey, Mildred?"


    Mildred reopened the door.


    "Yes?"


    My eyes were closed.


    "Thanks."


    Mildred chuckled.


    "You already said that."


    My voice became soft.


    "I just... wanted to say it again."


    Somehow, something inside me could tell Mildred was smiling.


    "Well alright, goodnight."


    "Goodnight."

 Chapter 9 - Winter

    My eyes gradually opened to find my muscles were aching. With a groan, my legs got off the bed. My fingers pushed aside the curtain, the light was dim. A sliver of the sun peeked above the horizon. Dried sweat covered me, prompting me to take a shower.


    Mildred''s techniques popped into my mind. Since they were exclusive to a Constitution Mage, it made me want to try it out.


    The small balcony was covered by the rays of the rising sun. My mind began drawing in mana. The earth spell was still fresh in my head, so my mind circulated it until it reached the sphere portion, but did not compress it. There was discomfort from holding the spell but otherwise was fine.


    A few moments passed. My mind then prepared another earth spell, it was noticeably more difficult to provide minimal focus on both spells but it was not significant. Feeling the discomfort, the conclusion had befallen me.


    Holding three spells would overwhelm me as two made me feel some pain. My mind then split my attention between the two spells and tried to activate them at the same time.


    A sudden pain snaked across my body and my vision went blurry. However, there was a fairly large clump of dirt that started to fall towards the ground.


    Plopping back down on a chair, my finger started to tap against the table. The potential was apparent just from that small experiment, however therein laid the biggest problem.


    The problem a Constitution mage always had, the body.


    A headache was coming on when the thoughts about casting spells that were even harder came to mind.


    How long would I have to wait before I could really cast spells so that they were meaningful?


    Erin''s first cast and Ned''s ease in casting spells left and right filled my thoughts.


    There must be some way this obstacle could be overcome. Even Alyx would easily surpass me as ever if her spells were hard, they surely had power befitting of that strength.


    As for why I wished to keep up with the rest... I guess I didn''t want to be left behind, and part of it was what Mildred said.


    Ned didn''t alienate me just because I had no talents, but even if he didn''t wish to, I felt we would grow apart simply because of the difference in capability.


    Without a goal in mind, my hand fumbled in my pockets, taking out my messenger stone. There were four hours before we had to go to the magical school.


    From there began aimless wandering, starring me.


    Other than a few maids, nobody else was in the house, thus my new destination was the village. My eyes curiously peered at the surrounding village. Nothing seemed to be particularly out of place.


    Mark was out early as well. He was sitting by the side of the road eating a piece of black bread. My footsteps stopped once Mark was in my sight.


    "Hey, Mark."


    Mark raised an eyebrow and stopped eating.


    "Do I know you?"


    "Yeah, I mean it''s been a long time but we have met."


    Mark was perplexed.


    "Haha, I suppose I don''t remember. What is your name? Maybe I will remember."


    It was then the realization that we never met came back to me.


    "Um... it was Jay, I suppose it really has been too long, it was an offhand interaction anyway."


    Mark pondered for a while but then shook his head.


    "Sorry, I really can''t remember. Is there something you want?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess I just wanted to talk."


    Mark chuckled.


    "Then is there anything in particular you want to talk about?"


    My legs crouched down to sit down beside him. My eyes wandered among the people walking to and fro and vendors setting up their stall.


    "Let''s say that you were like... really powerful, but your friends were not, would you distance yourself from them?"


    Mark looked at me strangely.


    "You have to realize that many things are not so simple as to be answered directly."


    Mark sighed.


    "Say you are a person that has grown in power, you have friends that are unable to catch up. If said person values benefits, they will likely distance themself from their friends as the most they could do is drag them down."


    Mark lifted up his finger that was not holding onto the bread.


    "That is the first possibility. Another possibility is that upon gaining power, the person in question will receive a barrage of requests from people who are his friends. In the end, because it simply isn''t worth it, this person may sever these bonds altogether. Though, it was probably only a bond that the person in question saw. This is the second possibility."


    Mark lifted up another finger.


    "In consideration that not all people are shallow, there are other possibilities. For the friends in this scenario, they may see that this person has gotten so much more powerful. Even if there is no conflict on the surface, this power increase can be quite intimidating. Feelings of inferiority can sprout, and with this inferiority many doubts surface. Generally, people will not see that they are allowed to interact amicably with people that they see as above them. In this case, the person with a sudden increase in power does not have a choice, the people around one will distance themselves before one could even say anything."


    Mark started to smile.


    "It is quite ironic really. As one becomes more powerful, ideally they should gain. In the end, they lose people who were friends for the sake of being friends. The top of the mountain can only hold one person, which makes it a pretty lonely place to be..."


    Mark seemed to be thinking to himself but continued after a short pause.


    "Anyways, that is the third possibility. Back on topic, this could also mean you have the capability to perform feats that require a certain amount of power while your friends cannot. Typically these feats themselves may not distance you, however, if they become too dangerous, you inevitably do these feats without them. Thus if for whatever reason these feats are done, the person in question may distance themself for the sake of their friends'' safety. That is the fourth possibility."


    Mark started to stick out his thumb but put it back.


    "And... that is pretty much it."


    My head hurts.


    "That is very complicated."


    Mark laughed.


    "Without complication, there are no questions."


    Mark continued eating his bread. What Mark said filled my thoughts.


    Perhaps the best solution would still be to avoid the situation altogether. However, it seemed that option was not really presented to me. Perhaps the only thing in my control would be the third possibility. To get rid of my inferiority complex and just see if things would work out.


    But... it''s not like I can just do it because I want to.


    "Say... How would you go about not feeling inferior?"


    Mark rolled his eyes and smiled at me.


    "Well, there are many things that could make one feel inferior. This originates from a lack of confidence, so you need to find ways to feel confident. A good way is to have something that you can do well, not necessarily being the best at it."


    My eyes turned to look at Mark.


    "But you need to at least be better than most people right? If you aren''t at least better than most other people you can''t say that you did well."


    Mark laughed.


    "No, that is just silly. Too many people get caught up in trying to be the best that even if there is someone just a tad better, they lose all confidence in themself. Just because you are the worst at something doesn''t mean you are bad at it. I guess in your case the best example would be a mage. Yes, you may be the worst mage, however, the ratio of mages to normal people is 1:10000. This isn''t because people don''t want to become a mage, but rather they are unable to sense mana no matter how hard they try."


    Woah, it''s that hard to sense mana?


    While my mind was pondering what he said, Mark sighed once again.


    "Another trap many people fall in is when they become the best. So many people think just because there is nobody better than them there is no reason to push farther. In the end, people stagnate. That is, until someone who isn''t blinded by comparison starts a revolution."


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    "Well, I don''t think that is a trap that I will ever have to worry about."


    Mark laughed at my response but didn''t comment. Before my legs stood up to leave, Mark''s expression suddenly turned nasty.


    Panic was spreading among all the villagers. People were rushing around, hurriedly closing down their stalls, and arguing amongst each other. My eyes turned to what Mark was starting at, there was a snowflake that was on top of his sleeve. The panic started to bleed into me.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Mark spoke slowly.


    "Snow..."


    What? My eyes went to the sky to see the light snow, was it really that big of a deal? Mark seemed to notice my confusion.


    "Do you not know about winter?"


    My head shook. Mark frowned.


    "This world has ten years of sun, then ten years of snow. This is widely known..."


    Mark looked at me then continued.


    "In the last years before winter people are farming and stocking as much food as they can. Within these years even royalty only use their food that is about to expire and have the rest to tide through the winter. Although the ten years of winter is bad, it is tolerable since everyone is prepared for it."


    A chill went down my spine. Mark looked up to the snow.


    "But... if this isn''t some joke, winter has come one year early."


    Mark''s frown deepened and his eyes narrowed.


    "And that means far too many people will die...."

 Chapter 10 - Eagle

    Mark left before unbeknownst to me. With a bit of panic, my legs briskly ran back to the palace. For some reason, the thoughts of the slaves and being captured came to mind, but those thoughts were quickly suppressed. Upon reaching the palace, my eyes scanned the palace, but nobody was there. My steps echoed up the stairs up to Mildred''s room. With a fist, my knuckles lightly rapped the door. There were some rustling sounds and then Mildred''s voice came from behind the door.


    "I''m coming!"


    Once she opened the door she yawned.


    "What is it?"


    There was some hesitation, maybe snowing is normal right?


    After a bit of stammering, my mouth forced the words out.


    "It... started to snow."


    Mildred raised an eyebrow then started to laugh.


    "What are you talking about? How could it be snowing now?"


    My voice steadied.


    "It is actually snowing."


    Mildred frowned and went back into her room to open the curtains. The sky was filled with snow, and getting stronger.


    "Dear heavens..."


    Before my mouth could utter another word, Mildred ran faster than expected, with an anxious expression on her face.


    Initially, the plan was to ask Mildred what to do, but it seemed she needed to take care of some things. The thought to knock the on doors of Ned, Alyx, and Erin, appeared but was cast aside. Not really understanding what to do, my feet took me to the courtyard.


    After plopping down on the pathway, my eyes took in the nature around me. The trees and flowers looked nice. There was a soft layer of snow starting to form and a few snowflakes fell on my face.


    The courtyard was spacious, really spacious. After taking a deep breath of air, my eyes stared at the top of the walls that encapsulated the courtyard. The courtyard felt like a place to be free, yet at the same time, it felt like a prison. Simply a cage that was bigger than the first one. There were footsteps behind me.


    "Hey Jay, waking up early I see."


    Ned''s voice rang out behind me. A laugh was forced out of me.


    "Yeah..."


    Ned saw the snow in the courtyard and stretched out his hand to let a snowflake fall on it.


    "Kinda crazy that it''s already snowing huh? There was no sign of it before, it wasn''t even cold."


    My head did not turn to face Ned.


    "I think the snow is bad... like really bad."


    Ned raised his brow.


    "...What do you mean?"


    The words that Mark had said to me and Mildred''s anxious expression came back to me.


    "Apparently, winter lasts for ten years and it came a year early. I think that means few people had prepared enough food"


    Ned paused.


    "...What? ...I guess we will have to suppress our appetites nowadays."


    My thoughts were lost in the wind.


    "...What should we do now?"


    Ned thought for a moment.


    "I guess we should tell Alyx and Erin."


    My trembling legs followed behind Ned up the stairs. My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "So... Mildred and Ela aren''t here anymore, should we go to magic school?"


    Ned rubbed his chin.


    "Well, I guess there is nothing else we could do."


    I nodded weakly. When we reached Alyx''s door we knocked on it. We heard some shuffling, but to our surprise, it came from the room on the left, Erin''s room. The door opened and before we could say our greetings Erin''s head popped out with a finger on her mouth.


    "Shhh... Alyx is sleeping."


    Ned matched her soft tone.


    "Why is she still sleeping? Shouldn''t we wake her up?"


    Erin shook her head, she opened the door more and gestured for us to come in. We saw Alyx was on the bed, she was furrowing her brows uncomfortably and her face was very red. My eyes widened.


    "Oh god."


    Ned went up to Alyx and kneeled on one knee, looking at her.


    "What happened to her?"


    Erin sighed and pouted.


    "She... was awake all night trying to practice magic."


    My eyes were drawn to the table, Alyx''s book was placed atop the table. Alyx herself was sweating horribly, her eyelashes twitched.


    "I''m ok... just go to school without me..."


    Alyx did not open her eyes but she forced a smile before grimacing in pain. Although Alyx forced a smile it seemed kinda irresponsible to just up and leave. Ned sighed.


    "Do you guys need some food? I can cook it for you."


    Erin shook her head.


    "I will make it when she feels hungry, for now just don''t disturb her."


    Ned nodded. Remembering why we came originally, My mouth started to form some words.


    "By the way-"


    Ned touched my shoulder, my eyes peeked at him. He was shaking his head. Ned stood up and walked to the door, while my weak feet followed behind him. Ned waved, to which Erin waved. My wave came a bit late. Ned gently closed the door and sighed.


    "Well I will make a little bit for us to eat and I guess we should just go to school."


    Slowly, I nodded. Thus, that is what happened, Ned made a modest portion of food for both of us. As we ate it was silent but because there was not much we finished fast.


    Ned suggested we get another pair of clothes to wear on top, and he was able to find some overcoats which we wore. We went towards the school, it was already a little chilly even with the additional clothing and the snow made light crunching sounds when we walked over it.


    We soon reached the school and went to the classroom. We were a bit early but when we came in there was nobody but Reyna inside, not even the teacher. Ned called out to her.


    "Hey Reyna, guess you came early like us."


    Reyna smiled sadly and did not look directly at us.


    "Sorry... my mother said I shouldn''t talk to you."


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "What kind of logic is that? What reason did she even have?"


    Reyna laughed awkwardly.


    "She said I would be the nail in the coffin of my family... trying to associate with people I don''t deserve to be with."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Oh come on, on what grounds can she even determine whether or not you deserve anything. We are the people you hang out with, so if it''s cool with us there is no problem."


    Reyna was still facing away.


    "Well... I think she''s right, our family was almost wiped out when someone ended up offending someone they shouldn''t have."


    Ned put his hand on Reyna''s shoulder.


    "Why are you so worried about it? If friends have conflicts they sort it out, not take it out on each other."


    Reyna seemed hesitant but after contemplating for a while she nodded. Ned smiled.


    "Anyway, what''s happening?"


    At the front of the room, there were papers posted across the walls that had a spell name and diagram below them. Reyna was a bit shaky.


    "The... the teacher left a note on the table, he said he was called for something and that anybody that came today would have permission to try to cast any of the spells shown while in the courtyard."


    Ned nodded, he then went up to check out the spell labeled "Firebolt". The spell contained three portions that looked really similar to the original fire spell, with a strange pattern that connected them.


    The urge to try out the new spells was strong, but recalling the painful experience of two basic spells made me resist it. My eyes slowly examined the fireball spell.


    After memorizing the spell, in the corner of my eye was Reyna was looking at the spell called "Ice Needle". Ned was still looking at the "Firebolt" spell, so my sight shifted towards the water spell simply because it was the next one across. The water spell was quite simple, despite having three annotations, there was nothing trickly like in the earth spell, compressing a sphere to the right size. It didn''t take too long for me to memorize it and Ned''s voice rang out soon after.


    "Alright, I think I got it!"


    Reyna turned away from the spell she was reading and looked at Ned.


    "Haha, that was fast, I guess you are going to the courtyard to test it?"


    Ned was laid back and laughed.


    "Yeah, want to check it out?"


    Reyna laughed awkwardly again.


    "I would... I would, I just haven''t memorized this spell yet."


    Ned put his hand on the desk and leaned forward.


    "Oh come on, I promise I won''t keep you out for too long."


    Reyna was clearly hesitating.


    "...Ok."


    As we went outside to the courtyard the snow already got pretty bad. In the courtyard, when my foot touched the snow, it entirely sunk. Ned took in a long breath and started to stretch.


    "This should work like a charm."


    Ned closed his eyes and as he drew in mana, the snow around him circled violently. As my eyes observed Ned, thoughts appeared, thoughts about sitting in the courtyard back at the palace. To cast spells we have to trap mana inside of us, kinda like a cage. But what if instead...


    My train of thought was cut off as there was a deafening screech of a bird. My hands covered my ears and my eyes opened slit to see a massive eagle that was floating in the sky and staring at Ned. Ned had a frown on his face.


    "Jay, the messenger stone!"


    Although flustered My hand reached into my pocket and pulled out the glowing stone. My hands were shaking but resolutely crushed the stone. My hands fumbled a little since it was harder to crush than expected but still did it successfully.


    The stone started to rapidly disintegrate and seemed to form a spell before disappearing. The eagle had started the dive towards Ned, but he did not lose his composure and swiftly started to cast Firebolt.


    The eagle was going fast, but Ned was able to cast faster. A blazing fireball formed at Ned''s finger and shot right at the eagle''s face.


    However, Ned''s frown deepened. The eagle managed to tilt his head out of the way and it instead blasted into his wing. It backed off, but the beast was simply too large for the spell to have a deadly effect.


    A black splotch formed across the eagle''s wing, but it was still able to fly. Ned immediately started to gather mana for another Firebolt, but the eagle did not wait and dived down again.


    Ned was in the middle of casting the spell, but decisively canceled it and threw himself to the right, tumbling away from me and Reyna.


    With a sound akin to a muffled explosion, the eagle hit the ground, sending large amounts of dirt and snow flying.


    ...It would be pretty bad to get hit.


    Reyna and I stood there helplessly. Ned forced himself back to his feet, his hair violently whipping around as he was still trying to gather mana.


    "Damn, why is there some random eagle here anyway?"


    Despite hitting the ground so hard the eagle was quick to raise his head back up and after shaking it, it looked directly at me. It quickly flew back up ready to start another dive.


    The winds produced from the eagle sent me stumbling backward, while Reyna ended up falling down in the snow.


    I... what could I do? It''s not like a pile of dirt could possibly kill it.


    Adrenaline started to pump as my eyes locked on the eagle, it was not looking away from me.


    What could I do?...


    What could I do?...


    At that moment, a glimpse of Alyx''s book appeared vividly in my mind.


    "This magic is quite different from others, as the mana required requires a person to go into a special ''empty'' state."


    Empty... empty... three was a sudden flash of the short moment Alyx had taken her affinity test. The feeling of emptiness.


    I saw myself in the courtyard again looking up into the sky.


    And I reached out to tear down the walls.


    Violent surges of mana swirled around me, my overcoat was torn apart quickly. My skin was starting to tear and bleed, but the pain was negligible. The spell was being cast. There was no indication that the spell was being formed but my mind continued casting unwaveringly.


    The eagle had started to dive and was going faster by the second, but before it was able to get close, the spell shot at it with an ethereal tug.


    When it reached there was no sound. The eagle started to shrink in size, though still very large. There was a dazed look in its eyes and the speed was much slower.


    ...But it was still barreling towards me.


    I have to move.


    But my body wasn''t listening, it was shivering, and all my muscles were locked up.


    There was a scream.


    "JAY, NO."


    My eyes watched helplessly as the eagle''s beak pierced through my heart. The loss of adrenaline was sudden. There was a lot of warm blood going down my stomach. Everything... was so painful... and cold. My vision was quickly lost and after a few seconds of unbearable pain in my head, it became black.


    "Um, why are you here?"

 Chapter 11 - Promise

    ---


    Warning: This chapter contains mentions of suicide, if you are highly sensitive with this topic please consider reading this chapter carefully. (It is also wholesome, so wholesome warning as well lol)


    ---


    Through my blurry vision, there was a clear blue sky... and a meadow that stretched long and far. Although it was too blurry to make out the flowers, something within me knew, they were beautiful.


    ...


    "Um, why are you here?"


    My stupor was interrupted and the cold ground greeted me.


    "Miss, I think the summon went funky."


    My legs were shaking but held me up. There was a familiar sight, the summoning room, Ela''s cold expression, Mildred''s playful smile, and the flustered looks on Ned, Alyx, and Erin.


    I... died again.


    "Are you ok?"


    Ned was looking at me with a concerned look. Uncontrollably, my mouth made a cough.


    "Yeah, I''m ok."


    My head started to hurt.


    I tried so hard and absolutely challenged my limits.


    I accomplished what I thought was impossible.


    Yet here I am, back at the start. I started to relive the time I was captured as a slave.


    The only thought in my head was to run, there was no destination, no goal, other than to escape. In the end, my running continued until my legs gave way and...


    "Hello?"


    Mildred was waving a hand in front of me.


    "What is your name?"


    There was a sudden sense of vertigo. The Mildred who cheered me up when the only thing in my head was to give up, the Mildred who shared her stories with me, the Mildred who carried me to my room and tucked me into bed...


    Was gone.


    "Eh? What''s wrong?"


    Mildred looked surprised. My hand felt my face. It was wet.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath and wiped my tears.


    "Nothing, nothing... My name is Jay."


    Mildred seemed to be at a loss. After a moment, she simply nodded and went back to stand next to Ela. My mind was in a daze as the conversation continued. We went to eat some food but after a few bites, we all stopped eating. Ela furrowed her brows.


    "Is the food not to your liking?"


    Ned proceeded to explain the reasons we wouldn''t like on our behalf. Alyx and Erin agreed and my head simply nodded. Ela apologized and Mildred let us know she would handle it. We soon got on the carriage.


    My eyes closed and my lungs took in deep breaths. Breathing in the cool air made me settle down my emotions. My eyes were drawn to outside the carriage and the passing sights. The villagers seemed to be cheerful, but there would be a winter coming that would send everything into chaos.


    Could I even do anything to stop it?


    It''s not like I could just magically produce food to feed... however many people there were here. What is even the point of trying?


    In the deepest recesses of my mind, Mildred''s voice echoed.


    ''There is no shame in being powerless.''


    My eyes shifted towards Mildred, she was leaning back in her seat. Noticing my gaze she looked back at me.


    "Is something wrong?"


    My head shook.


    "No, it''s nothing."


    My eyes looked at the carriage floor.


    Would I just keep going through this? Dying and coming back for all eternity?


    My body shuddered.


    We eventually reached the palace, Ned and the others were excited to check it out. My legs carried me along with them absentmindedly. They took a tour of the palace and soon in front of me was the door to my room. My feet were aching. We said our thanks to Mildred, mine being quite weak. Ned turned to me, he seemed to be hesitating, but in the end, went into his room without saying anything.


    My hand reached over to push my door, but Mildred''s voice interrupted me.


    "Hey."


    My head turned around.


    I didn''t expect Mildred to still be there.


    "Hi..."


    Mildred looked at me intently.


    "Are you ok, like really?"


    A smile formed on my face.


    I guess saying that Mildred disappeared was an exaggeration.


    "Yeah... really."


    Mildred looked at me suspiciously.


    "Well, ok."


    Mildred left down the stairs. Sleep didn''t come to me, so after entering the room, my legs took me to the balcony. My eyes glazed the setting sun.


    Someone was looking at me in the corner of my eye. Turning over, my eyes found Ned staring at me. He smiled sadly.


    "Hey, what brings you here?"


    There was a gentle breeze blowing by. A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "I don''t know... not in the mood to sleep I guess."


    Ned put his hands on the stone railing and rested his head on them.


    "Haha... I guess the fact this isn''t some dream is really starting to settle in."


    I thought about how I suppressed my memories after I first died, pretending that they didn''t exist.


    "Yeah, it really is..."


    Ned''s smile disappeared.


    "I already miss them all, you know?"


    Ned turned away to look at the setting sun. My arms rested on the railing and my head laid on my elbow.


    "Who?"


    Ned let out a small sigh.


    "My parents, my friends... If we really are going to be here for a year I can''t imagine how much I''m going to miss them. I just... want to go back."


    I suddenly thought about the time Mildred comforted me.


    I thought about the time Ned invited me to have some food.


    I thought about Alyx smiling while Ned, Erin, and I were fooling around.


    I thought about Erin jumping excitedly seeing she had summoned a giant pile of dirt.


    I even thought about when Reyna put down her desk next to ours and her nervous smile.


    "Yeah... it''s going to be a while before we see them again."


    Ned took a deep breath in and stared off into the sunset. While my lungs did the same.


    After a while, Ned casually turned to me.


    "We really can''t just spend all our time doing nothing though, right?."


    My head gradually nodded. Ned continued.


    "This seems to be a world of magic, surely we would be able to learn it right? I mean we at least appear to be similar to humans of this world?"


    Yeah...


    "So that''s why I guess I can focus on learning magic instead, surely this wouldn''t be too big of a request to ask of Ela. Like, she can''t actually expect us to do nothing for a whole year right?"


    Ned continued talking enthusiastically.


    "If we do learn magic do you think we could cast it when we go back? That would be crazy cool, wouldn''t it? I wonder what my friends and family''s faces would look like holding a fireball in my hand."


    Ned laughed.


    I looked at my frail arm, showing no signs of exercise.


    "Yeah, I really wish we could keep our powers the same when we go back, else it will feel like we did so much practice all for nothing."


    As a sigh escaped my mouth, Ned laughed.


    "Hey, when we do go back we have to all meet up again, I mean we are going to spend a long time with each other right?"


    "Yeah..."


    Ned smiled brightly.


    "That''s a promise."


    Ned walked back into his room leaving me to watch the last light of the sun disappear.


    If I really survive an entire year will I really be able to go to the world Ned was talking about?


    I wonder what it''s like...


    But... to survive a year would be way too hard, I could barely survive a few days, then there''s the whole winter thing...


    ...What if when I die this time I won''t come back? It''s not like I could survive for that long anyway. I would have died sooner or later, after all, I can only do so much.


    I... I will try if I really do come back again.


    My feet were planted on top of the railing while the wind blew past me. My eyes snuck a peek down, my heart rate suddenly increased, so my eyes looked away quickly. My eyes closed and after a few moments of hesitation, my body naturally tipped over...


    ...and slowly fell down.


    The wind brushed past me violently, and my heart squeezed, scared of the consequences of my actions.


    There was a painful collision and a groan of pain.


    "Dear heavens... this brings back memories."


    My body cried out in pain all over. Holding my head with one hand my eyes opened to see that Mildred had caught me.


    "Ah... Ow... What... What are you doing here?"


    Mildred laughed before groaning in pain again.


    "I had a feeling you were going to do something like this, you remind me too much of my sister."


    My lungs were gasping for air.


    "How... how did you know?"


    Mildred sighed.


    "You kept saying nothing''s wrong. Just tell me no it''s nothing, nothing at all. My sister always said that when something was wrong."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "I guess you''re right."


    Mildred rolled her eyes.


    "Seriously, why is it that when I ask if something is wrong, and something is wrong, the only reaction I get is, no, nothing. Why can''t you just tell me something is bothering you?"


    My eyes turned away.


    "...Sorry."


    Mildred sighed softly and held my hand.


    "It''s fine. The important thing is that you''re still alive."


    In the back of my mind, there was a memory of what Mildred said to me long ago.


    ''I did all I could and knowing that is enough for me.''


    "Mildred..."


    Mildred was clutching her side.


    "Yeah?"


    My eyes looked deeply into hers.


    "I promise I will try to live this life the best I can."


    Mildred smiled and pulled me up.


    "That''s good, come on, we should go now."


    Despite sustaining injuries Mildred didn''t have that hard a time walking, instead, she helped me slowly hobble my way back into the palace and to my room.


    When she brought me back to the room. My mouth could not help but form the question in the back of my mind.


    "Why did you save me?"


    Mildred paused.


    "I suppose... I would feel sad if you died."


    Unknowingly my arms had wrapped around Mildred and tears streamed down my face. She was hugging me gently and patted my head.


    ....I decided to fight against the rivers of time.

 Chapter 12 - Experiments

    My eyes opened and my body was exhausted. There was some slight regret over exercising too much despite having injuries, but there was no helping it at this point.


    There were light knocks on the door that had caused me to wake up. For a second my body laid there, unable to resist the fatigue that had built up. However, my legs forced me up while my mind was trying to ignore the pain spreading across my body.


    "Coming!"


    My hand pushed open the door while my finger was still rubbing my eyes. Mildred was there while Alyx, Erin, and Ned were standing behind her.


    "Ela has something to discuss with you all, freshen up and come down to the dining room ok?"


    My head listlessly nodded. Looking behind Mildred an awkward laugh escaped from me.


    "Seems I''m the last one, sorry for making you guys wait."


    Ned chuckled.


    "It''s not a problem, don''t sweat it."


    After a shower and new clothes, while my hair was still wet, my hand opened the door. With that we went to the dining room. Ela was visibly anxious.


    "Please take a seat and eat something."


    After we finished our food Ela proceeded to ask us about whether or not we wished to go to magic school, we expressed our willingness, to which Ela quickly left shortly after.


    Ned asked Mildred if he could use the kitchen and this time my decision was to join him along with Alyx and Erin. There was an invitation to join, from me to Mildred but she declined because she had to make preparations.


    When we reached the kitchen there was a chef wearing an apron along with a hat that was tight around his head. He seemed to be organizing various ingredients, segmenting them, and putting them in different locations. Upon hearing our footsteps he turned around and bowed.


    "Hello, Sirs and Madams."


    Ned casually responded.


    "Hey, what''s your name? Mine is Ned."


    The chef looked confused.


    "My name? Oh, it isn''t important..."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Oh come on, how can it not be important?"


    The chef was hesitant.


    "Well... if you insist, it is Robert. I was told that you may have a desire to cook?"


    Ned nodded.


    "Yes, do you mind if we try it out?"


    The chef nodded.


    "Alright, do you need help with the fire?"


    Ned was puzzled.


    "What do you mean help with the fire?"


    The chef stuttered.


    "U-Uh well in proper cooking you usually need a fire mage to start to fire right?"


    Ned pondered for a moment then seemed to come to a realization.


    "Ah, then I will have to trouble you."


    There was a pile of wood with some metal thing above it so that food could be placed on it. Ned had Robert use his fire magic to light a fire, after telling the chef to make it less hot a couple of times he was satisfied.


    Ned asked for ingredients he could use and Robert gave him a decent amount. Erin slowly became more excited, almost as if she forgot she was a shy person. Alyx helped Erin reach the things she couldn''t and helped Erin up so that she could do some of her own preparations.


    Ned asked me to try cooking but my head shook, my knowledge of cooking was nil so my hands busied themselves with miscellaneous.


    Though my hands were performing miscellaneous tasks, my eyes were watching Ned and Erin go about, trying to remember things such as the temperature of the flame, to the utensil they used to stir the pasta.


    By the end, a nice smell filled the air. Erin had a bright smile and Alyx seemed to be happy that Erin was enjoying herself. Robert was given quite the shock and had to ask if his nose was deceiving him. We went back to the dining room and we all ate responsibly... mostly.


    We soon met up with Mildred who gave us the messenger stones and walked us to the school. Nothing was much different from how the school day went before.


    Though, there was still a sudden shock when Ned was being appraised. The painful experience earlier slipped my mind and my body experienced it again in full.


    Expecting to have no talent, the fact did not bother me much, though it still felt nice when Ned comforted me. Harlow once again rushed out of the classroom leaving time for us to talk. Reyna joined us like she did last time and we were welcoming of her.


    There wasn''t any significant difference that happened during lunch and the time for class came quickly.


    The time to memorize spells came and my eyes landed on the ice spell. After refreshing my memory on the earth, fire, and water spell and my mind proceeded to memorize the ice spell.


    Thinking of when my mind cast the two earth spells, a new question was conjured up.


    What difference would there be if the ice and water spells were cast at the same time?


    Time went by and Reyna nervously spoke up.


    "Should we... go?"


    I confidently nodded.


    "I''m finished, if you guys are ready we can go now."


    Ned had his hands on his chin as he nodded.


    "Yeah, I''m basically done memorizing the fire diagram."


    Alyx and Erin had no objections so we went outside. Kaiden was casting the water spell, mana was gathered above his hands.


    Why was the amount of water he produced was so low compared to the amount of fire Ned made last time?


    My eyes closely watched Kaiden as he weaved the spell. His control on his mana was weak, and it seemed he was putting just enough mana to activate the spell.


    My mind drew in mana as Erin was already on her way to casting the earth spell.


    "Wait, Erin, you need to create the sphere by circling your mana clockwise, creating a sphere that is a bit bigger than what was shown in the diagram, and then compress the sphere."


    Erin looked at me and tilted her head. She started to ponder for a while.


    "Ok!"


    Erin then started casting the spell, though she made the sphere too large, causing it to fail. It was hard to not notice the gales surrounding Ned.


    My eyes closely followed Ned''s cast of the fire spell.


    Ned was putting in so much mana that he had to compress it, just so that it would stay in shape, while Kaiden could just barely cast it.


    It seemed that part of the reason he casts so fast is because of how much mana he was putting into the spell. Soon a fireball appeared on top of Ned''s hand.


    With the mana in my body right now, my mind began to condense the ice and water spells. My hands were below me, ready to brace myself. Just before finishing the ice spell, my face almost slammed into the ground, but my hands held me up. Erin started to jump around on the mound.


    "I did it, I did it!"


    A laugh broke out of me. As expected, many people were surprised, including Alyx and Ned. Reyna seemed to be in the middle of casting the ice spell but had it canceled.


    As for me the ice spell almost canceled, but it was easier than my initial judgement to hold spells inside me. It was like my body was maintaining it by itself, even while my mind wasn''t directly focusing on it. The last bits of the ice spell were finished, except for condensing mana around it completely. Ned looked at Reyna who was still in disbelief.


    "Hey Reyna, could you teach me the ice spell?"


    Reyna shook her head.


    "Um... yeah, ok."


    Reyna explained the ice spell methodically and did not miss or gloss over any of the details. A short while later an ice cube appeared in Ned''s hand and he smiled.


    "Well guess who can cook and freeze the food now."


    The rest of us laughed. My focus went to the water spell. The spell wasn''t too hard to make and soon there were two spells in my body.


    My hand reached out and magic started to coalesce. The ice spell was condensing and water was forming at the same time. Some of the water froze but some also formed after the ice spell ended.


    The end result was an ice cube that was smaller than Ned''s and had various protrusions. There was cold water sliding down my hand, so my hand let it go making it fall on the dirt mound. My body felt dizzy and numb but my mind tried its best to shake it off.


    Reyna was in the process of casting the ice spell and seeing the misshapen ice cube, she cancelled it again.


    "Eh? What is this? Did you cast a spell to make this?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "I guess I casted the spell wrong."


    Ned was curious.


    "Did you cast both the water spell and ice spell? That is a pretty good idea."


    My hand rubbed my chin for a few seconds.


    "Maybe I should cast the water spell first and then the ice spell you think?"


    Ned nodded.


    "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."


    It was probably a bad idea to cast another two spells considering my body already hurt, but my curiosity was killing me.


    "Hey Ned, if I overdo it after casting these spells could you help me walk back?"


    Ned was surprised.


    "What? Casting a few spells would make you unable to move?"


    A laugh escaped me.


    "That is why nobody wants to be a constitution mage."


    Ned shook his head with a smile.


    "Well alright, just don''t break something."


    After I nodded, my mind proceeded to prepare both the ice and water spell. The water spell was cast first, after which my vision got blurry and the ice spell came soon after. Through my blurry vision, it made out that water condensed. Then, more water was also being drawn in and the whole thing was frozen, making an ice cube even bigger than Ned''s.


    My mind was still hanging onto consciousness while my back just laid on the mound. Erin was excited.


    "Wow, that is so cool! You combined spells!"


    Ned looked at me lying on the mound.


    "We probably should''ve gotten off the mound first huh?"


    That reminded me, I had to get off of here...


    "Ah well, I guess I''ll just have to lay here for a bit."


    Alyx seemed distressed. My eyes glazed over to her.


    "Those spells you are working on seem hard huh?"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "I guess, yeah."


    The others became curious and started to look at the book. Ned in particular was quite shocked.


    "Wow that... I don''t think I can cast a spell like that yet."


    Alyx laughed with a sad smile.


    "How do you think I feel?"


    A chuckle came from me.


    "Well, it is definitely harder but later on you will probably surprise all of us when you cast this spell right?"


    Renya nodded in agreement.


    "That is only natural."


    Alyx ended up getting sick trying to practice her spell.


    What could reassure her to not take it so hard?


    "I don''t think you have to be worried that you are taking longer to learn your spell, if it really is that hard it is probably an impactful spell, unlike me just making an ice cube."


    Alyx looked at me and seemed to relax a bit. A small smile appeared on my face.


    "I mean, what am I going to do? Throw this thing at someone?"


    Alyx laughed along with the others. After calming down she nodded and brushed her hair back.


    "Yeah, I guess I shouldn''t worry about it too much."

 Chapter 13 - Poem

    With the help of Ned, my body got off the mound. While my arm was on his shoulder, we walked our way back home. We prepared some food again.


    Though there was little comprehension of what Ned and Erin were doing, I could at least somewhat imitate their actions. Ned hurried off to practice magic in the courtyard while Alyx and Erin went upstairs to the dorms. If casting spells was not a bad idea maybe my mind would practice with Ned.


    My legs hobbled their way up the stairs. To my surprise, Erin was skipping across the hallway without Alyx. This brought up concern, but Erin seemed fine so my worries were dismissed. She seemed to be humming a song.


    "Hey, Jay! Thanks for the help earlier."


    It was weird that she was so forward in talking with me.


    "Oh yeah, no problem."


    Erin looked at me curiously.


    "Jay, how did you learn two spells so quickly? I couldn''t even finish memorizing one!"


    Erin had thrown up her arms exaggeratedly and walked up next to me. My mind blanked, it was caught unprepared for this question.


    I felt saying that I had learned these spells before but I later died and came back would make me sound insane. My mouth fumbled with some words.


    "I... uh... well..."


    It was then my mind recalled something.


    "Yeah, Reyna was explaining to Ned and I just listened to her and got it."


    Erin tilted her head from one side to the other.


    "Mmmmm... Makes sense, but how did you also remember how to do the earth spell?"


    Erin''s inquisitive eyes looked directly at me. Sweat started to form on my forehead.


    "Er... I just happened to remember it, you know?"


    Erin narrowed her eyes and twirled around.


    "That makes sense as well."


    I nodded with a bit of relief.


    "Yeah, yeah."


    All of a sudden, Erin paused in front of me. She was pointing a finger accusingly straight at my face.


    "But!"


    Her cheeks puffed up and aggressively swung around the arm she used to point at me.


    "You''re lying to me!"


    My hands raised up to block her arm from hitting my face.


    "Wait, how do you even know! I could be telling the truth!"


    Erin did not relent.


    "Look at you! You can''t even believe your own lies! This is totally your first time lying isn''t it?"


    My mind broke down completely.


    "Yes! I''m sorry, I''m very sorry."


    What... This is unfair. How can she tell so easily?


    Erin smiled at me teasingly.


    "So... how did you actually learn it?"


    My mouth dried up.


    I guess at the end of the day the truth is what happened but... I think she would deem me as an insane person who believes he can revive himself.


    Wait... now that I think about it... maybe that is me.


    Erin let out a dissatisfied sigh.


    "If you are too scared to share, that''s oki doki."


    I nodded in an attempt to hide my awkwardness, without much success. Erin smiled again.


    "If you have something you don''t want to share don''t lie ok! Just say you don''t want to share, that''s how you do it!"


    My body was getting tired so my back leaned onto the wall.


    "Yeah, yeah... How do you know so much about lying anyway?"


    Erin started to pout.


    "Mm... I don''t want to share."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Ah yes ok, ok. That is my bad for asking."


    Erin smiled again.


    "It is ok. I just don''t like it when people lie. That''s bad stuff."


    "What do you mean?"


    Erin came over and leaned on the wall next to me.


    "...They are hurtful, you know?"


    ...Are they?


    "But sometimes you lie to help right? Like, hide the bad things."


    Erin smiled bitterly.


    "And then what? You try to hide it all but it''s still there isn''t it?"


    My mouth was agape. Erin started to twirl her hair.


    "I''m really scared of strangers, it feels like so many are just ready to hurt me behind their smiles."


    My fingers fidgeted.


    "So... am I a stranger?"


    Erin giggled.


    "No, silly. You aren''t too bad."


    Eh?... I guess I can just assume that''s a good thing.


    Erin seemed to get melancholic.


    "Lying just makes people worry for no reason. Lying to cover up the pain... Maybe instead of a lie, staying with them is better. Sometimes I just... want a hug more than a lie, you know?"


    All I could do was nod slowly. Erin smiled softly.


    "I''ve always been able to tell when people lie. There was a time when I wished I didn''t know... that I didn''t know that people were pretending everything was ok and trying to hide everything from me."


    Erin smiled delicately.


    "But that would make me the same as them. I didn''t want to be like that at all."


    My face heated up.


    "Ah... Sorry for um... lying to you."


    Erin giggled softly.


    "It''s ok, I was able to find what kind of person you are already. I can forgive your terrible lie."


    Eh... I''m not that easy to see through right?


    Erin covered her mouth as she giggled more.


    "Sorry, sorry I didn''t mean to hurt your feelings!"


    My fist covered my mouth, blocking a cough.


    "My... My feelings are fine!"


    Erin looked at Alyx''s room.


    "Alyx has been protecting me for a long time. So that I wouldn''t have to talk to the people I really didn''t want to."


    My voice became soft.


    "Wow... that is really nice of her."


    Erin started to kick her legs.


    "I could always get as many hugs as I wanted from her. I think the reason is that she likes them too."


    A chuckle slipped through my lips and Erin continued like she was in a trance.


    "The first time I met Alyx I went up to say hi to her. I was shy but I couldn''t help myself. She was very sweet when she said hello. At the time I was at the beach with my parents, I was really excited to be at the beach. I started to follow anything that interested me, I curiously found one thing then went to another. Before I knew it I was very far away from my parents. It got really dark and I was really scared. I... started to sniffle. Then tears fell down my face. A little later and I started wailing as loud as I could. After weeping, I heard the growls of a dog. It started to bark at me and I could only curl up, trying to stay as silent as I could."


    Erin faintly smiled.


    "Right when I had given up, I heard hurried footsteps and panting. Alyx had run over. Alyx stood in between me and the dog so bravely. Opening my eyes I could see she was trembling in fear. She was so scared, but she stood there without backing off. The dog eventually ran off and Alyx fell to the floor. I thanked her and asked her if she was ok. Even while she could hardly form her words, she told me she was fine with a trembling voice."


    Erin just smiled while staring at me.


    "You kinda remind me of Alyx."


    A bewildered look appeared on my face.


    "Wha... Uh..."


    Erin reached out her hand, trying to grasp at nothing.


    "It''s because you are a bad liar, just like her."


    My face felt hot. How many times was she going to bring up my bad lying skills?


    Erin didn''t seem to notice and continued.


    "She made a poem this one time, I really, really liked it. Alyx was super embarrassed and told me I couldn''t tell anyone about it."


    She turned her hand around in the air. My eyes followed her hand''s motions.


    "So, you can''t tell me?"


    Erin laughed and smiled brightly.


    "I told her I was going to tell whoever I wanted to. She really freaked out."


    ...This girl is scary.


    "I- I think it would be unfair for me to know about this poem if Alyx didn''t want me to hear it."


    Erin stuck her tongue out.


    "Aw, come on just listen to it ok?"


    I nodded, but mostly out of nervousness. Erin closed her eyes.


    "She called it,


    I''m a Bad Liar.


    The world was always a scary place filled with monsters.


    Day and night they appear, to devour our last light of hope.


    Yet, they hide so well, right in front of us.


    From the cracks of our hearts to the depths of our eyes.


    I know their visage, from their head to their toe.


    You may be afraid, but I will hold them back.


    You will never have to worry, I can keep you safe.


    You may live in a utopia with me, where nothing will harm you.


    I will never have to know of any vicious creatures again.


    I can cover my eyes and make it all disappear.


    I can stop all the pain if I just let myself drift to sleep.


    But sometimes I wonder...


    ...If only I wasn''t a bad liar."


    Erin still had a dreamy smile after she finished the poem.


    "Isn''t it great?"


    My mouth opened and closed.


    What response did she want from me?


    "Yeah..."


    Erin let out a small sigh.


    "Alyx has been there for me for so long..."


    As Erin talked about Alyx it reminded me of when Ned was telling me how much he missed his friends and family.


    "Do... Do you miss them?"


    Erin raised an eyebrow.


    "Who?"


    It took some time to gather my words.


    "Your friends and... family."


    She slid down the wall, sitting down with her legs tucked in. My legs were trembling so they did the same. Erin was looking at the floor.


    "I don''t. I couldn''t even if I wanted to, the only person that mattered to me was Alyx."


    Erin gave a small smile.


    "Plus, if I was still there I would have never met you and Ned."


    My finger scratched my cheek.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Erin laid her head back and rested it on the wall.


    "It was really fun with you guys around. I can tell you right now that Alyx has been enjoying herself more than ever."


    Involuntarily, a smile emerged on my face.


    "It has been pretty fun."

 Chapter 14 - Confusion

    Erin left to her own room shortly after and while my legs took me to my room to do some exercise until the pain was too much. After taking a quick shower, my sleep was filled with thoughts of the things Erin told to me.


    My eyes opened and my body was in pain, like it has been for a while. My hand clumsily searched for my messenger stone and saw that there were still two hours before class.


    This would be the day winter started and that eagle would come...


    After freshening up my mind prepared the earth spell and water spell. The idea was to blind the eagle using wet dirt. The only problem was that it wasn''t easy to have a spell activate faraway. Because of that, timing it properly might become a little foreboding, especially considering I would have to dodge.


    With a heavy heart, I set off to start the day.


    As my hand pushed the door, my eyes found Ned, he was yawning and going down the stairs.


    "Hey, Ned!"


    Ned stopped to turn around.


    "Hey, Jay. How was your sleep?"


    "Not bad, though it could''ve been better."


    Ned smiled.


    "Haha, that is pretty much what I experienced."


    My legs hurried after Ned and walked down the stairs with him. Ned started to rub one of his eyes.


    "Man, I still don''t get how you cast two spells at the same time so easily."


    "Oh, I didn''t actually cast them at the same time, a constitution mage can hold a spell with their body. I just prepared two spells and cast them both at the same time."


    Ned had a look of realization.


    "Wow, that is creative! Whenever I tried to cast two spells, my speed slowed significantly."


    "Wait so you can actually cast two spells simultaneously?"


    "Yeah, but it''s not like it has any practical applications anyway."


    Ned laughed.


    There was nobody other than a few maids as we passed. Ned decided to go to the kitchen and cook something.


    Remembering that Alyx was sick last time I decided to check on her. After telling Ned not to cook too much and my way was made to Alyx''s room.


    My feet landed right outside Erin''s room and my knuckle lightly rapped on the door. Hopefully, Alyx was reassured enough to not be sick.


    Erin opened the door with a finger to her lips. Alyx was sick again.


    There was frustration but my mind shook it off.


    After a quick conversation, I went back down to inform Ned. We made a meal and went to school.


    ...It wasn''t snowing. I rechecked my memories and confirmed that it was supposed to snow today.


    How did this happen?


    I can''t imagine any of my actions being able to change the weather. Was it that the world was changing despite me supposedly going back in time?


    Ok, let''s not rush to a conclusion.


    When we got to school everyone except Erin and Alyx was there. Harlow started to explain the basic spells to us and had more elementary spells posted on the walls.


    Since the eagle attack had happened once before, my decision was to prepare for that possibility.


    Then came the questions and the spells at my disposal. Although Alyx''s spell was quite effective, it was too much for me to cast it.


    My eyes landed on the spell called "Tunnel". There was a short description, stating that the tunnel would allow one to burrow into the ground.


    Would it be fast enough for me to duck under the eagle''s attack?


    The earth spell was slowly memorized. The day was rather uneventful, other than Reyna trying to avoid us.


    The tunnel spell was memorized and, after a test, there was a fresh pain similar to casting two of the basic spells. The casting process itself was quite long and made the spell pretty useless in a life or death scenario.


    However, the tunneling speed was quite quick, only a second or so for the entire body to be submerged. That was quite convenient for me.


    For the rest of the day, I decided to exercise until it was painful and went to sleep after a quick shower.


    After waking up, my heart hoped that the events with the snow and eagle may have been a freak accident, so my eyes peered into the hallway to see if anybody else was there.


    After some hesitation, my hand went over to knock on Erin''s door.


    There was a moment of silence, and just when I thought nobody would answer, Erin slowly opened the door and was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.


    It turned out Alyx was still sick, and quite badly and that. Ned met up with me downstairs and he had already prepared some food. After eating we later set off to the school.


    My foot was set down outside the palace entrance.


    "Wait... How?"


    It was snowing. The snow had already started to form a layer on the ground. Ned seemed oblivious to my shock and started to head to school so I followed.


    Was winter delayed then? How does that make any sense? The earth and water spell were still being held onto despite me preparing them a while ago. My mind prepared the tunnel spell as well, fearing the worst.


    When we got to school everything was similar to how it was before, nobody except Reyna. Ned didn''t seem fazed and started to memorize some spells. My eyes landed on the basic fire spell.


    While my mind finished memorizing the fire spell, Ned had already finished memorizing the "Firebolt" spell. Excited to test it out, Ned dragged along Reyna and I.


    The snow reached our ankles. As Ned started to cast his spell my hand was in my pocket, grasping the messenger stone. As the snow started to dance around Ned, there was a shrill screech.


    The eagle was back.


    My hands immediately crushed the messenger stone.


    "I got the messenger stone, focus on casting Ned!"


    Ned seemed to be in shock, but rapidly composed himself and cast the Firebolt into the eagle''s wing. When the eagle dived Ned was able to roll away.


    After the eagle shook his head, it turned to face me. As it flew up in preparation for a dive I walked back at a steady pace. Ned was already gathering mana for the next spell.


    There was a tight grip on my heart as my eyes watched the eagle dive. When it was about two meters away and my mind cast the earth, water, and tunnel spell.


    The results of my actions were unknown and my body agonized in the pain the spells brought me.


    Suddenly it was black.


    My eyes opened to see myself laying in the snow. Although my body was burrowed in the ground, it was sent flying by the indirect impact of the eagle.


    My limbs could no longer move, but the eagle was having a really hard time getting the wet dirt out of its eyes. It shook its head violently and started rubbing its wings on its eyes.


    During this time Ned had finished casting the spell, he held the ball of flame in his hand and seemed to be waiting for the eagle to make its move. The eagle started to thrash around blindly.


    Suddenly, a scream rang out. Blood sprayed into the air. The eagle noticed this and continued thrashing where it heard the scream, it was hitting Reyna.


    Ned started to panic and simply threw the firebolt straight at the eagle. It was able to hit the already blackened wing, worsening it. The eagle was quick to charge in Ned''s direction, violently flapping the wing that was still fine.


    My limbs tried to move and my mind tried to cast a spell, but the pain was too much for me. Ned was caught unprepared, he tried to throw himself to the side where the wing was blackened.


    However, to his dismay, the wing he thought was out of commission hit him hard. My heart sank.


    "NED"


    The scream tore my throat. Ned''s condition was a mystery and the eagle had turned to face me.


    Anxiety started to creep in my heart.


    I watched as it slowly crept over.


    Did I really not do enough this time as well? Was I going to die again?


    ...I had resigned myself to my fate when I saw the eagle right above me.


    My eyes closed only open to a thunderclap. My ears painfully rang and the eagle''s head had exploded. The body tenaciously kept flapping its wings before gradually slowing down and stopped moving altogether.


    I saw... Ela?


    She was in the same clothing that was studded with jewels, but she had giant green dragon wings coming out of her body.


    Light green scales were covering her skin and she had claws that were painted in blood. Ela was panting hard, she turned to face me. There was blood on her face, making her look quite vicious.


    "Are you... alright?"


    I nodded with the little strength left in me and anxiously raised my trembling arm to point.


    "Ned... he..."


    Ela quickly looked over and rushed to Ned. She gingerly held Ned up, he was unconscious and was bleeding. Ela casted a spell and the bleeding stopped. She flew over, cradling Ned with one claw.


    "My healing magic is too weak, I will try to find someone to fully heal him. For now, I will take you two back to the palace."


    Ela put me on her back and held my arm to steady me. She flew fast, the howling winds were hurting my ears.


    "What... is happening?"


    Ela kept silent, only flapping her wings. Right when my belief was I wouldn''t get an answer, she spoke.


    "Don''t worry about it, just make sure you stay in the palace."


    The rest of the journey was silent. When Ela stepped down at the entrance she started to turn back to normal, her dragonified features receding. As Ela started to bring Ned and me into the palace my head turned around.


    My body couldn''t stop itself from trembling. There were countless eagles flying high in the sky above the village. There were some people that were casting spells to hold them off, but many eagles were able to rampage unimpeded in the village.


    The snow was dyed red and corpses were thrown about.


    Why is this all happening?


    That was my only thought before it was black.

 Chapter 15 - Lone Man In The Tundra

    My eyes opened. It was warm in my bed. After getting myself to my feet, my finger pushed aside the curtain to feel a sudden blast of cold and quickly closed it.


    Wow, these curtains are quite effective.


    The sun was rising, so it meant that a day had passed.


    I was scared to go outside of the palace, even Ela said that I should just stay here.


    But what was I going to accomplish idling away? I have already done that enough.


    There was a coat in the room, my guess was it had been a new addition. Taking the coat, my legs took me down to the palace entrance. Despite the howling winds and snow, it didn''t feel cold. There was not any scene of carnage that my imagination told me there would be. It seemed someone had taken care of the eagles... and the bodies.


    My foot took a step outside... then back inside.


    It was very cold, how does this even work? After bracing myself, my feet charged outside.


    The winds were strong like they were telling me I could be picked up and sent into a wasteland.


    There were snowflakes pelting my face, making me shiver.


    This coat wasn''t meant for travelling out here as the bitter cold seeped past it easily.


    My mind cast the fire spell and held a sizable ball of fire in front of me. The warmth was not enough to block out the cold but made it much more tolerable. Nobody was in the village


    One of the buildings had collapsed entirely. The sight reminded me of what I was dealing with. There were countless eagles in the sky yet here I was trying to fight it.


    A lone man with a bit of fire trying to fight the relentless tundra.


    My steps did not go back.


    I had no idea where to go or what to do, so the only thing I could do was stop hiding.


    Even if I die, I just need a lead. A lead to something, to somewhere, or someone.


    The more my feet traversed the paths the more aimless it was.


    What was I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? How long would it take for me to be able to make a significant difference?


    Mildred''s voice rang out in my head.


    ''I ended up running away from home and lived among the beasts in the forest.''


    With that, my decision was to leave the village.


    Hopefully, I would get to the forest before my untimely death.


    My shins waded through the swaths of snow and reached the edges of the village. Thankfully there was no huge wall, else it would be difficult for me to pass. The ball of fire in my hand started to flicker before it disappeared. My mind hurriedly cast another while my teeth grit.


    It seemed it was going to be a challenge to not freeze to death. It was also at this point hunger came to me.


    ...I hadn''t prepared properly at all.


    I didn''t even memorize all the spells. Perhaps I made a hasty decision...


    ''The first few days ended up being very rough and I almost went back to the village. However, I stayed.''


    I remembered Mildred''s words.


    It seemed that she hadn''t made any preparations either and just dived headfirst. It was as if her survival was secondary to her, and it''s not like she could just come back to life like me.


    my legs pressed onward while my body was pretending it wasn''t shivering or starving.


    There was a large expanse of trees on the way forward. It would take a while but I could make it there. There was nothing that blocked me on my way towards the forest.


    The problem of food came to mind.


    What could I possibly eat here?


    Maybe there would be plants, but all my eyes found was snow. My decision was still to continue.


    The trees seemed much larger up close and the leaves were still green.


    My mind started to consider eating the leaves, but it would probably be an unpleasant experience, to say the least.


    My hand brought the flame closer to me. It seemed the cold had seeped into my head as there was a raging headache that wouldn''t calm down.


    For a moment my back leaned on a tree.


    It was at this moment my mind recalled Mildred saying that holding spells had saved her life. With that, my mind started to prepare the tunnel spell.


    There were no major complications but casting the spell was slow and near the end, my fire went out, so the final bits were spent in the grueling cold.


    My body wanted me to quickly cast the fire spell, but despite that, I stopped. Thee was that strange empty feeling.


    My legs crossed and sat down in the snow, basking in the cold. The wind brushed past me threatening to freeze my heart.


    My mind started to gather mana and was able to slowly cast the spell from Alyx''s book.


    Actually, I tried to do it before, but it seemed I just barely could not.


    That is why I let the cold batter me as my mind prepared this strange spell.


    This spell needed quite the amount of mana so it took longer than the tunnel spell.


    The spell nearly finished, but the mana paused.


    I was actually kind of nervous that maybe this spell type and the elementary tunnel spell would be too much to hold at the same time, but it was like that spell took no space.


    Shaking away these thoughts my mind quickly cast another fire spell and my chest almost burned itself trying to get closer.


    Any longer and my body may have been unable to move. My eyes surveyed the surroundings and found nothing, leading me to believe it was safe to stay here.


    Apparently, my judgement was wrong as an eagle had peeked over from one of the trees.


    I felt a little foolish missing such a large eagle but there was no time to mull over it. The eagle dived right after it confirmed my position.


    My mind ended up casting both spells without thinking of the consequences. My body was buried into the ground and there was a strong collision above me.


    To my dismay, the eagle was blocking my exit.


    Panic settled in, what was I supposed to do now?


    In my desperation, My mind tried to draw in mana, but it was not easy.


    I guess I now knew that I needed to absorb mana from the air.


    My muscles were trembling, but there was no way my body would recover before suffocating. Unwilling to give up here my hands pushed against the eagle.


    But it did not even budge.


    I didn''t want to die, I finally came so far.


    If... If I was going to die, I would die trying. I twisted my body, trying to get more ground to push down on.


    It was a mountain. A mountain that stood above me, so that I would never go up.


    ...Break it. Along with everything else.


    Joints cracked, tendons strained, and bones creaked.


    With a scream, my hands lifted it, my foot took a step on the ground and the eagle was tossed aside.


    I... I felt so tired... and hungry.


    My body begged for rest, but my stomach was begging me for food. The hunger made me move through the pain.


    The eagle shrunk and had crushed its head in the tree my back was leaning on. Hunger filled my thoughts but with my last shred of rationality, My hand plucked off some feathers first.


    My mind casted a fire spell and my hand the fire at a similar distance Ned would when cooking.


    I almost just ate the eagle raw, but didn''t.


    I patiently and slowly cooked it, directly eating from its body.


    Calming down, I started to make out... footsteps?


    It seemed that other things were on their way. My heart bled with regret but I ran away leaving the eagle corpse behind.


    My feet could barely keep running, much less do anything else.


    Unable to help my curiosity my head turned back to see a wolf staring at me. I ran faster.


    Thankfully it seemed the wolf had no intention to chase. My legs collapsed while my lungs were trying to get any oxygen it could.


    The cold air my lungs hurt but I bore with it.


    I needed to sleep... but how would I do it without freezing to death?


    ...The tunnel spell... my body was warm when underground.


    Casting another spell was far past my body''s limit.


    But what other choice did I have? My hands cleared out the snow next to a tree.


    My hope was that I would be able to breathe this way and not too much snow would fall on me. The spell was cast, to my body''s dismay.


    It was hard to keep consciousness but my mind finished the spell, sending everything but my head underground.


    The last thing I felt before I passed out was something burst in my stomach.


    There was a dull pain in my stomach as my eyes fluttered open and my head was almost buried in snow. Bursting out of the ground my mind cast a fire spell as fast as it could to warm myself up. The glow of the sun pierced through the leaves of the trees to my face.


    A day passed and I was alive.


    Worried about the wolf from earlier, I thought it would be best to scale up a tree.


    My hand tried to pull me up the tree but was unable to do much, especially since one hand was holding the flame.


    My eyes surveyed the surroundings for a tree that wasn''t too hard to scale. My dexterity was not enough to scale any tree with one hand so I was forced to cancel my fire spell.


    With that, my hands pulled me up the tree.


    Upon exerting strength, the pain in my stomach would protest, slowly driving me insane.


    My hands were too delicate and were cut up after climbing, but in the end, my body was able to lay down on top of the tree. My lungs took in a deep breath, my mind cast the fire spell, and my body squirmed around, getting as comfortable as it could, entangled in the branches.


    My eyes inspected my stomach. There was a hole in my clothes revealing a nasty sight. The wound was already somewhat scabbed over, but it was filled with dirt and looked purple. My fingers tried to pick out dirt, but it ended up being too painful to continue.


    The forest surrounded me, the trees and snow were hiding the terrors of this place...


    ....But I will find them all one by one.

 Chapter 16 - Wolf

    Looking at my wound, although it was not particularly large, it did not seem safe to leave alone. My hand brought the fire spell close to snow and use that water to clean my wounds.


    It was a bad idea, not only was the water not clean, but it was too cold. My mind reluctantly cast the water spell to try and clean the wound.


    I couldn''t lie, feeling the water run down made me want to just cast as many water spells as I could to clean myself.


    But that was probably a terrible idea, so the only thing left was to bear with the dirt on me and my clothes.


    My eyes surveyed the area, unable to find much. The only thing it could make out was that there were some trees, trees, and more trees.


    Water wasn''t a big issue, even if there wasn''t snow all around nothing was stopping me from casting the water spell.


    The only issue was food, and securing the food. Disregarding the difficulty in killing some to eat, even if that was a success, other predators would be attracted. The time to prepare and eat the food was minimal, so each kill was at most one meal.


    The other issue was some sort of weapon. Relying on the animals to just hit a tree and die every time was not the smartest.


    The spells in my arsenal were useful, but there were no spells that provided offensive value. Unfortunately, it''s not like someone would forge a sword for me in the middle of the forest.


    I probably should have got one before leaving. I guess it''s too late now.


    My hands pulled out a relatively straight branch that wasn''t too large. After stripping the smaller branches attached, my hand scraped it on the side of the tree. My actions were clumsy, breaking the branch multiple times and leaving me very little of it left. Despite the failed attempts, my hand continued to sharpen the branch, even though it was only about the size of a knife. By the time it was done, a smirk appeared on my face.


    There was a decent amount of time spent on creating this stake. So long that my wound no longer hurt that bad. Once the fire disappeared my mind could easily feel the emptiness. So, when the fire ran out not long after, my mind prepared Alyx''s spell. Upon finishing my mind quickly cast the fire spell and while it was burning the Tunnel spell was also prepared.


    It seemed the time to fight had come. My hands and feet slowly scaled down the tree, making sure my foot was firmly on a branch each step of the way. My landing was soft and after my eyes surveyed the area, an arbitrary direction was picked for my new direction.


    My trek through the snow was long and laborious. After an uneventful journey, my back leaned against a tree so I could catch my breath. My mind recast the fire spell and my hand brought it close to my stomach, where the wound was. It really just felt too cold, so my hand kept it near there for a while.


    The only thing living my eyes could catch was a white rabbit that quickly ran away when it was over ten meters away. If my vision did not cover that direction my eyes would not have been able to even catch it.


    There was a gleam in the corner of my eye.


    My head whipped around to see a giant wolf was looking at me. It was slowly walking in a circle around me, about eight meters away, keeping its eyes on me. It slowed to a stop once my eyes were on it. It was unsettling that the wolf was perfectly quiet.


    Was it stalking me the whole time? I guess it was waiting for me to tire myself out before finishing me off.


    My hand tightly clutched my stake.


    One of us would die and the other would have a new meal. The wolf showed no signs of backing off and started to approach. My mind got ready to release Alyx''s spell at any moment.


    My feet did not budge as the wolf approached.


    When it was five meters away it pounced.


    My mind released Alyx''s spell and my body threw itself to the right. The wolf shrunk considerably and had a dazed look in its eyes.


    However, it blinked, slowly recovering itself, making me anxious.


    After rushing over, my hand desperately stabbed the wood stake into the wolf''s head over and over. Unfortunately, it started to wake up quicker. The wolf suddenly came to consciousness and used its snout to shove me off.


    Although it was smaller, it still packed quite the punch. Thankfully, it did not hit the spot where my wound was. However, with the good news, there was also some bad news.


    The wind was knocked out of me as my body fell to the ground. In this situation, the tunnel spell was bad, since the only thing it would do was trap me under the dirt as an easy target. The wolf obviously didn''t care about that and pounced on me.


    Seeing the wolf pounce, while I wasn''t prepared to surrender, dread snaked its way into my mind. My hand propped the stake up and it punctured the wolf''s neck before it landed on me.


    The wolf''s jaws were terrifyingly close, the terrible breath was quite disgusting. My other hand quickly pushed against the stake at the base as hard as it could. At the same time, the wolf was trying to lunge its head at me, trying to bite. The teeth were uncomfortably close.


    I have died before and I''ve got dangerously close to dying.


    But this was the first time I gave death a long stare right in the face.


    It was terrifying. There was no longer the choice of escape, if I didn''t kill it here I would die myself.


    No strategy, no thoughts, only a bloody rage.


    From the depths of my heart, something awakened.


    It was a pure sense of savagery.


    It was hate for this world.


    Hate for everything it made me go through.


    Hate that I was forced to survive but not live.


    ...And hate that it made such nice people suffer.


    At some point, I started screaming.


    My hands forced the wolf back, while my face was leaning into it, right next to its jaws.


    The wolf stopped moving and was forced onto its back. Both my hands were still gripping the stake, trembling.


    The wind was cold, but the tears streaming down my face were warm.


    I may have decisively thrown myself into the wild, but it was still hard.


    I would not let myself back down no matter what.


    Yet, that didn''t change how hard it was. I missed everyone, especially Mildred.


    I wondered if she felt like this. What was it like when she pushed through the forest? Did she cry like me? Did she miss anyone?


    My mind shook away these thoughts. My stake was used to tear away the fur and get the meat. The fire spell was cooking it but even when it was a little undercooked my mouth could not help but eat. When my hunger was satiated, I immediately dashed in a random direction, not even bothering to keep my fire spell active.


    The wind was very cold on my stomach wound and dried tears. After it seemed safe, my hands hastily climbed up a tree, while my face was cringing in pain from the cuts on my palms. My mind hurriedly cast the fire spell.


    It was already evening. My eyes looked towards the bits of sun that shone through the leaves.


    Smiling bitterly to myself, I realized that my hasty decision was going to send me down an arduous path.


    Can''t say I regret it.


    The sun started to set as my body laid down in the branches. When my fire spell flickered out my hands gripped onto a branch while the rest of my body fell. My stake was used to carve into the tree and give myself a slight roof, then the tunnel spell was cast.


    ...


    My eyelids flew open in the middle of the night. There was a wolf that was looking at me curiously. Its green eyes were particularly bright.


    My body immediately burst out and my hands pulled the branches hard to scale up the tree. It was a bit strange that the wolf did not try to stop me.


    My mind cast a fire spell and had a good look at the wolf, while it looked at me. The moonlight and flame only let me barely make out its features.


    The wolf had snow white fur and was normal-sized. That made me curious if normal-sized wolves were an anomaly or if the giant wolves were.


    It kept its eyes on me. My mind was able to slowly prepare Alyx''s spell, despite being next to the flame.


    I guess feeling so unsettled let me cast it.


    Halfway through the spell, there was a voice.


    "What brings a human all the way out here?"


    My mind almost cancelled the spell but held on tightly. The wolf was speaking.


    "What? Was that you?"


    My finger pointed at the wolf, there was a white mist that coalesced around it.


    Then a man appeared out of the mist, adorning a silver crown and silver armor. He has his arms behind his back.


    "Haha, perhaps this is better for you?"


    Not really, now I''m just more confused.


    "Uh... yeah"


    The man laughed.


    "You are quite the adventurous one to be all the way out here, in the winter no less."


    What did this guy want from me?


    "Yeah... I guess."


    The man stood there just staring for a few moments.


    "Where are my manners? I should introduce myself. My name is Osric, the king of the wolves, some would say."


    He had a smile that didn''t feel too happy. I nodded.


    "Ah, hello Osric, my name is Jay."


    Osric looked at my stake.


    "There is still some wolf blood on that stick you know?"


    My heart clenched. Osric laughed.


    "Haha, don''t worry, I''m not that petty. He was the one who attacked you after all."


    My body was squirming.


    "What... what do you want?"


    Osric''s smile deepened.


    "I am just curious why a human would be all the way out here during the plight between humans and demons. Are you a spy? Or are you an exile?"


    My brows furrowed.


    "Wait what? Did you say the plight between humans and demons?"


    Osric lifted an eyebrow.


    "Why yes, there is a war breaking out. You don''t know?"


    My head shook. Osric was still looking at me curiously.


    "So you are an exile?"


    My head shook again.


    "I just decided to come out here."


    Osric laughed like it was a funny joke.


    "Simply because I like you, I will tell you right now, you must turn back. There are far greater dangers here than what you have seen."


    A sigh escaped my lips.


    "Thank you for the warning, but I''ve already decided I will stay here, I will only leave if nothing dares block my way."


    Osric''s smile deepened.


    "Haha, well I was never one for pushing people. Just know, if you stay true to what you say, you will never leave."


    There was a moment of silence.


    "Then I guess I will be here for the rest of my life."


    Osric smirked.


    "Very well, goodbye Jay."


    "Goodbye Osric."

 Chapter 17 - Deer

    The king of wolves left as if he was part of the snow, disappearing into a white mist. After a bit of hesitation, I climbed down the tree and got back into the hole my body was resting in. It was hard to get back to sleep, but it soon came naturally.


    ...


    Waking up I felt my hair had hardened considerably, it was not comfortable. After climbing the tree, my mind cast the fire spell.


    If I didn''t make that wooden stake I would probably already be dead, but it really does lack effectiveness. I was too reliant on Alyx''s spell, I really needed some other spell I can rely on.


    My thoughts drifted and suddenly came to how the tunnel spell was created. It consisted of one fundamental earth spell, however, it had many other functions that were unexamined. Thinking about it, there had to be a section that had to cause the dirt to part ways...


    What if I combined Alyx''s spell and the latter part of the tunnel spell?


    With that, came the test, but I was unsure of how to connect them. First, my mind imitated the connection the tunnel spell originally had with the earth spell. In the process of casting, while forming Alyx''s spell was fine, when my mind started to try to combine it with the tunnel spell there was backlash.


    The mana around me disappeared and my stomach was in much more pain than normal casts. I coughed up some blood and slowly regained my bearings. My mind was unable to draw mana in for a few seconds. The mana returned but instead of casting the fire spell, my decision was to gamble it all on a different configuration.


    My decision was to connect the core to the latter half of the tunnel spell. In the end, it was quite difficult to achieve but the spell was prepared. There was no guarantee about the effects, however. Warming myself with the fire spell my mind was about to prepare the tunnel spell.


    Unfortunately, an eagle was attracted.


    I guess I should be more careful whenever there is blood around.


    My feet were in position to jump off the tree. The eagle ended up charging me, I decided this was a better time than ever to try out the spell.


    There was a sudden shock and loss of consciousness.


    My eyes opened and they were greeted by a splitting headache, The eagle was dead. Its wings were not attached to its body and were at their original size. At the same time, the eagle itself shrunk and lost the light in its eyes.


    My mind forced itself to cast the fire spell even when with the strain in my head. My hands quickly went to cooking.


    The meal was unpleasant. There was little hunger right now, thus my tongue was forced to experience the taste for what it was, rather than being blinded by hunger. It was very hard to tear the meat but that was the least of my worries.


    I tried to cook some of the meat on the wings, but it started to smell really bad so my hand pulled away and my legs broke out into a sprint.


    While running the fire spell out, I decided to prepare Alyx''s spell rather than the null tunnel-like spell I cast. The experience of casting it was still haunting me, it seems if spells are not properly optimized the backlash is greatly increased.


    Fighting now would be really bad, so I hoped that my luck was good enough to not run into anything.


    It seemed I should not have depended on my luck.


    To my dismay, there was an animal that looked similar to a deer. What made it scary was that it had white antlers that were both big and sharp. The fur itself was blue and was able to navigate the trees deftly, despite having huge antlers.


    My mind had not yet prepared Alyx''s spell, it was too hard to focus while running. In the back of my mind, there was a hope that it was not hostile, but that was hard to believe when it was charging right at me.


    My only chance was completing Alyx''s spell, but there was no time.


    Unless...


    My coat was in terrible condition, mostly torn apart. However, it was ripped into shreds now.


    My skin started to tear apart.


    Mana was wildly gathering around me, sending snow in all directions. The pain made my thoughts blurry, the only thing in my mind was to cast the spell.


    The deer had lowered its head, antlers facing me. The deer was only a few meters away and charging. With my last strands of consciousness, I was able to cast the spell.


    Wait... didn''t this happen before, with the eagle? I died right after that...


    Oh well, I lost consciousness anyway.


    ...


    The floor was cold and my eyes had a hard time seeing. To top it all off I was really hungry.


    While my feet were trying to get up from the ground, something nudged me. It was quite the fright, my shoulders jumped and my eyes peeked over.


    My eyes quickly adjusted to the light, it was the deer from earlier. The deer was close by.


    "Awake... Now..."


    The deer spoke, the voice was quiet and delicate. My eyes took a better look at my surroundings. It was a vast cave, and it had many deer inside. Sun was coming from a huge hole in the ceiling and the ground had lots of grass, which was being eaten by all the deer inside.


    Those deer looked normal and were not strangely large. My head turned back to face the blue deer.


    "What... is happening?"


    The blue deer looked down. After a few seconds, it looked back up at me.


    "Snow... Bad... Lose... Mind... You... Help... My... Mind..."


    I nodded.


    I guess Alyx''s spell was called something null, it seemed to cancel magic in an area temporarily. That is why it was kinda weird that the animals were so heavily affected by the spell.


    Unless they were affected by magic in some way.


    Feeling hungry, my first instinct was to go back to the forest to find something.


    "How do I get back to the forest?"


    The blue deer shook its head.


    "Too... Dangerous... Now... Eat... This..."


    There was a cabbage on the floor that the blue deer was rolling to me with its snout. The cabbage was blue and gave off a faint natural light. My hand gingerly picked it up and my mouth bit down.


    It felt similar to the sensation of eating snow, except it was warm. My hunger was abated and my unknowingly tense muscles relaxed.


    "Thanks."


    The blue deer nodded.


    "Sleep... Long... You... Treat... Body... Bad... Especially... Here..."


    The blue deer touched my stomach, where my wound was. To my surprise, there was no pain. My eyes looked down to see that there was only a faint pink marking left. I was surprised.


    "Did you do this?"


    The blue deer nodded again.


    "Want... Learn?"


    I immediately nodded. The blue deer looked away from me.


    "Watch... Closely..."


    The blue deer started to cast a spell very slowly. Watching closely, my mind imitated the spell from one step behind. At first, it wasn''t too bad, but the spell became more and more complex. If the deer did not slow down further my mind would have been unable to follow.


    Straining my eyes, I followed the spell. The spell was slowly becoming the shape of a rose, when the rose was about to be completed my mind stopped moving the mana and held the spell.


    "Thank you for teaching me, but why can''t I go outside?"


    The blue deer seemed afraid.


    "Demons... Many... Demons..."


    The way that the blue deer said that sent a chill down my spine. But...


    "I have to go, I can''t stay here."


    The blue deer looked sad and wouldn''t look at me. After a long silence, it gazed at me.


    "Follow... Me..."


    The blue deer led me through the grass field. Many of the deer were curious and nuzzled my arm with their snouts. The deer seemed innocent, looking at me with no fear.


    I was eventually taken to a wall. Right before my question of why we were here was voiced out, the blue deer started to cast a spell.


    The deer did it very quickly, my mind could not remember the process even if my life depended on it. The wall we came to started to shimmer and become translucent. The wall started to ripple as if it was made of water. The blue deer gave me one last look before walking back.


    "Be... Careful..."


    My body went through the translucent wall. My consciousness blurred and I felt something wrap tight around me. Then it was just me out in the cold, standing on the side of a mountain.


    The sun hung high in the sky. My eyes surveyed the area and were barely able to make out a lake through the foliage. Considering that every other direction had snow and trees, it piqued my curiosity and I headed towards it.


    Upon reaching the lake my foot stopped a distance away, leaving me under a tree near the lake. The lake spanned at least fifty meters. What made me confused was that the lake consisted mostly of water, yet there was only ice at the edges. The sound of the rushing water was loud.


    Hearing a screech in the sky my back stuck closer to the tree, peeking past the leaves my eyes found an eagle flying in the sky. The ground started to tremble.


    A giant black fish emerged from the lake. It had a large set of teeth and yellow eyes.


    The fish sent water everywhere, some of which landed on me, colder than it had any right to be. The eagle in the sky got snatched by the fish. It struggled desperately but there was nothing it could do but get taken into the depths with the fish.


    I started to back away and made a mental note.


    Don''t get close to the lake.

 Chapter 18 - Demon

    As I went in the opposite direction of the lake, I started to prepare Alyx''s spell. I was walking, but I was not trying to do so quietly.


    As such, when I saw three black figures walking ahead, they also saw me. They were all at least partially humanoid and had one small horn on the side of their head. They were all a little shorter than me, and I was an average height. They each wielded a small stone knife, holding onto it tightly with their tiny hands. They had no apparent mouth but had white, long, and sharp fingernails.


    Their bright yellow eyes were locked onto me and were unfortunately very hostile.


    If it were just a single one of them perhaps I would have confidence, but I really had no idea what I could do with three.


    I broke out into a run, in the opposite direction. In the back of my mind, I wanted to avoid this way, as it was back toward the lake, but I didn''t have much of a choice. Those figures that I assumed were demons did not hesitate to chase. I was trying to run at a reasonably fast speed, one that wouldn''t exhaust me fully. However, the loud footfalls were getting closer.


    Since I had quite the head start it would take a while for them to catch up, but to my dismay, instead of slowing, they went faster. I really wanted to run faster, but I knew that I really would exhaust myself if I ran even a little faster.


    The gap shrunk slowly. Ten meters... Five meters...


    Through the clearing of trees, I saw the lake. Even if I was faster than them, there was nowhere to run anymore.


    At least I finished Alyx''s spell.


    I turned around and prayed in my heart that this would do something. With an ethereal tug, I sent out Alyx''s spell once again. The three demons immediately started to scream.


    Their bodies started to contort and convulse. Their skin gradually became red, however, after about five seconds their skins started to turn black again. I used this time to catch my breath and observe their condition. They were still tightly holding onto their knives and it seemed that this could only stall them for a few moments. I would have to personally deal with them.


    I decided to pull out all the stops.


    Gales appeared around me, snow flew around and obscured my figure. My skin that had just recovered once again tore apart, sending fresh signals of pain into my brain. I cast Alyx''s spell while tightly holding onto my stake.


    The demons were already approaching, clearly pissed off. I took a few steps back, giving me time to finish the spell.


    When I was almost finished with the spell I suddenly pounced on the closest one, stake in hand. Right before I swung I cast the spell. I could feel all the mana disappear and my head suddenly felt clear.


    While the demon started to contort I stabbed it in the head. Blood sprayed onto me, but I could not fret about it now. The other two were gonna recover soon.


    I rushed over to another demon, but one of the random convulsions sent an elbow to my chest. In the second I winced in pain, the demon already recovered. It started to stab at my stomach, but I knew I wasn''t skilled enough to block it so I, in turn, stabbed at its neck.


    We traded blow for blow. I felt the knife plunge into me, but thankfully my blow seemed to put the demon out of commission. The demon no longer held onto the knife and started to collapse.


    I wanted to pull my stake out, but at the last second, I dodged out of the way. The last demon tried to swing at my head. As I dodged, I felt the wind brush my face. I backed up, but quickly stopped myself.


    The lake was right behind me.


    The last demon did not share my fear of the lake and charged at me with reckless abandon. Clutching my stomach, I quickly realized the pain was too much for me to perform a deft dodge.


    I decided to gamble.


    The demon stabbed at my stomach, but I let it do so. I grabbed the demon''s arm that was used to stab me. I picked up the demon, put it on my shoulder and with a heave tossed it into the lake.


    Before I even let it go I heard rumbling. Just as the demon was about to touch the water I saw the black fish emerge, snatching the demon.


    For a moment, the fish''s eye which was as big as my head was right next to my face, staring right at me. Then it soared into the sky, flipped itself and went back into the lake, sending water splashing all over me.


    I was in a state of shock but quickly broke out of it, my two stab wounds were hemorrhaging blood. I cast the healing spell I had prepared while shaking.


    I felt a gentle sensation that greatly eased my pain. I felt my stab wounds close up and even my torn skin repair itself.


    Backing away from the lake I started to pant hard. It really was a tiring encounter, but I still did not feel hungry. I assumed it was because of whatever food that blue deer gave me earlier.


    After reclaiming my stake I climbed up a tree. Was this the danger the blue deer was referring to? If there were more than three that would really have been bad for me. If many of them were swarming the area then I really might be in trouble.


    It seems I have to work on my stealth.


    I prepared Alyx''s spell once more and walked through the snow, trying to be quiet. Unfortunately, even when I moved slowly, I ended up making loud trudging noises in the snow.


    I recalled the wolf from earlier, it was completely quiet despite having such a large frame.


    How was that even possible?


    I closed my eyes and tried my best to recall the way the wolf walked.


    My fire spell ran out but I stayed still. Digging through my blurry memories I saw how the wolf laid down its paws. The paw was in the air, swiftly approaching the ground.


    Recalling this made me even more confused, how was it silent without going slowly?


    I kept thinking until I could piece together the process better. Swift... but it suddenly slowed right before it hit the ground.


    While my eyes were closed I tried to imitate it. Swift... then slow. I was unable to properly control my strength and landed heavily in the snow. Then, I tried it slowly. I was able to make the sound of my foot landing quieter, but the proceeding crunching snow was not in any way quiet.


    I continued trying to recall how the wolf walked. When the paw landed on the ground, the leg moved while the paw didn''t change position. This made me think of treating my foot like a ball that rolls on the ground. I slowly stepped forward, letting my heel touch the ground, then slowly putting the rest of my foot down as my heel went up.


    There was still a sound, as there were sudden shifts in force. I tried again, this time tensing my muscles and relaxing them so the force remained the same. I could still hear my footsteps, but they were not so noticeable that I could be so easily found from far away.


    I noticed the majority of sound came when I was switching between feet. The wolf''s steps were as clear as day to me now. Before one paw left the ground, the other would already be down. I imitated this and whenever I performed it properly I wouldn''t be able to hear anything.


    Keeping my eyes closed, I continued until I slowly refined the way I walked.


    Step... Step... Step...


    When I was satisfied I opened my eyes to realize I was behind a rabbit. The rabbit took a peek from behind a tree and then quickly hid again. It did not notice my presence, so I swung with my stake.


    The rabbit seemed to notice and turn around but was unable to dodge. I quickly cast the fire spell, both to warm myself and cook the rabbit. I felt a relaxing sensation when the fire warmed the tips of my nose and ears that felt like they were burning in the cold.


    Cooking the rabbit, I noticed it smelt very bad. After thinking about it, I used Alyx''s spell on the dead rabbit. The smell suddenly vanished and I decided to eat the meat, which smelled good and tasted nice.


    As I ate, I wondered if there were countless rabbits like that. Right next to me or in plain sight, but hiding so well that you couldn''t even catch their shadow.


    I decided to continue walking as quietly as I could, trying to catch a glimpse of any more rabbits. As I walked I looked intently around. After a while, I caught a glimpse of one behind a tree peeking over. I almost missed it, before I could even turn to face it, it was already gone. Something strange I noticed was that the bunny was looking down on the ground as it peeked over, I could hardly see the eyes.


    I decided to imitate it. Like this, I could only see things ahead of me in my peripheral vision. This reminded me of the wolf again. Although it did not make a sound, I noticed it because I saw the eyes in the corner of my vision. It seemed the rabbits had developed this habit to keep themselves more elusive.


    Walking a little further I then saw a rabbit''s head scanning around. This time I was able to have a good few seconds to see the rabbit head, though it was hard to make out in my peripheral vision.


    As this process repeated itself, I started to notice that the bunnies always hid behind trees where the shadow was if possible. I guess that''s why I could never make out their shadow since they blended in with the tree''s shadow.


    I started to hide behind the tree''s shadow and consciously took note of where my shadow was cast.


    In the end, I found more rabbits, sometimes I could see them from behind and they wouldn''t even notice me when I was right behind them. I did not plan on eating them as I was not hungry, so I had a little fun and poked them on the back, startling them.


    I found when startled, they would dig into the ground as fast as they could. When I peered inside I realized the hole was quite deep. What if I did that?


    Hmm... It seems very difficult to gather mana from underground, so I would have to prepare a couple of tunnel spells minimum.. I rubbed my chin and started to theorize.

 Chapter 19 - Ghost

    I finished preparing three tunnel spells. As for any plans I had, I found myself unable to realistically find one. I guessed I could cast the tunnel spell to go down, however, how could I meaningfully travel enough distance to resurface somewhere else? The tunnel spell only allowed me to travel roughly three meters, so if I really wanted to imitate the way these rabbits hide then I would have to find some sort of solution.


    At the moment, I was sitting down near a hole that one of the rabbits had dug. As I was thinking of different possibilities, I saw that the rabbit had emerged from the hole and after seeing me, promptly ran away.


    I realized my thinking was flawed. I did not necessarily have to exit the ground from somewhere the threat was not at. I could simply remain under as long as the threat has no way of harming me. Later when the threat thinks that I have left I can emerge from the same spot I dug into.


    The key point here would be to make sure the threat thinks I am gone. If this wasn''t done then they can either wait or take advantage of the fact I stuck myself into a hole. I guess I would have to tunnel at an angle that makes it so I am not visible from the outside.


    There was a wolf walking in front of me, it was passing by and hadn''t noticed me. Out of reflex, I turned to look at it, and then it turned to look at me.


    Honestly, I was kind of nervous to test out the tunnel and hide strategy, but I didn''t have Alyx''s spell prepared right now. I guess this was going to be as good of a time as any to test it. Before it pounced on me I activated the tunnel spell to the full extent I could. I quickly cast another tunnel spell but changed the angle, so that I would not be visible from the outside.


    Some snow ended up falling into the hole, the wolf also seemed to inspect the hole, causing some dirt to fall in. I was getting a little worried because if too much dirt fell in, I would no longer have a way to get air inside and be forced to resurface.


    But, this was not the time to be worried. I slowed my breath and closed my eyes. I''m sure if a rabbit was in this scenario it would calm down rather than panic.


    As I let myself relax, I felt I was more in touch with my surroundings. Despite having my eyes closed and being stuck in the hole, I could feel tremors in the ground. It was like I could see anything that was moving with a different eye.


    Normally I wouldn''t even be able to hear the wolf''s footfalls, but when I quieted down to the point where even my breath didn''t make a sound, I felt it. It was very light, very smooth, but I could feel the wolf moving around.


    It was circling the hole, sometimes pausing. I presumed it was looking inside the hole. The air gradually became heavier and the wolf was not leaving. There was a seed of panic in my heart, but I suppressed it as much as I could.


    I acted the part of being the earth itself, I was the soil.


    The air started to hurt my lungs. I could feel my lungs constrict but not expand. I was truly at my limit at this point.


    Thankfully the wolf seemed to notice something and ran away. I burst out of the ground taking long breaths that hurt my lungs. After coughing for a few moments, I recovered myself.


    I was a little displeased since my hair got really dirty, but I guess it was still dirty before.


    I continued to walk quietly and decided to breathe slower. As my breath slowed, I could feel it again, like I was trapped under the earth. Gradually, my breaths became softer and softer, until they couldn''t be heard.


    I lurked in the shadows like a ghost.


    As I walked I decided to prepare Alyx''s spell, the healing spell, and another two tunnel spells to replace the ones I used. I ignored any rabbits that were on the way, occasionally I would be able to bypass a rabbit without it noticing until I was right in front of it.


    Eventually, I came across another black figure, which I guessed was also a demon. Different from the other ones, this one had two horns and was not only taller but much bulkier than me. It was carrying a giant stone saber that was strapped on its back.


    The demon seemed to just be walking aimlessly. It just kept a slow pace and was slowly navigating the forest.


    I wondered if I could take it down. Since it was only one I decided to be a little risky and try it.


    WIthout an expression, I followed behind it. The demon was only casually walking but it was not far from the speed I was approaching it. This made the process quite long, as I was making very little distance.


    It felt like I was behind him forever. I guessed that over 10 minutes had passed and I was still over 10 meters away from him.


    I did not quicken my pace, I remained patient, just like when I was under the earth earlier.


    Slowly... Slowly...


    I got close enough that if the demon turned around while I was switching between trees I would be found no matter what.


    But I did not quicken my pace.


    I got closer.


    I was close enough that if the demon decided to turn around and slash, the saber would be able to hit me.


    But I did not quicken my pace.


    I got closer.


    At this point, I could reach out and touch the demon.


    But I did not quicken my pace.


    I got closer.


    If I took a breath too hastily the demon would feel it. I could even feel the body heat emanating from the demon. I was right behind him.


    I did not rush my actions, I slowly raised the stake.


    I swung down and right before it hit, I cast Alyx''s spell.


    While the demon started screaming and convulsing I was able to pierce the skull. I took it out and then stabbed the neck as well.


    At this point, the demon had regained control over itself. It turned around and took out the stone saber. It did not seem to care that it was bleeding heavily out both the back of its head and neck. It prepared a large horizontal swing.


    I thought of dodging, but I quickly realized that the demon was no pushover. The sword was coming over quickly. I instinctively used the tunnel spell.


    As I submerged into the ground I felt the sword cut some of my hair. I decided to slow my breathing and feel the earth. I was able to visualize where the demon was by the tremors and made a bold move.


    I used the tunnel spell upwards right next to the demon.


    I burst out of the ground holding my stake tightly. I hit the chin with such great momentum the demon fell onto its back, but I also lost my stake as it got stuck in its chin.


    The demon tenaciously stood up again.


    I started to back up and the demon chased me. I realized that it was casting a spell I didn''t recognize. I decided to run but be prepared to dodge.


    The demon cast the spell very quickly. Before I realized it, the demon was done casting the spell and in a few moments raised its foot which was glowing white. The foot almost instantaneously hit the ground.


    I saw as the ground quickly became ice. The ground under me quickly became ice, I couldn''t outrun it even if I wanted to.


    All of a sudden a loud tremble occurred and there was a tall wall that caged me with the demon. The cage was not too big so I had limited dodging space.


    The demon swung recklessly, I was barely able to dodge them but I eventually came to a corner.


    Even though the saber was huge, the demon wielded it like a feather. It raised the saber high and quickly swung it down on me.


    At this moment I felt the savagery and hate in me awaken.


    I caught the saber with my hands, but I could not stop it. The saber started to pierce my shoulder, breaking the bone and proceeding to break some of my ribs.


    The demon tried to lift the saber but I held it in place. I stared right at the demon''s eyes as it struggled to free its sword.


    I did not budge. I watched as the demon continued to bleed out slowly.


    His struggling became weaker. Then he let go of the saber and fell to its knees...


    ...No longer moving.


    With great difficulty, I pulled out the saber from my shoulder. The blood sprayed everywhere and I almost blacked out right there and then. I quickly cast the healing spell and felt a gentle touch that greatly reduced the pain. I felt bones move back into place and my wound stopped bleeding.


    However, the gash in my shoulder did not close up. I laid down on the floor, casting another healing spell while doing my best to endure the pain. After a few minutes of arduous torture, I was able to cast the healing spell and finally close up my terrifying wound.


    Though the injuries were gone, I felt incredibly dizzy. I looked at the saber, and considered taking it, but it was far too heavy. Reclaiming my stake, I jumped up to catch the ledge of the ice walls around me.


    With ragged breaths, I turned back to look inside the ice cage.


    I calmed my breaths, then I disappeared in the forest, like a ghost.

 Chapter 20 - Rabbit

    On top of a tree, there was a small fireball in my hand. I had just slept under this tree and the sun was rising.


    I was lost in my thoughts. As effective as being stealthy was, not having the fire spell made it almost unbearable.


    I shivered. I really started to miss the coat I had earlier. There had to be some way I could make a coat right?


    I suppose I would have to take down a wolf and find a way to turn the fur into a coat. If I happened to see a wolf I suppose I could try to take it down.


    I closed my eyes and prepared two tunnel spells, Alyx''s spell, and a healing spell. Preparing so many spells at the same time made me think of how far I had come. Originally even casting three fundamental spells would make me worry about my body''s condition.


    Though to be fair, I was mainly depending on Alyx''s spell which was very useful but didn''t put too much of a burden on me.


    I started to think back to when I tried directly combining the spell casting procedure of the tunnel spell as well as Alyx''s spell. It seemed it was too risky and ambitious to try with higher level spells right away. I decided to see if I could combine the ice and water spell since they were both fundamental spells.


    I did not do anything crazy, I just tried to connect the first part of the ice spell with the water spell. After that I finished the last part of the ice spell, enclosing the whole thing, except including the additional water spell.


    There was a minor pain, nothing that would faze me but noticeable.


    I saw water form and ice condense around it very quickly. What was left was a ball of ice that was about the size of a large beach ball.


    I was a little surprised at the effectiveness of the spell I casted. It seemed that proper synergy could enhance the output of the spell. Though I did not really see the usage of a giant ice ball, it showed me that the direction I had taken was not necessarily wrong.


    I slid down the tree. I wanted to find some rabbits to eat, they were not only tasty but not difficult to eat, like the wolves and eagles.


    As I walked in and out of the shadows of the trees I saw a rabbit looking over. I was able to kill it without it noticing, and after casting Alyx''s null spell I cooked and ate it.


    After finishing the meal, I looked up to see black figures in front of me. I slowly approached with my head down.


    I was able to make out five one-horned demons who were clutching their stone knives. They were walking methodically in a straight line.


    I did not think I could fight all of them directly, after all, I had barely been able to fight three. I thought back to when I stalked the two-horned demon.


    I was only able to barely win the fight, and that was with the advantage when I did a sneak attack. I started to prepare Alyx''s spell as I came up with ideas.


    If I snuck up, I was fairly confident I could kill one, but the problem came with the remaining four. If everything works out, Alyx''s spell should let me kill two. From that point, I might get cornered by the remaining two.


    As I stalked from a distance away I noticed there was an eagle. It had screeched loudly, causing all the demons to turn and look at it. I stood behind a tree wanting to know what this eagle was planning to do.


    The only thought in my mind was that the eagle was being foolish. Even if it had a large frame, a victory against five demons would come with heavy injuries.


    The eagle dived one of the demons, that demon was helpless and had been pierced. The other demons were quick to react and tried to stab the eagle. However, they could not land a single hit as the eagle flapped its wings out of the way, then flew off carrying the demon''s body in its claws.


    ...It seems that one could also do things that way. Right now the demons were in a panic, and I reckoned with some sacrifices I would be able to take them all out right now.


    But I stood still. Could I replicate what that eagle did? The important advantage that the eagle had was its mobility which trumped anything that couldn''t fly. Obviously, I had no method of flying like that. I also remembered the stamina that these demons had, when I tried to run before, they ended up catching up with me.


    There seemed to be no way my mobility would be greater than the demons.


    But...


    Maybe I didn''t need to be faster.


    I slowly approached the demons who started to regain their bearings.


    I was able to get close to one of them without any of them noticing. I stabbed my stake in its head, then quickly ran away. The demons quickly turned to me, while the one I stabbed was bleeding and fell to the ground. I darted for the trees and tried to flit between them.


    Although I was able to shake maybe one or two, there would be one that spotted me and continued chasing me, then the others would soon follow.


    I felt I was too sloppy when I changed between trees, although I was getting better the more I did it, I was going to run out of stamina at this rate.


    As I softly landed behind a tree I climbed it. Sadly, it wasn''t very quiet and the demons realized I was up in the tree. They climbed up the tree, stabbing their knives into the bark and pulling themselves up.


    I saw this as a big opportunity, as they couldn''t stab me. I stabbed the one that was highest up in the head, quickly reclaimed my stake and jumped over the demon''s head.


    The other two demons were already up on the tree, seeing I jumped off, they followed.


    I wondered if the same trick would work on them again. I got a bit of distance, dashing from tree to tree. I scaled up the tree again.


    The demons did not immediately try to come up the tree. They were staring at me and seemed to be hesitating.


    After a few moments that started to run away. I was a little surprised but I decided to give chase. Since they were running I really had to strain myself to keep up.


    I was slowly losing them, I thought about how I could catch up. I decided to cast the ice and water combination spell. As the spell was forming, I grit my teeth and threw it forward, aiming high.


    I slowed my breaths and stopped running.


    The ice ball collided with a tree and a loud sound was made ahead of the demons. Thankfully, it seemed easy to throw the spell while it was still forming, and I was able to get it ahead of them.


    Upon hearing the sound the demons slowed, looking around for what the sound came from. They were unable to see the ice ball, I had a good idea of what their perspectives would be after trying to lose them for quite some time.


    When the ice ball fell to the ground making another loud sound, the demons started to run the other way. Listening to the sound of their footsteps I determined where they were as I hid behind a tree.


    The two demons ran together. They thought that the danger came from in front of them in their startled state.


    As one of the demons ran, it occasionally looked at the other one.


    As it passed a tree the demon heard a scream, looking over only to see nobody else was there.


    It turned and only saw a hand retrieving a wooden stake from a dead demon.


    As a last stand, the demon charged with a battle cry, but when it got to the tree it did not see anybody.


    It started to panic, looking around, hoping that by swinging his head around fast enough it would see something.


    It let out a growl and roared. But it was silent.


    The demon started to run, occasionally looking behind itself.


    If there was nothing behind the demon it should be fine right? That may be why the demon turned around to look.


    However, as it turned a wooden stake pierced through its head.


    A wooden stake I was holding.


    I sighed and started to clean the wooden stake in the snow. Even when the fresh blood came off, the dried bloodstains stubbornly stayed.


    I chuckled to myself. I realized this was the first time I was able to win a fight without using Alyx''s spell. After stretching, I climbed a tree and cast the fire spell.


    I was actually able to make out other demons that were nearby during that engagement. Thankfully, they were far away.


    I decided to go back the way I came since demons appeared to be really congregated here and I didn''t feel safe sleeping there.


    On my way, I was able to find a rabbit, as I was hungry I tried to kill it.


    I guess because I was careless, it noticed me and burrowed into a hole.


    I recalled that the rabbit would come out eventually, so I waited at an angle it couldn''t see me at. After a few moments I saw it peek out, when I tried to stab it, it was quick to react and started running. I ran after it.


    The rabbit started dancing between the trees, I was able to make out part of the rabbit from time to time and used that to judge where it would be next.


    Eventually, I was unable to find any traces of the bunny and I had lost it.


    It seemed I would need to try this chase a few more times to learn how these rabbits could so easily run away.

 Chapter 21 - True Power

    After hunting one rabbit down and eating, I started to startle rabbits, wait for them to run, and chase them.


    It was a little annoying that the rabbits took quite a while to resurface when they dug down, but I still waited patiently.


    I had attempted this many times, yet all the rabbits easily got away, without exception.


    I was puzzled, what was I doing wrong? I remembered that when I was trying to evade the demons, I would try to get behind a tree, yet, another with an angle would see me. When trying to hide from someone you would have to get out of their vision...


    So if the rabbit was running away from me, it would try to hide behind trees and while not in vision try to get behind another tree. That way, I would be unable to tell which place the rabbit went.


    I tried to chase down a rabbit again. This time I tried to think from the perspective of a rabbit, where would I go?


    When I saw the rabbit duck behind a tree, I started to run towards another tree further ahead. I caught a glimpse of the rabbit ducking behind another tree and went to another tree up ahead.


    This time I did not see the rabbit, I had guessed wrong.


    Turning back, I realized the path that the rabbit ran had footprint markings in the snow.


    They were very vague, as the snow was already very uneven. If it weren''t for the fact that I knew that the rabbit had taken this path, I would not have been able to recognize that these were the markings of the rabbit''s footprints.


    When I walked around I paid more attention to the ground. I eventually came across markings that I believed to be of something walking. They were larger than the markings left by the rabbit. I decided to follow the markings and see where they would take me.


    I wasn''t that confident in my deduction and came to various points where I was unsure what the next direction was, but I continued without thinking about it too much.


    Eventually, I came across a wolf. It was leisurely walking around.


    Without thinking about it too much I thought of ways I could kill it. I wanted to go even further and try to do it without Alyx''s spell.


    I started to stalk and follow it from behind.


    Once I got close, I quickly climbed onto its back. The wolf had turned around but I clung to it and started to aggressively stab it. The wolf was trying hard to throw me off, but I clung to its fur tighter.


    I don''t know how long I was stabbing it for, I felt like I was in a haze. All I noticed was that I was on top of a wolf that no longer moved.


    I remembered I wanted that coat, I figured that since Alyx''s spell fixed the meat that any problems with the fur could similarly be resolved.


    I cast Alyx''s spell, feeling it drain the surrounding mana around me.


    At this moment my head felt clear.


    What... was I doing?


    I realized I was slowly getting more impatient and bold. There were many unnecessary risks I had taken. There was little to no reason to fight everything I came across, why was I being so aggressive?


    It was then the blue deer came to mind.


    "Snow... Bad... Lose... Mind..."


    The snow... seems to have the effect of slowly aggravating the mind.


    I decided I was going to go back to the village. Although I did not want to back off, my mental state was getting dangerous.


    But... I did not keep track of where I was going. Not to mention I do not know where the blue deer took me after I blacked out at that time.


    Now that I think about it... why are there demons in the forest? They didn''t seem to be looking for food as they walked in a straight and orderly fashion. Yet what reason did they have to walk around in the snow?


    Then Osric''s words rang in my mind.


    "I am just curious why a human would be all the way out here during the plight between humans and demons. Are you a spy? Or are you an exile?"


    There... was some sort of conflict between the demons and humans.


    I decided to first make a coat from the wolf''s fur. I cut off fur that I found was still usable, I had messed up most of the fur from my actions earlier. I went up into the tree and slowly worked on the fur I got so that it could actually be used as a coat without hampering me.


    Putting the wolf coat on I felt a lot warmer. I decided to backtrack and make my way to the place where the demons were denser.


    I saw various teams of one-horned demons and occasionally a two-horned demon. I slowly stalked my way around them with my head down.


    After observing various demons I slowly got an idea of the general direction they were walking. It seemed certain demons were on patrol, to guard the surrounding area, while other demons decided to make their way forwards, closer to some... place.


    Curious about what this place was, I went in the same direction.


    As I went forward I ended up dangerously close to some demons in order to avoid their line of sight. Thankfully, I was stealthy enough to hide from them.


    I eventually came to a clearing, where the trees stopped.


    Looking ahead I saw a village. For a second I assumed the village was the one I came from. Looking at it more clearly I noticed that it had high walls that surrounded it. This only made me more curious and I decided to make my way towards the village.


    I had put my stake in a fixture I accidentally made on my coat. I looked ahead to see a large iron-barred gate. As I started to get close I heard a voice.


    "Stop, identify yourself!"


    I looked up to see a few guards clad in iron armor looking down at me from the top of the wall. I had to use a few seconds to remember my name.


    "Uh... it''s Jay, what is this place called?"


    The guard seemed confused.


    "...uh this is the Earth Emperor''s village are you not from here?"


    I shook my head.


    "I wanted to check out the forests but I didn''t keep track of where I was going and got lost. I saw there were demons that were heading to this general location and decided to check it out."


    "...What? I need to go report this!"


    The guard that was talking to me left, I am not sure where to.


    I looked at the other guards.


    "So... Can I come in?"


    The guards turned to look at each other, seemingly at a loss.


    "Uh... Sure?"


    The gates rose and I made my way inside. After I got in the gates closed. One of the guards came down from the wall and jogged over to me.


    "Say, were you living in the forest?"


    I nodded.


    "It was very tough at first, but thankfully I was able to get used to it."


    The guard nodded.


    "Since you aren''t a local here, I thought I could show you around the place."


    I was a little surprised he was being so nice.


    "Oh, thanks."


    The guard tried to scratch the back of his head, but the iron helmet got in the way, making loud clanking noises.


    "Haha, no problem."


    I took in the overall state of the village. It seemed rather prosperous, there were people walking along in their heavy coats and nobody seemed that concerned about the early winter.


    "So uh... what''s your name? I am Jay like I said before."


    The guard turned to look at me.


    "Oh right, my name is Lucas, nice to meet you."


    "Nice to meet you as well."


    I looked around but didn''t really know where to go.


    "Hey what place do you recommend to check out?"


    Lucas started to think.


    "Hmm... I would say the tavern, it''s a nice place for food and drink. I assume you haven''t eaten any freshly prepared food for a while if you were in the forest."


    I was interested.


    "That does sound like a nice place to go, please take me there."


    "Alright."


    Lucas led me down the streets, sometimes people would stare at me curiously or with a bit of fright, but they soon ignored me after. It did not take too long for us to be taken to a tavern.


    The tavern was quite big, with a few sets of doors. Lucas opened one and I followed him in. The inside was bustling, filled with people who were sitting at round tables talking with one another.


    Now that I think about it I didn''t have anything I could use to buy from them. I coughed awkwardly to get Lucas''s attention.


    "I just remembered I have nothing to pay with, do you think they would accept it if I hunted a bunny and brought it here?"


    Lucas laughed.


    "Oh don''t worry about it, I will cover your meal."


    I nodded and said my thanks. Lucas told me he was going to get the food and I should find a place to sit down. As I looked around I heard someone chuckle.


    "Hey, young man, you look like you have no idea where to sit, want to sit with me?"


    I turned to see a grizzled man with brown hair slicked back. He had large forearms that were exposed, revealing thick amounts of hair. There weren''t any seats that were not already occupied so I decided to take him up on his offer.


    "Oh yeah, thanks. My name is Jay, what about you?"


    The man started to talk as I sat down.


    "Hey Jay, my name is Jack. I don''t recognize your face, you new around here?"


    Jack had a big smile on his face as he held a mug. I nodded.


    "Yeah I originally left my village to the forest, I got lost and ended up here. Lucas, over there is showing me around the place."


    I pointed towards Lucas who was ordering some food. Jack looked over.


    "Ah, that Lucas guy, he always tries to help people out, though..."


    Jack leaned over to me and used his hand to block the sound from his voice.


    "He is a bit of an airhead and accidentally hurts people sometimes, so take it easy on him ok? Also, don''t tell him I told you this."


    I smiled and nodded.


    "Of course. Anyways, what has been happening in this village?"


    Jack thought for a moment and sighed.


    "Nothing really eventful, but I suppose around ten days ago, Prince Eternus was assassinated, it sent the village into chaos when that happened."


    Lucas was walking back, carrying a tray of food and drinks.


    "Thankfully the assassin was soon found and executed, hopefully, Prince Eternus can rest in peace."


    Lucas set one of the trays in front of me, it had quite the amount of vegetables. Jack nodded.


    "Indeed. Enough with the sad stuff, Jay you look like you have a story to tell, how was being in the forest like? Was that coat one you got directly from a wolf you slew?"


    "Ah, well yes actually I got it pretty recently since the coat I originally brought into the forest got ripped up."


    Jack laughed.


    "What, you really killed a wolf all by yourself? You have got to be kidding me."


    I pulled out the stake.


    "I am not joking, I used this thing to kill it."


    Jack looked a bit scared.


    "That... is a heavy scent of blood."


    I nodded.


    "Well, yeah I made it from a branch and used it to hunt many things in the forest."


    Lucas turned to me awkwardly.


    "Uh... we aren''t supposed to have people with weapons come in."


    I was a little confused.


    "...This is a wooden stake, it''s not even like a sword."


    Lucas looked sad.


    "Sorry, we aren''t supposed to have anyone that is violent come into the city, after you eat can you leave?"


    I sighed. I guess he would at least let me have a meal.


    "Alright, sure."


    Jack let out a sigh of relief.


    "Thank you for being so cooperative."


    "No problem."


    After finishing my meal I was led back out by Lucas. After saying my goodbyes I walked out and they closed the gate.


    I made my way back to the forest but noticed that there were a lot of demons. It was going to be quite difficult to make it past them.


    I peeked over the trees with my head down. I was able to see a three-horned demon. It was much larger than the two-horned demon and carried a massive mace.


    Anxious about how I was supposed to get past, I suddenly felt a tremble in the ground. I turned to look at the village. There was a massive pillar in the middle of the village that was going up high into the sky.


    I was shocked, the pillar seemed to look down on everything else around it.


    The sky darkened and the trembling only grew stronger.


    I fell to the ground. As I quickly tried to stabilize myself I saw countless massive meteors fall from the sky towards my direction.


    I froze as I watched the meteors get closer.


    When the meteors hit the ground I found myself back on the ground. Demons were dying like flies. Large craters filled the grounds and screams from the demons rang in the forest, the three-horned demons being no exception.


    Was this true power?


    In the face of devastation there was nothing that could put up a fight, the only thing left was to die.


    I saw a meteor plummeting towards me, I simply watched as it crashed into me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Um, why are you here?"

 Chapter 22 - Demon King

    I was in a beautiful meadow. There were roses, tulips, and lilies among the green grass. I was looking at the snow-white clouds in the bright blue sky.


    I looked down and far in the horizon were towering walls.


    "In the end, it is only a bigger cage."


    ...


    "Um, why are you here?"


    I had awoken. There was an empty expression on my face as I slowly sat up. I kept thinking about how meteors filled the sky, coming down to bombard anything that stood.


    I guess I gotta go through everything all over again...


    This time I decided to listen to what they were saying and respond normally. I guess this time I wasn''t looked down upon for being... weird.


    We soon got to the palace. After Ela left I waved to the rest of the group.


    "I''m going to check out the village."


    After saying my farewell and parting ways, I disappeared into the village.


    I tried to locate Ela. I was a little concerned that I wouldn''t be able to find her given her initial distance, but she wasn''t actively trying to avoid detection. After a bit of searching, I was able to find Ela clad in a white suit with many jewels, standing out from the crowd. I kept a certain distance and simply followed her.


    Soon, she reached another palace. This one was as high as Ela''s palace but covered a little less ground.


    When I saw Ela go in, I knew that it was going to be difficult to follow any further.


    I watched as Ela went in and thought about how I could get in without raising suspicion.


    I took a closer look at the walls of the palace. Although there were many carvings into the walls for decorative and structural purposes, it obviously wasn''t made for climbing. This was unlike climbing a tree, where even if a surface was not a proper foothold, the rough texture could still give some support.


    I tried to climb but found that my hands kept slipping when I tried to grip on anything. I thought back to when I cast that water and ice combination spell. I threw the ice ball while it was still forming, and I remember on my fingers was a layer of frost in the shape of my fingerprints. I cast the ice spell, surprised at the backlash I felt. I almost forgot that I no longer had my weathered body.


    While the ice was forming, I tried to touch it with my hands and pulled away before the spell finished. A misshapen ice cube fell to the ground and my hands were covered in frost.


    I tried again, but it was still quite slippery.


    I dug up some dirt and tried to apply a thin layer to it on my hands. The dirt itself was a little wet, which was pretty convenient.


    This time I was able to get some traction, though my hands would suddenly slip sometimes.


    I steeled myself to work my way up the side of the building. When my hands suddenly slipped, I was dangerously close to falling and my heart palpitated. I miraculously tensed my legs enough to stay on.


    I was able to reach a small balcony. I put the tips of my feet on the railing, giving me firm support and with my hands holding onto the wall I wasn''t in danger of falling so long as I stayed composed.


    I heard voices coming from inside. Although a little foolish, I decided to take a look inside out of curiosity.


    With my head down I could make out three figures sitting at a large table in my peripheral vision. There were various decorations but I couldn''t make out any details.


    Of the three figures, I quickly recognized one as Ela. She was standing next to the table with a dignified expression on her face.


    "Greetings, Duke Augustus and Marquis Charles."


    She had first bowed to a middle-aged man on the young side. He had black hair along with a beard and was wearing a light brown suit.


    Augustus bowed as well.


    "Greetings, Empress Ela."


    Then she bowed to someone who had a head full of grey hair, but it was not brittle, but rather thick. He seemed to be very old, but powerful. He donned a black suit that seemed to fit him.


    "Greetings, now that you are here we may begin."


    Ela sat down, a comfortable distance away, like the other two.


    "Sorry for the wait, what has happened, that you called with such urgency?"


    Augustus nervously fumbled with his fingers, looking at Charles. Charles sighed.


    "There is bad news..."


    Charles hardened his gaze.


    "...The Demon King has been killed."


    What? My hands slipped, but my feet kept me up.


    Ela put her hand on her chest as her eyes widened. Augustus slammed the table with his fist.


    "Impossible! I have seen his power, the only way he would die is if he let someone kill him!"


    Ela had a nasty expression on her face.


    "...Perhaps he did let someone kill him."


    Charles sighed once again before slowly shaking his head.


    "Regardless, I can swear on my honor this is true. What is important is that we make arrangements. I never thought that these words would come out of my mouth, but now that the Demon King has fallen, a calamity has befallen humanity."


    Augustus had a heavy expression and closed his eyes.


    "We are not prepared for a siege from the demons, none of our combatants are battle hardened."


    Ela took in a deep breath.


    "It seems we took for granted how well the Demon King herded the demons."


    Charles let out a dry laugh. Augustus suddenly opened his eyes, turning to Ela.


    "The summon, does the person have any powers? They may be of critical importance."


    Ela rubbed her forehead.


    "I am unsure, there were four and I promised them freedom for the whole year they stayed."


    Augustus shook his head.


    "Four? Regardless, we must make use of them. Have them go to magic school to try and awaken any talents."


    Charles sighed.


    "Augustus is correct, regardless of what you promised them, their lives are now involved in this situation. If they have powers they should use them to at least protect themselves."


    Ela got more frustrated and furrowed her brows. Charles tapped the table.


    "Ela, I understand what you feel. How about this, offer them the opportunity to join the magic school, give them a goal to unlock their powers. You don''t have to tell them the true situation. In the end, becoming stronger is important for their own sake."


    Ela nodded.


    "I understand, it can not be helped."


    Augustus nodded towards Ela.


    "Anyways, the village will soon find out about the true situation. What is our plan for handling the chaos?"


    The three of them discussed what arrangements they needed to make.


    They talked for a very long time. I realized that the sun was starting to set at some point, and that I needed to get back.


    I was about to take a step off the balcony but realized my legs were trembling, and it would be hard to get down. I tried to sit down on the balcony, but I suppose I made too much movement. I heard the booming voice of Charles.


    "Who''s there?"


    I panicked and tried to slide down the wall. My feet were able to hit a few ledges here and there as I fell down, but it was painful. Reeling back my consciousness that threatened to leave from the pain, I started to run back to Ela''s palace without looking back.


    After running for a while I thought it was enough and sat by the side of the road to let my trembling legs rest.


    As I was still recovering, Ela was walking down the street. She had noticed me.


    "Hello Jay, what are you doing out here?"


    I smiled trying to hide a guilty expression.


    "Nothing, nothing..."


    Ela raised her eyebrow.


    "Are you not exploring the village? Regardless, you should come back to the palace with me, it is getting late."


    I laughed awkwardly.


    "Sorry, my legs are tired right now, I will go soon, don''t worry about me."


    Ela sighed.


    "If you choose to do that you won''t make it by nightfall, come on."


    Ela hoisted me up and after putting my arm over her shoulder and essentially carried me back.


    I never really thought that this was something that Ela would do. It seems I never really thought to look further into her character.


    "Um... thanks Ela."


    Ela nodded.


    "Of course."


    She casually helped me walk my steps, sometimes I would trip and she would pause and wait for me to regain my footing. It seemed like this wasn''t anything big to Ela. I voiced my wonders.


    "Isn''t it burdensome to carry me?"


    Ela kept her expression neutral and did not turn to me.


    "Perhaps, but it would be much more difficult for you to walk, no? If I am willing to put in a small amount of effort, you will not have to put in a great amount. This just makes logical sense."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "Maybe... but you have no obligation to help me right? It''s not like your problem or anything."


    Ela sighed softly.


    "It became my problem when I knew you had a problem."


    ...That seemed like a terrible way to go about things.


    "Why should that be the case? You are only one person after all, you can''t fix everything you can come across."


    Ela did not waver.


    "I may not be able to, but I will try."


    There was silence for a moment.


    "Why?"


    Ela gathered her thoughts.


    "Have you ever seen someone you could have saved but done nothing to try?"


    A sudden splitting headache assaulted me. Clutching my head and furrowing my brows, the suppressed memories flooded back.


    It was when Ned was practicing his firebolt spell in the school''s courtyard. This was my second time seeing him practice. When the eagle was blinded by my earth and water spell.


    On the snow... in pain...


    Reyna''s screams and pleads for help echoed in my mind.


    Then her head, with a dull expression, was sent across the field.


    Ned... who stopped breathing after he was hit.


    By going out to the forest it was not facing my fears. It was running away.


    "Are you alright?"


    On the floor panting, I suddenly awoke to Ela trying to hold me up.


    "Sorry, sorry... remembering some things is all."


    Regaining my bearings, my eyes were naturally led towards the setting sun.

 Chapter 23 - Fire

    The remaining walk back to the palace was quiet. Ela took me to my room and said her farewell.


    Laying on the bed, being tired yet unable to fall asleep was quite uncomfortable. With many thoughts in my head, sleep slowly drifted in.


    ...


    In the morning Mildred called for me and with the others, we went down to the dining room where Ela was waiting.


    Ela did not wait for us to eat, instead, she almost blurted out her request for us to go to magic school.


    After we agreed she did not even bother to stay and eat, rather opting to go somewhere.


    I couldn''t help but look at her as she left so easily. What was she trying to do?


    It was a strange feeling, seeing Reyna again. They talked to each other so easily, it was like they were never gone. While joining in on the conversation, my voice lacked strength.


    There were many hours that were free to use for spell memorization, yet all that time was spent wondering to myself.


    Before I knew it, evening came. My eyes were on the setting sun, looking out from the balcony of my room.


    Like a flash, it was night and the stars shone brightly in the sky.


    Under the moonlight, I cast the ice spell, making my hands covered in frost. Then the earth spell covered my hands in dirt.


    My feet fell on the railing, my hands were gripping onto the wall. My body was dangerously traversing the indentations across the walls.


    There were windows and balconies all over the walls. After taking a peek inside, my eyes would look down the wall and my legs would slowly shift over to new footholds.


    When my foot was placed onto a railing of a balcony, there was a yelp of surprise.


    "Who''s there?"


    My other foot lightly tapped onto the railing.


    "Ah, it''s me Jay"


    Ela was distressed.


    "What are you doing here? How did you get here? And why are you still awake?"


    Ela was sitting at a desk, holding a feather tipped with ink. There were countless papers scattered across her desk and crumpled balls of paper on the floor.


    What was she doing so late at night?


    "Well, why are you still awake? It is the night after all."


    Ela put the feather in an inkwell.


    "I was writing letters to other nobles, I must finish them before morning."


    My feet were firmly planted on the railing as if the floor was lava.


    "Eh? Guess you will have a long sleep in the morning."


    Ela leaned back in her chair.


    "No, I have other duties I must attend to. I do not have the time to sleep in the morning."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "Then when will you sleep?"


    Ela closed her eyes and rubbed her head with her index and middle finger.


    "I suppose whenever I am permitted."


    ...Permitted?


    "Are you not permitted right now? I can''t see anyone trying to stop you..."


    Ela opened her eyes and looked at me.


    "I have duties I must perform. Anyways, you still haven''t answered, why are you here?"


    Hmm...


    "I guess I just want to talk."


    Ela sighed in frustration.


    "In the middle of the night?"


    Oh.


    "I guess this was not the most convenient time or place to have a conversation with someone."


    Ela raised one eyebrow and glared at me.


    "You realized this now?"


    The floor looks really good right now, so I''m just going to stare at it... not embarrassed or anything.


    "I thought about what you said."


    Ela shifted her body towards me.


    "What did I say?"


    There was an awkward silence.


    "Not saving someone even though you could''ve."


    Ela started to tap her desk, annoyed.


    "What about it?"


    A sad smile appeared on my face.


    "There have been times where I have not saved someone even though I could''ve. Many times in fact."


    The ropes bounding my arms. The slaves were crying. The guy that was beaten to death. My eyes were on him the whole time, yet my body did nothing.


    "I always suppressed the thoughts in my head, that I was neglecting people that I could have saved. People that I could have at least tried to save."


    Ela stopped tapping.


    "That is shameful."


    My smile disappeared.


    "Perhaps."


    I gazed towards the stars.


    "But we are all trying to fight for our happiness."


    My thoughts drifted back to Mildred, who had given up her powers to save her sister.


    "We can''t save everybody."


    Ela frowned and clenched her fist.


    "But we can try."


    Shaking my head, sad laughter started to pour out of me.


    "Then how do we save ourselves?"


    I stared into my hand.


    "If we spend our lives trying to save others we will be unable to save ourselves."


    Ela closed her eyes.


    "It will be a worthy sacrifice."


    I clenched my hand.


    "Will it really?"


    Ela furrowed her brows and opened her eyes.


    "Yes. How could it not be?"


    Memories of Mildred came into my mind. How she encouraged me, consoled me, and saved my life.


    "You can help people..."


    My decision to go into the forest came back into my mind. I was running away because I did not want to think about my dead friends.


    I was running but...


    More than anything, the journey to the forest was to change me. To fight the order of the world.


    "Only you can truly help yourself."


    Ela clenched her fists.


    "Then tell me. When my brother was dying, begging me for help, should I have let him die? To not even reach out my hand?"


    My heart started to ache. My thoughts started to wander back to my first death. I didn''t even try to save the slaves.


    I was too scared.


    "I don''t know. I don''t know what you should have done."


    A tear fell from Ela.


    "If I wasn''t so scared my brother would still be here. If I just reached out. If I just..."


    Ela''s voice trailed off. Slowly, my eyelids closed.


    "We make mistakes. We learn from them. Maybe in hindsight, everything seems so easy but..."


    There was a seed of guilt and fear deep in my heart. But I was not some almighty hero.


    "Is it truly so easy? Maybe we think logically that the action itself was not difficult and rather simple. But is that the truth?"


    My body started to shiver, recalling the bitter cold that made living so hard, so painful.


    "It is hard. It is really hard. How can I not be scared? I''m simply a weak person."


    Ela was shaking.


    "So I''m just weak? A failure?"


    My head slowly shook.


    "No. How can it be easy for a weak person to endure feelings of guilt, regret, and sadness? As weak as a person they were, they had to be strong, too strong."


    My memories of the forest rang in my head. There were many times when I almost gave up.


    The small fire always burned for so long and time and time again would be put out.


    I considered foregoing the fire altogether. To let the cold swallow me whole.


    But I didn''t.


    The fire, as many times as it was put out, was lit again, to oppose the entire tundra once more.


    "Who is helped by the feelings of guilt? It isn''t ourselves, nor the people we feel guilty for."


    My eyes met with Ela''s. Tears started to fall from my face.


    "So who are we sacrificing ourselves for?"


    Ela was unable to hold herself together.


    "I... I miss him so much. I want to hold my brother again, just one more time. Brother... I''m so sorry. Brother... Why did you have to go... Why did you leave me?"


    Ela continued to sob and my eyes fell onto the stars.


    I never realized how beautiful they were...


    The night deepened and a faint glow of moonlight shone on my face.


    Ela started to recompose herself. She walked out to the balcony and stood next to me.


    "I never looked up at the stars like this before..."


    A smile formed on my lips.


    "Neither have I... It''s like seeing something new that was always in plain sight."


    I looked at her over my shoulder. Her green eyes glowed faintly in the dark. She had long blonde hair, that would try to catch the wind, longingly reaching to wherever it blew. She always tried to keep a stern face that made her look mature, but right now it felt like I was looking at a child.


    Ela''s eyes became adrift.


    "Every day... I imagine what it would be like if my brother was still with me."


    Ela put her hands onto the railings.


    "Living life as one of the royalty tended to be dull and burdensome. My brother would always play with me in the short amounts of free time we had. He was the only thing that made me feel happy."


    Ela gripped the railing harder.


    "One time, my brother wanted us to play far from home, far from where we were allowed to go. I tried to convince my brother not to go, but he was insistent and I was afraid of him hating me. So we went."


    Ela leaned over the edge like she was having trouble supporting herself.


    "In our mischief, he jumped into a massive lake. I didn''t want to get wet so I stayed outside. My brother was trying to convince me to join him, swimming further in, saying he was going to leave me."


    Ela took in a deep breath.


    "But there was a black fish in the water with large jaws."


    Ela tensed her face.


    "I was so scared, I couldn''t move. I had to watch as he died, begging me to help him."


    Ela smiled sadly.


    "I let myself become a puppet of my guilt. I always tried to help people to convince myself that I was a good person."


    Ela peeked at me.


    "I suppose I have to accept myself for who I am, as ugly and shameful it may be."


    A smile blossomed on my face.


    "I wonder why I can only see you as beautiful."

 Chapter 24 - Cancel

    For whatever reason, I decided to scale back down to my room. Ela couldn''t understand why I didn''t just walk like a person that didn''t have a death wish, but I didn''t really expect her to understand. My understanding wasn''t much better after all.


    Wiping off the excess dirt and frost still on my hands, the only thing on my mind was to go back to sleep.


    ...


    My body woke me up, but I was still groggy and wanted to go back to sleep. Resisting temptation, my body rose as cracks from my back echoed in the room.


    Another day...


    I opened the curtains to feel a blast of cold. It was already snowing.


    Letting the cold batter me, my eyes scanned across the landscape. What was going to happen today?


    After a few moments of thought, I stumbled my way to the bathroom.


    The sensation of being cleaned felt strange. It was almost like the water was trying to peel away my skin. My hands fumbled about with my hair.


    It was soft... not clumpy and dirty.


    There was a knock on the door.


    Hurriedly finishing up my shower, I then went to answer.


    Opening the door, I saw Ela was standing there with her usual stern expression. Ela cleared her throat, holding a fist up to block her mouth.


    "I wish to meet with all of you."


    My eyelids were trying to close, while my mind was trying to will them back up.


    "Oh, ok."


    I stepped out of the door and Ela went to knock on Ned''s door. After some sudden shuffling noises, Ned opened the door, just barely keeping one eye open while using a finger to rub the other.


    "Good morning, is something happening?"


    Ela had her hands clasped in front of her.


    "I wish to have a meeting, may you please attend?"


    Ned nodded hastily, tensing his face to hold back a yawn.


    "Alright, just give me a moment, I will come back out soon."


    Ela then walked over to Alyx''s room. I followed a few steps behind, unable to fully commit to walking forward.


    Ela knocked and there was no response for a while.


    "Shh..."


    Erin''s head popped out from a crack in her door, holding a finger to her mouth.


    Ela turned to Erin and slowly nodded.


    "What is the issue?"


    Erin pushed the door all the way open, letting us come in with a bitter smile. Ela walked in and I came in as well.


    The room was dark, but it was not hard to notice Alyx in the bed with her eyes closed and red face. Her brows were furrowed like she was in pain and her arm hung by the side of the bed.


    Ela sighed. She kneeled by the bed and gently put one hand on Alyx''s hand while the other hand supported from underneath.


    "Oh dear, this is terrible."


    Alyx''s eyelids trembled, opening just enough for her to see.


    "Ela... don''t worry... I will be fine..."


    Alyx made a trembling smile, yet as a testament to how much pain she was in, could only grimace right after. Ela laid Alyx''s hand down.


    "Rest well."


    As Ela started to leave, I wondered about the feasibility of the healing spell. Would the side effects be too much?


    ...I remember the burden was worse than Alyx''s spell.


    "Wait, maybe I can try something."


    I crossed my legs and sat down next to Alyx''s bed my eyelids gave in to closing.


    There were small gusts of wind picked up from around me. As I slowly started to form the healing spell, I already could feel my body straining.


    My organs were being squeezed. My bones wailed and cracked. My skin started to squirm.


    After preparing the healing spell I awoke from my trance to see Ela shaking me with both her hands on my shoulders.


    "Dear heavens, what are you doing to yourself?"


    My breaths were staggered and my heart was violently pounding.


    "I''m ok, I''m fine."


    Ela''s expression softened as a small frown appeared on her face.


    "Don''t do that again..."


    I shook my head.


    "I am a constitution mage, this is only natural."


    Ela grit her teeth and started to shake me again.


    "No, this is not natural. Constitution mages slowly build up their spells, not recklessly destroy their foundation."


    Erin worriedly glanced over.


    "That looked... really painful."


    My headache worsened as Ela continued to shake me, so I pushed off her hands.


    "I''ve been through worse. Regardless, after my body recuperates for a bit, I should be able to heal Alyx."


    The fingers on my left hand gripped tightly onto my head, trying to dig into my skull. Alyx''s hand brushed onto my shoulder.


    "Don''t... worry about me..."


    A smirk plastered my face.


    "I was planning on doing something like this anyway. Casting a spell like this is basically all the exercise I need to do for today, this way it is helpful for both of us."


    In the corner of my eye, Erin and Ela were frowning. It seemed they didn''t believe me. I leaned back onto the bedpost.


    "You may think I am overdoing it. But in reality, I may not be harsh enough on myself."


    Ela only frowned further.


    "...What spell could you have cast to cause your condition to become like this?"


    Uh...


    "...I don''t know."


    Ela couldn''t help but rub her forehead with her index and middle finger.


    "Good grief... don''t overdo it."


    I laid my head back onto the bedpost.


    "I will try my best not to."


    The room was silent, other than Alyx''s heavy and pained breathing.


    When some of the pain waned, my legs forced me up and I got prepared to cast the spell.


    "Hey, if I fall, can you catch me?"


    Ela furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes.


    "Why are you- Stop!"


    The spell connected, forming the shape of a rose. The spell drifted toward Alyx, while a storm was coming for me.


    My entire body started to violently tremble, my vision was blurry, and I fell to my knees.


    As I started to fall back, Ela caught me. She gingerly pulled out my legs and laid me down. Ela was holding a hand under my head, though I could hardly tell amidst my spasms.


    The convulsions slowed and I took a deep breath. I tried to sit up but abruptly fell again.


    Ela caught my head before it slammed into the ground.


    "Are you alright?"


    I rapidly blinked, my breathing calmed down.


    "Yeah, I think I''m just going to lay down here for a bit."


    Ela rubbed her forehead with two fingers.


    "How... Did you find this spell? I have never seen anything like it before."


    My brain rapidly churned, trying to find some lie but...


    "I... don''t want to talk about it."


    Ela''s lips trembled but she did not say anything. Alyx was already up and she appeared as if she was never sick in the first place.


    "Thank you for healing me."


    I raised my hand listlessly and waved it off.


    "It''s whatever, this is nothing monumental being a constitution mage."


    Ned seemed to notice the commotion as he peeked inside.


    "Hello? Is something happening?"


    Ela stood up and turned to Ned.


    "Apologies but Jay needs some time to recover, then we can have the meeting."


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh, can''t we just do the meeting here then? I mean everyone is here."


    Ela''s eyelid started to twitch.


    "This is too inappropriate we should-"


    Ela cut herself off.


    "I suppose we must see if Alyx and Erin are ok with it."


    Ela looked at Alyx and Erin. Alyx shrugged.


    "It''s fine with me."


    Erin jumped up and down.


    "If it is important we should start now!"


    Ela smiled while a corner of her lips was starting to spasm.


    "Well... there is some bad news."


    Ela''s smile slowly became a frown.


    "On our planet Alora, we experience ten years of winter and ten years of summer. The celebration was supposed to end before winter started, however, it seems winter has come one year early."


    Ned and Alyx''s expression became solemn, while Erin sat down and leaned in. Ela clenched her fist.


    "Even worse... the Demon King was killed and there is no longer anyone who will reign back the demons."


    Ned took a step back.


    "Wait... the Demon King is dead?"


    Ela rubbed her forehead with two fingers.


    "Yes, although I made a promise that I would take care of all accommodations and that this world is at peace, this is not the case."


    Ned narrowed his eyes.


    "What do you think we should do?"


    Ela released her clenched fist.


    "I will cancel your arrangements for magic school and teach you personally. This is a rather bold request, but I hope that if it is within your power, you help protect this place."


    My mouth was agape.


    "Wait really? What will you teach us?"


    Ela seemed to move her gaze away from me. Ned casually leaned back onto a wall in a room.


    "Ah, of course. After all, if we don''t protect this place then who will?"


    Alyx started to rub her thumb against the side of her index finger.


    "...I suppose there is no helping it."


    Erin just looked around curiously, as if oblivious to the whole situation. Ela cleared her throat.


    "Thank you for your understanding. In terms of what I will be teaching you, it will start with the essentials of efficient mana gathering and fluid casting."


    Ela glanced at me.


    "We will start after a meal and when you have recovered Jay."


    Although the condition of my body was far from pristine, there had been worse damage it held up with before.


    "I guess I''m probably good enough to go."


    Pushing down the ground with my hands, I slowly shifted my weight onto my legs. Ela held onto my arm and helped me up.


    "You should really take better care of yourself."


    I smirked.


    "You might be right."


    Ned gasped and his mouth made a small circle. He whipped his body to face Ela.


    "Could I cook our meal?"


    Ela opened her mouth, ready to say something, then closed her mouth. After doing this a few times she shook her head.


    "Do as you please."


    Ned grinned and was already running off to the kitchen. Erin ran after Ned with her arms out, while Alyx seeing Erin run decided to run after as well.


    Ela put my arm on her shoulder. She flashed a smile.


    "Let us go now."


    I smiled as much as my weakened state let me.


    "Alright."

 Chapter 25 - Stand

    Ela helped me get to the dining room. She waited very patiently, even as I struggled to get down the stairs, one shaky step after the other.


    When we eventually reached the empty dining room, I sat down on one of the chairs, sighing in relief.


    "Say, why did you decide to teach us all of a sudden?"


    Ela sat down in a chair and brushed back her hair.


    "I am the best magician among the people who are willing to teach you."


    I leaned back into the chair.


    "And why do we need to have the best?"


    Ela''s mouth twitched.


    "...I have put the majority of my hopes on all of you. Perhaps, you all will be the heroes of our time."


    ...Will that be possible?


    "Maybe..."


    Ned, Erin, and Alyx came carrying our meals. The time we spent eating was not long and Ela took us to the room that had the entrance to the palace. We were able to see the snow that raged across the lands. Whenever snow would have entered the palace, it would instead disappear, leaving the entranceway with little snow.


    Ela had us sit in the chairs around the long table. I had recovered enough to walk on my own, and looked at Ela as I took a seat. Ela clasped her hands when everyone was looking at her, she spoke.


    "I will first tell you about gathering mana. When you attempt to gather mana, we are disturbing the natural state of the world. Mana is hard to sense, especially mana that is not directly touching your body. However, if you practice sensing enough, you will learn to see this mana."


    Ela reached out her hand like she was holding something. There were gusts of winds that were stirred up and above her palm, a condensed ball of mana started to form.


    "When condensed mana is easy to recognize, however, it is more important to be able to sense mana in its natural state. Once you are able to sense this mana, only then can you more efficiently pull in mana, instead of fighting the mana''s pull, you will guide it towards you. Once you reach that stage, you can naturally learn what that means from there."


    The rest of us were lost in thought. The ball of mana in Ela''s hand dispersed.


    "The next thing is casting spells. To cast spells we observe diagrams and attempt to replicate these diagrams by melding mana into the proper shape. Many people get trapped in the thinking that they must recreate the spell by slowly shaping it into the diagram."


    Ela started to cast the basic fire spell slowly, then she just stopped altogether.


    "This method is inherently flawed. Once spells become more complicated you will be unable to fully cast them before the mana you initially melded starts to dissipate. Instead, you must imagine the opposite of what the diagram displays. By preparing your shaping, you are only limited by how fast you can gather and compress mana."


    That... is what Ned did. Although the spell dissipating did not apply to me since I could hold it, I also intuitively copied how Ned cast by observing him.


    Ned was nodding to himself as if he understood something. Alyx was paying attention very closely, not wanting to miss a word. Erin simply scratched her head and scrunched up her face.


    Ela did not speak for some time, she wanted to give us time to digest what she said, I assume.


    "Now I will teach you how to use spells, you have my permission to use any spells I teach you."


    From then on while Alyx was studying her book, the rest of us listened to Ela explaining how to cast spells and intuitive tricks that supported the casting process.


    Ned wished to learn the firebolt spell and was able to quickly learn it. I listened carefully and was able to memorize the firebolt spell as well. I asked Ela to teach us the elementary spell of ice. She explained the use of the spell, which was to encase an object in ice. It seemed the spell was made to preserve food.


    A shrill screech interrupted our session. We looked out the palace entrance to see an eagle attacking the villagers.


    Ela was quick to stand up, sending the chair she was on flying across the room. Scales emerged on her skin and her fingers started to quiver and contract. Her nails became deep black and elongated. Wings suddenly emerged from her back, pushing aside some fabric in the suit. It seemed the suit had a built-in feature.


    While the rest of us were still at a loss, Ela flew straight at the eagle.


    "Stay in the palace!"


    Although she said that, I got up and walked towards the palace entrance, preparing Alyx''s spell. After all, there was going to be far more than one.


    There was an old man who had both hands on his cane, desperately trying to get away from the eagle, pushing down hard on the cane. The eagle dived, but before it could hit him Ela smacked the eagle to the side.


    Her attacks had substantial force behind them, able to nullify most of the eagle''s momentum and send it crashing into a building. There was a high-pitched scream that came from inside the building. A little boy''s mangled body fell among the bricks that scattered across.


    A tear dropped from Ela''s face while she had grit her teeth as hard as she could.


    But her eyes did not lose their conviction.


    The eagle was in a daze as surprisingly large gash marks spread across its body. Despite bleeding profusely, it did not seem concerned. Shaking its head, it looked at Ela and dove at her.


    Ela did not flinch. When the eagle was about to hit her, she slammed her claw on the eagle''s head. The eagle plummeted to the ground making cracks in the cobblestone path, it did not move.


    Right, when Ela wanted to relax, there was a shrill shriek in the sky... then another one... then one more. Ela whipped her head back to see eagles had started to fill the sky.


    I stepped out of the palace, being blasted by the cold. But this wasn''t anything new to me.


    "Ned!"


    To my call, Ned got out of his seat and rushed over to me. Alyx was fidgeting.


    "Wait!... Ela said to stay in the palace!"


    Ned did not even pause.


    "It''s too late for that now!"


    Alyx curled up in her seat while Erin started walking towards the door. Alyx reached out to her.


    "Wait, why are you going?"


    Erin''s footfalls were light but stable.


    "I... have to try."


    Alyx, though unwillingly came up with us.


    When Ned stood beside me, I looked right into his eyes.


    "I have a way to make the eagles weaker, when you see them shrink you firebolt them and they should die."


    Ned did not question how I knew such a spell or the feasibility of the plan. He just nodded.


    "Got it."


    As confident I sounded, I was in truth terribly nervous. I remembered the fresh hell I experienced trying to cast the healing spell earlier, yet here I was about to cast another one.


    Worse, assuming it somehow works out, what was taking down one eagle really going to accomplish with so many hanging in the sky?


    But I still wanted to try. I wanted to prove to myself I could do something.


    I decided to do something ambitious. I prepared the healing spell again. I pretended that there were no concerning creaking sounds that came from my body. I would need time to prepare this spell.


    Ned was already drawing in mana sending snow scattering in all directions, and an eagle was about to attack.


    There was no time...


    I felt my skin tear apart and an unrestrained wind whip around me. I could feel my consciousness wavering.


    I cast both Alyx''s spell at the diving eagle and the healing spell at the same time. My consciousness completely blacked out.


    I woke up on the floor, feeling the tears in my skin seal up.


    I got up and the tears in my skin that just disappeared materialized once again. I saw a shrunken eagle that had its head blown off. Ned was a good shot.


    There were so many eagles, Ela was desperately trying to fight off as many as she could. Though she was holding up fine, for now, she was starting to get surrounded by more and more eagles.


    Trusting that Ned would follow up, I cast both Alyx''s spell and the healing spell. I blacked out again.


    My vision was blurry when I woke up on the floor. Before the tears in my skin mended they tore open once again. I once again cast both spells. I blacked out.


    This time I was able to wake before I hit the ground and I caught myself before I fell down. My skin that only started to heal, started to bleed once again.


    My eyes were bloodshot, I was screaming, but it kept getting interrupted by the blood I was coughing up. At some point I just kept casting the spells, my vision getting more and more blurry.


    The cycle of pain and gentle healing continued.


    It was like an addiction. My mind was eagerly anticipating the feeling of gentle healing, as little reprieve it was in the horrid pain. My vision got more blurry.


    It was beginning to get hard to think.


    I was barely able to make out Ela fighting with eagles all around her. As she blew the head off one eagle, another dived her from behind and pierced her neck. She fell down, trying to use her hand to stop the bleeding. The eagles seemed satisfied and searched for a new target.


    Without thinking of the consequences I cast the healing spell on Ela.


    Like an addict experiencing withdrawal, I started to uncontrollably spasm. I fell into a pool of my own blood that formed on the floor.


    The eagles had turned towards us. It seemed to realize we were picking them off one by one. All the eagles started to charge at us.


    Ned''s clothes were completely drenched in sweat. His brows were furrowed as hard as they could have been and his eyes were bloodshot just like mine.


    A drop of sweat fell down from his face. Even though so many eagles were coming at him, he still cast a firebolt, but it only caused minor damage to an eagle''s face.


    Ned anxiously gathered more mana even though he wouldn''t be able to cast in time, and even when the spell wouldn''t be enough.


    I despaired. Was I going to have to try again?


    I saw the time I spent with Ela flash by my eyes. When she helped me up from the street and carried me back.


    It was then a chill came over so cold that it reminded me of my days in the forest.


    Erin had both her hands out. In front of her was a massive cone of ice that had captured countless eagles, freezing them in place.


    ...She used the elementary ice spell.


    "I... I did it!"


    Before we could take a sigh of relief, a shrill shriek cried out. One eagle only had part of its wing trapped in the ice.


    Ned hurriedly started to cast, but there was an intense frown on his face. He seemed to realize my condition would not let me cast a spell.


    I slowly turned to Alyx and barely articulated my words.


    "That spell... is the spell I was using... cast it..."


    Alyx thankfully understood, but she shook her head violently.


    "I... I don''t know how to cast it, I can''t gather the mana properly!"


    I desperately fought my eyelids, forcing them to stay open.


    "Have you ever... given up on yourself?"


    The eagle broke out of the ice entrapment and flew up to prepare for a dive. Alyx was still. She stood there quietly, as a forlorn aura leaked out of her.


    Alyx''s hair started to whip in the wind and she pointed towards the eagle.


    There was no visible mana forming at her fingertips, but she did not seem bothered.


    The eagle dived.


    Alyx cast her spell. The eagle immediately started to shrink and had a dazed look in its eyes. As it barreled towards Alyx, Ned cast his firebolt spell and threw it off course.


    The headless eagle hit the floor with a loud thump and slid a few meters forward.


    It was finally over.

 Chapter 26 - Grasp

    Although we had saved countless lives, there were still some villagers that died. It made me wonder how many died before...


    As for me, I blacked out missing the aftermath of the whole situation. The muscles in my body felt dull and were aching. The soft blanket was keeping me warm.


    I opened my eyes to find myself in my room. Attempting to sit up, I only strained my muscles further.


    I was paralyzed.


    Accepting reality, my eyelids dropped. I wondered how long it would take for my body to recover?


    ...What if I cast the healing spell?


    Though tempted, the thought was cast out of my mind, knowing that there was no real reason to take that risk.


    My thoughts began to wander.


    Is there some excuse I can come up with to explain my unknown knowledge? It was going to be hard to explain why I knew Alyx''s spell...


    Whatever... I can worry about it when it comes to it.


    It was pretty lonely. At least in the forest, I had something to distract myself, but laying here I was completely at the mercy of my own thoughts.


    Was this how every day was going to be?


    Fighting to our very limits?


    It sounded quite stressful.


    My ears caught the sound of the door opening. I attempted to turn my head, after which I quickly stopped myself, wincing from the pain. I strained my eyes, looking at who was coming in.


    It was Ela, she was in a new set of clothes, as the events that transpired never happened. Ela looked back at me.


    "...You''re awake."


    A slow and deep breath filled my lungs.


    "Yeah..."


    It was surprisingly painful to talk. Ela brushed aside the hair over my eyes.


    "Are you ok?"


    I was getting light-headed.


    "Yes..."


    Ela walked to a wall and faced it.


    "So many people died..."


    My eyelids quivered, barely giving me some vision.


    "At least... We saved who... We could..."


    Ela brought over a chair and sat at my bedside. Her eyes were fixed on the floor.


    "Yes, we did what we could."


    There was silence, I looked at her, through the crack in my eyelids. My eyes got strained.


    "Say... You are a dragon?"


    Ela smiled softly.


    "I have the Emerald Dragon bloodline. If I am willing to give up nearly all of my stamina, I can transfigure into a partial Emerald Dragon state."


    I laughed weakly.


    "That is like... pretty cool..."


    Ela laid a hand on the bedsheet.


    "The state gives me much greater body strength, a layer of armor from scales, and flying capabilities. The only downside is that I can no longer maintain spells, my will becomes too violent and disperses the mana."


    My eyes drifted to the ceiling.


    She can just transform for a stronger body?


    "Hmm... What if... You cast like... A Constitution Mage?"


    Ela tilted her head to the side.


    "I suppose that is possible..."


    For a while, the only thing that could be heard was my heavy breathing. Ela was hunched over in the chair, looking at me.


    "Why did you cast the healing spell on me? I... I would have been fine. You nearly broke everything in your body you know?"


    With a weak chuckle, a small smile was manifested on my face.


    "I... don''t know..."


    Ela raised her body a tad.


    "How could you possibly not know? Did you not even let yourself ponder about any repercussions that came with trying to save me?"


    My eyelids gently fell.


    "I guess... I was just... doing what I wanted to..."


    I felt something wet fall on my face. Ela grasped my hand.


    "Why?"


    Shaking off the fatigue, I maintained my consciousness.


    "...Why?"


    Ela began to grip my hand harder.


    "Why are you able to so easily discard your fear of life and... help others?"


    I couldn''t help but laugh. It was painful, but my laughter still filled the room.


    "I am not able to do that."


    Ela stopped clutching my hand so firmly.


    "But..."


    My head ever so slightly shook from side to side.


    "I was always scared... Even now...."


    My hand faintly wrapped around Ela''s. Reyna''s death and Ned''s lack of breathing had scarred me.


    Even now, I didn''t want to think about it. To forget about it completely. Yet...


    "I guess... I learned something... When I lost..."


    My head fell to the side, facing Ela.


    "It was... to dare... to hold... the things that make me happy..."


    Ela pressed her lips against each other.


    "What?..."


    My throat was getting dry.


    "I... thought if I just... never saw anyone... that I wouldn''t have to feel the pain... of separating from my friends..."


    My body could feel the chill of the snow. My heavy feet persistently traversed the snow. Trying to find something.


    "Yet... losing something... doesn''t hurt nearly as much... as never having it at all..."


    It was lonely...


    So lonely...


    "That is why... even if it scars my hand... or breaks my mind... I will still grasp it."


    My eyelids opened a little.


    "That is why... I cast the healing spell on you... not because... I was brave... or wanted to be a hero... I just... didn''t want to see you die."


    Ela gingerly held my hand with both of hers.


    Unable to fight it any longer, my body went to sleep again.


    ...


    Awakening, I felt much better, and other than feeling stiff. I cracked my neck, noticing one of my hands was uncomfortably warm.


    Looking over to my side, I saw Ela. She was still on her chair, her eyes were closed and slightly hunched over. Her breaths were soft and her hands softly held mine.


    My hand escaped from Ela''s grasp. I sat up, surprised that I felt so recovered. How long was I asleep?


    I could feel my stomach constricting painfully. As I sat up, Ela''s eyes flickered open. There were some noticeable sweat stains on her suit.


    "Are you feeling better?"


    I laid the bedsheet aside.


    "Yeah, I''m really hungry though."


    Ela nodded.


    "Of course. Ned and the others prepared some food for you, I can heat it up for you."


    "Thanks."


    As I got off the bed, Ela took my arm and put it over her shoulder. Although it wasn''t exactly easy to walk by myself, the extra help was unnecessary.


    "I''m ok, I think I can walk on my own."


    Ela stared at the door and did not let me go.


    "This is not the first time I have done this for you, it is a small matter."


    With that, Ela led the way to the dining room.


    On the way, we passed by the palace entrance. I looked out to see the faint glow of moonlight on the dark streets. It seemed I had woken Ela from the middle of the night.


    Upon reaching the dining room, she set me down on a seat. Ela walked briskly out of the room.


    "Stay here."


    I nodded.


    "Alright."


    There was only me in the dining room at the dead of night. My mind unconsciously thought about Mildred, who I haven''t seen for a while. Although she had helped me so much and so much of my time was spent with her, I was more or less a stranger to her.


    Was it going to be like this with Ela? She would no longer remember me while I am the only one that still carries our memories.


    Did any of the time that I spent with them matter?


    Maybe...


    "Jay?"


    Ela came back with a plate in her hand. There was a meal that emanated some steam. My dreamy state was interrupted.


    I blinked a few times.


    "Oh, hi Ela."


    Ela was looking at me intently.


    "Did something happen?"


    Unknowingly, there was a frown on my face and I was hunched over the table. Sitting up, my face quickly made a smile.


    "Nothing, just... thinking about some stuff."


    Ela''s lips parted like she wanted to say something, but she closed them soon after.


    There was a long silence. Ela brushed her hair back.


    "Here is your meal, please eat it."


    Ela gently placed the plate on the table and gave me a fork to eat it with. My eyes would not leave the food on the table.


    "Thank you..."


    Wanting to keep a decent image, my fork was restrained, eating slowly. Ela rested her head on her hand while her elbow was on the table. She was just looking at me.


    Gradually I could not help myself, the hunger was forcing my hand. Soon there was nothing left and my face was a little messy.


    Ela was still looking at me, her expression did not change despite my embarrassing display.


    "Would you like some more?"


    Trying my best to hide any embarrassment, I shook my head while avoiding eye contact.


    "No, no I feel much better now."


    Ela was still looking at me which made me uncomfortable. She did not seem to notice my embarrassment.


    "My brother... was quite the unrestrained one. He never bothered to attempt proper etiquette. It would not be difficult to see him running around the halls. Whenever he found someone, he would make a ridiculous face and then run off."


    A smile started to form on Ela''s face.


    "My father always tried to discipline my brother, but just when my father thought my brother had been pacified, he acted up again. He was stubborn and refused to change his character. I''ve wondered why he was like that for a long period of time. Why did my brother feel the need to run around making faces all day?"


    Ela looked off in the distance.


    "Recently, I came to a realization. It was my brother''s way of cheering everyone up. He was doing his best to make everyone happier in his own way."


    ...He sounded like a free spirit.


    What would he have been like when he grew older, had he not died? Surely he would change, but I could only wonder how stubborn he was.


    "He sounds nice."


    Ela grasped my hand and interlocked our fingers. A tear fell from her face.


    "He was..."


    We looked off into the distance as if there would be something at the end of the tunnel.


    Maybe Ela would forget everything the next time I died. Maybe she would disdain me when I looked at her. Maybe she wouldn''t even acknowledge my existence.


    But for now.... I decided I would grasp this, even if it would hurt once the sun came up once again.

 Chapter 27 - Slave

    Waking up, I could already tell it was late in the day. Despite that, my body was resistant to my command to move.


    Knowing that sleeping would be very irresponsible, my will superseded temptation, getting me out of the bed.


    As I freshened up in the bathroom, my rational side was complaining that my body did not get its deserved rest, while my emotional side wanted me to stay with Ela even longer.


    Soon my hand was pushing aside the door to my room. Taking the time to stretch in the hallway, Ned''s door opened as well.


    Ned came out slouched, having difficulty opening his eyes, and immediately yawned as he left his room.


    Finishing my stretch, I smiled at Ned.


    "Looks like you slept pretty horribly like me."


    Ned used his knuckle to rub his temple and furrowed his brows.


    "Casting so many spells yesterday gave me a splitting headache that refuses to just go away."


    Thinking back, Ned really did cast firebolt an egregious amount of times.


    "Haha, how many times did you cast firebolt?"


    Ned smiled bitterly with his hand on the back of his head.


    "Too many times. Anyways, how are you holding up? Honestly, when I first started you casting I thought you were going to die or something. It makes me feel like what I did was child''s play."


    I waved away an imaginary fly.


    "Everything still hurts a bit, but way better than I imagined I would feel like. If I had some talent my spellcasting process wouldn''t be so dramatic."


    Ned laughed while leaning back.


    "Still, I don''t think I would be able to endure whatever you were experiencing. I still get chills down my spine thinking about it."


    I made my way towards the stairs.


    "It was not nearly as bad as you might think, I was also casting a healing spell which greatly reduced the pain."


    Forcing a laugh out of my mouth, my lips stiffened trying their best to not look guilty. As casual as the words that came out of my mouth, I had some lingering fear remembering the experience.


    Ned let out a sigh of relief and trailed after me down the stairs.


    "Ah, that is nice at least. Though it seems I need to work on my mental power or... willpower? I don''t know, something like that. The aftereffects really are too much for me."


    Keeping one hand on his temple, Ned glanced at me.


    "Say where do you learn the healing spell and... whatever that other spell was?"


    Right when I was about to relax, my anxiety shot through the roof.


    "Uh... I had taken a glance at Alyx''s book and in the heat of the moment, I learned how to cast it. I watched someone do the healing spell and I was able to learn it."


    Ned''s eyes widened and stopped rubbing his knuckle on his temple.


    "Eh? You actually learned a spell just like that? That is pretty cool."


    Ned''s foot froze midair as he was about to put it down the next step.


    "Who did you learn it from? Could you teach me?"


    Holding my fist in front of my face, I coughed, hoping to hide my expression as much as I could.


    "I... don''t know who I learned it from. I could teach you, but I am unable to shape the spell outside of my body, so it may take a while."


    Ned continued walking down the steps.


    "Ah, alright, just forget it then."


    Ned went off to cook while my lack of motivation told me to go to the dining room.


    Rubbing my forehead as I walked into the dining room, my eyes immediately met with Ela''s.


    "Oh, you''re already here?"


    Wait, she stayed up later than me, how is she not tired? Ela hid her expression behind her fist and coughed.


    "Yes, Alyx and Erin insisted they would prepare our meal so I am waiting here."


    Although I couldn''t see her expression, thinking of what I just did, my mind started to come up with possibilities of what she was hiding.


    "Ah yeah..."


    I took a seat that was close to the entrance. Ela kept her usual stern expression on her face, seemingly unwilling to talk.


    My thoughts drifted, making worries fill my mind.


    "Ela... will people have enough food?"


    Ela rubbed two fingers on her forehead.


    "Although the last five years in the winter will be problematic, there shouldn''t be a problem for now. I am sure I will come up with a solution before then.


    My breaths calmed from a panic I was unknowingly experiencing.


    "That is good..."


    Ned, Erin, and Alyx came with some food prepared. We ate it quickly, moved to the palace entrance and Ela taught us spells once again.


    I suggested we learn some more basic spells since Ned, Erin, and could use any traditional element as well as any other element. Especially for Erin, I imagined it would be useful.


    After teaching us the basic thunder and wind spell, then went to help Alyx in her spells.


    In the meantime, the rest of us simply pondered the spells, memorizing and refreshing our memories of old ones. Ned was not in the best condition to cast spells, neither was I. As for Erin, she was fine. She didn''t case her spells since she knew her spells may be a bit too strong to cast casually.


    "Eh? Look over there!"


    Erin suddenly jumped out of her seat, pointing towards the palace entrance. The rest of us stopped what we were doing and followed Erin''s finger.


    There was a little girl running towards the palace entrance, she was in ragged clothes and had many lash marks across her skin.


    "Someone... help me..."


    Those words made me dizzy and forced me to vividly recall the screams of the slaves. Gritting my teeth, I shook off the memories in my mind. Ela was the fastest of us to react and was briskly walking to the palace entrance.


    The girl ended up tripping before she got close to the palace, falling face first in the snow. There was a young man that came into view, he was running towards the girl, with a whip in hand. He was similarly in ragged clothes and had a few small scars across his arms.


    "Hahaha, I told you girl! There is no point in running."


    The man''s eyes bulged from their sockets and had an unnaturally wide grin on his face. He held his whip high in the sky and viscously swung it down. The girl started to weep.


    There was a loud smack.


    Ela''s eyes were bloodshot, scales covered her body, wings grew from her back, and she possessed claws. She was holding onto the whip that was about to hit the girl.


    The man fell back and used his hands and feet to start crawling backward. It seemed he didn''t realize how far he had run out.


    "Wait! There is no need to get all worked up over her. She is just a lowly slave!"


    The man pointed towards the girl resolutely with a shaking finger, as if he was confident this excuse would work.


    Squeezing sounds came from the whip Ela held.


    "Be quiet."


    The man shut his mouth and swallowed. Ela turned to the little girl and helped her stand up.


    "What has happened dear? It''s ok, you can tell me."


    Ela gently brushed the girl''s hair, it didn''t seem to bother her that it was covered in filth and grime.


    The girl hugged herself and started to sniffle.


    "They... they took me from mama and papa. Papa tried to save me... they... they... killed papa!"


    The girl started to cry profusely. The man clenched his jaw and pointed accusingly to the girl.


    "Damn you, you''re just a slave, how can-"


    "BE QUIET."


    Ela''s fist was shaking.


    "Little girl, do you know where your mother is?"


    The girl nodded indecisively. Ela looked at the man.


    "You are coming with us."


    The man tried to form words but none would come out. Ela stood back up. loop


    "Little girl, please take us to your home."


    The little girl nodded and started to shuffle towards her home, looking behind her back occasionally. The rest of us followed. The man was following us with shifty steps. I got close to Ela and whispered to her.


    "Why are we bringing him along?"


    Ela hardly moved her lips.


    "His purpose is to guide us to his association."


    Nodding, my steps slowed, pulling away from Ela.


    It took the girl a little bit of backtracking here and there, but it did not take long for her to find her house.


    The girl quickly fell down, curled into a ball, and started to rock back and forth.


    "No... No..."


    The house was one story high. The roof was gone and other than part of one wall, the rest was torn down. There was a thin layer of snow over broken furniture.


    Ela frowned and rubbed her forehead with two fingers


    "...Could you all take her back to the palace and take care of her? I have further arrangements with this fellow."


    Ned nodded while Alyx and Erin did not show any opposition, as for me...


    "Could I come with you? I''m sure Mildred could help take care of her in my place."


    Speaking of... where was Mildred? Ela shook her head.


    "Mildred is taking care of an issue. If you wish to come with me... I suppose I can allow it."


    While nodding my head, my lips were firmly shut so I didn''t let out a sigh of relief.


    With that, Ela picked up the man with one of her claws, pulling him up by the shirt, and Ned, Erin, and Alyx parted ways while guiding the child back to the palace. The man started sweating, even with how cold it was.


    "Wh- What do you want from me?"


    I was surprised the person''s clothes hadn''t torn from Ela''s claws. Ela herself had a small frown.


    "Take us to your association, and there will be no need for your limbs to go missing."


    The man shook his head and pointed in a direction.


    I guess we were going to the base of the slave traders.

 Chapter 28 - Savage

    Ela was dragging the man rather forcefully in the direction he was pointing, while I trailed behind. Ela was gritting her teeth.


    "Since when did a lowly slave trader become so bold as to take people right from the house?"


    The man was trembling.


    "Wh-What? All the slave traders are doing that, not just us!"


    Wait, what?


    Ela''s frown deepened.


    "These people believe they can do whatever they wish simply because we are preoccupied with different issues?"


    The man put out his palms in front of him as if to defend himself.


    "N-No! They were going to die anyway! There isn''t enough food for them, if we can capture them and fill our own stomachs, we are only saving people."


    Ela raised the claw that was not holding the man and was tightly clenching her jaw. The man started shaking and closed his eyes. I hastily put my hand on Ela''s shoulder.


    "We still need him to find the base."


    Ela slowly lowered her claw and took a few deep breaths. The man was doing the same thing as he slowly opened his eyes, though also shaking. Ela looked the man dead in the eyes.


    "Bring me to your association."


    The man hurriedly nodded and pointed in a direction.


    It was cold as we walked, but I didn''t cast the fire spell and simply followed behind Ela.


    The man pointed towards a rather large house and let out a sigh of relief.


    "That is the house, can I go now?"


    Ela froze. She slowly turned her head to me.


    "How should we deal with him?"


    ...How was I supposed to know?


    My eyes traced the scars on his body. The man himself was very skinny, though not enough to see clear marks of his bone.


    What if he decides to capture more people as slaves?


    Then releasing him would be a bad idea.


    But...


    "I guess release him if he agrees to not do slave trade anymore... if he doesn''t stop then..."


    A vision of the slave traders slowly beating a boy to death appeared.


    "Kill him."


    My brows were furrowed and there was a frown etched on my face. Ela nodded and let him go like she was putting away trash.


    The man ran away hurriedly, turning his head to look at us, before running away faster.


    Ela let out a deep breath.


    "You are going to have to hold me back from charging in there."


    Forcing a laugh, I put my hand on her shoulder.


    "Well, we have to do this properly right?"


    Ela''s breathing calmed.


    "You are correct, what is the approach you believe is best?"


    ...I didn''t think that far.


    Thinking of the man that was so desperate to run, I imagined the people behind this would try their best to escape. They may try again if there wasn''t any explicit warning.


    "We don''t want any of them escaping right? I think a plan that cuts off their exits would be good."


    Ela rubbed her forehead with two fingers.


    "Yes... how should we deal with the ones we find?"


    ...Why can''t you come up with this part?


    "I think we can find some way to restrain them to deal with later and if they try to run... we might as well kill them."


    My fist clenched. Ela looked towards the house and sighed.


    "Then let us make a plan."


    ...


    Despite my attempts at asking for suggestions from Ela many times, she sent the question right back to me. In the end, this was a plan mostly by me.


    My foot was at the door, fist ready to knock.


    So how was I in this position despite making the plan?


    The answer to that was my lack of conviction in being shameless. Upon laying out the plan, Ela would ask me who would be in charge of what. In the end, unable to thicken my skin, I took the position of bait.


    Knocking on the door, sweat would have fallen from the head if it wasn''t so cold. My body was wincing in pain, complaining that I stuffed so many firebolts and elementary ice spells, ''Encase''. There was Alyx''s spell and a healing spell too.


    A man opened the door just a crack, so he could see outside. He had black hair with some white hair mixed in, and a beard.


    "What?"


    Smiling, my hand scratched the back of my head. It was a little more painful since my nails dug in a bit too much into my scalp.


    "Sorry, I really need a place to stay. Do you have any spare rooms? I cannot pay now, but I will make sure to get it to you quickly."


    The man stared at me for a while. Eventually, he opened the door. I was able to see he had many wrinkles on his body and a frown that seemed to be carved in his face. He turned around but never looked away from me.


    "This way."


    My feet fell on the squeaky boards and walked up to his back. He kept his eyes on me and did not go forward.


    "Go on ahead."


    I raised my eyebrow.


    "I don''t know where the rooms are..."


    The man froze.


    "Ah... just walk ahead of me, I will tell you where to go."


    This was going to be inconvenient...


    But now wasn''t the time to stir up conflict.


    "...Ok."


    From squeaky floorboards to missing floorboards the man told me the way to walk through the rooms. The smell was unpleasant, though I expected that.


    The man was always standing right behind me, so it would be hard to see him. We reached a tarp. The man stopped walking.


    "Stop here, open the tarp and choose one of the empty rooms."


    Upon turning around, my actions seemed to startle the man, he took a few steps back. I maintained a shaky smile.


    "Thank you, I would like to give you a gift, please hold both of your hands out for it."


    The man slowly walked forward but did not put his hands out.


    "There is no need."


    I dismissively waved my hands as I was trying to calm my shaking legs.


    "Haha there is no need to stand on ceremony, I am the one that is staying in your room after all."


    The man''s eye twitched, but he still slowly reached out both his hands. My hand was clutched and slowly went to his outreached hands.


    Suddenly, ice cased both of his hands and nearly got on his elbow. I thought of this method of restraint when the eagle got its wing trapped in ice.


    The man''s eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.


    "Mage!"


    The man started to break out in a sprint, awkwardly holding his encased hands in front of him. My brows furrowed and my eyes narrowed.


    "Stop if you don''t want to die!"


    There was suddenly creaking all over the floor above me. The man in question did not even pause and I cast a firebolt.


    The firebolt exploded on the man''s back, charring it. He fell down face-first and no longer moved.


    Despite this being the first time my hands were personally bloodied from another human, there was no guilt. There was no mistaking it, he was involved enough to know what he was doing, not to mention, I warned him.


    My memories of being captured were no longer suppressed and they were painfully reminding me of what I had experienced.


    There were many footfalls above me, sudden, and rushed. Rushing towards the front entrance, I saw there were many people, not in the best clothes, trying to run out the front door, cursing as they went.


    "If you try to walk out that door you will die!"


    Some of them heeded my warning, while others simply pushed and shoved further into the door.


    I started to let loose a couple of firebolts, feeling my body tense up, but it seemed sturdy enough to handle this.


    Not everyone at the doorway was hit, some escaped while others collapsed to the floor.


    The people who decided to stay started to look towards the doorway and then to me. In the end, some people took off for the doorway.


    Before they even got close there was a loud scream coming from outside.


    Ela was standing outside, blood covering her claw. After glaring at the people inside, she flew back up.


    The people trying to run suddenly fell, with their legs shaking. I frowned.


    "Put your hands together and in front of you and do not leave this house."


    The people slowly raised their hands, trembling the whole time. Starting with the person closest to the door, my hand would go near theirs and encase them with ice.


    It did not take too long to get through everyone, though my sides started to ache.


    I rushed out the front door. My eyes scanned to see if Ela was in the sky. She wasn''t.


    My eyes closed. there were faint clashing sounds coming from behind the house, prompting me to run there.


    Ela was fighting with a man. The man was burly and was holding onto a sword. He launched a firebolt at Ela, which she dodged.


    He would slowly cast the firebolt spell while fending Ela off with a sword. Although Ela was in no danger, she was having trouble finishing him off.


    Ela''s claw would swing at him and be caught on the sword that the man swung.


    I prepared to launch a firebolt at the man but realized that with how they were both moving, not only would it be hard to hit the man, I may hit Ela instead.


    Quickly preventing myself from finishing the spell, my instincts were telling me to charge in. My head shook violently, dispelling these thoughts.


    Ela... didn''t use magic, so...


    There was a gentle tug at the tips of my fingers, sending it towards Ela and the man.


    When it hit, the man was in the middle of casting the firebolt spell. The mana forming the spell suddenly vanished. He clutched his head and screamed in agony. He had dropped his sword and had his tightly shut.


    Ela finished him off and there was now a corpse in the snow.


    "Thanks..."


    Smiling with a twitch at the corner of my lips, I hurriedly nodded.


    "Yes, let''s go back, in case they have run away."


    Upon reaching the front, there were many footfalls. There were some people in ragged clothing running away without ice encasing their hands, while some people with ice encasing their hands were behind them. It seemed that there were still some people inside that rushed out.


    Ela rubbed her forehead.


    "How do we handle this situation?"


    There was something savage at the bottom of my heart that awakened. With an expressionless face, I cast countless firebolt spells and sent them at each person running.


    None of them were able to dodge. After a sigh, my eyes scanned the inside of the house. Nobody was inside, they all decided to run.


    My legs were shaking and my body was numb.


    Ela was looking at me, blinking quite a few times. She opened her mouth, about to say something, but closed it again.


    My head shook.


    "We already gave them so many chances. Since they didn''t listen before, what is the point of trying to convince them later? Especially when many were about to get away if we did not act."


    Ela bit her lip and slowly nodded.


    "You are correct..."


    Heaving a large sigh, my shaky legs stepped into the house.


    "Come on, we still have to free the other slaves."

 Chapter 29 - Hostage

    The musty house was less than pleasant to traverse in. Nonetheless, my legs carried me to the tarp where the man last took me. Ela was right behind me, she was in her regular human form.


    Setting the tarp aside caused dust to billow in the air, making me cough and close my eyes.


    "S-Stay back!"


    The dust cleared, revealing a man holding a small dirk against a boy''s neck. He was behind the set of steps that led into the room.


    "I-I won''t hesitate, so let me through!"


    His hands were trembling, and there was a small line of blood going down the boy''s neck. The boy had a grimace and dried tear stains on his face. He was very quiet considering the situation. Ela clenched her fists and talked through grit teeth.


    "We can make an agreement, you let the boy go and we will not obstruct you."


    The man was breathing unevenly and licked his lips.


    "N-No, I''ll get out of here first then the boy will be released!"


    Blood started to rush into my head, heating it up.


    What would I think if I was him?...


    With the biggest smile I could muster, my footfalls started to echo down the steps.


    "Alright, alright, you can go and after you have gone you will leave the boy unharmed."


    The man started to back up slowly.


    "Don''t come any closer! I will do it!"


    My footsteps did not pause, I kept the smile on my face.


    "What do you mean? There is no need to be violent, we can both get out of this with what we want."


    The man continued to back up, then suddenly collided with a wall.


    "Stop, I said stop right there!"


    The bleeding on the boy became heavier. I pretended that we were all friends and continued walking.


    "Calm down, you really should stop being so para-"


    In the middle of my sentence, I pounced towards the man, stretching out my hand. The man tried to move the knife, but it was being encased in ice, unable to move. Still trying to move the knife, he did not notice a fist was flying right towards his face.


    With a thump, my fist hit his head hard, making it knock into the wall behind him. The man collapsed to the ground with his eyes rolled back into his head. The boy was partially encased in the ice as well, causing him to go down with him.


    Kneeling down, my hand gripped the encased ice and slowly peeled it away from the boy. He cried out in pain and immediately started to bleed from his neck.


    My finger moved next to the boy''s neck and the boy''s neck immediately sealed up. After which, the boy calmed down.


    "Uh... thank you..."


    My feet rose up from the kneeling position and I flicked my wrist, sending some blood off of my finger.


    "No problem."


    Ela gripped my shoulder and whipped me around.


    "For what reason did you take such unnecessary risk? The boy could''ve died!"


    My hand took Ela''s wrist and pulled her hand off my shoulder.


    "The boy could''ve died if we let him have his way. What if we let him go? He could''ve stabbed the boy, forcing us to try to save him, and run away."


    Ela rubbed her forehead with two fingers and the corner of her mouth twitched. She needed a few seconds to form her words.


    "Perhaps... but you are being fairly aggressive are you not?"


    Disregarding the conversation, my hands started reaching out to unlock the iron bolt locks and opening the doors.


    "It may be aggressive, but it is efficient. He was desperate to live and willing to do anything for it, he would not have any conviction to actually get rid of his only leverage."


    My fingers went to scratch my eyebrow.


    "Anyways, you all were captured by slave traders but my friend here and I saved you, so go on and get out of here."


    There were various slaves that slowly came out of their rooms. Ela''s expression softened as she tugged my sleeve. The inner corners of her eyebrows were angled up.


    "Wait, Jay, these people may not have a place to go, we can''t just leave them here. Remember what happened to that girl?"


    Ela pulled me to face her.


    "Wake up Jay."


    My eyes squinted tightly and rubbed my head with my palm.


    "The snow..."


    Ela furrowed her brows.


    "The... snow?"


    My hand delicately peeled off Ela''s hand.


    "One second..."


    While taking slow deep breaths, Alyx''s spell was slowly being formed inside me. Ela stood aside, waiting for me patiently.


    It did not take long for me to cast Alyx''s spell at my feet, enveloping me, Ela, and the boy. My head cleared and my unknowingly growing hatred was greatly reduced. My mind was much more conscious of my aching body caused by all the spells cast. My mouth opened, then closed.


    "...Ela, do you feel any different?"


    Ela shook her head.


    "Yes, I am no longer able to sense mana."


    Huh... she didn''t seem to be affected by the snow... at least not yet.


    "The snow has a magical effect that makes people more aggressive. If you really did not feel any change other than mana, I think I know how it works. For people that have a stable mental state, it either does not affect them or has unnoticeable effects. However, for those with aggressive emotions, it slowly amplifies them."


    Ela tapped a finger on her chin.


    "So you are under the effects of the snow? Was the spell just now able to nullify those effects? Where did you learn it?"


    My muscles started to relax and I sat on the floor.


    "Yes, the snow was clouding my judgement. The spell just now was a spell in Alyx''s book that I had seen."


    A sudden realization struck me.


    "Wait, how did we deal with the eagle bodies from when they attacked?"


    Ela tilted her head.


    "Eh? We decided to dispose of them, Ned tried to cook one but the scent was unpleasant."


    Damn, why didn''t I realize the snow was inhibiting my judgement earlier?


    "No, Alyx''s spell can make the meat edible, if we can kill these animals, after purifying it with that spell we can get food for the people here."


    Ela tapped her chin but did not question where my knowledge came from.


    "I will get an eagle from where we disposed of them."


    Ela''s features slowly became dragon-like and she set off. The slaves were silent the whole time. They would occasionally turn to each other but turn back to me.


    My hand raised to bring attention to myself, despite the fact the attention was still mostly on me.


    "Alright everyone, let''s get out of this depressing place. Soon my friend and I will prepare some food for you to eat, to improve your condition."


    Leading the way, my steps echoed across the room as my foot landed on each step. Looking over my shoulder to see if the people were following me. Some clearly hesitated while the others were quick to follow, stumbling over themselves.


    Eventually, all of the slaves got out of the room. There was an awkward silence that was hard to get rid of. Not only are my skills not geared towards communication, but talking to people who do not respond makes it hard to continue the conversation. Leaning against the wall, my eyes started to flutter as I prepared Alyx''s spell.


    When my eyes were about to close, the boy that was taken hostage earlier spoke up.


    "Sir... what will happen to me?"


    His voice was soft and trembling. The time Erin told me her stories came to mind, with her childish and innocent voice. As much as the boy needed comfort, my mouth could not utter those words.


    "I don''t know..."


    The silence continued. The slaves that had frowned, frowned harder, while those that didn''t, started to.


    ...Was this my fault?


    Perhaps it was, but there was not a single regret. There was no need to sugarcoat reality, it wouldn''t change anything.


    Before the atmosphere was too stifling, a large thump happened outside of the room. Making my way to the door, one of my eyes peeked outside.


    Ela was there, holding a giant eagle by her claws.


    "I have acquired the eagle."


    My elbow pressed hard against the door to open it up.


    "Ah, nice I will get to work now."


    My arm and index finger extended towards the eagle. Alyx''s spell flew out from my fingertips. Shortly after, the eagle started to shrink to a size that could more or less fit through the door. My eyes winced.


    Ela raised an eyebrow. When it finished shrinking and staring at it for a prolonged period of time, she dragged it along into the house.


    When Ela brought it into the room the people were taking shelter in, all the eyes in the room gravitated to it.


    My hands grasped the base of a feather and pulled hard. Ripping sounds started to fill the room.


    "Hey Ela, could you carve out a piece of meat in moderate portions?"


    Ela cut into the eagle with her claws with precision, making many straight lines across the eagle. She delicately took out chunks of meat.


    Ela took her time and handed the meat to me after she had removed it. Holding a piece of meat in one hand and a small ball of fire in the other. The sounds of sizzling and the aroma of meat filled the room.


    The meat was getting hot in my hand, but this was not the first time I had done this, considering how much I did this in the wild.


    The boy that was taken hostage walked with unsteady steps.


    "Could... I have that?"


    My hand holding the food gently extended towards him.


    "Yes, careful it is hot."


    The boy lightly poked the piece of meat and Ela peeked at the boy.


    "Clean your hands first, hygiene is important."


    I cast the water spell on the boy''s hands. His mouth opened agape, then quickly rubbed his hands together. The water splashed onto the floorboards taking dirt and grime with them.


    The boy took the meat with both hands and took a small bite. He did not wolf it down but took a bite and after finishing, would take another.


    As the next piece of meat started to sizzle it seemed the people other than the boy got up one after another to line up in front of me.


    One by one, everyone, other than Ela and I, ate their food slowly.


    The room was quickly filled up with quiet tearing and chewing sounds.


    I started to wonder...


    How many people would we have to help before there are no more slaves?


    ....Hopefully not too much.

 Chapter 30 - Evil

    As the others were eating, Ela came up next to me, keeping her voice down.


    "Should we bring them to the palace? Are you fine with that?"


    My palm rubbed against my temple.


    "How many people are there that don''t have homes? We will be unable to bring some people in..."


    A memory flashed in my mind, it was when Otis snickered at me after finding out I had no talent.


    "The people who were unable to get in will be angry, and it may do more bad than good..."


    Ela looked down at her feet.


    "You appear to be right..."


    Ela suddenly looked up at me.


    "What shall we do with the girl I asked the others to take care of?"


    The corner of my lips twitched.


    "Be a little quieter... If it is only one and we keep it a secret it shouldn''t be a big deal. If it is found out... there is not much we can do."


    My eyes closed and my palm rubbed against my temple, trying to force some ideas into my head.


    Soon the eating sounds started to cease. My eyes opened before taking a few steps towards the center of the room.


    "Hello everyone, you used to be slaves that were imprisoned here, however, that is no longer the case. If you can, go to where your old house was. If that does not suffice or you are unable to, this place should work as a residence as well. All the people who used to be here are gone and it should be free for you to use. Take care of yourself, goodbye."


    Ela''s eyes twitched but she did not say anything. The people in the room looked at one another. One person started to nod, and the rest soon followed.


    With that, I left, to be met with a blistering cold. Ela followed behind me and took a few hurried steps to get next to me.


    "...the way houses are given to people is a little more complicated than just letting someone be in there."


    My shoulders shrugged as a small fireball appeared above my hand.


    "It was the best solution I could come up with in that scenario. Even if they somehow don''t freeze to death outside, the snow would make them needlessly aggressive."


    Ela sighed with her hand on her forehead.


    "I suppose there is not much else we could do."


    Looking around, my eyes scanned for any landmarks. There were only various lumps covered in snow. My face locked up soon after.


    "...Which way is the palace?"


    Ela chuckled and walked down a road.


    "Follow me."


    Ela walked down the street. My steps trailed behind her, with my hand holding the fireball closer to my body for a bit more heat. Breathing out made some white mist in the air.


    The slave trader that was chasing the little girl suddenly came to mind.


    ''Wh-What? All the slave traders are doing that, not just us!''


    My eyes were drawn to Ela''s back.


    "Hey, Ela."


    Ela looked over her shoulder.


    "Yes?"


    My hand brought the fireball next to my face.


    "If all of the slave traders really are blatantly taking people from their homes... what can we do?"


    Ela faced forward again and sighed.


    "We can only save as many as we can."


    ...It seemed I was too weak to change anything. What else could be done?


    We walked back to the palace, while my hand was fervently rubbing against my temple the whole time. A memory suddenly resurfaced from the muddy waters.


    ''N-No! They were going to die anyway! There isn''t enough food for them, if we can capture them and fill our own stomachs, we are only saving people.''


    It seemed the sudden winter had really shaken people up. If the leading cause was the lack of food...


    "Ela, I have an idea."


    Ela turned to face me.


    "Please, speak."


    My hands were shaking.


    "If... if we can offer food to everyone do you think it would lower the chaos? It seems the biggest reason why all of this is happening is the lack of food people are experiencing. If we can show them we can provide, it should work right?"


    Ela furrowed her brows.


    "...The gravity of the situation would surely lower, do you have an idea for a reliable food source?"


    ...Probably?


    "The forest has many animals... Alyx should be able to cast the spell that makes the meat edible and Ned can cook with the fire spell, so that should be enough right?"


    Ela frowned.


    "There are too many villagers... it will be spread too thin if we try to make some for everyone."


    My head gradually lowered and my fist was in front of my mouth.


    "...But that little bit should make a difference right? If there truly isn''t enough food for everyone, doing this can ease the villagers as well as slow down their food consumption, so that the food people have will last them longer."


    Ela nodded.


    "That sounds magnificent. The only problems would be to find some way to tell everyone and how to stop people from trying to take multiple."


    Ela tapped her chin.


    "I believe I can use ink in order to mark the hand of anyone who wishes to have some. This way, we can prevent people from trying to take more than they should."


    Ah, that makes sense. My index finger and thumb rubbed against my chin.


    "...Well, I imagine news of food being provided for free should spread fast right? There would be no reason to keep it secret since everyone can only get a certain amount. We can ask anybody that comes by to eat to spread the news."


    Ela let out a small sigh.


    "Perhaps this will work... I will recover the eagles I had put away. Could you call Alyx and Ned to help out?"


    I nodded.


    "Alright, see you soon."


    "Farewell."


    Ela gradually partially morphed into a dragon and flew out of the palace. My best bet was the dorms, where we slept. Logically, that would be the best place to look.


    Upon making my way there, the edge of my knuckle lightly rapped on Ned''s door. Shortly after, it opened, revealing Ned who was holding a small fireball in one of his hands.


    "Hey Jay, what''s going on?"


    A smile naturally formed on my face.


    "Hey Ned, me and Ela came up with a plan in order to get food to most of the people here. The idea is, if we use the spell in Alyx''s book, we can turn the animals edible and cook them. I was thinking you and Alyx could work together to prepare the food while Ela and I could hunt animals for food."


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh, that sounds like a good idea. Let''s get Alyx then."


    Ned came with me and he knocked on Alyx''s door. There wasn''t an answer for a while. Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Eh? I remember she went back to her room. Is she not here?"


    Ned knocked on the door again.


    This time there was a muffled sound of chair legs rubbing against the floor. Footfalls were frantically getting closer to the door.


    The door opened, revealing Alyx. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was cracking her neck.


    "Sorry, I was reading my spellbook."


    Ned laughed it off while I started to explain the plan I just told Ned. Alyx thought about it for a while, then agreed. With that, we walked down the stairs and towards the palace entrance.


    As we walked outside, there was a loud crash.


    A massive chunk of ice filled with eagles was thrown onto the ground, it slid a few meters forward, pushing aside the snow.


    Ela was in the air, heaving loudly.


    "I have... recovered the... eagles."


    Ned laughed then stepped out into the streets.


    "Hey everyone! We are providing some food so we can make it through the winter together!"


    Villagers started to peek out through a crack from their doors. After a bit of hesitation, people started to come out.


    Ela had caught her breath, and transformed back into her human form.


    "I will prepare the ink and plates."


    Ela walked inside the palace. Ned came back and started to heat up the ice with a ball of fire, slowly making it melt. A fireball rested above my own hand, helping Ned melt the ice that was covering the eagles.


    The palace was gradually getting crowded and chaotic as others started to try and get closer. Alyx waved her hands in the air.


    "Line up! Line up properly without causing trouble and you will get your meal."


    People started to calm down, some people started to grumble, but nobody made any trouble. A line was gradually being formed.


    Pressing the fire directly against the ice caused it to turn to mist very quickly. My fire ran out quickly, making me have to cast it a couple of times. Ned was having less trouble but had to recast it every so often.


    Once we had thawed out an eagle, Ela came outside holding a bottle of ink with a feather inside, and some plates. She cleared her throat quite loudly.


    "If you wish to have a meal, please show us the top of your left hand, we will mark your left hand before you get your food so that there are no repeats. Make sure to return your plates as well."


    The crowd looked at her curiously, some nodded, while others were looking around.


    Alyx was able to cast her spell on the eagle, causing it to shrink. Together with Ned, my hands started to rip away feathers and then cook the meat.


    The aroma of the meat was hard to smell, but the villagers still seemed excited. Ela took the meat from us and put it on a plate. She first told the person in front to stick out their hand, she dotted it with ink and gave the plate. She told them to notify others as well as bring the plate back.


    After a momentous amount of work, the crowd started to die down.


    All of us were quite tired, I wondered if they would like a rabbit to eat?


    I turned to face the others with a big smile.


    "Hey guys, I''m gonna go get something, I''ll be right back."


    Ned and Alyx nodded while stretching their muscles. Ela turned to me.


    "Nightfall is soon, make sure to come back fast."


    "Got it."


    While jogging in the snow with a fireball in my hand, My eyes were drawn towards the sun that was starting to set.


    "Stop! NO-"


    My foot stopped midair. There was a scream from inside an alleyway, hurriedly changing directions, I ran towards the sound.


    Getting closer I saw a bloody boy holding a dirk and a piece of meat. Below him was another kid that was dead.


    It was the boy I saved earlier. The one who had been a hostage.


    My eyes widened and my mouth was agape.


    "You..."


    The boy turned to me, he was heavily panting.


    "I- I was just hungry, I wanted to eat ok?"


    My face gradually lost any expression.


    "I should have let you die."


    Using my last prepared firebolt, the boy was blasted and joined the other corpse on the ground.


    ...There was no way I could have known he would be like this. There was no point in carrying this guilt. It was just like how it was with Ela, in the end, we make choices, and there are unforeseen consequences.


    Ela''s voice echoed in my head.


    ''Many kingdoms have reigned and many have foolishly thought that they could create paradise. Yet in the end, success in vanquishing evil comes at great costs. However, while some succeeded, they had fallen into despair as they saw the evil that once disappeared rise once again to plague the lands¡­ and I am no exception''


    ...It seems this was what she meant.


    Wait... the village from before, that I stumbled across while in the forest. It looked so peaceful, but how? How was that village so peaceful while this one was in shambles?


    My eyes laid on the horizon, where the forest was.

 Chapter 31 - Pepper

    Despite my urge to immediately rush out towards the forest, my rationality told me that it was probably too irresponsible.


    My feet reluctantly brought me back to the palace.


    By the time I got there, the sun was about to set. There was a faint glow of orange about to disappear in the grey sky.


    At the palace entrance, Ela was waiting there with her hands clasped in front of her.


    "You almost didn''t make it back by nightfall."


    My face was expressionless, except a small frown.


    "Sorry, something... happened, I''m going to be away from the village for a while."


    Ela laid one hand just under her neck.


    "Excuse me? What could you possibly wish to do outside the village?"


    I turned around and watched as the last sliver of sun disappeared.


    "Answers..."


    My head turned to face Ela.


    "There are answers out in the forest. I will find them."


    The inner corners of Ela''s eyes angled up.


    "...May I come with you?"


    My head faced forwards again. The sun was gone.


    "No, the forest is too dangerous."


    Ela grabbed my arm.


    "Then why must you go there?"


    My free hand pushed off Ela''s grip.


    "I need an answer. Don''t worry about me, I have... something that assures me... I will keep living."


    There was a light sniffle. Ela''s voice became weak.


    "You must come back."


    I started to walk forward.


    "I will."


    Just not in the way you would think.


    ...


    Upon reaching the borders of the village the fire went out. Feeling the cold assault me, I went into the forest. Alyx''s spell, the healing spell, and a firebolt were prepared on the way.


    There were no longer shadows from the trees, making me feel at a loss at which angle I should hide.


    My figure flitted between the trees in an effort to make it harder for anything nearby to see me.


    It took a few steps before my footsteps were once again silent.


    The darkness was getting worse, my vision only stretched to about two meters ahead of me.


    My breaths were still normal, I had forgotten to slow my breathing.


    My muscles tensed from this realization. Slowly calming them down, I began preparing the lightning spell.


    Staying as still as I could, the lightning spell slowly finished.


    As the lightning spell was being cast my hand whipped it in a direction. There was a strange sensation coming from there like something was watching me.


    The spell zipped forward, briefly lighting up whatever it passed by.


    My eyes were peeled open, catching a glimpse of a wolf about six meters away staring at me with its green eyes.


    My heart clenched, then slowly released.


    My feet quietly traversed in a different direction while my mind was focusing on preparing the wind spell.


    As my mind visualized the angle of the wolf''s vision, the wind spell was ready.


    My foot paused after I was behind a tree. With a light toss, the wind spell was cast from my palm. It stirred up the snow behind one tree while I walked behind another.


    From there, my steps continued forward, quiet and slow. My head was down, but my vision was hardly affected, being barely able to see.


    Gradually I became accustomed to the night. Despite my senses being more or less muted, my ability to navigate between trees became better.


    Feeling less like a fish out of water, my aimless walking reminded me about how strange my route to that village was.


    It consisted of aimless wandering from one place to another, blacking out and being taken into a cave, then estimating the demon''s destination and following them there.


    Hmm... I guess if there are many demons around, it won''t be too difficult to find the place from there.


    There were some dead branches on the ground that I had taken by pinching them with my index finger and thumb.


    Finding a nice tree, My fingers delicately released the branches putting them in a circle. After casting the tunnel spell, the tips of my fingers tipped the branches onto my head.


    My eyes closed.


    ...


    There was faint sunlight peeking through the branches.


    My hair was dirty, but there was not much one could clean with while in the snowy forest.


    As my eyes struggled to open, my hands fumbled with the tree, searching for a branch. Scaling up the tree was easy enough. While shivering, a ball of fire appeared above my hand. Slowly, two tunnel spells were being prepared inside my body.


    My eyes scanned the tree for good branches. There was a decent branch, after pulling it out and stripping the smaller branches, I went to work.


    After directly breaking the stick in half, my grip tightened and forced the branch to sharpen by scraping it against the trunk of the tree.


    Satisfied, my feet slid down the trunk and the ball of fire was dispelled.


    My shadow once again blended among the trees.


    It did not take long for me to find and hunt a rabbit.


    After cooking, eating, and dispelling the fire spell, my journey resumed.


    To my surprise there was an empty patch of snow, in this patch was a small plant that had borne two peppers, one yellow and one red.


    After observing the pepper for a few moments, my hand clutched a fist full of snow and threw it at the peppers.


    The snow coated the peppers, then there was a sizzling sound. The snow melted off the peppers and it was like there was never snow in the first place.


    Out of curiosity, both my hands went to pick up snow and hurl it at the peppers, before picking up more snow and throwing it again.


    The snow coated the peppers once again but sizzled off soon after. All the snow that came subsequently immediately melted.


    Stepping closer my finger slowly extended to touch the red pepper. As the finger got closer, strangely there was no heat. After touching it, my hand whipped back.


    The pepper felt normal but started to make a sizzling sound.


    My finger and thumb subconsciously rubbed against my chin.


    Inside my body, the encase spell was being prepared as I pondered on this pepper''s properties.


    While lacking conviction, my finger pointed towards the peppers and released the encase spell.


    The peppers quickly froze over.


    My finger was tapping my knee.


    A few moments passed...


    The peppers were still frozen over, there were no changes that were observable.


    One of my hands grabbed the peppers encased in ice, my other hand used the sharp part of the stake to break the stem that was still connecting them.


    The remains of the pepper plant approached the ground with trepidation. Upon touching the ground, the remains decomposed at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Using the fire spell to reduce the ice casing to a smaller size, let it fit nicely into my pockets.


    Now that the peppers were dealt with, my objective was to find a demon, to lead to other demons.


    A chilling wind blew, making me shiver uncontrollably.


    ...For now, the objective was to find a wolf I could use to make a coat.


    My shadow melded with the trees and from there began my search for a wolf.


    The sun started to set, contrary to my expectations, it was quite difficult to find a wolf.


    When I was about to call it off and search for a rabbit to eat, a large wolf leisurely walked by.


    Slowly, my shadow got closer to the back of the wolf.


    The tail brushed wind in my face, my steps were still slow and continued forward. Right before the tail hit me, Alyx''s spell flew out from my fingertips and I climbed onto the wolf''s back.


    The wolf was still in a daze when my feet stepped on its neck and the stake was raised high.


    Plunging downwards with both hands, the wolf awoke and started to struggle fiercely.


    One hand held tightly to the stake that was still inside the wolf, the other held onto some fur.


    The tenacity of the wolf shocked me, it began barreling towards a tree smacking headfirst into it, with no regard for itself.


    The sudden impact was unexpected and sent me flying off its back. The stake was stuck.


    I really should use something that doesn''t get stuck all the time...


    The wolf was in a frenzy, biting and clawing aimlessly.


    Before it reached me, my body dove underground, submerged by the dirt. The top was covered soon after and the wolf''s thrashing continued.


    My breathing slowed.


    The tremors above started to settle down and my hands pushed aside the dirt that was above me.


    After taking in a deep breath, my eyes darted to the wolf that was no longer moving.


    Rushing over, my hand gripped the stake hard and started to peel off the pelt. Carrying the pelt with me up a tree, my new coat was now in the making.


    Compared to my last coat, this one was much easier to make and covered more of myself. The pelt not being ruined was probably the biggest reason.


    As the coat wrapped around my body, there was already warmth spreading throughout my body. The wind was unable to batter me as hard as it did before.


    Sliding down the tree once more, my stomach urged me to find a rabbit.


    Not long after, my stomach was full and the sun was about to disappear.


    Finding some branches, I tunneled beside a tree and covered my head with the branches.


    The only sound left was my soft breathing.

 Chapter 32 - Lizard

    With a groan, my hand pushed off the branches covering my head. The sun was shining faintly through the trees.


    After getting myself out of the hole, my back cracked.


    Holding tightly onto my stake, my shadow once again joined the trees.


    Soon my stomach was filled with a rabbit. From there, my objective was to find any demon in the vicinity.


    My pathing was towards where my mind predicted the demons would be. Yet there was no way to know if I was actually going on the right track. My ears perked up, trying to pick up the sound of rushing water, I figured the lake would be a good reference point.


    Despite traversing great lengths, rabbits were the only living things in sight. Perhaps actively searching for something made them more elusive. Nonetheless, my steps navigated the forest in search of something more than the unending trees.


    My foot suddenly paused. There was a clearing in the trees revealing a big hill, or small mountain. It had occurred to me that this was similar to the hill where a cave was hidden. It was where the blue deer had taken me.


    Perhaps by circling this mountain, there would be a lake in sight. Using that as a reference it would guide me towards the proper direction.


    With that plan in mind, I started to scale up the mountain and circle around it. My eyes were focused on piercing through the trees, to catch any glimpse of running water.


    Suddenly, as my foot pushed down on the snow, expecting ground, it passed right through. Caught off balance, my heart clenched as the foot still on the ground lost traction.


    Falling through the snow, my hands instinctively reached out to cover my head. The fall itself was a few seconds long and the fall was mostly broken by my back. My head slammed onto the ground right after my back, but my hand had taken the brunt of the force instead.


    It was a cave that was quite dark and musty, above me was a hole letting a ray of sunlight shine in. As my body shook off the pain, the snow had started to land on top of the gap above me and slowly block out the light.


    My finger on one hand delicately wiped off the blood covering the knuckles on my other hand. After attempting to sit up, my vision blurred and pain surged across my spine. I stopped attempting to sit, so as to not push myself more than I should.


    Since it wasn''t too difficult to prepare another healing spell, my mind tried to finish the one prepared in my body.


    But there was no mana in my body.


    A frown slowly formed on my face. It seems my back will just have to heal naturally.


    The walls were very smooth, without spells, there was no way my bare hands could climb it. Straining my eyes to look down in the cave, there was only darkness.


    Without many choices left, my eyes closed, sending me into a deep sleep.


    ...


    Despite sleeping on hard rock, my body was relaxed. The inside of this cave was at a moderate temperature.


    This time, sitting up was painful but not excessively so. After a few cracking sounds rang out, I was on my feet.


    The cave was almost pitch black, though my vision still reached about two meters ahead of me. My hand gripped the stake tightly, it was the only thing that was left after my spells became unusable.


    My feet did not make a sound as they touched the rock. After a few meters, a soft haggard breath just barely reached my ears. I continued walking cautiously forward.


    The breathing sounds became clearer, as they did, the pain in those breaths became more apparent.


    None the wiser, my foot landed on something mushy. Startled, my foot pulled back. My eyes intently looked at the floor ahead of me. There was a faint outline of a grey humanoid shape.


    Carefully treading around it, my eyes inspected what was in front of me.


    The skin was shriveled and densely packed with wrinkles. There wasn''t much more than skin and bones.


    Then, my eyes locked on its head. There were three horns, it was a three-horned demon that had just passed away.


    A high level demon had died down here? Though upon getting hit by Alyx''s spell demons react quite violently, perhaps the lack of magic killed it?


    The corner of my lips started to twitch, but my steps continued forward without faltering.


    There was a large mace a few steps forward. I imagined what it would be like to swing that around, though realistically it would not work out that way, thus my silent steps circled around it.


    The silence made it feel as if my legs were treading upon nothing. It was as if the hallway would end.


    That''s why the soft patting ahead of me was deafening. My legs froze while my hand gradually readied the stake to stab, holding onto it tightly. My head was down, so the little distance my eyes could still make out was at the edges of my peripheral vision.


    Two black figures emerged at the edge of my sight. They were black lizards with very tiny yellow eyes. Their feet raised as if they were cautiously walking on a tightrope, making them silent.


    When they were within one meter, I pounced on one, sending the stake straight at its face.


    Unfortunately, they both backed up immediately into the darkness with a wet smacking sound. It was silent once again and my heart started to palpitate, but slowly relaxed. This time my legs carried me forward, with quiet footfalls and breaths.


    At the edges of my peripheral vision, two lizards came into view. They were backing up with trepidation. It did not take long for me to get close to them, they did not appear to notice. It was like they could not tell my presence right in front of them.


    Being so close, my stake confidently whipped at the lizard. Yet, as fate would have it, the lizards suddenly dashed away again.


    ...What was I doing wrong?


    Ideas started to swirl inside of my head. Despite being so close, they could not notice me. Was this because they were unable to see? If that is the case, the lizards should be defenseless against a silent strike.


    ...The only question remaining was how to do a silent strike.


    Many doubts surfaced. How was a strike supposed to be silent if it stirs up wind? Not to mention trying to attack at a speed that wouldn''t stir up wind would be rather lackluster.


    Searching through my memories I was hoping to find some way to perform this onerous task.


    What was the solution to such a contradictory problem? The wolf would pounce, but it was not quiet. Eagles would always announce themselves loudly when they appeared, so how could they do anything stealthy?


    ...Wait.


    It was then a small detail while the eagles dived that came to my mind. It was completely silent as it traveled, but would make a thundering slam upon collision.


    ...If I moved faster than the sound did, the target would not be able to register any sounds.


    As my pondering concluded, the two lizards appeared at the edge of my vision again, as slow as they were before.


    This time I pulled my hand back. Once the lizards got close, my stake snaked at one of them, at the expense of my wrist. The stake landed with a thump, piercing the lizard''s head.


    The lizard shrieked, flailing its limbs but its final struggle died down soon after.


    Right after I struck, the other lizard pounced at my arm, clamping its jaws on it. My hand was unable to continue holding onto the stake. My teeth grit and my other hand hurriedly picked up the stake and stabbed the other one in the head.


    The jaws slowly released with a shriek. My arm was starting the bleed. With my arm that was bloodied, I pulled out my shirt and spread part of it on the floor, as painful as it was. My hand holding the stake scraped against the shirt until it pierced the shirt and grinding against the rock floor.


    With shaking hands, the newly acquired piece of cloth was sloppily cleaned against my coat and was wrapped tightly around my arm. The cloth was immediately soaked with blood but stopped the bleeding for the most part.


    My heart slowed as a deep breath filled my lungs. My lips made a frown.


    Without the healing spell, each injury would have long lasting effects. There was only so much my body could afford to take while down here.


    My heart did not want to eat the lizards, but my stomach cried out for something. Reluctantly, my good hand peeled away the scales. Instinctively, my mind tried to draw in mana to cast the fire spell, but there was none. My frown deepened.


    I ate it raw and held back my urge to vomit.


    Moving on with a heavy heart, there were no encounters for quite an amount of time. The tunnel began to gradually widen until it split off into two paths.


    After a few moments of hesitation, the realization that my only option was to pick one settled in.


    Arbitrarily, the left became my new destination. Not too long after, there was a black lizard crawling towards me. My steps stopped and as the lizard came closer, my stake was being raised a little higher.


    My stake plunged and the lizard was unable to dodge it. With a shriek, it soon stopped moving.


    Not long after killing that lizard, three more lizards appeared in my peripheral vision. The first idea to come to mind was the wind spell to distract them, but there was no real way to pull that off.


    My foot pulled back, slowly backtracking from the lizards that were approaching.


    Unfortunately, the fact a lizard corpse was behind me slipped my mind. My foot landed on it, letting out a loud squishing sound. Without really thinking, my foot pushed the lizard towards the wall with a swishing and smacking sound.


    The lizards rushed towards it, trying to bite it.


    My foot took a step towards the lizards, getting me behind them. My stake plunged once more, but my hand immediately let go.


    The one lizard started to shriek and died soon after. The other lizards rushed towards me but only bumped into the stake or air.


    There were now two lizards, a lizard corpse with my stake in it, and another lizard corpse.


    Circling around them I kicked the lizard corpse without a stake. Once again, the lizards rushed towards it, trying to bite into the corpse.


    My hand delicately reached for and retrieved the spear. Despite that, a squelch still rang out.


    My heart clenched and my foot sent the lizard corpse below me to the wall. Thankfully the lizards have been easily led astray, they charged at the corpse. My stake snaked towards one of the lizards and pierced the head. Before the shriek resounded, my hand pulled back. The lizard rushed, hitting only the air.


    From there, my steps circled the lizard, retrieving the stake once again. Immediately, my foot sent the lizard corpse beneath me to the wall once again.


    To my surprise, the lizard rushed at me. My body instinctively twisted away. My injured back protested greatly, sending as many pain signals as it could. The lizard brushed past me.


    Before the lizard hit the ground, my stake was already flying towards the lizard and pierced its head as it hit the ground.


    ....It seems I let down my guard.

 Chapter 33 - Candle

    My state was not the best after the battle. Although there were no new injuries, I had aggravated old ones.


    My back and arm were throbbing with pain. My back was laid on the wall in an attempt to realign whatever bones were thrown around.


    This did not seem good, if there were more lizards, my only other option would be to backtrack and try my luck on the other path.


    After a short break, there was an attempt to push my back off the wall, but the sudden pain made me stop.


    My body decided for me that a long break was due.


    After peeling off the scales of the lizard carcasses, my eyes closed and my nose scrunched up. My hand forced the meat into my mouth and the rest was an unpleasant experience that you can imagine if you wish to.


    This wasn''t the most reassuring place to sleep, but at this point, I didn''t care. Slumping down, my eyes fluttered, and then shut.


    ...


    The smell of decomposing corpses woke me up. Standing up was easy enough, though whether or not my back would hold up for more was another question. Forcing my feet to move onward, I would find the darkness was slowly unveiling itself.


    Was there really an exit here?


    There was a part of me that I couldn''t shake off.


    One that told me there was no point in going through this suffering.


    It made me wonder, what was the purpose of suffering? Fighting so hard to live, yet what was it all for?


    My steps did not falter.


    Perhaps in my heart, the answer was already there. An answer that made me take just one more step each time.


    If only it would share its thoughts with me.


    The trek was long.


    The tunnel was beginning to widen.


    There was a lizard that was sleeping. Just in case, I decided to kill it.


    It was only able to open its jaw before it was unable to move.


    Moving a few steps forward, the walls were no longer in sight.


    With such little vision, the walls gave a certain sense of solace. They told me that there was nothing to fear to my left and right. That didn''t mean my conviction was lacking to the point my fear stopped me from going forward.


    However, that didn''t mean my conviction overcame my fear.


    My hand stuck to the left wall, from there my trek continued. For my left hand to trace the wall, my direction shifted nearly ninety degrees left. It seems this place was much bigger than it led on to be.


    When it started to get boring, my left hand traced over some hole. Startled, my hand frantically retracted.


    Taking a look, the hole only contained darkness. To see further some sort of light was needed. After shrugging, my foot took a step forward, stepping on something hard. Like last time, it startled me. Making me retract my foot.


    Looking closer it looked like an unpolished black crystal. Unable to resist, my index finger and thumb clutched onto it.


    Upon touching the crystal, it was as if I had awoken from a long slumber. My vision extended far beyond what it used to, now my eyes could survey this segment of the cave. It was not bright, as if there was light, instead there was a coating of grey.


    My legs uncontrollably shuddered. This place was very large, perhaps large enough to be a village by itself. Strangely enough, there were black plants that littered the ground. Hills and valleys spread across the landscape. Far in the distance and relatively close were lizards of various sizes.


    Most of them were similar to the size that was back in the tunnel earlier, but some were about my size and others were even greater.


    The most notable one was a rather giant lizard with a large jaw far off in the distance. If I had to guess, the head would be about twice the size of me alone. It was resting on a large patch of black plants, it was the place with the highest density of plants.


    The density of the plants started to die off the further it was from the giant lizard and it seemed the size of the lizards loosely corresponded to this as well.


    There seemed to be something special about this place, but there was no way for me to explore it. Not with all the lizards roaming this place.


    Right before leaving, the darkness behind that hole came to mind. Holding the crystal up next to the hole made me realize the crystal could fit nicely in the hole.


    Taking note of this observation my eyes peered inside the hole.


    There was a cavern, the rocks had many black crystals that jutted out. The density of the crystals got denser towards the right. My sightline could not see what was beyond where the crystals became more concentrated.


    My stake picked at the hole, trying to carve a pathway, but it was unprecedentedly stable. It made me wonder how the hole appeared in the first place from such a hard wall.


    Not wanting to hold the crystal, my index finger tucked it into my pocket. Everything was dark once again. Regretting my action, the crystal once again was laid in my hand, returning my sight.


    Unable to further satisfy my curiosity, I made my way back down the tunnel. The trip was long and uneventful.


    Upon making it to the fork, my trajectory steered towards the tunnel yet to be traveled. There were no lizards, contrary to my expectation. The tunnel gradually began to widen until there was a large expanse in front of me.


    My fingers fiddled with the crystal, as my eyes took in the sight.


    The temperature had dropped, making it a little chilly. This section was a tad smaller than the palace. Instead of a ceiling, however, there was a huge opening high above. The walls themselves were rough and had the potential to be climbed, but it was not in a way that would be convenient.


    Below that was a large pool of water. There was a large, translucent fish that was leisurely swimming around. The scales of the fish shimmered with a light blue light and there were large jaws inlaid with rows of sharp teeth. The most notable thing was the giant eyes the fish had which contained no pupils.


    This was my only chance out, but not only would it be an arduous climb, one mistake would mean some quality time with that fish.


    A bitter smile flashed across my face.


    My breaths became slow and deep. To climb something of this length, my state must be at its peak.


    Well, as good as it could realistically be right now.


    My eyes closed as my legs crossed and my back laid on the wall.


    Deep breaths...


    Deep breaths...


    The fatigue gradually faded, as did the pain. My will would have to steel to use my bad arm to climb. It would take far too long to heal and there was no telling if it would get worse or even more injuries started to appear. After all, my need for food was real and the lizards wouldn''t lie down for me to kill them. Not to mention lizard blood wasn''t the tastiest drink out there.


    With a sigh, my body forced itself up. My stake strapped to an opening in my coat that my hands specifically created. Then my eyes stared at the crystal. Although vision wasn''t necessarily important, being able to plan my route would definitely be more reassuring.


    My eyes glanced at the bloody bandage on my right arm. My hand pulled out my shirt once again and pulled out the stake to cut out another cloth. Thankfully there was a coat to cover the parts my shirt could no longer cover.


    My right hand cautiously put the crystal on my left arm and made slow revolutions with the cloth. Tying a knot painfully exerted the muscles in my right arm. Yet to climb this canyon, there was going to be plenty more where that came from.


    Once the aching in my arm calmed, my eyes scanned the walls for some route to the top. After making many assumptions on what was possible to climb, a rough route was made in my head.


    My shaking fingers calmed down and my rapid heartbeat slowed.


    It was time to start.


    First clutching a protruding stone with my good hand, my feet started to shift over. The footholds did not give me any semblance of security, but at least they were there.


    Now my right hand went to grab another rock. There was minimal pain while holding onto the rock, but my heart knew what was to come.


    Releasing the grip of my left hand, my right hand suddenly cried out in agony. Sweat was forming on my forehead despite the cold temperature.


    While gritting my teeth my hand reached over to grasp a new rock. After taking a few deep breaths my right hand did the same.


    The pain was venomous.


    It kept reminding me how impossible the task was.


    It kept telling me how pointless it was to keep going.


    Every time my left hand would grasp a new rock, the breaks before my right hand followed grew longer and longer.


    Despair started to sink in.


    It seems my mind threw out any consideration for how daunting this task truly was.


    My breaths were horribly ragged, my heart was beating as fast as it could.


    Every second that passed slowly broke down my body.


    In reality, taking a break did not let me recover energy. The only thing it did was give me time to get used to pain, yet even with these breaks, the pain was becoming too much.


    My mind was a tether that would soon snap.


    ...


    What is motivation?


    It takes such an insurmountable effort just to light up a candle.


    The candlelight constantly fights the raging wind.


    Flickering dangerously, the small flame is challenged time and time again.


    Even with the smallest spark, so long as the flame survives, it can burn once again.


    My face had a bitter smile and my body was uncontrollably shaking. The route that was planned became a little foggy in my mind.


    My eyes peered upwards.


    The opening was so high.


    The progress I made barely scratched the surface of what was to come, the opening was just as far as it had always been.


    The candlelight flickered away, not even the smallest spark was left.


    Unknowingly, my hands were no longer holding onto anything.


    And I fell into the pits of despair.

 Chapter 34 - Insanity

    The fall was harrowing.


    As the wind blew past my ears, the only thing left was to wait for the end.


    My body collided with the water, sending streams of water into the air.


    The water was ice cold. The wound on my arm leaked blood that started to dissipate into the water. It seemed the fish would have an easy way of finding me.


    What was the point?


    The slave that killed someone for a piece of meat came to mind.


    Why was I trying so hard if it was all pointless?


    In the end, my face smacked hard into reality.


    It seems I was a fool this whole time.


    My eyes closed, waiting for the impending doom.


    ...For some reason, Ned''s voice was echoing in my mind.


    ''Even if it is foolish I can still respect someone that tries their best to fix this world.''


    It was hard to keep my eyes open.


    My teeth were grit and my body was becoming numb.


    Through the slit of my eyelids, the fish was charging at me in the distance.


    My arm that found it harder and harder to move went into my pockets. My hand brought out a pepper that was encased in ice.


    Before my hand lost all feeling, it put the pepper inside my mouth. With my last shreds of willpower, my teeth broke the ice and sent the pepper down my throat.


    My body went from ice cold to blazing hot. There was a pit of fire in my stomach that threatened to burn me alive.


    My skin became red and the water around me boiled, causing steam to engulf me.


    Strangely enough, my vision was not blocked by the steam, and let me see the fish that was about to reach me.


    The fish''s massive jaws were open, revealing the sharp teeth in all their glory. Once the fish was right next to me, my hand reached out and held the top side of its jaw, right next to its empty eyes.


    The fish carried me forward and snapped its jaws. My abs clenched as hard as they could, pushing away my legs so they weren''t chomped off.


    My free hand pulled out the stake and plunged it into the fish''s eye.


    The fish let out a high pitch screech and violently swam from left to right.


    My hand that was gripping the stake was shaking, it pulled it out of the fish''s eye and back in the eye.


    Pain shot through my back. The fish slammed me into the wall and was scraping me against it. While my coat held up, my shirt had been torn to pieces


    My consciousness was getting blurry. My eyes caught on to my hand that was holding onto the fish. The fish''s skin that touched my hand was very red and blistering.


    So you don''t like heat?


    My stake was left stuck inside of the fish''s eye.


    Reaching into my pocket, my finger plucked out the last pepper that was still inside. It was a miracle it remained despite all the thrashing that occurred.


    When the fish''s jaws opened again, my wrist flicked, and the pepper was sent into the fish''s mouth.


    Suddenly the fish stopped moving. The fish''s light blue skin started to become red and produced steam on a large scale.


    The fish started to burgeon and shrink, quickly losing its initial shape.


    The eyes in particular were quite frightening as they seemed to stretch to their limits.


    With a muffled bang, the fish exploded sending steam everywhere. Thankfully, the water took on the brunt of the explosion, sending only waves of force towards me.


    My heart calmed, but there was still steam violently surging from my body. It was a testament to how scorching my body was right now. For some reason, there was no need to breathe. However, the heat was rising dangerously despite the fact my body was completely submerged in cold water.


    Damn... what do I do?


    It was near impossible to maintain consciousness at this point. My eyes closed.


    Then... the sensations faded.


    But I did not blackout.


    There was a large and familiar meadow...


    I was lying down and facing the sky, curiously my eyes peered around. The meadow was filled with many beautiful flowers and the sun was shining warmly on my head. There were black walls far off in the horizon that towered over the meadow.


    My hand started to move on its own. Curiously, my eyes stared at what my hand was doing. It first slowly raised and blocked the sun shining in my eyes with a flat palm.


    Then it clenched into a fist.


    My eyes flew open and my chest was heaving up and down. My body was flat on the ground. The air was humid and there were little puddles of water here and there.


    After getting up to my feet, the palm of my hand rubbed on my temple. It was the bottom of the pool, except there was no water left.


    What... happened? Was this the pepper at work?


    ...If peppers are like this, that might explain why spices are not used in this world.


    My stake was over in the distance, after going over to pick it up, I assessed my condition. My back and arm hurt as they always did, but miraculously there were no injuries.


    After picking up the stake, my eyes scanned the walls.


    To climb out of here was going to be even more difficult than it had originally been.


    The pieces of cloth on both my arms were wet and loose. My hand tightened the knot on my right arm, then my eyes looked at the cloth on my left arm, the one holding the crystal.


    My hand reached out to tighten it but froze before doing so. After a few moments, my fingers fumbled with the knot and unraveled the cloth. My finger took the crystal and pushed it into my pocket, after which my vision regressed to roughly two meters.


    The candle no longer had a light, but I dropped it on a flaming pyre and watched it burn.


    My hand clutched onto the wall next to me and I started to climb.


    My left hand pulled me up, while my feet caught me. My right hand reached far up and carried my entire weight on its own. My arm was begging me to stop, but it was as if my mind didn''t recognize it.


    It was hard to see what was ahead of me. This time, there was no path envisioned beforehand to prevent any major obstacles from appearing.


    There was a large protruding rock right above me, blocking my way. Climbing until the ledge was in sight, my right hand clamped onto it, hoisting me up. My left hand arbitrarily caught a rock that happened to be there and my foot stood on the large rock.


    My first attempt at climbing out of this canyon involved doing anything to even slightly increase my probability of getting out. Coming up with the easiest path forward possible. My plan involved some shortcuts here and there that should''ve let me go higher fast. In the end, my hands let go and I was left to fall.


    Everything was logical, my attempt was optimized, despite the slim chance it had. Any normal person would tell you that it was impossible to climb up and that if it really was your last option, to take the easiest way possible.


    Yet here I was, climbing up from rock to rock, with no goal in sight.


    Pulling myself up, then catching myself endlessly. The pain in my arm was starting to spread to the rest of my body, but that would not slow me down.


    Even if there weren''t injuries in my arm, or back, it would be hard to deny climbing up so high was impossible. Perhaps most would just give up, letting themselves fall to the bottom.


    In fact, that might be the smart thing to do, to minimize suffering, rather than chase fruitless dreams.


    My right hand clasped a rock. While pulling myself up, the rock loosened before breaking off. My right hand frantically searched for any rocks and held onto one, leaving me dangling by only my right hand.


    Blood started to seep through the bandage on my right arm. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and my breaths were heavy. With a heave, my right hand clenched harder and pulled the rest of my body up.


    Any sane person wouldn''t force themselves through something so challenging, yet unrewarding.


    So why was I forcing myself up?


    The only thing above was more rocks, followed by some more rocks.


    Perhaps I had gone insane.


    Doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.


    There was no light at the end of the tunnel, nothing that proved my actions mattered.


    My consciousness blacked out. By the time my consciousness returned, I was falling.


    Both my hands and feet scraped along the wall, slowing my fall. Soon I was able to catch myself, but by then my fingers were bleeding and one of my toenails had cracked.


    Then my left hand reached for a new rock and pulled me up.


    What could make a person move through the darkness when each step presented nothing?


    What could make someone try again when every other time they failed?


    What could make a human with no hope push onwards?


    ...It seems I really was insane.


    The blood made my hands slippery, the only option was to grip at a rock a few times before a firm hold was achieved.


    I had come to a conclusion. My definition of motivation.


    It was not the candlelight in raging the winds fighting just to stay alive.


    It was a blazing inferno, ignited by the sheer madness raging inside your head.


    The insanity that forced you forward when everything else was lost.


    The will to bend the rules of logic and become a legend.


    My right hand reached up and touched dirt.


    I pulled myself up and my eyes met with the rising sun.

 Chapter 35 - Gemstone

    There was a person laying on the side of a mountain, looking off into the sun. He was trying to catch his breath and was bleeding from his various wounds.


    That person was me.


    There was only dirt at the top of the mountain. The snow in the sky seemed to avoid the top of this mountain and the mana was very thin.


    As much as my body needed the healing spell, for now, my mind just needed a break.


    There was a part of me that still did not believe what had transpired.


    The memory of the meteors blotting out the sky came back to me. At that moment, there was a massive pillar rising in the village.


    Though my mind tried to force the memory out of my head, it was clear as day. There was a speck on top of the pillar. My eyes could barely make it out, but deep down, there was a voice that confidently said it was a real person.


    A person who single-handedly cast that spell.


    It made me wonder if he had any experiences like climbing out of that canyon.


    Regardless, time was not infinite.


    My hands and knees crawled down the hill.


    The ground gradually became more snow than dirt and the mana density was returning back to normal.


    It was like taking a deep breath after being submerged in water.


    Not waiting any longer, my mind started to cast the healing spell.


    A few snowflakes fell down on my face. My eyes stared off into the distance.


    There were many trees covered in snow and... they appeared to be tiny.


    Wait... how high is this mountain?


    Looking through my memories, this was a large hill that was by no means small, but it wouldn''t take much walking to get up it.


    The healing spell finished, and my burning wounds gently disappeared.


    After standing up, my eyes scanned the mountain.


    It was incredibly high, as in if my foot slipped, my body would tumble until everything broke.


    My eyes scanned the rest of the forest, for the most part, there were trees, but far off in the distance was a village with walls that covered a large expanse.


    It seems my goal was found.


    My hand pulled the stake out of my coat and held it firmly.


    When my feet started to traverse downwards, was when the realization of how steep this mountain was sunk in.


    The corner of my lip twitched. Instead of walking, my legs crouched down so that my way down consisted of slow waddling while in the shape of a ball.


    The process was painfully slow, but losing my balance at this point would be quite miserable.


    ...When would be the next time I ate?


    If my speed really was this slow, in an ironic twist of fate, death would be by starvation.


    My foot suddenly slipped, instead of hitting the ground it sunk deeply into the snow. My balance was lost and like a ball, rolled into the snow.


    ...Then the snow started to fall.


    It seems the mountain was even steeper than it appeared, the snow made it look flatter.


    The snow started from a little ripple to a huge wave, a wave that was carrying me down the mountain.


    Both of my hands immediately stabbed the stake down, in hopes to slow my descent. Unfortunately, the stake never hit any ground, only snow.


    A rumbling started to echo through the forest, like the thundering steps of giants.


    My eyes could no longer see the sky, it was obscured by a cloud of snow. Despite the lack of effectiveness, my hands were still holding onto the stake, in hopes it could catch something to slow my fall.


    ...My fall was only getting faster. It was so exhilarating, it felt like flying.


    The only problem was that there was also the looming presence of death hanging above me.


    My face was being battered with snow, not only that, but the snow had snuck into every crevice of my clothing.


    At some point, it simply felt like my body was levitating, emerging from the violent tides of snow.


    There was a bitter smile on my face, it seemed that my death was imminent.


    My eyes closed.


    For a moment, everything was empty.


    Something was squeezing me, it was like my body was submerged in water and the pressure was increasing.


    There was no air, my lungs painfully contracted until...


    My body was in the air. With a plop, my face landed right into the ground. There was a burning cold on my entire body.


    With a gasp for breath, my next course of action was to grit my teeth


    I shot up to my feet and began shaking my clothes, getting all the snow out.


    Feeling the chill dissipate, my breaths calmed.


    My head looked over my shoulder and there was a large hill or small mountain. After staring for a few more seconds, a mental note was imprinted into my head.


    Things may not be what they seem.


    Nonetheless, my mind began preparing some spells as my feet carried me forward.


    ...


    My lips were smacking, still relishing in the taste of a nice rabbit. There was definitely a huge gap between the taste of a raw lizard and cooked rabbit. Not to mention how nice it felt to drink some real water for once.


    I''m pretty confident I''m getting closer to the village, so far my eyes were able to spot two groups of one-horned demons.


    My judgement of distance was not the best, but it seemed to be a matter of time before the village was in sight.


    On the way, there was a two-horned demon. There was a theory that came to mind, and feeling ambitious I decided to test it out.


    Like a ghost, my steps gradually approached the demon. Rather than striking, my mind had other ideas.


    A wild wind was stirred up around me and my skin tore. My mind had already prepared Alyx''s spell and threw it at the demon.


    The demon started to convulse, shifting from black to red. My mind was casting Alyx''s spell. The demon soon recovered and glared at me.


    My figure stood there silently, just a few meters away.


    The demon charged but before it got near, it started to convulse once again. Suddenly a stake had pierced the demon''s head.


    Once the demon regained consciousness once again, it saw my figure a few meters away. It charged once more, but like last time began convulsing. This time, the stake pierced the demon''s neck.


    The demon regained its bearings and let out a roar.


    It raised its foot which began to glow with white light, then slammed it into the ground. Ice spread quickly and walls emerged which entrapped me with him.


    The demon was in a frenzy and started wildly swinging with its saber as it approached me.


    It once again started to convulse and a stake pierced its heart.


    The demon''s skin started to dull in color. It raised its saber with both hands and was about to swing down.


    But, both of his elbows were covered in ice.


    The demon glared at me with hatred, while my figure stood there, looking right back.


    The demon''s eyelids began to flutter. It was standing still as it bled out, but now it was slowly taking a step backward.


    The demon''s foot was trembling as it was set down. The demon slowly lifted its other foot and put it back too.


    The demon did not move for a few seconds, then like a string holding it was cut, it fell back. The demon was falling on its back, but the saber pierced the demon''s chest.


    With that, the demon was dead in a pool of its own blood.


    This time, I defeated the demon without sustaining any injuries from it. Though simply gathering mana caused quite a few on me.


    Gentle magic wrapped around me and the tears in my skin receded.


    My battle plan was based on the fact back in the cave. Since that three-horned demon was in such a horrible state from the prolonged absence of mana.


    The first cast of Alyx''s spell was to feel out the window of opportunity for me to stab it.


    As for the encase spell, it simply had many applications before, so naturally, I took advantage of it.


    My eyes were about to turn away from the demon''s corpse, but something shiny was coming from inside its chest.


    Taking a closer look, it seemed to be some sort of gemstone, it was mostly translucent and had a white tint. My thumb and index finger delicately plucked it out, while avoiding the blood.


    After shaking off the blood, my fingers twirled it around. The gemstone seemed to be crafted and it was done with even and sharp cuts.


    What could this be for?


    Curious, my mind tried to force mana into the gemstone. Nothing happened. My hand scratched the side of my head.


    My eyes closed and a sigh escaped from my lips.


    ...Did that three-horned demon have one of these as well?


    If this was valuable then that would be unfortunate.


    For a second, there was a consideration to go back in that cave to get it, but my head shook soon after.


    After pocketing the gem and a jump, my hands grasped the top of the ice wall.


    My figure melded with the trees.


    It was time to get to that damn village.

 Chapter 36 - Earth Emperor

    The demons became more numerous and more threatening. There were quite a few groups of one-horned demons and a few two-horned demons. Thankfully, they were unable to find me.


    My eyes ended up landing on a three-horned demon that appeared. It was towering, possibly double my height.


    The moment my eyes landed on it, the demon turned to face my direction. My head immediately snapped behind the tree I was standing behind.


    My mind casted the tunnel spell, and my hands hurriedly covered my head with snow.


    There were tremors coming in my direction. There was a rhythmic thump, footsteps, and there was also another tremor, it was constant and grating. Perhaps it was the mace?


    I did not feel prepared to take on a three-horned demon, as easy as the two-horned demon was to kill.


    The tremors stopped once it got near me.


    My heart was calm and my body was still.


    The demon did not seem to give up. There were occasional tremors coming from the same spot.


    Why was this thing so persistent? There clearly wasn''t anything to see!


    My lungs began aching, while my body was starting to feel numb.


    Damn...


    Finally, there were tremors that told me the demon was walking back.


    My head burst out of the snow, desperately my lungs wanted air, but I was trying to suppress the sound of the breaths. Though it was painful, my breaths were not loud and did not attract the attention of the demon.


    ...Alright, so no looking, no matter how curious I am.


    With that, my trek continued and the amount of demons I encountered started to drop drastically.


    My head peeked out from behind a tree and saw a clearing. The village was there and its walls.


    Before heading there, my stake was stuck in the ground. Hopefully, there would be no reason for me to be kicked out this time.


    It did not take long to get to the gate, after which a guard yelled at me.


    "Stop, identify yourself!"


    My eyes squinted. Above the wall were some guards, a smile appeared on my face."


    "Hey, my name''s Jay, I got lost and wanted to take shelter in this village."


    The guard that spoke looked towards the other guards, then back at me.


    "Alright, hold on one second."


    After a few moments, the gates were lifted, and with that, my foot was set into the village.


    The sight was very similar to how it was before, a bustling village filled with people that were free from worry.


    Lucas had rushed down and jogged over to me.


    "Hey, were you lost in that forest?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, but thankfully I was able to get to this village. By the way, do you know why this village is so peaceful?"


    Lucas looked at me and tilted his head.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    ...Is this guy serious?


    My finger pointed towards the villagers.


    "Well, nobody seems concerned about food, they are just... going about as if it doesn''t matter."


    Did I say too much? He wouldn''t think I was a spy or something right?


    ...I haven''t even been in the village for more than a few seconds.


    Lucas looked to where I was pointing then turned back to me.


    "Why would we be concerned about food?"


    This seemed to be more frustrating than I thought it would be.


    "Did you not notice the snow? Winter has come a year early, which means one year you would have used for food preparation is now gone."


    Lucas reached to scratch his head but made clanking sounds as it hit his helmet.


    "Oh, did winter come a year early? I wouldn''t know, but what do you mean a year for food preparation? Can''t you just grow the plants?"


    ...Huh?


    "You can grow plants in the winter?"


    "Yeah, why not?"


    My head shook.


    Whatever, I guess.


    "...Where do you grow the plants?"


    Lucas eagerly nodded.


    "Ah, yes I can show you."


    "Thanks."


    Lucas started to bring me through the village. Part of me thought that there might be some secret behind this village, that some evil lurked beneath.


    ...Yet everything seemed fine.


    Lucas looked over his shoulder.


    "Oh right Jay, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lucas."


    I nodded absentmindedly.


    "Ah, hi Lucas."


    The conversation trailed off and we continued to walk down the streets.


    There were some kids playing around, they were making small snowmen and just jumping around in the snow.


    Lucas had taken me to some giant glass building. As for overall size, it spanned much further than Ela''s palace and


    Within the building was a large patch of dirt with various crops growing on it. Currently, there were people harvesting, planting, and taking care of the crops inside.


    As Lucas was leading the way into the greenhouse there was a man who was pushing a wheelbarrow full of crops outside.


    The man took a look at us, then continued on his way.


    There were no guards, nor did anybody care that someone randomly just entered the place where food was grown.


    Was this not an important place to the villagers?


    My steps paused beside a cabbage. I crouched down and looked at it closely. Compared to the cabbages that were provided in the palace this one looked really large and brighter in color.


    Was it the cooking process?


    ...Even if cooking the cabbage would shrink it, the difference in size was nearly five times. It seems this village has some sort of way to grow things... better?


    My head turned to Lucas.


    "Hey, how are these crops so big?"


    Lucas tilted his head. He came over to me and crouched down next to me.


    "Hm... is it big? That seems to be a pretty normal size to me."


    ...Why did I even ask?


    Who was responsible for doing all of this?


    Did the village just so happen to turn out this way?


    A woman came over with a big smile.


    "Hey Lucas, your friend over there seems a bit sad, give him this potato. It was the biggest of the bunch."


    The woman tore off a potato from a clump and handed it to Lucas. Lucas started to laugh as well.


    "Haha, of course Paula, thanks."


    Wait... how was she able to recognize Lucas? Lucas was covered entirely with iron armor, the only reason I could tell was that he had come down to help me before.


    Were the people in this village that close to one another?


    My eyes regained their luster to see Lucas holding a really big potato in front of me. My trembling hand held onto it.


    "Thanks."


    Lucas laughed.


    "No problem."


    After taking one last scan, my foot stepped back out of the farm.


    "How did you guys make this..."


    Lucas followed me out.


    "Greenhouse."


    "Ah, yes greenhouse."


    Lucas let out a sigh of awe.


    "Haha, well the Earth Emperor was the one that made it."


    Earth Emperor?


    "Who is the Earth Emperor?"


    Lucas put his hand to his chin.


    "Hmm... To put it simply he achieved... enlightenment? I think it was enlightenment with earth magic. If I remember correctly he simply decided to create this village. It was said that within a few days he had already created the walls surrounding the village and every individual house."


    What?


    My eyes scanned the houses a little closer. Instead of brick, they seemed to be one solid stone. The windows seemed to meld with the house itself and the door was actually some brown rock, not wood.


    "The Earth Emperor really did all this?"


    Lucas smiled.


    "It is pretty amazing."


    My palm rubbed against my temple.


    "Is the Earth Emperor here?"


    Lucas nodded.


    "Yeah, why?"


    A long sigh escaped from my mouth.


    "Could you... take me to him?"


    Lucas shrugged his shoulders.


    "Ok."


    Lucas once again led the way while my steps were right behind him. My fingers were fiddling with my coat.


    "Lucas?"


    Lucas turned his head back.


    "Yeah?"


    My eyes were staring off into a tavern we passed by.


    "If the Earth Emperor didn''t exist, how do you think this village would function?"


    Lucas put a fist to his chin.


    "Hmm... I presume there wouldn''t be a village in the first place. He did make the entire village after all."


    My head shook.


    "Ah right, that is a good point."


    Lucas led me to the middle of the village. There was a massive pillar with a sphere-like top. The height was nothing to throw a fit about, but it was very wide.


    "Is this where the Earth Emperor is?"


    Lucas nodded.


    "You can talk to the person you see inside there."


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "Alright, thanks for everything Lucas. I''m sure you have other things to do, you can go on ahead."


    Lucas threw his head back as he laughed.


    "Well, there really isn''t much for a guard to do, so don''t worry about it. I''ll see you later Jay."


    My hand waved.


    "Goodbye Lucas."


    Lucas waved and then made his way back from where we came.


    The doors to the massive pillar towered above me, and my hand pushed it aside.

 Chapter 37 - Meaning Of Power

    My foot stepped down in the room. There was a carpet and rows of chairs to the sides. There was a desk at the end of the room and there was a young lady sitting behind it.


    The lady was resting her head on her hand. Her long blonde hair was scattered across the desk and her eyes were closed while her eyelids were fluttering.


    I walked up to the desk.


    "Um, hello?"


    The lady jumped with a start.


    "Mm... ah yes?"


    One of her eyes had been half open while the other was closed. She began to stretch her arms and yawned. My index finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Um... I was told I could meet the Earth Emperor here?"


    The lady was mostly awake now.


    "Oh, yes just wait and you can meet him."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    The lady cleared her throat.


    "If the Earth Emperor allows you to see him, a door will naturally form."


    ...I''m sorry, what?


    "So... I just wait?"


    The lady nodded.


    "Yeah, why do you want to visit the Earth Emperor anyway?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess it''s to ask about how he made such a nice village."


    The lady chuckled.


    "Oh really? I suppose it is a pretty nice village."


    A smile lingered on her lips as her eyes started to close once again.


    Shortly after, the chairs to my left suddenly melted. The ground rose and there was a large spiral staircase up the pillar. The lady peeked through one of her eyes.


    "You can go now."


    I nodded and began heading up the stairs. There was a wall in front of me when my foot was set on the steps. Whenever my feet would take a step, the wall would recede, clearing the way.


    The staircase soon stopped forming and a room that was filled with stone slowly receded away. What was left was a large room and... a big white ball?


    After walking a few steps closer the ball suddenly split in two and the halves melded into the ground.


    A young looking man was revealed from within. He had white robes and a modestly toned figure. His hand was holding onto a staff that was as high as him. The staff itself had a large bulbous top that gradually led to a flat tip at the bottom.


    His eyes were closed and he was looking to the right.


    His brown hair was a little long for a guy and his mouth was in a small frown. Thankfully the frown didn''t seem to be of displeasure, but his neutral face.


    My mouth opened, then closed. The man opened his eyes, which shone a bright green.


    "Hello, my name is Leon. What is yours?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh, Jay, the name''s Jay."


    Leon turned to face me.


    "Hi Jay, why did you wish to see me?"


    My mouth dried up.


    "Uh... Well... I came here from my own village a little far away."


    Leon sighed.


    "And?"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "And... and..."


    The answer was right in front of me.


    Next thing I knew my knees were on the ground.


    I was scared.


    My hand clutched onto my head, trying to dig into my scalp.


    I don''t know why, but I didn''t want to hear the answer.


    Leon closed his eyes.


    "There is no rush, take your time."


    My breaths started to calm.


    ...I had to get the answer. There was no turning back here.


    "How..."


    My voice was shaking.


    "How did you get rid of the evil?"


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "What is this evil you speak of?"


    My hand was covering my face.


    "The village... is so peaceful. People aren''t trying to capture each other or kill each other for a piece of food. How... how did you do it?"


    Leon opened his eyes again and had a long look at me.


    "You wish to know how to create peace?"


    I nodded.


    "Yes..."


    Leon''s voice deepened.


    "To start, you must ask yourself why does evil happen?"


    Leon began pacing around the room, using his staff as a cane.


    "People naturally have the desire to survive. When this is threatened one will attempt to protect it. Especially when it comes to survival, there are few that can care for others before their own needs are found. As such, they will take the selfish route."


    Leon paused and looked at the floor.


    "This route entails doing what they believe will help them. This tends to lead to stealing, killing, and simply sabotaging others if it has a chance of benefiting them."


    Leon''s free hand opened in front of him and his eyes looked deeply into it.


    "Even if it is ironically reducing their chances of survival, few can actually see the greater picture. In the end, after seeing someone else steal or kill, they will soon do the same. People are simply foolish like that. They simply are unable to think to an extent that is logical."


    My body was sprawled on the floor. Leon clenched his hand.


    "So the first avenue most think is to go feed them, give them the necessities they need so that their own stupidity does not kill themselves. This does prevent some from acting out, however, you will see more problems."


    The walls started to melt, and the only thing left were pillars that supported the roof. Leon stared off into the sky.


    "Living simply isn''t enough for most. Humans are incomparably greedy, trying to get whatever they possibly can. This means they will attempt to seize power and use that power to take advantage of others. Not necessarily even because they wish to, but just to bask in the idea they can."


    Leon''s fist released.


    "So how do you control these people? People, who are so willing to use their power to ruin and kill others?"


    A smirk was forming on Leon''s face.


    "You must go back to their desire to survive. For those that act out of line, show them the threat of death. Only when true helplessness and fear is in every cell of their body will their greed calm."


    My brows were furrowed.


    "How could I do that?"


    Leon paused. The words only came out after a few moments.


    "Power"


    My brows furrowed harder.


    "Power?"


    Leon laughed.


    "I have the ability to give all these people shelter, food, and safety. Yet, on a whim, I could kill every single person here and they would not even know they were dead. Not to mention, if I so desired, my magic could trap every person underground, giving me the choice to let them suffocate or slowly starve to death."


    Chills were sent down my spine. Leon turned to face me.


    "That is power."


    Tears started to fall down my face.


    Perhaps it''s because I already knew the answer.


    Leon''s staff tapped the floor.


    "Power is choice. Choice over your own fate as well as others. If you are willing to protect it, you can create your own peace. This is the meaning of power."


    My hand clenched.


    "But... How do I become powerful?"


    Leon''s expression became neutral.


    "You must be willing to break yourself. To open your mind, foregoing temptation and grasping a goal. To challenge what you fear and fight it head on."


    Leon puffed out his chest.


    "When I encounter enemies I do not hide or back down. I let them find me and while I show them why they should be afraid. To be right in front of me, yet helpless to do anything."


    A small smile appeared on Leon''s face.


    "And you have already been doing that haven''t you? Just your coat made by your prey shows that, while your eyes show you have been through even more."


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    There were never shortcuts. No easy way to accomplish things.


    Deep in my heart, I knew that. That nothing could come by easily.


    I guess I just needed someone to tell me that.


    "Thanks, this is for the advice."


    My hand took out and tossed the translucent gemstone that came from a demon.


    Leon deftly caught it.


    "What is this?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "That I do not know, but it came out of a demon with two horns so there should be some value in it."


    Leon''s eyebrow raised.


    "A demon? Are you killing demons? We are at peace with them, no?"


    My head slowly shook.


    "Apparently the Demon King died and now demons are coming for humans... Oh right, there are some demons that look like they want to attack the village."


    Leon furrowed his brows. Leon tapped the ground with his staff.


    "Alright, hold on for a moment."


    Suddenly, my face smacked into the platform. There was a strong force pushing me to the ground and my hands were desperately trying to keep me up.


    Did Leon cast a gravity spell?


    What did I do to him?


    The force started to lessen and my lungs were heaving, trying to get in oxygen.


    ...But it was really hard to breathe, the air was thin.


    My eyes looked up, to see very tiny specks of snow covered trees.


    Ah, it wasn''t something pushing me down, but something pushing up...


    The roof above us melted, as did the small pillars, leaving us standing on a bare platform.


    Snow was gently falling and the sky darkened.


    My eyes landed on Leon''s fearless back as meteors began to blot out the sky.

 Chapter 38 - Encounter

    There was a faint trembling, a prelude to the disaster to come.


    The meteors were unrelenting, shaking the earth as they landed.


    Trees were blown away, and massive craters were left in their wake. The earth cracked, revealing magma that started to rise.


    Chunks of the earth rose and fell like boats in the raging sea.


    Then... It was calm.


    The earth melded back into a flat plain. The only evidence that anything happened was a peculiar space in the forest where there were no trees.


    ...Why can he just... do that?


    Small pillars rose around the platform and the roof returned.


    The massive pillar started to lower, making me feel as though I was constantly on the edge of falling.


    In the middle of the platform, various gemstones started to burst out, they looked like the one Leon was holding in his hand.


    There were many tiny ones that were about the size of a pea. There were quite a few the size of a tennis ball, like the one Leon was holding. There were even a couple that had a diameter that was over double the previous ones.


    Leon took one of the bigger ones and threw it to me.


    "Here, for the information."


    My hands hastily caught it. My eyes examined the gemstone, it looked so delicately made.


    "Say, Leon. How did you get so powerful?"


    Leon smirked.


    "I had a journey, and eventually my destination ended up being here."


    ...How was I going to understand something so vague?


    Oh, maybe that''s the point.


    "Which direction should I go?"


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "How about this way?"


    Leon slowly raised his finger towards the opposite direction of his bombardment.


    My head turned in that direction.


    "Alright, thanks Leon."


    The room started to fill with stone until Leon''s body was almost submerged. Only his face was above the rock, and he was staring at me.


    "No problem Jay."


    The stone sealed him up, leaving me to walk back down the stairs.


    ...


    I had left the village and was now going through the snow in the direction that Leon pointed. The sun was beginning to set.


    Wait, I forgot to ask Leon if he knew the use of those gemstones.


    ...Ah, whatever.


    In my hand was still the potato that Lucas and that woman gave me. It was currently being roasted in my hand. My coat was covering my hand so that the heat didn''t burn it.


    After a sniff, a big bite was taken out of the potato. It was not bad.


    My stake was in my hand and it was out of the blast radius, thankfully.


    Once again, my visage melded with the trees to stalk the forest.


    From one tree to another, my foot would land behind. Constantly my head was down circling around, to see if anything was nearby.


    Yet, there was not a living thing for quite the distance. Well, other than trees.


    It seemed that most of the wildlife were still shaken up by the tremors and were in hiding.


    My body was getting weary.


    When was the last time I slept?


    ...Night had soon approached, but other than darkening, my vision was not obstructed. The black crystal was tied onto my arm.


    Perhaps it would have been smart to sleep, yet my steps continued forward.


    My eyes could make out a clearing in the distance.


    My head was lowered and peeked from behind a tree, while my heart rate slowed.


    There was a large pond of ice. Two people were in the middle of the ice pond... talking to each other.


    Osric, the king of wolves, was talking to... Mark?


    They both had smiles and were glaring at each other. They were around two meters apart.


    Mark had his hands behind his back while Osric was rubbing his hand on his chin.


    Was Mark not... cold?


    He was only wearing some rags, but that didn''t seem to bother him.


    There was no way for me to hear what they were saying without getting much closer, but that didn''t seem to be the best idea.


    What is Mark doing out here? Talking with Osric no less...


    I should leave.


    My head was pulled back slowly. But, in the corner of my vision, Mark suddenly turned to look at me.


    My heart clenched. Did he see me?


    "You know, you''re just like an assassin but don''t seem like one at the same time."


    There was a voice above me. Mark was in the tree above me, standing up straight. He had a big smile on his face. A shaky smile appeared on my face.


    "Ah, well... I mostly picked up some things from animals, I''m not really one that does assassin work."


    Mark laughed.


    "Techniques you learn from animals should be used for animals, not people."


    A white mist approached and coalesced into Osric.


    "Hmm... What an interesting lad we have here. I''m surprised you were able to see us so easily. You are wearing a coat made from a wolf?"


    Beads of sweat formed on my head despite how cold it was.


    How did I get myself into this situation?


    "S-Sorry, I only killed one wolf ok?"


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "Haha, why are you so concerned about whether or not I care about wolves?"


    My head tilted.


    "Aren''t you the king of wolves, Osric?"


    Mark chuckled. Ignoring Mark, Osric narrowed his eyes.


    "...May I ask how you know that?"


    Ah, right I forgot.


    "...Well the name of Osric spreads far, you are the wolf king after all!"


    There was a moment of silence. Osric''s eyelid twitched.


    "...I have yet to tell anyone my name."


    ...What the.


    Why did you tell me your name so casually before then?


    Mark laughed.


    "So your name is Osric? I suppose you could have chosen worse names."


    Osric was frowning.


    "Do not interfere with my business. How did you know my name?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "...Well you kinda told me."


    Osric grit his teeth.


    "I haven''t told anyone!"


    Mark was smiling.


    "Haha... he''s not lying."


    Osric''s lip twitched.


    "What?"


    Mark sighed.


    "Come on... Osric, we have business to take care of."


    Mark suddenly disappeared and Osric frowned but turned into a mist and started to travel somewhere.


    ...That was a strange encounter. A bit of sweat formed on my forehead thinking of how bad that almost was.


    Thankfully, they seemed to have something more important to do than deal with me.


    Taking one last look around me, my curiosity made me approach the ice pond.


    There was nothing in particular that made the place look special.


    Yet... I wanted to step in it.


    My foot was set down in the ice pond.


    For a second, a realization came to me. There was no reason to go to this place, there were no trees to hide behind. It would only needlessly expose me.


    Massive ice walls rose at the edges of the pond. The land began terraforming into a hill-like structure.


    Those two were just casually in this place?


    While my time was spent thinking, skeletal hands rose from underneath the ice. The hands pulled themselves out to reveal skeletal bodies.


    My eyes looked to my stake, then back to the skeletons.


    This might be a little difficult.


    Ten skeletons slowly turned to me and began to walk in my direction. The skeletons awkwardly twitched as they walked and loudly made grinding sounds as they moved.


    Wind wildly whipped around me and my skin tore open.


    I prayed in my heart and threw Alyx''s spell that was prepared beforehand.


    Surely there was some sort of magic at work right?


    The spell landed on a group of skeletons that were approaching me... and did nothing.


    After clicking my tongue, my legs raced towards the right edge of the encirclement.


    The skeleton at the farthest right reached for me with both of its bony hands.


    Mana spread across the tip of my finger and ice encased both of the skeleton''s hands. The skeleton froze in place, giving me time to run past it.


    My eyes peered over my shoulder to see the skeleton crack, then shatter the ice in a few seconds.


    ...Maybe using ice against skeletons that could climb out of solid ice was a bad idea.


    The skeletons did not follow any strategy, they simply took the most direct path towards me. So long as my steps are planned, they shouldn''t be able to encircle me.


    As my footsteps went around the hill, my mind was casting a firebolt. The skeletons started to scale up the hill to take a path straight towards me.


    My firebolt was thrown to the skeleton closest to the right edge again as it could cut me off the easiest.


    My eyes followed the firebolt as it collided into the skeleton''s chest.


    The skeleton took a few steps back, but there was no visible damage, and was up and ready to run towards me again.


    A deep frown appeared on my face.


    This was bad...


    None of my spells seemed to have any meaningful effect on them.


    From how easily the skeleton could shatter the ice encasing, their physical strength seemed to be a little unfair.


    Do they have a weakness?


    ....Mark and Osric. They were standing in the middle, maybe that meant something would be there?

 Chapter 39 - Thirst

    My foot suddenly stopped.


    My eyes looked straight towards the skeletons that were quickly approaching. My arms were crossed and put in front of my chest, my chin was tucked in so that my neck was covered.


    Then my legs bolted forward.


    My mind was ready to activate the healing spell and like a game of red rover that was taken too far, rushed straight towards them.


    My charge was aimed to be between two skeletons, who both reached out towards me.


    Their bony fingers were sharp, tearing deeply into my forearms. My teeth grit painfully, but my steps continued forward.


    My charge was able to barely push through their arms. My momentum was greatly slowed and there was a swipe on my back.


    The loss of blood made my consciousness waver, but a gentle feeling covered my wounds and let me continue running at full speed.


    After rushing straight for the middle, my eyes locked on a pedestal there, filling me with hope.


    Upon reaching the pedestal, my eyes quickly inspected it.


    The pedestal was white and at the top was a large indent, as if something used to be there...


    A hint of despair seeped into my heart.


    In desperation, my hand pulled out the large gemstone that Leon gave me.


    Pushing it into the indent, there was a large rumbling.


    ...But, the gemstone began to crack and shattered into pieces.


    The rumbling stopped and something pierced my back.


    My vision darkened.


    ...


    "Um, why are you here?"


    ...


    Running...


    My feet were pounding hard onto the grass.


    My breath was ragged and heaving.


    My right arm was dangling uselessly to the side while my left hand held a small knife.


    There was a lush green forest in front of me, while a village was behind me.


    There were people chasing after me, one was flying through the air. It was a man with red robes and brown hair. He was currently chanting a spell with both hands in front of him and his eyes closed.


    There was also a man running, but his feet hardly touched the floor as wind pushed him forward. He was in white clothes while holding a wooden staff that had a spell mostly conjured on top of it. Other than a small frown, his face was expressionless.


    The last person was a young man in tight fitting black clothes simply running as fast as he could. His eyes were narrowed and he had a refined running posture.


    Despite being in such a perilous situation there was a smile on my face.


    The red robed man''s eyes suddenly flew open and a large ball of fire was launched towards me.


    My hand holding the knife aimed forward and there was sudden pulling that stretched my whole body. For a split second my vision was black and there was a tight sensation wrapping around me.


    The next moment, my figure reappeared a few meters forward, while a crater had been left by the explosion of a fireball.


    Within a few seconds, the spell above the staff finished and countless miniature wind blades surrounded me.


    My chin tucked in and my good arm was held in front of my chest.


    The wind blades pierced me, but before they did any real damage, my figure disappeared and reappeared a few meters forward.


    My knees immediately buckled and my head was sent backward, like a limbo champion.


    While I was wondering what my body was doing, a leg brushed past my face. The man wearing black had whipped his leg where my face just was.


    My legs nimbly navigated the forest, as did the rest of them.


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Of all people, I thought you guys could understand me."


    The man in black clothes sneered.


    "As if we could understand the workings of a murderer."


    The man holding the staff frowned.


    "You believe there is a comparison to be made between us?"


    The man in red robes furrowed his brows.


    "How could we understand why you killed so many innocent people?"


    A wild laugh broke out of me.


    "Innocent? You think that those people are innocent? They beat me, whipped me, and made me starve. They only got the retribution they deserved! Yet, I am the murderer? The one who killed innocents?"


    The man holding the staff clicked his tongue.


    "You were captured, and that is your own fault."


    My eyelid began twitching.


    "So I can''t even fight back? I question your intelligence."


    The man in black clothes frowned.


    "At least we are not insane, like you."


    A giggle seeped through my lips.


    "I''m insane? You all are the crazy ones defending pieces of filth."


    The man in red robes grit his teeth.


    "No matter how justified you think you are, YOU HAD NO REASON TO WANTONLY MURDER."


    A bitter smile appeared on my lips.


    "It seems we won''t come to an agreement."


    My feet pushed hard off the ground, launching me in the air. My body curled into a ball.


    My surroundings began to warp violently. Trees were uprooted and the ground was lifted


    The three that were chasing me paused and watched me disappear.


    There was a violent shaking, like a being on a rollercoaster that was on the verge of breaking. There was an increasing pressure as if my body was slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean.


    Suddenly a bright light hit my face, my body was sprawled out on top of a tree.


    My breathing was very ragged and my body was mostly limp.


    My body was laying there for a while.


    Time passed and the sun started to fall. My eyes began to flutter and were about to close.


    Then my figure disappeared and reappeared on the ground.


    Behind me, a tree was knocked over and burning.


    The three were already on my tail, chasing.


    My eyes narrowed and a sharp breath was sucked into my lungs.


    After stepping behind a tree, a light feeling wrapped around me.


    My figure reappeared behind another tree, out of their vision.


    This process repeated itself until the three had no idea where to find me.


    They split it up into three directions.


    The man in black clothes ended up going in my direction. My foot stopped for a moment and paused behind a tree.


    The footsteps quickly approached, but before he got too close, my figure disappeared and reappeared behind him.


    There was a crafty smile plastered across my face.


    Then it quickly turned into a frown.


    The man had noticed me and was already on my tail.


    " HE IS HERE."


    Turning around to face the man, now I was charging him as well.


    My knife was held out and a tight feeling wrapped around me.


    My figure disappeared and reappeared behind the man with black clothes.


    The person in question fell down to his knees while his hands were tightly clutching his chest.


    This time there was no hiding, just running.


    My eyes peered over my shoulder to see the three together. The man with black clothes raised one hand to point towards me.


    Yet, instead of chasing, the two of them helped the man with black clothes up and retreated.


    My steps continued forward and the night was fast approaching.


    "If only... I had more power... with more power... I can do anything..."


    My forehead was uncomfortably hot and the air around me started to feel cold.


    There was a two-horned demon in the forest ahead that noticed me.


    It lifted its saber and charged for an overhead swing.


    My foot slowly raised, but the rest of me was still.


    The moment the saber swung down, my foot stepped to the side.


    The saber brushed right next to me and sunk deep into the earth, while my knife plunged into the wrists of the demon.


    This... way of fighting is so reckless.


    The demon let go of the saber and attempted to swing its fist at me, but my body lunged backward, only feeling the effects of the wind from its strike.


    Before the strike finished, my knife plunged into the side of the demon''s chest. The demon tried to grab me but my figure was too elusive.


    My knife nicked the top of the demon''s hand, after which, it roared. Its foot lifted up with a white glow and slammed down.


    A ripple traveled across the ground and earth walls appeared around us.


    The demon swung its arms around wildly, yet it always seemed to be just a touch away from hitting.


    The walls didn''t seem to obstruct me, instead, it was the demon that ended up ramming into the walls most of the time.


    My knife was not still. Little nicks appeared on the demon''s elbow, wrists, and neck.


    The demon started to slow down, after which my knife cut into the back of its knees.


    The demon proceeded to fall down to its knees and gradually stopped moving.


    There was a smirk on my face. My knife went into the demon''s chest and plucked out a translucent gemstone.


    My teeth bit down onto the gemstone, while my hand pushed the knife into a compartment in my belt.


    My hand took the gemstone out of my mouth and gripped it tightly.


    There was... mana flowing into my arm.


    After climbing out of the earth pit my figure returned to the forest.


    And continued running.

 Chapter 40 - Beer

    My eyes flew open.


    My body was... snug in a bed.


    "Ah, you are awake?"


    My vision was blurry, but when my head turned over, an outline of Mildred reached my eyes.


    "Mildred?"


    Mildred tilted her head.


    "Eh, so you were awake at that time, why did you pretend you were asleep?"


    My mind couldn''t fully process what Mildred was saying.


    "Hmm?"


    Mildred was silent for a few moments.


    "Ah, I suppose you might have been flickering between states of consciousness. My bad for assuming things."


    ...Huh?


    "What is happening?"


    Mildred sighed.


    "You have been summoned from your world into ours. This world differs from yours as there is magic. You have a couple of companions you were summoned with. But anyway, what is your name?"


    My eyelids fluttered.


    "Jay..."


    Mildred smiled and picked up a plate of food with a fork.


    "Well Jay, would you like some food?"


    ...I was really hungry.


    After nodding, I finished a simple meal that was a little cold.


    "Where is everyone else?"


    Mildred twiddled with her fingers.


    "They are currently at magic school, learning some new spells and such."


    Spells? Having more spells memorized would be nice.


    "Ah, can I go too?"


    Mildred was smiling but the corner of her lip twitched.


    "Well, you would need a specific registration to attend. Sorry, there were no arrangements made for you yet, I will get to work on them."


    ...Well, I guess a day was wasted.


    "Could I still practice spells? Do you have any spells for me to look at?"


    Mildred chuckled.


    "You are so eager to learn new spells, there is no rush is there?"


    Rush? What else was I supposed to do?


    "Can I not learn any spells? There doesn''t seem to be much else to do."


    The corner of Mildred''s lip turned up.


    "How about I show you? Can you walk?"


    Instinctively I wanted to say no, but before the words left my lips, I forced them back.


    "Yeah."


    Slowly my body rose from the bed. Mildred grabbed my hand and pulled me up.


    "Let me show you around the town."


    Mildred took me to the palace entrance and my eyes laid upon the town once more.


    For a moment, I was reminded of how curious I was upon encountering the bustling village.


    There was still a lingering fear in the back of my mind, but Mildred was next to me, which more or less expelled it.


    Mildred and I walked down a cobblestone path.


    The light of the sun was weak and the weather was comfortably warm.


    People were going to and fro, making the roads were crowded and lively.


    Mildred turned to look at me.


    "Where you were just in the palace you will be living in. Surrounding the palace are various places that contain different amenities. These include things such as schools, taverns, and shops."


    I nodded absentmindedly.


    There was a man at a small stand. He was trying his best to sell pieces of parchment that had various ink designs on them. Though it wasn''t the best of art, it was commendable and a few people were inspecting them or deciding on a price.


    "It seems people are pretty lively huh?"


    Mildred had a soft smile.


    "That is to be expected. This place has ten years of winter and ten years of summer, and right now it is the last year before winter. As such, people are trying their best to enjoy the last bits of summer before it disappears."


    Mildred sighed.


    "This is especially so for the people that have gone through a winter. During the winter, everyone tries their best to tide through it. If possible, people do not leave their houses and have to be very conservative about what they eat. In the end, days simply pass as one fights their hunger to reduce how much they eat."


    Mildred perked up.


    "Oh, that''s right. We will have a celebration within the last month. This celebration is quite the magnificent one and is how most have their last bit of fun before the relentless winter comes back."


    For a second, this celebration became something I anticipated, but then I remembered it would never happen.


    ...If only winter did not come early.


    "Winter sounds like quite the miserable experience people must face."


    Mildred nodded but kept a smile on her face.


    "Indeed, but perhaps such a harsh time reminds us to enjoy things while they last. Sometimes it is simply too hard to notice we have something that matters to us until it is lost."


    A small sigh escaped my lips.


    "I guess..."


    Mildred stopped and pulled my arm back.


    "Let''s check out the tavern."


    Mildred held my hand and dragged me through the crowds of people both entering and exiting the tavern.


    The place was quite big and the place was boisterous. People were laughing and talking up a storm. There were no available seats, but we went up to the bartender.


    The bartender was a middle-aged man who was happily chatting with another man while pouring a drink for him.


    We took a seat that was right where the bartender manned a table.


    He soon came around to us.


    "Hey, came for a beer?"


    Mildred nodded and pressed a silver down on the table with her finger, sliding it over to him.


    "Two small ones."


    The man took it and looked through some cabinets before taking two small mugs out and pouring some beer into it from a pitcher. After rummaging around some more, he took out a few ice cubes and put them into our mugs. He had a wide smile on his face.


    "Enjoy lads."


    Mildred took a sip, so I followed.


    It was cold and didn''t really taste like anything. Why were so many people drinking this stuff?


    Mildred suddenly tilted the mug all the way back and slammed the mug on the table.


    "One more!"


    The corner of Mildred''s lip twitched and then she shook her head.


    "Sorry, sorry I meant no more."


    The bartender raised an eyebrow.


    "Not feeling it today huh?"


    The bartender was quick to serve someone else after. My hand tilted back and forced the uncomfortable liquid down my mouth.


    Mildred then held my hand and pushed through the crowd to get back outside.


    We continued to walk down the streets. Mildred laughed to herself.


    "I always get some beer when I can. I make sure to only drink a little throughout the day so that people can''t tell. My lips do get a little loose because of that though."


    Mildred started to swing my arm around.


    "Beer is how I enjoy myself. It is pretty much how everyone does. Once it kicks in you''ll understand why I showed you this instead of spells."


    There were large patches of land that looked like it was worked on. Houses were less frequent here and were relatively large. Mildred looked out into the fields where a few people were hoeing the fields.


    "This is where the food is produced, because of the long winters we have large amounts of farmland to stock up on food."


    My vision started to spin a little... and my steps... were not that straight.


    Mildred was more or less... holding me up as my feet stumbled about.


    My hand... was clutching my head.


    Mildred stopped, pulling me back. She nearly made me trip.


    Mildred... crouched down.


    "Up ahead is where people who were not part of the village live... it''s best not to go there if possible."


    My eyelids started to open and close out of sync.


    The ground... was close... I was on my knees.


    Like a tide... it overwhelmed me.


    Sadness... I was sad.


    "It''s so hard... so hard..."


    There were a few tear stains on the ground.


    "It hurts... so bad..."


    I started to sniffle uncontrollably. There was a... warm feeling on my head.


    My head turned over to see Mildred. Mildred had a sad smile.


    "At least there is beer to comfort us."


    A thought... that was pushed so far down... bubbled up.


    "Why... do I have to exist..."


    Tears were streaming... down my face.


    "Why can''t... this world go on without me."


    I... was rocking back and forth.


    "It has gone for so long without me... why does it need me now..."


    Mildred was also crying.


    "There is no reason we exist... it just happens... and we have to deal with it."


    Memories flashed in my mind.


    The time I climbed out of the canyon flashed into my mind. It was so challenging... such a great achievement.


    But... I didn''t want to do it anymore.


    I was tired.


    It was hard.


    And it hurt.


    "Why do I have to go through this? I... don''t want to keep going."


    Mildred hugged me... tightly.


    "I don''t know... I don''t know... like a cruel trick of fate... cursing us with misery."


    My eyes met with Mildred''s. She was smiling... but her lips were violently trembling.


    "I suppose... what makes us keep going... is hope."


    Mildred''s features became clear to me. She had short and light brown hair that was pushed aside by the winds, powerless to stop them. Her eyes were a bright blue, it felt like her worries were held behind by them. But right now, nothing was hidden. Her body was trembling like a leaf that could be blown away.


    A bitter smile appeared on my lips.


    "Hope is such a cruel thing."

 Chapter 41 - Protect

    Mildred had taken me back to the palace. The sun had disappeared once we were back in the palace. Mildred went to her room while I went to mine.


    After laying in the bed, it seemed sleep would not come to me. Though my body was weary and tired, my mind refused to sleep.


    My eyes stared meaninglessly into the ceiling.


    I started to think about what I said before in my light drunken state.


    In reality, I didn''t know those were my actual thoughts.


    I guess they had been buried so far that I had been able to fool myself entirely.


    The only thing I was thinking before then was to become more powerful. I just wanted to be stronger so that these horrible things didn''t happen.


    Even if Mildred, Ela, Ned, Alyx, and Erin did not remember what we have been through...


    Even if any power I got would be lost when I died.


    Even if I was weak.


    I wanted to be strong to protect them all.


    I just wanted to be able to live without worries with them.


    But...


    It seems my heart disagreed with me.


    My willpower wasn''t iron.


    It was easily shaken... and broken.


    It felt so easy to just give up.


    Every step forward, I would crumble a little more.


    So... what happens when there is nothing left?


    When I can no longer fight?


    ...


    After throwing the blanket off me, my hand pushed open the door to my room.


    The palm of my other hand was rubbing against my temple.


    Alyx was standing in the hallway.


    Her eyes were glazed over and puffy, like mine. Her head was ever so slightly lowered and was frowning lightly.


    Even though my presence was right in front of her, it was as though she could not even see me.


    My finger lightly scratched the side of my head.


    "Hey..."


    Alyx blinked, then slowly turned to me.


    "Hello... My name is Alyx, what is yours?."


    Oh yeah... I''m a stranger right now.


    "Jay."


    There was a moment of silence in the hallway. A bitter chuckle escaped me.


    "I guess we can''t really sleep, huh?"


    Alyx smiled for a moment before it turned back into a slight frown.


    "It appears to be that way, yes..."


    There was another moment of silence. Alyx looked up and faced me.


    "So what brings you out here?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "...Haha, I guess reality is hitting me in the face. That I was never someone strong enough to protect someone else."


    Alyx covered part of her face with her hand.


    "Ah... is that so?"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "Is anyone truly strong enough to protect someone else?"


    My lips slowly parted.


    "What?"


    Alyx shook her head.


    "Well, trying to protect yourself is already hard enough, you know? How are you supposed to extend even further and reach others?"


    Memories of Mildred floated up to the surface.


    My head shook.


    "Some people can do it..."


    Alyx laughed bitterly.


    "Really? How sure are you about it?"


    My brows furrowed.


    "...I am pretty sure."


    Alyx walked to a wall and leaned on it.


    "But... are things always as they seem? As simple as we wish it to be, it always ends up infinitely complicated."


    The palm of my hand rubbed against my temple.


    "That sounds like an exaggeration."


    Alyx''s fingers reached out to the tips of her long hair and played with it.


    "Let me tell you a story."


    The corner of my lip twitched, but my back still leaned on the wall next to Alyx.


    Alyx raised a few strands of hair and looked at it.


    "For most of my life, I was muddling along. Unsure of what the future would bring, unsure of what happened in the past, and unsure of even what was going on in the present. I was never good at anything, nor could I get the motivation to work hard."


    Alyx''s eyes glazed over.


    "But... one day a little girl came up to me, she was called Erin. For no rhyme or reason, she greeted me with such a beautiful smile and innocent eyes. It was a little splash of color in such a dull world. Unknowingly, I had already greeted her back."


    Alyx sighed.


    "Erin went off to play at the beach. As for me, the reason I was there had already escaped me. My eyes were unable to leave Erin and I was unconsciously walking towards her. She had a bright smile on her face, enjoying things for what they were, as small as it all was."


    Alyx closed her eyes.


    "She was pure innocence. It was the first time I had ever seen innocence. I... wanted it so bad. Even if it was only a little, there was a desperate urge inside me to cling on."


    Alyx began twirling her hair.


    "First I was just following her, as she skipped along. Then she started to run. From then on, I could no longer lie to myself, I was chasing after her."


    Alyx''s fingers paused.


    "But even though she wasn''t trying, she ran faster than me. My body was too weak to keep up. Soon I began panting, running as fast as I could, yet she slipped just a little more from my grasp every second."


    Alyx held a few strands of hair between her thumb and index finger.


    "Then... I lost her. I had no idea where she went. My head looked in one direction, then another. Was she this way? Or that way? The hesitation made my feet unable to move. While the feeling that she was getting further and further made despair crawl in my heart."


    Alyx''s index finger and thumb pressed hard on the strands of hair.


    "It felt so lonely. My breathing became erratic and a panic attack settled in. Then... there was crying in the distance. Before I could even process what it meant, my legs desperately ran towards the crying."


    Alyx''s knuckle became white.


    "Despite being so tired, it was like my body could not even recognize it, making me fly towards her. Soon Erin came into my vision. She was curled up in a ball as a small dog was slowly approaching her."


    Alyx''s breathing became uneven.


    "I was never a brave person. Yet I was standing in front of Erin and would not back down. It was so scary, but whenever I thought about Erin who was behind me, my trembling legs would remain standing."


    Alyx chuckled.


    "In the end, the dog was a coward as well and ran off after a few barks. My legs could no longer support me, and I collapsed onto the ground. Erin rushed over and wrapped with me a soft hug."


    A small smile formed on Alyx''s face.


    "She kept asking me if I was ok, but I was more than ok. It was the best I had felt my entire life. Erin''s embrace felt so warm... and comfy."


    Alyx opened her eyes.


    "From then, it was always me standing between Erin and whatever scared her."


    A small sigh escaped from Alyx''s mouth.


    "I would always be by her side, to help her out with even the small things."


    A small frown emerged on Alyx''s face.


    "At some point in time, I believed I was the one that sheltered her. I believed that without me, Erin would be unable to live her life properly. Somewhere along the line, I convinced myself that I was strong."


    The inner corner of Alyx''s eyebrows twitched and angled upwards.


    "Just earlier today, Erin and I were practicing spells. I was so excited when I thought there was something special about the magic I had access to. Yet, the only thing I could do was stare helplessly at my spellbook."


    A tear fell down Alyx''s face.


    "Then... It hit me hard. Erin was able to cast a spell so effectively that it awed everyone. Her spell caused the earth to rise, suddenly pushing me up so high. While Erin was already able to cast powerful spells, my mind could not even begin to comprehend one."


    Tears streamed down Alyx''s face as she smiled.


    "I realized it was never me protecting Erin. It was Erin that helped me up. She was the pillar that supported my fragile heart. She was the only reason I had to push forward."


    Alyx began to sniffle.


    "Without her... I would be unable to remain standing. She was the one protecting me."


    A raging headache washed over me.


    My hand was clutching my head tightly.


    Mildred... when she was comforting me... when I was spilling out all my insecurities...


    She seemed so strong. It was like she had it all figured out. But...


    Mildred''s voice rang out in my head.


    ''Maybe I put it the wrong way but... I really don''t think that I''m that different from you.''


    ''After all, I''ve given up already...''


    She was struggling too. Trying to find a reason to keep moving forward.


    A tear fell down my face as a smile formed on my face.


    "I understand now... how people protect others."


    Alyx choked between her sobs.


    "Pathetic isn''t it?"


    My head shook.


    "No... no... I''m sure Erin protected you, and that it was no lie she was what kept you standing."


    My mind recalled the time Mildred caught me. When my will to move forward was thrown aside.


    "But Erin was held up by you too. There was never someone shielding the burden of another."


    Alyx''s eyes drifted to me.


    My eyes gradually shifted to Alyx.


    My sight could barely make out Alyx''s blurry outline.


    "There were only two weak fools, holding onto each other for warmth."

 Chapter 42 - Distraction

    Alyx went back to sleep, as did I. This time, it seems the crying exhausted me as sleep came almost immediately.


    ...


    There was a knock on my door. With great effort, one of my eyelids opened up. It then slowly closed.


    There was another knock. This time both of my eyelids opened and with a groan, my body pulled itself up off the bed.


    After opening the door, my eyes met with Alyx''s. Alyx coughed.


    "The rest of us had prepared some food, would you like some?"


    Shaking off the grogginess, my eyes regained focus.


    "Oh yeah, thanks."


    Alyx and I went to the dining room where Ned and Erin were waiting for us. Erin would not look at me.


    Alyx waved towards them.


    "Hey Ned and Erin, this is Jay. Jay the man over here is Ned, while the little girl there is Erin."


    Ned waved.


    "Hey Jay, heavy sleeper huh?"


    My head tilted back as a laugh escaped me.


    "Yeah, nice to meet you, Ned."


    My eyes looked towards Erin. Erin peeked at me curiously but proceeded to avoid eye contact after. Alyx whispered into my ear.


    "Erin is a little shy, she will open up to you soon enough."


    I nodded with a smile.


    Although the first few moments were a bit awkward, with the help of Alyx, Ned and Erin were no longer so reserved. A few jokes were said here and there.


    Once most of us were finished eating, I brought up my concern.


    "Um, do you guys know where Ela and Mildred went?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Honestly... I am not sure, they were gone by the time I woke up."


    My brows furrowed.


    "Huh... that is weird"


    Ned scratched the back of his head.


    "I guess we just go to magic school?"


    The incident with the eagles popped into my head.


    "Uh, no I don''t think we should go."


    Alyx raised an eyebrow.


    "Why not?"


    My fingers began fidgeting as my mouth dried up.


    "I... have a bad feeling."


    Erin had a finger on her chin.


    "I think we should stay here too!"


    Ned smiled.


    "Ah well, there is plenty of time to learn magic later."


    My index finger raised in the air.


    "Actually, I can teach you guys some of the elementary spells."


    Ned raised both eyebrows.


    "Oh really? How do you know the elementary spells?"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Uh... well at night I sneaked into a library they had here and was able to read them."


    My mind recalled what the spell parchments looked like.


    "They had the spell name, the diagram, and even a label on it that indicated it was an elementary spell."


    Erin was staring at me but did not say anything. Trying to avoid eye contact with Erin, my hand motioned for the rest to follow me.


    "Let us go somewhere more appropriate to learn these spells."


    The reason why I wanted to teach them these spells was because of how influential Erin''s encase spell was when the eagles attacked, and not to mention the continuous support Ned provided with his firebolts.


    The four of us were seated in the room right next to the palace entrance. Snow was blowing around, just outside.


    Ned laughed.


    "I guess it''s not so bad we didn''t go to school seeing that big snowstorm out there. Seems the weather in this world shifts drastically to start snowing all of a sudden."


    I laughed as well, then proceeded to explain the spells as best I could.


    The first priority was the firebolt spell. There wasn''t too much time spent on explaining this as Ned would probably pick it up fast, not needing extra explanation.


    The second spell was the encase spell. When explained, I made sure to do it methodically and very clearly explained the extra annotations. After Erin seemed like she got it, I was done.


    My eyes drifted over to Alyx, who had her spellbook out and was reading in it.


    I stood up, walked over to Alyx, and looked over her shoulder to see her spellbook.


    Alyx turned to face me with a bitter smile.


    "Hi, I''m just trying to learn the spell that uses my mana."


    An awkward smile was on my face as my mind tried to come up with an idea to help her out.


    "Uh, maybe I can help you, I will look at it from over your shoulder."


    Alyx raised an eyebrow but then turned back to read her book.


    Taking a closer look at the spell name, it read out to be ''Evil Null''. The description of the spell was not included here, which made me want to ask Alyx about it, but my tongue held back.


    After a few moments, my finger pointed towards a sentence.


    ''This magic is quite different from others, as the mana required requires a person to go into a special "empty" state''


    "Uh... do you ever remember the feeling of giving up? I think that is what this line means."


    Alyx turned to me and tilted her head.


    "Hmm... I will try that."


    Alyx closed her eyes and winds were being stirred up around her. She held out her finger and nothing seemed to happen for a while.


    Suddenly Alyx flicked her finger down and the surroundings were immediately void of any mana. A chuckle came out of my mouth.


    "You did it!"


    Alyx''s eyelids fluttered open and she let out a long sigh.


    "Yeah..."


    At this moment there was a shrill cry from outside the palace.


    The eagles were here.


    My feet took off, towards the palace entrance. After a few moments of hesitation, the rest of them followed.


    Ned furrowed his eyebrows.


    "What the..."


    A giant eagle was searching for someone to attack. My eyes turned back to Alyx.


    "Alyx! The spell!"


    Alyx blinked a few times but immediately went to casting the spell. My eyes then met with Ned.


    "I guess you gotta put your newly learned firebolt to use. After Alyx uses her spell it should be weak."


    Ned smiled.


    "Yeah, let me call for help first."


    Ned took out a messenger stone and crushed it. Then he immediately went to casting.


    Once Ned''s firebolt was nearly formed, Alyx had cast her null magic spell.


    The eagle was caught unprepared, suddenly shrinking and falling to the ground. Ned followed up by blasting it with a fireball.


    Before anybody could let out a sigh of relief, many more shrieks filled the sky. Eagles filled the sky.


    Ned frowned.


    "...How many more times are we going to have to do that?"


    Beads of sweat formed on Alyx''s forehead.


    "...Well, I suppose it is time to start casting."


    The eagles descended onto us. Alyx was able to quickly cast Evil Null, then sent it out to the nearest eagle. Ned quickly followed up, right on the mark with his firebolt.


    The eagles began to attack the villagers. Alyx prioritized the eagles that were diving the villagers and Ned''s firebolt came right after each time.


    My muscles relaxed a little. The situation seemed to be under control.


    Ned and Alyx continued to cast spell after spell, taking down many eagles.


    As the eagle''s movements were analyzed by me, my brows furrowed. The eagles were no longer scattered, they were making their way in our direction.


    My head turned to Erin, who was still only halfway through casting the encase spell.


    ...Ela was not here to distract them.


    A frown appeared on my face. There was a wild wind around me as my skin tore open.


    Without much thought, my feet took me outside. Alyx furrowed her brows.


    "Ned!"


    Through gritted teeth, my mind prepared the healing spell and Evil Null.


    "Don''t worry about me! I can heal myself."


    The eagles were all looking at me menacingly.


    Their eyes seemed to pierce my soul.


    The pressure on my heart was huge.


    Was this what Ela dealt with before?


    One eagle dived at me. Before it reached, Alyx had already cast the Evil Null spell and Ned hit it with a firebolt.


    My steps hurriedly went backward, and the eagle''s body landed where I just was and slid towards me. An eagle from behind dived at me. Alyx and Ned were able to cast in time for this one too, but another eagle also came at me while the other dead eagle was being blasted with a firebolt.


    There was no time for Alyx and Ned to do another combo. The eagle dived at me.


    My finger pointed towards the eagle and Evil Null was thrown at it. As it shrunk, my intention was to dodge it, but it seemed fate had other ideas.


    The body of the previous eagle, that Ned and Alyx killed, rammed into my back.


    The wind was knocked out of me, but my arms were still able to be crossed in front of my heart.


    The other eagle was in a daze but still collided with me.


    Its beak pierced through both my arms and scratched my chest.


    Quickly my body pulled away and cast the healing spell to mend the holes in my arms.


    Suddenly the mana around me disappeared.


    "JAY DODGE."


    Ned''s voice rang out.


    A vision flashed in my mind, it was when ''I'' was fighting the two-horned demon, barely dodging the attacks. Instinctively, my foot raised, then my body somehow shifted towards the side.


    The eagle''s feathers brushed past my body. The eagle crashed into the ground, damaging its beak. A firebolt blasted the eagle, killing it.


    Before I could let out a sigh of relief, my eyes locked on Erin''s anxious face.


    An eagle was diving towards her.

 Chapter 43 - Reflection

    There was no mana around me, so no spells were available. Alyx herself had just finished casting her Evil Null spell.


    Ned''s eyes were widened, he was frozen.


    Alyx''s mouth was agape and she seemed to fall in despair.


    Erin stood still as if she had accepted her fate.


    What... What should I do?


    My hand reached out to the eagle, despite logic telling me that I was way too far to do anything.


    I had to protect everyone, and they would in turn protect me.


    Erin couldn''t die here.


    A tight feeling wrapped around my body.


    Then there was pain.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."


    A scream at the top of my lungs broke out of me.


    My knees buckled and landed on the ground next to Erin.


    The eagle had exploded into pieces, but the only thing on my left arm was a stump that began bleeding.


    It was not the bleeding that caused the pain.


    I could still feel my hand, it seemed to have disappeared when my body warped but despite it disappearing every single cell still sent a pain signal into my brain.


    The pain slowly numbed, to let me recognize how much blood my body was losing.


    The... The healing spell.


    My frazzled mind anxiously cast the healing spell. My consciousness was flickering, making the process difficult, but my mind persevered.


    With only one eye slightly open, the healing spell finished.


    The pain was greatly reduced, skin covered my stump, and the tears on my skin receded.


    My body collapsed right there, unable to move. Slowly the pain receded.


    The other three were startled by my escapade but quickly focused back on casting.


    With nobody to distract, the eagles gradually swarmed the door.


    Alyx let out one last Evil Null, before collapsing in a pile of her own sweat and losing consciousness entirely.


    Ned was sweating and frowning heavily, but still cast a firebolt, as futile as it was.


    All the eagles dived the palace entrance and Ned''s face began to contort.


    When doom seemed imminent, a large cone of ice burst from Erin''s hands.


    "I... I did it! I did it!"


    But... one eagle avoided the ice cone entirely.


    Alyx would be unable to cast Evil Null, and Ned''s firebolt wouldn''t kill it...


    ...I needed to cast... the spell...


    My muddled mind desperately tried to gather mana, but not even a small gust was stirred up.


    ...Damn.


    My eyes watched helplessly as the eagle dived.


    Ned threw a firebolt, but it only did minimal damage to the eagle''s wings...


    Then...


    The eagle exploded.


    Ela had arrived, covered in scales and the blood of the eagle she just killed.


    As a wave of relief washed over me, everything became black.


    ...


    There was a dull pain in my left arm. There was also a terrible headache and my body felt weak.


    My eyelids slowly parted.


    It was my room, and my body was laying down in the bed.


    My head tilted over to see Erin''s sleeping face.


    "...Erin?"


    Erin''s eyes fluttered open.


    "Jay?"


    After a few blinks, Erin bounced around.


    "Oh, have some food."


    Erin handed me a plate with some food on it.


    After my eyes were laid on the food, a strong hunger erupted from my stomach.


    The food was cold, but I finished it quickly.


    A small sigh left my lips.


    "Thank you."


    Erin had a sweet smile.


    "And thank you for saving me."


    A forced chuckle came out of me.


    "...No problem... How long have I been asleep?"


    Erin sighed.


    "More than a whole day."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Wow... I really am a heavy sleeper."


    Erin laughed.


    "Yeah..."


    A frown slowly formed on Erin''s face.


    "But... Why did you lie to us?"


    "Huh?"


    Erin rubbed the top of my head with her fingers.


    "You said you found the spells in a library... but that wasn''t how you got them."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "The way I got them would sound a little too ridiculous, and you guys would no longer take me seriously."


    Erin jumped up and down.


    "Then you can just say you don''t want to talk about it."


    My eyes closed.


    "Yeah..."


    A smile appeared on my face.


    "Haha, would you believe me if I said that... I have died many times. That whenever I die, I am sent back to when we are all summoned. That I have gone through so many things with you all, yet none of you can remember it."


    Erin brushed aside my bangs.


    "I can believe it."


    My eyes opened.


    "...How do you believe that?"


    Erin smiled.


    "It explains how you were just able to use so many spells... Plus I can tell that you aren''t lying."


    I laughed, then grimaced in pain.


    "You don''t think I''m just crazy?"


    Erin puffed out her chest.


    "Hehe, I was always able to tell these kinds of things."


    My mind still hurt but forced itself to slowly gather mana to cast another healing spell.


    "That is impressive..."


    Erin crossed her arms.


    "Naturally."


    My lungs slowly took in a deep breath.


    "How are you able to tell these things so easily?"


    Erin smirked and raised her index finger in the air.


    "There are various cues you can pick up that are usually telltale signs."


    Erin cleared her throat playfully.


    "There are the easiest signs of the novice liar. These people have trouble maintaining eye contact, they may play with their hair or scratch themselves. Not to mention peculiar body posture, such as being hunched over."


    Erin then pointed directly in front of my face.


    "Next! The people who have some idea of how to lie, like you. When these people tell lies they might try to change the subject quickly so that people don''t think about it too much. They may also try to remain silent to reduce their presence after lying so people unconsciously don''t think about it. To top it off, they tend to speak vaguely, to not give many details."


    Erin''s head bopped back and forth.


    "Then comes their body language. Unlike novice liars, it''s not their extra actions that indicate anything, but what their actions lack. If you find that someone suddenly relaxes their face, that is usually because they are trying to prevent any guilt showing."


    Erin raised both her hands in the air.


    "This can also be shown in their body posture. It isn''t too hard to realize that a liar will tense their body unnecessarily. So some try to relax their body as much as they can. The only problem with that, is they take it too far, making it easy to figure out."


    Erin put her hands in her lap and leaned over to me.


    "Then comes the more advanced lying, the types actors and people in business do. The first part is how they smi-"


    Erin suddenly put a finger to her mouth.


    "Actually, you only need to know that much, I don''t want you to use this knowledge to become a liar after all!"


    My mind tried to commit what she said to memory. A wry smile appeared on my face.


    "Haha, well thanks for telling me."


    Erin nodded with a bright smile.


    "Hehe, now it''s your turn to answer me!"


    What?


    "Uh, what do you mean?"


    Erin poked out her tongue.


    "Well, you said you had lived many lives right? I wanna hear it!"


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "It isn''t that happy..."


    Erin chuckled.


    "Well of course it wasn''t happy, dying sounds hard. Now tell me!"


    ...I cannot understand what logic this girl lives by.


    "Well... give me some time to think."


    A sad smile appeared on my face.


    "The first time, we were summoned together, ate food, then took the carriage. From there I split up with the rest of the group to explore the town. I ended up wandering too far, got captured as a slave, and died as I was running away."


    Erin''s hand lightly patted my forehead. My eyes closed as I reminisced about the past.


    "I tried to pretend that never happened after that. In the end, my gloom slowly became a little stronger as time passed. Mildred comforted me, which helped me try again. But... I died again even when I tried so hard."


    A tear fell down my face and Erin wiped it away. After a deep breath, my story continued.


    "I... gave up, but Mildred saved me again. Even though I was a stranger to her. I promised myself I would try from then on."


    Tears fell down both sides of my face.


    "Then... the eagle killed Reyna and Ned, but Ela saved me. I didn''t want to face the fact that Ned died, so I went to the forest. But I also went to the forest to change myself. I stubbornly survived but died soon after anyway."


    My crying was no longer suppressed, but loud and obnoxious.


    "I died so much more... I just... want to stop all the misery. Why... Why does this world... just have to be about suffering? Why can''t we just be happy... it''s not fair... that nice people have to be so sad..."


    Erin wiped away my tears even though they came out faster than she could get rid of them.


    "You have been so strong."

 Chapter 44 - Crystal

    My little episode had calmed down. Erin was still there, lightly patting my head.


    My eyes searched for something in the ceiling.


    "Erin... I am going to leave."


    Erin had a small frown.


    "...Why?"


    My eyes narrowed.


    "I must become more powerful, so that I can protect everyone."


    Erin smiled bitterly.


    "...The other me will probably appreciate that."


    The healing spell my mind was casting finished. My body felt a little better, and to my surprise, half of my hand grew back.


    It was a weird sensation having only stubs as fingers. My mind continued to cast another healing spell.


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "...Could you tell everyone else that I left?"


    Erin pouted.


    "...Ok."


    Erin looked at me silently, while my mind was casting the healing spell.


    My mind was able to finish the second healing spell, and my hand had fully regrown.


    With that, I sat up in bed.


    Erin''s eyes widened.


    "What are you doing! Are you not injured?"


    My head shook.


    "I can heal myself, my hand is already back, see?"


    My left hand was pulled out from the covers and flexed a few times. Erin blinked as if to make sure she was seeing this correctly.


    "...You are leaving now?"


    I nodded.


    Erin tilted her head.


    "Not even going to say goodbye to everyone?"


    My head shook.


    "Sorry, I just don''t want to waste any more time."


    Erin had a long look at me.


    "...Is this goodbye then? I hardly even got to know you."


    A small sigh slipped out of me.


    "Yes... Tell Alyx that her Evil Null spell can make the eagles and other wildlife edible, you can probably get a good amount of food from them."


    Erin smiled softly.


    "Ok... don''t let what is ahead of you distract you from what is in front of you."


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Uh, ok?."


    ...


    My body was resting on a tree, in my hand was a wooden stake and there was a wolf coat draped over me.


    I was unsure of what to do, so ideas and plans were being formulated in my mind.


    The pedestal from before was empty...


    Osric and Mark were at that place before, did they get anything that was previously on the pedestal?


    An image flashed in my mind. It was a kid holding a knife and piece of meat while standing over a corpse.


    People fight each other for what they deem valuable and it didn''t feel like Osric and Mark were exactly friends...


    So... maybe the pedestal was always empty?


    ...How were they able to leave so easily then?


    Ah, whatever.


    When the gemstone was put in the indent of the pedestal, there seemed to be some changes. However, it appears the gemstone either was not strong enough or was not the proper object required to activate whatever mechanism it was.


    It seems that was a dead end until I could find something for it.


    The only other thing to be noted was that cave...


    There was that strange hole that led somewhere, but there was no easy way to get in.


    ...Unless I teleported inside.


    The teleportation for whatever reason did not need mana, so despite being in a manaless place, it should be fine.


    A lingering bit of fear remained from the last incident. If the teleportation was done poorly, there would be severe consequences.


    My hand was on my chin when a sudden shriek made my ears hurt.


    There was an eagle diving me.


    For a moment, the vision of when the man in black clothes charged me appeared in my head.


    My hand holding the stake slowly raised.


    The eagle was only a meter away, then my figure disappeared.


    My figure reappeared in the middle of the air, while the eagle behind me was bleeding from its head and falling to the ground.


    My body also fell, in a panic, my limbs flailed aimlessly.


    Thankfully, my fall was broken by the snow.


    After getting up and shaking my head, my eyes looked once more towards the eagle, then came my decision to find the cave.


    ...


    In my pocket were two peppers encased in ice, and there were two cooked bunnies in my hands.


    My feet were carefully treading the side of a mountain, sometimes pulling back the foot that was just put down.


    Suddenly, my foot simply pushed through the snow. Before my balance was lost, my foot pulled back.


    After taking a deep breath, I jumped in.


    The fall lasted a few seconds.


    My feet hit the ground hard and my knees buckled.


    After a few moments, I walked down the cave.


    There was a three-horned demon that was already dead. One of my hands held on to a stake, while the other was awkwardly holding two bunnies.


    The stake moved aside the demon''s wrinkly and pale skin. There was a large translucent gemstone.


    My mind attempted to draw mana from the gemstone, but there was none inside.


    After putting it away, my eyelids started to unconsciously flutter.


    I backtracked, to avoid any lizards. After eating a rabbit, my body laid down and sleep came naturally.


    ...


    At some point, my eyes flew open. The rabbit that I still had was cold, but I ate it anyway.


    With that, my cave exploration session continued.


    Down the tunnel were a few lizards here and there, but they did not pose any significant problem.


    Soon I came to a fork, without much thought, my feet spun towards the left one.


    There was a group of three lizards, but the encounter did not have any major issues.


    One of the lizards attempted to lunge at me, but with a sidestep, my stake pierced its head while in midair.


    The other two followed up but were unable to catch up to my figure. After dodging out of the way, my stake pierced the lizard''s head before it hit the ground.


    My foot kicked the other lizard that was about to attack me. The kick did not push the lizard far but bought time. My stake was pulled out of the lizard and was successfully stabbed into the last lizard after it lunged at me.


    The journey down the tunnel resumed.


    Soon, a clearing was reached. My hand touched the left side of the wall and I began walking, my eyes focusing on the wall.


    It did not take too long to reach the hole in the wall once again. My body crouched down and my eyes searched for a crystal, which was found after my hand patted the ground a few times.


    After tearing a cloth from my clothes, it was used to tightly wrap the crystal onto my arm.


    My vision suddenly spanned the whole cave.


    The countless lizards appeared in my vision.


    My eyes examined the lizards that were in my vision.


    Some lizards were eating where the black grass was sparse. There were also two larger lizards closer to the middle that were attacking one another while on top of a small hill with a decent amount of black grass.


    As for the biggest lizard, it was just laying at the end of the cave with its eyes closed. There were no other lizards nearby.


    It was like a king. I guess a fitting term was lizard king.


    My eyes turned back into the hole in the wall.


    Honestly, I just didn''t want to teleport and was stalling for time.


    For what stalling for time would do, I did not know.


    A deep breath slowly filled my lungs.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    My hand was slowly raised, then a tight feeling wrapped around me.


    As expected, the teleportation went through despite the lack of mana.


    My breathing was uneven, but my feet were standing atop the partially crystalized room.


    No problems occurred.


    I then walked down the pathway. As my steps echoed, the crystals filled more of the surroundings and shone with a deeper sheen.


    There was no mana in the air, but for some reason, there was a sensation as though it returned.


    My mind tried to draw in mana and confirmed it didn''t, however.


    After stumbling, I realized that my body was wavering. This didn''t seem to be a good thing, but I paid no heed.


    My breathing gradually became heavy and there was a ringing pain in my head.


    There was a sense of urgency to turn back, but there were slight fluctuations that ignited my curiosity.


    This time, a clear force opposed my advancement.


    It was as if my steps were trying to oppose gravity itself.


    Gradually, these fluctuations became visible, distorting the images in my sight.


    They were emanating from a black crystal that was floating in the air. It was surrounded by many different large black crystals, and any semblance of rock disappeared.


    A cough forced its way through my throat.


    Although my curiosity was satisfied, a carrot was now hanging in front of my face, just out of reach.


    After a sigh, I made my way back.


    After reaching the hole again, my eyes widened, pupils constricted, and my figure suddenly appeared across the wall.


    ...So close yet so far.


    My eyes looked back to the king lizard. It was resting as it always was.


    But.... Now that I think about it, the crystal that released those huge fluctuations should be right behind the king lizard, yet it didn''t seem to be affected.

 Chapter 45 - Grass

    Even if there was something weird about the lizard king, there was nothing I could do about it with my current strength.


    Since magic would never be an option here, it seemed the only path forward was to slowly train my body.


    After backtracking to the more sparse terrain, my eyes were set on some of the small lizards, like the ones I had fought before.


    My grip on the stake tightened and I set off into the sparse land to fight.


    My first target was a lizard that was slightly bigger than the ones I''ve previously fought.


    The lizard was on a small hill, nibbling at the few stalks of black grass that existed on it.


    Like a ghost, my figure approached the lizard from behind. The lizard was none the wiser, nibbling on a plant.


    My stake pierced the lizard''s head. The lizard let out a screech for a few seconds before it stopped moving.


    My eyes scanned my surroundings to see if any lizards would come near, but this was not the case. In fact, the smaller lizards began to crawl away.


    If my plan was to eventually take on that lizard king, it would take quite a bit of time. That meant the amount of food I needed to consume would be high.


    If the only thing to eat I could eat was a raw lizard, then the time I spent here might really be too miserable.


    Out of curiosity and hope, I got down on one knee to pluck out a stalk of black grass from the rock hill.


    My eyes closely examined it.


    There was a thick stalk that gradually became three tiny strands.


    Curious about the smell, my hand held the grass under my nose.


    My nose gave a light sniff, letting me smell... nothing.


    It was as if there was only air in my hands.


    My mouth opened slightly to take a nibble out of the grass.


    There wasn''t any particular taste from the nibble, so my teeth ripped away part of the stalk.


    There was a slight taste of salt, with a decent amount of water. The texture was a little crunchy and a little satisfying.


    Then my hand just threw the whole thing in my mouth.


    There was no particularly disgusting taste, but the slightly salty flavor could be better.


    Nonetheless, it was much better than eating a raw lizard, so my hands scavenged for any piece of grass on this small hill.


    The end result was about seven stalks of grass in my hand. Without much hesitation, a big bite was taken out of all of them.


    The salty flavor was clear this time, but still underwhelming. After finishing the rest, I stood up.


    Suddenly my eyes narrowed.


    ...It was almost unnoticeable. So small that it could''ve just been an illusion.


    I stared into the palms of my hands.


    My body... had become stronger.


    Assuming that my brain wasn''t playing tricks on me, my battle with the lizard king might not be too far away.


    With renewed determination, my figure approached another hill.


    This hill was bigger and contained more stalks of grass. Along with the extra grass, however, was an extra lizard.


    The first kill was simple, one clean stab to the head. As the lizard screeched, the other lizard lunged towards me.


    My hand let go of the stake, making the dodge easy. My hand pulled the stake back out and the lizard once again lunged at me.


    This time, my feet were still. My hand gently lifted the stake, and the lizard pierced its own head through it.


    After the lizard''s screech died off, my hand pushed off the carcass from my stake. My feet kicked off the lizard remains from the hill, so they wouldn''t cover any patches of grass.


    Like last time, the lizards did not approach, so I could take my time to take out patches of grass.


    After collecting all the stalks, fifteen pieces laid in my hand. These pieces were just a touch bigger than the previous ones but were otherwise the same.


    Like before, there was only a salty taste as it went down.


    After finishing the grass, I confirmed my theory from earlier.


    These pieces of grass really did make my body stronger.


    Though the difference right now was insignificant, it should make a difference soon enough.


    ...


    I had remained near the outer edge to slowly get more and more grass to eat. After doing this process five times, there was a noticeable strength increase.


    My body before was relatively weak, but right now I have enough strength to fight a wolf that had been hit with Evil Null.


    Though it was possible to linger here for even longer to get more grass, it seemed my wanton killing has put some of the lizards on edge.


    Most of the lizards in the area were on guard. I figured it would be best to move on forward instead of a battle with these extra vigilant lizards.


    As my figure proceeded deeper into the expanse, there were times when a medium-sized lizard almost got a little too close.


    Despite brushing so close to these lizards, it was as if they did not notice me. It seemed that these lizards relied mainly on sound to detect their surroundings.


    Soon, my target was near. This was a bigger lizard, it appeared similar to a crocodile in size and was currently sleeping.


    The hill it was resting on had much larger stalks of grass than the previous ones and was also more bountiful.


    My silent steps slowly reached next to its head.


    My strike was violent and much stronger. The stake had difficulty piercing the head but still went through.


    This lizard ended up roaring, it was not dead.


    Before the chance was gone, my hand pulled out the stake from the lizard.


    The lizard quickly turned to face me and was lightly trembling.


    My stake was readied for a pounce.


    The lizard suddenly moved but did not pounce.


    It chose a path that resembled a semi-circle.


    For a moment, I was at a loss, but I wasn''t just going to stand there.


    My figure silently retreated and the lizard lunged towards where my position just was.


    Before the lizard hit the ground, my figure was already rushing towards it. My stake punctured its body this time, making the lizard let out another roar.


    My hand retrieved the stake, but that meant there was no time to dodge the tail sweep from the lizard.


    Though my strength had improved, this tail sweep really had too much force behind it. The tail hit my feet, sending them into the air, and my face to the ground.


    The lizard had pounced on me even though my body was still in the air. When the jaws were a few centimeters from my torso, a tight feeling wrapped around me.


    My figure disappeared, leaving the lizard to chomp at the air. My body had reappeared on another side of the hill.


    The lizard began aimlessly thrashing around. My original intention was to go back to attack, but it seemed that the lizard would just finish off himself.


    It did not take long for the lizard to eventually bleed out.


    After a small sigh of relief, a small smirk appeared on my face.


    My harvest was pretty good this time.


    After gathering eighteen pieces of grass, my eyes inspected them. They were noticeably bigger than the ones before, almost double the size. My hand was about to toss them in my mouth, but something was caught in the corner of my eye.


    Looking closer, there was a tiny bulb at the top of each strand. It was black like the rest of the grass and was quite small.


    This time I tried to smell the bulb, but there was still no smell.


    My teeth ripped off a few of the bulbs.


    The bulbs were sweet and salty. The taste was a little strong, but still better tasting.


    After eating those bulbs, there was a little wriggle inside my muscles. It was not the most comfortable, but not painful.


    My shoulders shrugged and a big bite was taken out of the grass.


    There was a dominant salty taste with a hint of sweetness. The taste was definitely not something one would go out of their way to eat, but few would mind eating this to fill their stomach.


    Shortly after consuming it, my muscles began twitching and there was an uncomfortable heat emitting from my muscles.


    After it stopped, I flexed my muscles.


    It felt pretty good.


    My sights were then set on a much bigger hill. This hill had three lizards the size of a crocodile.


    A plan slowly formulated in my head.


    ...


    There were three lizards on a hill. Two of them were sleeping while one was nibbling on some black grass.


    The lizard reached out its jaw to bite on some grass, when a stake suddenly pierced it''s head.


    The lizard roared and the two sleeping ones woke up.


    One of the lizards'' small eyes slowly opened, then closed again. A bloody hole appeared on its forehead, unable to even make a sound.


    The two remaining lizards thrashed around. The lizard with a hole in its head gradually stopped moving as it bled out leaving one lizard left.


    The last lizard vigilantly turned from side to side, slowly backing away.


    Then a hole appeared on its forehead.


    My figure appeared behind it with a smirk.

 Chapter 46 - Warden

    Next to my feet were fifty stalks of grass. My stomach seemed to be complaining, by churning painfully when it realized my intentions.


    Nonetheless, the stalks of grass were consumed slowly but surely. Like before, there was an uncomfortable squirming in my muscles as a strong heat was released.


    After a few deep breaths, my body returned to normal again.


    Now that I think about it, isn''t it kinda weird that these lizards eat so little of the grass?


    If they ate more of the grass they would surely get stronger right?


    Unless there was some repercussion or something.


    While my mind was absorbed in its own thoughts, my eyes picked up on two lizards that were quietly approaching me.


    Different from lizards I''ve fought before, these ones stood on two feet, with two small arms in front of them, and a large jaw.


    There appeared to be black feathers that made a line across its body.


    My figure slowly retreated from the hill as they approached.


    The two bipedal lizards stopped once they were on the hill. They began to examine it, and peck at the ground a few times.


    Eventually, one of them pecked at a lizard carcass. Once it did so, the jaw opened wide and lunged into the carcass, ripping a huge piece of it out.


    After that, the two lizards began to leave.


    It seemed there would be a limited time for me to collect the stalks of grass if these things are going to show up.


    My next target was a singular lizard the size of a crocodile.


    Since they didn''t come for a single lizard before they wouldn''t do it this time right?


    My stake plunged into the lizard''s head. My strike left a large bloody hole that had enough force to send scales flying.


    The lizard did not roar but whimpered.


    After plunging my stake into its body, it stopped moving altogether.


    My hands went to work soon after, to collect all the stalks of grass. After collecting ten stalks, my eyes caught another bipedal lizard walking in my direction.


    ...It seems their response gets faster over time.


    My figure retreated and left the lizard carcass close to the edge of the hill, where the bipedal lizard was approaching.


    The bipedal lizard found the lizard carcass quickly and tore it apart.


    Unfortunately, the lizard continued up the hill and began inspecting it.


    It appears I''ve angered the wardens of this place.


    While the lizard searched every inch of the hill, my focus was on eating the stalks of grass that were retrieved.


    The lizard eventually gave up and left.


    Out of curiosity, my figure stalked from a few meters behind it.


    The lizard would walk in the valleys of the terrain, taking a few turns to stay on that path.


    The other lizards seemed to mind their own business and did not get close to the bipedal lizard.


    It did not take long for the lizard to climb up a small hill. The difference with this hill was that the stalks of grass were much longer and there was a clear line of small bulbs on the side.


    When the bipedal lizard was in the middle of laying down, a bloody hole appeared on its head.


    My figure had reappeared next to the bipedal lizard, but my eyes narrowed.


    It survived.


    The bipedal lizard turned its head around a few times before it locked on to me.


    My initial intention was to fight it, but it ran like it had been catapulted towards me.


    My stake pointed at the bipedal lizard, while my eyes widened and my pupil constricted.


    My figure disappeared once again, and a large hole appeared on the lizard''s chest.


    This time the lizard immediately turned in my direction and charged me.


    Though I wanted to teleport once again, there seemed to be some sort of cooldown. The lizard opened its maw, revealing countless little sharp teeth.


    My stake was raised as it approached me, but to my surprise, it did not lunge when it got close.


    The lizard''s tiny arm clutched onto my stake with a surprising amount of power. The jaws of the lizard proceeded to snap at my face.


    In the nick of time, my hand clutched the lizard''s neck, just barely keeping the set of teeth from reaching me.


    The lizard kept lunging, trying to push its jaws closer, while my hand was trying to push the stake forward.


    The hand holding onto the lizard''s neck was trembling but held on strong.


    At first, it seemed both sides were at a stalemate, but the lizard used its free arm to swipe at me.


    The claw was small but still tore into me easily.


    My teeth grit.


    A few more slashes would spell doom for me.


    My body suddenly leaned towards the left, while my hands no longer pushed against the lizard.


    The lizard''s jaw passed by dangerously close to my face.


    The lizard tripped on my legs, which would''ve also made me trip if I wasn''t prepared.


    After quickly regaining my footing, my stake plunged into the back of the lizard''s neck as it fell over.


    The lizard let out an uncomfortably high screech that would cut out intermittently.


    The unrest it brought was clear, my eyes could already make out a few bipedal lizards in the distance closing in.


    The wardens were pissed off.


    There were only seven stalks of grass on this hill, so after deftly plucking out all the stalks, my figure retreated back to where the grass was sparse.


    When there were no bipedal lizards in sight, a batch of grass was thrown in my mouth.


    These bulbs were soft and melted when they touched my tongue. The overall experience was a blast of sweetness with a salty aftertaste.


    The discomfort from my muscles was not surprising, but my eyes widened.


    My mind suddenly felt clear. After a few moments, this sensation diminished, but a part of it lingered.


    My brain seemed to be stronger. My thoughts processed a little faster while my mind used less effort.


    I could detect a faint pulsing, but as for what it meant, nothing came to mind.


    As for the wounds that came from the bipedal lizard swiping my chest, they scabbed over already.


    A deep breath entered and exited my lungs.


    In the corner of my vision, there was a lizard that was slowly walking away from me. It seemed the lizards could sense me somehow.


    Perhaps this grass was changing me in a strange way, but it was probably too late now.


    My figure slinked deeper into the cave. My sights were no longer set on the lizards the size of a crocodile, but the bipedal lizards.


    Unfortunately, most of the bipedal lizards resided on hills with another bipedal lizard either next to it, or on a nearby hill.


    My brows furrowed, it seemed this was going to be tough.


    Wait...


    What if I didn''t have to fight them?


    My finger rubbed lightly on my chin.


    ...


    A lizard the size of a crocodile was grazing on a hill, minding its own business.


    Suddenly, a stake pierced its head. After a whimper, its movements stopped.


    Stalks of grass were pulled from the hill and some bipedal lizards were alerted.


    A lizard the size of a crocodile residing in a nearby hill slowly backed away from the whimpers. However, what it did not know was that its steps were approaching the very thing it wanted to avoid.


    A stake pierced the lizard. As life left the lizard more stalks of grass were pulled out. By now, there were two bipedal lizards inspecting the previous hill.


    More bipedal lizards rushed over to the new crime scene, while the perpetrator had left.


    There were a few hills that were left unattended. The grass stalks with bulbs on them were ripped out one by one.


    A bright smile was on my face as my eyes were laid on the stalks of grass in hand.


    The bipedal lizards act as wardens. If black grass disappears in large batches, they will notice it and inspect the situation. That means that their respective hills will be empty.


    My figure disappeared as the stalks of grass were thrown in my mouth.


    There was a burning feeling in my muscles and the stimulation in my mind made it hard to focus.


    Still, my steps continued silently away.


    The pulsing became stronger.


    I realized that the pulsing let me feel the location of the black grass... and the other lizards.


    Two bipedal lizards were heading in my direction, so I quickly made my way away from the path they seemed to be taking.


    But... they changed directions towards me.


    I began running in a full sprint, and the bipedal lizards were hot on my tail.


    My eyes peered over my shoulder to see there were now three bipedal lizards behind me and another two in the distance.


    Suddenly, a bipedal lizard appeared in front of me.


    A frown appeared on my face and as the lizard''s jaws lunged at me.


    Right when the rows of sharp teeth were right in front of my face, I disappeared.


    After teleporting forward, my eyes found three more bipedal lizards charging me from my front.


    It seems this time, I messed up.

 Chapter 47 - Roar

    There was no longer any point in stealth if they could sense me and it seemed that every bipedal lizard out there had a mission to hunt me down.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted when the three lizards got close.


    A bloody hole appeared on the one in the middle while my figure had reappeared behind them.


    The lizard that was stabbed bled but still chased me down without much issue.


    Is this really needed? To send every single warden after me?


    My eyes narrowed.


    ...Wait.


    If all of the bipedal lizards are chasing after me...


    That means nobody is protecting their hills.


    My directions shifted to a pretty big hill. As expected, no bipedal lizards were defending it.


    While my legs were racing, my hands caught a few stalks of grass on the way.


    My mouth chewed a few times before forcing the grass down. A burning sensation came from my muscles and my mind felt a bit dizzy, but my running did not stop.


    The bipedal lizards were definitely faster than me, but not enough to overwhelm me.


    One bipedal lizard had come from behind a hill in front of me. My direction shifted to the left, which gave a bipedal lizard behind me a clear shot.


    Before my shoulder was lost, my teeth grit, and a tight feeling wrapped around me.


    My figure appeared on top of a hill and my hands were busy getting stalks of grass before they caught up.


    The bipedal lizards were quick to start charging at me, leaving me running while shoveling grass into my mouth.


    Like a bandit, I was stealing treasure right under the lizard''s noses. My stomach was in great pain, but those were the least of my problems.


    I had already lost count of how many times I teleported and forcefully shoved grass down. However, my speed gradually matched the bipedal lizards.


    After finding this out, my muscles relaxed a little.


    My mind was able to detect where black grass was and the quality of it. Naturally, it was better deeper in the cave, but there were enough enemies on my back right now.


    I made my way up a hill, where there was some black grass. Before my hand could reach for the grass, a bipedal lizard came from the other side of the hill.


    The lizards were cutting me off. If I kept running, getting any more grass would be difficult.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    The bipedal lizard in front of me had a sudden hole on its neck. Before it could react, my stake was already plunging into the back of its body.


    Scales were sent flying as the bipedal lizard screeched. The lizard was missing a huge chunk of its back but was still alive.


    Before the lizard could turn around, my foot landed squarely on its body. The lizard was thrown into the pack of bipedal lizards, making them stumble.


    During this short period of reprieve, my hands gathered whatever they could.


    Considering the pain in my stomach, there was a fear that there would be permanent damage from abusing it so much. Nonetheless, the grass was forcefully eaten as my legs carried me away.


    Once the aftereffects wore off, my speed was now superior to the bipedal lizards.


    Though the difference was not huge, it made a big difference.


    Even when the bipedal lizards attempted to cut me off, there was plenty of time to finish off the bipedal lizard before the others came.


    Their numbers thinned, while my strength had already surpassed theirs.


    By the time there were six left, they stopped chasing me altogether. Instead, they huddled in groups of three, protecting the two remaining hills where the black grass was untouched.


    Unfortunately for them, my strength was already too much for three of them to stop me.


    My figure approached a hill with three bipedal lizards guarding it.


    The three knew I was coming and roared in an attempt to threaten me.


    My figure was still approaching, while the lizards took a step back.


    Once the lizards were only two meters ahead of me, I suddenly pounced.


    The lizard in the middle was unable to dodge and the stake blasted the lizard''s head off entirely. The other two lunged with their jaws in an attempt to bite me.


    Before they reached, the stake was dropped, and both of my hands grasped their heads, forcing their jaws shut.


    After that, my hands lifted both bipedal lizards off the ground and slammed them into each other.


    There was a cracking sound that reverberated once they collided.


    They still struggled, clawing at my ribcage, but could only make shallow scrapes.


    Their heads slammed into each other again. They were still kicking, but could only listlessly move their claws to express their unwillingness.


    Once their heads collided for the third time, they stopped moving altogether.


    After dropping both lizards to the ground, my hands plucked the stalks of grass on the hill.


    Though there was no immediate danger, I paid no heed to my stomach that was crying out in pain. Twenty stalks of grass were chewed and eaten one by one.


    Following my new sense, it did not take long to reach the other hill where three bipedal lizards were cowering.


    This time the three gave up upon seeing my approach and ran to where the black grass was sparse.


    There was a smile on my face as my hands deftly pulled out the stalks of grass to eat.


    In the middle of my meal, a frown suddenly appeared on my face.


    A rather huge lizard was approaching.


    The lizard did not stand on two feet, but rather on all fours. This lizard was ten meters long, and as tall as me.


    The most significant feature was the jaw that extended for two meters.


    My figure slowly retreated. The massive lizard was about fifteen meters away.


    It slowly opened its jaw, confusing me as to what it could possibly do from so far away.


    My consciousness left me.


    Once it returned I was on my knees and bleeding from my ears. The massive lizard was only a few meters away and charging.


    After my teeth grit, my figure disappeared, leaving the lizard to snap its jaw at nothing.


    A hole appeared on the top of the lizard''s head, while my figure reappeared on its back.


    My stake plunged down with both my hands on its base.


    The stake was able to break the scales and penetrate roughly ten centimeters down.


    Sadly, this method hardly did any damage and by now the wound on its head had already scabbed over.


    The lizard began shaking back and forth violently to shake me off.


    My brows furrowed and my figure disappeared. My figure reappeared running deeper into the expanse.


    It was not possible for me to do significant damage to the massive lizard. My hopes were that this lizard''s respective hill would not be guarded, leaving the grass stalks free for the taking.


    The massive lizard was not going to let me go easily and began to chase.


    The good news was that turning around took the massive lizard quite some time to do.


    The bad news was that the lizard easily closed the distance in a matter of seconds.


    My eyes peered over my shoulder.


    The massive lizard was ten meters away and had its jaw opened.


    My eyes focused forward again as they widened and my pupils constricted with a stronger intensity than usual.


    My figure disappeared after leaving a few distortions.


    The massive lizard let out a devastating roar. The roar hurt my ears but otherwise did not do any damage.


    The only problem was my mind had become a little muddled.


    My mind tried to forcefully teleport further, but there was some sort of barrier preventing me from doing so. Thankfully, feeling the threat of death allowed me to break through it.


    After a few more steps, I came across a hill with many long stalks of grass.


    Without hesitation, my hand grabbed whatever it could and my teeth bit down on it hard.


    My eyes caught a glimpse of what the stalks of grass looked like. Instead of bulbs, there were small flowers that went up and down the strands of grass.


    As for the taste, it was similar to honey, just with a needless amount of salt.


    There were similar effects to the other stalks of grass, but my skin had become more sensitive. This let me feel the slight tremors on the floor.


    In fact, there was a tremor coming from my right.


    My head spun around to look, finding a massive lizard that already had its jaws open.


    My mind partially recovered after eating the stalks of grass but was not in the condition to properly activate a teleportation.


    After gritting my teeth hard, my mind forced itself anyway.


    My figure disappeared once again.


    After reappearing, my mind was very muddled and dizzy. The roar of the massive lizard was muted, my mind could only barely detect it.


    More by instinct than willpower, my body was still moving.


    As for how long it could keep doing so, I wasn''t sure.

 Chapter 48 - Lizard King

    My actual actions were unclear to me.


    Everything that occurred felt like a dream.


    What I could recall happened was that more stalks of grass were being eaten.


    Along with that, my body was frequently right next to the massive lizards and my mind was almost constantly casting the teleportation spell.


    My vision was getting more blurry but my skin was getting more sensitive.


    Soon my vision was a complete blur, but my skin could feel movement even from a slight movement.


    My eyes closed, but my body could tell what my surroundings were.


    There were massive lizards chasing after me, some of which had opened their jaws.


    My figure would disappear, reappear on a hill, and after some stalks of grass were taken, it would disappear again.


    My body was getting stronger, while my mind was hanging by a thread.


    My limbs were trembling.


    I wasn''t sure why. Was it exhaustion? Or was it a side effect of the grass?


    ...Perhaps it was both.


    At some point my stake had dropped, leaving my hands free.


    There was a massive lizard in front of me with its jaws open.


    Then my figure was behind him.


    Both my arms wrapped around the lizard''s tail.


    And lifted it up.


    The lizard was struggling, shaking back and forth in an attempt to throw me off.


    However, my grip was stubborn.


    The massive lizard was held up high in the air, then slammed into the ground.


    The rock floor cracked and shattered pieces of stone were scattered throughout the air.


    Then the massive lizard was held up in the air again.


    Its struggle was noticeably weaker than before but slammed into the ground all the same.


    The massive lizard was hardly moving, but there was another one with its jaws open behind me.


    My arms held tight onto the massive lizard that had one foot in the grave.


    My body spun on the heel of my foot and flung one massive lizard straight to another.


    My body was thrown back from the impact while the massive lizard''s jaw was clogged by another lizard.


    A roar came from the depths of my lungs, making the surrounding massive lizards freeze.


    The cave started to tremble and the massive lizards began to back away.


    My vision cleared up and turned to look towards the trembling.


    ...The lizard king had awakened.


    The lizard king slowly raised to stand at its full height, fifteen meters, with a tiny crown on the top of its head.


    It stood on two feet and had a long tail. There were only two minuscule arms attached to its body, but more than made up for it with its massive maw.


    My mind began to clear up.


    The height alone was quite terrifying.


    It made me wonder how I thought it was possible to kill this thing.


    The lizard king roared.


    My ears began to bleed, but my consciousness stayed. The roar continued to echo throughout the expanse.


    I was in a stare-off with the lizard king for a few moments.


    The lizard king suddenly bolted towards me, lowering its massive jaw at me.


    My figure disappeared before it was crushed.


    The lizard king paused.


    The crystal that was wrapped around my arm began to wiggle.


    In fact, the whole cave floor was trembling.


    The crystal suddenly tore through the layers of cloth keeping it touching my skin and many rocks flew towards the lizard king.


    My vision suddenly disappeared, but my skin could still feel the tremors in the air to know what was happening.


    The rocks began to coalesce around the lizard king and form a thick layer made from rocks on its skin.


    A frown appeared on my face.


    ...What was I going to do now?


    The lizard king charged at me.


    A hint of savagery awoke in my heart.


    There was nothing left now.


    When the lizard snapped at me with its jaws, my figure had already disappeared.


    My figure reappeared next to the lizard king''s feet and my fist was thrown towards the leg.


    My fist collided against the stone carapace with a loud thump.


    The stone cracked, but other than that, there was no damage.


    On the contrary, my fist was bleeding from abrasions that covered it.


    Although the bleeding quickly stopped, a hint of hopelessness filled my heart.


    Even if the lizard king stood still and let me hit it, I still might die before it did.


    A massive tail was being swung right at me.


    Before my bones were crushed, my figure disappeared and reappeared behind it.


    There was a pull from the wind from behind the tail, making me stumble.


    By the time my feet were firmly on the ground, the lizard king had already turned around.


    My legs tried to carry me away, but the lizard king''s jaw was already about to reach me.


    My figure disappeared once again.


    My legs were running as fast as they could, towards where the lizard king was initially resting.


    If I could just make it to the stalks of grass...


    The lizard king paused and watched me run. Though puzzled why it did not chase, my legs did not slow.


    My steps went over a hill, letting me see over its crest...


    To see a wall.


    There was a wall of rock that was blocking where the plants of the lizard king were.


    Seems like my intentions were seen through...


    My steps did not slow and I prepared to charge into the wall with my shoulder.


    My heart was pounding and wondering how I got myself backed into a corner.


    There was a loud thump when my shoulder collided with the wall.


    The wind was knocked out of me and my shoulder was stinging, but there was not even a crack on the wall.


    With my last hope dashed, panic started to settle in.


    What could I do?


    The lizard king stopped playing around and chased after me.


    Its steps thundered across the expanse.


    It was like every footfall matched the heavy pounding of my heart.


    This endeavor appeared to be hopeless...


    But...


    So what if it was hopeless?


    I ran straight towards the charging lizard king.


    Its giant maw lowered, in an attempt to scoop me up.


    Again, my figure disappeared.


    I was right under the lizard king, but my steps did not cease.


    After a few moments, the tail was right above me.


    With grit teeth, my figure suddenly appeared on top of the tail.


    I began scaling up the lizard king.


    The lizard king began whipping the tail back and forth. My feet held on for a few swings but were soon flung off.


    While in the air, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    My figure appeared back on the lizard king''s tail.


    Honestly, I had no idea what I was trying to accomplish.


    My steps continued onward without purpose.


    They simply moved forward because they refused to stop.


    My feet were on the lizard king''s back, trying to maintain balance.


    The lizard king began to charge towards a nearby wall.


    My body was swaying back and forth, my steps were scattered about, like a drunk.


    As for where the wall would end up being, I was not sure.


    Although I could feel tremors, the walls weren''t releasing any tremors right now.


    After a few moments of hesitation, my legs bent down and catapulted me up.


    My body was launched over five meters into the air and the wind was brushing hard past my face.


    There was a loud crash.


    There was a crumbling sound coming from the shattered rocks on the lizard king''s head. Unlike the rocks on the lizard king, the cave walls were completely unscathed.


    Sadly, though the rocks were in pieces, they still protected the lizard king.


    The air around me was distorting.


    Suddenly, I was on top of the lizard king''s back again.


    My mind was muddled but my steps were stubborn.


    My thoughts were going through all the experiences I had been through.


    Every perilous fight in my mind.


    An image of an eagle flashed, then a wolf.


    My head shook.


    There was not a significant difference in strength in those fights, not to mention magic was available.


    Many battles flashed in my mind, but in most cases, the Evil Null spell was what helped me pull through.


    Think... Think...


    ...That fish.


    The pepper had directly caused the translucent fish to explode last time. Not to mention, it almost killed me.


    There was nothing cold for this lizard king to prevent the effects of the pepper.


    But... would it really work on something this size?


    Well, there was not much of a choice left.


    My hand grasped the two peppers encased in ice.


    The air around me distorted and I appeared on top of the lizard king''s head.


    Before it started to shake its head around, I leaped off its head.


    The lizard king looked up at me and opened its jaws wide.


    My hand cracked the ice encasing the peppers and flung the two peppers into the Lizard king''s mouth.


    Hopefully, this works.

 Chapter 49 - Crown

    The two peppers fell down the abyss that was the lizard''s gullet.


    The lizard king froze, while my eyes widened and pupils constricted.


    My figure appeared on the lizard king''s back.


    The stones were trembling and there was already some heat seeping out from the lizard king.


    Staying here is probably not a good idea.


    My mind would receive backlash from another teleport, but there were bigger problems right now.


    The air around me distorted and my figure appeared on the ground, a few meters away from the lizard king.


    As my legs raced, they suddenly stumbled.


    There was a roar that reverberated throughout the whole expanse.


    More blood poured out from my ears and my mind was in a daze.


    Some of the smaller lizards stopped moving entirely. As for if that means they died or just froze, I wouldn''t know.


    My legs continued shortly after, albeit with little coordination.


    The lizard king was chasing me, and even faster than before.


    Rather than lunging at me with its jaws, it opted to lay its jaw on the floor to the left of me. Afterward, it swept the area by dragging its jaw across the expanse.


    My figure disappeared before the jaw hit me and reappeared a few meters ahead.


    My mind instantly started the teleportation, but right before the teleportation, I was hit.


    After reappearing a few meters ahead, my right arm was out of commission, dangling at my side.


    Before my mind could even think about teleporting, my body was hit.


    My left arm took the brunt of the hit while I was sent flying in the air.


    My mind could hardly process the wind that was blowing past me over the pain.


    My body slammed hard into the cave wall.


    There was a clear cracking sound when my right arm collided with the cave wall.


    The cave wall showed no signs that something just slammed heavily into it.


    As for the lizard king, the rocky carapace had partially broken off. Under the rocky carapace was swelling skin that was burgeoning and shrinking.


    It seemed that the potency of the pepper was quite terrifying.


    Sadly, the lizard king wasn''t going to kick the bucket any time soon. It continued to charge at me and ended up killing other smaller lizards on the way.


    As it ran, pieces of its rocky carapace would fall off of it.


    It seemed all I needed to do was survive until the lizard king collapsed. However, that wasn''t going to be the easiest task.


    ...Unless I found the initial entrance to this expanse. There was no way the lizard king could fit through it.


    The only problem was my vision was gone, sensing tremors would not be that helpful in locating the exit.


    The lizard king reached me and performed a sweeping attack with its jaw again. The rocky carapace on the lizard king''s head had broken off completely.


    After forcefully shaking off the dizziness, my figure disappeared once again.


    This teleportation only took me to between the lizard king''s legs.


    The lizard king tried to sidestep out of the way and bite at me.


    I tried to match his movement, to stay in a position where it couldn''t attack me.


    During this short time, my mind focused and sensed the plants.


    Though most of the plants were uprooted by me, my mind could still sense the strong presence of the plants in the lizard king''s territory.


    My mind pinpointed the opposite direction in hopes that the entrance to this expanse was somewhere over there.


    After my plan was complete, the lizard king gave up on trying to use its jaw to hit me and directly used its feet to try and stomp me.


    I leaped up and clung directly to its leg.


    The air began to distort around me and the lizard king seemed to want to crush me using its body.


    Before it could do so, my figure reappeared thirty meters away.


    My mind was already mush, but this was not the time to take a break.


    The air around me distorted once again and the lizard that just reached my position could only hit the air.


    My sense of direction was heavily impaired. My judgement of nearby things was extremely weak, even though my skin was picking up on tremors.


    The only thing left was to hope that my direction was the correct one.


    The air around me distorted and my figure reappeared in the general location of the entrance.


    Even with my muted senses, the thumping of the lizard king''s steps was clear.


    Without much thought, my body was just thrown towards the wall in the hopes that my escape would be there.


    Unfortunately, my face rammed straight into a rock wall.


    My hand clutched my head, but there was no time to lament in pain.


    The lizard king had slammed its jaw down to my right.


    In a last ditch effort, my mind tried to teleport past the lizard''s jaw.


    If the timing was a little off, I may just reappear right inside of the lizard king''s maw, but this was my only chance.


    My eyes closed and purely based on instinct, my mind teleported me forward.


    The good news was that there was no sensation of being crushed.


    The bad news was that my body was almost powerless.


    My mind could barely process the fact I was even standing.


    The savagery in my heart completely awakened.


    The anger had forced me to crawl.


    To ignore the pain.


    And to keep moving.


    My left hand pulled me forward and felt for the entrance to the cave.


    Then... my hand felt the edge of the entrance.


    I desperately tried to pull myself in, but before there was a chance to, my legs were hit by the lizard king''s jaws.


    My body was thrown into the tunnel, and my chest collided with the wall.


    A few ribs were broken and my right leg was bent in the wrong direction.


    The lizard king gave itself a running start and continued to ram his maw into the opening.


    The maw got so close to me that even with my limited vision, the teeth were clearly lined up in front of me. The tunnel was trembling from the aftershock.


    My trembling hands held my right leg and slowly forced it back into normal shape.


    My eyes were closed and my teeth grit.


    With a snap, my leg was bent back. Beads of sweat were falling from my head.


    The tunnel shook again.


    My breathing was ragged and the back of my head was bloody from the vibrations. However, my state was more or less stable.


    The lizard king gradually became more sluggish.


    It was relentless, but its body was giving up.


    By now, the rocky carapace had completely fallen off.


    The only thing left was a few scales that stubbornly remained.


    The lizard king''s maw had deformed, letting it reach further in the tunnel. My left leg and arm slowly crawled back to avoid the teeth.


    The lizard king gave one more charge straight into the tunnel. However, blood burst from its maw once it collided.


    After that, there was a strong burnt smell that reached my nose.


    What was left of the lizard king slowly backed away. It no longer resembled its original form, now a bulbous clump. Blood was pouring out incessantly and its entire body was trembling.


    It gradually laid down until its movement stopped entirely.


    The only sound left was my ragged breathing.


    The lizard king himself was taking its last few breaths.


    All the other lizards died in the crossfire.


    In the end, there were only two living things left in the cavern.


    A few minutes passed... and there was only one living thing left.


    A black crown slowly floated towards me.


    The crown itself looked like a ring. On the front of the ring were three spikes both above and below the ring. The middle spike was twice as long as the others.


    Smaller spikes were lined across the rest of the ring and at the back was the largest spike. It was slightly longer than the spike on the front.


    The crown hovered above my head.


    While I was inspecting how it looked, it suddenly pierced into my head.


    I blacked out.


    ...


    When my eyes fluttered open, a weak ache spread across my body.


    The front and back of my head were sore and itchy.


    My finger scratched at the front of my head. It was painful and my fingers hit something metal.


    ...It seems the crown was forcefully put on my head.


    Could this thing come off?


    My index finger and thumb gripped at the crown, avoiding the spikes.


    With a little tug, there was a strong pain that seeped into my mind.


    Well... no pulling out the crown.


    My injuries were definitely not light by any means, but it seemed my constitution was strong enough to heal me with a simple nap.


    I got up to my feet.


    Other than a strong hunger, I was feeling great.


    My steps leisurely echoed across the expanse. My destination was the end of the cave, to claim the previous king''s food.


    After a few moments, a rock wall towered over me.


    My eyes closed.


    The rocks parted like curtains, giving me access to the treasures inside.

 Chapter 50 - Newfound Power

    I crouched down next to the black plant. The entire thing was black, but there was a large fruit the size of an apple. My hand felt it, it was very soft. Lined across the stalk that held that fruit were many wilted flowers.


    In total, there were ten of these fruits. My hand held the fruit and pulled it from the stalk.


    After a bit of hesitation, the fruit was tossed into my mouth. The fruit was very soft and chewy, with a strong taste of honey.


    The experience was pleasant, but the sweetness was a little too strong.


    Though before my stomach really wanted something, right now my hand was holding my mouth to prevent myself from vomiting.


    Now that I think about it, something that fed a lizard that size must have been dense.


    After the urge to vomit disappeared, the effects of the fruit kicked in.


    My body became akin to a furnace, the heat emitted surely matched what the fire spell could output.


    As uncomfortable as it was, it was nowhere near how it felt after eating the peppers.


    My muscles suddenly expanded, which ripped apart my skin. My limbs were twitching as was my eyelid.


    Though the process wasn''t painful there was a lingering fear in the back of my head that eating these fruits would suddenly make me gigantic like that lizard king.


    After all, if that occurred my body wouldn''t fit through the tunnel and I would just be awkwardly stuck.


    Thankfully, my worries did not come to fruition.


    The fruit had an even stronger effect on my mind.


    Unlike my body which was plummeting into a hot summer, my mind dipped into an ice cold winter.


    My mind felt clear. While my vision barely reached a few meters ahead of me, my mind could sense almost every nook and cranny.


    There was a clear pulsating coming from behind the wall. The feeling was comforting and every time the pulse passed through me my blood would flow faster.


    My mind attempted to push aside the walls to the floating crystal, but they remained as if they were unmoveable.


    Hmm...


    My eyes were cast onto the other nine fruits. Just the thought of eating another one made me feel sick.


    However, the effects really were too good. My hand plucked each fruit from the stem and wrapped them with the cloth that used to hold the crystal to my arm.


    After one last look at the barren hill, I left.


    My new destination was the hole where the crystal was.


    Along the way, my stake was on the ground. The stake had a long split down the middle and was no longer sharp. Yet, my hand picked it up and tucked it away in my coat. My steps continued forward.


    Upon reaching the hole, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    The crystals scattered in the tunnel were calling out to me.


    It seemed that whatever these crystals were, had an affinity with me now.


    Every step my foot took, my heart beat a little faster.


    The pulsating became clear and my mind felt more ethereal.


    Once the floating crystal came into view, the pulsating was at its strongest.


    The waves made me feel like my whole body was doused in water.


    My steps stopped in front of the crystal and my eyes just looked at it.


    There was a light pulling sensation from my pocket.


    The gemstone from the three-horned demon was pulled out.


    My eyes watched as the gemstone slowly floated towards the crystal.


    Once the gemstone was in contact with the crystal it twitched violently and appeared to be absorbed by the crystal.


    The surrounding crystals in the cave trembled soon after and the pulsating stopped.


    Huge chunks of crystals were broken off from the cave walls one by one. They gravitated towards the crystal and were absorbed.


    All that was left were bare walls in the ten meters surrounding the crystal.


    My hand reached out for the crystal and it gravitated towards my hand, gently falling into it.


    While holding the crystal, my steps went back down the tunnel.


    The crystals along the way were attracted towards the crystal in my hand.


    Sometimes the crystals would collide with my hand which was annoying, but they were soon absorbed all the same.


    Upon reaching the exit, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    My figure appeared on the other side and I walked back down the tunnel.


    When a fork was in front of me, my head looked left then turned to the right.


    Climbing that canyon wouldn''t be too difficult with my new strength, but it was probably better to just teleport out using my initial entrance.


    Along the way was a lone mace on the ground. My foot kicked it aside and I kept walking.


    Soon there was a mound of snow in front of me. There was no opening.


    My hand rubbed on my chin for a few seconds, then my eyes closed.


    The pulsating of the crystal returned, sending the snow flying out of the hill, revealing the shine of the sun.


    My figure disappeared from the dark cavern and appeared on the ground.


    All snow within ten meters of me was blown away.


    The snow on top of trees was thrown in the sky, revealing bright green leaves.


    The ground was dry and uneven but devoid of any snow.


    ...This was rather flashy.


    The crystal stopped pulsating and a thick layer of snow fell. Mana rushed to fill the empty space, and the strangely familiar feeling of mana came back.


    Hmm...


    What was there to do now?


    ...The pedestal.


    Surely the crystal in my hand would not break like the gemstone right?


    Well, first up is the village.


    My mind was able to analyze the terrain and figure out the general direction I last used to get to the village.


    There was a two-horned demon in front of me.


    My presence was not hidden, thus the demon easily noticed me and charged.


    The crystal left my hand and hovered above it.


    My fingers reached out when the two-horned demon got close.


    Before the demon swung its saber, a small gemstone was pulled out of its chest.


    The demon stumbled backward. It was clutching its chest, and its skin slowly changed from black to red.


    Its body stiffened as it fell back and no longer moved.


    My eyes inspected the gemstone in my hand.


    My mind tried to pull mana from it and a small soft stream of mana flowed into my arm.


    My hand held it next to the floating crystal, but there was no reaction.


    After tucking it away in my pocket I continued forward while the floating crystal followed behind me.


    There were quite the amount of demons on my way there, but to avoid trouble my figure sneaked past them.


    Well, until my eyes were laid on a three-horned demon.


    My curiosity was simply too strong to not test out my strength.


    The three-horned demon saw me and roared.


    The demon rushed towards me, its steps shaking the earth.


    The height of this demon was nearly three times mine and the mace it had was almost as long as he was.


    It was also very fast and was not lumbering as one would expect.


    The demon was ready to swing the mace and when it had just enough reach, let loose.


    It would not be difficult to dodge the incoming mace, but that was not my intention.


    My right hand balled into a fist and was thrown at the demon''s mace.


    Most of my strength was put into that punch.


    The demon''s mace flew backward and the demon stumbled back.


    As for me, my hand had a few bloody holes in it and my body was thrown back a meter or so. Thankfully, the wounds scabbed over quickly.


    The demon roared, but this time it enlarged.


    The demon''s whole body expanded, with red marks similar to veins lined across its body.


    It stopped growing once it was one and a half times bigger.


    The mace it was holding also enlarged to fit its size.


    ...Although my strength had increased by quite a bit, it seemed that these three-horned demons really are no joke.


    However...


    The demon had charged at me once more, but before it got close, the crystal above me began pulsing.


    The snow around me was blown away and the demon suddenly stopped.


    It had suddenly shrunk along with its mace, back to its normal size. The mace fell onto the ground while the demon''s skin went from black to red.


    It was not spasming as hard as I thought it would, but fell to its knees and was unable to move.


    I gradually approached the demon.


    When I was in arm''s reach, my hand plucked out the gemstone from inside the demon.


    As my eyes were admiring the gemstone, the demon fell down on its face.


    It seemed the power dynamic had changed.

 Chapter 51 - Leons Friend

    Like with the previous gemstone, my hand held it up close to the floating crystal, but there was no reaction.


    My mind stopped the pulsating from the crystal.


    After putting away the gemstone, my figure slipped back into the shadows.


    ...


    My head peeked over a tree to see a clearing and with a village inside it.


    My intention wasn''t to go into the village but use it as a basis to find the ice pool with the pedestal.


    Simply because it was faster, I walked into the clearing and approached the village.


    After my foot was set on the clearing, there was a sudden rumbling.


    Remembering the spell that Leon cast before, my heart tightened.


    My eyes scanned the village for a pillar, while my legs began to sprint.


    But... there was no pillar.


    My steps started to slow as my eyes blinked a few times.


    Was... this real?


    A huge section of Earth came out from the village, making a huge arch whose end was rapidly approaching me.


    At the tip of that arch was a young man with white robes, a staff, and long brown hair.


    He landed hard on the ground next to me, while his arch continued down in the ground. It was like a snake that was burrowing back into the ground.


    Ah, Leon...


    Though Leon''s landing caused cracks in the earth below him, his knees did not even buckle.


    Leon gave me a once over.


    "Hello, there. I am the Earth Emperor. May I know who you are?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Oh, I''m Jay."


    Leon''s face twitched.


    "...Ah yes, my name is Leon. Hello Jay."


    A small smile emerged on my face.


    "Hey, Leon."


    Leon cleared his throat.


    "What brings you to my village?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Oh, just passing by."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "You are so free that you simply wander the lands?"


    My hands were raised and shook.


    "No, I am just trying to become more powerful."


    Leon sighed.


    "Do you really need power when the world is at peace?"


    My head shook.


    "The Demon King died, now the demons are attacking people. In fact, there are demons over there that are probably about to attack this village."


    Leon rubbed his chin.


    "I see. Hold on one moment."


    The ground below us suddenly rose.


    I stumbled but soon regained my footing.


    My eyes watched as the ground below grew further and further away.


    Our ascent slowed and Leon closed his eyes.


    The sky darkened and countless meteors fell from the sky.


    My eyes watched in admiration as a giant meteor passed right by us into the ground below.


    I was standing side by side with Leon feeling the tremors of the earth and watching the earth turn over.


    "Oh, by the way, the demons have some gemstone thing that you can absorb mana from."


    Leon nodded.


    After a few more moments of rumbling, everything was silent again.


    The ground under us lowered. When we reached the ground there was an assortment of gemstones on the floor in front of us.


    Leon took one of the biggest gemstones and the rest sunk into the earth.


    The translucent gemstone in Leon''s hand lightly trembled.


    A small dark brown vortex formed inside the gemstone.


    The vortex gradually became bigger, before the gemstone cracked.


    Cracks continued forming until the entire gemstone was covered with spider web cracks.


    The gemstone suddenly shattered into pieces, scattering on the ground.


    Leon dropped the remaining shards still in his hand.


    "Hmm... it''s a mana generator, but if you draw mana too fast the gemstone will shatter completely."


    My eyes gravitated to the shattered piece on the ground.


    "Ah, good to know."


    Leon waved his hand dismissively.


    "Anyways, could you tell me where you are going? If you don''t mind, of course."


    My finger pointed towards the general direction of the ice pool.


    "There is this weird pool of ice that has a pedestal when you step in it. The pedestal has a weird indent in it and I wanted to see if the crystal by me would do anything."


    Both of Leon''s eyebrows raised.


    "That sounds interesting, mind if I tag along?"


    Well, having a super powerful mage with me is probably a good thing.


    "Sure, why not."


    A small smile formed on Leon''s face.


    "Thank you. Should we set off now?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, we can go now."


    Leon walked with me back into the forest.


    My mind was replaying the way Leon used such an exaggerated way of moving. It felt a little strange to be leisurely walking through the snow with him.


    Leon turned to face me.


    "Say, how did you get that crown?"


    My eyes shifted upwards in thought.


    "Uh... there was this weird cave with no mana in it with this giant lizard. After I killed it the crown that was on that lizard''s head just bore into my head without hesitation."


    Leon nodded a few times.


    "Sounds like you went through quite the journey, how were you able to kill it?"


    My finger scratched my hair.


    "Uhh... There were these peppers that I encased in ice. The peppers would produce crazy amounts of heat if it was not encased in ice and touched something. By throwing the peppers in the giant lizard''s mouth it eventually died."


    Leon blinked a few times. His face was basically saying, ''What?''.


    "Oh... how powerful was the lizard?"


    One of my eyes squinted.


    "It was maybe fifteen meters tall? The only way my strength was enough to even survive its attacks was this black grass. Basically, there were a lot of lizards that defended patches of grass. After acquiring the grass and eating it, my strength increased. Speaking of-"


    My hand untied the cloth holding the black fruits and handed one to Leon.


    "This was one of the plants that the lizard king ate. I would recommend eating a small amount at a time."


    Leon reached out for the fruit when I suddenly pulled it back.


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Do you have a request?"


    My head shook.


    "No, no... I just remembered that I know almost nothing about these fruits. There might be some side effects I haven''t figured out yet."


    Leon nodded.


    "Ah, that''s fine. I can tell what the effects of most plants are."


    My hand held the fruit out again.


    "Ah, ok."


    Leon delicately picked up the fruit. He turned the fruit over in his hand and looked at it closely.


    "This is quite potent. It greatly increases strength, power of the mind, and improves one''s spatial awareness."


    Leon was nodding, then took a bite from the fruit.


    Leon closed his eyes as his body heated up.


    After a few moments the heat calmed down and Leon opened his eyes.


    "Thanks for the fruit."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "No problem."


    Leon put away the fruit.


    My face turned away from Leon.


    "By the way, how did you get so powerful?"


    Leon laughed.


    "It is a bit of a complicated story, but I will try to simplify it for you."


    Leon cleared his throat while holding a fist in front of his mouth.


    "When I was a child, I had become great friends with another. She had long blonde hair like the wheat fields and azure eyes that always shone brightly."


    Leon sighed.


    "When we were tested for our talents, she only had a small talent in ice magic. She had to become a constitution mage. Yet, when I was tested, great talent in earth magic had befallen on me."


    A frown slowly emerged on Leon''s face.


    "Great talent is nothing special, only a bit above rare. There have been many people with great talent, yet stagnate in the path of magic. However, it meant that my teachers and parents wished for me to become a collector mage."


    Leon smiled bitterly.


    "But... My friend thought I was going to leave her. She ran away from me and I had to desperately run to catch up to her."


    ...How long is the complicated version if this was simplified?


    Nonetheless, I did not interrupt and let Leon continue.


    "She eventually gave up on running and sat by the river. I joined her, trying my best to console my good friend. I decided to become a constitution mage with her."


    Leon laughed.


    "In hindsight, she may have felt guilty because of that. My parents and teachers were not happy about my decision and tried all sorts of punishments, but my decision did not change."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "Choosing this path was far from easy, and the pain can easily break one down. But... my heart wished to prove to my friend that a constitution mage could still be strong. We worked hard together down this path that had pitfalls every step of the way."


    Leon smirked.


    "Ironically enough, becoming a constitution mage let me become closer with the earth. It helped me understand how to become part of the world around me."


    Leon sighed.


    "The power of the earth is held within itself. It is filled with raging magma, ready to burst. Only by gathering mana in my body could I replicate that. I had avoided an insurmountable bottleneck just like that."


    There was a bright smile on Leon''s face.


    It seems he was a good person.

 Chapter 52 - Pedestal

    My head tilted to the side.


    "So what can you do with your earth magic?"


    Leon rubbed his hand against his chin.


    "My mastery of the earth spells allows me to go beyond the constructed spells. In essence, I am able to freely manipulate earth, limited only by my imagination."


    I nodded a few times.


    "Wow, that sounds cool."


    Leon chuckled.


    "Thank you. What are you able to do?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "I got stronger from eating those black plants in that weird cave."


    My finger pointed towards the floating crystal next to me.


    "That was also where this crystal came from, it can get rid of mana around it."


    The crystal started to pulsate and the snow around us was blown away.


    Leon''s eyes widened.


    "I am unable to gather any mana, that is quite the impressive power."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, thank you, thank you."


    The crystal stopped pulsating and past a few trees was the ice pond.


    My finger pointed towards the ice pond.


    "I am pretty sure that''s the place."


    Leon''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the ice pond.


    "Hmm... who is that?"


    What?


    My eyes looked a little closer to see Osric standing in the middle of the ice pond in a daze.


    We walked to the edge of the ice pond when someone''s voice suddenly rang out from behind us.


    "What are you gentlemen doing here?"


    My body tensed and did a 180, while Leon leisurely turned around.


    It was Mark. He was still in his ragged clothes and had a big smile on his face.


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "Wandering around, you?"


    Mark''s smile remained like he was a statue.


    "Haha, I am simply curious as to what that man over there is doing. You should be of the same mind, no?"


    I looked back to Osric.


    "Well, yeah. Why is he just... standing there?"


    Mark laughed.


    "Then let us join him."


    Mark walked to the ice pond and Leon did the same without much thought.


    Well, this wasn''t my first time doing this anyway.


    My foot was set into the ice pond and massive ice walls immediately appeared around me.


    Mark and Leon were both next to me, while my eyes were on Osric.


    He was currently in a tussle with a skeleton with an arm missing. All around him were shattered bones that were trembling.


    Mark held his hand up next to his face, as though he wanted to use it to amplify his voice.


    "Hey! Need any help?"


    Osric looked towards us and frowned.


    "No! Please leave."


    Mark clasped his hands together.


    "Oh, don''t be shy."


    Mark walked over to Osric. My head turned to Leon and he turned to me.


    Leon shrugged his shoulders and went with Mark. Not knowing what else to do, my steps trailed behind.


    Osric had pulled off the skull of the skeleton he was fighting, but both the skull and the body were still attacking him.


    Osric slammed the skull on the ground, shattering it into pieces.


    Once Mark was a few meters away, he simply watched Osric, as did the rest of us.


    Osric shattered the remaining arm on the skeleton with a punch, then lifted the remains by the ribcage and slammed it onto the ground.


    Osric was uninjured, then sighed.


    "I have the situation under control, there is no need to help me."


    Mark tilted his head to the side.


    "Oh, really?"


    The shattered bones on the ground were swallowed into the ice.


    After a few moments, a hand reached from under Osric, pulling at his foot.


    Osric frowned and kicked it off, sending the bony hand away.


    "...The situation is under control."


    Ten skeletons pulled themselves back up from the ice.


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Um... I think they are just going to keep coming back."


    Osric''s face twitched.


    "Hmph. What could any of you do differently anyway?"


    Mark rolled his eyes.


    "Perhaps use my brain?"


    Gales of wind were stirred up. All the skeletons were immediately broken into pieces and held above the ice.


    Osric''s eye twitched.


    "My thunder magic could do the same if these monsters were not immune."


    Mark laughed.


    "You had no control over the situation did you?"


    Leon sighed.


    "Alright, that''s enough. We should introduce ourselves. My name is Leon, the Earth Emperor."


    Osric took a deep breath.


    "My name is Osric, the King of Wolves."


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "The name is Mark, I dabble in wind magic."


    My hand scratched the back of my head as everyone''s eyes shifted to me.


    "Uh, I''m Jay."


    Osric''s face twitched.


    "...That''s it?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I mean that is the only way I really know how to introduce myself."


    Mark chuckled.


    "Does your exaggerated crown not mean anything?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "I guess the king of lizards somewhat fits me?"


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "You are of lizard descent?"


    An awkward laugh seeped out of my lips.


    "Well... this crown was forced on me after I killed all these lizards in a cave."


    The corner of Osric''s lip twitched.


    "...I see."


    Mark looked at me.


    "That sounds quite impressive."


    I nodded.


    "It definitely was not easy, thankfully there were some plants that strengthened my body. Speaking of, do you guys want one?"


    My hand pulled out two black fruits from a satchel.


    Osric waved his hand dismissively.


    "No thank you. I am fine without that."


    Mark looked at me curiously.


    "May I take a closer look at it?"


    After putting back one fruit, my hand reached out to Mark, fruit in hand.


    Mark held his hand out under mine. My hand released and Mark let it fall onto his palm.


    Mark turned the fruit over a few times and was about to take a bite.


    My hand reached out to him.


    "Wait, wait. You probably shouldn''t eat too much of it at a time."


    Mark raised an eyebrow.


    "Alright."


    Mark took a small bite from the fruit. His body heated up for a few moments, but it was over quick.


    "Thank you, Jay."


    My hand waved dismissively.


    "No problem, no problem."


    Osric''s lip twitched but he did not say anything.


    Leon''s eyes swept the area.


    "What is this place anyway?"


    Osric sighed.


    "I am not too sure."


    Mark rubbed his chin.


    "For starters, we could see the situation with that pedestal."


    Mark pointed towards the middle of the ice hill, where a pedestal lay.


    Osric frowned.


    "...I suppose we can."


    The four of us walked up the hill, to a pedestal.


    The pedestal was white in color and had engravings of various flowers on its side.


    At the top was an indent. The indent appeared to be part of the pedestal''s design, it was elegantly crafted and could fit a large jewel inside.


    Mark looked at the crystal that was hovering above me.


    "Do you think your... jewelry could fit within the socket of this pedestal?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess I could try."


    My mind recalled the effects of trying to put a gemstone in the socket.


    The rumbling was quite loud...


    "...This might not be the safest of actions to do, are you guys ok with that?"


    Though I was willing to try this out, I was afraid of implicating others.


    Leon held a fist in front of his mouth.


    "Is there something special that will happen if you go through with this?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Maybe? I wouldn''t know."


    Leon chuckled.


    "I was never one to not explore possibilities."


    Osric cleared his throat.


    "I am willing to do so if you intend on trying this out."


    My eyes swiveled to Mark.


    Mark''s eyes locked with mine.


    "If my curiosity is what gets me killed, that will simply be a fitting ending."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Well... here goes nothing."


    My palm reached out and let the crystal lower into my hand.


    My eyes examined the crystal closely.


    The crystal was the shape of a rhombus. Though it was black, it gleamed, giving the crystal a nice shine. Now that it was not in my hand, it stopped rotating and laid there silently.


    The other three kept their eyes on me and waited.


    My foot took a step forward, bringing me right next to the pedestal.


    With a deep breath, my hand lowered the crystal.


    The crystal fit nicely inside of the indent and half of it was now submerged.


    ...Nothing happened.


    Mark laughed.


    "I suppose it was a bit of a stretch for that to work."


    Osric sighed.


    "Though it makes sense to assume an object would trigger a mechanism."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "What type of object do you surmise would work?"


    My hand raised, to stop the conversation.


    "There is still something I haven''t tried."


    Mark raised an eyebrow.


    "Is that so? Go ahead then."


    After making sure the other two did not have any protests, my mind focused.


    The crystal pulsated.


    ....Then the pedestal cracked.

 Chapter 53 - Falling Sands

    The pedestal had a large crack at the top. The crack continued until it reached a few centimeters above the bottom.


    The entire hill was trembling ominously.


    Osric furrowed his brows, Leon didn''t seem to care, and Mark simply raised an eyebrow.


    As for me, a few beads of sweat formed on my forehead.


    What have I started?


    Suddenly, the pedestal sank into the ground while my crystal began hovering and rotating.


    The entire hill began to flatten out, becoming flat icy ground.


    The ice on the ground retreated from the center, revealing a stone platform.


    Once the ice had fully retreated from the ground, the platform suddenly started to fall.


    Though it was abrupt, Mark, Leon, and Osric had no trouble with the ground suddenly falling.


    As for me, my legs were stumbling. My physique would let me keep my footing fine but the feeling reminded me of how I first entered that cave.


    It was because, like this time, the floor under my foot gave way, leading to a series of traumatic events.


    As the platform fell, the icy walls transitioned into stone. It seemed this process would continue for quite some time.


    Mark still kept his bright smile on his face.


    "Well, that is a surprise. Your jewelry has one of the rarest abilities in existence, inhibiting mana."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Well it may be a bit difficult, but people can still cast a spell that does the same thing."


    The corner of Mark''s lip twitched.


    "A bit difficult?"


    Before I could reply, Leon suddenly raised his hand.


    "Wait, where did those skeletons go?"


    Osric rubbed his chin.


    "The wind spell was holding them up, no?"


    Mark rolled his eyes.


    "Did you not feel the effects of mana inhibition? The spell was obviously canceled."


    Osric frowned.


    "...Ah."


    Leon sighed.


    "It seems they have already gone down before us. Perhaps we will have to deal with them."


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "They were so easily dealt with, how could they even pose a problem?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    A few moments of silence passed, where the only sound was stone rubbing against stone.


    A loud bang rang out.


    The platform suddenly stopped, causing cracks to form in the floor around us.


    Other than a hint of surprise flashing across my face, nobody was shaken.


    There were four pathways presented around us. Each way had a large opening and a particularly high ceiling.


    The walls were made mostly of grey stones that were stuck together with cement. The only source of lighting came from high up above us, making each pathway hold a deep darkness.


    My mind stopped my crystal from pulsating.


    Leon briefly looked down each pathway.


    "What way should we go down first?"


    Mark laughed.


    "There is no true difference between any of them."


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "I guess we can start with this way."


    My finger pointed in an arbitrary direction.


    Osric''s eyes landed on me.


    "Why don''t you lead the way, it is your decision after all."


    I nodded.


    "Sure."


    A ball of fire appeared on top of my hand, lighting up a few meters forward.


    My steps echoed across the walls.


    The other three walked behind me as my foot set down on the pathway, then sunk.


    Instinctively, my foot pulled back. The trauma of suddenly sinking was still fresh in my mind.


    The ground had sunk slightly, showing my footprint.


    Right when the embarrassment of overreacting came to me, the floor suddenly gave way.


    A small section of the pathway ahead had fallen as though it were sand.


    My eyes peered down the hole left behind, seeing only darkness.


    After a few moments, my mind cast the thunder spell and threw it down the opening.


    The thunder spell snaked down for maybe seven meters, illuminating the walls. However, there was no indication of any floor nearby.


    Leon had walked next to me and was also looking down the hole.


    "Well, it appears falling down would be an unpleasant experience."


    My head slowly raised.


    "Leon, are you able to manipulate the surrounding walls?"


    Leon shook his head.


    "I do not know how this place was created, but it is not some form of stone or earth. My power will be weaker if the only material available to me is self-created earth."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Well, that is unfortunate. I will try my best to not fall down this path."


    My foot stepped down next to the hole in the pathway, then sunk down again.


    My foot pulled back, leaving my footprint in the pathway, as though it were sand.


    The four of us stood there for a few moments, but the floor did not give way.


    My eyelid twitched.


    "This is going to be quite the painful experience."


    Leon sighed.


    "Perhaps we should pick a different pathway?"


    Osric snorted.


    "We have yet to take two steps down this path, why should we concede so swiftly?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Alright, alright."


    My foot was set back down on the ground. The floor did not sink any further, and fully supported my weight.


    My head tilted to the side for a few seconds.


    My hand pulled out my cracked stake.


    Osric raised both eyebrows.


    "What are the special features of your object there?"


    An awkward laugh came out of my mouth.


    "It''s just a piece of wood, more specifically a branch I broke off a tree and sharpened."


    Osric''s eyelid twitched, but he did not say anything.


    Mark laughed.


    "It may not be special, but can still be used."


    After chuckling, my stake hit the floor in front of me.


    The stake sank but was stopped.


    I waited for a few moments and seeing that the ground did not fall, my foot was set down securely.


    This process repeated itself a few more times and a decent amount of distance had been traveled.


    Like many times before, my stake was confidently stuck into the floor ahead of me. After a few moments, both of my feet stepped down on the floor.


    While my knees bent and my stake was raised, the floor under me suddenly gave way.


    Almost the entire pathway ahead revealed its true nature to be sand.


    My heart clenched as my body was freefalling into a dark abyss.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted. Right as my back hit something, my figure disappeared.


    After reappearing on the secure floor, my lungs pulled in a few deep breaths.


    Leon chuckled.


    "Ah, it seems you didn''t need my help."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "Oh, you made a platform for me to fall on? Thanks for that."


    Leon nodded.


    "Of course."


    Mark narrowed his eyes.


    "...You are able to manipulate space?"


    My finger scratched my hair.


    "Sort of? I can instinctively do it, but as for the principles behind it, I wouldn''t know."


    Mark was staring at me a little too intensely.


    "I see..."


    This time, the entire path forward had fallen. The light from the fire spell was unable to illuminate if there was a path further down.


    Leon was staring off at the fallen pathway.


    "The mana here is very thin, though I could make a pathway, I believe it''s best we choose another path to use our resources properly."


    Leon turned right to a new path.


    "Let me lead the way down this path."


    Leon made his way down the path and was quickly engulfed in darkness.


    My face twitched.


    "You can see in the dark?"


    Leon''s voice came from down the hall.


    "Oh, I suppose something similar to that, yes."


    I hurriedly followed after Leon, with the fire spell in hand.


    This path had a different floor, having many tiles. Its colors ranged from brown, black, grey, and white. There didn''t seem to be a particular pattern to the colors, but they were all the same size.


    It did not take long to catch up with Leon. Osric and Mark were close behind as well.


    Leon stopped moving.


    My eyes peered over Leon''s shoulder.


    There was a large room ahead of us. There were two stone tables in the middle that could comfortably fit a human on top of them.


    If a person were to lay down, they would find metal bindings right next to where their wrists and ankles would be.


    The metal bindings were rusty and were bolted into the table. There was a latch that presumably opened and closed the bindings.


    Leon had no reservations to explore the room, walking towards the right side.


    My steps followed behind him. There were wooden tables at the edge of the room.


    Leon frowned after he looked at the tables.


    "The ravings of madness."


    The wooden tables were roughly carved into, making countless messages of, ''IT IS POSSIBLE''. They were scrawled all over the table, exhibiting the thoughts of a madman.


    The ceiling began shaking. Dust and small pieces of stone began falling from the middle of the room.


    The hole was suddenly broken through, and a skeleton clad in armor fell through.

 Chapter 54 - Tests Of Rituals

    The four of us looked towards the center of the room.


    A skeleton was getting up to its feet.


    The skeleton''s height was about three meters, much larger than the skeletons we had encountered before.


    The skeleton was covered in bulky iron armor that covered everything except the front of its skull.


    In the skeleton''s right hand was an iron shield that easily covered the entire skeleton. On the other hand, was an iron sword that was as long as the skeleton was high.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "This skeleton... looks a bit bigger than the ones we dealt with earlier."


    Mark laughed.


    "It does indeed."


    Osric narrowed his eyes.


    "This one shouldn''t be immune to thunder magic."


    Osric flicked his wrist and a bright blue thunderbolt snaked out of his hand.


    The thunderbolt collided against the skeleton''s shield, forcing it back a few steps.


    Tiny blue arcs jumped across the skeleton''s body with a tiny buzz.


    Mark looked at the skeleton''s sword and shield that was now emitting faint crackles of lightning.


    "It appears to be immune to thunder magic. You did not harm it in any way."


    The skeleton swung its sword at Mark, sending a small thunderbolt his way.


    Mark leaned to the side, dodging it.


    "In fact, you aided it."


    Osric frowned.


    "My apologies."


    Leon reached out his hand.


    Earth encased the entire skeleton.


    A crack formed and the skeleton broke out, but the electrical current on him was gone.


    The skeleton charged after me.


    My hand balled into a fist.


    While the skeleton lifted up its sword, I pounced.


    My fist hit the skeleton''s iron shield with a dull thud.


    The skeleton was sent stumbling back and hit the wall.


    Small cracks had formed on the skeleton''s shield, but it was otherwise unharmed.


    Gales of wind suddenly tore into the skeleton, making its armor crack. The hand the skeleton used to hold the sword was blown around until the sword was flung out of his hand.


    Mark clicked his tongue.


    "The mana here is so thin..."


    Before the skeleton could recover from the wind, I pounced on the skeleton. My fist hit the shield once again, making more cracks on the shield. The skeleton was against the wall, using the shield to turtle up.


    Punching was simple enough to do, so my fists kept hitting the shield, making the cracks increase further.


    Eventually, the shield shattered into pieces, leaving the skeleton with only its armor.


    The skeleton dived for its sword, but Osric kicked the skeleton''s skull before it could get near.


    Another gust of wind blew by and the skeleton''s head came off entirely.


    The body of the skeleton started to tremble and retreat to the ground.


    Osric picked up the skull so it could not go back under while my hand clutched the leg of the skeleton.


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "Is there really no way to permanently destroy these?"


    My eyes narrowed.


    "Let me try something."


    The crystal began pulsating and the skeleton stopped trembling.


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "That is convenient."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh, if you want to use mana stay a bit far from me. Also, it seems we will have to bring these parts with us to prevent them from coming back."


    Osric nodded and carried the skeleton skull while remaining close to the crystal.


    Past this room was another path, and Leon led the way.


    Osric and I lugged along parts of the skeleton.


    My hand was on one of the limbs of the skeleton''s body and dragging it across the floor, making loud scraping sounds.


    Leon stopped once again. There was no longer any light since my fire spell was canceled. Despite the lack of light, my mind could still sense the general shape of the room. Mark and Osric also did not have any difficulty in following us.


    This room was much bigger than the last one. The room had countless stone tables like the previous ones.


    Different from the last one, there were dried bloodstains covering the various tables. Leon walked towards a set of wooden tables lined up against the wall.


    There were countless papers messily scattered about on top.


    ...Wonder if anything was written on them.


    "Hey, does someone have a source of light?"


    Osric shrugged his shoulders.


    "I am able to do so. You will be in charge of holding the monster."


    Osric tossed the skull over to me, which my hand caught.


    After Osric took a few steps away from me, a big ball of electricity coalesced next to him.


    The room became quite bright, making the words on the pieces of paper legible.


    The papers were wrinkled and naturally slightly rolled up. There were small stains across the papers, and tears here and there.


    There was writing on the papers, it was made using ink, and parts of the letters had faded away. Despite that, the writing was very neat, and almost all of it was readable, even if some parts were missing.


    Mark''s eyes narrowed as he read the contents.


    My eyes followed his.


    ''Experiment Three, Second Try.


    There were many flaws in my first attempt. In fact, that attempt could even be considered naive. Of course, valuable things never come easily.


    Regardless, I am more or less on the right track.


    Perhaps different people hold different values?


    This may get a little complicated if the use of slaves constitutes different results, after all, acquiring slaves is much easier than even normal townsfolk.


    This should be explored in further experiments.


    For now, a general direction must be found.


    Regardless, the report for the actual experiment is as follows.


    The subject is a male, roughly twenty years old, has a height of one meter and ninety-five centimeters. For a slave, the subject has quite a healthy body, the only concern would be his deteriorating mental state.


    The subject did not attempt to struggle.


    So far, the rituals found in books in group A did not appear to have any desired effects, as expected.


    There is, however, a certain ritual that appears promising.


    The ritual from the book ''Above Foolish Mortals''.


    It was quite difficult to kill the cult members, so it is only natural that they held something substantial.


    There are certain flaws to be addressed, but certain kinks can be modified and retraced.


    This attempt will replace the use of animal blood with human blood.


    This is only one of the many issues to be addressed, but it''s best to start off small.


    Upon ritual completion, there appeared to be a twitch in the subject''s hand. There is a possibility that it was a figment of my imagination, but this is a method to explore.


    The next subject will be a female, of similar health and age. This is to see if a difference in gender constitutes anything.


    As a reminder, grand things do not come simply. Start small to end large.


    Do not forget this Noah.''


    Osric frowned.


    "What is this man trying to accomplish? These experiments seem to be quite gruesome."


    Mark laughed.


    "This person appears to be a fool."


    Leon sighed.


    "This person wished to pretend that he was not mad by writing these messages on paper."


    Leon moved aside one of the papers to reveal another underneath.


    "He truly is a fool, only attempting to deceive himself."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh... yeah."


    Honestly, I had no idea what they were talking about. It was as if they saw something in these strange words.


    Hopefully, they would be a little more clear if they ever talk about it again. Of course, there was an option to ask, but that would make me look dumb.


    Not that I wasn''t dumb but...


    There was rumbling coming from the ceiling.


    As dust and small stones fell from the ceiling, the four of us turned to look.


    Two skeletons fell down, hitting the ground hard. They were both able to get up quickly, not concerned about any damage they caused to their bodies.


    One of the skeletons had a small frame, reaching only a meter in height. A brown coat was draped over its body and there was a large knife in its hand.


    The other was the stark opposite. It had made quite the commotion when it fell, cracking a stone table as it fell. Standing up to its full height, it reached five meters and held only a long blade in its hand.


    The previous skeleton was rendered harmless after being deprived of mana. In consideration of that, there was little worry on my face when they charged at me.


    Yet... the skeletons did not slow even when they were pretty close.


    My hands were preoccupied with holding the parts of the skeleton in my hands.


    A light frown appeared on my face.


    "Could you guys deal with them?"


    Leon stepped up to help.


    However, my hands suddenly felt empty.


    The skeleton was no longer being held in my hands.


    Instead, the one-meter tall skeleton had it and was on the other side of the room.

 Chapter 55 - Bloody Hands

    This little skeleton was so sneaky.


    How did he even do it without me noticing?


    The pieces of the skeleton began sinking into the ground while the five-meter tall skeleton raised its sword and attempted to slice me.


    Leon stood in front of me and caught the sword with his hand. The ground under him cracked, but the sword could not even budge Leon''s hand.


    Leon took a step forward and threw a fist up high at the five-meter tall skeleton''s ribcage.


    Cracks spread across the bones of the five-meter tall skeleton and it fell over.


    Osric joined once it fell down by stomping hard on the rib cage, making the bones crack further.


    With another stomp, the rib cage shattered into many pieces and began trembling.


    My mind forced the crystal right next to the shattered pieces, but unlike last time they continued trembling.


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "How is it still moving?"


    My eyes narrowed.


    "It seems my crystal no longer has any effect."


    As the five-meter tall skeleton sank into the ground, the three-meter tall skeleton came back up.


    Its armor had some fine cracks here and there but now had a new pristine iron sword and shield.


    This was getting a little annoying...


    My legs rushed towards the three-meter skeleton with no abandon.


    Seeing me run towards it, the three-meter skeleton swung its sword sideways.


    My arm lifted and was struck by the sword.


    The sword only pierced part of the muscle in my arm, causing minimal pain.


    A vision of how Leon punched flashed in my mind.


    My foot stepped forward and my body twisted to throw my fist at the shield.


    Cracks immediately spread across the entire shield. The three-meter tall skeleton was thrown back and the sword flew out of its hand.


    Without pausing, my steps rushed towards the three-meter tall skeleton, and another fist was thrown.


    The shield broke apart and my other fist threw it at its skull.


    The skeleton''s skull flew off and had shattered into pieces. While the pieces were still in the air, they began to tremble.


    My brows furrowed.


    The crystal was right next to me, getting rid of the nearby mana.


    Why was the skeleton still moving? Is it because of this area?


    While my mind was pondering the possibilities, my hand made sure to pick up its body so that it could not sink into the ground.


    Suddenly, a small figure beside me was thrown across the room and violently smashed against the wall.


    It was the one-meter tall skeleton, it had snuck up on me without me noticing. It seemed Mark had caught on to its intentions and shut it down.


    The one-meter tall skeleton had shattered into many tiny pieces that scattered across the floor. What was strange was that the skeleton was not near my crystal but did not start trembling.


    My hand scratched the side of my head.


    What was I missing?


    In the corner of my eye, there was a ''bone'' that was not really trembling as it sunk into the ground. This ''bone'' slightly resembled a bean about the size of a tennis ball.


    It was a few meters away from me and was about to escape through the floor. My hand deftly pulled out my stake and threw it.


    Like piercing through mud, the stake went right through the ''bone'' and all of the bones stopped trembling, some halfway in the ground.


    My head turned back.


    "These skeletons have this weird white ball thing in them. If you destroy it, it kills them entirely."


    Leon and Osric nodded. The five-meter tall skeleton rose from the ground and lifted its sword back up.


    My hand retrieved the stake and my mind focused on the five-meter skeleton.


    My eyes closed as my vision was not what was being used to figure out the five-meter skeleton''s anatomy.


    Slowly its body was being reconstructed in my mind.


    ...There was a weird bean-like ball in the middle of its skull.


    My eyes flew open again and my hand clutched on the stake.


    Before the skeleton could even raise its sword, my figure disappeared from behind it and reappeared in front of it.


    The skeleton fell to its knees and its skull smashed into the ground.


    Leon nodded.


    "Well done."


    Mark''s eyelid twitched.


    "You... can strike while manipulating space?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Well, yeah but I couldn''t really explain to you how to do it. For me, I kinda just feel how to do it."


    Mark narrowed his eyes and stared at me intently.


    Leon chuckled.


    "The end goal is to learn how to ''feel'' it anyways. Whether you understand the process is not so important. Though I must say, space manipulation looks quite impressive."


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Yeah, it is pretty cool."


    Osric sighed.


    "Anyways, it is good to know that these nuisances can truly die."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "It sure is."


    Leon looked down the continuation of the path.


    "Do you guys want to continue?"


    Osric sighed.


    "It does not seem that anything rewarding is waiting for us down there, but we might as well at this point."


    Mark kept his smile on his face and remained silent.


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess we should continue."


    With that, the four of us continued down the pathway, but this time Osric was lighting up the path with a ball of lightning.


    The next room we encountered was massive. My guess was that this matched the dimensions of Ela''s palace.


    The implications of the countless bloody stone tables were a little harrowing.


    There were papers scattered across the floor. Leon walked to a set of wooden tables lined up at the edges of the room. The tables all had drawers that were bursting with papers and messy stacks on the top of the tables.


    The writing was not as neat as before. Every letter was almost neat, but it appeared that the person''s hand was shaking as they wrote it.


    My eyes peered over Leon''s shoulder to read the paper he was reading.


    ''Experiment fifteen, First Try


    The need to clear out new rooms has slowly worn me down.


    Unfortunately, this can''t be helped as residual material will interfere with any future rituals.


    Not everything calls for failure though.


    I believe I have found the answer.


    The light is getting closer... and closer.


    The anxiety has made me dangerously advance with ambitious experiments, but that is fine.


    Anyways, the answer I found came from an unorthodox thought.


    What if magic was not needed?


    Restricting one''s thought to using magic whenever you wish to tackle the mythical only limits one.


    My recent experiments have concluded that the soul has a tremendous amount of mythical properties, perhaps even more than magic itself.


    Research into souls must become a priority, this appears to be a lead that will guide me to the light.''


    A large circle of ink was below the sentence I was reading. There were still more scrawls under that one.


    ''Sometimes I wonder about what these hands have done.


    The amount of people I killed has become countless.


    From innocent to guilty, old to young, they all died to further my research.


    It has become normal to have dried blood from my many victims on my hands.


    At some point, I could not bother washing off the blood.


    Looking at myself in the mirror has scared me, time and time again. That is why every mirror that used to be in my possession is now gone.


    But...


    Giving up at this point would be a waste of the progress made, and all the lives that were used to reach this point.


    Of course, I must continue. It does right by all the dead this was built upon.


    Continue.


    I must continue.


    What was my experiment going to be again?


    I will remember if I give myself enough cues.


    Yes... I thought that those that have given up on life may be more difficult to resurrect, or will somehow collapse the whole process.


    That is why my priority has been to get those that struggle the most. I would give them chances to get away but set up a trap for them to be captured all the same.


    However, therein lay another problem. Upon capture, they may be filled with despair and no longer struggle.


    The solution has been to capture as many people there were in my vision. Then I would check how loud their screams would be if-


    Why was I writing this again?''


    There was a small pool of ink under those scrawls. The writing was slowly becoming more jumbled. There was more writing under that pool that was neater.


    ''Ah, right. I mentioned the experiment at the start.


    I should remember to reread what I write.


    The experiment...


    I attempted to create a magical manifestation of a vessel for the soul. The attempt was not successful.


    The next attempt will use material methods to synthesize a new vessel. The usage of what we understand clearly will combine with the mystical.


    Don''t rush things, Noah, the light will come soon enough.''


    Leon slowly shook his head from side to side.

 Chapter 56 - Taboo Of Soul

    Mark laughed after reading Noah''s records.


    "Well, this was to be expected. A fool to the end, you might say."


    The corner of Osric''s lip twitched.


    "This madman dares to mess with the soul? ...He is willing to go against the natural order."


    My head tilted to the side.


    "The soul? What is that?"


    Leon sighed.


    "It is believed that every living being has a soul. Not much is known about it, and attempting to find more is taboo."


    Mark chuckled.


    "There are many stories that come from rumors. There was a small home and a cemetery next to it. There was supposed to be a person who cleaned the cemetery, but for some reason, nobody was manning that post for over twenty years."


    Mark''s eyes narrowed.


    "The head of that particular town was curious as to why that was the case. He thought that someone was already assigned to this post. Thus, the head investigated the cemetery. Even though nobody was appointed, the cemetery was clean."


    Mark took a deep breath.


    "The head thought that someone had been taking care of the cemetery despite the fact it was not their job. He asked around, but nobody seemed to know. As he walked around the town, there was a small house. This was strange to him, as the head knew the tenant of each house, yet couldn''t recall this one."


    Mark looked down at the papers.


    "The head decided to investigate this strange house. He was unable to find anyone inside, it seemed the person living there was out. Though it was a breach of privacy, the head decided to explore a little further."


    Mark pushed aside some papers, revealing more papers underneath.


    "He found some dirty dishes in the sink, still wet with food stains. There was even a custom hat made. He also found the basement. There were rotting bodies inside and many pieces of parchment. The head briefly scanned over the documents to find this person was exploring the soul. Unsettled, the head swiftly left the house."


    Mark picked up one of the papers and looked at it.


    "He asked the others if anybody knew who lived in that house, but everyone was clueless. That was when the head remembered the custom hat. There was a tailor in town that made a special hat for each customer he had and wrote down the owner of each hat. The head took the hat from that house and brought it to that tailor."


    Mark turned over the piece of paper in his hand, then set it down on the table.


    "The head asked the tailor if he knew who he made that hat for. The tailor was confused, she forgot who it was. She pulled out his records and looked through them, only to find a random spot was empty, and no mention of that particular hat. The tailor mentioned she clearly remembered making the hat but forgot why."


    Mark turned to look at me.


    "The head realized something. A person disappeared out of thin air and nobody remembered their existence. The head burned down the house and made the soul a taboo subject. He believed that research down that path would cause one to be erased, like a figment of one''s imagination. The cemetery had been abandoned and became a forbidden area. As for where this town was or what it was called, nobody knows."


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "So... no messing with souls?"


    Leon shrugged.


    "More or less."


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "However, this person wasn''t erased. He refers to himself in these records, meaning that his existence hasn''t been removed."


    Mark laughed.


    "That''s why fool is such a fitting address. He was unable to succeed in his endeavor."


    The center of the ceiling rumbled, causing the four of us to look towards it.


    Osric sighed.


    "These monsters really are persistent."


    Three two-meter tall skeletons fell from the ceiling. When they fell, they landed on their feet. All three of them had a wooden round shield they were crouching behind and had a spear poking out from their formation.


    The three skeletons were standing back to back, covering every direction.


    Leon walked up to them, like strolling in a garden.


    One of the skeletons attempted to stab Leon, but he simply caught the spear and the skeleton could no longer move the spear.


    Leon threw his fist at the shield, the shield shattered into splinters and the three skeletons took a few steps back.


    However, right as the shield shattered, the pieces flew back, reassembled, making an undamaged shield.


    Leon sighed.


    "This is quite annoying."


    Mark waved his hand.


    "Do not fret."


    The three skeleton''s heads all fell off and they began trembling.


    Osric frowned.


    "Where is their weakness?"


    My mind was trying to catch any sort of strange bean ball within the skeleton, but there was none that I could find.


    My brows furrowed and my focus increased.


    The skeletons had sunk into the ground and reemerged brand new.


    ...But there was a strand of mana attached to these skeletons.


    My mind pushed the crystal close to the three skeletons. The skeletons tried to back out of the way, but they also tried to maintain their position. Their retreat ended up being too slow, letting the crystal catch up to them easily.


    The moment the skeletons were within ten meters of the crystal. Their body fell to the ground like a puppet that lost its strings. As for their spears and shields, they disintegrated.


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "Why is the mana inhibition so effective this time?"


    My hand rubbed against my chin.


    "These skeletons appear to be controlled with mana somehow. They didn''t have that weird ball thing in them so needed magic to move."


    Leon picked up a skeleton and held it outside the range of the crystal.


    A spear and shield began to materialize and the skeleton was struggling fiercely. Leon tossed it back in, and it became motionless again.


    Leon nodded a few times.


    "You are right, they are being controlled by mana."


    A sigh escaped my mouth.


    "Well, I guess we have to lug these things around if we don''t want them to start stabbing us."


    Both my hands picked up a skeleton and Leon picked up the third one.


    There was another pathway that led even further down. Leon turned his head to look down further.


    "Should we continue?"


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "Might as well."


    We continued even further down, more out of curiosity than anything else.


    The next room we reached was quite different from the rest and was quite large. The only difference is that there was a wooden table in the center of the room with a piece of paper on it.


    Considering how many papers were in the last room, this was not what I expected.


    Instead of any stone tables, there were ten pedestals at the far end of the room. Four skeletons were standing on the pedestals, three pedestals had a small bean on them, and the other three were empty.


    The four skeletons were all two meters high and held a staff. A spell was forming at the tips of their staff.


    The four skeletons were standing far apart, meaning my crystal could only stop one of them from casting. But if my crystal went to inhibit one of them, the three skeletons would stab us in the back.


    While my thoughts were circulating in my head, Osric and Leon were already running towards the skeletons.


    My mind fixed the crystal to its current spot and I joined Osric and Leon.


    Somehow or another, there was plenty of mana for the four skeletons. All four of them were casting multiple spells at the same time.


    A barrage of thunderbolts, beams of water, and large stones had fallen on us. The number of spells was a little intimidating.


    The stones had a rough diameter of two meters, while the beams of water and thunderbolts were half a meter each.


    Though my initial charge was valiant, my steps ended up being more backward than forward.


    Right, when my foot was about to take a step forward, it shot back, and a bolt of lightning zapped right where it was.


    They seemed to be more concerned about preventing us from getting close rather than actually killing us.


    Leon was making slow progress. He dodged the water beams and thunderbolts, while the large stones were directly shattered by his fist.


    Osric was not much better than Leon, slowly making his way while dodging the water beams and stones. As for the thunderbolts, he did not bother dodging, opting to take them head on. The thunderbolts were unable to harm Osric, other than produce many tiny arcs jumping across his body.


    Osric flicked his wrist and the charge collected on his body disappeared, being sent towards one of the tiny white beans.


    Unfortunately, a lightning bolt diverted Osric''s attack.


    ....We won''t lose this fight right?

 Chapter 57 - Skeleton Mage

    Given how large this room was and our pace, it would take painfully long for us to reach the skeletons. Not to mention the closer we got, the harder it would be to dodge.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    A stray thunderbolt was about to strike me but only hit the air.


    Once my figure reappeared, there were already spells thrown in my direction. My feet took two steps back to dodge a beam of water and thunderbolt.


    I need to teleport multiple times consecutively if I want a chance at getting close.


    This might end up hurting quite a bit.


    But...


    My hand unwrapped the cloth on me, revealing seven black fruits. My hand took one and directly tossed it into my mouth.


    A strong taste of honey exploded in my mouth and my body heated up.


    The few old injuries that scabbed over, healed fully and my mind was blasted with a cold winter.


    The black grass that strengthened my mind also greatly reduced the pressure that came from continuously teleporting.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath while my eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    My figure continuously disappeared and reappeared.


    My mind hurt, but a refreshing cold numbed it.


    The skeleton mages were getting closer and closer.


    It was not hard to tell that the firepower was more focused on me the closer I got.


    Once half of the room had been crossed, the skeletons gave up on even trying to stop the others, launching every single spell at me.


    Though my figure was only touching the ground for one moment, the spells got terrifyingly close.


    Beads of sweat formed on my forehead when a lightning bolt was right in front of my face before my vision shifted.


    My teleportations were from going from left to right and sometimes straight on. In all honesty, a bit of luck was needed for me to not get slapped by a large stone.


    The skeletons bombarded spells in a large area around me randomly, hoping that a stray spell would hit me.


    Leon and Osric took advantage of this opportunity to rush forward while Mark simply stood there.


    My vision got a little blurry. More than logical reasoning, the direction of my teleportation was based on feeling.


    It took a few seconds to register that a skeleton was right in front of me and a huge stone was flung right at me.


    My arm raised to block it.


    The impact from the stone was strong, making my feet slide a meter backward. Thankfully, there was little pain.


    My face suddenly twitched.


    There were countless lightning bolts and beams of water were about to hit me.


    Bolts of lightning hit me and forced my muscles to tense. The beams of water were like spears that penetrated my skin and muscles.


    Forcefully contracting my muscles strained my mind with pain. As for the beams of water, they bruised my body, leaving purple patches across my skin.


    Another stone was flung towards me, about to collide with my chest, my figure abruptly disappeared.


    My battered body appeared behind one of the skeleton mages.


    That skeleton mage immediately turned around while its body and staff grew in size. As it did so, a translucent blue armor materialized around its body.


    It did not take too long for the skeleton to reach four meters in height, after which it jumped off the pedestal.


    The skeleton raised the staff with two hands and swung down at me.


    My foot lifted up and my body snapped to the side.


    The staff hit the ground with a slam and large spiderweb cracks spread across the stone floor.


    The skeleton did not leave it at that, swinging the staff sideways right at me, almost like he was swinging with a golf club.


    My arm raised to block it, but once it hit my forearm, there was an audible crack.


    My bone had snapped.


    In the meantime, Leon and Osric had gotten close to another two skeleton mages. Those skeleton mages similarly grew in size, materialized translucent blue armor, and jumped off their pedestals.


    The last skeleton mage did not follow the rest. He had cast a spell, making a strong gust of wind push the skeletons outside the crystal''s range.


    The skeletons quickly stood up while their shields and spears materialized. Their nearest target was Mark and charged at him.


    Mark was not facing these skeletons, so they rushed over lunging their spear at his back.


    Once they were in range, they suddenly fell to the ground and their weapons and shields disappeared.


    A gust of wind had blown over the pedestals, causing the three bean balls on the pedestal to shatter into pieces.


    Mark chuckled and put his hands behind his back.


    As for me, a strong pain spread from my arm.


    I had no intention to fight back for now, but I wasn''t just idling away.


    Both my eyes and mind were trying to reconstruct the anatomy of the skeleton mage to find where its weakness was.


    Another swing of its staff came straight for my face. My figure immediately shifted a few meters backward. The skeleton rushed at me and raised its club.


    A frown was forming on my face.


    I could not find anything similar to the bean ball anywhere inside the skeleton.


    Was it inside the bones?


    ...This might be a little difficult.


    On the side, an enlarged skeleton swung its staff horizontally at Leon. Leon did not bother dodging and threw his fist, trading blow for blow.


    A dull thump echoed when Leon''s fist collided, the staff had hit Leon''s arm at the same time, making him buckle his knees.


    Unfortunately, the skeleton was not even knocked back. But at least Leon was hardly affected either. Both sides did not take any damage.


    As for Osric, he dodged, then with a snap his fist flew at the skeleton''s chest. Like Leon, he was unable to cause the skeleton to budge.


    The last skeleton was looking at Mark and joined the rest of his companions by enlarging.


    My eye caught something...


    While the skeleton was enlarging, there was mana coming out of the staff''s bulbous tip and infused into the skeleton''s body.


    After teleporting away from a staff swing, my eyes narrowed.


    The three skeletons with shields and spears...


    They were being controlled by mana, and those bean balls were the puppeteers.


    So...


    My hand pulled out my stake and pointed at the top of the staff.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    My figure suddenly appeared behind the skeleton and a hole was made in the staff.


    The staff fell to the ground, while the skeleton and its translucent armor dissipated entirely.


    Who would''ve thought its weakness would be what it used to hit people.


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    "It''s the top of their staff! Hit them there and they will die!"


    The other three briefly turned to look at me, then turned back to their respective skeletons.


    Leon took in a deep breath, pulling back his fist. When the skeleton swung its staff, Leon''s fist struck out like lightning.


    Leon''s fist hit the top of the staff, shattering it into pieces. The skeleton''s body disintegrated.


    Leon held his staff in his other hand...


    Why does he choose to use his fist over the staff?


    Anyways, Osric stuck out his finger and pointed it at the top of the skeleton''s staff. A tiny arc of lightning pierced through the staff, making it fall to the floor as the skeleton faded to dust.


    The last skeleton mage was running towards Mark.


    Mark watched as it approached him, unconcerned.


    When the skeleton mage was only a few meters away, Mark raised his hand and made a cutting motion. The top of the staff split off and fell to the floor. The skeleton reached its hand out to Mark, but before it could reach it disappeared like the rest.


    A sigh of relief escaped me. My mind stopped the pulsating from the crystal.


    My hands unfurled the cloth bag with the black fruits in it. One of the black fruits in the cloth had partially burst, there was a tinge of pain in my heart, but my hand took it and ate it anyway.


    With five black fruits left, the cloth was tied back up and put away.


    Mark and Leon took a bite out of their own fruits after seeing me do so, while Osric stood there fidgeting.


    After the effects of the black fruit calmed down, Leon turned to face me.


    "Say, how were you able to find out their weakness?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "I was able to barely sense the mana emitting from the staff."


    Osric nodded.


    "Not bad."


    Mark walked over to the wooden table in the middle. Despite all the spells that were thrown around, it was unscathed.


    Mark looked at the rest of us.


    "Why don''t we read this paper? It seems quite interesting."


    The three of us walked over and looked at the paper from over Mark''s shoulder.


    My mind casted the fire spell so I could read the contents.


    A small frown emerged on my face.

 Chapter 58 - Phylactery

    ''My body is giving up on me. Thankfully, a byproduct of my research has given me a method to continue living without flesh and blood.


    This discovery comes from the phylactery. The soul is quite the strange thing, it is possible for it to exist within a material object rather than the body.


    Certain materials are more suitable as a phylactery, though my initial wish was to use an incredibly tough material, it turns out that it becomes a cage for the soul. The phylactery must be made of something soft and malleable to be suitable for magic casting.


    My choice was to use a very soft phylactery, but that comes with the inherent weakness, how easily it is broken. But that cannot be helped.


    The body is not anything special, it is simply material. The only reason it holds the soul is just by coincidence. One can still pilot the body from a distance so long as the soul is attuned to magic and has access to mana.


    With my newfound phylactery, I can use mana to control objects.


    However, my old body is still what is easiest to control. It seems there is some sort of synchronization with the body, either from muscle memory or the soul is familiar to that particular body.


    My first successful experiment involved this person that saved my life. He was a valiant warrior that had led many battles to victory.


    In particular, my life was about to be taken by a monster, since I was wandering around the village, looking for stray people to catch. The man jumped in front of me and blocked the monster with its shield. After killing it with one swipe of his sword, he asked me if I was okay.


    The man was very friendly, trying to befriend me. I went along with it, having a nice chat with him.


    However, the only thought on my mind was how fitting he would be for my next experiment. It was not hard to set up a poison drink and convince him to have it.


    With that, came my first step of success. The soul was bound to a phylactery and was able to pilot the body.


    However, this wasn''t perfect as it seemed its intelligence had almost completely disappeared. It seemed the soul could not even recognize the fact it was dead, searching around aimlessly for monsters.


    Regardless, that was still a monumental step forward.


    From there, my eyes were set on more valiant warriors. There was one, in particular, that was quite tall, he relied solely on his greatsword to kill swaths of monsters.


    It took quite a while for me to befriend him as he was almost always fighting. He was an easy person to talk to and even easier to trick. The poisoned drink would''ve worked if it wasn''t for this little kid that suddenly knocked it out of his hands.


    She had impressive concealment abilities and scurried off after getting rid of the drink. The man simply laughed it off and I promised to send him a drink later.


    While the man left, my focus was on that child. The child seemed to be special in a certain sense. In my search, the child was suddenly behind me and had a dagger against my leg.


    I berated the child, saying that it was bad to do those things. The child mentioned her suspicions about the poisoned drink and suspected me. Perhaps because of how detached I was from the world, lies poured out of me one after another. From shocked expressions, disbelief, and gratitude.


    I pretended to plead to the kid to protect me from whoever was ''trying to kill me''. It was not hard to get it to work. After a while of the kid protecting me from a ''murderer'', I was able to convince her to eat some poisoned food.


    After killing her, it did not take too long to also poison the man. Though it was not my initial plan to use this girl, she seemed quite special so my next experiments were on both of them.


    The experiment was still another success, but their intelligence was still greatly hampered. They had no memories and had no idea who they were though most of their motor functions were fine.


    At this point, I wondered what would happen with more intelligent warriors.


    My hunt continued. This time, while wandering in the village there was a team of three people working together to fight off a wave of monsters. They stood back to back and slowly thinned out the onslaught that came after them.


    They were able to kill all the monsters, but they passed out right after. It was like a piece of meat fell from the sky, the use of formation indicated they did not simply swing their weapons for swinging them.


    This experiment was the same as the last one. There did seem to be an increase in intelligence as the skeletons would use the same formation they did before, but it seemed they did not realize that they were dead.


    My next wonder was what would happen if the person was not a warrior at all, but a mage. Intelligence surely would be high, and perhaps the warrior aspect actually hampered recovery with memory as those were prioritized.


    There was a group of four children that wished to learn magic. They all had decent talents within strong elements, earth, water, and thunder.


    Though it would take long, I made the decision to raise these children and teach them magic. My progress in magic was proficient, after all.


    Years had gone by and I watched as the four of them slowly grew up. They had grown close to me and made great progress in magic.


    It made me wonder if this was what raising kids felt like. There were times where my old goal had been forgotten. Times where life was enjoyable simply because of the many small things.


    But I did not give up.


    Once the four kids'' intelligence had risen to a suitable degree, I killed all of their parents.


    While they were grieving I told them about my progress on my project.


    Resurrection Magic.


    After convincing them, they had come to my lair, where the experiments occurred.


    My original intention was to use them as experimental subjects, but if they were willing to help me then they could live.


    My expectations were high that they would join me, but they all refused.


    They called me a monster, said to bring back the ''old Noah''.


    But they were already in my lair.


    There was no escape for them.


    Unfortunately, this experiment did not provide the desired results.


    They showed signs of intelligence. They were able to use extracted mana efficiently and were able to connect the fact the pedestals were outputs for concentrated mana.


    The special gathering gemstone found was responsible for this. If only the gemstone had some better use for my goal.


    Each body was used for different experiments.


    While the first one was proficient in magic and could cast complicated spells, the memories were still gone. The second one could do the same and showed behavior showing possible memories. The third showed signs of recalling things, but not to a significant extent.


    The last one showed signs of remembering, but could not register the situation for what it was, that they were dead.


    This seemed to be the answer, but it was just out of reach. Though this was in the right direction, it could only work for subjects that just died and with an intact body.


    Further experiments showed that bodies that decayed for a few days would no longer work.


    At least it would work for me.


    Nevertheless, a failure is a failure.


    I reached a dead end.


    But it is possible, just outside of my grasp.


    I saw it happen.


    He was able to do it, why can''t I?


    Maybe the powers he used were some sort of manipulation in space, but that meant it was possible.


    Perhaps my method could be modified.


    The current experiments all involve forcefully putting the soul into a phylactery.


    Perhaps there is another method...


    What if the soul naturally was attracted to the phylactery?


    That could solve any side effects and lost memories as well.


    A more gentle process...


    The only question concerns how this could be done.


    I suppose it should start at the roots. Lower than humans, lower than animals, are plants.


    Do plants even have souls?


    Could a human soul be contained within a plant?


    It seems this would be the next direction my experiments would go.


    I already have the subjects in mind.


    You are so close Noah, just a few more steps forward.''


    Mark chuckled with derision.


    "How heartless. I wonder what else this filth has done."


    Leon narrowed his eyes.


    "It''s hard to believe that a person like this actually exists..."


    Osric rubbed his hand against his chin.


    "What goal pushed him to go so far?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "I wonder what happened to him... to make him the person he was...."

 Chapter 59 - Strange Plants

    Osric was staring at the paper.


    "This journal says that there is some gathering gemstone? Where would this gemstone be?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Well, it said it came out of the pedestals, so probably underneath?"


    The four of us walked towards the pedestals.


    Both of my hands wrapped around an arbitrary pedestal and pulled.


    The pedestal was affixed to the ground, but it was still not too difficult to lift it up.


    Cracks appeared on the pedestal as it was lifted up. After throwing it to the side, my eyes inspected what was underneath the pedestal.


    There was a translucent stone. It appeared similar to a pipe, probably carrying mana.


    My finger poked at the translucent stone, which felt glossy. As for any mana currents, there were none that my mind caught onto.


    Was it not active?


    My hand scratched the back of my hand.


    "I don''t feel any mana coming from this tube thing."


    Leon reached out his hand to touch another pedestal and used his other hand to rub against his chin.


    "There appears to be mana circulating inside of this pedestal, but as for how to draw it out, is a mystery."


    Mark walked over to Leon and put his hand on the pedestal as well.


    "We appear to be missing something."


    My finger scratched the side of my head as my eyes followed the general path of the translucent rock.


    "The gemstone appears to be in the middle of the pedestals, maybe we should just retrieve it."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "If this gemstone is only usable with extra baggage it is not worth my time."


    My steps took me to where the gemstone seemed to be. My hands clenched together and were raised above my head.


    "Wait."


    Osric''s face twitched as he stopped me.


    "What if the gemstone is fragile? You may break it."


    Mark chuckled.


    "If that is the case it may as well be broken."


    The corner of Osric''s lip twitched but he did not say anything.


    Taking the silence as agreement, my hands slammed down into the floor. Cracks rippled across the floor and shattered tiles flew in the air.


    A small hole was made, but there was nothing but grey stone underneath me. My hands raised again and with a grunt, they were swung down.


    A slam echoed in the room and the cracks spread further.


    Underneath me was the top of a buried gemstone. The size of the gemstone was hard to tell from just the peak, but it was not small.


    My hand touched it, noticing currents of mana flowing inside of it. The mana just outside was very thin, I guess this thing draws in mana. My mind attempted to draw out mana, but it remained locked inside.


    "I found the gemstone, but I can''t draw any mana from it."


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "Well, I suppose we can get it out for now."


    Mark flicked his wrist, making the gemstone burst out of the ground. My hands blocked the stone fragments from hitting my face.


    The gemstone laid on the ground. Its diameter was about one meter and had a dark blue tint.


    Osric cleared his throat.


    "How do we determine who acquires the gemstone?"


    Leon shrugged.


    "We can see what else we get from this place then divide it."


    Osric walked over to the gemstone.


    "Alright, I will carry it for now."


    Osric picked up the gemstone, put it on his shoulder, and balanced it with one hand.


    Mark rolled his eyes and walked back down the pathway, as we couldn''t travel any deeper than this.


    The rest of us followed behind and slowly made our way back to where the four paths split apart.


    Mark looked down the path to the right of the one we just went down.


    "Let''s continue, shall we?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, why not?"


    My mind casted the fire spell and followed behind Mark.


    The path stretched on for quite a while, which made thoughts of just turning back appear.


    Yet, before my thoughts could be voiced, there was a faint light in the distance. We got closer and heard the sound of rain.


    My mind canceled the fire spell as the light from it was basically redundant.


    A grassland appeared before us, which was mostly sparse except for a few large plants here and there.


    There was both rain and light coming from above, but no clouds or apparent sun. The only thing above was a stone ceiling, yet the rain and light poured down, unconcerned about how little it made sense.


    The grass reached our knees and filled the entire plain. There were three plants living in this strange terrain, aimlessly wandering around.


    One of them was nearly our height and appeared similar to a tree. The only difference was that it walked with its roots and had a large eye in the middle of its trunk that blinked now and then.


    This plant was nearest to us. While the rest of us stopped, Leon leisurely walked forward. After the three of us looked at each other, we followed Leon and got drenched in the rain with him.


    Leon approached the tree and simply looked at it when he was half a meter away. The tree stopped when Leon got close to him, its eye looked curiously at Leon, blinking a couple of times.


    The tree tilted to the side and slowly approached Leon. Every few steps... well, root movements, the tree would stop and tilt the other way.


    Leon''s expression did not change, he had a hand on his chin and was examining the plant.


    Once the plant was right next to Leon, one of its roots slowly raised and lightly poked Leon''s leg. The tree tilted to the side again, seemingly looking for a reaction.


    This tree... seems kinda innocent, but also sends shivers down my spine whenever I focus on its eye.


    Osric''s eyelid twitched.


    "...Is this the result of the work of that Noah character?"


    Mark hummed lightly.


    "The chances are high. This is quite the wonder, seeing a tree walking around and exploring the world like a newborn child."


    Leon turned to face us while the tree was poking at his legs.


    "There is a strong lifeforce coming from within the tree. I believe there is something similar to a phylactery that resides within them that contains this tremendous amount of lifeforce."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "What is lifeforce?"


    Leon pushed aside a root that was reaching to touch his belly.


    "Lifeforce is in essence, vitality. For the most part, objects dense in lifeforce will heal the body. Another common, but rarer version is one that also increases one''s physique. From there, many special modifications can be made, such as stronger tendons, or tougher bones. For example, the fruits you have with you do all that while improving the mind with the added effect of spatial awareness."


    Osric was blinking rapidly and intermittently. My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "So the way this guy made the plants walk around was still quite similar to the way he used the uh... bean sized ball."


    Leon nodded and turned back towards the plant.


    The plant seemed to have satisfied its curiosity and was beginning to turn back. However, before it fully turned Leon grabbed it and turned it back to face him.


    The plant did not resist and simply stared at Leon curiously.


    Leon lifted his other hand casually.


    Then he plunged it into the plant''s eye.


    The plant was mostly silent but was desperately trying to pull itself out of Leon''s grasp. The roots were all pushing backward in an attempt to distance themselves from Leon, but its struggle hardly mattered.


    Leon soon pulled out a small blue bean, and the plant''s movements gradually stopped, falling over in the ground.


    Leon''s expression was still neutral as if what he did was perfectly normal.


    Mark kept his traditional smile and did not say anything.


    As for Osric, his eyelid twitched, but he remained silent.


    My breathing was a little unsteady.


    "Why... did you just kill it?"


    Leon raised an eyebrow and raised the small blue bean for me to see.


    "Did you not hear my explanation of lifeforce? This right here has various beneficial effects on the body, why wouldn''t I take it?"


    My mouth slowly forced out the words.


    "But... it was a living thing that was just... minding its own business."


    Leon looked me dead in the eye.


    "So where does the food you eat come from? Are they not living things simply trying to live their lives? You can so easily eat those, no?"


    My hand was on my forehead.


    "But... that could''ve been a person. The guy mentioned that he would try to put a human soul in a plant, remember?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "So what?"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "You... killed an innocent person."


    Leon shook his head.


    "And what makes you sure that person is innocent? Perhaps innocent in your eyes and evil in another''s. The idea of good and evil has always been ambiguous."


    ....My head hurt.

 Chapter 60 - For Oneself

    Osric and Mark remained there silently.


    My hand clutched my head.


    "I... don''t get it."


    Leon sighed.


    "Has someone died while you had the capability to save them?"


    My head shook.


    "Maybe? I... wouldn''t know."


    Leon''s expression became stern.


    "Exactly, you don''t know. People that would''ve died without your help are everywhere. How are you supposed to know without attempting to seek it out?"


    The memories of the slaves and the kid that was beaten to death rang out in my mind.


    "...Maybe?"


    Leon looked off into the horizon.


    "At any moment a person may have died from starvation. If you found that person and gave them you could''ve saved them. Yet even though they suffer a slow and painful death, you feel no guilt or remorse."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "But... that guy killed so many people. That was obviously wrong right?"


    Leon clicked his tongue.


    "Noah''s case is different. He killed countless for a fruitless purpose. For one to achieve their goals, naturally people that may have lived, will die. Even if the goal was to save others. While furthering yourself, sacrifices are inevitable.


    Leon''s hand clenched into a fist.


    "After all, only one person can stand at the peak."


    For some reason, Leon''s arguments just didn''t make sense to me.


    "Why do people have to be sacrificed?"


    Leon shook his head.


    "You cannot save everyone. Even if you use your own life so that everyone else could live, you still sacrificed someone, no?"


    My teeth grit.


    "What?"


    Leon sighed softly.


    "You sacrifice yourself. You sacrificed your time, effort, and happiness for the sake of others."


    Leon frowned.


    "But what for? Every person deserves to fight for their own right to live. If it becomes morally impermissible to enjoy your own life, what reason is there left to live?"


    My mouth dried up.


    "But... but..."


    Leon continued after my stammerings trailed off.


    "Recall what your life has been up to this point. Have you never done something that others would consider selfish? Or perhaps you yourself would consider selfish?"


    Erin''s words came back to me.


    ''...The other me will probably appreciate that.''


    ...I ran away. Many times, there was a problem that I did not want to deal with, I ran away. The times when I ran to the forest may be so that the future would be better, but the people I cared for in the present were still neglected.


    "Yes... I have."


    Leon gave me a blank stare.


    "Have others ever died from your method of solving problems?"


    My eyes glazed over.


    ...I killed the slave traders. My mental state was affected by the snow but...


    I had no remorse.


    Maybe my actions would be the same even if my mind wasn''t affected by the snow.


    "Yes..."


    Leon had a deep look at me.


    "Have you ever put other''s lives at risk?"


    ...The boy.


    When that boy was taken hostage by the slave trader, I neglected his life.


    In my mind, since the slave trader''s only way out was that kid, I thought that it would be impossible for him to have the conviction to kill him. That it would be akin to plunging the knife into himself.


    But... if he really thought he was going to die anyway, he could''ve just killed the boy out of sheer bitterness.


    ...That possibility seemed insignificant to me at the time.


    "Yes..."


    Leon sighed.


    "Let me explain the world to you a little more."


    Leon lifted his staff up and caught it with his other hand, holding it horizontally.


    "We are not god."


    Leon''s eyes carefully inspected the slight ridges and grooves in his staff.


    "Perhaps we wish to change this world, so that it becomes a utopia. Yet, how are you supposed to know if your actions are truly beneficial?"


    One of Leon''s hands released its grip on the staff.


    "The world will always be infinitely complicated, beyond our own understanding. The only truth we can find will only ever be a small fraction. In fact, the more we learn, the more uncertainties come up."


    Leon''s free hand slowly traced the side of his staff.


    "Perhaps an action may be seen as selfish. Yet, what if that action grants one great power? The power to save countless others, which you act upon? Then perhaps that action was correct, as it gave you the new capability of bringing greater good."


    Leon''s hand stopped.


    "But how are we supposed to know that? What if the action simply ends up being selfish with no real purpose. You may die before your good intentions are carried out and deprive someone else of their opportunity to benefit the world."


    Leon''s index finger reached out and continued methodically sliding down the staff.


    "The magnitude of the consequences will always be incomprehensible to us. In the end, our own life is what we have the most control over. Someone may be able to restrict our movement, but cannot stop us from struggling. Someone may pierce a blade through our chest, ending our life. But they cannot stop us from cursing them in our last moments."


    Leon''s finger reached the end of his staff.


    "Since we are able to control our own life, we are responsible for our own happiness. To carry out actions that may lead to our own fulfillment. This does not have to contradict what others think, nor does it have to go against what we believe is morally permissible."


    Leon shifted his grip on the staff, holding it vertically.


    "However, it is inevitable that we come to situations where our goals conflict with others. Perhaps even people we care deeply about. But how are we supposed to know what another person may do? Sure, we may help them and concede our own interests, but what is to say they will do the same down the line?"


    Leon had a deep look at me.


    "You can help others, but what if they end up killing? You do not know if the people you save become murderers or simply die off meaninglessly. Perhaps you have satisfied your little moral compass, but whether your actions truly did any good is questionable."


    I fell to my knees.


    The boy who was hostage... he killed someone for their food. All of the slaves... perhaps every single one of them did the same before, and intended on doing it after they were saved.


    Perhaps they would eventually become the new slave traders, capturing and tormenting others. Then new slaves would be created and the suffering would continue.


    Perhaps that is how evil resurfaces.


    Leon began walking closer to me.


    "The only person that we know will look out for us, is ourselves. Thus, even if your actions hurt others right in front of you, that should not be the sole determining factor of your decision."


    My mind was unable to come up with a counterargument. But... it still felt wrong to me.


    "We can still try, right? ...Kindness has to start somewhere."


    "Their actions are their own. They can choose to help others or further their own interests. Perhaps they may have been shown kindness, prompting you to believe they should do the same. But you are not them. You cannot force them to be kind."


    The inner corner of my eyebrows arched upwards.


    "...But that makes such a cruel world. Where everyone simply crawls up to the peak, you never catch anyone else if they fall and are unable to rely on someone else to catch you when you fall. Is that not... a lonely journey?"


    Leon pointed his staff at me.


    "And who is to say that? Having relationships with others does not conflict with what I have said. You can become closer to others, and befriend them. Have we not done the same? Even if it may be on a more superficial level. We value their presence from this relationship, and it naturally means we wish to keep them with us."


    Leon sighed softly.


    "Once we befriend others, this naturally means we value their lives over others we have not. This is natural, and they are likely to do the same. Even if others suffer from the decision to help our friends, few care to empathize with the people they have never met. Yet, what gives us the right to say their life is worth more than others?"


    I remained silent.


    Leon pulled back his staff.


    "Nothing. We do not have the right to judge the worth of a life. But you never needed the right to do anything. This world will never give you the right for anything, you have to fight for it yourself."


    Leon got down on one knee to match my height.


    "One will always sacrifice others for the sake of their own. How many people could one have saved if one actively went out to seek those that needed help? If one is fine with others dying from their inaction, yet shy away when the consequences are right in front of one, they are simply a hypocrite."


    I could not understand what he meant.


    But I came to a new understanding.


    That the value of a person''s life is insignificant to Leon.

 Chapter 61 - Lamppost

    My head shook.


    "I don''t understand what you mean, but I will think about it."


    Leon stood up.


    "As you should."


    Mark chuckled.


    "Nothing he said is in essence wrong."


    My legs stumbled up. Leon began walking towards another moving plant. The three of us followed behind him.


    The ground beneath us was not excessively wet despite the rain. The ground did not give much, nor did water seep into my shoe after stepping on it.


    How long ago was this place created? Years? Decades?


    Does it always rain like this?


    What type of magic could have possibly made a place rain for so long?


    While my mind was distracting itself, we had already approached the moving plant.


    This one was a little over a meter tall with many small red flowers around its stalk. It used two long thick roots to walk around and at the top was a large flower with a small eye in the middle.


    Once Leon approached it, the plant''s eye looked over, but turned back and continued hobbling around.


    After a few moments, Leon stopped observing the plant. When Leon got close to the plant, it stopped moving and looked at Leon.


    The petals of the flowers retracted slightly, then released.


    Leon grasped the middle of the plant''s stalk, causing it to twitch.


    The plant struggled against Leon''s grasp, desperately trying to get away. The petals were all trembling as its stalk was slowly being torn through.


    Leon extracted another small blue bean and tossed it to me.


    My hand hastily caught it.


    The petals of the plant all retracted and it laid on the ground, still.


    Leon turned to face Osric.


    "Since you are carrying the gemstone, the rest of us will carry a plant''s phylactery."


    Osric paused, then nodded.


    "Alright."


    Mark''s smile remained on his face.


    "Haha, guess the next one is for me."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "To hold."


    Mark nodded.


    As the rest of them continued, my eyes lingered on the dead plant.


    It could not even recognize the danger it was in. It was simply wandering around, without realizing it was going to die in a few moments. It did not even fight back.


    My eyes turned to the small blue bean in my hand. I tucked it away.


    After blinking a few times, my steps caught up with the rest of the group.


    They were approaching a plant that was three meters high. The plant had three leaves underneath it that retracted and extended as the plant moved around.


    The stalk did not have any leaves but was wide. The top of the plant was a large green mouth. The head of the plant was similar to the traps of a venus flytrap, but there were rows of sharp teeth inside its mouth.


    As it walked around, its mouth would hang open while oscillating up and down, as if it was chewing on something.


    Once Leon approached the plant, its head turned over, teeth facing Leon. Leon simply stood there observing it for a few moments. The plant slowly approached Leon, and twisted its head around a few times as though it had eyes.


    Once next to Leon, it closed its mouth and rubbed its head against Leon''s arm. Every few moments it would look back up at Leon and tilt its head.


    The design of this plant made me wonder.


    Would it fight back?


    It was understandable that the other plants could only try and run, as futile as it was. My only question is if this plant would use its teeth to try and attack Leon, even if it is hopeless.


    Leon''s hand abruptly plunged into the top of the plant''s head. The plant pulled back, trying to get away. The three leaves under it were desperately pushing against the ground while its head attempted to retract itself from Leon''s grasp.


    However, Leon''s grip was too strong for it, locking it in place.


    The entire time the plant''s mouth was closed. All it was trying to do was distance itself from Leon, not even opening its mouth to snap.


    After a few more moments of struggle, the plant fell backward and Leon held another small blue bean in his hand.


    Leon tossed it to Mark, which he caught.


    Leon scanned the plain we were in one more time.


    "Well, there doesn''t seem to be anything more left for us here. We should go back."


    Mark turned over the small blue bean in his hand a few times.


    "Sure."


    My eyes lingered on the plant''s open jaw for a few moments then, the four of us made our way back to the start again.


    Once we stepped into the hallway, the rainwater stopped pouring down on us.


    The water that was on Leon somehow just fell off him, leaving him as dry as he was before.


    As for Mark, after his hair and clothes whipped around for a few seconds, it was also dry.


    Osric vibrated his body, and a mist of water surrounded his otherwise dry body.


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    ...How do these guys have such cool ways of getting dry?


    My mind cast a fire spell and my hand kept the fire near.


    By the time we reached the place where the four paths branched off, my body was more or less dry.


    Osric looked down the one path we hadn''t explored.


    "I suppose all that is left is this one."


    The four of us walked down the only path we hadn''t been on yet. The path seemed pretty normal at first, but the further we walked, the more cracks appeared on the stone below us, above us, and on the walls.


    The cracks were small, like needles, making erratic black lines across the stone.


    Were these cracks anything to be concerned about?


    My eyes examined the other three. It seemed like they couldn''t care less, so my mind dismissed the few worries in me.


    There was a faint light ahead of us and my ears could barely make out the sound of the wind.


    Soon, a wide expanse spread out in front of us. This room was as large as the plain, but also very bare. The walls were stone and lined with countless hair-thin cracks.


    In the middle of the room was a tall black bar, standing tall. The base was thicker and seemed to have a minimal amount of decoration on it. At the top was a box of glass that looked like it had a black hat.


    Within the box of glass was a pale blue light.


    The room was lit up by the light, but it was very gentle and did not hurt the eye when directly looked at.


    Within the room, there was a gale of wind circulating around the object in the middle. The sound of the wind vaguely resembled a wail. It was like someone was in pain but the sound was fleeting and blended in with the whistles of wind.


    Mark was first to step in the room and reached his hand out, letting the wind blow by it.


    "...This is quite fascinating."


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "How so?"


    Mark''s hand lightly rubbed against his chin.


    "I can feel the cries of the wind..."


    Mark froze in place.


    "It''s like a kid... crying because that''s the only thing the kid can do."


    Leon also stuck out his hand and felt the wind.


    "Hmm... interesting."


    Osric stepped into the room and simply closed his eyes.


    Was it really possible to ''feel'' something from the wind?


    My foot stepped into the room and my hand reached out to the wind.


    The wind would sometimes press into me and sometimes blow by wistfully. There wasn''t any particular pattern and other than the sound of the wind, it didn''t feel like ''crying''.


    Leon began approaching the object in the middle. The three of us followed behind.


    The wind got stronger but was still weak.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Say, does the wind tell you anything else? Like, don''t get closer to that thing in the middle?"


    Mark shook his head.


    "Not in particular, no."


    Osric turned to look at Mark.


    "What are you able to hear?"


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "A kid throwing a temper tantrum."


    Osric nodded.


    My eyes looked towards the walls.


    "Say, what do you think created all these cracks?"


    Mark waved his hand dismissively.


    "Chances are, it''s from this kid throwing a temper tantrum."


    Once we were halfway to the object in the room, the pale blue light began to flicker. Sometimes it would shine brightly and sometimes it would disappear altogether.


    The winds were noticeably stronger and louder. At its worst, my clothes would be uncomfortably pressed against my skin.


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Uh, does the flashing mean anything?."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "There does not seem to be any significant threat."


    We got even closer. The wind no longer sounded like whistles, but the crying of a baby.


    Right when we were right next to the object, the blue light brightened.


    The light was blinding and filled the whole room.

 Chapter 62 - Crying Baby

    My vision cleared up to see... a skeleton with a few pieces of rotten flesh still attached to it. Within its skull was a small white bean ball.


    The skeleton was shambling forward. The skeleton''s jaw was not moving, yet a voice was emitting from its head.


    "Plants... plants are not enough. The human soul does not have enough synergy with plants. Though the efficacy has increased, allowing me to capture souls from decades away, it is not enough. But... I am getting closer."


    My eyes scanned the surroundings. The other three were no longer here, in fact, it was an entirely different room.


    The room was a similar size to the room I was just in, but there were no cracks lined along the walls. There was a dim orange light emitting from a single torch that was stuck in between the skeleton''s ribcage.


    In the skeleton''s hands was a glass box, it was holding it tenderly, close to its chest.


    "The true direction was never to contain the soul within a phylactery, but let it exist independently. Yes, this should work. It will work."


    The skeleton held up the glass box with both hands. Underneath him were many strange scrawlings in blood. The patterns vaguely resembled a circle and there were five green glowing beans at the perimeter of the scrawlings.


    For a few moments, nothing happened. The skeleton was simply standing there, keeping the glass box high in the air.


    Then a gentle wind began to blow, so gentle that it seemed to be my imagination. The wind picked up and became louder. The winds whistled, then wailed loudly.


    The scrawlings on the ground were gradually being blown away by the wind. The five glowing green beans were already floating in the air, circulating with the wind.


    The skeleton''s jaw was wide open.


    "Yes, yes. Come, my child! You may not have been born when you were living, but now you are given a new life from the dead!"


    The winds became violent. The glowing green beans were broken into small pieces. Fragments of the beans and blood were circling around the center.


    Cracks were appearing across the skeleton''s bones, but the skeleton in question did not seem to realize it. Cracks also began spreading across their walls and the light from the skeleton''s torch was blown out.


    Though the room was plunged into darkness, a faint light was being emitted from inside the glass box.


    The light was very weak at first, just barely illuminating the skeleton''s face. However, the light continued to grow brighter and brighter.


    The pale blue light lit up the whole room and a clear wailing sound filled the room.


    The skeleton gently caressed the side of the glass box.


    "It is ok my child, you are now filled with the breath of life. Don''t worry, you will not have to wait long for your mother."


    The skeleton began to cackle, its bones making grating sounds against each other.


    "It''s the light! The light has finally come. What was it that she called it? Yes, a lamppost."


    The ground gently rumbled and a thin black pedestal rose from the ground. The skeleton placed the glass box onto the pedestal like it was a feather.


    The winds calmed down and the light erratically dimmed.


    The pedestal rose and as it did so, stone wrapped around the black box and made a small black hat for it.


    Once the... lamppost stopped rising, the skeleton stared at it in awe.


    "Soon... soon."


    The light from the lamppost brightened again, blinding me.


    Once the light died down, my eyes refocused to see... a baby?


    It was a claustrophobic room, roughly 2 meters high and 2 meters wide. The room consisted of white walls and a small black pedestal in the middle, holding the baby. The baby was giving off a faint light that lit up the small room.


    Crying filled the room and the baby was flailing its limbs around. The baby had many terrifying dark red scars all across its body. The scars were in the form of gashes that cut deep into the baby''s skin.


    My hand tried to reach out to the baby, but it was surprisingly hard to move my arms. My eyes were drawn towards a path in front of me.


    ...What was this?


    My hand continued trying to reach out towards the baby, but before it got close the crying became louder and louder.


    My teeth grit, in pain from the incessant crying.


    I fell to one knee before I knew it and the baby with the pedestal began to warp.


    The baby and the pedestal appeared at the end of the path in front of me. It was roughly ten meters away from me.


    Behind me, was a strong wind pulling me backward into a black void. However, my foot was planted on the floor.


    For whatever reason, I wanted to move forward.


    The crying hurt my ears, the wind was pulling me backward, and there was a heavy pressure on my mind when my body moved.


    Slowly, I got up to my feet.


    My mind was in terrible pain, but my foot took a step forward.


    My feet were sliding backward. My body was trembling as a step was taken forward.


    The progress made hardly matched the progress lost from the wind pulling me back.


    Yet, my body kept moving forward like it was unaware of how little progress it was making.


    What was happening?


    My eyes caught a glimpse of my body, which was made from a cloud of ethereal black dust.


    The walls began to crack and the void was swallowing the room. It seemed the room was not going to hold up for much longer.


    A frown appeared on my face and my body took another step further.


    It was painful. It was so painful to continue walking forward.


    Yet, for some reason, my steps continued.


    The pressure on my body was crushing and the crying was hurting my mind.


    But, the grating crying did not seem annoying to me.


    My eyes were focused on the crying child and my body continued forward.


    ...But my mind was becoming muddled. My body of black dust was breaking apart.


    Not to mention the room was already beginning to break down.


    The progress made was no match for how fast the void behind me was slowly swallowing the room.


    My body desperately took another step forward, as slow as it was.


    Despair seeped into my heart.


    Could I even make it?


    My eyes focused on the crying baby in front of me.


    ...How long have you been here?


    All alone, in an endless darkness...


    The times Mildred gently hugged me flashed in my mind.


    Tears began falling from my black dust body.


    Something in my heart was lit aflame.


    It was the pure insanity that drove me forward.


    A tear fell down my face as my entire being embraced the pain, taking step after step forward.


    Each step was heavier and harder than the last one.


    It seemed as though my body was being crushed at the bottom of the ocean.


    My vision was blurry and it was hard to tell if I was even moving.


    The crying was getting louder and the wind was pulling stronger.


    My steps continued forward and a scream came from me.


    The baby was five meters away and a meter behind me was the void, slowly consuming the room.


    My speed was still too slow, the void was catching up.


    My teeth were grit and my body forced itself to move faster.


    Too slow... I was still too slow.


    The flames of insanity grew. It grew large enough to raze down the whole world.


    ...Then my eyes glazed over.


    I was running through the forest.


    A small knife was in my belt and a gemstone in my left hand. My lungs were taking in ragged breaths and my eyelids were erratically blinking out of sync.


    It was the middle of the night and my body was shivering. There were small cuts all over my body that swelled and became purple.


    My head turned to a cave and my feet stumbled over towards it.


    My right arm remained at the side limply, swinging around uncontrollably.


    The cave was dark, but that did not seem to concern me.


    My teeth were grit and my body was shivering. A grunt seeped past my teeth and mana was drawn from the crystal.


    A small ball of fire appeared beside me.


    My mouth hung slightly open and my lungs forcefully took in a deep breath.


    My body suddenly froze.


    There was... heavy breathing coming from deep in the cave.


    A frown appeared on my face, but my steps continued forward.


    The small ball of fire lit up the path a few meters ahead.


    The breathing was getting louder.


    My eyes narrowed, my vision could just barely make out a black horn.


    I took another step forward.


    ...There was a four-horned demon. It was less than two meters high and one of its legs was bent the wrong way.


    With a flash, I was back in the room with the baby.


    The baby was right in front of me.

 Chapter 63 - There Is A Price

    The wind had calmed down, the baby was no longer crying, and the void was right behind me, but was still.


    The serene atmosphere felt a little strange to me, considering how chaotic it was just moments ago.


    The baby opened its eyes just a silver, revealing its light blue eyes. The baby took a look at me, making me feel a little awkward.


    My foot took a step forward, bringing me right next to the pedestal.


    "...Do you want to leave?"


    The baby turned its head to the side.


    I guess it was bold to assume it already knew how to understand language.


    The baby nodded.


    ...Ah, did the baby understand what I said?


    "Do you understand me?"


    The baby nodded again.


    Huh, I guess it did learn the language... somehow.


    My eyelids rapidly blinked.


    I was at a loss on how to pick the baby up.


    My hands tried to pull the baby up by the shoulders, but then it started crying.


    In a panic, my hands let go of the baby and it fell on its back, hitting the pedestal. The baby glared at me.


    My hands raised like someone surrendering.


    "Sorry!"


    This time my hand tried to get a hold of the baby''s back. The baby seemed to lose balance with just one hand, so my other hand held onto the back of the baby''s knees.


    This time the baby did not cry, only sucking on the left thumb and looking at me through slightly opened eyes.


    My eyes lingered on the baby''s eyes for a few moments, before my steps took me out of the room and into the void.


    It was dark.


    It felt as though my body was submerged in shallow water.


    Then... the light reappeared.


    My eyes narrowed and my hand blocked the light from my eyes.


    "Ah, there you are. Where did you go?"


    My eyes blinked a few times and my vision slowly cleared to see Leon with a raised eyebrow.


    My fist was held in front of my face and a cough came up from my throat.


    "What do you mean?"


    Leon tilted his head by a few degrees.


    "You disappeared for a few seconds, do you not remember?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh... I guess I did go somewhere, I think?"


    Mark chuckled.


    "You found the crying kid?"


    Oh, I forgot about that. My eyes looked down at my arms, which were empty. My head turned around, to see a glowing pale light floating behind me.


    "Oh yeah, guess I did."


    Osric narrowed his eyes.


    "Where did you go?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Well, there was this small room and path with a baby at the end of it. It was hard to get to the baby, but once I did, I picked the baby up and left."


    The faint blue light was energetically prancing around me. Leon laughed.


    "Haha, it appears you have profited off this venture."


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Guess so."


    Osric''s eyelid twitched.


    Mark held a finger on his chin.


    "Now that we have explored every other path, why don''t we take a look down the first one?"


    Leon nodded.


    "Might as well."


    The four... five of us walked back down the pathway. The pale blue light followed behind us and lit up the way.


    My finger scratched the side of my head as we walked.


    "Say, Leon. How are we going to cross that place if there isn''t a floor for the most part?"


    Leon turned to face me.


    "It will take some time as the mana here is thin, but I will be able to create a pathway down."


    I nodded.


    "Ah, that works."


    It did not take too long for us to get back to the start.


    Leon sat down and closed his eyes. Silently, earth was forming across the pathway we have yet to fully travel down.


    In the meantime, The pale light was erratically moving around me, like it was curious about every little thing.


    The path was now lit up, letting me see that it extended quite far and that the path was almost completely crumbled, save for a few sandy pieces at the edges.


    In the corner of my eye, I could make out Mark looking at me. Subconsciously, my head turned to face him.


    Mark had the same smile as always, but his eyes were narrowed.


    "You have quite the strange power, Jay."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "I guess so, do you know anything about it?"


    Osric turned to look at Mark.


    As for Mark, he simply shrugged his shoulders.


    "I know little."


    I nodded.


    "I don''t really understand it either."


    Osric''s eye twitched, but he remained silent.


    Leon took a deep breath.


    "That was annoying."


    The pathway forward was filled with brown dirt, into darkness.


    Leon cracked his neck.


    "I should be able to make the rest of the pathway as we walk."


    Mark nodded.


    "Then let''s get to it."


    The five of us walked down the pathway.


    The dirt was as hard as stone and did not even tremble. Leon seemed to be pretty good at what he does.


    The further we walked down the path, the more reluctant the pale blue light behind seemed.


    It was no longer as energetic or jumpy as it was before.


    ...Should we turn back?


    My head had to turn around to look at the pale blue light. It was following from behind and the distance between us grew the more we walked.


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Um, we don''t have to continue right?"


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "I don''t see a reason why we should avoid this one. We were fine walking down every other pathway were we not?"


    Leon turned his head around to face me.


    "At most, it will be a waste of time, I doubt anything can threaten us down here."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Alright, that makes sense."


    My head turned back to look at the pale blue light once more, before continuing onward.


    This pathway was the shortest of them all. As we reached the end of the path, earth was filling up the hole at the end of the path.


    The room we reached was as large as the other ones. The only difference was that the center had a skeleton and blood scrawlings were on the floor, similar to the ones I saw before. There were five green glowing stones around the perimeter, though their shine was dull.


    The pale blue light lingered behind for quite a distance. It made me wonder what it was trying to avoid.


    The skeleton in the middle had cracks on its bones, a dagger in his hand, and a rusty metal necklace. The necklace had a small heart at the end, but it was cracked.


    The four of us walked closer to the middle.


    Once we were closer, my eyes made out that the skeleton had one hand holding a few pieces of some shattered white rock. The other hand had a reverse grip on the dagger. The tip of the dagger was in the palm of his other hand.


    There was a piece of paper on the ground near the skeleton. While the rest of us stayed at the perimeter of the blood scrawlings, Mark walked over and picked up the piece of paper without much reservation.


    After looking at it for a few seconds, he walked back over to us and held the paper out so we could read it.


    "Take a look, it is quite interesting."


    Though the writing before was neat, the words on the paper were uncannily straight and pristine.


    The corner of my eye twitched.


    ''It is right in front of me.


    Just one more step and the fruits of my research will be complete.


    The necklace I gave her all those years ago is right in my hands.


    All I need to do is drop it and my wife will come back to me.


    But I couldn''t do it.


    Why?


    The necklace in my hand was freshly cleaned. The heart at the end of the necklace was beautiful and gave off a clear reflection.


    My reflection was staring back at me from the heart.


    It made me wonder what I''ve become. How did things turn out this way?


    So many people died by my hand.


    Not just evil people.


    Not just innocent people.


    But even people I deeply cared about.


    There were so many opportunities to move on.


    So many kind people exist in this world.


    I can still remember all of them.


    It gave me the strength to move forward. So many great people.


    Yet, I killed them all.


    Repaid all of their kindness with selfishness.


    I suppose I had my answer as to why I couldn''t do it.


    I was afraid.


    I was afraid of her seeing me like this.


    The failure that I became.


    This place must become sealed. The history of this place must be destroyed.


    I have already destroyed the path to this place.


    If anybody is reading this, it must mean you are looking for the secrets to resurrect.''


    By getting this far, it must mean you have some power in this world.


    But do not let the power get to your head, else your fate will be no different from mine.


    THERE IS A PRICE TO CHEAT DEATH.''

 Chapter 64 - Necklace

    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "This person is quite arrogant to think that anybody reading this desires to learn resurrection magic."


    Mark chuckled.


    "It seems he was able to succeed to a certain extent, given the crying kid. Perhaps if he had chosen to go through with this, his existence would have been erased."


    Mark tossed the paper to the side.


    The last words on that sheet of paper left an impression on me.


    ''THERE IS A PRICE TO CHEAT DEATH''


    ...I''ve already died a few times.


    Was there a price I paid?


    My eyes narrowed.


    The piece of paper Mark tossed aside floated around, landing right under the skeleton''s feet.


    Osric''s face twitched.


    "Hold on, is that going to be-"


    Osric did not finish his sentence.


    A soft wind stirred up around us. The piece of paper on the ground gradually flew upwards.


    A strange grey light was softly emitting from the piece of paper.


    Mark raised an eyebrow.


    "Haha, did this piece of paper matter to him enough for his soul to descend onto it?"


    The grey light began to flicker. It appeared to be shrinking itself but would burgeon every time it did so.


    It was then, the gemstone Osric was holding started to act up. There was a grey vortex inside and the mana from it was being withdrawn.


    The mana coalesced around the piece of paper, while the paper itself was fluttering.


    A painful groan was being emitted from the paper. While they were first of normal volume, they gradually became louder, and of anger.


    Leon turned to Mark.


    "It appears to be mad."


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "Just let it be mad."


    Osric sighed after looking at the gemstone on his shoulder and watched along with Mark and Leon. They did not seem concerned about what was happening.


    The skeleton in the middle started to shake. Before long, the skeleton split among its cracks, into many small pieces that flew around in the wind.


    The dagger and necklace were also caught up in the wind and circulated us as well. All of the little bits and pieces reached us as they circulated the room.


    A few pieces of bone hit me here and there, but other than making white marks against my skin, they did not do anything.


    Leon did not bother dodging as did Osric. In Mark''s case, the pieces just barely did not reach him.


    The pieces of bone continued circulating around the room and the groans of anger quieted down.


    The winds became gentle. The pieces of bone were slowly revolving around the piece of paper.


    A voice was emitted from the paper in the middle.


    "Amy... Yes, Amy, I will get right to it!"


    The voice paused for a moment.


    "Haha, don''t worry about it! My cooking senses are sharp, you will be eating the food your mother cooked you in no time!"


    The winds became unsteady.


    "Sorry if this is too far but... How did you deal with your mother leaving?"


    The pieces of bone in the wind began to quiver.


    "Ah, I see. You have been strong Amy."


    The winds began to speed up.


    "Amy! Amy! Look at this necklace, do you want it?"


    The necklace began hovering in front of the paper.


    My head turned to the other three. They were curiously observing what was happening.


    The winds began to blow faster.


    "Amy?... Amy, why aren''t you answering me. Amy?"


    The winds became violent and the paper was furiously trembling.


    "Amy...why did you leave?"


    The necklace was brought closer to the paper.


    "...Where did my arms go?"


    The paper flipped around.


    "What is this place? Who am I?"


    The piece of paper crumpled together.


    "I can bring Amy back? ...All I have to do is drop this necklace?"


    The necklace gradually lowered down to the middle but stopped before it hit the ground.


    "Why... Why can''t I do it? Who is stopping me? WHO?"


    Osric turned to Mark.


    "Are you who he is referring to?"


    Mark rolled his eyes.


    "Why would I be bothered with such trifling matters?"


    The winds circulated faster.


    "It must be you! You are stopping Amy from coming back to me. How could you?"


    The pieces of bone were thrown at us quite fast.


    My hand caught one bone piece that was about to hit me, but another slipped past and grazed my shoulder.


    Mark sighed as the pieces of bone just barely missed him.


    "This is annoying. This thing is hogging all the mana."


    Leon turned to me.


    "Can your crystal do anything?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess I can try."


    The black crystal floating above me slowly moved forward. Despite the violent gales in the room, it leisurely went forward, unabated.


    Once the paper was in range, my mind made the crystal pulsate.


    The pieces of bone nearby dropped to the ground, but the wind still moved them across the floor.


    Strangely enough, the piece of paper was still floating.


    My hand rubbed my chin.


    "I guess it doesn''t operate off of mana?"


    Leon narrowed his eyes.


    "But without mana, it is essentially powerless."


    My eyes landed on Osric, specifically the gemstone he was holding.


    "The mana it gets is from that gemstone."


    Beads of sweat formed on Osric''s forehead.


    "So what? Who said we had to fully explore everything?"


    ...You were so adamant about not backing out before.


    Leon held his forehead with his hand.


    "Regardless, that thing is absorbing the mana around us. Without mana, it will be a huge waste of time to get out of here."


    Osric''s face twitched.


    "Not if we figure out how to draw mana from it."


    Leon frowned.


    "And do you know how to do that?"


    The corner of Osric''s lip twitched.


    "No."


    Leon sighed.


    "Is it really that valuable in the first place?"


    Hearing Leon say that, Osric''s face twitched.


    "Alright, alright."


    Leon looked at me.


    "Can you bring your crystal back?"


    After nodding, my mind commanded the crystal to come back to us.


    Once the crystal was in the range of the gemstone, it did not crack like all of us thought it would, but the vortex in the middle was gone.


    The winds sped up.


    "What? Why is this happening?"


    The necklace lowered abruptly, then was caught.


    "No, no stop."


    The pieces of bone all fell to the floor.


    "No... No."


    The necklace was slowly falling.


    My brows furrowed.


    "Should we be worried about that?"


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    How little he cared about the situation rubbed off on me.


    The necklace continued falling.


    "No, no, no, no."


    The necklace was held just barely above the ground.


    "NO."


    The necklace dropped to the ground.


    The piece of paper began to contort and rip apart. The voice was screaming in pain.


    "No Amy! Don''t look at me. Please don''t look..."


    The piece of paper was ripped into pieces, while a slow wind began to blow.


    The whistle of the winds became eerie and the necklace was trembling and emitted a faint dark mist.


    The blood scrawlings faded as did the glowing green beans.


    The mist from the necklace did remind me of the strange body I had when trying to reach the baby, but it was different.


    The mist from the necklace was unlike dust and appeared to be composed of tendrils. It appeared similar to an octopus, using its tentacles to get a feel for its surroundings.


    The winds began to pick up, as did the whistle. The sound of the wind gradually became a shriek.


    The necklace slowly raised from the ground and a shrill scream emanated from it.


    "How... dare you. How dare you kill my child?"


    Mark sighed.


    "We are blamed once more simply because we were nearby."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    The mana around us was sparse, so much so that it would be hard for me to cast the fire spell.


    That was why I had been surprised, seeing the dagger across the floor slowly lift up.


    "Um, can you guys use the mana around you?"


    The corner of Leon''s lip twitched.


    "Hardly."


    My eye turned to the floating necklace and dagger that were both emitting a black mist.


    "Will that be a problem?"


    As those words left my mouth, the dagger shot straight to my chest. Even though I instinctively dodged, it still grazed the coat on my arm.


    A large part of my coat began to decompose into something grey and brittle, breaking off. Though the dagger did not touch my skin, a small patch of my skin became grey and wrinkled.


    Leon looked at my wound.


    "...This is going to be a problem."


    Osric had set the gemstone on the ground.


    "Perhaps if the necklace is destroyed this will stop?"


    Leon and Mark charged towards the necklace. Seeing them do so, I followed behind.


    Osric stayed behind, though, to his dismay, the dagger''s new target was him.


    Though the dagger was fast, it only traveled in a straight line. Though Osric could not match the speed of the dagger, he was still able to dodge by predicting where the dagger would aim next.


    As for Leon, he threw his fist at the necklace. The necklace flew across the room and hit the wall, but was undamaged.


    As for Leon, a tiny patch of grey appeared on his knuckle.

 Chapter 65 - Decay Magic

    Leon frowned when he looked at his knuckle. The grey skin was already peeling off.


    "This may not go how we expected."


    Cracks were in the wall where the necklace landed, yet other than cracks that already existed, the necklace was undamaged.


    Mark narrowed his eyes.


    "Perhaps we should retreat, there does not appear to be anything for us here anyway."


    Leon nodded.


    "Let''s try that."


    Osric was cringing.


    "I would appreciate some help."


    The armor that covered Osric''s arms had decayed and fallen off.


    Leon was already running down the path.


    "Just run."


    Osric''s face twitched, a mist covered him and a wolf came out. The wolf''s fur coat was a bit duller than what I remembered.


    Despite the fact a patch of my skin was missing, there was no pain. In fact, there was no feeling at all. I was of the same sentiment as the rest, wanting to leave right now.


    The necklace didn''t seem to be happy with our decision. Instead of sending the dagger to one of us, it flew to the gemstone that was under my crystal.


    There was no time to do anything, the gemstone was sent into the room the necklace was in and the necklace began drawing in mana.


    As of now, the four of us were trying to run down the bridge and Leon was leading the way.


    Suddenly, Leon stopped and pushed us back.


    "Run back."


    The path made of earth was decaying. The four of us hurriedly made our way back to the room. As we did so, the dagger was thrown towards Mark.


    To his left was Leon and to his right, was Osric. There was no room to sidestep


    Mark sighed.


    His feet glowed and right before the dagger was about to hit him, his figure suddenly appeared behind it.


    My mind tried to move the crystal over to the gemstone, to cut off the mana supply. But, the gemstone began floating and moved out of the way.


    ...This was a little unfair.


    The necklace was trembling.


    "I will kill you."


    Mark smiled.


    "Misplaced hatred. What else is new?"


    Leon frowned.


    "First destroy the gemstone."


    The walls and floor below us were cracking. To make things worse, a spell was being formed next to the necklace.


    Osric''s snout twitched.


    "Split up!"


    Without much thought, we all moved away from each other.


    Once we did so, a huge black mass was thrown towards Leon, almost hitting me and Mark.


    The mass was not as fast as the dagger, but not slow by any means.


    Leon shoved his hands and arms into the floor, shattering the stone under him. The ground shook, and Leon lifted a huge chunk of stone into the black mass.


    The stone quickly decayed, splitting apart from each other and becoming flakes upon hitting the ground.


    Thankfully, the black mass also disappeared.


    Did this thing even have a weakness?


    I guess the only thing left was to break the gemstone.


    Though my crystal and Osric as a wolf chased down the gemstone, it was elusive.


    Whenever Osric pounced at it, it would just barely dodge out of the way. It was as though just enough effort was put in to dodge it.


    If that was the case...


    "Hey guys, try to lure the gemstone over to me."


    My hand pulled out my stake and held it tightly.


    Leon nodded and chased the gemstone. Mark followed him and the three of them as well as my crystal herded the gemstone.


    I ran towards the gemstone, but my mind had a bad premonition. My head turned to the side to see an incredibly wide black mass moving towards me.


    The black mass was not sent directly towards me, the shot was led. It was wide enough that if I teleported forward it would be the end for me.


    My head turned around. My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    Before the black mass reached me, my figure disappeared. The black mass was left to collide into the wall, instantly making the bricks crumble.


    In the meantime, the gemstone was cornered and Osric was about to pounce on it. The necklace abruptly casted a spell. A thin black beam was sent towards Osric, who stopped in his tracks, letting the spell pass right by his snout.


    Using that opportunity, the gemstone elusively made its way out.


    A sigh escaped me. My hand unfurled the cloth bag on me and took out the fifth black fruit, tossing it into my mouth.


    My mind quickly shook off the feeling from consuming the black fruit and forced a teleportation.


    Right when my figure appeared, it disappeared once again. At this rate, the gemstone would not be able to escape.


    Yet, before that could become a reality, a mist was conjured between me and the gemstone.


    The mist itself was not dense but covered a wide area.


    Teleporting inside would probably be a bad idea...


    It was not difficult to command my crystal as my vision was hardly impaired However, I was now stuck on the other side of the room.


    The necklace no longer bothered throwing spells at me, instead, it paid all of its attention to throwing various spells towards everyone else.


    A very wide black mass was sent towards Osric. Osric attempted to run to the side, but it was simply too wide for him to make it.


    The black mass was about to hit Osric and a hint of despair was in his wolf eyes.


    Then... the mass suddenly stopped before hitting him.


    At that moment, my crystal stopped chasing after the gemstone and went over to Osric. The spells were unable to move past the range of the crystal.


    Osric''s body relaxed and he continued to chase after the gemstone.


    Hmm... I could clear the mist too. Not to mention if I ran while within the crystal''s range, the necklace would be unable to throw any spells at me.


    The crystal did not chase after the gemstone and floated over to me.


    It cut straight through the mist, parting it.


    Once the crystal reached me, my legs raced over to the gemstone with the crystal above my head. The mist parted ways and the gemstone was getting closer.


    By staying under my crystal, it wouldn''t change the fact four things were chasing it. However, with my ability to teleport, the gemstone might slip up, letting me destroy it.


    Once my figure was halfway through the mist, the necklace began trembling and let out a scream that shook the room.


    The necklace was no longer casting any spells, but a mist started to fill up the whole room.


    My brows furrowed.


    "Get under my crystal!"


    The other three did not wait and sprinted over to my crystal.


    Once they made it, a mist filled the whole room. During their sprint, the corner of Leon''s robe had touched some of the mist and decayed.


    The necklace was still trembling, but not casting any spells.


    For a few moments, it was an awkward stalemate.


    The four of us stood under the crystal, while the rest of the room was filled with an ominous mist.


    Osric''s paw rubbed against the top of his head.


    "Thank you, Jay. Anyways, the crystal seems to struggle with maintaining that spell. Maybe we can wait it out?"


    Mark frowned.


    "Who knows if the room will still be standing by then?"


    The entire room was covered with cracks that were worryingly expanding. Though the necklace seemed to have trouble holding this spell up, we could not afford to wait.


    Leon''s eyes locked onto the gemstone which was now on the opposite side of the room.


    "If only we could extract mana from that gemstone, then this battle would be beyond simple."


    My eyes scanned over the walls that began crumbling.


    ...Leon, Mark, and Osric were unable to do anything without mana. As for me, I could teleport.


    My brows furrowed.


    My only chance seemed to be teleporting to the gemstone and destroying it. But it was so far away.


    Though, I have done long teleportations before...


    It was difficult to control.


    The memory of when my hand disappeared entirely was still fresh in my mind.


    But what other choice was there?


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Don''t stand too close to me."


    The other three took a few steps back and my hand lifted up the stake.


    My eyes locked on the gemstone, while my heart was pounding fiercely.


    ...Here goes nothing.


    The space around me distorted for a few seconds. My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    Then my figure disappeared.


    The space was a chaotic place. My body rocked from side to side making my heart clench.


    The experience reminded me of my vision. It was when my body curled up into a ball and the surroundings heavily distorted.


    This teleportation was not near that level, but it made me wonder how that version of me had so much confidence in the destination.


    While my mind was absorbed in its own thoughts, my body appeared.


    The gemstone was behind me and shattered into pieces.


    Then my body began decaying.


    I didn''t think this through.

 Chapter 66 - Mother And Child

    What should I do?


    Without much thought, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted once again before my body decayed too much.


    The space around me distorted and my eyes were on the necklace.


    My figure disappeared.


    Then it reappeared, but there was a grimace on my face.


    The stake had shattered and my hand broke off of my wrist, decaying and crumbling after hitting the ground.


    Ah... this is bad.


    The necklace was laying on the floor, no longer emitting black mist.


    Was it... dead?


    A sense of danger came from behind me.


    My head turned around to see a dagger flying towards my face.


    I forgot about that thing.


    My legs already couldn''t move...


    A bitter smile appeared on my face and my eyes closed...


    The sound of a baby crying rang out.


    My eyes opened to see a pale blue light in front of me.


    The knife had stopped in front of the light.


    "My child?"


    Crying continued to come from the pale blue light. The mist was dispersed and the decay on my body receded.


    A gentle touch appeared on my arm and my hand slowly regrew.


    The mist left the knife and transferred itself to the necklace. The necklace floated over to the pale blue light.


    "My child, it''s me, your mother. Come to mommy."


    The crying grew louder and angrier.


    The necklace backed off.


    "Child? Don''t you recognize your mother?"


    The pale blue light continued crying but calmed down.


    My eyes were on my hand that had suddenly regrown, it was like the injuries were a lie.


    Leon walked over to me.


    "This is quite the strange situation."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I don''t really get what is happening."


    Leon looked towards the necklace.


    "It seems as though the mother wishes to reunite with the child."


    Leon''s eyes narrowed when he looked at the pale blue light.


    "But the child does not trust her."


    Mark also walked up, then chuckled.


    "Why don''t you convince the child to return to his mother?"


    Osric had followed Mark. He frowned when he heard what Mark said.


    "Perhaps there is a reason the child doesn''t trust the mother. Who''s to say that it would be better for the child to return to the mother?"


    Mark shrugged.


    "Well, the choice is your hands, Jay."


    My hand scratched the back of my head. My eyes were on the pale blue light and somehow I felt it was looking back at me.


    "Um, do you want to give your mother a chance?"


    The pale blue light let out a whimper, while the necklace was jumping around.


    The necklace got a little closer.


    "Yes, yes, please, my child, give me one chance and I will prove that I am a suitable mother."


    The pale blue light got closer to me.


    Why did the decision come to me? I wouldn''t know what is better...


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Hey, just do what you want. I won''t force you to do anything."


    The pale blue light let out a small whimper.


    For a few moments, there was only silence. The necklace couldn''t stop moving, a testament to the anxiety it felt.


    The pale blue light let out another whimper. This light dimmed and slowly moved towards the necklace.


    The necklace was trembling.


    "Oh my child, you have come back to me!"


    The necklace wrapped itself around the pale blue light. The dark mist receded into the necklace. It then began shining, the rust and cracks that covered the necklace disappeared as though they were never there in the first place.


    Leon let out a small sigh.


    "I suppose that is all."


    The corner of Osric''s lip twitched.


    "Anyhow, we need to divide what we have acquired."


    Mark smirked.


    "It appears this journey has benefitted Jay greatly. I doubt the kid and his mother would follow any of us."


    My hand pulled out a glowing blue bean from my pocket and tossed it to Osric.


    "I guess you should at least keep that."


    Osric caught it and bitterly smiled.


    "Haha, alright."


    My hand then unraveled the cloth bag.


    "And since you were the only one that didn''t get one of these, you can have it."


    Of the remaining four black fruits, one was thrown to Osric.


    Osric caught the fruit and raised an eyebrow.


    "Ah, thank you."


    My hand waved dismissively.


    "No problem."


    Leon began gathering mana.


    "We should leave now, there is little reason to stay."


    Leon walked over to the pathway that decayed and the rest of us followed.


    Leon raised his staff.


    "Thankfully the mana is not as thin as before."


    A few gales of wind were stirred up and the path was filled with earth once again. We walked down the path and made it to the center platform.


    Leon took a deep breath.


    Winds rushed downwards from the hole in the ceiling, blowing away the dust around us.


    The platform below us abruptly began rising, but none of us were fazed.


    The sound of scraping stone filled the air and there was a moment of silence.


    Leon turned his head from one side to the other, his gaze lingering on each of us as it passed by.


    "This endeavor was quite successful. When all is said and done the four of us cooperated splendidly. I am willing to do something similar in the future."


    I nodded without much thought.


    "Yeah, it was pretty nice."


    Osric''s face twitched, but he nodded a few times soon after.


    "I agree."


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "There is no disagreement from me."


    The platform abruptly stopped and we were above ground. Where there used to be an ice pond was now a stone platform.


    The forest was as snowy as always, already on its mission to cover the stone platform below us.


    Mark casually waved.


    "Goodbye for now."


    His figure twitched, then disappeared.


    Osric cleared his throat.


    "Farewell, to you lot."


    Osric became a white mist and went into the forest.


    My hand was awkwardly waving.


    Leon turned to me with a neutral expression.


    "That was fun. Do you have any other plans?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Uh, not really. I guess my only idea was to continue down this way."


    Leon nodded.


    "I see, you go do that. As for me, I have a village to take care of. It would be unfitting of me to shirk a responsibility I gave myself."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Wait, now that I think about it, my village also needs to be taken care of."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "You have also put a responsibility onto yourself?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Not exactly. My village is in a really bad state, people are killing each other for food and are forcefully turned into slaves."


    Leon chuckled.


    "Bad state? That sounds like any other normal village to me."


    My eyes widened.


    "What? Is your village like that too?"


    Leon laughed.


    "No, but that is an exception. This is more so a hobby than anything else. After all, there are an innumerable amount of people in the situation you described."


    The base of my palm rubbed against my temple.


    "You... aren''t powerful enough to change that?"


    Leon shook his head.


    "Not even close. This world is much larger than you could possibly imagine."


    So it''s still not enough?


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "In that case, my journey this way will continue."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Is that so? In any case, may you have good luck in your prospects."


    My finger scratched the side of my hand.


    "Thanks, you too Leon."


    The ground began to shake and Leon was lifted up by some earth. The earth formed an arch, carrying Leon along with it. Before he hit the ground, another arch burst from the ground, lifting him further.


    My eyes lingered on Leon for a few more seconds, before my head turned around, and my steps continued forward.


    As my feet navigated the forest, some thoughts circulating in my head.


    What condition was the village in right now?


    Were they holding up fine?


    Was it already too late?


    My head shook.


    There was no point in thinking about it now.


    "So, is your name Jay?"


    A voice came from behind me, so my head turned around. The crystal and pale blue light with a necklace around it were behind me.


    "Uh, yeah that''s my name."


    The necklace trembled slightly.


    "Ah, then hello, Jay. My name is Amy."


    My footsteps continued, and my hand was on the back of my neck.


    "Oh, nice to meet you, Amy."


    A voice was emitted from the necklace.


    "Yes, yes. Anyways, do you know what happened to... me and my child?"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Er, it''s a long story. I''m not sure if you would like to hear it."


    There was a solemn silence.


    The necklace was shaking.


    "Please tell me. It may hurt me, but it''s something I need to hear."


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "I guess to start, I should talk about the papers."


    I walked through the snow and retold the story to some objects that were following behind me.

 Chapter 67 - Hill By The River

    My retelling of the story was mostly objective. Instead of describing the events, I directly recited the words on the papers I read.


    When it came to the vision, my emphasis was on what Noah said, rather than any of the other miscellaneous details.


    Once my retelling finished, a long silence hung in the air.


    My feet continued to walk through the snow and around the trees.


    Right when I thought there wasn''t going to be a response, a sigh came from behind me.


    "Noah... you fool. Why did you do this?"


    My head remained facing forward, while my steps did not stop.


    "Do you think he did the wrong thing?"


    The necklace was faintly sobbing.


    "...If it''s wrong I wouldn''t know. I only wish that his life wasn''t destroyed over my death. It sounded like he could''ve lived a great and fulfilling time, but was caught up in grief."


    ...I never thought about it that way.


    "Are you fine with... living like this?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "I don''t know. Simply existing in this form is painful for me. It hurts me thinking my child had to live like that for so long."


    The necklace wrapped around a little tighter to the pale blue light.


    "But at least for now, I don''t want to die."


    A faint crying came from the pale blue light.


    My mouth was drying up but forced the words out anyway.


    "If you had a chance... A chance to turn back time. A chance to try everything all over again. But nobody would remember any of the time they had with you."


    My eyes looked off into the sky.


    "Would you take it?"


    The necklace''s response was almost instantaneous.


    "Of course! That sounds like a dream come true. Who could possibly deny that opportunity?"


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    I guess that the strange one was me.


    There was crying coming from the pale blue light behind me.


    The necklace was consoling the light, while we kept making our way through the forest.


    Once the pale blue light calmed down, the necklace trembled.


    "Are we nearing our destination?"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "No idea."


    The voice from the necklace sounded confused.


    "What? Where are we going?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "No idea."


    The necklace paused.


    "Are we lost?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Pretty much?"


    The necklace was speechless for a moment.


    "Is there a particular reason for aimlessly wandering around?"


    Hmm... was there?


    "It should be somewhere, if you find the reason please tell me."


    The necklace paused.


    "What?"


    I ended up laughing without restraint. When my laughter calmed down a small smile was on my face.


    "If I had to give you a reason, it would be that I have no idea what I''m supposed to do."


    Winds blew past me, carrying lost pieces of snow away.


    The trees were shaking ever so slightly, dropping little bits of snow here and there.


    My hand reached out to catch one of them and it melted right after touching my hand.


    The necklace let out a quiet voice.


    "What do you mean?"


    A chuckle forced its way out of me.


    "The world is so big and there are so many things to do. It feels like I was just tossed in. It was like I was expected to figure things out and move forward on my own."


    My steps stopped.


    "But how am I supposed to know where to go? Nobody told me what to do, or how to understand anything around me. In the end, the only thing left is for me to walk forward."


    My body turned around in a full circle.


    The only things my eyes could make out were trees and snow.


    "As hard and scary it is to move forward into the unknown, it''s the only thing left for me to do."


    My foot took a step forward.


    "So... that''s why there is no destination. Maybe there will never be one."


    A faint crying came from the pale blue light.


    The necklace took its time to respond.


    "I see... then we will wait until we stumble across our destination."


    ...


    The walk was uneventful. The biggest thing that happened was a wolf, but it was not hard to scare it off by throwing it aside.


    My hand lightly touched the black crown on my head. The initial discomfort had disappeared and my skin had receded to make way for the crown''s spikes.


    My head turned around.


    "Say, how did you meet... uh, Noah?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Ah... haha that happened so long ago."


    My finger scratched the side of my head as the necklace continued.


    "We met on a hill next to a river when we were just kids. He was doing push-ups, even though his arms were shaking and could hardly lift him up."


    The necklace seemed to be in a trance.


    "It made me curious, so I went up to him and asked. He told me that he wanted to become a strong warrior, just like his parents. There was a big smile on his face and didn''t even stop his push-ups to talk."


    My head turned back to face my front. The necklace continued.


    "The view from the hill was so nice, so I joined him in exercising. Both of us were pretty clumsy about it. We simply did some basic exercises without really understanding the form."


    The necklace paused.


    "...But it was enjoyable nonetheless. My dreams as a kid were to become the strongest mage, one that surpassed even my mother. It didn''t make sense for me to train my body over reading books, but I still went there everyday."


    A soft wail came from the pale blue light. The necklace took a moment to console the light.


    "Anyways, time passed by like that. Whenever we took a break from all our exercising, we would talk to each other. We learned many things about each other during that time. Oh, we also got pretty strong as well. Perhaps because he was too weak, or I was too strong, it was always me that outclassed him when we exercised."


    The necklace let out a sigh.


    "Then we were checked for our talents in magic. Ironically enough, Noah had an unbelievably high talent in magic while I had nothing. The teachers and everyone around him were so excited for him, but he seemed confused."


    The necklace chuckled.


    "Noah proudly announced that he was going to become a warrior, shocking everyone. The teacher was desperately trying to convince him otherwise and when his parents found out they did the same."


    The necklace sighed softly.


    "The next day, I found him at the hill. But he was just sitting there with his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked over when he heard my footsteps, and asked me what I thought he should do."


    The voice from the necklace softened.


    "Honestly, I was jealous. He didn''t even want the talent, why did it have to be given to him and not me? My first instinct was to tell him to continue down the path of a warrior. Out of pure spite, I wished that he would never get to use his talents."


    My eyes peered over my shoulder. The necklace was trembling.


    "Before the words could leave my mouth, he spoke again. He told me about his dream, what he so desperately wanted to do. Yet, nobody supported him. He felt as though he was alone."


    The necklace slowly stopped trembling.


    "It made me feel like an idiot. In a strange way, both of our dreams were crushed that day. His magic talent was something many could only dream of, something I dreamed of. Yet, he simply wished to become a warrior."


    The necklace''s voice became quiet.


    "I could only tell him that I didn''t know. It was because I really didn''t. We ended up sitting on the hill for the entire day. Noah''s visits to the hill became infrequent. His parents were forcing him to learn magic, eventually refusing him to leave the house altogether for anything other than school."


    My mouth opened, then closed. The necklace did not realize and continued.


    "Still, I would come to that hill everyday and see if he would one day come by. My parents never pressured me but never expected anything from me. My days were essentially filled with free time, the exact opposite for Noah."


    The necklace paused again.


    "Years passed. Then... Noah came. We sat down there together and he told me about his life in our time separated from each other."


    The necklace''s tone became dreamy.


    "He was so mature compared to the last time I saw him and sad. Despite having great talent, he couldn''t put his heart into it. His potential was great but he only became a mediocre mage. His parents gave up on him as mine did."


    The sun was setting as the necklace continued to speak.


    "From there we got married, as ordinary people. We lived happy lives for a short moment and I got pregnant. But... I was killed before my child could lay his feet on the earth."


    My mind tried to think of many words to say, but nothing came to mind. In the end, all I said was...


    "Sorry."

 Chapter 68 - I Wont Bite

    The necklace sighed.


    "There is no need to apologize. All things considered, it was a good life."


    ...Was it really?


    That sounded pretty sad to me.


    I nodded.


    "If you say so."


    We continued through the forest.


    The necklace trembled.


    "Are you not afraid?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "What do you mean?"


    The necklace paused.


    "...Of the unknown?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess not knowing is pretty scary, but I find being right next to a wolf''s jaws much scarier."


    The necklace did not reply for a few seconds.


    "I suppose that is one way of looking at it. Still, when the danger is right in front of you, you know what to expect. If it is unknown, there is a possibility that the worst will happen."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "Wouldn''t that always be possible? Maybe you misjudged the dangerous situation and in reality, it is the worst situation."


    The necklace replied immediately.


    "Yeah, that''s what makes it scary! Since you never know what is going to happen!"


    My brows furrowed.


    "We never truly know what is going to happen, so what is the point of worrying so much about it?"


    The necklace enthusiastically rebutted.


    "Just because it is inevitable doesn''t change how harrowing it can be!"


    My mind flashed back to my time in the palace. Fear had prevented me from leaving my comfort zone. When I did finally get the courage to leave, the forest was nothing like the palace. It was filled with dangers that constantly threatened my life.


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    "...Maybe. I think what scares me more is being too afraid to walk out into the unknown. To live my entire life in a small bubble, at the mercy of the world around me."


    Confusion was apparent in the necklace''s voice.


    "Why does that scare you? Actively seeking danger means that it is almost guaranteed. Avoiding it means that you can avoid it."


    My head shook.


    "It''s not so much the danger that scares me."


    My mind could not help but wonder about the first few days here in this world.


    "I am just afraid of things staying the same forever."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Well, I don''t understand."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "I guess I didn''t explain it that well."


    There was an eerie laugh from the trees ahead. The laugh sounded like it would hurt one''s vocal cords and was unnaturally sharp.


    "That is quite the beautiful fear."


    An old man walked out from behind a tree. His steps were unsteady, and his trembling hand held onto a thin wooden cane.


    The clothes draped on him were even more destitute than Mark''s, containing many holes and hardly in one piece.


    The old man''s eyes were hardly open, revealing two tiny slits. He was looking at the necklace.


    "As for you, young lady, you should know that there are many more things that are scarier than the unknown."


    The pale blue light began crying and the necklace was quiet.


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Who are you?"


    The old man gave a shaky smile.


    "People have called me many names. Some have called me the harbinger of death, some have called me a demon in angel''s clothing."


    The old man shrugged his shoulders.


    "However, the most notable one, and the one I prefer the most, is fear."


    My eyebrows raised.


    "That is a pretty cool name."


    The old man laughed.


    "I couldn''t agree more."


    The necklace let out a faint whisper.


    "We should go..."


    The old man smiled.


    "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"


    The necklace froze.


    My hand scratched the side of my head.


    "Wow, you have good hearing."


    The old man chuckled.


    "Not bad for an old man eh?"


    I nodded.


    The old man rubbed his chin using his free hand.


    "Why do you have two children following you anyway? Are you acting as a babysitter?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Well, the necklace is the mother of the blue light. I don''t really know how to take care of a child."


    The old man waved his free hand dismissively.


    "Nobody really knows how to take care of children. Some people believe that they can, but in reality, they aren''t much different from the rest."


    A chuckle came out of me.


    "Well, it''s still better that other people do it."


    The old man waved his cane around.


    "Ah, whatever. Anyways, back to the topic at hand, fear of the unknown."


    The old man brought his fist before his mouth and coughed.


    "Some people think that fear stems from the unknown, as you can be afraid of anything you could possibly imagine."


    The old man slammed the cane into the snow.


    "The only problem is how limited imagination truly is. There is a reason people say that ignorance is bliss."


    The old man sighed.


    "As people live their lives, they slowly realize what to expect from this world. They need to breathe, fire is hot, and people live in a society."


    The corner of the old man''s lip raised.


    "But what if the air they breathe becomes toxic? What if the fire they wish to warm up with is actually cold? What if the unassuming old man could actually kill in a heartbeat?"


    My hand was rubbing against my chin.


    "Is that the unknown?"


    The old man nodded.


    "Part of it. Though we have come to terms to certain realities, the unknown lingers in the back of our heads. We understand that the probabilities are small and any worries are chalked up to paranoia."


    The old man looked me straight in the eye.


    "Yet... the possibility is still there, is it not?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "So... what are some of the things that will make people more scared than the unknown?"


    The old man laughed.


    "Follow me, I will show you."


    The old man turned around and slowly walked away. The necklace trembled.


    "We... We can''t follow him."


    My head turned to the necklace.


    "Why not? He sounds like a nice guy."


    Disbelief was clear in the necklace''s voice.


    "Are you kidding me? What part of him makes him a nice guy?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "He seemed to be pretty agreeable."


    I jogged a few steps forward to catch up to the old man. The necklace was speechless for a second.


    "Oh dear..."


    Once I was shoulder to shoulder to the old man, he turned to look at the necklace.


    "Oh come on child, I won''t bite."


    The necklace did not respond while the pale blue light was faintly whimpering.


    My head turned to the old man.


    "Why do you call them children?"


    The old man chuckled while keeping his mouth closed.


    "Children are naive, no?"


    My eyebrow raised.


    "Ah, so I would be a child as well?"


    The old man was silent for a moment.


    "Well, not really."


    My brows furrowed.


    "I don''t feel that smart."


    The old man laughed quietly.


    "Perhaps..."


    For a few minutes it was silent as we walked through the snow.


    The old man looked at me.


    "For what reason do you still seek power?"


    The base of my hand rubbed against my temple.


    "Without more power, it feels like I can''t do anything."


    The old man hummed with interest.


    "And what is it that you wish to do?"


    A sigh seeped through my lips.


    "Well... stop the suffering this world makes everyone go through."


    The old man laughed like I told a funny joke.


    "That is quite strange. Have you not thought about the consequences of gaining power?"


    My palm laid on the back of my neck.


    "What do you mean?"


    The old man stopped laughing.


    "Many people try to climb the mountain that you call power. Nearly everyone at some point has at least tried to climb or thought what it would be like to be at the top. But that''s where it ends, at thought."


    The old man began picking his nails.


    "The base of the mountain can hold countless people, but every step higher, the amount it holds shrinks. Every step you go upward is a step someone else can no longer take."


    The old man looked at me and smiled.


    "If you aim to grow more powerful, you are not changing this world. You are simply going along with it and continuing the cycle of sorrow."


    My mouth couldn''t make out any words. My mouth was only able to move after a few seconds passed.


    "What else can I do?"


    The old man shrugged his shoulders.


    "The only option I know is to beat the system itself. Reach the very peak, where only one could possibly stand. You will have to make countless sacrifices along the way, but once you are there you can begin tearing that mountain down."


    The old waved his hand dismissively.


    "As for any other way, I wouldn''t know."


    A sigh escaped me.


    Was Leon right?


    "I guess I will have to make sacrifices."


    The old man laughed.


    "Do you ever wonder what happens to the people who fall off the mountain?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Not until now I guess."


    The old man pointed his cane forward and the forest in front of us darkened.


    "Then let me show you."

 Chapter 69 - Land Of The Forgotten

    The forest in front of us began distorting to something unrecognizable. Our surroundings gradually became grey.


    My eyes blinked a few times and then we were at the edge of a canyon, with no sun in the sky. Far down below us was a village where everything was grey.


    The village itself was unbelievably large, spanning farther than my eyes could even make out.


    There were countless people in this village that looked like tiny dots, slowly moving along.


    The old man turned to me.


    "Do you see them? All the people who have fallen."


    My eyes widened.


    "That is a lot of people."


    The old man nodded.


    "These are all the people I have taken. People only remember the heroes that succeeded, never the people who have fallen. Once someone has been determined to be inferior, there is nothing left for them."


    My hand rubbed against my chin.


    Mark''s story of someone suddenly being erased from a village popped in my head.


    "So that''s how those people disappear. That explains when suddenly there is a missing person in a village, yet nobody can remember that person. Even with all the evidence that points to someone existing."


    The old man''s face twitched.


    "...Not that. These people are not forgotten in that sense. People in the back of their mind know of their existence, but they become so insignificant that the thought of them never appears. That way, even if they suddenly disappear, nobody realizes."


    The old man cleared his throat.


    "As for that... I would recommend you don''t look into it."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Uh, ok."


    The old man shook his head.


    "Anyways, the reason I take these people is for their fear."


    My head turned to the old man.


    "Why do you need their fear?"


    The old man smiled.


    "It is something I enjoy and will give me power."


    My eyes looked down the canyon.


    "...What do you do to them?"


    The old man laughed.


    "I give them hope."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "What?"


    The old man had a shaky smile on his face.


    "All of them were in despair. They no longer feared anything as they could not even fathom the possibility that good things could happen to them."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "So, you helped them?"


    The old man tapped his cane on the ground.


    "You could say that. I simply give them a small chance within this village, to succeed. The reason why is because fear is not coming from one place, but two."


    The old man shakily raised a finger.


    "These people have been traumatized by their failure, but pulled forward by hope. The lingering fear of the obstacles they must overcome is far scarier than any beast I could throw at them. Yet, their hope forces them to confront it."


    The old man shakily raised another finger.


    "These people have another fear deep inside them, even if they don''t know it. The fear that their entire lives will end up meaningless. That they will never be happy. Normally this fear would quickly turn to despair, but hope prevents such."


    The old man began laughing.


    "Not only are these two big fears, but they contradict each other. Simply the existence of the two amplifies each other."


    My fist suppressed a cough coming from my mouth.


    "What do you do if they overcome those fears?"


    The old man shrugged his shoulders.


    "I just let them go. Their fear isn''t worth much anyway."


    I subconsciously nodded.


    "Ah, that''s nice."


    The old man smiled shakily.


    "Is it? Perhaps you don''t understand how few people leave here. Not everyone can be like you, moving forward in the darkness."


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "In the end, they are locked up by their contradictions. If they remain logical, they will never break out of it. Only by devolving into insanity can they break out of their illogical prison."


    A soft sigh left me.


    "After all, the world you put them in is not so different from the world we are in right now."


    The old man let out a small chuckle.


    "You''re right. It isn''t so different from the world we live in. After all, I made this place by drawing inspiration from the real world."


    A silence hung in that air as I looked at all the people moving about.


    After a few minutes the old man looked at me.


    "Do you want to get closer?"


    After a few moments of hesitation, I nodded.


    "Yeah."


    The necklace behind me trembled.


    "Wait, wait can we not go there?"


    The old man sighed.


    "If you follow your guardian here, you will be fine, child."


    Before the necklace could respond, the old man lifted his cane and the ground that appeared so far away rapidly came closer... until our feet were touching the ground.


    My head turned around to see walls high up in the sky.


    How did he do that?


    "Have a look my friend."


    The old man''s words broke me out of my stupor. The place around us felt lifeless, even with all the people moving around. The houses and paths were all in a dull grey. Not even the people themselves were an exception.


    Me, the old man, and the things floating behind me, were all strange exceptions to this monochromatic world.


    The people around us were no exceptions to the dull atmosphere. Their faces did not reek of anger, agony, or sadness. There was only a slight frown on their neutral faces. The only thing they carried with them as they walked around.


    The old man slowly walked forward and I remained shoulder to shoulder with him.


    We did not walk forward much faster than the others, nor did we threaten them in any way. Despite that, before anyone got within a one-meter radius from us, they cringed and backed away.


    Strangely enough, they were fine with getting closer to each other, but not us.


    It''s because of the old man right?


    Like, the necklace was scared of it too so this should be the same.


    But... in the back of my mind was a feeling that they were scared of me. Their eyes told me that they wanted to avoid me at all costs.


    As we continued, there was a large shelf of books randomly placed by the side of the street. There was a large area that had various tables about a meter away from each other and seats to them.


    There were a few seats taken and those people had a book in front of them.


    One of them had their fingers tightly clenched on the cover page, having opened it partway. Yet, even though time passed, the cover page would not move.


    Another one had the book open, but their hands over their eyes. The person''s hands were shaking and would slowly part from his face, but immediately covered his face before his eyes could catch a glimpse of the book.


    A sigh escaped me.


    "How do things end up like this?"


    The old man had a shaky smile.


    "Fascinating isn''t it? Such simple actions become the hardest for them. Though they want to work and better themselves, they can''t."


    The old man looked at one of the people sitting at the table, trying to read a book.


    "I''ve found that the mind always tries to protect itself. Once an endeavour hurts someone, be it physically or mentally, the mind tries to avoid it."


    The old man walked past the shelves of books and tables.


    "This becomes an uncontrollable subconscious instinct. Only if one''s conscious will overpowers the subconscious, can this be reversed."


    My steps hurried after the old man.


    "So... they can get out with their conscious will?"


    The old man shook his head.


    "Many people can overpower their subconscious. The only problem is they are unable to keep doing so."


    The old man had a shaky smile on his face.


    "If that wasn''t the case, then nobody would be sitting at that table, trying to read a book."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "...Their motivation wasn''t strong enough."


    The old man nodded.


    His words made me think of the time I was trapped in another canyon. The one with a pool of water below it and a strange translucent fish. My body was still weak at the time and injured.


    Part of me still doesn''t believe that I actually did that. Part of me still dreaded ever doing that again.


    But... another part of me didn''t want me to give up.


    My eyes could not help but continue surveying the people around me.


    Why hadn''t I become like them?


    ...Would I become like them?


    Perhaps one day I would lose what moved me forward and join these people at the bottom of the canyon.


    My head turned to the old man.


    "What kinds of people do you take here? ...Has a person that once escaped come back?"


    The old man narrowed his eyes.


    "In a certain sense, yes."

 Chapter 70 - Few More Days

    My eyes could not help but blink a few times.


    "Could you tell me about this person?"


    The old man shrugged his shoulders.


    "Well, he was the first person to ever escape this place. At the time, I was fascinated, so I watched over him."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "How did he end up escaping?"


    The old man smiled shakily.


    "All by himself. He learned the secrets of this realm and learned how to tear himself away from this realm."


    My hand rubbed against my chin.


    "Sounds like he was a strong person."


    The old man laughed.


    "Yes, he was, but fell into the same trap that brought him down here in the first place."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "What happened?"


    The old man shook his head.


    "Once he left this realm, he did everything by himself. Unfortunately, while he did not let failure stick with him, he let his success blind him."


    The old man shrugged his shoulders.


    "He now has a high standing but he has nobody he can trust or talk to. People may know him, but he is no different from the people down here."


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "That sounds... sad."


    The old man sighed.


    "Such is life."


    We stood still in silence for a few moments.


    The old man looked at me.


    "Anyways, we should go. We don''t belong here after all."


    The old man pointed his cane forward and our surroundings began distorting. For a moment everything became dark.


    With a burst of light, we were back in the forest. The sun was just beginning to rise.


    The old man had a shaky smile.


    "Thanks for talking with me."


    A small smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha, thanks for talking and showing all those things to me."


    The old man waved his hand dismissively.


    "It''s nothing special. Most people wouldn''t want to see those kinds of things."


    While my hand was waving, the old man''s figure began to distort, then disappeared altogether.


    My head turned to the necklace.


    "See? He''s a nice guy."


    The necklace trembled.


    "...he captures people and uses their fear to empower himself."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Frankly, I prefer him over normal people."


    My eyes narrowed after thinking about the slave traders in the village.


    "At least he doesn''t destroy other''s lives."


    The necklace paused for a moment.


    "Taking them away and sealing them in a dull grey place isn''t destroying their life?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Not in any capacity that I have seen."


    The necklace sighed.


    "Well, alright then."


    The pale blue light let out excited cries.


    The necklace was startled.


    "Hm? What is it, my child?"


    The necklace listened to the cries of the child for a few moments.


    "Hmm... hey, Jay! Walk up ahead, there seems to be something there!"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Ah, ok."


    After taking a few steps forward, my eyes squinted from the sudden light.


    As my eyes adjusted, a huge city laid before me.


    At the outskirts were farms covered in snow, and further in were stone walls that stood taller than the ones from Leon''s village.


    It was hard to tell how large of an area it covered, but the area would definitely not be small.


    Even from far away, the carvings on the walls were visible. The carvings consisted of things such as wolf, bear, and eagle heads staring at anybody outside the village.


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "That is a big place."


    The necklace trembled.


    "That does seem to be the case. You may want to take off your crown as it would attract attention. People there might think you''re being overly pretentious and find trouble."


    My face twitched.


    "...I can''t take it off."


    The necklace was confused.


    "What? Is it not just a piece of clothing? Or does it have some sentimental value?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I don''t know, this thing decided to attach itself to me. When I try to take it off, it feels like I''m going to die."


    The necklace was still.


    "That... sounds like a curse."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Curse or not, it''s stuck with me."


    The necklace was silent for a moment.


    "Well, if you are going to attract attention anyways, we won''t have to hide ourselves."


    My hand waved dismissively.


    "I wasn''t planning on having you two hide anyways."


    The necklace trembled but did not respond.


    My steps leisurely took me forward. The city was surrounded by a large clearing, so it took quite a while to even reach the land they used to farm.


    The lands were filled with snow, but there was little snow over the tilled fields. For each patch of farmland, a house would be nearby.


    As for the fields themselves, there were a few people here and there pushing the snow off of their farmland.


    Why were they doing that?


    My eyes landed on the soil that was dried and cracked. Clearing snow off the farmland wouldn''t mean that it becomes suitable to farm...


    The curiosity was bothering me too much, so I walked up to some random guy clearing off the snow.


    The man had black hair covered in snow. It looked stiff like it had been frozen as well. His body was trembling, but his hands resolutely held onto a small shovel, picking up and throwing away the snow.


    His teeth were grit in what appeared to be pain and determination.


    While he was shoveling I waved my hand in front of him.


    "Hey, why are you shoveling the snow?"


    The man narrowed his eyes.


    "Why do you care?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Just curious."


    The man continued shoveling with a frown on his face.


    "What are you here to poke fun at me? Some lowly commoner has to shovel snow while you get to sit in a well heated palace with all the food you could ever need?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Huh? I''ve slept by burying myself into the ground. The food I''ve eaten were things I''ve picked up and hunted myself."


    The man raised an eyebrow.


    "Is this some joke?"


    An awkward chuckle came out of me.


    "No, not really."


    The man sighed.


    "You... aren''t from here?"


    My head shook.


    "Just got here after walking around in the forest."


    The man''s face twitched.


    "Wow... you can survive in those forests?"


    A laugh escaped me.


    "Yeah. But anyway, could you tell me why you are shoveling the snow?"


    The man stopped shoveling and looked at the floor.


    "It''s a stupid reason you wouldn''t want to hear."


    ...Why couldn''t this guy just tell me?


    "How about this, I shovel the snow off your entire field, then you tell me."


    Both of the man''s eyebrows raised.


    "Well... alright."


    The man handed over the shovel and my hand grabbed onto it. It was surprising even to me how easily I shoveled away the snow.


    Though the field was quite big, the entire shoveling process was completed in a few minutes.


    Once the field was mostly cleared, the man sighed.


    "Thanks."


    I handed the shovel back to him.


    "Hey, got anything to burn?"


    The man raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh, yeah let me get it."


    He went into his house and got a fairly large stick.


    "Is this ok?"


    I nodded.


    "It''s good enough."


    My mind casted the first spell and lit the top of the stick.


    "Just so you aren''t too cold."


    The man sighed.


    "Thanks. Anyways, you were trying to hear about the reason right?"


    I nodded.


    The man was silent for a moment.


    "Haha, sorry. Just thinking about it makes me feel like an idiot."


    The man looked towards the towering walls.


    "There has been a new decree a few days after the snow started to fall. Us farmers were to prevent snow from covering our fields and prepare to plant once the snow goes away."


    My hand reached out to take out a piece of soil. It was hard. When my finger pressed down, it crumbled as though it were a piece of stone.


    "...The snow probably won''t go away. Not fast enough for you to grow anything."


    The man sighed.


    "...Yeah. The rule is still enforced, however. If we don''t, some people will evict us from our house."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Do you even have enough food for the winter?"


    The man''s face twitched.


    "We barely have enough food for tomorrow. The people from the inside ransacked us. I''ve pretended to have everything in control for the sake of my wife and daughter."


    My head turned to look at the towering walls.


    "That is cruel... Why do you stay here with that treatment?"


    The man laughed bitterly.


    "Because there never was a choice in the matter. I could take my chance and run to the forests, but my chances of surviving would be terribly low. Not to mention the family I have to take care of."


    My head turned to the man.


    "So... you won''t fight against your death?"


    The man shrugged.


    "It''s hopeless anyway."


    The corner of the man''s lip turned up. There was a gloomy air about him but also pride in the way he stood.


    "I guess that''s why I shovel the snow. So I can spend a few more days with the people I care about."


    The fire had burned most of the stick, so the man tossed it away.

 Chapter 71 - The Peak

    I parted ways with the man and continued walking towards the city walls.


    After getting closer to the city, my perspective of the wall became clearer. The magnificence was in full display the closer I got.


    My head tilted all the way back, then approached the huge iron-barred gate.


    There did not seem to be anyone manning the place, making me confused about how I was supposed to get in.


    My eyes could make out part of the city through the iron bars. There appeared to be a tavern and an inn just a few meters into the city.


    As for people, there were quite a few in thick coats that shuffled past each other, minding their own business.


    My steps continued forward until the iron-barred gate was right in front of me.


    "Stop!"


    A voice came from behind the gate. It was booming, yet nobody was at the source of the voice.


    "For what purpose do you come here?"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Uh... This place looked interesting and I wanted to check it out."


    The voice did not respond for a few moments.


    "...So are you here for trade, vacation, or the competition?"


    My eyebrow raised.


    "What is the competition?"


    The voice became enthusiastic and proud.


    "The city of Evermore always hosts a competition called, ''The Peak''. This takes place with the strongest warriors in the last year of summer! Though the snow has come early, it is still the last year of summer, and as such the competition will continue!"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Ah, sounds cool."


    The voice chuckled.


    "Yes, yes. Are you here for that?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Well, not-"


    "Say you are!"


    A whisper came from behind me, it was the necklace.


    My head turned around to look at the necklace, then turned back forward.


    "Uh, yes I am here for that."


    The voice made a sound akin to clearing its throat.


    "Participating or spectating?"


    My mouth opened then closed. The necklace behind me whispered again.


    "Participating!"


    My fist was held in front of my mouth.


    "Uh, participating?"


    The voice scoffed.


    "Then you must prove your strength! You must slay a wolf and bring back its pelt to enter!"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Oh, I am wearing one right now."


    The voice behind was silent for a moment.


    "Well... Alright, whatever."


    The iron bars were slowly raised, revealing their spiked bottom.


    Once the gate was finished raising, my foot was set down past the gate, into the city.


    After that first step, I was at a loss.


    Where do I go?


    The location of this ''competition'' was knowledge nobody gave me.


    "Hey, do you know where to go for the competition?"


    The voice coughed.


    "Er, somewhere up ahead. Just go straight, you should see it somewhere."


    My face twitched.


    "...Ok."


    Following the unclear directions, my steps walked down the pathway.


    The streets were not crowded by any means, but it felt like everyone was looking at me. No matter what people would make sure they were at least a meter away from me.


    My original intentions were to ask someone else where this ''competition'' was.


    My head scanned the area around me. Once my eyes landed on someone, they looked away.


    It seemed nobody would answer my questions...


    After a few moments of awkward walking, a large field came into view.


    There were a couple of burly men practicing swinging a variety of metal weapons. In a corner far away from them, was a kid waving around a wooden sword.


    Like the other people, he was only wearing a simple shirt but also sweating profusely. The kid clearly did not know what he was doing, randomly swinging the sword with one hand and then placing it in his other hand to swing some more.


    He didn''t seem concerned as my figure continued to approach. When he was one meter away, he turned to look at me.


    "Oh hey!"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Hi, my name is Jay."


    The kid smiled.


    "Hey, Jay! My name is Everett. That is such a cool crown on your head, where did you get it?"


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "From some lizards."


    Everett raised both his eyebrows.


    "Wow! If I ever find lizards they are going to fall by my sword!"


    Everett pointed his wooden sword up in the air, though his hand was trembling.


    "Did you get those floating pieces of jewelry from the lizards as well?"


    A laugh naturally came out from me.


    "They were collected from caves underground."


    Everett waved his sword around excitedly.


    "Haha, I need to explore a cave someday then!"


    My eyes drifted off to the people practicing their swings in the distance.


    "What is everyone doing over there?"


    Everett''s head followed my line of sight.


    "Oh, we are practicing for The Peak that is happening tomorrow!"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Ah, you killed a wolf as well?"


    Everett laughed.


    "Oh, you are a visitor. To participate you either need a wolf pelt or proof that you are a resident here."


    Everett swung his wooden sword with a smile on his face.


    "But that doesn''t mean I can''t kill a wolf! With just one strike it would fall, but my time is better spent preparing."


    I nodded.


    "Oh yeah, where does the competition thingy take place?"


    Everett had a big smile and pointed towards a colosseum.


    "Over there! It''s pretty hard to miss."


    My eyes followed Everett''s finger.


    "Haha, you''re right. Thanks."


    Everett put his hand on his side while his elbow stuck out.


    "Hehe, so you''re also participating in the competition? Do you want to spar? Don''t worry I''ll hold back!"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Ok?"


    Everett raised his wooden sword.


    "Then let''s start!"


    Everett swung the wooden sword at me. Though unprepared, it was easy enough to take a step back and dodge it.


    Everett swung the wooden sword again and my hand directly caught it. My hand was about to pull the sword.


    Everett laughed with flared nostrils.


    "If that was a metal sword you would be done for, I win!"


    My hand stopped from pulling the sword. In the back of my mind, I was sure a metal sword would hardly hurt me.


    Not to mention the force behind his attacks felt like he was trying to hand me the wooden sword more than anything.


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Haha, well played."


    Everett smiled.


    "Don''t be a sore loser! After all, I''m going to be the winner of The Peak!"


    My face twitched.


    He seemed to be happy, so I changed the subject.


    "Anyways, don''t you need to rest so that you aren''t tired when The Peak starts?"


    Everett tilted his head then nodded.


    "Ah, you are right. I should go back home."


    Before Everett ran off, my finger tapped his shoulder.


    "Wait, do you know any places to stay the night?"


    Everett turned his head over.


    "Um, if you are rich there are some inns."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "...What if I''m not rich?"


    Everett tilted his head to the side.


    "Maybe I can convince my mom to have you over?"


    A sigh of relief escaped me, but before a word could come out of my mouth, someone else interjected.


    "Sir, is this kid bothering you?"


    A man with toned muscles was saluting and a few meters away. His other hand was holding onto a spear which was pointed to the floor.


    Everett frowned.


    "What do you mean? How am I bothering him?"


    The man glared at Everett, then looked at me.


    "I can take care of him if you wish."


    Everett pointed his wooden sword at the man.


    "As if! I could-"


    "Everett."


    My voice cut him off.


    My head turned to the man and flashed him a smile.


    "Don''t worry, he hasn''t done anything"


    Everett stuck out his tongue and leaned over to the man.


    "See? You big-"


    "Everett."


    My eyes were intently staring at him.


    Everett''s face twitched.


    "What?"


    A sigh escaped me.


    "He was concerned, don''t take so much offense."


    Everett frowned.


    "Ok..."


    The man bowed.


    "I see sir, sorry for disturbing you."


    My hand waved dismissively.


    "Don''t worry about it."


    Once the man left, I let go of Everett.


    "Can I still come over?"


    Everett smirked.


    "Hehe, Of cour-"


    Everett''s face suddenly twitched.


    "Um, if mom allows."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Alright, thanks."


    Everett led me down a cobblestone path.


    As we walked, the people around us were whispering.


    I wasn''t trying to listen in, but some whispers still reached my ear.


    "Foolish kid, he got his family in trouble. This is why I''ll never have children."


    My gaze subconsciously looked towards the woman who said that. Once my eyes were on her, she immediately looked down to the floor.


    Why were people being so weird?


    My head shook and my steps continued after Everett.


    Soon, we stopped in front of a humble house.


    Everett knocked on the door.


    "Mom?"

 Chapter 72 - Strange People

    ---


    Warning: Implied child abuse in this chapter.


    ---


    The door opened.


    A middle-aged lady with a few wrinkles on her face appeared from behind the door.


    "Everett? You came back early to-"


    Once Everett''s mother looked at me, she stopped herself.


    Everett smiled.


    "Ah, mom! Could you let this guy stay over?"


    Everett''s mother froze.


    Everett tilted his head.


    "Mom?"


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "If it''s too much-"


    "It''s fine!"


    Everett''s mom was clearly forcing a smile.


    Ah, it seems she doesn''t want me to stay for some reason.


    "You don''t have to let me stay if you don''t want to."


    Everett''s mom shook her head.


    "No, no, it''s fine."


    I nodded.


    "Thank you then."


    The house was made of wooden boards. There were two floors but it was overall pretty cramped.


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Do you have a guest room?"


    Everett smiled.


    "Yeah! Let me show you!"


    Everett''s mom frowned.


    "No, no. Let me show you."


    Everett furrowed his brows.


    "What? I can show him fine."


    Everett''s mom turned to Everett.


    "No, you can''t."


    What? Why couldn''t he?


    While I was still confused, Everett''s mom flashed me a forced smile.


    "Follow me, follow me."


    She walked up the stairs and my steps trailed after hers.


    She brought me to a room and opened it.


    The room had a few picture frames of what I assumed to be Everett with his mother and father.


    There was a double bed and clothes strewn about.


    My face twitched.


    "Uh, this doesn''t seem to be the guest room."


    Everett''s mom began panicking.


    "Sorry, sorry."


    She began picking up her clothes and the picture frame.


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "Can you just... show me the guest room?"


    Everett''s mom dropped everything and nodded rapidly.


    After closing the door, she led me to another room. This time, it was a small room with a one person bed inside. It was a little dusty.


    It seemed Everett''s mom realized this and hurriedly dusted away the top of the bed.


    My throat cleared.


    "Don''t worry, I can do that myself."


    My mind casted the wind spell and all the dust was blown to a corner of the room.


    Everett''s mom laughed awkwardly.


    "Well, what would you like to eat?"


    My head shook.


    "Nothing, don''t worry about me."


    Everett''s mom panicked.


    "Ah, uh, don''t worry I can buy some better ingredients."


    I understood that she just wanted to be polite, but it was really getting annoying. My hand waved dismissively while I tried to hide my annoyance.


    "Really, I''m just not hungry."


    Everett''s mom nodded rapidly.


    "Ah yes, is there anything else you need?"


    My head shook while my face wore a forced smile.


    "No... no."


    Everett''s mom bowed.


    "Alright, sir."


    My hand pushed the door closed.


    ...Why were people in this village so weird?


    Well, Everett was pretty normal, just a bit childish. Not that being childish was a bad thing, he is a child after all.


    My head laid down on the bed.


    It was at this point I realized I couldn''t sleep.


    Thinking back, a long time passed without me having a wink of sleep.


    My hand rubbed against my chin.


    "Well... this is awkward."


    The black fruit probably had some sort of effect that made sleep unnecessary.


    Hmm... it should be a good thing, but now there wasn''t any way to pass the night.


    After a few more minutes of hesitation, I decided to sneak out.


    This really is a strange situation...


    Slowly my hand opened the door.


    It was at this point I heard a smack from behind a door.


    "How could you bring someone of the upper class to our home? You just want to bring trouble for me, huh?"


    Another voice rang out.


    "What? He just wanted a place to stay!"


    Another smack rang out.


    "Then tell him to find an inn idiot!"


    There was faint crying.


    "I did! He said he didn''t have any money so I offered our place if you agreed."


    A smack resounded from behind the wall that was louder than the previous two. Something fell to the ground.


    A frown formed on my face and my brows furrowed. My hand reached for the doorknob and opened it.


    Everett had a black eye and was sprawled out on the floor. His eyes were unfocused, it seemed he was almost unconscious.


    Everett''s mom had raised her hand high, then turned to face me and froze. She had a forced smile on her face and tried to pick up Everett.


    However, Everett was hardly conscious and fell back to his knees when his mom tried to pick him up.


    She then cursed under her breath.


    "Stupid child."


    The pale blue light behind me began wailing.


    A deep breath slowly went inside my lungs then left.


    "If you don''t want me to stay in your house then tell me. Don''t take it out on your son."


    Everett fell to the ground. His eyes were focused again, but he stayed silent. There was a small frown on his face but was otherwise lifeless.


    Everett''s mom laughed awkwardly.


    "Sorry that my child has brought so much trouble for you."


    My face twitched and my frown deepened.


    "It''s not your child. The trouble is coming from you."


    Everett''s mom seemed to be in disbelief.


    "What? But he''s the one that was such a nuisance. If it wasn''t for this stupid-"


    "SHUT UP."


    The necklace behind me yelled. My body shook.


    That surprised me.


    The necklace was heaving its non-existent lungs.


    "You... are a disgrace to mothers. You do not deserve to live!"


    The necklace began casting a spell.


    My eyes widened.


    "Wait, stop!"


    A small dark mist was released from the necklace, my hand blocked it and immediately began decaying.


    A wail came from behind me and a thin blue stream touched my hand, reversing the decay.


    The necklace trembled.


    "Why did you stop me?"


    My head shook.


    "Don''t just kill people like that."


    Honestly, a small part of me wished to let the necklace cast the spell, but my eye caught the panic Everett felt.


    The pale blue light behind me whimpered.


    Everett''s mom was shaking.


    "But... I... I..."


    My hand flicked to the side.


    "Leave."


    Everett''s mom froze but ran out soon after.


    A sigh escaped me when she left. I walked up next to Everett and fell to one knee.


    "Hey, you alright?"


    Everett began crying.


    The necklace trembled.


    "Oh... don''t cry."


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "Come on, why is the soon-to-be winner of The Peak crying?"


    Everett continued crying but a small smile appeared on his face.


    "Ha... It''s not like I can actually be the champion."


    Wait... what?


    His response honestly baffled me. He seemed so confident earlier.


    My hand lightly patted his head, to my surprise Everett flinched when I touched him.


    "Come on, you haven''t even tried yet."


    Everett''s smile disappeared. His head slowly shook from side to side.


    "No... I am too weak. I was always too weak."


    Everett''s crying intensified.


    "I can''t do anything."


    A soft chuckle came out of my mouth.


    "What do you mean? You beat me in two moves. That is pretty impressive if I say so myself."


    Everett chuckled.


    "...Yeah, I''m pretty good aren''t I?"


    Everett''s smile suddenly disappeared after he said that.


    "I already know."


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Know what?"


    Everett choked.


    "That there was no way I could win the competition."


    My mouth opened, but no words came out.


    Everett smiled bitterly.


    "For some reason, I thought that my mother would finally be proud of me if I won. Somehow I ended up tricking myself into thinking I could win."


    Everett let out a few laughs.


    "To think I was imagining my mom''s proud expression. It''s not like I can do anything anyway."


    My head shook.


    "No."


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "You are a beautiful person. That''s worth more than anything else."


    Everett blinked a few times. He seemed to be in thought.


    A few seconds later, he shook his head with a bitter smile.


    "I don''t see what about me could be beautiful."


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "Just trust me."


    Everett''s expression became lifeless again.


    "Ok..."


    Everett tried to push his hand against the ground and lift himself up, but abruptly fell.


    My hand caught his body before it hit the floor. My other hand reached out to his.


    Everett looked at my outstretched hand, then me. After breathing in, he clasped his hand around mine.


    My hand lifted him. Once he got up, he stumbled.


    Mt grip became tighter and held him up.


    Everett calmed down and used his free hand to hold his head.


    "Ow..."


    My hand was still firmly holding on to his.


    "Are you good?"


    Everett slowly nodded.


    "Yeah, I think so. I''m just really tired now."


    I nodded.


    "Ah, yes. Get some good sleep."


    Everett slowly made his way to a small bed in the room with my help.


    Everett climbed into the bed and his eyelids were getting heavy.


    My hand pulled the sheets to cover him a little more and by the time my hand let go, he was asleep.

 Chapter 73 - Gruesome Battle

    My back leaned against the wall. My decision was to spend the night in Everett''s room.


    I just thought that his mother might come back and wanted to prevent anything from happening.


    After some time, the necklace whispered to me.


    "Wow, you are so good with kids!"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Am I?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Yeah! I thought it was just a fluke when my child was more attached to you than me. Now, I realize that it might just be some sort of charm you have."


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Haha, I never thought about that. Maybe it''s because I am still a kid."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Eh? How long have you been alive?"


    My face twitched.


    "I... don''t know. I still feel like a kid though."


    The necklace laughed.


    "Ok just tell me a general number."


    A soft chuckle came from me.


    "I hardly have any memories of my past. How am I supposed to know?"


    Shock was apparent in the necklace''s voice.


    "What? How did you deal with that?"


    My head tilted to the side.


    "Well, I am a summon. Do you know what that is?"


    The necklace paused.


    "You are a summon?"


    My head slowly lowered.


    "Yeah, but basically I have no memories of my previous world."


    The necklace sighed.


    "Wow, that sounds intimidating."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Well... it could have been worse. At least there weren''t any people who knew me and had to deal with my sudden missing memory."


    A bitter laugh escaped me.


    The necklace trembled.


    "That still seems like a tough situation to deal with. After all, you were suddenly summoned with no memories to support you."


    My head tilted back and laid against the wall.


    "Still, having no memories in that situation as opposed to in my previous world is pretty much the same situation."


    The necklace chuckled.


    "That makes sense, I suppose."


    The night went by slowly.


    Whenever one of us could come up with a topic, we talked about it. However, the night was long and we couldn''t think of many things to talk about.


    As such, the majority of the night was spent in silence.


    The room had a small window, so once the sun began rising we knew.


    Everett''s eyes slowly opened.


    He clearly woke up but made no effort to move.


    My back pushed off against the wall.


    "Hey, are you awake?"


    Everett blinked a few times.


    "...Yeah."


    A small smile formed on my lips.


    "It''s the day of the competition. We should go, no?"


    Everett was silent.


    My head tilted.


    "Come on, I still need you to show me the way."


    Everett sighed.


    "What''s the point?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Why not?"


    Everett pouted.


    "I''m just going to lose anyway."


    My hand lightly patted his head.


    "Who said you have to win? You seemed so excited for it, just have some fun."


    Everett''s eyes lost focus and his mouth was slightly agape.


    A minute passed and Everett cleared his throat.


    "Ok, just for fun."


    Everett opened a wardrobe and pulled a sword and sheath out.


    The sword and sheath clearly stood the test of time. There were many little nicks and parts of the sheath that were peeling off.


    Everett couldn''t help but smile a little when he put the sword in his hand. He looked at it longingly for a few moments then tucked it into his belt.


    "Alright, let''s go. It should be starting soon."


    With that, we left the house and made our way to the colosseum. Along the way there were many other people also leaving their homes, lugging weapons along, and walking towards the colosseum.


    My hand rubbed against my chin.


    "Now that I think about it, I don''t have a weapon."


    Everett gasped.


    "What? Oh no, we have to quickly get one!"


    My head tilted and my eyes landed on Everett.


    "Do you still have your wooden sword?"


    Everett blinked a few times.


    "Yeah, why?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Could I use that as a weapon?"


    Everett stood still for a moment. He then shook his head.


    "Um, ok!"


    Everett ran back and brought his wooden sword with him. He handed it over by the hilt.


    I grabbed the blade and put the hilt into my hand.


    It felt a little strange to be honest.


    My hand tried to wave it around a little bit. My hands were not used to the weight of the wooden sword. If it wasn''t such a hassle, I would get another wooden stake.


    Everett led me to the entrance of the colosseum. There were a few long lines, but everyone was passing through quickly.


    Everett and I lined up.


    In a few minutes, it was our turn.


    "Spectator or Competitor?"


    A middle-aged man was writing on a piece of paper using a quill and ink. He asked that question without even looking up at us.


    Everett smiled.


    "Competitor!"


    The middle-aged man looked at Everett and raised an eyebrow, but went back to looking at his paper.


    "Proof of residence or courage?"


    Everett pulled out a dull jade card, showing it to him.


    The middle-aged man nodded.


    "You may pass, take your first left."


    The middle-aged man then looked at me.


    There were a few seconds of silence.


    Since he did not repeat the questions, I answered as though he did.


    "Competitor, this is my wolf pelt."


    My finger tugged at my coat.


    The middle-aged man sighed.


    "Name?"


    My finger scratched the side of my head.


    "Jay."


    The middle-aged man wrote some things down on the paper.


    "You may pass."


    Once Everett heard that he went down a stone pathway, with me following behind him.


    We took the first left, to see a large room with many stone seats. The room was packed with people, the seats that filled the area were countless, but many of them were filled up.


    Despite the fact that there were so many people, there was a strange silence. The place only had soft sounds of shuffling.


    People were glaring at each other as they walked by. This included Everett and me, though we kept to our own.


    Beads of sweat formed on Everett''s forehead.


    "This was different than I''d thought it would be..."


    I nodded.


    "Maybe... we shouldn''t do this."


    Everett shook his head.


    "Well... we are already here."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I suppose."


    We stood there, deciding against taking a seat. There was no announcement, but people gradually began filing down a certain corridor.


    Everett looked at me.


    "I think we should follow them."


    With that, we followed the group.


    We went to the middle of the colosseum. There were ten grandiose stone platforms.


    People walked on them arbitrarily. Everett and I simply choose one of the nearby platforms to stand on. There were a few people just two meters away from us.


    This event really is chaotic. It made me wonder why nobody was trying to make trouble.


    While my hand was rubbing against my chin, a loud voice resounded within the stadium.


    "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to The Peak! Our proud warriors are standing on these stone platforms. As you already know, the last five living people on the platform will progress into the tournament arc!"


    My eyes scanned the seats in the colosseum. More than half of the seats were filled, and there were still people arriving.


    Cheers resounded among the crowd.


    The voice coughed.


    "Anyways, I''m sure you''re tired of me talking and wish to see the action! Get ready everyone, because the competition... starts... NOW!"


    Immediately, people around us began attacking each other.


    A man with a metal spear had punctured a skinny man''s torso. The skinny man immediately began to bleed out, but he swung his sword and returned a stab to the man wielding his spear.


    A frown slowly emerged on my face while Everett huddled up closer to me.


    This... is a lot more brutal than I thought it would be.


    For now, the people fighting were avoiding us, but there were looks coming in our direction.


    Blood poured out onto the stone platforms and people were dying one by one.


    Yet, the scene that filled me with disgust, caused cheers to rise from the rowdy crowd.


    The people on our platform thinned out, some becoming corpses and some shoved off the platform. Anybody who fell off would curse, but not try to get back on.


    Soon, there were only fifteen or so people left.


    There was a tall man with short blonde hair glaring in our direction. He was covered in both wet and dry blood, giving him quite a disturbing appearance.


    In his hand was a bloody flail with a chain that was nearly a meter long.


    The tall man frowned.


    "Stop protecting that child! He will end up dying anyway in the competition anyway!"


    Everett looked down to the floor.


    My eyes lingered on Everett, then a sigh escaped me.


    "As long as I can protect this child, I will."


    The tall man''s eyes narrowed.


    "Then you will have to protect him from this!"

 Chapter 74 - Enough

    The tall man charged towards me, swinging the flail in his hand.


    My eyes watched the morningstar approach my face.


    My hand swatted it away, like a fly.


    The morningstar violently snapped back. The tall man''s hand snapped into pieces while his chest caved in from the morningstar.


    He hardly had a second left to breathe before dying.


    The surrounding participants were terrified.


    They actively took a few steps away from me, but continued their fierce battle.


    Everett simply looked at the ground, trying to disappear.


    A sigh escaped me.


    Was this what people wanted to see?


    A slaughterfest?


    The cheers from the crowd seemed to answer my questions.


    Eventually, the bloodshed stopped.


    For now.


    There were five people left on each of the platforms, though almost all of them were horribly bloody.


    The announcer let out an excited roar.


    "That is it for the first part of our competition. Give a hand to the winners of the first round!"


    The cheers grew louder.


    It seemed the people of this city really like this kind of thing.


    I shook my head.


    Perhaps I am the strange one?


    The announcer cleared his throat.


    "Now! For the next event, random people will be selected from the group of winners to fight on the main stage!"


    After the cheers settled down, the announcer continued.


    "First, the man with the black crown at platform five will fight the tallest guy at platform seven!"


    My eyebrow raised.


    What determined the platform numbers?


    Well, I guess the only person with a black crown was me.


    Seriously though, why were there no breaks for people to heal up?


    With a sigh, my footsteps took me to the middle, where a huge stone platform resided.


    The man that walked towards the platform was five meters tall.


    My head had to tilt up to match his glare.


    The man was very muscular, burly to the point it appeared unnatural. In his hand was a mace.


    He kinda reminded me of the three-horned demon.


    However, the three-horned demon would definitely be a more formidable opponent.


    I guess I am fighting the little brother.


    A chuckle escaped me.


    The man immediately got angry.


    "You dare to look down on me?"


    He grit his teeth, while his body expanded.


    ...This guy really is the little brother of a three-horned demon.


    His body dangerously expanded, causing his skin to tear. He was now standing at seven meters.


    The crowd cheered louder.


    "Crush him!"


    "Woah! He''s so big!"


    ...Was this something one could do without mana?


    I leisurely walked towards the giant man.


    The man swung his mace at me, stirring up violent gales of wind.


    This time, my fist shot out with full strength. I put my back into it, you could say.


    There was a loud bang that rang out.


    I took one step back.


    On the other hand, the man''s mace flew out to the side. His hands were mangled and bloody.


    The man grimaced.


    "AHH! You... I will kill you!"


    There was a theory I wanted to test.


    "Then try it."


    The man lunged at me, trying to punch me.


    Suddenly, my body dashed forward, letting me dodge the punch by a hair.


    For dramatic effect, my finger tapped the man''s body.


    Then, my mind activated the black crystal.


    The man''s body immediately shrunk like a popped balloon.


    My theory was correct.


    The man was using mana to artificially increase his size, like the three-horned demons.


    The crowd roared in excitement.


    I had no intention of capitalizing on his momentary weakness.


    The man had shrunk down, becoming less than three meters high.


    He had fallen on his hands and knees. Blood poured out like a fountain.


    Yet, he still struggled to stand up.


    A sigh escaped me.


    "You''ve lost. Don''t you realize that?"


    The man laughed.


    "It isn''t over... as long as I still breathe... I will stand."


    The announcer suddenly laughed.


    "Haha, it seems our crowned contestant doesn''t know what it means to win the battle. Should we remind him?"


    The crowd roared loudly.


    "KILL, KILL, KILL"


    A frown slowly appeared on my face.


    "...What is this?"


    The man stood up to his feet, though he was shaking.


    He chuckled.


    "You understand now?... The moment you decide to enter this competition, you either win..."


    The man clenched his fists.


    "Or die."


    The man no longer bothered with pretenses, wildly swinging his mangled hands.


    Due to the difference in strength, it was easy for me to dodge.


    However, the man did not let up. He continued with his frenzy while roaring desperately.


    The crowd continued to roar.


    "KILL HIM."


    "KILL HIM."


    "KILL HIM."


    My hands remained by my side, while my feet pranced about.


    Against the crowd''s wishes, my fist did not strike out a single time.


    Quite a long time passed and the crowd''s excitement died down.


    There were boos and cries of complaints.


    However, that did not change my decision.


    I did not attack.


    At this point, the man''s swings were just for show.


    Even if Everett was on the receiving end, he wouldn''t be hurt.


    The man fell to his knees, trembling.


    "Damn... I lost."


    He collapsed to the ground.


    The man died.


    The crowd had fallen silent.


    After a few moments of hesitation, the announcer spoke up.


    "Haha, let''s give a hand to our crowned contestant''s cruelty!"


    The announcer injected enthusiasm in his voice.


    "Instead of finishing his opponent off, he let him die a slow and painful death."


    The announcer roared.


    "See his confidence? After one single tap to the body, he let his foe die miserably from exhaustion!"


    The crowd was silent for a moment.


    Then, they roared.


    The colosseum shook from the pure force behind the zealous screams.


    A helpless sigh escaped me.


    Once the crowd died down, the announcer continued.


    "To the crowned contestant, please step off to the side and wait for your next call!"


    My step took me off the stage, as the announcer wanted, albeit reluctantly.


    The moment the stage was empty, the announcer screamed out once more.


    "Now, the kid with a sword from stage five will fight the man wearing a wolf coat in stage three!"


    Everett nervously hopped off the platform. He stumbled towards the platform in the middle.


    There was also a man who hopped off another stage.


    He was short, perhaps only a head higher than Everett. However, he had a fierce aura.


    He walked leisurely, but with strength.


    A wolf coat was draped over his body, with a hood covering his face. However, it did not cover his front.


    The man displayed his naked chest proudly


    There were a few deep scars etched into his body and toned muscles.


    The crowd roared with excitement.


    "Haha, it''s time for the butchering section!"


    "BUTCHER!"


    "BUTCHER!"


    "BUTCHER!"


    My brows furrowed.


    What were they talking about?


    The announcer chortled.


    "You guessed it right! Now comes the butchering segment! Get ready to see our kid contestant brutally mauled!"


    My eyes narrowed.


    What the hell was this?


    Everett didn''t seem to understand the situation he was in.


    He simply stood on the stage awkwardly.


    The man standing opposite to him smirked.


    "You aren''t going to pull out your sword?"


    Everett panicked, hurriedly drawing his sword.


    He tried to keep it up, but his arms weren''t listening to him.


    They were sore from all the practice he had been doing.


    As such, the sword skidded on the ground, giving him quite the pathetic appearance.


    Jeers and laughs immediately raised from the crowd.


    "TORTURE THIS KID."


    "MAIM HIM."


    "MAKE HIM SCREAM."


    My throat cleared.


    "Everett. Maybe we should give up on the competition."


    Everett gulped nervously.


    "Ah... maybe."


    He stepped back, getting off the stage.


    This caused countless boos to rise from the crowd.


    The announcer chuckled.


    "It seems the pig is afraid! However, for butchering segments, the entire colosseum is the stage! Let the fight begin!"


    The man in a wolf coat immediately dashed forwards, reaching Everett before he could even step off the stage.


    However, instead of attacking, he simply stopped in front of Everett.


    There was a wicked smile on his face.


    "Are you prepared, pig?"


    Everett let go of the sword, letting it clatter onto the floor.


    "I give up! I give up!"


    The man let out a derisive chuckle.


    "Conceding won''t do anything for you!"


    The man proceeded to slap Everett hard.


    Laughs were raised from the crowd.


    As for Everett, he winced in pain.


    He still did not understand the situation he was in.


    "Wait! Stop, I give up! Why are you still fighting!"


    The man simply smiled.


    He proceeded to take a step forward and throw an uppercut towards Everett''s gut.


    A frown etched itself onto my face.


    Everett''s eyes bulged from his sockets as some stomach acid was expelled through his mouth.


    He was tossed like a sack of potatoes.


    The man chased after him, grabbing one of his arms before he fell.


    Then, with a snap, twisted it.


    Roars of excitement came from the crowd.


    ...My eyes narrowed.


    This was enough.

 Chapter 75 - Another Crowned

    My hand raised the wooden sword, pointing it towards the man.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    A deafening bang reverberated throughout the city.


    The man had exploded into pieces while only the hilt remained from the wooden sword.


    However, the crowd could hardly care about those things.


    After all, massive fissures appeared across the entire colosseum. They snaked their way up to the spectator''s seats.


    Some people ended up getting their limbs stuck in these fissures, causing panic to rise in the crowd.


    Everett was shocked. He looked at me in disbelief, pointing a shaky finger at me.


    "You..."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Let''s leave this place."


    Before Everett could respond, the announcer spoke up.


    He was mad.


    "It seems our crowned participant has interfered with the butchering."


    Initially, the crowd was silent. They were in shock after witnessing the carnage from my attack.


    However, once they heard the announcer''s words, voices of dissent appeared.


    "Who does he think he is?"


    "This was my favorite part..."


    "Why is he even here if he''s too stupid to play by the rules?"


    The announcer spoke up, causing the crowd to fall silent.


    "While our crowned participant has won his battle, he has interfered when he was not supposed to. As such..."


    The announcer yelled.


    "HE IS DISQUALIFIED."


    The crowd roared in anger.


    "Get out of here!"


    "Stop ruining things for others!"


    "He''s an outsider, isn''t he?"


    Tears were falling down Everett''s face.


    "Why... why did you do that?"


    My eyebrow raised.


    "Do what?"


    Everett bit his lip.


    "You could''ve won... If you didn''t get disqualified, you would''ve been the champion of The Peak!"


    My head shook.


    "If this is what The Peak is, I do not want to be its champion."


    Everett trembled.


    He tried to say something, but couldn''t gather the words.


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "Come on. Let''s get out of here."


    Everett looked at me for a few seconds with teary eyes.


    "Ok..."


    My hand patted his back and the two of us walked towards the exit of the colosseum.


    However, things never seemed to be that forgiving in this city.


    The announcer''s voice boomed with a mocking tone.


    "Hahaha, it seems our crowned participant believes that he can simply walk away scot free after disrupting the competition!"


    My eyebrow raised as my head turned towards the source of the voice.


    The announcer continued.


    "As per regulation in this competition, only one person gets to walk out of the colosseum alive!"


    The crowd got rowdy.


    They let out disdainful jeers.


    "Hahaha, I can''t wait to see him die!"


    "This hasn''t happened in so long! I''m so lucky I got tickets!"


    "We will finally see him again?"


    My brows furrowed.


    What was going on?


    The announcer let out a derisive chuckle.


    "Now, ladies and gentlemen! Although we have gotten off to a rough start, don''t forget what a disqualification means! One of the lords within this city will personally descend!"


    The announcer''s voice became solemn.


    "Get ready to watch this scoundrel die!"


    The crowd roared with excitement.


    Everett looked at me with trepidation in his eyes.


    "What are they talking about?"


    A frown emerged on my face.


    "I don''t know..."


    Suddenly, the colosseum shook.


    "Who dares defile the laws in the city of Evermore?"


    A man with a long brown robe landed explosively on the top of the colosseum. The spectators below him immediately turned around to catch a glimpse of him.


    The man had a grey beard along with short grey hair. Although he was clearly old, there were no wrinkles on his skin.


    In fact, he was incomparably burly.


    He had sharp purple eyes, looking down on the world. It was like he was implying everything was below him, and rightfully so.


    However, the most notable fact about him was the dark brown crown placed on top of his head.


    The crown wasn''t like mine, forcefully pierced into my head.


    Instead, it laid there quietly, like a sleeping beast.


    Although it was quite far away, my eyes could catch some of the details. It was very intricately carved with the pattern of ox faces.


    The bottom of the crown was flat, that was what let it lay there comfortably. As for the top, there were only two spikes that protruded upwards. The spikes were curled, making them look similar to horns.


    The man looked at me. A disdainful smile broke out on his face.


    "So it is a person with a crown that dares to cause trouble? No wonder..."


    He laughed, but it was clear he didn''t find anything funny.


    "It appears he doesn''t understand that there is a hierarchy even among those with a crown."


    The crowd cheered.


    "Haha, of course!"


    "Naturally, who could possibly beat you, your lordship?"


    "Ekkk! I''m so lucky!"


    There was a smug smile on the man''s face.


    "Say your last wishes now. That''s the only chance you will get."


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    ...I think I will have plenty of chances to say my last wishes.


    Everett was trembling like a hummingbird.


    "J-Jay? What is happening?"


    My hand gently pushed against Everett''s back.


    "Just go home, I will take it from here."


    Everett hesitated, but nodded in the end.


    "Ok!"


    He proceeded to run off towards the exit.


    The man caught this. The moment he realized what was happening, a frown appeared on his face.


    "You think you can leave now?"


    A sonic boom reverberated from where the man was standing.


    My eyes narrowed.


    "Stop!"


    The man shot out towards Everett, but my eyes could hardly follow him.


    The necklace behind me trembled.


    "I will try to stop him!"


    A large cloud of dark mist seeped out of the necklace, forming a barrier between Everett and the man.


    However, the man did not slow down.


    Once he entered the black mist, both his clothes and body rapidly turned grey.


    ...But his momentum did not change.


    He slammed into Everett, killing him instantly.


    My eyes averted from the bloody scene, while a faint pain ached in my heart.


    My hand was raised.


    I had the intention to teleport, but before I could even begin to activate it, Everett was dead.


    The pale blue light began crying loudly.


    At least the man that killed him was now a statue.


    ...Wait.


    There are cracks on the statue.


    Suddenly, the man burst out of the decay.


    He laughed.


    "Haha, that was a little scary. If only it had some potency behind it."


    The necklace trembled.


    "You..."


    A frown appeared on my face.


    I realized what happened. The decay was effective, causing the man to decay. However, this was only the case for a very thin layer across the surface of his body.


    It was simply unable to penetrate further.


    My tongue clicked against the roof of my mouth.


    My intention was to attack with the use of my teleporting ability. The only problem was, I had the hilt of a wooden sword instead of a stake.


    My confidence in pulling off an attack with a hilt was low.


    The man smirked, throwing a punch towards me. His movements were incomparably fast, but my mind sent a command the moment it registered his shoulder moving.


    As such, my strike came out in time, colliding with his fist.


    A snap resounded throughout the colosseum.


    It was the snap of my bones.


    My body was violently thrown back, stopping only when it collided with the wall. The air was knocked out of my lungs.


    My vision was blurry and my arm was mangled. My mind tried its best to ignore the pain, however, a broken bone made that nearly impossible.


    The man was simply out of my league. I couldn''t stand up to him even with my newfound strength.


    ...I recalled what Leon told me.


    That he wasn''t strong enough to spread peace to the entire world.


    In all honesty, somewhere in my heart, I didn''t believe him.


    Yet, if people like the man in front of me were a common occurrence, then Leon was probably right.


    A soft cry came from my left.


    My cracked bones rapidly healed and moved back into place.


    The man was leisurely walking towards me with a mocking smile on his face.


    "Are you afraid?"


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Maybe?"


    I stood up.


    Suddenly, the man bolted towards me.


    My arm raised, blocking his strike just in time.


    Like last time, a nasty crack rang out.


    My consciousness threatened to leave me, but my mind reined it in. Albeit, just barely.


    Right after I was struck, a wail came from my left. A small tendril of energy came, mending my arm once again.


    Another fist came soon after.


    I doubted I could win against this guy, but I was at least going to try.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    My figure disappeared, letting the man''s fist hit the wall.


    The colosseum shook once more as even more cracks formed in it.


    My figure reappeared behind him while my fist was already swinging towards him.


    However, to my dismay, my fist was caught.


    He twisted it, snapping my wrist.


    As my face turned into a grimace, the man sent a fist towards my chest.


    My rib cage directly caved in, then everything was black.


    ...


    "Um, why are you here?"

 Chapter 76 - A Four-Horned Demon

    ...


    My eyes opened... to see myself in a cave.


    The air was musty with a slight stench. The cave itself was quite dirty, but that was to be expected considering it was the middle of the forest.


    My body was shivering uncontrollably while a dull ache spread across my body from various wounds.


    It was a vision, I could no longer control my actions.


    My feet dragged on deeper into the cave.


    Then, they froze in shock.


    There was a four-horned demon in front of me, with a mangled leg. Its breaths were ragged and pained.


    It was leaning against the cave wall, in as bad of a condition as I was.


    Different from three-horned demons, the demon with four horns did not have an overbearingly large physique. In fact, it was scraggly, like me.


    My head raised to look at the four-horned demon''s face. In turn, the four-horned demon met my eyes.


    There was a moment of silence.


    On one side was a human and on the other was a demon.


    We were enemies by default. Races that couldn''t come to an agreement.


    Yet, the only thing we did was stare at one another. Both of us could tell the other had no intention of fighting.


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "You look just like me."


    The four-horned demon had a deep look at me. After a few moments, the voice of a young girl rang out.


    "...We are both heavily injured."


    My eyes rolled.


    "Not that. I bet you''re an outcast like me, aren''t you?"


    The four-horned demon took a moment to respond.


    "Yeah..."


    A sigh seeped out from my mouth.


    "And now, both of us are dying."


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "I suppose..."


    My steps dragged my weary body next to the four-horned demon. Then, my rear fell to the ground, letting me sit right next to the four-horned demon.


    The four-horned demon narrowed its eyes.


    "You seem very comfortable talking to a demon. It''s almost like you aren''t a human."


    A cackle seeped out of my lips.


    "To me, both humans and demons are the same. Frankly, I don''t consider myself a human or any race for that matter."


    The four-horned demon giggled.


    "That is quite a strange mindset. The people I''ve seen are quite attached to anything that identifies them."


    I scoffed.


    "Well, I am quite different from the normal person. Quite a few strange things happened to me."


    The four-horned demon hummed.


    "Seems like you had a strange life."


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "You want to hear what I''ve been through? It is kinda boring though."


    The four-horned demon let out a soft chuckle.


    "...Tell me."


    My head laid back, resting on the cold cave wall.


    "Well... it all started with the very day I was born."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "I was a slave."


    The four-horned demon looked at me curiously.


    "A slave? What is that?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "A label for people that are not allowed to live. The only thing they were permitted to do was follow commands."


    The four-horned demon fell silent.


    It appeared I wasn''t discouraged by that, enthusiastically continuing the story.


    "People born as slaves at least have a chance of turning their life around if they have any sort of talent. However, I had none."


    My eyes closed.


    "For most of my life, I was whipped and starved. Sometimes when I look back, it''s hard to believe that I actually survived."


    The four-horned demon sighed.


    "That sounds quite miserable."


    I slowly nodded.


    "Pretty much... In the end, I was alone most of the time. Hah..."


    The four-horned demon chuckled sadly.


    "I see."


    My eyes fluttered open.


    "I did try to at least get an ally slave on my side, but it never really worked out."


    The four-horned demon took a ragged breath in.


    "How so?"


    My face lost its expression.


    "Haha... I would come to an agreement with someone, that we both help each other out. I foolishly did my part, but was left to die by my so called companion."


    My arms wrapped around my legs.


    "Somehow I survived... but I never learned my lesson. I thought maybe other people would be different."


    A chuckle came out of me.


    "I wonder why I thought that..."


    The four-horned demon shrugged.


    "I guess you learnt your lesson by now."


    A smile of mockery emerged on my face. It was a mockery of myself.


    "Well... it took a while. At one point, I was thrown into a pit. The bottom was maybe fifty meters away."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Then I awakened to a new power, so I survived."


    The four-horned demon turned to look at me, but didn''t say anything.


    A sinister chuckle seeped from my lips.


    "But still... I somehow still thought that I could make an ally. I thought it was because I was powerless. Now that I had a power, surely I could make at least one ally, right?"


    The four-horned demon blinked a few times.


    "...You didn''t make any?"


    My head shook.


    "The first person sold me out to the guards immediately."


    An eerie smile appeared on my face.


    "So I killed them all."


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "It took you a while to come around to that."


    A giggle escaped me.


    "Sure did..."


    My lungs took in a deep breath.


    "Then... I left."


    The four-horned demon''s eyes widened.


    "Ah, then how did you convince them to let you go?"


    A wild look appeared in my eyes.


    "I forced myself out."


    The four-horned demon was speechless.


    "Without magic, or is your power magical?"


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    "It''s like magic, but not really."


    The four-horned demon tilted its head to the side.


    "And what does that mean?"


    My body stood up, albeit shakily.


    The four-horned demon watched on curiously.


    Then, my figure disappeared before reappearing a meter or so ahead.


    The four-horned demon gasped in shock.


    "What? Was that teleportation?"


    My body collapsed onto the ground.


    "Yeah..."


    As my hands dragged my body back, the four-horned demon closed its eyes. It was deep in thought.


    The four-horned demon clutched its fist.


    "I must say, I am jealous."


    After propping myself back up on the wall, my eyes rolled.


    "That''s pretty much all I got going for me though."


    The four-horned demon laid its head onto the cave wall.


    "I hardly have anything going for me either."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "You have four horns though."


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "They might as well be for show..."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "How can that be?"


    The four-horned demon fell silent.


    My eyes blinked a few times, but my voice did not ring out.


    Eventually, the four-horned demon let out a chuckle.


    "...I suppose I am not that different from you."


    A laugh escaped me.


    "You''re joking, right?"


    The four-horned demon slowly shook its head.


    "The moment I was born, my fate was decided for me. I suppose you could consider me a slave."


    After a few moments of silence, a sigh escaped me.


    "...Perhaps demons and humans are more similar than I thought."


    The four-horned demon smiled bitterly.


    "Haha, perhaps. Demons are generally born very weak, yet need a tremendous amount of resources to grow."


    My brows furrowed.


    "...But from what I''ve seen, they don''t eat anything."


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "That''s because they have been what we call... ''optimized''..."


    My head turned to face the four-horned demon.


    "Care to explain?"


    The four-horned demon closed its eyes.


    "...There is a mana volcano. When a demon is thrown inside, they become optimized."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "So what''s the difference?"


    The four-horned demon sighed.


    "Normally, demons are weak creatures that require large amounts of food to survive. As we grow up, our horns increase as does our strength."


    The four-horned demon shook its head.


    "But the biggest change is the increase in appetite. This quickly caused food shortages among our people."


    The four-horned demon paused.


    "And so, the demons fight the humans for land. They are essentially fighting for food."


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    "Haha, I bet the humans don''t even need the land."


    The four-horned demon chuckled.


    "I wouldn''t know... Anyways, it was initially a losing battle since our strength did not befit the food consumptions."


    The four-horned demon''s eyes parted ever so slightly.


    "...But then the demons found out about the mana volcano. When a demon is thrown in, they no longer need food to operate. Instead, they use mana."


    The corner of the four-horned demon''s lip twitched.


    "They gained tremendous strength and some even got the ability to use spells. ...However, that came at the cost of their autonomy. Optimized demons can hardly think of anything other than natural instincts."


    My expression became solemn, but my lips remained sealed.


    The four-horned demon continued with hatred in her voice.


    "These optimized demons are used for war. Countless children are thrown into this mana volcano, never able to live a real life."


    She stopped there, leaving the cavern to be silent for a few minutes.


    Suddenly, the four-horned demon laughed.


    "We are going to die if we don''t eat something.. While we are the only people here."

 Chapter 77 - How Many Times?

    My head turned to the four-horned demon.


    "Are you saying one of us will have to eat the other to survive?"


    The four-horned demon smiled.


    "What else could I mean?"


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    "So what? You''re going to kill me now?"


    The four-horned demon remained silent.


    Despite the tense atmosphere, it didn''t seem like I was concerned.


    "Well, it was a fun talk while it lasted."


    The four-horned demon casually nodded.


    "Yeah."


    My muscles tensed, ready for a last stand.


    My legs forced me up while my fist clenched.


    ...Then, I froze.


    The four-horned demon twisted off its maimed leg and handed it to me.


    The four-horned demon handed the leg to me with a grimace on its face.


    "Hah... take it."


    My body wouldn''t move. It seemed like I was in shock.


    After a few seconds, my lips parted.


    "...Why?"


    The four-horn demon looked away from me.


    "I don''t know."


    It smiled.


    "There''s not much I can do with a broken leg anyway, you can leave me to die."


    My hand dropped the gemstone that my fingers wrapped around, letting it clatter onto the floor.


    Then, my hand reached for the leg, albeit slowly and shakily.


    After a moment of hesitation, my fingers grasped onto the leg.


    It was squishy, leaking out blood once I grabbed it.


    A soft chuckle escaped me.


    "This isn''t exactly the most... appetizing thing."


    There were various wounds that leaked pus, while the flesh was twisted.


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "Then just take off one of my other limbs."


    I crouched down and laid the leg on the floor.


    My steps brought me towards the four-horned demon and caused echoes throughout the cave.


    The four-horned demon closed its eyes, not attempting to resist.


    As for me, my hand curled up into a claw, then shot out like a viper.


    There was a horrifying sound of tearing flesh and broken bones.


    The four-horned demon slowly opened its eyes.


    ...They were filled with confusion.


    It saw a mutilated arm being held in front of its face.


    It was my arm.


    What remained of my shoulder leaked a few drops of blood.


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "You''re a damn softie."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Yeah, I guess I am."


    The four-horned demon accepted the arm, looking at the scars with fascination.


    "You look like you''ve been through a lot."


    I walked back and picked up the maimed leg.


    "Same goes for you."


    The four-horned demon looked at me awkwardly.


    "So... we just dig in?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess so."


    The four-horned took a bite of my mutilated arm while I took a bite of its maimed leg.


    Hunger greatly stimulates one''s appetite and can make horrible food taste amazing.


    There was no doubt that my stomach was empty.


    Yet, the leg was still disgusting.


    The worst part would be the pus, making a grimace unconsciously appear on my face.


    The best part would be the flesh, but it had a sharp taste of copper while being difficult to chew.


    However, despite how horrible it was, my teeth dug into it with fervor.


    Frankly, it was essentially inedible. Perhaps the benefits of eating this leg would not outweigh the costs.


    But I just kept eating.


    It was almost like it had been the most immaculate meal from a top restaurant.


    Yet, I think I was eating this leg faster and more ravenously than I would eat the tastiest meal in the world.


    The four-horned demon was doing the same.


    My body instinctively resisted my actions. It convulsed while my stomach churned.


    The stomach acid started acting up, boiling upwards. At any moment, vomit would spill out.


    However, my lips pressed together. My arm pressed hard against my mouth, forcing it to stay closed.


    Then, I swallowed the vomit.


    It was disgusting and there was a bitter aftertaste.


    Yet, my teeth ripped more of the flesh off the leg. Not bothering that it was essentially poison.


    My meal only finished when the only thing left was a set of bones.


    Instinctively, my hand began to toss the bones away. However, at the last moment, my fingers grasped tightly on it.


    It seemed I decided to keep it.


    The four-horned demon was also finished. Like me, it held onto a set of bones.


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "That was terrible."


    A laugh uncontrollably slipped out of me.


    "You don''t say?"


    The four-horned demon sighed.


    "...Doing this might have made our slim chances of surviving even slimmer."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Haha, perhaps."


    My head laid on the four-horned demon''s shoulder. A smile was on my face.


    "Do you regret it though?"


    The four-horned demon chuckled.


    "No."


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "Me neither."


    ...


    My body suddenly sat upright.


    My eyes scanned the room around me.


    It was my room, inside of Ela''s palace.


    ...These visions seem to take away the time from the start of my reincarnation.


    "Ah, you''re awake!"


    Mildred perked up. She was holding a feather duster, cleaning the inside of my room.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    "Ah... hello."


    Mildred smiled.


    "Haha, you must be pretty surprised."


    A smile emerged on my face.


    "Yeah."


    Mildred cleared her throat.


    "Alright, I will make this short for you. This isn''t the world you are used to. However, there is no need to panic. After a year of stay, you will go back to your world."


    She giggled.


    "You also have three other companions that come from the same world as you! This is perfect timing. If you feel ok, you can join them in going to magic school! It starts soon, so if you want to go, hurry!"


    I nodded.


    "Ah, got it Mil-"


    I cut myself off.


    My throat cleared.


    "Ah, I haven''t gotten your name. Mine is Jay, just so you know."


    Mildred gasped.


    "Ah, my apologies! That completely slipped my mind."


    She bowed.


    "My name is Mildred. Pleased to meet you, Jay."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Pleased to meet you as well Mildred."


    Mildred nodded.


    "Haha, I thought you would be quite the shy person from how you looked."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, me too."


    Mildred shook her head.


    "Anyways, I should get back on topic. Your clothes are on the table and there is a bathroom in your room for you to wash up."


    She waved.


    "I will take my leave so you can go do that. If you have any questions, just ask me!"


    My hand extended outwards to give a thumbs up.


    "Thanks."


    Mildred opened the door and looked over her shoulder.


    "It is simply what I am obligated to do."


    Then, she closed it.


    My hand scratched the side of my head.


    "Magic school..."


    It really has been a while since I''ve been there.


    With a heavy heart, my body flopped out of the bed to shower.


    My hand pressed against a small blue gemstone, causing water to magically appear above me.


    As the water cascaded down my skin, my mind wandered off.


    What was the point of becoming more powerful?


    So much effort... yet where did it get me?


    In the end, my life and death was out of my control.


    ...The amount of power I would need to change this world.


    Would I ever reach that point?


    A sigh escaped me.


    "...Perhaps one day."


    Treading the path of power was a lonely one.


    It made me think of the day I talked to Ned.


    He told me how lonely he was.


    I wonder... was this how he felt?


    A small smirk appeared on my face as my hand touched the blue gemstone.


    "Well... I should get going."


    After getting into my clothes, I left my room.


    "Ah, you''re out!"


    Mildred was outside waiting for me.


    "Come quickly! They are getting ready to leave."


    A smile emerged on my face.


    "Alright!"


    She grabbed onto my wrist and we jogged across the hallway.


    As we were going down the stairs, Mildred exclaimed.


    "Ah! I forgot."


    She reached into a pocket within her uniform, pulling out a piece of bread.


    Then, handed it to me.


    I accepted it without much hesitation.


    "Thanks, Mildred."


    She winked.


    "It''s just what I''m obligated to do."


    We reached the palace entrance quickly.


    Ned, Alyx, and Erin were waiting there. They looked towards me and Mildred as we rushed over.


    My hand waved in the air.


    "Haha, sorry to keep you guys waiting."


    Ned laughed while waving his hand dismissively.


    "Don''t worry about it. You must''ve rushed quickly, your hair is still wet!"


    My thumb and forefinger pulled on a strand of my hair. Indeed, it was wet.


    "Haha, I suppose so. Anyways, my name is Jay. What about all of you?"


    It felt strange to ask them for their names when I knew them. However, it would probably be more awkward to explain if I just started calling them out by name.


    Ned was the first to respond, grinning widely.


    "The name is Ned. Nice to meet you Jay."


    I couldn''t help but wonder.


    How many times would I hear him say that?

 Chapter 78 - Familiar Sights

    My head turned to look at the other two, Alyx and Erin.


    Erin hid behind Alyx, unwilling to say anything.


    As for Alyx, she held her arm in front of Erin, as though to shield her.


    She nodded towards me.


    "Hello Jay. My name is Alyx and my friend here is Erin."


    The distance between us was clear. Alyx and Erin did not trust me.


    It left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, but I suppose it couldn''t be helped.


    Mildred raised her hand to bring attention to herself.


    "Now that everyone has done introductions, I have something to give you."


    She pulled out four glowing purple stones. The messenger stones.


    "If you ever find yourself in trouble, crush these messenger stones. Ela will do her best to arrive."


    The four of us took a messenger stone from Mildred.


    Once that was dealt with, Mildred let out a clap with her hands.


    "Alright! Let me walk you to the magic school. Try to remember the path!"


    With that, the group set off.


    Ned turned to me. There was a smile on his face.


    "Haha, does it still feel like a dream to you? I must say that it does for me?"


    My eyes shifted to Ned. For just a moment, they glazed over, looking past him.


    "...It really does feel like a dream. Like I''ve seen something I forgot about long ago."


    Ned laughed.


    "Honestly, I still feel that way too. But logic is starting to kick in. After all, dreams don''t last for multiple nights."


    I nodded.


    "Yeah."


    My arms raised high into the air to stretch.


    "Anyways, magic sounds really cool. Though, it also sounds like a lot of work."


    Ned smirked.


    "Ah come on. We are going to be here for an entire year without school or work. It won''t be that hard to learn some magic, right?"


    Alyx nodded.


    "We should busy ourselves with something. Not to mention the fact that an opportunity to learn magic is unbelievably fascinating. If we can bring that back to Earth, it could create momemental waves."


    My eyebrow twitched.


    Earth... that was the name of their world?


    "Haha, you''re right. Though, if I have no talent, I will take that as a blessing. That''ll mean I won''t have to do any work!"


    Erin tilted her head to the side. Her voice was soft.


    "...But low talent doesn''t mean you can''t cast magic, right?"


    Mildred sighed.


    "Those without a certain amount of talent might as well give up on casting spells."


    Erin gasped.


    "Ehh? Why?"


    Mildred smiled bitterly.


    "People have affinities to various elements, allowing them to cast spells. There are ways to circumvent your lack of talent, allowing you to cast spells outside of your affinity."


    Her eyes narrowed.


    "...But if you don''t have any talent at all, it may take years to simply learn how to feel mana in the air."


    My legs froze.


    The group continued onward until they realized I was left behind.


    Ned turned to look at me.


    "Hey, Jay? You alright?"


    My head shook.


    "Ah, yeah. Sorry about that."


    I hurried after them and we resumed our walk.


    After a few seconds of silence, Erin spoke up.


    "U-Um... So if we have no talent, we won''t be able to cast magic?"


    Mildred chuckled.


    "Pretty much, but there has yet to be a summon without talent. You can be rest assured that you can cast at least one thing."


    She smiled.


    "In fact, you can bank on having something special!"


    Erin perked up, hopping up and down.


    "Wow, let''s go faster!"


    Ned laughed.


    "I am not against that!"


    With that, Erin and Ned went forward at a pace that was faster than a walk, but slower than a jog.


    In the end, the rest of us sped up as well.


    Ned smiled with excitement.


    "Haha, I can''t wait to use magic! What do you think it will be like?"


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    "There will definitely be fireballs! Magic must have fireballs!"


    Ned laughed.


    "I couldn''t agree more! What would magic be without fireballs?"


    Mildred giggled.


    "Yes, there are fireball spells."


    Ned clenched his fist like his favorite sports team just scored the winning shot.


    "Nice! I will definitely be learning that."


    Erin''s soft voice was soft, but enthusiastic.


    "I want to make the biggest playground ever!"


    Alyx smiled.


    "That sounds beautiful."


    Ned smirked.


    "When you make it, don''t forget to invite me!"


    Erin nodded with a small smile.


    "Ok!"


    Ned turned to me.


    "What about you? By the way, I won''t take none as an answer! Just imagine you didn''t have to work for magic, but could cast it."


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    How did he know I was going to say none?


    Haha... anyways.


    "I want to cast a spell that can grow so much food that nobody will ever go hungry again."


    Ned blinked a few times.


    "Wow, that is a cool answer!"


    Alyx nodded as well.


    "That is... quite respectable."


    Erin suddenly lost her shyness, flashing me a smile.


    "You''re so nice!"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, you''re giving me too much credit."


    Mildred raised an eyebrow.


    "That makes me wonder, is there a spell out there that can do that?"


    My mind flashed to the greenhouse that Leon made.


    "...There must be! Even if it doesn''t do so indirectly."


    I came to a realization.


    If I learned how to cast a spell that created food, I could potentially stop the village from degenerating so quickly.


    It clearly worked for Leon, so logically it should be the same for me, right?


    ...The only problem was I had no idea how to go about it.


    I suppose I would just have to slowly learn magic.


    My mind suddenly recalled what Mildred said earlier.


    A mage without talent cannot gather mana.


    Yet... here I was. Able to use every element I''ve tried to.


    Once the fact I had no talent whatsoever gets revealed, people will realize something is wrong when I begin casting spells.


    That makes me wonder, how did I get away with casting spells before?


    Ned and the others didn''t know before, so there was no problem with that.


    There was also a time I casted the earth spell in the school''s courtyard, but nobody realized because Erin''s massive earth spell had completely overshadowed it.


    ...The only other person that knew of my talent and witnessed me cast a spell was Mildred. Why wasn''t she skeptical at the time?


    Hmm... She probably just assumed my talent was really low, now that I think about it.


    "Alright, this is your classroom. Hurry on in, you are almost late!"


    Mildred gestured for us to go inside.


    Ned waved to Mildred.


    "Thanks for taking us!"


    Mildred smiled.


    "It is only what I am obligated to do."


    After the rest of us told our goodbyes, we went into the classroom.


    There were already a couple people inside. It took me a while to remember their names, but it came to me eventually.


    Our teacher, Harlow, the sleepy girl, Flora, the distant guy, Dan, and the commoner, Kaiden. All of them were already in their seats. Other than Kaiden who was panting, the others seemed pretty relaxed.


    The familiar sight hit me like a wave. There was a strange nostalgia that came over me.


    "Ah, class is starting soon. Please take your seats."


    My stupor was broken by Harlow''s remark.


    Ned waved to the teacher.


    "Hello, teacher!"


    Harlow simply nodded.


    "Yes, hello. Now sit down."


    Ned saluted.


    "Got it!"


    The four of us quickly took our seats.


    After a few seconds I realized something was off.


    My brows furrowed.


    What was it?


    ...Ah.


    Ned didn''t move all of our desks together like last time.


    A tiny flame of courage seeped into my heart.


    "Hey guys?"


    Ned, Alyx, and Erin turned to me.


    An awkward smile appeared on my face.


    "The desks are so far apart, which is kinda lame. We should push them together!"


    Alyx furrowed her brows and let out a whisper.


    "Are you sure we are allowed to do that?"


    Ned smirked.


    "Haha, if it really isn''t allowed, we can just put them back."


    Alyx still seemed to be against it. That was when Erin spoke up with a smile.


    "We should move them together!"


    Alyx dropped all of her hesitation and picked up her desk.


    Ned chuckled doing the same.


    My arms were a little weak, so carrying the desk wasn''t easy. However, it was completed successfully with a grunt.


    Erin tried her best to move hers, but was only able to make a few cute heaving sounds. Alyx promptly helped her.


    Harlow looked confused, but did not say anything.


    As Alyx was putting Erin''s desk with the rest, three students walked in.


    My eyes lingered on their faces as my memory shot towards the surface like a balloon filled with helium.


    Otis, Mika, and most notably, Reyna.


    When Reyna saw what we were doing, she raised an eyebrow.


    "...That is not how the desks are supposed to be arranged."


    I don''t remember her being so uptight.

 Chapter 79 - Like Nothing Ever Changed

    A smirk emerged on my face.


    "Haha, the way things are supposed to be are kinda lame, wouldn''t you agree?"


    The corner of Reyna''s lip twitched. She did not say anything more and left to take a seat.


    Harlow cleared his throat.


    "Alright, since everyone is here, we should start."


    He bowed.


    "Magic can come in the form of many different elements and takes on a physical form..."


    My mind began to wander off, not willing to listen to what the teacher was saying. Only occasional words would reach my mind.


    "Leo-"


    My eyes flashed open as my mind immediately woke up.


    Leon?


    "Leo, The Ancestor of Flames, was the first mage to discover the true applications of fire magic."


    Oh.


    Harlow continued.


    "In the distant past, fire magic was seen as the weakest element of choice. Spells that used fire magic in the past focused mainly on producing heat, or heating up their enemies."


    Harlow sighed.


    "The only problem with that is the fact that many living beings can endure harsh changes in weather. Thus, the fire element was seen as nothing more than a cooking element."


    Harlow tapped the board.


    "That was when The Ancestor of Flames came along. He was not very talented with the fire element but had decent affinity with the thunder element. At the time, thunder was seen as one of the strongest elements. Therefore, once Leo practiced fire magic, he was chastised countless times."


    Harlow smiled.


    "Yet, he continued practicing, even if he had to do so in secret. Eventually, he came up with a method that allowed fire to spontaneously explode, delivering a strong sudden force. As for Pera..."


    My mind drifted off into thought.


    Huh... So people have made new spells in the past that revolutionized magic?


    That meant it should be possible for me to make a new spell that grows food.


    Haha, it appears I will have to learn this magic in secret, like Leo. Why was it so hard for talentless people to sense mana anyway?


    ...What made me pick it up so quickly?


    Eventually, Harlow finished explaining the history of magic and the types of mages.


    "You should try your best to become a Collector Mage if you have the talent, which we will check now."


    From there, we tested our talents.


    Although I expected the changes when Ned and Alyx went up to test, my body received a shock anyways.


    Then, it was my turn.


    As my steps tapped against the floor, thoughts whirled inside my mind.


    For me, this test was pointless. After all, I already knew my talent was going to be nothing.


    However, my worries centered on the pity that the others would feel.


    Perhaps if I...


    "Please don''t give me talent!"


    My hands came together while my eyes shut. My body hunched over to do a small bow.


    It was as though I was praying.


    Harlow gave me a strange look while most of the class just raised their eyebrows.


    ...Just commit to the facade!


    "No talent! There is no way I will get any talents!"


    Harlow cleared his throat.


    "Er... This is the esteemed Enberoes Magic School. The only people that get admitted are those that have relatively strong affinities to mana, tested through basic crystals."


    He pressed his lips together.


    "...So if you are here, that means you have some sort of talent."


    My hand scratched the side of my head.


    "Huh? But I didn''t do any tests with crystals."


    Harlow raised an eyebrow.


    "Really?"


    I nodded slowly.


    "Yeah."


    Harlow furrowed his brows.


    "That is strange..."


    He sighed.


    "Regardless, you might as well take the test since you are already here."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Ah, alright!"


    My hand submerged into the orb.


    My eyes closed, embracing the satisfying whirling from within.


    "...It seems your wish has come true."


    Harlow spoke up, disappointment evident in his words.


    A smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha, nice!"


    An awkward silence hung above the other students. It seemed like they had no idea what to think.


    I don''t blame them... I wouldn''t know how to react either.


    My steps back to the desk were casual.


    Once I sat back down, Ned turned to me with a little confusion in his eyes.


    "...Did you really not want talent?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "...I wouldn''t have it any other way."


    Erin looked at me with a bright smile.


    "Wow! I won''t feel bad about having no talent either!"


    My back leaned against the seat as my arm carelessly waved in the air.


    "Haha, I''m sure you will have talent. You won''t have to worry about being like me."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Eh? How do you know that?"


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "You can just trust me on that."


    Erin gave me a deep look.


    Harlow called for her, but she didn''t even blink.


    ...I was feeling a little nervous to say the least.


    However, before my worries got too intense, Erin smiled happily.


    "Ok! I will believe you!"


    Erin jumped out of her seat and quickly rushed over to the orb.


    Harlow sighed, but moved past it quickly.


    "Just put your hand into the Mana Enhancer."


    Erin did as told, albeit nervously.


    There was no reaction at first, but Erin''s smile never left her face.


    Harlow sighed.


    "Another one without-"


    My lungs took in a deep breath, basking in the strange warm feeling that Erin''s test created.


    Tiny little orbs of various colors bounced around within the orb. They intimately rubbed against Erin''s hand.


    She giggled.


    "So cute!"


    Harlow was frozen in place. After a few moments, he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.


    "...Ah, I''m not seeing things."


    He proceeded to explain with a trembling voice.


    "Your talent is not high... but the elements will not only help cast your spells, but make them stronger."


    Erin raised both hands in the air.


    "Yay! You were right, Jay!"


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "I guess so."


    Harlow took a few deep breaths. He spoke to us in a trembling voice.


    "The rest of the time will be a break, after two- no three hours, please eat and then come back to this classroom."


    Harlow rushed out of the classroom with the orb in hand.


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Well... I guess everyone got what they wanted."


    Alyx smiled weakly.


    "That was quite the experience."


    Erin raised her hands in the air.


    "I wanna cast mag-"


    Erin suddenly put a hand on her lips.


    A smile blossomed on my face.


    "Haha, I can''t wait to see how you guys cast magic!"


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "Um... really?"


    My hand brushed aside my hair.


    "Yeah! Not only can I laze around the whole time, I get to see you guys cast cool spells!"


    Erin looked at me with a pout on her face.


    Alyx couldn''t help but smile.


    "You have quite the strange mentality. This is the first time I''ve heard something like that."


    Ned raised a finger into the air.


    "Ah! It''s just like the people that watch sports!"


    He smirked.


    "Although they themselves are not playing, it is still enjoyable!"


    I had no idea what Ned was talking about.


    "Haha, yeah! Just like that!"


    A smile blossomed on my face. Ned''s comment saved me from more awkwardness than I could handle.


    For some reason, it felt like a dagger was piercing my face. My head turned to look at the source.


    It was Erin. She was staring at me angrily with a pout on her face.


    Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. My hands raised like I was surrendering.


    "Haha, sorry! I uh... have the best intentions!"


    Ned and Alyx raised an eyebrow. They turned to look in the direction I was and saw Erin''s cute, but angry face.


    Erin''s pout gradually left. She muttered a few complaints.


    "...I don''t want the best intentions."


    Ned scratched the back of his head.


    "Huh? Why can''t I understand what is happening?"


    Alyx sighed.


    "I don''t get it either."


    Erin stretched her arms out in the air and swung them around.


    "Whatever! It''s fine."


    My heart let out a sigh of relief.


    "Haha, I almost teleported away to escape the awkwardness!"


    Ned smiled.


    "Oh come on, you said yourself you were just going to laze around! How could you cast a teleportation spell?"


    My elbow laid on the desk while my hand flung out like I was a butler holding a tray of food.


    "Then I would beg one of you guys to teleport me! I would''ve pestered you guys so much that you would''ve learned it in no time!"


    Alyx threw her head back and rolled her eyes.


    "Oh god, thankfully that didn''t happen."


    Ned burst out in laughter.


    "What do you mean? That would be good motivation to learn the teleportation spell!"


    Erin giggled.


    "Lots of motivation!"


    Alyx sighed.


    "And what happens when the teleportation spell doesn''t exist?"


    My hand slammed against the desk. There was a smirk on my face.


    "Then I would pester you forever!"


    The four of us broke out into roaring laughter.. It was like nothing ever changed.

 Chapter 80 - A Little Hungry

    The four of us continued fooling around, not realizing the strange looks we were receiving.


    After leaning back in my chair, my eyes caught on to Reyna sneaking a glance at us. She appeared to be hesitating in making a decision.


    A smile emerged on my face as my hand waved towards her.


    "Hey, you seem to want to join in. Why don''t you ask?"


    Ned, Erin, and Alyx turned in the direction I was looking in. In fact, the whole class was staring at her.


    Reyna was caught off guard. She tried to form words, but could only let out incoherent sounds.


    My hand was placed on the side of my face like I was trying to hide my voice. My voice had the tone of a whisper, but it was loud enough for everyone.


    "Pssssst. If you ask to join, you at least have my approval!"


    Reyna was flustered.


    "Um... uh..."


    Ned smiled playfully, joining in my charade.


    "Haha, I won''t be against it either!"


    Erin nodded with a smile.


    "Me too!"


    Reyna''s eyes darted all across the room, without a particular destination. Soon, they landed on Alyx.


    Seeing this, Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "If my friends agree to it, I agree as well."


    Reyna''s purple hair was faintly trembling. She forced a smile on her face while her eyebrows trembled.


    "Haha... can I join you guys?"


    Alyx rolled her eyes.


    "Isn''t that obvious by now?"


    Reyna had put her hands onto her desk but froze when she heard what Alyx said.


    Reyna ended up awkwardly looking back and forth between us and her desk.


    Ned put his elbow on the desk and used it to hold up his head. There was a playful smile on his face.


    "She means yes."


    Reyna picked up her desk and moved it over to us. Somehow, each step she took radiated with embarrassment.


    She lightly placed the desk down next to us. She sat down but was unable to meet our gazes.


    "Um... Hello, my name is Reyna."


    Ned raised an eyebrow with a smile on his face.


    "Haha, hey. We already know each other''s names from the teacher calling us up, no?"


    Reyna smiled awkwardly.


    "Haha, I just thought you guys wouldn''t remember me because of my mediocre talent."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Since when was talent a measure for how well we remember people?"


    My thumb pointed towards myself.


    "Look at me! I literally have no talent, but they still remember me!"


    Alyx shook her head.


    "That''s not something to be proud of!"


    My face turned to Alyx and flashed a smile towards her.


    "Too late! I''m already proud!"


    Reyna couldn''t help but giggle.


    "How can you guys care so little about talent?"


    Ned let out a tired groan.


    "Why do you care so much about talent?"


    Reyna looked at Ned in confusion.


    "But talent determines your status!"


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "And why does status matter?"


    Reyna furrowed her brows.


    "Well... those with higher status are above others?"


    Ned had been leaning back but sat up straight after he heard Reyna''s remark. There was a smirk on his face.


    "So what do you think my status is compared to yours?"


    Reyna got nervous. Cold sweat started to form on her forehead.


    "Your talent is abnormally strong, while mine is mediocre. That means your status is much higher than mine."


    Ned pointed to Reyna.


    "Then let me ask another question. Are you a person?"


    Reyna nodded in a fluster.


    "Uh, yeah?"


    Ned pointed to himself.


    "Now, am I a person?"


    Reyna nodded, but she was confused.


    "Yes?"


    Ned smiled.


    "So who cares about whatever status we have? In the end, I am a person and you are a person. We both think, feel, and hope. No matter what, we are the same in that aspect."


    For some reason, Ned''s words resonated with me. It made me recall that vision where I traded limbs with that four-horned demon.


    Honestly, witnessing that scene back then filled me with disgust. Yet, now it didn''t feel so bad.


    Though that might be because there wasn''t the taste of rotting flesh in my mouth this time.


    Reyna was lost in thought after she heard Ned''s words.


    "Haha... maybe you''re right."


    People began getting up from their seats and leaving the classroom.


    My eyes followed them as they left.


    "Are they leaving to eat?"


    Reyna nodded.


    "Ah, yes. It is time for our servants to come and deliver us food, come on, follow me."


    Reyna beckoned to us and we followed her lead. She took us to the school''s courtyard. Just like before, there were carriages and people giving out food.


    Ned rubbed his chin.


    "Why doesn''t everybody just bring their own meals to school? Wouldn''t that be so much easier for everyone involved?"


    Reyna raised an eyebrow.


    "What? You can''t expect us to eat spoiled food, do you?"


    Ned was visibly confused.


    "Food spoils that fast? You can''t just reheat it?"


    Reyna made a disgusted expression as though she was imagining it. She let out an awkward laugh.


    "That... would be quite unpleasant, to say the least. You would have to freeze it and then reheat it if you wanted that... but... most people wouldn''t look favorably on a mage that did so."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Then we can just do that once we learn magic right? It''s simply being practical, I could care less about what other people think."


    There was a dull expression on Reyna''s face. She seemed to spend a few seconds thinking about what Ned said.


    "Yeah, that makes sense."


    A butler came up to us carrying a dish but remained a couple of steps away. Reyna noticed it was her butler and walked up with a neutral expression.


    She came back with the dish in hand. There was some meat, vegetables, rice, and a fork. Instead of eating, Reyna turned to us.


    "Do you have people who are going to deliver food?"


    My thumb and forefinger rubbed against my chin.


    "There should be arrangements made for us, though I can''t be sure."


    Reyna nodded.


    "Ah, that makes sense."


    A butler ran up to us.


    "May I know if you all are Ned, Alyx, and Erin?"


    Ned was quick to reply.


    "Oh, that is us. But aren''t you missing someone?"


    The butler furrowed his brows as he caught his breath.


    "Who did we miss?"


    My hand waved in the air.


    "Haha, it''s me. I spent a little too much time sleeping, so it''s normal that I wasn''t mentioned."


    Beads of sweat formed on the butler''s head.


    "Um... we did not prepare enough for all four of you."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine."


    My hand reached into my pocket, pulling out the piece of bread that Mildred gave me.


    "I got something to eat, so it''s fine."


    In reality, I was actually very hungry. My stomach shriveled, sending pangs of pain to my mind.


    However, I didn''t eat the bread because, for one, the circumstances made it a little awkward, and two, I was still feeling disgusted by the taste of the four-horned demon''s rotting leg.


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Eh? That is hardly anything though. Ah, and you didn''t eat breakfast either!"


    My hand waved dismissively.


    "Don''t worry about it. I will just eat a little extra when we get back."


    The butler nodded and calmed down.


    "Ah, that is good. Anyways, please follow me to get your food."


    The butler led us to the carriage, Reyna followed us as well. Once we got there, some people handed out plates of food with bread, vegetables, and ham.


    We went to one of the many empty stone tables. After all, everyone else ate in the carriages.


    My disgust from eating the four-horned demon''s leg had more or less faded by now. As such, my mouth subconsciously tore into the bread like a wolf.


    Only after the bread was gone, did I realize what had happened.


    The others looked at me with widened eyes.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, well I am a little hungry."


    Ned laughed.


    "We kinda ate a lot for breakfast already. You can just take mine if you wish."


    One of my hands raised, gesturing to stop.


    "No need for that... Actually, on second thought, give me a bit."


    Ned rolled his eyes, but there was a bright smile on his face.


    "Here, take the bread since you don''t have a plate."


    Ned handed me a piece of bread, gently placing it in my hand.


    The corner of my lips turned up.


    "Thanks."


    Ned nodded.


    "No problem."


    Erin raised her hands in the air.


    "You can take mine too!"


    Alyx sighed.


    "You can take mine as well. I shouldn''t be eating so much, in any case."


    Reyna''s face twitched.


    "...Um, you can take some of my food as well."


    My head turned to Reyna before flashing her a smile.


    "Don''t worry about it, it''s too inconvenient since I have no plate anyway."


    My hand brought the bread Ned gave me closer to my mouth.


    My mind told me to be reserved, but after the first bite, my hand and mouth moved on their own.


    Then, in the corner of my eye, I saw a kid run away.


    The kid was in rags and painfully clutched his stomach.


    Ah, I scared Nolan off.

 Chapter 81 - New Spells

    After a few jokes about my ravenous eating, our group became more comfortable around each other. Reyna started to fit nicely into the group. Although her jokes were rough around the edges, it was as though she was always part of the group.


    Alyx raised her concerns about magic.


    "My element is so peculiar. Do you think that I can keep up with the rest of you?"


    My thumb and forefinger rubbed against my chin.


    "Well..."


    My mind spun, trying to find out a way to justify the ''guess'' I was about to say.


    "...Harlow said the orb thingy was a mana enhancer, right?"


    Alyx furrowed her brows.


    "Indeed. What does that have to do with it?"


    My eyes diverted to the side, avoiding eye contact with Erin.


    "When you stuck your finger in the orb, you made it crack. That means you probably have some element that gets rid of mana!"


    As I suspected, there was a piercing stare coming from the general area of Erin.


    Alyx''s hand began stroking her hair.


    "...Would that even do any good?"


    A confident smile appeared on my face.


    "Of course! Even if someone launched a super powerful spell, you could nullify it! That way, you could easily protect all of us."


    Alyx slowly nodded. A small smile appeared on her face.


    "Haha, that sounds pretty nice."


    Erin cutely huffed to herself, remaining silent.


    Reyna''s eyes widened.


    "If that really is your magic, that is frighteningly powerful."


    Ned nodded.


    "Yeah, it does sound pretty overpowered."


    Reyna furrowed her brows as Ned finished speaking, but shook her head soon after.


    "Yes, it is strong. In war, it can disrupt the spellcasting of the mages, turning the tides quickly."


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "But the world is at peace... If it is only useful in wars, it might be quite useless."


    My face twitched.


    Alyx sighed.


    "Then again, we have no idea what it actually is. We are just making guesses, after all."


    Erin pouted and looked down. She didn''t say anything.


    Reyna looked at our surroundings. People were making their way back to the classrooms.


    "Ah, class is about to start. We should hurry off."


    We walked back to the classroom, making small talk along the way.


    Once we arrived at the entrance, Harlow walked up to us with an inky black book in hand.


    It immediately gave me a sense of familiarity. My eyes caught a glimpse of the golden title.


    ''To Any Fellow Vanquisher''


    It was Alyx''s book.


    Harlow gingerly handed it to Alyx.


    Alyx responded promptly, taking it from him. After a quick look, she nodded towards Harlow.


    "Thank you."


    We went to sit down while Harlow went back to the front. His expression became solemn. He really wanted us to take his next words seriously.


    "Now, before we start I will have to warn you all. What I am about to tell you is not a joke, it is not something you should brush off with just an afterthought. Magic... is dangerous, very dangerous. Not only for you but the people around you. If you wish to cast a spell you must gain my or one of your own grandmaster magician''s permission. You must never aim your spell at or near one another, think about the consequences of the spell before you cast it."


    My thumb and forefinger rubbed against my chin.


    Honestly, when Harlow first said that, I really did brush it off with just an afterthought.


    I guess I only learned my lesson when my body was heavily damaged for the sake of casting spells.


    Harlow scanned the room. His gaze stopped on me as I was rubbing my chin. After a moment of hesitation, he turned around and drew a few diagrams on the chalkboard.


    Now that I think about it, he must''ve been drawing those diagrams by memory. He did it quite easily too, meaning he was well versed in each one.


    Harlow cleared his throat.


    "First we need to draw in mana, this should be your main goal, to be able to draw in mana as if you were breathing. You need to treat your mind as a muscle, first, try your best to relax and attempt to feel the mana in the air."


    Harlow closed his eyes as a draft started to pick up.


    "You should be able to feel it, and others should be able to see it as well, as you have seen by the wind circulating me."


    My eyes lost focus. My mind was diving deep into thought.


    Now that I really think about it, the fact I could gather mana so violently was strange.


    It would tear open my skin and heavily damage my body, but still, I had no talent to speak of.


    It essentially matched Ned''s speed, who had monstrous talent himself. If the price to pay was some damage to my body, it was a pretty good deal.


    ...Though that was only the case because I memorized the healing spell.


    Ah, whatever.


    Harlow pointed towards the diagrams on the board.


    "Now I have put up various fundamental spells on the board. These spells are not made to harm, so you can cast them as you wish, go for the one you have an affinity for. As for you Alyx just looks at the spell on the second page. Now as a mage you will have to memorize the formations of spells, if you rely on some parchment and then lose said parchment, it will become quite embarrassing when you can''t cast anything. For our final task for the day, try to memorize one of the fundamental diagrams and come to the courtyard when you are done. ...Oh right, Jay... on second thought, never mind."


    My hand raised after he called me.


    "Are there any spells about plant growth?"


    Harlow reluctantly replied.


    "Well... yes. How does that concern you?"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    The fact I was inept in terms of talent had slipped my mind.


    "Er..."


    "I want to see it. After all, I can use all the elements."


    Ned had raised his hand and spoke clearly.


    My head turned to him.


    Ned flashed a smile towards me.


    I flashed one back.


    Harlow was speechless for just a second.


    He bowed towards Ned.


    "Alright, I will find the spell parchment."


    Harlow hurriedly left. No more than a minute later, he came back with a parchment. After posting it up on the wall, he turned to Ned, giving one last bow.


    "You can view the spell as posted. I will take my leave now."


    Before he could get a response, Harlow dashed out of the classroom.


    Ned opened his mouth, then closed it.


    He scratched the back of his head with his hand.


    "Haha, he sure is in a hurry."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Seems like it."


    Alyx turned to me. She had an eyebrow raised.


    "Why did you want to see that spell? Weren''t you just going to laze off the whole time?"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "...Yeah, I was just curious about it. That''s all."


    The side of my face felt like it was burning. ...Coincidentally it was from Erin''s general direction.


    Alyx nodded without much thought.


    "Ah, well curiosity isn''t such a bad thing."


    Ned laughed.


    "Anyways, what spells are you guys going to try out?"


    Alyx smiled sadly.


    "Well, I don''t seem to have much of a choice."


    Reyna smiled bitterly.


    "But... it really is a unique and enviable talent."


    Erin hummed with a pout.


    "Hmm... I guess I will try earth."


    My shoulder shrugged.


    "Well, since I requested that new spell, I might as well check it out."


    With that, the classroom fell silent. Everyone intently studied the various diagrams on the board while I inspected the spell parchment.


    In clear ink, the title was written.


    Controlled Vines.


    As my eyes drifted to the diagram, they suddenly stopped.


    My eyes caught on to the text that read, ''Elementary''.


    It was really tiny.


    After a few seconds, my mind came to a conclusion.


    Ah, this was the rank of the spell.


    My eyes then landed on the spell diagram.


    After a few moments of inspection, my eyes widened.


    My mind immediately recognized most of the diagrams. There were two water diagrams along with three earth diagrams.


    However, that didn''t mean everything made sense to me.


    The spells were interweaved in strange ways. Sometimes they were connected by their cores while others were connected by their surfaces. There was even one connection that consisted of various strands at seemingly random locations.


    If that wasn''t complicated enough, there was one diagram my mind couldn''t recognize.


    Perhaps this is why Harlow was so reluctant to bring out this spell.


    It wasn''t something to be learned by beginners.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath and my mind began memorizing.


    My first focus was on the strange new diagram. The way the diagrams were connected could come after memorizing the diagrams themselves.


    The more my mind imprinted this spell into my memory, the more peculiar it looked.

 Chapter 82 - How Do We Get Down?

    The magic diagrams I''ve seen tended to consist of a clear core, then a surface. The surface wasn''t necessarily spherical, however they resembled a shape, like a cube.


    The diagram I was looking at differed greatly. Instead of one clear core, there were three cores that seemed to be randomly placed within. On top of that, the overall shape appeared to be fluid, almost like it was water.


    Regardless, my mind worked towards memorizing it. However, just a few moments in, a headache was coming on.


    It''s unclear shape meant that there was much more to memorize compared to clear solid shapes.


    I decided to first memorize the alignment of the cores relative to each other. Then, my mind would slowly branch out towards the rest of the spell, using their relative position to the cores to remember them.


    After quite a long time, my mind was able to memorize the alignment of the three cores. Then, my mind focused on the branches around it...


    "Jay?"


    Ned waved a hand in front of my face. There was a concerned expression on his face.


    My head shook.


    "Ah, sorry. What''s up?"


    Ned laughed awkwardly while scratching the back of his head.


    "I said everybody is leaving to go test their spells. Want to come?"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Oh, yeah sure. Thanks for reminding me."


    Ned smiled.


    "No problem."


    After stumbling up to my feet, my eyes took a proper survey of the surroundings. Everyone had left, except for our group. Reyna, Erin, and Alyx were patiently waiting at the exit of the classroom.


    Ned hurriedly walked over to them while my steps followed right behind him.


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "You were so absorbed into that diagram. I thought that you were trying to take it easy? Or is your definition of lazing around different from mine?"


    My eyes darted to the side, unwilling to make eye contact.


    "Honestly, I don''t know how I got so into it either. I guess I just get into trances easier than others."


    Reyna chuckled.


    "Well, you will probably be fine as you have your friends to wake you up."


    I nodded with a smile.


    With that, we walked down to the school''s courtyard. There were a few people already casting spells, but most people were sitting down in a meditative position, eyes closed and legs crossed.


    There was a slight breeze from the people attempting to gather mana. We each took a spot next to each other in the grass.


    Instinctively, I wanted to draw in some mana, but the fact I wasn''t supposed to be able to cast magic came back to my mind.


    Hmm... it seems I will just have to sit here.


    Ned, Alyx, and Reyna all closed their eyes, attempting to feel the flow of mana. Alyx mumbled to herself in mild shock.


    "It really does get rid of mana..."


    As for Erin... she was already in the process of casting a spell. It appeared that she either didn''t have to gather mana or immediately mastered the process.


    My eyes followed her casting process. In the end, she failed quite early, not even completing a third of the spell.


    Erin pouted, but hardly hesitated before trying again.


    My hand raised, gaining her attention and interrupting her casting process.


    "Erin, when you cast, try to envision the inverted version of the diagram. That way you will be able to push the mana through the envisioned diagram rather than forcefully shaping it to the correct diagram."


    Erin turned to me looking at me with her beady eyes.


    "Oh, ok!"


    This time, Erin had a much easier time casting. She ended up failing, but finished over two thirds of the spell.


    Erin smiled.


    "Wow, I got so close! Thanks Jay!"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "No problem. Oh, for that last part make the sphere by circling it clockwise making it about this big."


    My thumb and forefinger extended out, spread apart by a few centimeters. Erin nodded, but seemed a little confused.


    "Isn''t that bigger than what the diagram says?"


    A smile broke out on my face.


    "The diagram shows what the end result should be. In reality, we have to make it bigger. That is because the last step consists of compressing the sphere."


    Erin nodded in understanding. Then, she looked at me strangely.


    "How do you know all of this? You were looking at the other spell the whole time!"


    My mouth dried up. After a few coughs, I came up with an excuse.


    "The spell I was looking at had the earth diagram within it! That''s why I know about it."


    Erin pouted angrily.


    "You''re the worst type of person!"


    Beads of sweat formed on my forehead.


    "Eh?"


    Erin pressed her lips together, then charged towards me with her tiny fists in the air.


    "Ahhh!"


    My head turned away while my hands raised to protect myself.


    "Wait, wait, there must be a misunderstanding here!"


    Erin paid no heed to my cries and proceeded to repeatedly hit me with her fists. Her blows were light, they didn''t hurt despite my weak body.


    "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"


    While Erin was still attacking me, wild gales of wind abruptly stirred around Ned. His hair and clothes fluttered.


    Erin and I turned to look at Ned, stopping our... ''to the death'' fight.


    Ned lifted up his hand. Orange mana began gathering above it, forming a diagram. With a snap, a fireball the size of a basketball rested on top of Ned''s hand.


    Harlow''s eyes widened.


    "Haha, I suppose that''s only to be expected, with talent like yours."


    Erin blinked a few times, in awe of Ned''s successful casting.


    "Wow! I want to do that too!"


    My hand gently pushed Erin off.


    "You can do it too! Just follow what I told you."


    Ned looked over to us.


    "Haha, it isn''t as hard as it looks! I''m sure you will get it on your next try, Erin."


    Erin nodded with a smile. Fortunately for me, she seemed to forget about attacking me. Erin raised her finger, letting mana naturally gather at its tip.


    My mind recalled how Erin''s spell ended up last time. As such, I decided to lay down on the ground, waiting for the result.


    Like I expected, the ground suddenly rose a short while later. However, contrary to my expectations, it was much more violent than last time.


    Ned, Erin, Alyx, and Reyna all gasped. Their legs suddenly submerged in the ground, leaving their torso above ground. They kinda looked like bean sprouts.


    As for me...


    My entire body submerged into the ground, burying me inside. My torso shot upwards, bursting out of the dirt.


    My mouth opened to cough out the dirt that got inside. Once my bearings were recovered, my eyes scanned the area around me.


    There was an expression of shock on Ned and the other''s faces, even Erin herself was shocked.


    Harlow let out a trembling voice.


    "Dear heavens..."


    Every single student was looking in our direction. In fact, a crowd was beginning to form around us.


    We were on a dirt platform that was over fifteen meters high.


    ...It was five meters last time. What in the world was this? How did things change so drastically?


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "...Did I do this?"


    Ned laughed.


    "Well, there is nobody else it could be, you were the only one casting! Your talent is so cool, it even made the starting spells so strong!"


    Erin smiled cutely.


    "Hehe... it looks like I''m pretty cool, huh?"


    Erin put her hands on her sides while her elbows stuck out. She had a proud smile on her face as she looked up into the air.


    Alyx chuckled after she got over her initial shock.


    "Wow... this is... Well done, Erin."


    She proceeded to dig in the ground, taking out her spellbook. The pages got a little dirty, but they were otherwise fine.


    Reyna couldn''t stop rubbing her eyes. It was as though she refused to believe this was reality. She would stop to open her eyes, before rubbing them once again. Though, nothing changed. After all, it wasn''t her vision that was foggy, nor was it an illusion.


    "What... this can''t be happening. How?..."


    Ned laughed.


    "Of course it can. It literally just did!"


    Reyna stopped rubbing her eyes. She put a hand on her forehead, still unable to calm down.


    "But... isn''t this the foundational earth spell?"


    My fist was held in front of my mouth as my throat cleared.


    "Yeah... it is."


    Erin giggled. An adorable smile was on her face.


    "Thanks for teaching me, Jay!"


    Then, Erin''s smile turned into a pout.


    "I still hate you though."


    My hand scratched the back of my head, scraping off some dirt as it did so.


    "Sorry, sorry!"


    Suddenly my expression froze. My head peeked over the edge of the dirt platform.


    "Say... how do we get down?"


    Erin covered her lips with her hand.


    "Oops."

 Chapter 83 - Unwanted Fame

    Ned took a peek down from the dirt platform.


    "...Maybe we can make a slide?"


    Alyx sighed.


    "That''s going to be one dangerous slide."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Um... sorry!"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Well, I''m sure it wasn''t intentional. Maybe we can push the dirt off and slowly lower ourselves that way?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Seems like that is our only option."


    The five of us started to shove the dirt down, slowly lowering the platform. Reyna was still in a bit of shock but helped out soon enough.


    "Ah gross! Why is there dirt falling down?"


    People had formed a crowd around the dirt platform, meaning when we pushed off the dirt, it landed on those that stood too close.


    The crowd gradually backed off once they realized dirt rain wasn''t stopping anytime soon.


    Beads of sweat formed on Ned''s forehead.


    "This is taking a lot longer than I imagined."


    As for me, my hands were caked with dirt. It reminded me of my time in the forest, where I hadn''t showered for days.


    "Haha, it seems my suggestion wasn''t exactly the most intuitive."


    Alyx sighed.


    "Well, there is not much else we can do, no?"


    Erin giggled nervously.


    "So this is why we have to be careful when we cast spells!"


    Reyna smiled bitterly.


    "...The only reason our teacher let us cast foundational spells is that they are generally harmless."


    She shook her head.


    "The only person that has to worry about the dangers of foundational spells is probably you."


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "Ah, ok!"


    We were now seven meters from the ground. Although it was not a short drop, a small slope had formed because of all the dirt we tossed aside.


    Ned''s eyes lit up.


    "Hey, I think we can slide down now!"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Yeah, looks like it. Although it is quite long, the chances of getting hurt are low."


    Alyx''s eyelid twitched.


    "...Our clothes will get really dirty."


    Erin giggled.


    "They are already really dirty!"


    As Erin said, dry dirt had caked all of their clothes. Reyna only noticed this once it was pointed out.


    "Oh dear, my mother isn''t going to be happy with this..."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Welp, they are already dirty, so why not have a little fun?"


    Without waiting for our response, Ned slid down the dirt platform.


    "Haha, this is kinda cool!"


    I joined Ned a second later, and Erin came with me.


    Some of the dirt ended up hitting my face as my body slid down.


    "Gah! Some dirt got into my mouth."


    Erin smiled blissfully. She had her hands high in the air.


    "Weeee!"


    Alyx joined a few moments later, albeit reluctantly.


    "I already regret joining you guys!"


    Reyna''s face twitched, but she slid down a few seconds after Alyx.


    "This is far from proper!"


    Ned was the first to hit the ground with a loud thump. He rolled onto his side and groaned in pain.


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Ah, right. We don''t have a landing platform, so of course it''s going to be painful when-"


    My body hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of my lungs. Soon after Erin smacked painfully in the ground as well.


    Then came Alyx and Reyna.


    In the end, the five of us groaned in pain while rolling around in the grass.


    Ned laughed.


    "Maybe I should''ve thought that through a little more. My bad."


    My eyes rolled.


    "Ah, all of us joined you without questioning it either. It''s kind of our fault as well."


    Erin giggled.


    "It was still fun!"


    My head lifted up, taking in the surroundings. A large crowd of people gathered.


    "May we know which one of you casted that spell?"


    "Please tell us, it must be known!"


    "To whoever casted the spell, we must become acquainted with each other!"


    My mind was still a little muddled. My head slowly raised with my hand holding onto it.


    "What?"


    A boy held onto my shoulders and shook me, aggravating my headache.


    "Did you cast that spell?"


    My head shook.


    "What? No, I don''t even have talent!"


    The boy immediately lost interest in me, opting to see if someone else had something different to say.


    The crowd gathered around Ned.


    "Hey, did you cast that spell?"


    Ned shook his head, still recovering from the fall.


    "What? No."


    Then, they gathered around Erin. Alyx was still in a daze, but when she saw the crowd get near Erin, she sprung forth.


    Alyx stood in front of Erin, preventing the crowd from getting any closer.


    "Hey, why are you blocking us?"


    "Are you the one that cast the spell? Or is it the girl behind you?"


    "Ah, it must be the girl! Why else would she try to stop us from getting to her? She wants to keep the girl to herself!"


    Alyx grit her teeth.


    "If you want to ask a question, you can do so at a respectable distance!"


    The crowd didn''t seem to appreciate Alyx''s words.


    "Respectable distance? We are already at a respectable distance."


    "You just want an excuse to keep us away! Don''t think that we are fools!"


    Erin cowered behind Alyx, intimidated by the large crowd.


    Reyna hurriedly stepped up.


    "Don''t swarm the poor girl. If you want to talk, you can do it one at a time!"


    The crowd was not happy, to say the least. Things were getting a little chaotic and even perhaps dangerous.


    I stumbled up to my feet.


    The people in the crowd were getting physical, trying to shove Reyna and Alyx aside. I began walking over, and Ned joined me.


    "Cease your actions right now!"


    However, before we had the chance to do anything, Harlow had shouted at all the students. The crowd immediately quieted down, and backed off. Though they did so reluctantly.


    Harlow came out of the crowd, and sighed.


    "I never thought the students of the most prestigious school could be so unrestrained."


    He looked towards Reyna and Alyx with a courteous smile on his face.


    "Sorry about that, they are just very curious about who was able to cast such a huge spell."


    Alyx nodded. She held onto Erin''s hand tightly.


    "Ah, that''s fine. Can we go now? I don''t feel comfortable staying here any longer."


    Harlow panicked.


    "Ah, don''t be in such a hurry! We just wish to have a clear answer on who casted the spell. I''m sure everyone will calm down if you just tell us."


    Alyx''s face twitched. Something told me that this wasn''t the first time she experienced a situation like this.


    "We have no obligation to tell you anything. This is our business, not yours."


    The crowd was offended, which showed from their expression.


    Even Harlow was displeased.


    "Miss, surely you are being too uptight! It isn''t a monumental thing to simply clarify the situation."


    Alyx grit her teeth.


    "I don''t plan-"


    "It was me, Erin"


    Alyx was interrupted by Erin.


    Somehow or another, Erin worked up the courage to stand in front of Alyx. She met eyes with the crowd.


    "You have your answer now. Please go away."


    Erin bowed. Alyx furrowed her brows when she saw that, but didn''t say anything.


    Instead of leaving, Harlow took a step forward.


    "Haha, greeting, greetings! I remember your name was Erin, no? How about we-"


    "Did you hear her? She said to go away."


    This time, Ned spoke up. He was a little pissed off.


    Harlow furrowed his brows, ready to berate the person who told him off. However, once he saw it was Ned, Harlow simply shut his mouth.


    "My apologies, I will let you tend to your own business."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "...We should leave."


    The crowd got antsy after they heard me say that.


    "Wait, don''t leave so soon! At least give me a chance to speak to Erin!"


    Ned turned towards Reyna.


    "Sorry, but we gotta leave before things get more hectic."


    Reyna nodded with understanding and waved.


    We waved back before running away.


    Although most of the crowd did not choose to follow us, a few ''determined'' ones continued. It appeared like they had impeccable persistence and were unbelievably shameless.


    It made me a little disgusted. Could they not read the situation?


    They called out to us.


    "Hold on for just a moment!"


    "Don''t be in such a hurry to leave!"


    We paid no heed to their cries, and continued to run.


    Unfortunately, my body was not like how it was before. Even though we hadn''t even made it halfway back to the palace, I was already out of breath.


    Ned noticed this, and shot a concerned look towards me.


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    "Don''t worry about me, just keep going."


    Ned hesitated, but left in the end. Erin and Alyx didn''t seem to notice our interaction, they were more focused on running away.


    My eyes laid on their backs. They disappeared off into the distance.


    "Hey, why are you running away! We just wanted a chance to talk with Erin!"

 Chapter 84 - Powerful And Helpless

    My head slowly turned around to meet the pursuers.


    My vision was blurry while my lungs were desperately taking in breaths.


    "Haha... Hi there."


    Three boys in relatively fancy outfits stared at me. They were not pleased.


    "Hey, you can talk to Erin, right? Can''t you arrange a meeting for me?"


    Another boy stepped up.


    "And for me too. I am a refined gentleman, she would regret missing out on that chance."


    The last boy stood in front of the other boy.


    "Don''t listen to them! They are nothing compared to me. If Erin knew she missed the chance to meet me, she would be distraught! If you don''t want to upset Erin, you must arrange a meeting for me."


    I took a few seconds to catch my breath. My eyes scanned over them.


    Despite running for a decent amount of time, they were only sweating a little. Their breathing was normal, unlike mine.


    ...That meant there was no way for me to outrun them. As such, my only choice was to try and talk my way out of this.


    My hand scratched the side of my head as an awkward laugh escaped me.


    "...To be honest, Erin doesn''t like me that much."


    My mind recalled all the times Erin stared at me angrily.


    A sigh seeped through my lips.


    "So... I won''t be able to arrange a meeting."


    The boys furrowed their brows.


    One of them scoffed.


    "As if! You are just saying that because you want to keep her for yourself!"


    Another nodded.


    "Exactly! How could you be so inconsiderate? Someone like you wouldn''t be able to gain her favor anyway!"


    The last boy opened his mouth but closed it soon after. He furrowed his brows.


    "Wait..."


    The other two boys turned to him, listening to what he had to say.


    "I think... he''s telling the truth. While that group ran ahead, he was quite far behind. He pathetically chased them like a beggar that thought he could strike gold."


    ...Say what now?


    Part of me was relieved when he said I was telling the truth, but after he said that...


    Was this the legendary hypocrite?


    ...I should just go along with it.


    A bitter smile spread out on my face.


    "Haha, yeah. That''s why I can''t really do anything."


    The boy nodded.


    "So that means if we beat him up, we can earn Erin''s favor!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Wait, what?"


    The other two boys nodded.


    "Haha, you''re right! Quickly, hold him down so that he doesn''t get away!"


    ...It seems I misjudged the situation.


    Both my left and right arm were grabbed by the two boys. They forced me onto the ground, shoving my face into the pavement.


    My body was weak to begin with, not to mention the fact I was exhausted. As such, there was little I could do about the situation.


    Part of me considered teleporting away, but that would probably bring even more problems.


    My mind recalled the vision where I was in a cave with the four-horned demon.


    ''It''s like magic, but not really.''


    From the four-horned demon''s expression, it seemed like teleportation was not a very normal thing.


    Suddenly, my vision went blurry as a strong pain came from my head.


    The last boy stepped on my head.


    "Haha, this is such an easy way to gain Erin''s favor! All we have to do is beat up this defenseless kid!"


    If I wanted to, my mind could gather mana and directly cast spells that would kill all three of them.


    The boys who were holding me down by my arms kicked me as well. They did not hold back.


    But I wasn''t supposed to be a person that could cast magic.


    The boy with the foot on my head pressed down hard, then dragged my face across the pavement.


    My skin tore open. It was painful, especially for my eyelids that did all they could to defend my eyes.


    It was a strange feeling. To be so helpless despite having the power to fight back.


    One of the boys sighed.


    "He doesn''t look beaten up this way! We have to do more to get the message across."


    Another boy hummed.


    "But what should we do?"


    One of the boys chuckled.


    "We need to make him look bruised and bloodied! Get that rock over there!"


    While two of the boys held me down, the other went over to pick up a rock.


    ...This is probably going to be painful. Not that it wasn''t already.


    The boy with the rock looked at it awkwardly.


    "Um... where should I hit him?"


    Another boy clicked his tongue.


    "Do it on the arm! It will be very obvious if he can''t move his arm!"


    The boy with the rocked laughed.


    "Ah, of course!"


    There was a snap.


    My eyes frantically moved around as my mind tried to endure the pain. The rock landed on my elbow, directly snapping my arm.


    One of the boys seemed panicked.


    "What are you doing! Oh god, why is his arm bending like that?"


    The boy with the rock seemed to feel wronged.


    "You were the one that said to hit the arm!"


    The other boy clicked his tongue.


    "Not break it! Are you crazy?"


    One of the boys sighed.


    "Let''s just give him a few bruises on his face and call it a day."


    The other two nodded.


    "Alright, that sounds good."


    They let go of my arms and flipped me over. When the wind brushed by my face, countless needles of pain pierced me.


    The boys seemed afraid.


    "What the hell?"


    "What did you do? Why is his face like that?"


    "Damn, all I did was step on him a little. How is this my fault?"


    The boy clicked his tongue.


    "We have to run away."


    The three boys hurried off. My ears caught part of a sentence before they left.


    "Say, how do we prove..."


    I laid there silently for a few moments.


    A sigh escaped me. With a groan, my body pulled itself off the ground.


    A grimace immediately appeared on my face.


    My snapped arm swung around lifelessly, bending in ways it shouldn''t. Both my flesh and bones moved around uncontrollably, sending lightning bolts of pain to my mind.


    ...I have to cast the healing spell.


    My eyes scanned my surroundings. There were a few people looking at me.


    ...I can''t cast the spell while others are looking.


    My body dragged itself towards the nearest alleyway. The entire time, my pupils were shaking while a ragged groan escaped me. The bones had pierced through my flesh, making it extra painful.


    It felt like an eternity passed, but my body was out of sight, in the alleyway.


    My body slowly gathered mana, only to suddenly stop.


    The pain in my arm had flared up, nearly getting rid of my consciousness. My teeth grit before my mind continued to gather mana.


    Only to stop once again.


    I was panting heavily, it really just hurt too much. At this rate, it may be hours before the healing spell was cast.


    A sigh escaped me.


    An ambitious idea formed in my mind. Perhaps regret would come soon after...


    Large gales of wind whipped around me while my skin tore apart.


    An uncontrollable groan of pain escaped me, and my consciousness was becoming faint.


    My eyes became bloodshot, while my wound bled faster.


    However, my mind didn''t stop drawing in mana.


    My consciousness continued to flicker like a dying flame, however, it didn''t disappear.


    A roar of anger seeped past my teeth.


    Did they really think beating me up would help them?


    For what reason did they have to snap my arm?


    Then rip off the skin of my face?


    My thoughts were cut off short. The healing spell finished, mending my body with a gentle and caring touch.


    The skin on my face grew back while my bones realigned.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath. Then, I walked back to the palace.


    ...


    Ned, Alyx, and Erin were outside the entrance, waiting for me.


    Erin ran over to me with a small pout.


    "Sorry! I didn''t realize you were left behind!"


    A smile spread out on my face before I knew it.


    "Haha, that''s my fault, not yours."


    Ned scratched the back of his head.


    "Are you ok?"


    I spun around in a circle.


    "I''m fine. See? No injuries."


    Alyx let out a sigh of relief.


    "Well, that is good."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Why are you guys out here? There really is no reason to wait for me."


    If I didn''t force myself to cast the healing spell... it might''ve taken many hours to finish.


    Would they have waited outside for hours?


    Ned smiled awkwardly.


    "Well, we did leave you behind. If you didn''t make it back..."


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    "We would have to find you."


    A tiny bit of warmth spread in my heart.


    My hand waved dismissively. I wanted to change the topic out of embarrassment.


    "So.... what should we do about Erin''s new fame?"

 Chapter 85 - Why Are You Trying To Memorize It?

    The four of us walked into the palace courtyard, sitting on the stone path and looking at the nature around us.


    Ned rubbed the side of his head.


    "Will going to school be like this everyday?"


    Alyx sighed.


    "Probably..."


    Erin pouted.


    "Sorry..."


    A smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha, it''s really not your fault. This would''ve happened sooner or later, I imagine. In the end, it''s just an unfortunate circumstance."


    Alyx shook her head.


    "Yes... It appears that Erin can no longer go to school. There will simply be too many people pestering her."


    Erin hummed lethargically.


    "So... no more school?"


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Sorry, Erin."


    My knuckle rubbed against my temple.


    "We should talk to Mildred about this. Maybe she can inform Ela."


    Alyx nodded.


    "Perhaps that is for the best."


    Erin pouted.


    "So... no more magic?"


    My hand waved dismissively.


    "I''m sure we can have it arranged so that you can learn spells. After all, we just need to get the diagrams."


    Ned nodded.


    "That doesn''t sound too hard."


    Alyx brushed her long black hair aside.


    "I suppose there is no issue for the two of you to go to school. However, I will stay with Erin."


    The memories of the three boys came back to me.


    ...There would probably be a few issues, to say the least. Simply by being associated with Erin, we were also treated like targets.


    "I... don''t think they will leave us alone."


    Alyx raised an eyebrow.


    "What do you mean?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Well, some people have seen us together. They probably think we have a relationship, so they will want to get to Erin through us."


    Alyx furrowed her brows.


    "Surely that wouldn''t be the case?"


    Ned was rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "No... I think Jay''s right."


    Ned cut himself off after saying that. He appeared to be either thinking or reminiscing about something.


    Alyx was a little upset.


    "What? Why would they harass you guys at all? That just sounds ridiculous."


    Erin put a hand on Alyx''s arm.


    "At least listen to them..."


    A bitter smile emerged on Ned''s face.


    "Those people are... opportunistic. They are the kinds that would chase after the faintest connection that exists."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "In fact, they would probably harass us more than Erin herself."


    Alyx furrowed her brows.


    "What? That''s just-"


    "Alyx."


    Erin squeezed Alyx''s hand, calming her down.


    Alyx turned towards Erin. After a second, she looked back towards us.


    Her face twitched.


    "Sorry, go on."


    Ned let out dry laughter.


    "It''s because they believe we have some relationship with Erin. They want to use us to get a head start on impressing Erin by using a connection."


    Alyx opened her mouth, then closed it.


    She shook her head before sighing.


    "I... see."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Oh come on, it won''t be so bad! That just means we can spend our days here as a group of four!"


    Erin giggled.


    "Yeah!"


    Ned laughed.


    "Maybe it''s not so bad? Anyways, I am getting hungry. Why don''t we cook something?"


    Erin flailed her arms around in the air.


    "Yeah!"


    With that, we got up and walked to the kitchen.


    Ned turned to me on our way there.


    "Ah, you haven''t tried our cooking yet, have you?"


    My mind quickly scanned through my memories.


    "Haha, I haven''t. You''re right."


    Ned smirked.


    "Well, you ate the food they gave to us so fast. I wonder how much you would like the food we cook."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Sounds like it''s pretty good."


    Honestly, thinking of eating some food they cooked sounded pretty exciting. After all, it had been so long since I had it.


    The black fruits I had obtained before didn''t taste bad, but they weren''t specifically made to taste good.


    Not to mention... the taste of that rotten leg still lingered in the back of my mind.


    We soon reached the kitchen, where Ned and Erin began to cook. Alyx and I helped out with miscellaneous things, but my eyes carefully watched the cooking process.


    It did not take long for us to finish. By the end, I was fairly confident I could attempt the cooking process, however, there would probably be a lot of mistakes along the way.


    We went to the dining table, carrying them back.


    Once we sat down, Ned gave me a little nudge.


    "Hey, try some."


    There was a cheeky smile on his face.


    My eyes rolled.


    "Thanks."


    My hand picked up a fork, stuffing some of the noodles into my face.


    It was savory, yet refreshing. They slid down quite easily, making it quite satisfying to eat.


    Ned smiled smugly.


    "So?"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Yes, it''s very good. Far better than what I''ve tried so far."


    Ned laughed, taking on an overly pretentious position.


    "Naturally, we made it after all."


    A smirk broke out on my face.


    "Haha, if I had anything to do with the cooking I probably would''ve messed it up."


    Ned waved his hand dismissively.


    "Everyone learns at their own pace. I''m sure you will be able to do it sooner or later."


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, I''ll keep watching for now, but one day I will actually be helping out in the frontlines."


    Ned gave me a light shove. There was a bright smile on his face.


    "I will be waiting for that day."


    The four of us ate our meals. We would occasionally make a remark, so silence would only last for a second at most.


    By the time we finished, Mildred ran over to us in a hurry.


    "Oh you lot are here! Sorry, I missed you."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, sorry about that. We came back a little early."


    Mildred put a hand over her heart. She gasped.


    "Ah, why did you do that? Was the magic school not to your liking?"


    Ned laughed awkwardly.


    "Well... about that."


    Erin looked at the ground, avoiding eye contact. Alyx looked at Erin before turning to Mildred.


    "Erin was able to cast a spell with... great proficiency. As such, everyone was harassing her in an attempt to get to know her. We ran back so we didn''t have to deal with them."


    Mildred furrowed her brows.


    "Ah, really? I imagine most of the children attending that school have their pride. Nobles usually don''t approach others unless there are very specific circumstances."


    A laugh came up from my throat.


    "Well... she cast the earth spell and made a really tall dirt platform."


    Mildred blinked a few times.


    "That doesn''t sound like something that would make the nobles drop their pride."


    Ned smiled bitterly. Then, he pointed upwards.


    "What if the platform reached higher than the ceiling of this place?"


    Mildred followed Ned''s finger. Then, her jaw dropped.


    "What? You must be jesting."


    Ned laughed.


    "It wasn''t just higher by a bit too. In fact, it was way higher."


    Mildred blinked a few times.


    "Ah... Well, that makes sense now."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "So uh... it''s going to be a little hard for us to go to magic school. Chances are, people will bother us the whole time. Could we be given spell parchments to learn from within the palace?"


    Mildred''s eyelid twitched.


    "...But by not going to magic school, you won''t be taught any of the principles in casting magic!"


    Ned sighed.


    "I doubt we will be able to learn those principles anyways."


    He clicked his tongue.


    "Those people... are not the types that give up."


    Mildred was a little distraught.


    "That is not good..."


    She sighed.


    "Alright, I will cancel your registration. However, are you sure about this? It may take a few days to reinstate you if you change your mind."


    Ned looked at us.


    "Anybody change their mind?"


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders, Erin simply kept her head down, and I shook my head.


    Ned turned back to Mildred.


    "I guess that''s our answer."


    Mildred nodded.


    "Alright. I will try to prepare some spell parchments for you."


    My hand raised.


    "Wait! Could you also bring the spell called controlled vines?"


    Mildred shot me a curious look.


    "Um... alright?"


    Alyx looked at me strangely.


    "...Do you have some sort of strange fascination with that spell?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Well... I guess you could call it that."


    Mildred was a little confused, but she didn''t seem to have the time to care about Alyx''s remark. She bowed.


    "Farewell, I shall make the arrangements."


    Mildred left in a hurry.


    Ned turned to look at me.


    Alyx walked over to Erin. They proceeded to whisper to each other.


    After a few moments, Alyx waved to us.


    "Erin and I are heading up. Goodnight."


    Erin waved her hand high in the air.


    "Goodnight!"


    Ned and I waved back, giving our regards.


    Once they left, Ned turned to me.


    "Say, is that vine spell really cool or something?"


    My hand scratched the side of my head.


    "I mean, kinda? It''s really confusing, I guess."


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "So.... why are you trying to memorize it?"

 Chapter 86 - Undeniable

    Ned''s eyes were deep, like the ocean.


    When he asked me why I was so adamant on learning the spell, there was a consideration to lie and one to tell the truth.


    Though lying left a bad taste in my mouth, it would simply be too hard to explain why I was able to cast magic.


    To keep some things concealed, it would lead me down a long rabbit hole of explanations that would eventually lead to the one thing I didn''t want to talk about.


    The fact I came back to life after every death.


    In the end, after a few moments of pondering, a bitter smile spread out across my face.


    "I guess... It''s because I wanted to change my life."


    My eyes watched Ned closely for his response.


    Would he question my undoubtedly vague answer?


    Ned laughed. He stared off into the courtyard for a few moments before speaking.


    "I think I understand what you mean. To be honest, my thoughts aren''t so different."


    My head tilted to the side. Turns out Ned had some understanding while I was the one being confused.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ned used a hand to brush his hair back.


    "Well... I think that this will be a great opportunity to cook. With an entire year, surely my cooking skills will improve rapidly."


    This caught me by surprise. My hand scratched the side of my head.


    "What about magic? Weren''t you really excited to do all of that?"


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Well, of course. Who wouldn''t?"


    He sighed.


    "The only thing is... I don''t think we can cast the spells we learn here back on earth. If there really was mana in that place, I''m sure one of the billions of people would have discovered it."


    My eyes widened. Billions of people?


    ...That sounded like an impossibly huge amount.


    My thumb and forefinger rubbed against my chin.


    "So what will you do with your newfound cooking skill?"


    Ned laughed bitterly.


    "Well... I would open a restaurant."


    He spread his arms out, as if he was trying to hold the entire world.


    "Then... I would earn so much money that I wouldn''t need to worry about living expenses."


    Ned''s eyes closed.


    "...So much money that my parents wouldn''t ask me to abandon my hopes of becoming a professional cook."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "...Money?"


    Ned laughed bitterly.


    "I mean, that''s what it all comes down to, right?"


    Money...


    That was what people used to buy the food they eat, the houses they live under, and the coats to keep themselves warm.


    My hand scratched the side of my head.


    "Yeah, I guess so."


    Ned nodded.


    "...But sometimes it feels like I won''t ever make it, no matter how skilled I am, you know?"


    My head turned to him.


    "Ah, how so?"


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Because I won''t be given the chance. Even if I want to try something new, or open my horizons, it would have to be behind my parent''s back."


    My eyes followed where Ned was looking, out into the courtyard.


    Parents...


    From what Ned said, they sounded like people that held him back. Yet, he seemed to have some sort of attachment to them.


    My back leaned into the chair.


    "But why would it have to be behind their back?"


    Ned''s head fell back, held up by the top end of the chair.


    "Well... they wouldn''t let me."


    My brows furrowed.


    "But... why?"


    Ned chuckled.


    "Oh come on, surely you know this. Our parents want us to get a stable job. We would work ourselves to the bone just to survive, but we would be able to put food on the table."


    My body tensed up a little.


    "Sounds like a pain."


    Ned shook his head. A small sigh escaped him.


    "Of course it''s a pain. It''s how things were set up to work where we live."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "In the end... there''s only one way to make things work. On one hand, we work ourselves to death, just barely passing through school and work."


    He lifted up one hand as though he was a butler carrying a tray of food.


    Then, Ned lifted up his other hand.


    "On the other hand, after all of our energy was sapped from us, we have to continue working. We would work on what we wanted to do to change our life, our destiny."


    He flashed a smile at me.


    "Isn''t that what you meant? Maybe you yourself didn''t really understand."


    Honestly, it was a little hard for me to follow what Ned was saying. However, my mind had a vague understanding of what he meant.


    "...Yeah."


    Ned''s smile slowly became a frown.


    "Haha... In this way, we work until we break. Then after we break, we continue working."


    He paused.


    "Only in this way can we truly accomplish what we had truly set out to do."


    Ned took in a heavy breath.


    "But then... we work so hard, for so little results. Even if we break ourselves, there is only so much we can do while balancing both aspects at the same time."


    He licked his lips that had dried up.


    "The results end up only being subpar. Nothing compared to the people who always had money and could work on their passion for their entire life."


    Ned held his forehead with one hand.


    "Even when there are small successes... people will only think, ''Wow, that was cool!''. Yet, when you bring up the fact that you want to make a living out of it, they suddenly lose all respect for you."


    He choked.


    "They will show their concern about it''s stability. That it''s not something proper."


    My eyes just barely caught a tiny tear slipping down Ned''s face.


    "In the end, the only person that will recognize our work is ourselves. We slowly work towards a goal where we can''t even be certain it will amount to anything."


    Ned clenched his fist.


    "Because... they are right. It''s not something stable. Even if we completely throw ourselves into it, we may simply become nothing. Then, we will have to beg for food. We will spend each day wondering whether we would even be able to survive tomorrow."


    His words made me instantly recall the time I climbed out of that canyon. It made me remember the time my eyes looked up at the towering height.


    When the last semblance of hope had left my mind.


    When I let go of the very rock that held me up.


    "...Yeah. Makes you wonder why things are so cruel."


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "I guess... that''s just the way things are. There doesn''t seem to be any real explanation."


    We stared out into the courtyard for a moment.


    I don''t know when, but at some point Ned called out to me.


    "Hey, wanna go out into the courtyard?"


    A smirk appeared on my face.


    "Haha, that''s probably better than just staring at it, huh?"


    Ned tapped a finger on his forehead.


    "Heh, I''m kinda smart, wouldn''t you say?"


    My eyes rolled.


    "Of course."


    With that, we went out into the courtyard.


    The air was refreshing. Although the walls of the palace blocked most of the wind, the vegetation still swayed about.


    The grass seemed to be swimming while the flowers appeared to be having a slow dance. The tree leaves let out a gentle rustling sound, as though they wanted to tell of the secrets in this world, but didn''t have the strength to speak out coherent words.


    We were unable to see the sun because of the walls, but the dark orange glow that filled the sky reminded us that it was still there.


    Ned took a deep breath.


    "Feels kinda nice."


    A smile broke out on my face.


    "Haha, yeah."


    Ned walked over to a tree, gently laying his hand on the bark.


    "Man... where I lived, you would have to travel far to see a single damn tree."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "...Yet they are so bountiful here."


    Ned chuckled.


    "Yeah, there are a lot of them in this courtyard, huh?"


    I was talking about the forest, but such tiny nuances were unnecessary to bring up.


    My steps took me to the middle of the courtyard. My head slowly tilted upwards until it was looking directly up into the sky.


    The walls were in the corner of my vision, but between that were the trees and dark orange sky.


    My hand raised into the sky, as though it was reaching out for something.


    "Hey, Ned."


    Ned turned to look at me.


    "Yeah?"


    The orange glow slowly receded, revealing a starry night. My eyes glazed over.


    "I guess... for people like us."


    My hair slowly drifted with the wind.


    "We just have to keep improving."


    A sad smile appeared on my face.


    "To keep climbing even when we are the only ones that know."


    My hand clenched into a fist, trying to capture the entire world with its minuscule power.


    "Until our progress becomes undeniable to even the most skeptical."

 Chapter 87 - Weird Dream

    Ned and I continued talking for a little while longer under the night sky.


    Sometimes we would be serious, sometimes it would be a joke, and sometimes it would just be something random, with no particular reason.


    Ned sighed. He was sitting on the ground next to me with his hands wrapped around his legs.


    "Hey, Jay?"


    My body was in the same position as his, hugging my knees to my chest. My head slowly turned over to him.


    "Yeah?"


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Thanks for staying with me. Even when all I did was ramble on about random things."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "You don''t have to thank me for that. It was quite enjoyable, in fact."


    Ned laughed.


    "Mm... I enjoyed it too."


    Silence descended upon us for a few moments.


    The moon hung up high in the sky. Ned looked up at it and licked his dry lips.


    "Normally... I feel really lonely, you know?"


    He scoffed at himself.


    "Well, you probably don''t know."


    A soft laugh escaped me.


    "Yeah..."


    Ned shook his head.


    "Anyways, I guess I just wanted to say..."


    He pressed his lips together.


    "I feel a lot less lonely around you, Jay."


    A small smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha, I imagine it is a lot less lonely when there is a person next to you."


    Ned shook his head again.


    "No... I don''t really mean it like that."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Eh? Then what do you mean?"


    Ned chuckled bitterly.


    "Have you ever been surrounded by people, yet feel like you were alone?"


    My eyes closed.


    ...Well.


    Ever since I first realized I would appear back at the start each time I died...


    I''ve always felt like I was alone.


    I''ve met so many people, heard their stories, and overcame obstacles that I thought were insurmountable.


    ...But nobody remembers.


    If I call out their name amicably, they would probably look at me with confusion, wondering how I found out their name.


    My lips parted ever so slightly, to let out a weak voice.


    "Yeah... I''ve felt like that before."


    Ned laughed.


    "Do you see what I''m saying now?"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "I... think so?"


    Ned sighed with a soft smile on his face.


    "I guess you''re really going to make me come out and say it."


    An awkward laugh seeped out from my lips.


    "Sorry, sorry."


    Ned leaned back until his head rested comfortably on a tree.


    "It''s because I feel like I can be real with you. There is no need to hide any of my thoughts."


    My hand gently scratched the back of my head.


    "...Why do you have to hide your thoughts?"


    Ned smirked.


    "Because people don''t like that sort of thing. They don''t want to be bothered with how you really are as a person."


    He laughed with a sad undertone.


    "Only if you pretend to be a better person and hit all the social cues, will you ever get friends."


    Ned laid his forehead down on his knees.


    "Then... if you accidentally open up, they leave."


    My body shuddered.


    "Ah... That sounds like more trouble than it''s worth."


    Ned chuckled.


    "It really is. That''s why meeting someone like you feels kinda nice, you know?"


    An awkward smile emerged on my face.


    "You make me sound really special or something."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "That''s because you essentially are. What kind of person doesn''t want talent, gets his wish fulfilled, then works super hard anyway?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, when you put it like that, you have a point."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "I guess I never really saw myself as a person that was... all that good."


    Ned sighed.


    "Well... that''s pretty normal. People always have good things about them that they will never realize."


    His voice abruptly became soft.


    "...and bad things."


    I slowly nodded.


    "...Anyways. We really have stayed for way too long."


    Ned smiled.


    "Haha, do you think we will get in trouble? I mean, they aren''t our parents, right?"


    A smile spread out on my face as my head shook.


    "Regardless, we shouldn''t be doing this. I imagine it''s bad for our health."


    Ned waved his hand dismissively.


    "Agh, stop it. That sounds like something Alyx would say."


    My eyes rolled.


    "And something Alyx would say is probably in our best interest."


    Ned pressed his lips together.


    "Well... I''m not denying that."


    With a sigh, I got up on my feet. My legs felt a little numb, but it didn''t take too long for the sensation to come back to me.


    Ned stood up as well.


    "You really don''t want to talk a little more?"


    An exasperated smile appeared on my face.


    "Come on, I didn''t say we would never talk again. There''s still tomorrow, no?"


    Ned rubbed his hand against his chin. There was a cheeky smile on his face.


    "What about the day after that?"


    My mind recalled that winter was coming soon. Though I wanted to promise Ned, there simply were too many circumstances.


    "Let''s see if everything works out. If it does, then it won''t be a problem."


    Ned laughed.


    "Fair enough, fair enough."


    We walked together, back into the palace, then up the stairs. We reached our rooms in the blink of an eye.


    Ned yawned. After he finished, he ended up laughing.


    "Honestly, you probably made the best decision. If I stayed there any longer I might''ve just fallen asleep right there."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Haha, it''s not too different for me either."


    My mind was a bit muddled. We really did stay up for too long.


    Ned waved to me. He could hardly keep his eyes open as he did so.


    "Bye Jay."


    My eyes were starting to give up on me as well. However, I was still able to get a wave off.


    "Bye Ned."


    With that, the two of us entered our rooms.


    My legs stumbled until they reached the bed. If I was a little more unlucky, I would''ve fallen over.


    There was a loud thump from the room next to me.


    It seemed Ned suffered a more unfortunate fate.


    My face essentially slammed into the bed.


    And that was how I fell asleep.


    ...


    My mind formulated a dream.


    A weird one.


    My body was suspended in space. There were a few stars my eyes could just barely make out.


    But they were so far away.


    So fleeting.


    It was a strange feeling, to say the least. The loss of gravity was probably responsible for that. The sudden loss of that sensation created a strange dichotomy in my brain.


    Like there was no longer anything tying down my existence.


    There wasn''t much to do. My eyes surveyed the various stars for a few moments, but after a while, it felt a little pointless.


    It was a little cold, but not enough to make me fear for my life. It was just uncomfortable.


    Though, maybe just being uncomfortable was worse.


    Like that, I was left to my own devices for what felt like hours.


    ...This dream is...


    ...really boring.


    Why couldn''t my mind think of something more fun?


    I guess this is what my mind wanted me to dream about.


    My eyes closed, simply letting the time pass by. At some point, my ears caught a humming sound. It was hardly noticeable at first but steadily got louder.


    My brows furrowed.


    It was starting to get annoying.


    My eyes opened, looking at where this strange humming sound was coming from.


    That was when I saw... some white lines?


    They appeared small, but they were slowly getting bigger.


    ...No, they weren''t getting bigger. They were getting closer, and really quickly too.


    They gradually revealed their magnificence, through their size alone.


    A few white lines streaked past me. My eyes looked to my sides, to see these glowing lines.


    When my eyes followed their source, they appeared to stretch on infinitely.


    In just a few more moments, the space was filled with countless more white lines. They passed by in a flash, making the empty space feel chaotic.


    It did not take long for the white lines to fill the space. If my eyes tried to survey the area, they would find more white from the lines than black from space.


    My head slowly shifted back to the source of the lines.


    That was when I noticed one was approaching me.


    Before my mind even had time to fully understand my situation...


    The white line pierced me.


    It was painful, so painful.


    Yet, more than pain I was scared. For some reason, my existence felt like it was slipping away from me, leaving my grasp.


    My mind panicked, trying to do everything it could to hold myself together.


    But then...


    My resistance faltered.


    Not because my mind didn''t want to, but that it couldn''t.


    Then, my body disintegrated to dust.


    My eyes flew open.


    My breathing was still steady, but...


    My body laid there, perhaps in shock.


    "....Weird dream."

 Chapter 88 - Sleep Deprivation Hangover

    My head slowly shifted towards the side, catching a glance of the early dawn.


    I guess that weird dream, or nightmare, made me wake up early.


    Though, it didn''t change how tired my mind or body was.


    After a few seconds of debating, my body forced itself up. My mouth opened wide, letting in a yawn. After blinking a few times, my head shook.


    ...Well.


    Guess it''s time to start a new day.


    My body reluctantly got off of the bed. After leisurely freshening up, my hand pushed open the door to my room.


    My other hand lightly rubbed against my eyes, trying to smother the sleepiness away.


    A few seconds later, another door opened. Alyx and Erin walked out.


    They seemed to have woken up a decent while ago. While my hair was still a bit ruffled and wet, theirs seemed combed and dry.


    My hand waved, with what little energy was still left in me.


    "Hey."


    Immediately after finishing my greeting, my lungs pulled in a deep yawn. My head promptly shook after.


    "Sorry about that."


    Erin giggled.


    "That''s ok!"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "Oh dear, why did you stay up so long? And also, hi."


    An awkward smile appeared on my face.


    "Haha... time kinda just passes by sometimes, you know?"


    Alyx raised an eyebrow.


    "...But there really isn''t much for us to do, no? What could''ve possibly taken so much time that you had to stay up late?"


    My eyelid twitched.


    Didn''t Alyx stay up all night to practice her spell last time? This was hypocrisy!


    ...Or was it?


    She technically didn''t do that last time, I guess.


    Ah, whatever.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "I was just talking with Ned. Before we knew it, time kinda just passed."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "That must have been a deep conversation!"


    My shoulders shrugged while a chuckle escaped me.


    "I guess..."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Anyways... what do we do now?"


    Erin puffed her cheeks up.


    "Mmm... cook food!"


    She spun around a few times.


    "Ah, we need to get Ned!"


    Alyx sighed.


    "...Since he stayed up with you, he''s probably going to be exhausted, huh?"


    A laugh escaped me.


    "Yeah..."


    Erin knocked lightly against the door to Ned''s room.


    There was no response.


    She tried again, with the same intensity.


    ...There was still no response.


    Alyx smiled awkwardly.


    "...We probably need a more forceful approach to wake him up."


    She coughed with her fist in front of her mouth.


    "Though, that would probably be a little rude."


    Erin hummed.


    "...Will we have to wait for a long time?"


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders.


    "Yeah, not much we can do about that."


    Erin was pouting, but suddenly, a smile broke out on her face.


    "If he doesn''t want to wake up, he just doesn''t have to!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    Was that how it worked?...


    Erin took in a full breath of air, preparing herself.


    Then she let loose.


    "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"


    My hands darted to cover my ears. As for Alyx, her lip twitched. She didn''t cover her ears at first but caved in after a few seconds.


    Erin stopped after she ran out of breath. After panting for a few seconds, she pressed her ear against the door to Ned''s room.


    My ears could barely pick up light shifting sounds, like someone was moving some blankets. A few moments later, Ned''s muffled voice came through the door.


    "Five more minutes..."


    Not even a second after he said that, a snoring sound emanated from the door to Ned''s room.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha... I guess he doesn''t want to-"


    "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"


    Erin continued her onslaught, prompting me and Alyx to cover our ears.


    ...Didn''t she say that Ned had a choice in the matter? That he didn''t have to wake up if he didn''t want to?


    My head slowly shifted towards Alyx, while Alyx slowly looked towards me.


    We shared an awkward look for a few moments before turning back to the door.


    Erin ran out of breath once more, panting heavily. After just a few moments, she pressed her ear up against the door.


    There was a shuffling sound before a loud bang rang out. A groan of pain came from behind the doors.


    It seemed Ned had fallen onto the floor for the second time.


    After a few moments, a slow shuffling sound gradually approached the door. There was a click before it slowly opened.


    Ned could hardly keep his eyes open. He had a pretty bad bed head while there were dark circles under his eyes. One of his hands held onto the doorframe while the other was on the doorknob. He could hardly keep himself up.


    "...Good morning."


    He half said and half mumbled that statement.


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "It seems like it was a bad morning for you."


    Erin raised her index fingers before lightly tapping them against each other.


    "Hehe..."


    Ned let out a small chuckle.


    "I guess so."


    He yawned, stretching his limbs to their limits.


    "Anyways, why did you call me up so early in the morning?"


    The corner of Alyx''s lip twitched.


    "Well... this is the time people normally get up."


    Ned blinked. His eyes forced themselves open for a few moments.


    "Eh, really?"


    He let go of the doorknob to rub his eyes.


    "Ah, that means it''s time to cook."


    Ned stumbled forward but tripped over himself.


    Alyx and I each hurriedly caught one of his arms, preventing his fall.


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "Um... maybe you should take a break."


    Ned smiled.


    "Haha, seems like I won''t be able to cook much if I''m like this."


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Well, it isn''t that big of a deal to wait a while."


    Ned nodded.


    "Well... I''ll be catching up on some sleep."


    He proceeded to gently shut the door. Light shuffling sounds rang out moments before snoring filled the room.


    Alyx laughed awkwardly.


    "...It seems he stayed up even longer than you."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Huh? How do you know that?"


    Alyx rolled her eyes.


    "I mean..."


    She gestured towards me.


    "Just look at your condition and compare that with his."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Ah... you''re right."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "But why would he stay up for even longer? I remember he said he was dead tired."


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders.


    "How am I supposed to know? I was the one that originally asked you that question, remember?"


    An awkward smile emerged on my face.


    "Ah, right."


    Erin pouted.


    "So... no cooking for now."


    Alyx patted Erin''s head.


    "It seems like it will be that way for now. We will just have to wait."


    My mind began to wander.


    ...Was that vine spell prepared?


    My fist was held up in front of my face. Then my throat cleared.


    "By the way, do you think that the spell parchments are prepared?"


    Alyx turned to me.


    "I suppose the only way would be to go check. It''s not like we have anything else to do."


    Erin nodded.


    "Ah, we can learn magic! Hehe."


    With that, we made our way down the steps. As we did so, Alyx furrowed her brows.


    "...Where are we supposed to go?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh..."


    My mind recalled that Ela previously taught us magic in the room next to the palace''s entrance.


    My finger raised in the air.


    "How about we check the room next to the palace entrance first?"


    Alyx did not ruminate over it long.


    "Sure."


    We continued to walk. Erin was holding onto Alyx''s hand, swinging her arm around and humming a children''s song. This seemed to be normal to Alyx, something she had done many times before.


    We soon made it to the room next to the palace entrance. My eyes were casted outside.


    The sky was a light blue, while a few trees swayed with the wind. As for the village, my eyes could just barely make out a couple of people in the distance.


    As for the room we were in, there was a long table with many chairs. Luckily, there were quite a few parchments lying around on top.


    Erin raised her hands in the air.


    "Yay, we get to learn magic already!"


    She skipped over to the table, looking over the spells before settling on one. As for Alyx, she pulled out her spellbook and sat next to Erin.


    My eyes scanned over the table, searching for the vine spell. Without too much trouble, I was able to find it.


    I walked over and pulled out the seat next to the spell parchment, and began memorizing the diagram.


    After doing a quick review of what my mind already memorized, my eyes widened while my expression became dull.


    My mind was absorbed into the spell, slowly piecing it together in my mind.

 Chapter 89 - Duck Duck Goose

    My mind began hurting.


    It was a combination of the difficulty of the spell and my lack of sleep. Honestly, my body was currently begging me for some rest.


    ...It seemed like this was going nowhere.


    I should''ve followed Ned''s example and got a little more rest.


    Well... nothing was stopping me from getting some rest here, right?


    My hand pushed aside the spell parchment, giving my head room to lie down. After a few minutes, sleep came naturally.


    ...


    There was a light poking sensation on my arm, waking me up. My eyes fluttered open, taking in the blurry vision in front of me.


    My head turned to the side. My eyes could make out a vague outline of Erin, while my ears could make out some muffled sounds.


    "..."


    After a few moments, my vision and hearing cleared.


    "Jay! Are you coming to cook with us?"


    My eyes blinked a few times. My head turned around to survey the surroundings. Alyx and Ned were standing behind Erin.


    Although Ned didn''t look the best, he had more or less freshened up back to normal. The only thing that indicated that Ned had stayed up late was the faint dark circle under his eye.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    "Ah, yeah. Let''s get to cooking."


    Ned chuckled.


    "Seems like we both needed a bit of rest."


    Alyx flashed a cheeky smile.


    "I suppose you weren''t lying when you said that you were going to laze around the whole time."


    I could tell she was joking, so I flashed a smile back. My left hand raised, doing the ok gesture, connecting my thumb and forefinger to make a circle.


    "I am a man of my word, after all."


    Alyx rolled her eyes.


    "Oh really?"


    I made sure to use an overly pretentious voice.


    "Oh yes, that is exactly what my statement intended to conclude."


    Ned let out a laugh. He matched my overly pretentious tone.


    "You two speak boldly when Erin and I are the ones doing the cooking."


    Erin giggled.


    "Everyone helps how they can!"


    Ned smiled gently.


    "Yes, yes, they do."


    With that, the four of us went to go cook some food. Like always, my mind attempted to imprint these techniques into my mind.


    Though my confidence in cooking was still weak, I was willing to try it after a few more demonstrations.


    We brought the dishes to the dining area and began eating leisurely.


    Alyx put a fork into some vegetables, then paused. There was a contemplative look on her face.


    "Say, where are Ela and Mildred?"


    Ned lifted his head up.


    "Ah, true. Where could they have gone?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "I''m sure they will be back soon!"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Hmm... makes this palace seem even bigger with them gone."


    Ned nodded.


    "More empty, too."


    Then he shrugged his shoulders.


    "But hey, it''s not too bad with the four of us here."


    I nodded without much thought.


    "Yeah, that''s for sure."


    Erin smiled.


    "Hehe, that''s all we need!"


    Alyx smirked.


    "I suppose."


    We finished up not too long later. With not much else to do, we went back to the table with all the spells.


    Ela and Mildred were still nowhere to be seen.


    Like last time, I took the seat next to the spell parchment that said, ''Controlled Vines''. Erin and Alyx took the same seats while Ned checked out the ice spell.


    This time, my mind and body were refreshed. The nap and food helped a lot.


    My mind slowly imprinted the strange diagram. Slowly but surely, it was being memorized.


    Using the cores as reference was a good idea, especially since I nearly got lost attempting to remember the chaotic movement within.


    It was kinda like being in a nearly boundless forest. Ideally, I would have to pick a direction and stick with it, allowing me to leave. However, everything within the forest was randomly placed, making it hard to keep reference points of where I used to be.


    Then came in the cores. They acted as though they were the sun. The sun would always travel in the same arc, and by following that arc, I would eventually make it out of the forest alive.


    And make out of the forest, I did.


    Finally, the strange diagram was just barely memorized. After my lungs forced in a deep breath, my mind hurriedly reviewed all of it to make sure I remembered it all.


    The biggest thing that made this spell so difficult was that it didn''t share the general structure that other spells had.


    It was only after memorizing this spell did I realize this. For whatever reason, that general diagram was very familiar to me.


    As for why I couldn''t be sure.


    My head lifted.


    The room was much darker than I remembered. My eyes darted towards the palace entrance.


    ...It was night.


    How long was I doing this for?


    My eyes hurt. They were probably bloodshot. After rubbing my eyes, I used them to observe the rest of the room.


    Ned, Alyx, and Erin were nowhere to be seen.


    My nose sniffed lightly.


    ...There was the smell of food.


    My head shifted towards my right. There was a fork along with a plate of noodles that had some vegetables and ham on top.


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    ...They probably called out to me, didn''t they?


    After letting out a chuckle, my hand grasped the fork before shoving some noodles in my face.


    I made sure to push away the parchment so that no stains got on it. If it covered the diagram, that would be unfortunate, to say the least.


    The food was cold but still enjoyable.


    My focus was more on eating faster rather than savoring it. Although the strange diagram was finished, that was only the beginning.


    All of the convoluted ways the other spells were connected was another beast on its own.


    Right when the last noodle was stuffed into my mouth, my hand pushed away the plate while my other hand pulled the spell parchment towards me.


    While still chewing on the noodles, my eyes scanned over the diagram.


    "Hey, Jay."


    Right before my mind was absorbed by the spell diagram, my ears caught onto Ned''s voice.


    My head lifted.


    "Ah, hi Ned."


    Ned blinked a few times.


    "Haha, you are still going at it, huh?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Time kinda just flew by, I guess."


    Ned smirked.


    "Do you enjoy doing that?"


    My eyes glazed over.


    Did I enjoy this?


    My thumb and forefinger rubbed against my chin.


    "...I think I enjoy it?"


    Ned furrowed his brows with a smile on his face, making a rather strange expression.


    "That''s confusing. You can''t even tell if you enjoy something?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Guess I''m kinda crazy like that."


    Ned chuckled.


    "Anyways, we were planning on playing a bit in the courtyard. Why don''t you join us?"


    I nodded.


    "Ah, that sounds fun. Why not?"


    And so, I got up from the seat and walked to the courtyard with Ned.


    As we went, Ned sighed.


    "Ela and Mildred still haven''t come back."


    He tilted his head to the side.


    "Well, at least not that we know of."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Do you think there''s something wrong?"


    Ned laughed.


    "Honestly, it''s probably nothing. We are probably being paranoid for nothing."


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    "I guess it''s just the uncertainty of their disappearance that makes things weird."


    I nodded.


    "That makes sense."


    We arrived in the courtyard.


    The tree leaves along with the grass shone with a bright green, making the place feel a little lively. The flowers were a variety of colors, filling the place up with more variety.


    ...For some reason, this scene seemed strange to me. Though I couldn''t put my finger on why.


    Erin was holding onto Alyx''s hand and talking excitedly.


    "What about tag? It will be so much fun!"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "Although this place is spacious, it isn''t so spacious that we can tag. It will be rather inconvenient, to say the least."


    Erin pouted.


    "Mmm... then what is there?"


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders.


    "What if we play the one-word story game?"


    Erin pouted.


    "Mmm... I always mess that one up, you know that!"


    Alyx chuckled.


    "It was just a suggestion based on our environment."


    Ned waved.


    "Hey!"


    He laughed.


    "What about duck, duck, goose? That shouldn''t be too hard for us to do."


    Erin raised her hands in the air.


    "Oh, yes!"


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders.


    "That sounds fine."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Uh... what is that?"


    Ned turned to me with surprise.


    "Eh? You''ve never played before?"


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "Uh, yeah."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "No way!"


    Alyx sighed.


    "Basically, one person is the ''goose'' while the others are ''ducks''. The ''ducks'' sit in a circle while the ''goose'' picks someone to compete in a race. The winner becomes a ''duck'' while the loser becomes the ''goose''."


    ....For some reason, my mind wandered when Alyx mentioned we would have to ''pick'' someone.

 Chapter 90 - To Make A Choice

    Ned chuckled.


    "Well, since this is clearly your first time, I think you should be the goose."


    Erin smiled.


    "Yes! Yes! Let''s start!"


    Alyx brushed her hair aside with a smile that spoke of helplessness.


    "We aren''t staying up late though, ok?"


    Erin giggled.


    "Ok, ok!"


    Ned, Erin, and Alyx sat in a circle, leaving me as the lone person standing.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "So... how exactly does this work?"


    Ned laughed.


    "Basically, you tap each of our shoulders and say duck as you go. Once you have made your choice, you say goose and begin running around the circle."


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Ah, I see."


    So... I kept saying duck until I made my choice.


    My hand lightly tapped Ned''s shoulder.


    "Duck."


    From there, I continued to the left, tapping Erin''s shoulder.


    "Duck."


    ...Making a choice, huh?


    The next person in line was Alyx, so I tapped her shoulder.


    "Duck."


    I''ve always been making choices, now that I think about it.


    "Duck."


    Well, saying choices is quite a vague way of putting it. I guess I mean choices in terms of people.


    "Duck."


    In the lives I''ve lived, sometimes I would choose to listen to someone. Sometimes I would choose to spend time with another.


    ...Sometimes I would choose to spend time with nobody at all, focusing on myself instead.


    "Duck."


    But...


    Was that wrong?


    Every time I choose to help someone, it''s the same thing as choosing to disregard everyone else.


    "Duck."


    There was one time I attempted to help some slaves, releasing them from their capture. As for their lives after that, it may not have been the best, but it was better than before.


    "Duck."


    But that was the only time I helped them. In every other life, they were under the slave trader''s reign, suffering.


    The same went for the others in the palace, the ones I cared about. Despite how much Mildred helped me in the past, I never bothered patching up our relationship now.


    Instead, my focus was on learning spells.


    "Duck."


    There was the time I listened to Ela''s story. She explained why she always attempted to help people, even though it wasn''t required. That she had hesitated before, which came at the cost of her brother.


    By listening to her, I was able to make Ela cut herself some slack. That way, she wasn''t taking on an unnecessary burden.


    But... I only did that once.


    What about all the other times?


    She must have been torturing herself, working so hard yet thinking it wasn''t enough. That she was unworthy because she wasn''t able to help every single person.


    ...To the point where she neglected the person she was supposed to care the most about.


    Herself.


    Yet, I did nothing about it. I let her suffer in all those other lives.


    "Duck."


    But...


    How was I supposed to make my choice?


    How was I supposed to know which way was the best?


    Should I be taking time with the others around me?


    But what about the rest of the world? If I don''t become strong enough, then this cycle of misery will simply continue.


    No... not just them, but even the people close to me.


    In the end, winter was going to spell our doom. That meant if I could not do something about it, the only outcome was starving to death or dying after being attacked.


    So long as I haven''t become powerful enough, I won''t be able to save everyone.


    ...But that meant I would have to neglect everyone else.


    "Duck."


    Deep within my mind, a memory sprouted out.


    My body was laying in a bed, while Erin was sitting in a chair next to me. She had spent quite some time watching over me because I blacked out.


    At that time, I told her I was leaving, because only with power could I save everyone.


    Then Erin told me...


    ''...The other me will probably appreciate that.''


    At the time, that sentence passed straight through my mind. It didn''t seem important. But now, I realized what Erin was trying to say.


    She was telling me to stay.


    That instead of going on this fleeting climb of power, we could enjoy our time together. Even if we would die in the end.


    ...But doing that would be neglecting the other in the future. Since I haven''t become stronger, I will be unable to help those other people.


    "Duck."


    So... what was I supposed to do?


    What was the right choice?


    By throwing myself into this struggle of power, I sacrificed time that could''ve been spent with my friends.


    That had already happened in this life. Instead of talking with them, I chose to memorize the spell called ''Controlled Vines''.


    Only when they have personally called out to me did I stop. Only then did I decide to consider that they had feelings as well.


    On the other hand, there was the consideration of the entire world. The amount of misery they suffered from was immeasurable.


    "Duck."


    Was it right for me to neglect the rest of the world?


    In reality, I''ve already been doing that. Realistically, every day I spend in the palace is a day I could''ve used to sharpen my skills in the forest. By choosing to stay here, I''ve essentially given up on making the most of that.


    Every day...


    I''ve been neglecting someone.


    Whether it be the people close to me or the vast majority of the world.


    What kind of person does that make me?


    ...Doesn''t that mean I''m an awful person?


    Someone so selfish that I can''t even-


    "Jay?"


    Erin called out to me.


    She looked at me with her beady eyes.


    "Are you ok?"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Ah, sorry."


    Ned laughed.


    "You have to choose someone, eventually!"


    Alyx rolled her eyes.


    "Seriously, what are you doing? I get this is your first time... but you should have at least some trace of common sense, right?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head as an awkward laugh came up from my throat.


    "Sorry, sorry. I guess I''m just really indecisive."


    Alyx sighed.


    "We can take time to make our decisions, but that doesn''t mean we can spend all the time in the world on them."


    She shrugged her shoulders.


    "After all, it might not be the best decision, but there is little we can do about that."


    Ah...


    I guess that''s right.


    How was I supposed to know what the optimized outcome was supposed to be?


    I was not a god.


    So why was I pretending to be one?


    Erin giggled.


    "If you never choose, you can''t become a duck! The goal of the game is to be a duck so that you can sit and take a rest!"


    She tilted her head to the side.


    "If you are so indecisive, there will never be a break for you!"


    A small smile emerged on my face.


    "Ah, right."


    Erin whispered to me.


    "Since I gave you that advice, you have to pick me next!"


    A smile uncontrollably spread out on my face. One of my eyes closed, shooting a wink at Erin.


    "Gotcha."


    My hand tapped on Alyx''s shoulder.


    "Duck."


    Then Ned''s shoulder.


    "Duck."


    ...Now Erin was next in line.


    I purposely waited a few extra seconds. Then, when Erin turned to look at me curiously, my hand swiftly tapped her shoulder.


    "Goose!"


    Not bothering to wait for Erin, my legs took me around the circle. As for Erin, she hopped to her feet before immediately dashing in the other direction.


    Erin was fast.


    It wasn''t like my steps were purposely slow, but by the time we passed each other, I had only traveled one-third of the way while Erin had traveled two-thirds.


    So... my steps sped up.


    My body was weak, but I ran faster than I could''ve ever imagined. My hair was blown aside in the wind, making me feel like I was flying.


    Then, right before Erin made it full circle, I slid into the spot she was sitting.


    Erin''s eyes widened.


    "What! I thought I was going to win for sure!"


    My hand scratched the back of my head. A cheeky smile spread out on my face.


    "Well... I wanted to take a break. So I made sure to steal it from you."


    Erin giggled.


    "I''ll get you next time!"


    Turns out I was being a hypocrite, of sorts.


    Like Ela, I was taking on the responsibility of every little thing that there was to take responsibility for.


    I criticized Ela for caring about everything else rather than herself.


    Yet here I was, doing the exact same thing.


    Erin puffed her cheeks, then went around tapping our shoulders, saying duck as she passed by.


    When she came to Alyx, she yelled out goose.


    Erin was much faster than Alyx, beating her easily.


    A small laugh escaped me.


    I guess sometimes it wasn''t enough to know something was wrong.


    Sometimes it could slip right by you, turning into what you swore to never be.

 Chapter 91 - A Liar

    We continued to play duck duck goose for a while.


    It was pretty fun.


    At some point, Erin chose me when she was the goose. Although I tried my hardest to run, she beat me like she said she would.


    Before we knew it, the moon was out.


    Alyx sighed.


    "Ah, we have to go to sleep now!"


    Erin pouted.


    "Just a little longer!"


    Alyx held her forehead with one hand.


    "No, it''s far too late! How did I not even notice?"


    Ned laughed.


    "It''s probably best to sleep a little earlier..."


    It seemed like Ned had recalled his last experience of staying up late.


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders.


    "Besides, there''s always tomorrow to look forward to."


    Ned nodded.


    "Haha, you''re right."


    Erin hummed with dissatisfaction.


    "Ok..."


    As for me... my mind was caught in a daze.


    Tomorrow...


    Wasn''t that when it would start snowing?


    Wait, no. It was today.


    ...But there wasn''t any snow in the sky.


    My knuckle rubbed against my temple.


    What was happening?


    What was I missing?


    Suddenly, I recalled one of my past lives.


    ...It was the one where I tried to kill myself.


    At that time, it started snowing a day late. I didn''t put too much thought into it, but that fact was simply... too strange. From my past experiences, everything would be the same, down to the smallest detail.


    At least for now, the only thing that would cause any changes would be my own actions. Yet, how could my actions possibly be influential enough to change the weather?


    ...What if there was a way to delay the winter until the year ended?


    "Jay?"


    Ned called out to me.


    My eyes blinked before my head turned towards him.


    "Ah, yes?"


    Ned laughed.


    "Are you going to go to bed?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Right, right. Thanks for reminding me."


    It was only now that I realized Ned was halfway down the hall while Alyx and Erin had already left.


    I hurriedly ran forth, catching up with Ned. And with that, the two of us started walking to our rooms.


    While my lungs were still panting for air, I made out a question.


    "Say... do you know anything... about changing the weather?"


    Ned blinked a few times. Then he laughed awkwardly.


    "That''s... a strange thing to wonder about."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "I guess... still, do you know anything about it?"


    Ned shifted his eyes away before scratching his cheek.


    "...No, not really."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Ah, really? That''s a pity."


    Ned looked at the ground, while his arms were pressed against his sides.


    "Yeah..."


    ...Ned seemed to be acting a little strange. His tone had shifted drastically while he kept touching himself awkwardly.


    For some reason, this felt especially weird to me. As for why, I couldn''t tell you.


    In the end, the two of us reached our rooms.


    My hand waved in the air.


    "Goodnight, Ned."


    Ned turned to me but did not make eye contact. He hurriedly nodded.


    "Ah, night."


    Ned proceeded to slip behind the door, leaving me to my own devices.


    My hand scratched the back of my head. For a few seconds, I was just standing there, blinking awkwardly. Then... my hand pushed open the door and went inside.


    It was only when my foot set into the room did I realize what made Ned''s behavior so strange. My mind delved into my memories, one of the times I was talking with Erin.


    She had her index finger pointed to the ceiling and a serious look on her face.


    ''There are various cues you can pick up that are usually telltale signs.''


    Erin cleared her throat playfully.


    "There are the easiest signs of the novice liar. These people have trouble maintaining eye contact, they may play with their hair or scratch themselves. Not to mention peculiar body posture, such as being hunched over."


    When my mind connected that memory to the actions Ned did, they matched like pieces of a puzzle.


    ...Ned was lying?


    To lie about the change of weather seemed rather random. Why would someone even need to lie about something like that in the first place?


    Hmm...


    Ah, my mind is too muddled for this. Sleep comes first, before anything.


    With that thought in mind, my body plopped onto the bed.


    ...


    The next thing I knew, it was morning.


    After quickly freshening up, my hand was placed on the door handle of my room.


    But I didn''t push it open.


    My hand let go.


    I walked over to the curtains and pushed them aside. A sunny village was revealed before me.


    Without a single snowflake in the air.


    My thumb and forefinger rubbed against my chin.


    "The weather is still the same..."


    If this was indirectly caused by my actions, there must''ve been something similar I did in this life and that life when I... attempted suicide.


    But as my mind crossed these events over each other, there wasn''t anything that particularly stood out. Especially not anything that could drastically shift the weather.


    I decided to make my way out of the room as my mind continued filtering through information.


    My hand pushed open the door and coincidentally enough, Ned was also leaving his room.


    Ned flashed a smile.


    "Oh, hey Jay!"


    I nodded, still half lost in thought.


    "Hey, Ned."


    That was when it struck me.


    The similarities in those two lives...


    What set them apart from the rest of my lives was the fact I talked to Ned.


    Although this seemed to be like a massive stretch, my mind recalled the fact Ned began lying when I asked him about changing the weather.


    Things just... seemed to connect.


    But how could Ned possibly be the reason for the shift in weather? Did he inherit some kind of magical power that let him control the skies?


    Things still didn''t make perfect sense.


    "Jay?"


    Ned was waving a hand in front of my face.


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Oh, sorry."


    Ned laughed.


    "You space out a lot. What are you, a philosopher?"


    A smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha, maybe. Are you only now realizing my eloquence?"


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Why yes, sire. Your impeccable intellect just bleeds through your skin."


    A laugh escaped me.


    "So are you getting ready to make some food?"


    Ned nodded


    "Yeah, right after Alyx and Erin get up too."


    I decided to not question Ned about my recent theories. I figured the topic would be too sensitive since it was essentially me suspecting him for causing this shift in weather.


    That he caused all of this misery.


    Although Ned was suspicious in my eyes, I didn''t believe that he would do something like this. After all, he was such a caring person.


    If it really was him, that would cause a huge wave of discontinuity in my mind. But I refused to believe that.


    Ned walked over to Alyx''s door and proceeded to knock on it.


    After a few seconds, the door was opened.


    Alyx appeared from behind. It looked like she already freshened up. She brushed aside her hair and waved.


    "Hey. Start of a new day, it seems."


    Ned smirked.


    "Well, of course! Is Erin there with you?"


    Alyx shook her head.


    "Ah, she''s in her own room right now. I imagine she has already woken up."


    Alyx stepped out of her room to go knock on Erin''s door. She let out a few light raps against the wooden door.


    We waited for a few moments.


    ...There was no response.


    Alyx furrowed her brows and knocked a little louder.


    ...There was still no response.


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Is she still sleeping?"


    Alyx sighed.


    "This girl didn''t stay up all night, did she?"


    Ned sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.


    "That... would be bad. It doesn''t feel good to lose so much sleep."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Well... what if we yelled? That would wake her up, right? It worked for Ned last time."


    Alyx''s face twitched.


    "That..."


    Ned''s eyebrow twitched. He seemed to be recalling his last miserable experience of Erin shouting until he woke up.


    "Well... it''s only fair, right?"


    A cheeky smile appeared on Ned''s face.


    Alyx opened her mouth but closed it soon after. She gave me an awkward look, which I returned.


    The two of us plugged our ears.


    Then... Ned began shouting.


    "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"


    Ned basically did it as loud as Erin shouted last time.


    Tripping and stumbling sounds came from the room before the door swiftly opened.


    Erin appeared. Her hair was frizzy, and bags were under her eyes.


    "Ah... hello!"


    Ned waved.


    "Hey!"


    He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Say... you didn''t stay up all night, did you?"


    Erin smiled sheepishly.


    "Ehehe... maybe a little."


    Alyx furrowed her brows.


    "...But I told you to go to sleep early!"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "I was too excited about tomorrow!"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "Well, tomorrow has become today.. Let''s go."

 Chapter 92 - Maze-Like Spell Diagram

    After that, the four of us went to cook. Erin was a little sleepy, so she almost hurt herself by dropping a pot filled with boiling water. Thankfully, Alyx was able to react in time, catching the pot before it spilled on Erin. Alyx ended up scalding herself in the process though.


    There were no other mishaps and we got to eat comfortably. Then, the four of us went to study magic.


    The entire time, I was pondering on what I wanted to do.


    I gave up on trying to do everything perfectly. However, now I was questioning what I wanted to do. Countless memories had flashed through my mind.


    Mildred downing a beer to stave off her boredom...


    Ela who tried to carry the entire kingdom on her shoulders...


    Ned who was feeling lonely...


    Then, I thought about the other people.


    Those captured as slaves, forced in cellars against their will...


    The farmers that had to shovel snow off their farms just to live a few more days...


    And Everett too.


    A kid that just wanted to make her mother happy, but would never be able to do so.


    ...I made my choice.


    I wouldn''t neglect my friends, but first, I needed to become stronger.


    In the end, I was still too weak. So long as this fact remained true, I would be unable to stop their suffering.


    Only if this world... was changed, could everyone be happy.


    And the only thing I could do about it was practice my theories and gain more experience.


    With renewed determination, I held up the spell parchment and glared at it intently. The world around me had been blocked out entirely.


    The only thing my eyes saw was the spell diagram in front of my face.


    My mind first double checked that my memorization of the strange diagram was correct. After confirming this fact, my eyes fell on the connections between the separate diagrams.


    ...I guess it would make the most sense to start at the strange diagram since that was where I left off.


    Each spell diagram was connected with various threads that seemed to serve no true purpose. They all had at least two threads connecting them, which made it a little confusing to say the least.


    Just by looking at the various threads connected to the strange diagram, it made me feel like I was thrown into a maze.


    All around me were countless pathways that each led to even more pathways.


    However, there was no escape to the maze.


    The only way to conquer it was to memorize every single stone brick it was made out of.


    My head spun around, taking in the immediate paths before me. Each entrance was slowly imprinted into my mind.


    Then, I walked down one path, attempting to memorize where it would take me. After taking several steps forward, I would come back to the start.


    From there, I would pick a different path, walking down several steps once more. This continued until I had taken a couple of steps down each path from the beginning.


    I repeated this process but went a little further.


    Like that, my mind slowly memorized the spell diagram.


    ...But it wasn''t that easy.


    The further down I walked, the more paths would open before me. They were numerous but didn''t have any defining features. As such, I mixed them up quite a few times.


    Sometimes I would take a left, only to hit my head against a wall.


    It was simply getting far too complicated, like the ever-increasing threads on the outer edges of a spider web.


    ...It was frustrating, to say the least.


    My knuckle rubbed against my temple, soothing a bit of the stress in my mind.


    "...This is going to be hard."


    What set this apart from everything else, was not necessarily the volume of the spell, but the different branching pathways.


    There have been other spells, like firebolt and encase, that combined multiple spell diagrams. However, their connection was relatively simple. From what I recall, they were elementary spells, just like the spell I was currently memorizing.


    So... why was there such a big difference in their difficulty?


    It seems even within ranks, there was a great disparity.


    Someone patted my shoulder.


    "Hey... are you alright?"


    I turned to the side and to my surprise, it was Mildred. She had a concerned look on her face.


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Ah... I''m fine. Why do you ask?"


    Mildred smiled bitterly.


    "You... look a little tired."


    I looked down at my body.


    My clothes were drenched with sweat while large blue veins could be seen poking out from under my skin.


    An awkward chuckle slipped out of me.


    "...Huh. When did this happen?"


    Mildred looked at the spell parchment still in my hand.


    "Were you trying to memorize this spell? It really isn''t something a mage should look at for their first spell."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Well... I feel like I can be considered an exception."


    Mildred raised an eyebrow.


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    A dry chuckle escaped me.


    "Well... I am unable to cast magic. So it doesn''t really matter what I look at for my first spell."


    Mildred furrowed her brows.


    "What?... That doesn''t make any sense. Why did you want this spell in the first place?"


    My mouth dried up. I got the courage to speak up after licking my lips.


    "Well... I saw it in the magic school. That''s why I wanted to take a peek at it again."


    Mildred took a step back and gave me a once-over.


    "...You seem to have gone much farther than a peek."


    An awkward smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha... it''s not that bad, right?"


    Mildred smiled bitterly.


    "Your clothes are drenched from sweat, your veins are bulging from your skin and your eyes are bloodshot."


    She sighed.


    "...I didn''t even know it was possible for someone to be in this condition just from memorizing a spell!"


    ...Honestly, I didn''t think that it was possible either.


    Yet here I was.


    I held my fist in front of my face and coughed.


    "It seems I got this way without even realizing it."


    My eyes shifted back towards the spell parchment, landing on the diagram. But before I could continue, it was snatched from my hands.


    "No more memorizing!"


    Mildred gave me a strict glare.


    "You''re already in this state and want to continue?"


    Well, she definitely had a point.


    I pressed my lips together.


    "Haha... you''re probably right."


    Mildred sighed.


    "Go take a break already! Your companions have already left a while ago."


    My eyes scanned the rest of the room. As Mildred said, Ned, Alyx, and Erin were nowhere to be seen. There was even a small plate of food next to me.


    Out of nowhere, a strong hunger assaulted me.


    Without waiting, I proceeded to shovel it down. For a minute or so, I had become the reincarnation of a vacuum, inhaling all the food in front of me.


    Once I finished, Mildred blinked with a bit of shock.


    "Um... you shouldn''t eat so fast."


    She knew that her remark was a little late, considering the food was already in my stomach. However, she said it anyway.


    My cheeks heated up.


    ...That could''ve been handled with more grace. Though in hindsight, I probably would''ve eaten like that even while knowing that it was going to be embarrassing.


    My throat cleared.


    "Um... I will go take a break now."


    Mildred nodded.


    "Alright. Don''t forget to take care of yourself!"


    A small smile emerged on my face.


    "I''ll try!"


    I began walking upstairs and waved to Mildred.


    Mildred waved back but suddenly froze.


    "Wait, don''t just try! You have to actually take care of your body!"


    A small laugh came out of me as I escaped towards the stairs. Mildred sighed helplessly, then tended to her own things.


    It was only after taking a few steps up the stairs did I realize the condition of my body. The adrenaline left my body like the fleeting light of a shooting star.


    My body began trembling violently.


    ...How did this happen? I was just sitting down the whole time!


    Logically, my body should be well-rested, right? Well, I didn''t understand how human anatomy worked.


    Was it even called human anatomy?


    ...Whatever.


    My foot slowly raised, violently trembling as it went. After a lot of pain and struggle, I got on the first step. My mind was already on the verge of blanking out.


    My mind pondered for a moment.


    It was probably a bad idea to keep going, wasn''t it?


    My lungs forced in a deep breath. My foot was slowly pulled back, meaning all the effort I put into raising it was for naught.


    My foot was placed on the step below.


    Then, it spasmed.


    To my dismay, my body uncontrollably fell backward.


    My eyelid twitched.


    This was probably going to hurt, huh?


    Well, nothing I could do about it now.

 Chapter 93 - Lullaby

    I sucked in a breath through grit teeth. My eyes closed, bracing for the impact.


    A jolt passed through my body. But... my back felt fine. It was my arm that hurt.


    I opened my eyes to see... Erin holding onto my arm.


    She had a flushed expression and puffed cheeks.


    "What are you doing!"


    She pulled me back up and lifted up my body with the help of her shoulder.


    "If you fall, it will hurt really bad!"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha... I overestimated my ability to climb stairs."


    Erin raised an eyebrow.


    "Wow, you''re even more clumsy than me!"


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "I guess so..."


    Erin helped me get up the stairs. Although it was still slow and painful, it was much easier and there were no more mishaps.


    By the time we reached the top of the steps, I was panting.


    "Thank... you..."


    Erin smiled.


    "No problem! Where are you trying to go, anyway?"


    My hand pointed towards the door to my room.


    "I just... wanted to get some sleep."


    Erin pouted.


    "Ok... Be careful on the stairs next time!"


    A small smile spread out on my face.


    "Alright. Thanks for saving me."


    Erin giggled.


    "No problem."


    Once we got to the door of my room, I looked at Erin curiously.


    "Say, where is Alyx? Isn''t she usually with you?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Ah, Alyx wanted to study her spells a bit without being distracted."


    Erin giggled.


    "I think that''s because she was looking at how hard you were working!"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Huh? Are you sure?"


    Erin held up her index finger right next to my face.


    "Yes! She looked at you like she couldn''t believe how intensely you were staring at the paper!"


    A gasp escaped me.


    "Ah... It''s not that impressive, is it?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Well... it is to her!"


    She grinned cheekily.


    "And me too! I don''t think I could ever focus like that."


    I held the back of my head with my hand.


    "Haha... I guess it''s a little impressive then?"


    Erin smiled and tapped my shoulder with her finger.


    "You really need to learn to take a break though!"


    She crossed her arms.


    "Look at you now. You can''t even climb up a set of stairs!"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah. I honestly never realized things got this bad until... they were."


    Erin sighed.


    "Maybe being so concentrated all the time isn''t the best."


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "I''ll try my best to tone it down a bit."


    Erin nodded with a big smile. She opened the door for me and helped me inside. With a few stumbles, I was eventually able to lie down on the bed.


    Erin didn''t leave immediately. Instead, she looked at me with a bit of curiosity. Her beady eyes stared at me kinda like I was a zoo animal.


    I coughed.


    "Um... what is it?"


    Erin giggled.


    "You are a really strange guy!"


    An embarrassed smile appeared on my face.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Erin pouted.


    "It''s like... you already know us, or something!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    How does someone even tell this type of thing?


    "Uh, I''m not really following. How do I already know you guys?"


    Erin bobbed her head.


    "Mmm..."


    She raised a finger in the air.


    "It''s like you''re never surprised or always know what we''re about to do!"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Huh?"


    Erin giggled.


    "Like that time you just somehow knew the earth spell, but lied to cover it up!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "But... that doesn''t mean I already know you guys!"


    Erin pointed at me accusingly.


    "I also found out that you accurately predicted Alyx''s spells!"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Ah, well that''s just a lucky guess!"


    Erin waved her finger in front of my face, nearly hitting my nose.


    "Then you even predicted your own talent!"


    I raised my hands up like I was surrendering.


    "But that isn''t even related to knowing you guys beforehand!"


    Erin huffed cutely.


    "You just... seem to know everything that''s going to happen! You lied about not wanting talent, but you totally lied just so that we wouldn''t feel bad, right?"


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "There''s no solid evidence!"


    Erin puffed her cheeks up.


    "I have all the evidence I need!"


    I didn''t know what to say.


    After a few moments, Erin sighed.


    "Why do you lie anyway? It just makes things more complicated!"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "...But if I told the truth, it would just get more and more confusing."


    Erin put her fists on her sides and stuck out her elbows.


    "That doesn''t mean you have to lie!"


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "But..."


    Erin interrupted me by shaking my shoulders.


    "Just say you don''t want to talk about it!"


    A forlorn expression appeared on my face.


    "Well... I just want to give an answer so they stop thinking about it."


    Erin crossed her arms.


    "Well now I''m thinking about it!"


    For some reason, those aggressive words felt... really warm.


    I laughed.


    "Sorry."


    Erin hummed with dissatisfaction.


    "Mm... I guess I should let you sleep."


    My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    "I... guess so."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Though... I don''t think I will be sleeping anytime soon."


    Erin raised an eyebrow.


    "What! Why are you even here if you aren''t going to sleep?"


    My brows furrowed.


    "I just... my mind keeps whirling around, like a damn raging sea is passing through it."


    My hand reached upwards to hold the side of my face.


    "It makes me feel wide awake and even a little pain."


    My eye peeked through the fingers of my hand.


    "And... I can''t stop thinking of that spell diagram."


    These were my true thoughts. Though the adrenaline had left my system, my mind kept harping on, still thinking about the spell diagram even when it wasn''t there.


    Erin furrowed her brows.


    "Oh, that''s not good."


    She pressed her lips together.


    "Mm... I''ve never dealt with something like that before."


    My hand slipped off of my face.


    "Yeah, this is my first time. My best guess would be to stop myself from thinking about it, but I don''t really know how to do that."


    The only thing I could see was the maze. When I closed my eyes and covered them with my hands, I would see another maze. It was inescapable.


    It was almost like... a sneaky parasite had latched onto my mind.


    Erin put on a serious thinking expression, but it ended up looking cute.


    "When I have trouble sleeping, I like to listen to a lullaby!"


    A bitter smile spread out on my face.


    "I... don''t think that will help much."


    Erin giggled.


    "Just try it!"


    I nodded reluctantly.


    "Ok..."


    Erin closed her eyes and slowly swayed her head back and forth.


    "Hush little baby, it''s going to be a long night."


    My cheeks heated up. It felt a little... demeaning to be called a little baby. I decided to remain silent anyways.


    "I wanna tell you that I care and I really mean it.


    The forests are cold, but days without you are colder.


    I''ll cross my heart and hope to die, I know it will be alright if I''m by your side.


    When we look to when we''re old, I promise our footprints will be side by side.


    I don''t know what the future holds, but I don''t need to.


    Time will stretch on forever, but I will wait even longer for you.


    Even the darkest nights with you, can shine so bright.


    You are never alone, even if we are apart.


    Just know I will always chase you, my guiding light.


    So please wait for me, I promise I will arrive.


    I would walk a thousand miles to see your eyes, even if we must say goodbye.


    Times will get tough, but we will be tougher.


    You''ll never need a friend, cause I''ll be there.


    Even if the rain pours down heavily, together we can escape all this reality.


    So long as I''m here, the stars don''t have to align.


    Flowers will bloom and wilt, just like you and me.


    But we won''t ever be alone, not now, not ever.


    We may be scared, but just take my hand.


    There''s something in your eyes that tells me we won''t be sad.


    Always and forever, till the end.


    So hush little baby even when the night gets scary.


    We don''t need the sun to shine on brightly."


    Mmm...


    I guess I understand a little more of what Ned means by being alone now. Perhaps everybody feels a little lonely sometimes.


    Erin lightly brushed aside my hair.


    "Feel sleepy now and go to bed."


    My eyes closed.


    I wonder... where did Erin learn about this lullaby?


    Maybe it was Alyx that sang it to her, sang it so much that Erin knew it by heart.


    ....And now it was being sung to me.

 Chapter 94 - Frightening Drunk

    My thoughts about the maze unconsciously left. And like a light, I fell asleep.


    But...


    Once sleep overtook me, I found myself back in the maze. I continued to dream about this elusive diagram.


    However, my body was being piloted on its own. My mind was just an observer. There was something different in the way my body moved. It seemed... more calm and composed.


    If I had to compare the two of us, my method was like a first-timer scrambling to finish before a deadline, while my body moved as though it had done something like this hundreds of times before.


    My body leisurely walked down a path, observing the surroundings along the way. Although the pace was slow, it was at a speed faster than I could memorize.


    Perhaps if it was going five times slower, I would be able to just barely memorize it. As such, I refused to believe it was possible for my ''other'' self to be memorizing it.


    ...But that was when I realized there was something in his hands.


    One hand held up a piece of paper, while the other had a feather tipped with ink. He was slowly drawing out the pathways as he crossed.


    After some time, my ''other'' self had traveled through a fairly huge chunk of the maze. Then, he tucked away the paper before pulling out a new one and began drawing again.


    Except... this time he was going back the way he came.


    He meticulously retraced each step without taking a shortcut. Then, he brought out both papers and compared how they looked.


    They were mirror images of each other.


    My eyes flashed open. I found myself back in the bed, back in reality. I took a peek outside to see the dark orange of the setting sun. It was getting close to night.


    My first instinct was to try what I learned in my dream.


    Drawing the spell diagram on a piece of paper.


    ...But how do I get this paper, and ink for that matter?


    My knuckle rubbed against my temple.


    ...This was going to be an issue, to say the least.


    Perhaps Mildred would have some answer?


    With a bit of hesitation, I walked towards the door of Mildred''s room. As for whether she was even inside with how busy she was, I didn''t know.


    Nonetheless, I rapped my knuckle against the door a few times.


    ...I heard a faint yawn coming from inside. I thought Mildred was going to come soon, so I simply waited.


    But it was silent for the next five minutes or so.


    Thickening my skin, I knocked once more. There was a faint shuffling sound, as though somebody was stumbling all around the place.


    After a few moments, the door opened.


    "Why are you waking me up so early in the morning? Hmm~"


    Mildred appeared, but she was a little... different. Her hair was messy when it was normally straight. Her eyes drooped as though they could hardly remain open.


    Mildred was using the doorknob to support herself, barely remaining upright. Her neck did little to support her head, letting it dangle.


    She gave a light shove with her free hand, pushing me a meter or so back.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Um... Mildred?"


    Mildred giggled faintly.


    "Hehe... that''s my name!"


    Mildred''s image in my mind, and the Mildred in front of me, clashed within my thoughts. The strange dichotomy was... really jarring.


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "...Are you ok?"


    Mildred twisted her head up, throwing her hair to the side. She looked at me with a dreamy smile on her face.


    "I''m so ok! Right now I just feel..."


    Mildred raised her free hand high in the air, as though she was using her hand to imitate flying.


    "Wooooo~"


    Mildred erratically pushed the door back and forth. She was stumbling back and forth, clearly not stable on her feet.


    My eyelid twitched.


    Mildred... seemed a little off.


    An apprehensive smile appeared on my face.


    "Erm... do you know how I could get some paper and ink? Oh, and also the feather to write with?"


    Mildred slammed her hand onto my shoulder. A grimace of pain unconsciously appeared on my face, but I forcefully suppressed it.


    Mildred mumbled a few things to herself, inaudible to me.


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Sorry, what did you say?"


    Mildred''s head suddenly raised upwards. She pushed against my shoulder hard, but kept a tight grip on it.


    "Hmm... Ela has some but she will be suuuuuuper angry if you take it! You could also waste your hard earned money to go buy it from those scammers~"


    Well, I didn''t want to upset Ela. Especially considering I was residing in her home. So that leaves...


    Money?


    But I didn''t have any money.


    Mildred continued rocking back and forth, shaking me along with her. She was holding onto my shoulder tightly, causing me quite a bit of pain.


    I decided to pretend everything was fine and cleared my throat.


    "How can I get money?"


    Mildred giggled dreamily.


    "Mmm... with pain!"


    My brows furrowed.


    "Pain?"


    Mildred laughed freely.


    "Money only comes with pain! So much pain!"


    ...I was beginning to feel a little unsettled.


    Mildred let go of the doorknob and began twirling around me, using my shoulder as a pivot point.


    "Unless you''re damn royalty! Then there''s no pain at all!"


    She giggled with a touch of insanity.


    "You can get all the money you want! But that''s just the tip of the iceberg!"


    Suddenly, Mildred grabbed both my shoulders and violently shook me around. My head and shoulder felt like they were clobbered with a sledgehammer. Mildred was far stronger than I thought she was.


    Suddenly, Mildred stopped. Her breathing got heavy.


    It could just be my imagination...


    ...but she sounded angry.


    "The royalty are even bestowed with people! Like sheep, these slaves have to follow everything the royalty wants! Everything! Absolutely everything!"


    She let out a long laugh.


    "Those that try to rebel are either killed or locked up forever! Yet all the royalty think they''re so great!"


    Mildred grabbed my chin with a little too much strength.


    A crack rang out.


    She dislocated my jaw.


    "They always say they never support slavery! Yet here they are, buying slaves one after another! Bullshit! It''s all bullshit!"


    Mildred let go of me and began twirling around with her hands in the air.


    My hand hurriedly held onto my jaw and slowly pushed it back. With a grimace and clear snap, I pushed it back into place. As I began panting, Mildred hummed a song to herself.


    She giggled softly.


    "But no matter who, alcohol treats everyone fairly! It doesn''t matter if you are royalty or not, you feel better anyway!"


    ...Honestly speaking, I was a little afraid of Mildred right now. My shoulder would''ve been dislocated as well had she decided to pull on it for a few more seconds.


    I decided to remain silent.


    As for Mildred, she hummed with dissatisfaction.


    "But only if I didn''t have to do work..."


    Then, she froze.


    Mildred turned to me like a serial killer that found a new victim.


    "You!"


    She rushed over and grabbed onto my shoulders. Her fingers cut into my skin.


    "You want money, right?"


    I nodded with trepidation.


    "Y-Yeah?"


    Mildred snickered.


    "Well, I have a deal for you! In the wee hours of the morning, you work on the farm! Make sure eeeevery crop is watered, the lands are hoed, and the crops get harvested! I will give you..."


    She put a finger on her chin.


    "Fifty coppers for each day! Then I can wake up late!"


    Mildred giggled to herself.


    "Haa... If only you could do the cleaning as well! But I have to keep up appearances..."


    Suddenly, she snapped to attention.


    "So? What do you think?"


    The corner of my lip twitched. I didn''t have the slightest inkling of how the currency system worked, so fifty coppers sounded like an elusive concept.


    I would''ve asked for more clarification... but Mildred was twisting one of my shoulders painfully.


    Beads of sweat formed on my forehead.


    "It''s a deal! Please... let me go now."


    Mildred cheered.


    "Alright!"


    She pushed hard against my shoulder, dislocating it. I subconsciously let out a grimace of pain.


    Mildred gasped.


    "Oh, sorry, sorry! Let me fix that."


    She pulled on my shoulder hard, stretching out the flesh that held it together. My eyes widened.


    "AAAAHHH! AAAH! Ah... Ah..."


    Mildred furrowed her brows.


    "Hmm... does it go like this?"


    She grated the bone of my arm against the bone of my shoulder.


    My pupils darted erratically in all directions while my mind nearly blanked out from the pain.


    I pushed Mildred away.


    "I got it! It''s fine, don''t worry!"


    Mildred giggled.


    "What are you talking about? Of course you''re not fine! Don''t be so stubborn and let me look at it!"


    Mildred slowly walked over to me with an uncanny smile on her face.


    I ran.


    Without looking back.

 Chapter 95 - I Wonder

    "Wait, come back!~"


    Mildred attempted to chase me, but fell over after just a few steps. She hit the ground pretty hard and groaned in pain. I looked back, feeling a pain in my heart.


    I wanted to go back to help... but I was scared.


    It was a strange set of conflicting emotions. One part of me pulled forward while the other pulled me back.


    Mildred was the one that helped me at my lowest point. So... it was only right to go back.


    But whenever I thought about her strange smile, a chill was sent down my spine.


    ...Mildred would probably twist my limbs further.


    I gave Mildred one more fleeting glance.


    Her head slowly raised. She still had that strange smile on her face.


    "...Come back!~"


    I ran away without any more hesitation. She was able to talk, so that meant she wasn''t going to die or anything.


    The only person that would die was me.


    My hand held onto the shoulder that Mildred dislocated. My pupils trembled violently from the pain when I pushed it.


    After a few failed attempts and groans of pain, I realized my shoulder would not snap back on.


    Mildred ground my bones together, shattering some of the finer bones that made up my joints. As such, it could not be pushed back.


    ...It seemed like this would only mend with a healing spell. It probably wouldn''t be good to do this here. Someone could catch me.


    With that idea in my mind, I hurriedly made my way out of the palace, hoping that nobody would appear and stop me.


    My wish was granted, as nobody appeared on my way to the palace entrance.


    I set foot outside and began searching for an empty alleyway.


    My thoughts grew chaotic.


    How... did Mildred become like this?


    Wasn''t she always the gentle and mature one?


    Did something happen to her?


    ...Was that even Mildred in the first place?


    My thoughts continued to plague me, making it hard for me to see what was in front of me.


    "Hey!"


    Suddenly, someone called out to me.


    My attention snapped back to focus. I saw... two familiar boys. They were the ones that snapped my arm and ripped the skin off my face.


    My face twitched.


    "...What is it?"


    The two boys ran over to me with annoyed expressions on their faces. The taller boy frowned.


    "What is this? How come Erin stopped attending magic school? Explain this to me!"


    I remained silent.


    The other boy nudged the taller one.


    "See? I told you he''s fine!"


    He pointed towards me.


    "His face is already back to normal!"


    The taller boy nodded.


    "Our work has already disappeared. We didn''t take it too far at all! Look at him, he''s basically good as new!"


    The shorter boy sighed.


    "Does that mean Erin didn''t notice our efforts? How do we make this known to her!"


    The taller boy clicked his tongue.


    "Hey! Answer our questions."


    I looked up to them.


    "I don''t know."


    The shorter boy scowled.


    "Damn! We can figure out how to make Erin notice later. In the end, we have to make an effort in the first place!"


    The taller boy nodded.


    "Yes. Don''t hold back this time!"


    My brows furrowed. How unlucky was I to meet these two out of the blue like this?


    ...Where was the last boy anyway?


    The shorter boy tackled me, throwing me onto the ground. A frightening crack rang out.


    My vision suddenly became blurry. It was painful, like a fire was lit in my head. I could already feel myself getting dizzy.


    The shorter boy frowned.


    "...That didn''t sound right."


    The taller boy scoffed.


    "You were the one that said we took it too easy last time! Why are you chickening out now?"


    A sinister frown appeared on his face.


    "You saw what I did to him!"


    The shorter boy trembled.


    "Yes, yes!"


    What?...


    Who were they talking about?


    Before my thoughts could continue further, my elbow was twisted. The taller boy joined it, twisting my dislocated shoulder.


    My eyes bulged from their sockets.


    "AHHHHHH."


    The shorter boy looked at the taller one.


    "...When are we supposed to stop?"


    The taller boy clicked his tongue.


    "We snapped his arm before, right? As long as we don''t push it past this, we will be fine."


    My teeth grit.


    ...I was getting a little angry.


    The shorter boy kept twisting until he heard a crack, bending my arm in the wrong direction.


    He shivered.


    "Are you sure this isn''t taking it too far?"


    The taller boy slapped the other boy.


    "Shut up! Are you going to do it or not?"


    The shorter boy rubbed the side of his face before nodding.


    As for the taller boy, he continued twisting my shoulder. His brows furrowed.


    "...Why isn''t it snapping?"


    It hurt.


    It hurt really bad.


    My head slowly turned over to him.


    The taller boy frowned.


    "Why are you looking at me like that! This is your fault in the first place!"


    He stomped on my shoulder, sending my mind to the brink of losing consciousness.


    ...This was my fault?


    What did I do?


    I never asked for any of this to happen.


    I never asked for the world to cause so much suffering.


    I never asked for everything to become this confusing.


    ...I never asked to be born in the first place.


    So how was it my fault?


    I could feel heat rush to my forehead and my vision became blurry.


    The taller boy''s eyelid twitched.


    "...We''re going to stop now."


    The shorter boy furrowed his brows.


    "What? But you literally just said-"


    "Shut up! We''re going!"


    The taller boy backed off before hurriedly walking away. As for the shorter boy, he hesitated for a moment before hurriedly following him.


    My pupils darted around, as though they were trying to find an answer to all this pain. My breathing had become ragged, while beads of sweat formed on my forehead.


    My arms could no longer move. So I tried to force myself up with only my ab muscles. I made it halfway before falling back down, slamming onto the ground. I hit my shoulder again, causing it to flare up in even more pain.


    My eyes narrowed.


    ...Was this what I deserved?


    My teeth grit.


    ...I''ve always been trying so hard. Is it not enough?


    Fueled with anger, I attempted to force myself up once again. I could feel my abs giving out, not used to so much exertion.


    But before I fell, my pupils shook.


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!"


    I strained myself, forcing my muscles to continue when they wanted to give in. By the time I had actually sat up, something snapped. Like oil that spilled into the ocean, pain spread throughout my body.


    Nonetheless, my legs forced me up. It wasn''t like I hadn''t experienced pain like this before.


    ...But this was different.


    There was at least some sort of logical justification for those times. But now...


    With bloodshot eyes, I pulled myself into a nearby alleyway. The pain already made me teeter on the line between consciousness and fainting.


    ...And casting the healing spell would make it even more painful.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    Violent gales of wind whipped around me, while my skin tore open. The pain was blistering.


    It was as though someone tossed me straight into an open flame while I was covered in gasoline.


    When the healing spell was only halfway finished, I could feel my consciousness slip away. At this rate, I would lose consciousness. And if I lost consciousness here...


    I may just die.


    Waves of heat rushed to my head, fueling my rage. I slammed my head against a nearby wall, cracking my skull and scattering splinters of wood. My mind cleared, albeit slightly.


    Moments later, I was back on that fine line, just moments away from blacking out. It was as though I had been walking on a tightrope, with a raging ocean far below me. Gusts of wind constantly shoved me, threatening to push me off.


    If I lost focus for a single moment... I would fall.


    And so, my mind whirled. The hatred from the bottom of my heart sprouted, refusing to let me give in.


    I looked up to the sky, but couldn''t see anything with my blurred vision.


    I wondered...


    I wondered about so many things.


    About how people could be so selfish.


    How people could change in the blink of an eye.


    From gentle and caring... to crazy and cruel.


    ...What was Mildred like in the past?


    Was she as caring as she was before?


    Or was she like... that. A vicious person. One that would arbitrarily snap someone''s jaw.


    I thought about what made a person who they were.


    In the end, are we formed by what happens to us?


    ...or maybe it was determined from the moment we were born.


    The healing spell finished. A soothing touch wrapped around my body and mended my injuries.


    I wondered if I would ever find the answers.

 Chapter 96 - Im Stupid

    I was heading back to the palace, but suddenly stopped. It was then I realized I should probably check out the prices of ink and paper, to see how much I would need.


    ...Hopefully, fifty coppers would let me buy a sizable amount.


    I walked around the village aimlessly, watching the people pass by. There were not many still out on the streets considering it had gotten late. However, there were still a few persistent people trying to sell their work.


    In particular, a man selling ink drawings drew my attention. After all, my goal was to acquire some ink and parchment to work on.


    I casually walked over to him.


    The man was a fairly young man. One that seemed to be only a few years older than me. His hair was light brown, short, and messy. His hazelnut eyes would slowly close before snapping wide open, as though he was fighting off the need to sleep.


    He looked quite skinny, but not terribly so. I imagine he probably ate every day, but not nearly as much as most would. Like most people in this village, his clothes were dirty and had a few holes in them. The only difference being his clothes were even more so.


    Currently, there was a piece of parchment spread out in front of him on a small wooden desk.


    He held the feather tipped with ink and slowly traced lines one after another. His fingers were long compared to the average person and while they looked bony, the way they held the quill showed a sense of strength.


    Laid out on the edge of the wooden desk were various drawings crafted intricately with ink. While they were not the most beautiful, it was clear effort was put in while making them. The man was not an expert, but he would not do a sloppy job.


    Although I wanted to ask the man about how he obtained his ink and parchment, I also didn''t want to interrupt him.


    As such, I simply sat down at the opposite end. The man didn''t notice me, so I decided to look at his other drawings.


    One of them was of a vague figure. It looked like a silhouette of someone''s side profile. This person in particular was looking up towards the sky, as though the person was questioning something.


    There were faint ink markings that seemed to resemble rain and underneath the silhouette''s feet were many little puddles.


    It was hard to tell at first glance, but the silhouette seemed to be holding its heart. One could''ve easily mistaken it to be the artist making a mistake and adding a lump in the body.


    I was about to glance at another drawing, but suddenly snapped back to it. I noticed that there were delicately crafted ink strokes to show that the silhouette was bleeding. Originally, I just thought that the picture looked a little weird with a fuzzy part in the silhouette.


    The intent and ability were there... but the drawing''s execution wasn''t perfect. It was simply too hard to tell the effort and detail the artist put in the picture, making it look worse than what it could''ve been.


    I looked at another picture. There was a silhouette just like last time, but this one was on its knees.


    The silhouette''s head was stretched at an angle as was the center of its chest. As for the silhouette''s hands, they were spread out to its sides, in a position that resembled a claw.


    Both of these hands had a thread connected to the end of each finger. The threads of the left hand connected with the silhouette''s chest and seemed to be stretched taut. As for the threads of the right head, they were connected to the silhouette''s head, seemingly pulling it to the side.


    One hand attempted to pull out the heart, while the other attempted to pull out the mind.


    Overall... the picture looked quite gruesome. Although it was well drawn, it wasn''t the type of drawing anybody would hang up in their home or proudly show visitors.


    It was simply too creepy.


    I turned to look at the drawing the man was currently making. He was drawing two swans looking at each other. The swans were drawn by outlining their features so that the swan itself appeared white in contrast with the black ink.


    The two swan''s beaks were close to each other, but not close enough to touch. If they were just a bit closer, it would''ve made the shape of a heart, making quite the lovely picture.


    Yet... instead, it was slightly jarring. The man was currently outlining the background, creating a lake with a few lily pads.


    As I continued to inspect the swans, I couldn''t help but... feel something. They were simply two swans in the lake, but there appeared to be a touch of animosity between them. I couldn''t make sense of what gave me that feeling. Perhaps it was the position of the swans, or maybe the angle of their heads.


    But... a static picture made me feel as though there was a silent conflict between the two swans. It was basically magical.


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    Although it was impressive, this was still not the kind of drawing most would put up in their house. I imagine to the people that simply take a glance, they would feel something was off. For those that could tell there was some sort of animosity, they wouldn''t like keeping that picture in their room either.


    After all, why would you hang up paintings that brought your mood down when you could hang up ones that made you happy?


    Once it got close to night, the man finished the last stroke of his drawing and then lifted the feather from the paper. He heaved a long sigh.


    I scratched my cheek with my forefinger.


    "Nice drawing."


    The man continued looking down and subconsciously nodded.


    "Thanks."


    After a few moments, he began blinking rapidly and looked at me curiously.


    "Ah, were you here the entire time?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Uh... not the whole time, but a decent chunk, yeah."


    The man shook his head, discarding the sleepiness in his eyes.


    "Um, is there a drawing you would like to buy?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, I don''t really have any money..."


    The man nodded with disappointment.


    "I see."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Say, how much do you sell those drawings for?"


    The man shrugged his shoulders.


    "I wanted to sell them each for one silver, but most people aren''t willing to buy it for so much. Most of them don''t sell, while others go for roughly forty coppers."


    Hm... so one silver is probably one hundred coppers given that forty coppers has less monetary value than one silver.


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "So what is the cost of the ink and paper?"


    The man sighed.


    "Well... ink is fairly cheap. You can get a jar that will last quite a while for a silver, but the parchment is quite expensive. It''s usually about twenty-five coppers for one like this. Ah, and the feather is fifty coppers."


    The side of my face twitched.


    ...Fifty coppers a day meant it would take me three days to get the feather and ink. Then from there, I would only get two small squares of paper per day.


    If it was like this, I would only be able to practice memorizing the spell diagram a tiny bit by drawing each day. In the end, I would have to rely mostly on my own mind to comprehend it.


    I could feel a headache coming on. I rubbed my temple with my knuckle and sighed.


    The man in front of me chuckled.


    "Want to get into drawing as well?"


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "Something like that, yeah."


    The man shook his head.


    "Personally, I don''t recommend it."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Huh? Then why are you doing it?"


    The man chuckled.


    "Because I''m stupid."


    I blinked a few times.


    ...What?


    The man took a deep breath.


    "In reality, I hardly earn money at all. In fact, I lose money on most days just from the expenses of drawing itself."


    He smiled in self-mockery.


    "You can probably imagine how hard it is to buy enough food to eat."


    The man''s expression became serious.


    "But... I enjoy it. And so, I have decided to spend the rest of my life drawing, teetering on a dangerous line of poverty. It''s quite a strange feeling to break my back working the entire day only to earn what others could make in a few hours. And sometimes I simply end up losing money."


    The man chuckled self-deprecatingly.


    "Not to mention the fact... I might lose my initial passion for drawing in the first place. Once that happens, there''s probably nothing left for me. From there, starving to death seems like the only possibility."


    He flashed a smile.


    "Thus, in conclusion."


    The man closed his eyes.


    "I''m stupid."

 Chapter 97 - How I Found The Light

    The man and I remained silent for a few moments. He slowly opened his eyes.


    "So... that is why I don''t recommend you go down this path."


    I scratched the side of my head with my hand.


    "I think I must go down this path anyway. Honestly, this is the only thing I can think of to do now."


    The man narrowed his eyes.


    "It will be a very hard path."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "...I imagine it is. How do you deal with it?"


    The man chuckled.


    "I''m not entirely sure myself. However, it really is too difficult sometimes. There have been countless times I''ve wanted to give up. To throw it all away."


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    "Simply because It really just isn''t worth it."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Yet you still commit to it?"


    The man laughed.


    "Perhaps it can be summed up the best like this."


    He sighed.


    "Walking through fire, not to overcome, but because that''s the only way to live as an artist."


    ...Huh? What was that supposed to mean?


    The man shook his head.


    "Anyways, I ask you to reconsider. I can respect one that wishes to cross this path, but it is a dark one with no light at the end of the tunnel."


    I shrugged my shoulders. The memory of when I crawled up out of the canyon resurfaced in my mind.


    "The light at the end of the tunnel never revealed itself to me anyway."


    The man gave me the most serious look I''ve seen so far.


    "You will have to work hard."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "Very hard."


    I slowly nodded.


    "I understand."


    The man shook his head.


    "Frankly, almost nobody truly understands what hard work is. You may hear from others that you must work hard and believe that you yourself have been working hard."


    He sighed.


    "But rarely is that the case."


    The man clenched his fist.


    "Working hard means breaking yourself. Then after you''re broken, you use your mangled pieces to keep working."


    A smile appeared on his face.


    "In reality, only those that are insane take this path."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Then I guess I''m insane."


    The man had a long look at me. After a few moments of silence, he spoke solemnly.


    "Remember that this was the choice you made."


    He picked up one of the drawings on his table.


    "You won''t even have the time to regret it now."


    The man handed me the drawing in his hand.


    I reached out and took it.


    "Thanks."


    As I looked it over, the man spoke.


    "If you want to buy ink and paper, just go several blocks down to your right. It will be relatively noticeable because of the big sign that says ''Refined Writer''s Shop''. I recommend you go quickly because it is closing soon."


    I scratched the back of my head with my hand.


    "Haha... well there''s not going to be much I can do anyways."


    The man raised an eyebrow.


    "Why is that?"


    An awkward chuckle escaped me.


    "Well... I really don''t have any money. I told you earlier, no?"


    The man laughed.


    "Ah, right. Forget about that."


    I stood up and gave one last wave to the man.


    "Bye. Thanks for the drawing."


    The man nodded.


    "No problem, these are the ones that haven''t sold anyway. Good luck, you''ll need it."


    With that, the man packed up his drawings while I headed back to the palace.


    My hand lifted up the drawing the man gave me. My eyes slowly scanned over it while my feet traversed the cobblestone path.


    The moonlight from the night shone down upon the drawing, giving it a faint glow.


    It was another silhouette.


    There was a coat draped over its shoulders. The ends of the coat were torn and were blown to the side by the wind.


    The entire paper had very faint ink markings, with occasional white spots to resemble snow. It must''ve taken him an incredible amount of time and precision to create such a background.


    The silhouette was walking through a snowy wasteland. But it did so with a tall back, one that could carry mountains on its shoulders. Despite being a still picture, it was clear this silhouette had a calm gait. One that spoke of confidence.


    In one of its hands was a bright light, one that shone with a radiance in order to fight back against this dark world. The light did not overpower the darkness in the drawing, but it remained obstinately. No matter how dark the path ahead got, it would shine brightly.


    There was no end in sight within the snowy wasteland


    And it appeared like there would never be one.


    Yet, the silhouette continued on. It was as though the silhouette would continue moving even when time itself stopped.


    It wouldn''t be at lightning bolt speeds, or even fast for that matter.


    The silhouette traveled slowly, but did so with the power of a giant.


    I let out a soft sigh.


    According to the man, this was one of the images he was unable to sell. Yet in my eyes, it was priceless.


    ...Perhaps the reason it wasn''t able to sell was because the drawing was priceless.


    Only those that could truly understand its true worth were few and far in between.


    Before I knew it, my foot was set down within the palace entrance.


    I securely tucked away the drawing before walking to the courtyard.


    Maybe Ned and the others were there.


    The grass of the courtyard flattened under the weight of my foot. My eyes scanned the surroundings to see Ned.


    He was stargazing.


    Ned''s back laid comfortably in the grass. His hands were placed behind his head while his elbows stuck out carelessly. It was as though he had become truly free.


    There was a tree behind Ned, standing over him as though to shelter him. As for the moonlight, it gently caressed his face, as though to comfort him.


    My foot traversed through the grass, letting out quiet mulch-like sounds. Ned slowly turned his head over and let out a quiet chuckle.


    "Hey, Jay."


    I waved.


    "Hey Ned."


    After getting next to Ned, I sat down on the grass, casually stretching out my legs.


    "What are you doing here? It almost looks like you plan to sleep here."


    Ned smiled brightly.


    "Haha, honestly I don''t want to get up. I might just fall asleep right here."


    My eyes rolled.


    "That doesn''t sound the most healthy."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Maybe."


    A short silence lingered between us. Suddenly, Ned let out a long sigh.


    "Do you ever wonder... if you''re a bad person?"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "...What?"


    Ned laughed.


    "I just mean sometimes I feel kinda selfish."


    My back laid down in the grass while my arms took on a similar position to Ned.


    "Well... is it so bad to be selfish? At the end of the day, we are still a person that needs to be cared for."


    Ned smiled.


    "I guess that''s true... to a certain extent."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ned shook his head.


    "Never mind."


    Although curious, I did not probe further. A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    "We shouldn''t stay here for too long. Remember what happened last time?"


    Ned smirked.


    "Yeah... but I''m going to stay for at least a little longer. You can go back if you want."


    My eyes rolled.


    "And what will you be doing if I go back?"


    Ned chuckled.


    "I''ll be here, stargazing."


    A sigh escaped me.


    "I admit the stars are beautiful, but what makes you feel the need to stare at them for so long?"


    Ned reached out with his hand, as though he was trying to grasp the sky.


    "Stars don''t disappear."


    My brows furrowed.


    "Eh? But I can''t see them in the morning."


    Ned took a deep breath.


    "You can''t see them, but they are still there. They keep blazing, even when the night is over."


    ...Ah, is that how it is?


    My eyes narrowed, looking at the stars a little closer.


    "They are always shining with all their might, even when nobody can see them."


    Ned smiled brightly.


    "Only when you look up in the dark night, can you see the effort they put in."


    A yawn uncontrollably took over my body.


    "...That''s kind of cruel for the day to overshadow them so much."


    Ned shook his head.


    "No..."


    My eyebrow raised.


    "No?"


    Ned''s fingers slowly moved around, as though they were trying to swim through muddy water.


    "The sun is simply part of nature. It is not cruel, but rather just exists. In the end, it''s beyond our control."


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    "So if it''s beyond us, then it''s beyond us."


    Honestly, I was a little confused by what Ned was saying. But at the same time... I felt part of me subconsciously knew what he was talking about.


    I raised my hand in the air like Ned.


    "But the sun shines more brightly than all the stars. Why are you so fixated on them?"


    Ned slowly closed his eyes.


    "As bright as the sun is, the stars are how I found the light."

 Chapter 98 - Monotonous Symphony

    Ned and I continued to stargaze for a little.


    Once it got a little late, I told Ned that we should go to bed. He was resistant at first, but after I chastised him a bit more, he agreed.


    Although I was tempted to fall asleep in the courtyard, I also remembered I agreed with Mildred to work on the farm for some money. The only problem was that I had no idea where this ''farm'' was.


    As for right now... I still didn''t feel safe to ask Mildred about that. I only needed to work on the farm in the morning, so I imagined it was fine to ask her then.


    With those thoughts, I fell asleep on my bed.


    ...


    I woke up in a fluster, sitting up from my bed.


    My eyes immediately shifted towards the curtains. A weak ray of dawn shone through it, signaling the start of the day.


    My mind still felt quite muddled and tired. It seems my anxiety about working on the farm made me wake up early.


    ...If only it were a little bit later.


    I didn''t trust myself to wake up early if I fell asleep now. As such, I forced myself off the bed and quickly freshened up.


    The first goal was to ask Mildred where the farm was. Hopefully, she has calmed down by now. My hand pulled open the door to my room and my foot set down in the hallway.


    It was quiet.


    That was to be expected, given how early it was. My steps were soft, yet loud at the same time. Before I knew it, my hand was raised next to Mildred''s door. Now that I think about it, Mildred was probably sleeping.


    ...She wouldn''t be mad if I woke her up, right?


    Um...


    Well, here goes nothing.


    My hand turned into a fist and lightly knocked on the door. As I probably should have expected, there was no response.


    I knocked a little louder, at a volume that was reasonable to hear. Unfortunately, there still wasn''t a response.


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    ...Hopefully, Mildred doesn''t get too mad.


    My hand clenched, before slamming my knuckles really hard onto the door. The sound was quite loud and my knuckles were now sore.


    There was a shuffling sound coming from inside.


    "Go away!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    ...That was one way to respond. At least it seemed like Mildred wasn''t going to be hostile.


    My fist blocked my mouth as a cough came from my throat.


    "I just want to know where the farm is. It''s to work out our deal for the fifty coppers!"


    A few disgruntled sounds came from inside.


    "...Open the door."


    With a bit of hesitation, my hand pushed open the door to Mildred''s room.


    A flabbergasted expression immediately appeared on my face. The room was a mess. Clothes were messily strewn about the floors along with a few bed sheets.


    As for the actual bed itself, Mildred lay there sprawled out on top. Her head was where her foot was supposed to be, and vice versa. A thin, wrinkled blanket lay upon her body. One pillow was on the floor while another was underneath the covers, next to Mildred''s waist.


    She seemed to be hugging it.


    Her feet stuck out from underneath the covers as well as the top of her head. Her eyes were only open a slit, while her hair was terribly messy. Mildred yawned.


    "Mm... I remember the deal. Just circle around to the back of the palace and you''ll find the farm. Today, you''ll need to hoe the fields so that they are ready for planting. Make sure the soil appears dark brown."


    Mildred rolled around on the bed before letting out another yawn.


    "From there, you''ll need to sow the seeds. After that, you just have to water them until they are ready for harvest."


    She forced in a deep breath through her nose.


    "After you''re done, come to me. I''ll give you the money."


    Mildred proceeded to wave one hand at me like I was a fly.


    "Now get out. I''m trying to sleep."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Ah, ok. Thanks for the info."


    With that, the tip of my finger pulled back on the doorknob, until the door itself clicked shut.


    ...Mildred seemed different, but at least she wasn''t trying to snap my bones. It made me wonder what happened to her that caused such a drastic shift in personality. However, it seemed like those answers wouldn''t come soon.


    It seemed like Mildred was unwilling to talk.


    And so, I slowly made my way to the back of the palace. There wasn''t another person in sight. It was a really quiet day, making my soft breaths seem loud.


    While my steps traced the side of the palace, I quickly realized that the building really was huge. It was hard to fully take in just by examining, but now that my puny figure stood side by side with it and went along its perimeter, its true magnificence was shown.


    Though, that didn''t really matter to me. My eyes were cast into the sky, a light blue day filled with a few lonely white clouds. Like the last few days, there was no snow. Logically, it made no sense.


    But I decided not to question it too much.


    By the time I reached the back of the palace, my lungs were taking in a few ragged breaths. Having a weak body really is too inconvenient.


    A large field was presented before me, one that was slightly larger than the courtyard in the palace. It was probably going to take a while to finish all of this.


    Suddenly, I found myself at a loss.


    Where were the gardening things? There was no hoe lying around nor were there any seeds.


    My eyes surveyed the area. Right when my anxiety was about to spike, there was a door in the corner of my vision. It was a rather pale looking door with a small handle. The door itself was attached to the palace and was grey like the walls. As such, it wasn''t conspicuous.


    After my feet made a few soft crunching sounds in the grass, they ended up right outside the grey door. My hand pushed against the grey door, revealing a large, but dull room.


    There was a worn gardening hoe laid on the wall right next to a metal bucket. As for the rest of the room, it was filled with countless bags.


    The bags appeared to be made from leather and mostly filled to the brim with seeds. There was a small stack of empty bags in a corner. They probably had seeds at one point, but were now empty.


    Almost like a decrepit old man with only his boring story left, but he told it anyway.


    My hand reached out and grasped the hoe. It had a wooden handle that had many small nicks and a stone head that still had some caked dirt on top. It appeared to have been through a lot, and was going to go through a lot more.


    Almost like a middle-aged man toiling away, because that''s all it ever did since young.


    And now... it was time for me to work on the field. My lungs forced in a deep breath while my hands raised the hoe high in the air. The rays of day shone down brightly, giving the dirt caked hoe a faint luster in the few places it was still clean.


    Then, the hoe slammed into the ground, piercing it with a light thump. My hands held on tightly and dragged it for half a meter or so in the ground.


    Taking a look, I found that the dirt was light brown and dry. My mind recalled the fact Mildred said it had to be dark brown.


    And so, my hands raised the hoe once more, before plunging down in the same spot. My hands tightened around the handle, while my knuckles became white. My teeth grit while my head flung backward in an attempt to gain just a little bit more momentum.


    The hoe slowly pushed through the dirt, revealing dark brown soil. It almost felt like I was digging up a grave, to find a semblance of life within the dead.


    After dragging the hoe a meter through the ground, I fell to my knees, panting. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, while the skin on my palms became bright red.


    It appeared like this was going to be difficult. If just one meter took me this much effort...


    It would be a miracle if I even finished this today. My eyes cast over the wide and empty field.


    Then, I did the only thing I knew how to.


    Work.


    My hands lifted up the hoe once more, tilling the land slowly, but tilling it nonetheless. The thumping sounds of the hoe hitting the ground accompanied the dragging sound that came soon after.


    It was a monotonous symphony.


    But it was one that I created.

 Chapter 99 - Sown Seeds

    My breathing was ragged.


    It was loud and continuous, especially on such a quiet day. My lungs worked overtime, but they ached. It was as though I was walking in the middle of a desert, searching for an oasis.


    My vision was blurry.


    The color appeared to merge together, almost like a watercolor painting. If I didn''t know better, I might''ve thought my body was traveling to another dimension.


    My body was covered in sweat.


    Even just moving my head would fling a couple droplets of sweat onto the grass, almost like I was getting ahead of myself and watering the ground. My clothes stuck to me, they were sticky and wet.


    My knees buckled.


    Standing for so long made my legs want to give way. They dangerously stumbled, just a step away from giving way and collapsing. It was as though my feet weren''t actually on flat ground, but a ship rocking in the violent seas.


    My abs were sore.


    I had forgotten they were even a muscle for a moment. It was only when it felt as though my abdomen was tearing apart, did I remember. It was almost like I had neglected something. Then it came back to bite me.


    My arms were trembling.


    Time and time again, they would pull up the gardening hoe before slamming it down once more. Each time, they were strained to the limits, to the point where it felt like my tendons were going to snap.


    My palms tore open, splattering blood on the handle of the gardening hoe.


    In the end, the only thing left was my soft flesh. Pain stung like a bee. It might''ve been my imagination, but it felt like the dirt was slipping into my bloodstream from my wound. It was as though I voluntarily accepted to be poisoned.


    My fingers twitched uncontrollably.


    Some of my fingers directly locked up, wrapped around the handle without my command. Some of them spasmed violently, sometimes touching the handle and sometimes reaching out into the air. It was as though they were captives being tortured that were screaming their souls out.


    My body was on the verge of collapsing.


    But I still rose the gardening hoe before slamming it back into the ground. Each time, the swing was powerful while the following dragging was stubborn. Using so much strength nearly brought me over the brink, but I knew if I was any weaker, it wouldn''t be done properly.


    In the end, I would have to restart.


    If I was going to do this, I had to do it right the first time.


    I did not pay attention to how far I''d come, nor did I check how far I needed to go. My vision was too blurry to see anyway, but I wasn''t going to stop and check now.


    The sweat falling down my face reached my lips, nearly choking me every time I took in a ragged breath.


    My mind was slowly becoming muddled, while my body continued on like a machine. The sun that grazed the ground with its gentle rays seemed sadistic to me, trying to roast me alive.


    I was faking it until I made it. Pretending I had the capability at the cost of my body.


    My head heated up like I had a fever, while my mind felt like it was being torn apart. Yet, I didn''t bother to stop.


    The pain kept getting stronger, the consequences of my stubborn progression.


    Suddenly, I felt something in my mind snap.


    My body fell to the ground as if it was thrown down. My limbs convulsed wildly, covering myself in dirt. My eyelids shot all the way open while my pupils dilated. My heart raced while breathing became difficult.


    I involuntarily bit my tongue, causing blood to spill out.


    My consciousness became foggy, and it was hard to tell how much time passed. At some point, I slowly regained myself.


    When it stopped, the only thing I could feel was nausea. My body seemed to be heavily damaged. My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    Then, violent gales of wind whipped around me, and my skin tore apart.


    My mind felt like it was splitting apart. My teeth grit, resisting the pain. A bellow came from deep beneath me and seeped past my teeth.


    My mind rapidly cast the healing spell.


    Near the end, my eyes became bloodshot. Then, when it was finally over, an unbelievably soothing sensation spread throughout my body. It was as though my body went from the pits of hell into the gentle clouds.


    A powerful sense of sleepiness overcame me.


    I was tired. I wanted to take a break.


    Like a viper, those thoughts came for me, trying to bite my neck. But once it lunged at me, I grabbed it by its head, forcing its mouth shut.


    My body bounced off the ground. While my hands reached down to pick up the gardening hoe.


    And then... I continued.


    It was as though swinging the gardening hoe was no longer something I was doing, but a part of nature. It became a simple truth, such as the fact the sun would rise at the start of day and fall at the start of night.


    Although my physical wounds healed, the mental strain remained. As such, I ended up blacking out and having seizures more and more frequently. But every time I did, my mind would cast the healing spell to force myself up once more.


    The man that made those ink drawings appeared in my mind. His solemn words echoed.


    ''Working hard means breaking yourself. Then after you''re broken, you use your mangled pieces to keep working.''


    A faint and pained chuckle came out of my weary body.


    I guess I could say that I''ve been working hard.


    The only thing I could rely on was my frail body and this gardening hoe. There was no cure from the pain, nor the loneliness.


    It was as though the remedy to me was to continue on, even when it only worsened my illness.


    And so, my arms continued to stubbornly pick up the gardening hoe before slamming it down again.


    It was the proof to myself that I fought the river of time.


    I lifted, slammed down, and dragged.


    Again and again and again.


    Until... my hands brought up the gardening hoe, only to find that the entire field had been plowed.


    My body collapsed onto the ground while the gardening hoe landed next to me. My breathing was still ragged, but it was out of relief more than anything. My heartbeat relaxed, while my eyes slowly closed.


    A strong urge to fall asleep overtook me.


    But I stayed awake.


    The fields were tilled, but that was only the first step.


    ...At the very least, I wouldn''t have to do this again any time soon.


    My mind stirred up gusts of winds while my skin tore open. After casting one more healing spell, my body was back up on its feet.


    My hand reached to grab the gardening hoe. I made my way back to the small room and put the gardening hoe back where it was before.


    For some reason, feeling my hand release the handle made me feel a sense of loneliness. It was only an inanimate object, but it had been there while my body worked and my mind was on the brink of breaking.


    After one last look, my eyes shifted to a bag of seeds. I arbitrarily picked one up, only to find it was incredibly heavy. By now, calluses had formed on my palms. If that wasn''t the case, the skin would''ve torn open instead.


    Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. This didn''t seem like it was going to be easy, either.


    After my lungs forced in a deep breath, my hands suddenly tightened. With a heave, the bag of seeds was lifted and my feet brought me outside.


    My arms violently trembled under the weight, but brought it out to the field. My hands released, letting the bag of seeds fall with a thump.


    My eyes peered into the bag. The seeds were a golden brown color. Their shape was round like an oval, but with sharp ends. They were thin and long, while the texture was rough.


    My hand grabbed a handful of them, letting them fall through the gaps of my fingers. Soft pitter patter sounds filled the air as they fell back into the bag.


    And so, I took a large handful of seeds before sowing them into the ground one by one, just a few centimeters away from each other.


    In all honesty, they didn''t look like much. After my hand brushed over the dark brown soil over it, they disappeared as though they never existed in the first place.


    But I remembered their existence. They may not be visible, but the memory of planting them lingered in my mind.


    As such, when I moved on, I knew I didn''t have to sow another seed there again.


    They didn''t look like much now.


    But they didn''t have to.

 Chapter 100 - Heavy Rain

    Slowly but surely, the field was being sown with seeds.


    I started off by going in a line. By the time I reached the end of that line, there were still a couple of empty plots, while my hands were empty.


    I retraced my steps back to the bag of seeds. This time, I made sure to get a couple more seeds before continuing once again.


    By the time I reached the end, I had a few leftover seeds which I used to fill in the empty plot from before.


    After sowing the last seed for this run, I stood back up only to feel something lightly hit my face. My eyes looked up to the sky, to see rain clouds gradually forming. The droplets from the sky rapidly increased in quantity.


    From a faint drizzle, the rain suddenly became a torrential downpour.


    My clothes were almost immediately drenched, while my hair slicked back. My eyes reflexively closed from the rain hitting it.


    The dirt that covered me quickly became mud. Some of it fell off because of the rain, but what remained made me feel really uncomfortable. The worst part was the mud being washed into my shoes, making my socks soaked.


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "Well... I guess there''s no need to water anymore."


    With that, I continued to sow the seeds. My shoes became particularly muddy, making squelching sounds every time my foot pressed down on the ground. Soon, my shoes were unable to hold back the water, letting it seep in.


    ...Though that didn''t really matter. My socks were already soaked all the way through. I guess it felt a little uncomfortable, but that was all.


    The rain was cool. Despite the discomfort it brought through the mud, it still felt rather refreshing after sweating so much.


    Before I knew it, the bag of seeds was almost empty. My hand ruffled through, trying to get the last couple of seeds still stuck inside.


    Then, I finished the last line within the field.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath, inhaling a few drops of water in the process. After choking a little, my eyes surveyed the field.


    After many arduous hours, it was completed.


    After giving the plot of land one more glance, I headed back to the palace entrance. My clothes were noticeably heavier from all the water inside. Some mud still stuck to my body, especially my back.


    Nonetheless, it wasn''t too hard to drag my weary self back to the front of the palace. It was easier than actually doing the farming anyway.


    I set foot into the palace, which was dry despite having such a large hole for the rainwater to come through.


    Unfortunately, whatever strange magic did that, was unable to dry my actual body. As such, a pool of water quickly formed under me once I stepped in.


    "Jay?"


    Ned was sitting at one of the chairs in the room. He had a spell parchment in his hand while his head turned to me, eyebrow raised.


    An awkward laugh escaped me. My hand slowly waved, causing a few drops of water to splatter.


    "Hey there."


    Ned, Alyx, and Erin were currently sitting at the chairs, studying the spells. They looked up at me with surprise.


    Ned chuckled before pressing a finger to his temple.


    "Seems like you went through a lot. What were you doing for so long anyway? You missed breakfast."


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, I was working on the farm at the back of the palace."


    Alyx tilted her head to the side. Her brows furrowed.


    "Eh, why were you doing that?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Um... basically Mildred would pay me a bit for each day I worked on the farm."


    Erin stood up in her chair. Her beady eyes inspected me before blinking curiously.


    "Why do you need money? They already give us everything we need!"


    My hand wiped off the rainwater getting into my eyes.


    "Well... I just wanted to draw a little bit. I''ll buy some paper and ink with the money from farming."


    Ned''s eyes widened in surprise. He put his elbow on the table and held up his chin with his hand.


    "Drawing, huh? You never really struck me as that type of guy."


    A laugh escaped me as I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I can''t say my thoughts are any different. I guess it kinda just came to me like a whim."


    Alyx brushed her hair back. She gave me a small nod.


    "Well, that sounds respectable enough. I hope that things work out for you."


    A small smirk appeared on Alyx''s face. She set down the spellbook she was holding.


    "Hehe, maybe one day you will be able to draw our portraits."


    Erin raised her hands in the air and bounced on top of her chair.


    "That would be so cool! You have to learn quickly, ok?"


    An expectant smile appeared on Erin''s face.


    My face twitched. Chances are, I wouldn''t be able to do anything like that any time soon. After all, while my focus was on drawing, it was drawing the spell diagram.


    An awkward laugh escaped me as my eyes shifted to the side.


    "Well... it may be a while before that ever happens. I''m pretty sure my talents in drawing aren''t the best. It''s more of a hobby type thing, you know?"


    Erin smiled, causing her eyes to narrow.


    "Hehe, I will wait for as long as it takes!"


    Ned laughed.


    "Let me show you how I want mine to look in advance!"


    He took on an overly pretentious position before raising the spell parchment in the air. He closed his eyes as though he was focusing while he held the spell parchment as though it was something holy.


    The corner of Ned''s lip twitched.


    Suddenly, he lost his composure, breaking out into a laugh.


    "Did you see it? Make sure I look really cool in post!"


    My eyes rolled while my hand held the side of my face. A small smile formed on my face.


    "Sure, I''ll make you look extra cool."


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "By drawing you in shoulder-high snow. That''s like the ultimate form of being cool!"


    Ned burst out into laughter, as did I.


    Erin clasped her hands together and rested her head on it. Then, she began pivoting back and forth, like a rotating door with two people fighting to go in opposite directions.


    "Mmm... I want to see snow! There was never any in my town."


    The side of my face twitched.


    Alyx sighed before smiling bitterly.


    "I''m sure it will be exciting the first time, but with snow comes all sorts of annoyances."


    Erin pouted before flailing her arms in the air like a kid throwing a tantrum.


    "But I want to play in the snow at least once! I''ve never been able to make a snowman or have a snowball fight!"


    Ned chuckled while scratching the side of his head.


    "Well... maybe if there''s only a little bit of snow, we can have the best of both worlds."


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders before brushing her hair back.


    "The key point we are missing here is that the weather is out of our control. We may get lots of snow, a little bit, or none at all. At the end of the day, the most we can do is hope."


    She sighed.


    "Which is basically the same as doing nothing."


    Erin balled up her hands into tiny fists. She pressed her lips together and let out a determined hum.


    "Then I''m going to hope! It might increase the chances, you never know!"


    Alyx smiled bitterly and set down her spellbook.


    "Well, I suppose making an attempt is better than none at all."


    Erin and Alyx turned to look at Ned and me.


    Alyx blinked a few times. She coughed awkwardly.


    "...Are you two alright?"


    We had fallen silent.


    Erin seemed to only notice it after Alyx pointed it out. She tilted her head to the side and stared at us curiously.


    "Why are you guys so quiet? Cheer up a little! The people that actually can''t talk will get angry at you for taking it all for granted."


    Erin swung her arms around in the air, as though she was trying to beat us up telepathically.


    My gaze slowly shifted to Ned.


    Why was he being so quiet?


    Ned laughed awkwardly. He shook his head.


    "I was just thinking about something. Nothing important, but I got lost in my thoughts."


    Erin pouted. Her cheeks puffed up in frustration, but she was unable to remain angry.


    "Mm... ok."


    I coughed awkwardly before pointing to myself.


    "Anyways, I really should get changed. At this rate I''m going to make a pond if I stay here any longer."


    Alyx nodded.


    "Ah, you should get to it quickly. You don''t want to get sick."


    Erin gasped.


    "Oh no, go quickly! Being sick is realllly bad."


    As for Ned, he simply looked away. Almost like he had something to hide.


    And with that, I headed upstairs.

 Chapter 101 - The Calm Side Of A Coin

    Although I said I was going to change my clothes and fully intended on doing so, my first stop was Mildred''s door.


    Honestly, the anxiety of getting paid first was getting to me. It even overrode my fear of Mildred when she... gets a little weird.


    After a moment of hesitation, my hand raised up to Mildred''s door and knocked at a medium volume. It did not take long for the door to open, revealing Mildred.


    She looked... normal.


    Mildred smiled.


    "Ah, hello there! Your name is Jay, right?"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    ...I decided not to question it.


    "Uh yeah, yeah."


    Mildred nodded.


    "Is there anything you need?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Um... about the deal we worked out. I tended to the farm."


    Mildred tilted her head to the side.


    "Eh?"


    My eyebrow twitched.


    "Like... I would tend to the farm in the morning and come to you after to ask for fifty coppers?"


    Mildred gasped, covering her mouth with her palm.


    "You worked on the entire farm for only fif-"


    Suddenly, she cut herself off.


    "...Ahem."


    Mildred cleared her throat with a fist over her mouth. She proceeded to look up and down at my body.


    "Haha, it definitely looks like you have worked on the garden. I shall fulfill my end of the deal."


    Mildred hurriedly closed the door. In just a few moments, she reopened it and had coppers in her free hand.


    There was a cheerful smile on her face.


    "Here you go!"


    Mildred stuck out her hand, prompting me to do the same. She poured the copper coins into my hand, causing many tiny clinks to ring out.


    I hurriedly nodded.


    "Thank you, thank you."


    My eyes drifted towards these copper coins. They were small, even smaller than my fingernail. They were also fairly thin, but still thicker than my fingernail. The coins themselves didn''t have a pattern on them. There were also many tiny nicks on almost all the coins. It was clear they had been worn down with time.


    Though I wasn''t sure if there were fifty, it shouldn''t be too far off. Honestly, when I thought of fifty coppers, I imagined it would be hard to carry. Yet my hand nicely fit all fifty coppers, though adding any more might cause it to slip off.


    Mildred smiled sweetly.


    "Is there anything else?"


    My mind went a little blank.


    ...What was happening with Mildred? She seemed far more normal than just moments ago.


    My eyes peered past Mildred, into her room. It was still very messy, essentially in the same condition it was in before. If anything, it was messier than when I last saw it. The room was almost like a lie, defaming Mildred''s caring personality.


    ...Or was it the truth?


    Mildred tilted her head to the side.


    "Um, hello?"


    I snapped my gaze back to Mildred and laughed awkwardly.


    "Ah! Sorry, sorry. There''s nothing else."


    Mildred giggled.


    "Alright then. Goodbye."


    She waved to me, prompting me to return one as well.


    Mildred did not waste too much time in closing the door, leaving me outside. I stood there for a few minutes, letting the rainwater pool at my feet. It was at this moment I realized how little of Mildred I really understood.


    She seemed to be such a simple person... but that clearly wasn''t the case.


    I shook my head before letting out a sigh. First things first, I needed to get some new clothes.


    My steps took me to the front of my door while my hand pushed it open. For a few moments, I was at a loss.


    Where should I put the copper coins? Taking them with me into the shower would be quite strange and inconvenient.


    After a few moments of hesitation, I opened up a drawer in my table and put them in there. Then, I stopped thinking about them. After all, I would need at least one hundred and fifty coppers before I could start drawing. From there, I would still need more to buy the paper.


    The time will come soon, but not now.


    I went into the bathroom and freshened up. Taking off the clothes was a bit difficult since they stuck to me while they were wet, but I got over it soon enough.


    After a fair amount of time, my hand pulled open the door to my room. My hair was still wet, but as of now, I was dry.


    "Ah, Jay!"


    Erin ran up to me and grabbed my hand. With a bit of surprise, I turned to look at her.


    "Eh? Did something happen?"


    Erin giggled.


    "We are cooking lunch right now! If you don''t join in quickly, you''re going to miss it!"


    My eyes blinked a few times.


    "Ah, ok!"


    Suddenly, I stumbled. Erin pulled me forward without warning, forcing me to clumsily stumble about just to stay standing. Erin used one of her hands to hold mine and stuck the other out to the side. A small smile appeared on Erin''s face.


    "Hehe, do you feel free!"


    A bitter smile appeared on my face, but it was quickly replaced by a fearful one as I tripped. Thankfully, I didn''t fall.


    "Haha... I guess I feel free in a certain way!"


    Free of all stability.


    Erin waved her other hand in the air enthusiastically.


    "Hehe, try running some more! It''s great!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    Was it really?


    Fortunately, Erin slowed down once we reached the stairs. However, she still moved down them energetically, tugging me along. With a bit of rushed stumbling, I was able to keep up.


    The moment Erin''s foot touched the floor, she broke out into a sprint once more. To my dismay, she was still tightly clutching my hand, forcefully bringing me along.


    Once we made it to the kitchen, Erin let go. She pridefully put her hands on her hips and stuck her elbows out.


    "Hehe, do you see now? I bet you feel so much better already!"


    ...What exactly was she seeing?


    As of right now, my hands were on my knees while my back hunched over. I was panting heavily, especially because I was still tired from doing that farming earlier.


    "Haha, good thing you rushed. You made it just in time for us to start!"


    I looked up to see Ned with a wide smile on his face. He already had a pan raised in one hand and a small fireball in the other.


    Alyx giggled teasingly while looking at me.


    "It seems you got a little taste of what I experience every day."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Haha, that must be... exciting."


    Erin raised both hands in the air.


    "Of course it''s exciting! Running fast makes you feel free!"


    Ned laughed.


    "Get me some of the bread!"


    He turned to look at me.


    "Haha, I''m sure you''re going to need it since you missed breakfast entirely."


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "Ah, thanks!"


    ...I felt a little weird.


    For one, I wasn''t actually hungry. That sounds really strange given the amount of work I did, and like Ned said, I skipped breakfast.


    But more importantly... Ned was so casual now. The last time I saw him, he was awkwardly trying to avoid the topic of weather. It was almost like it never happened, or that Ned forgot about it entirely.


    From what I could tell in that last time Ned lied, he was bad at lying. At least, that''s what Erin basically said. That meant if he was also covering it up now, he wouldn''t be so casual.


    Instead, he would be scratching himself and avoiding eye contact.


    It reminded me of Mildred''s caring appearance, yet devastated room. On one side of the coin, everything was calm and collected. But on the other... it was a huge mess.


    Although each side contradicted each other, both of them still existed at the same time.


    "Jay?"


    Ned waved a hand in front of my face. A small smile was on his face.


    "If you aren''t feeling it, you can always sit out."


    I shook my head.


    "Ah, sorry! Was just thinking about something again."


    Ned chuckled before shifting his attention to the pan.


    "Man, if you really think that much, won''t you run out of things to think about?"


    I hurried over to a cabinet and pulled out some bread. My head turned to the side so I could see over my shoulder.


    "Haha, ironically enough, it seems the more I think, the more things there are to think about!"


    Ned gasped while shaking the pan, letting some oil spread around its surface.


    "Then with time, that would become infinite things! Won''t you become omnipotent by then?"


    I handed Ned the bread while rolling my eyes.


    "I''ll be dead by then!"


    Ned threw his head back in laughter as he took the bread from me. He proceeded to shove a bunch of meat in the pan and used his fingers to crush the bread into tiny crumbs, sprinkling it on top.


    Right now, the calm side of the coin was face up.


    And that was all I thought about.

 Chapter 102 - Tough Times

    My mind still felt tired, so I didn''t pay attention to how Ned cooked. I simply helped along when my assistance was needed, but was out of it for the most part.


    When we finished, it felt surprising to me, almost like a flash. It was as though my mind was somewhere else while my body robotically finished the task in front of me.


    As we walked over to the table, my eyelids began to flutter. For some reason, the fatigue was coming in waves, battering my mind like the high tide. I hoped they would settle down soon. After all, there was still a spell to memorize.


    My mind was still in a blur by the time we reached the dinner table. I sat down and when my vision cleared up, a large amount of food was spread out before me.


    I recoiled my head back and blinked a few times.


    "Ah, there''s a lot here."


    Ned laughed and slapped his knee.


    "Well, of course! Don''t you remember I said we would make some extra for you? You were even carrying part of your extra portion!"


    My head tilted to the side in confusion.


    "Eh? I was?"


    Alyx rolled her eyes before holding up the side of her face with her hand.


    "You must be joking. How could you even miss what is right in front of you?"


    Erin giggled and swayed her head back and forth.


    "I do that sometimes too! Hehe..."


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    "Haha, I guess it''s because working on that farm really tired me out too much."


    Ned already stuffed his face with some meat, then talked with his hand blocking his mouth.


    "How much farmland did you have to work on?"


    I took a few bites of the food and talked as Ned did, with one hand covering my face.


    "Mm... it''s about the size of the courtyard. Definitely not as small as I would have liked."


    Alyx raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin with her index finger.


    "Ah, what are you required to do?"


    My shoulders shrugged.


    "Tend to the land, water, and harvest the crops. Since it was the first day, I hoed the land and planted seeds. That took quite a bit out of me, but thankfully there was no need to water."


    Alyx chuckled. She smiled cheekily.


    "Yes, there definitely wasn''t. I still remember how you looked at the palace entrance. The rain watered both the crops and you."


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    "Hey! All living things should be treated fairly. That means the rain was just serving this principle!"


    Alyx rolled her eyes and laid back in her seat.


    "Oh, really?"


    I swallowed the food in my mouth and pointed at her accusingly.


    "Yeah, that means you should go out in the rain too! It''s only fair!"


    Alyx laughed while picking up her fork. Then, she pointed towards the courtyard.


    "Too late~"


    She smirked.


    "The rain has already stopped."


    My eyes followed Alyx''s fork towards the place outside. As she said, it stopped raining. I clicked my tongue.


    "Damn... you got away this time."


    Alyx brushed back her hair and chucked.


    "And I will next time too."


    Erin giggled with the tips of her fingers above her lips.


    "What if I sabotage you?"


    Ned laid his elbow on the top of his chair and pointed his fork towards Alyx as well.


    "And I do as well?"


    Alyx crossed her arms and smiled confidently.


    "Then that means Jay cheated! Outside forces means instant disqualification!"


    I raised an eyebrow as the corner of my lip turned up.


    "Since when was that part of the rules?"


    Alyx raised a finger into the air with a sarcastic, stern expression on her face.


    "Since now!"


    Like that, we spent the rest of our time joking around and eating. Although I wasn''t feeling hungry, it wasn''t too hard for me to stomach the extra portion I was eating. After a bit of cleanup, it was time to memorize some spells.


    ...Or at least, that was my plan.


    "Oh come on Jay, is it really that important to be memorizing spells?"


    Ned waved his hand dismissively. He let out a soft sigh.


    "The world is at peace, so we won''t have to fight a demon king or anything. We aren''t even attending magic school in the first place!"


    Alyx rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.


    "Who was the one that said they were going to laze around because they were talentless?"


    Erin raised her hand with a small smile on her face.


    "It was Jay!"


    I let out a small sigh and held out my hand in front of me.


    "Look, I won''t spend all day on it, ok! I''ll come to help later."


    Alyx furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side.


    "Seriously though, why do you even care about memorizing that spell. Even if you weren''t talentless, the amount of dedication you put in is abnormal."


    My mouth dried up. I licked my lips with a bit of trepidation.


    "Well... it''s just something I want to do."


    Alyx gave me a long look, then sighed.


    "I suppose... Don''t take too long."


    A small smile appeared on my face.


    "Haha, alright, alright."


    My heart felt a little warm knowing that Alyx seemed to care so much. It seems Alyx is kinda like Erin, in a way.


    While Erin is irrevocably shy to strangers, she immediately becomes so cheerful once she knows you. Almost like a caterpillar breaking out of a cocoon and becoming a butterfly.


    As for Alyx, she put on a cold front to seem strong and hardened. Yet, she was actually a gentle person, empathetic to the people she knew. Alyx was kinda like a durian, hard on the outside, but soft on the inside.


    ...I guess the time we spent together was too short those other times. Before we had time to even begin forming bonds, I either died or left for the forest.


    Honestly speaking, Alyx almost convinced me to give up on practicing magic and just have some fun. But I remembered the reason I wanted to learn this magic in the first place.


    So that we could have fun for as long as we wanted.


    It was a little strange that the change in weather hadn''t happened for so long now. But even if there really was a way to stop the snow from coming, that wouldn''t shake my conviction.


    I still remembered Everett and the toxic city he lived in.


    The city of Evermore.


    A place where the people cheered for blood, for murder, and savagery. A place where the farmers work so hard just to stay alive. There was a lurking sense of insanity buried within the city despite the fact it appeared so orderly.


    And that was just one place. How many were there out there? Were they in more pain, or less?


    ...Then there were also the slaves. It honestly wasn''t something I wanted to think about, but it was the truth. I couldn''t help but recall Mildred fiercely complaining about the nobles buying slaves despite being against it on the outside.


    Even without the snow, this problem would continue to persist. As such, I imagined many more would as well.


    And so, I pulled out the seat and looked down at the spell named Controlled Vines.


    My mind went to work.


    ...Well, that was my intention, at least.


    My eyes followed the various paths that connected the spells together, but my mind kept flaring up in pain. It was as though someone lit a fire from within my skull.


    Even just refreshing myself on what I already memorized was tedious and painful. I tried to force myself to stare at the paper with eyes that were probably bloodshot.


    ...But after just a few moments, the pain became piercing, sapping away all of my attention.


    My eyes closed while my hand clutched the side of my head. I stopped looking before the pain flared up any further.


    "...Damn."


    My breathing got a little heavier.


    "How am I supposed to continue like this?"


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "...Maybe I should''ve agreed with Alyx and just played around."


    Though I could go back to ask, I would be way too embarrassed to. Plus, I still wanted to memorize the spell despite the difficulty I was facing.


    With a bit too much force, I rubbed my knuckle against my temple. Subdue the pain... there has to be a way.


    I closed my eyes and slowly took in a breath. My mind gradually cleared while the pain eased.


    After the majority of the pain numbed, my eyes flashed open once again, then studied the diagram closely.


    Unfortunately, the pain flared up just as quickly as it left. Still, I used the little time I had to memorize what I could.


    Before I reached the limit, I would pull away. After relaxing for a few moments, I would be back at it.


    My efficiency had dropped by countless times, and my heart hurt knowing this fact.


    ...But something like this wasn''t new to me.


    When I first traversed the forest, I did so with injuries and hardly any stamina.


    I knew that when you sailed a ship out to sea, the journey would only get harder with every passing moment. There would be more breaches in the hull and the food would dwindle, either by consumption or by spoiling.


    Still.... it kinda hurt.

 Chapter 103 - Something Familiar

    I continued to memorize the spell, against my body''s will.


    My progress before was slow, but right now, it was far slower. There was something about how slow it was that tortured me.


    My body had been maimed, yet I still remained standing. Yet for some reason, just this minor persistent pain was enough to slowly wear me down.


    It felt... bad


    Really bad.


    I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed my temple with my knuckle. My eyelids fell shut and just a few moments later, they reopened. It was as though my head was repeatedly banging against a brick wall, trying to demolish it entirely just like that.


    It was not something satisfying to complete. It did not give me a sense of achievement.


    After all, I hardly got anywhere.


    My body gradually felt cold. It was as though shadows seeped into my body, trying to erode it into nothingness.


    It was hard. But why was it hard?


    I was sitting in a comfortable chair, looking at a piece of paper. There was nothing threatening my life, nor was there a need to search for my next meal. I''ve fought a lizard that towered over me like a mountain.


    And I won.


    Yet... here I was. Defeated by a piece of paper that didn''t even try to attack me.


    There was something that just didn''t make sense to me. How could I feel so much struggle from a light pain?


    I forced my body to move forward through so much pain.


    I forced my body to move forward when my mind could hardly process its thoughts.


    I forced my body to move forward despite how hopeless the situation seemed.


    ...So why was it so hard now?


    There must''ve been something wrong with what I''ve been doing. How else could this situation be explained?


    The pain in my head grew fiercely, prompting me to look away from the parchment. I closed my eyes and let out a sharp breath of air.


    My breathing became deep and controlled. This time, the pain ebbed away slower. This caused me even more frustration, thus causing me more pain through stress.


    A bitter smile emerged on my face, one that mocked myself.


    "Why is this so hard for me..."


    "Maybe you need a break."


    I flinched, and turned towards the voice.


    It was Mildred.


    There was a sweet smile on her face that made one believe she could care for everyone. She bent over and gently poked me on the forehead.


    "You look really stressed out. If you keep going like this, how can you do anything?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha... I guess. But surely I''m making more progress as time passes by if I''m working at it all the time. That only makes logical sense, right?"


    Mildred let out a small sigh.


    "Oh, please. What do you think would happen if you gave up on sleeping entirely and focused on working?"


    ...Ah.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Well... I guess you have a point there."


    Mildred straightened her back and shrugged her shoulders.


    "So that''s why you should take a break!"


    A small frown formed on my face. I held the side of my face with my palm.


    "...But I don''t feel like sleeping right now."


    Mildred giggled.


    "But you don''t have to sleep to take a break!"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Isn''t it the best way though? All the other ways use up energy while sleeping will return it."


    Mildred pointed a finger up to the sky confidently.


    "How sure are you of that?"


    A bitter smile emerged on my face.


    "...Well, not sure at all."


    If there''s one thing I learned, it''s that I hardly understand anything. That what I was so sure was one thing was actually another.


    Mildred smirked.


    "Then would you like to try something new with me? You might like it!"


    Was there really something that could help me get rid of the stress in my mind?


    ...If so, then it might be so much easier to memorize the spell. There was no harm in trying something new, right?


    I nodded without too much thought.


    "Alright. Why not?"


    Mildred perked up and grabbed my hand.


    "Come on then, follow me!"


    I half-willingly got up and was half-forced up by Mildred''s tug. She seemed... a little more aggressive than she normally was. Though I guess she was far less aggressive when...


    Nevermind.


    Suddenly, Mildred turned to me.


    "Ah, you still have those fifty coppers I gave you right?"


    I blinked a few times in confusion.


    "Er, yeah. Why do you ask?"


    Mildred smiled cheerily.


    "Bring them along! There''s something great you can spend it on!"


    An awkward smile emerged on my face.


    "Haha, I''ll buy that later. For now, I''m trying to save up for something."


    Mildred looked like I was some strange animal that nature never should have created.


    "Why are you trying to save up for things?"


    My hand scratched the back of my head.


    "Is that really such a bad thing?"


    Mildred rolled her eyes.


    "Keeping money around is basically asking for it to get stea-"


    Without warning, she cut herself off. Mildred laughed awkwardly.


    "Sorry. I forgot that we live in the palace, not some house in the kingdom."


    I didn''t understand what Mildred was saying, but nodded anyway.


    "Um, ok."


    Mildred sighed.


    "You won''t be able to do this without any money."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Well, I only plan to find out more. I don''t have to directly participate in order to consider it."


    Mildred let out a dissatisfied hum.


    "I suppose... but you may regret that choice!"


    I laughed sadly.


    "If I regret it, then I regret it. It''s not like I haven''t regretted my choices before."


    Then, my eyes drifted towards Mildred.


    "Say, what is this thing, anyway? Why can''t you just tell me outright?"


    Mildred smiled mischievously.


    "Let me just show you instead!"


    She proceeded to drag me into the village, eagerly passing by the other folks. We attracted quite a bit of attention, but nobody cared enough to bother us.


    Soon, we arrived in front of a tavern.


    A familiar tavern.


    It was the one Mildred brought me to long ago, where she showed me that unpleasant tasting thing called beer.


    ...Wait. The thing she was referring to was beer this entire time.


    A headache was coming on. I tightly held the side of my head, digging my fingers into my scalp. The bad memories of drinking beer last time bubbled up.


    I didn''t want to experience them once more.


    However, Mildred didn''t seem to notice my resistance as she dragged me inside and got us next to the bartender. We each took a seat.


    For a moment, I wanted to tell Mildred to let me go, but then I remembered my role was a spectator only, tonight.


    And so, I kept my mouth shut.


    Mildred slammed down a silver coin against the counter. Then, she raised her hand high in the air and swung it back and forth.


    "I want a large one here!"


    A middle-aged man hurried over. It was the bartender.


    "Coming right up!"


    After rummaging around, he set down a large mug of beer in front of Mildred and took the silver coin. Once the bartender saw Mildred, a wide smile appeared on his face.


    "Haha, I see you''re here for a long one again, eh?"


    Mildred took a deep breath.


    "What else would I be here for?"


    The bartender laughed.


    "Well said!"


    Then, he turned to me.


    "What are you getting?"


    An awkward smile emerged on my face.


    "Ah, I''m not here to get anything. I''m just accompanying a friend."


    The bartender looked at Mildred, then looked at me.


    "Well... you can stay in the bar. But if you don''t pay, you can''t sit."


    I nodded and slipped off the chair.


    "Ah, ok."


    During my conversation with the bartender, Mildred had already started drinking. She slowly tilted her head back along with lifting up the mug. Mildred let out very audible gulping sounds that blended in with the others in the tavern.


    For some reason, seeing her drink the beer gave me an ominous feeling. An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "Drinking too fast is probably bad for you, right Mildred?"


    Mildred''s eyes had glazed over. She turned to me with a careless smile.


    "Hmm? How bad could that possibly be?"


    The bartender looked at me sternly.


    "Let the woman do what she wants."


    I raised my hands as though I was surrendering.


    "Ok, ok!"


    Mildred slammed down the mug against the table and slid another coin.


    "Another one!"


    The bartender took the mug with a smile.


    "Of course!"


    Like that, Mildred continued to drink the beer in a violent manner. My brows furrowed in confusion.


    Last time I remembered, the beer was quite nasty. So why did Mildred drink it like it was the tastiest thing in the world?


    While lost in my thoughts, I felt a strange sense of fear.


    ....Coming from Mildred''s direction.

 Chapter 104 - Are You Going To Get Out Of My Sight Now?

    "I tell you what, those nobles see us as slaves! All of us!"


    Mildred slammed her mug on the table with anger. Her face was flushed and her words began to slur.


    The bartender laughed.


    "Not like we can change how those stubborn things see us. We just have to deal with it."


    Mildred slapped the table with her free hand a few times.


    "But what gives them the right to do that! Fuck, I just wanted to do my own thing but of course, I had to be a commoner."


    She seemed to be getting angry. Her actions became a little more forceful, even cutting herself against a splinter. Yet, Mildred didn''t notice this. It was as though she was becoming a different person, magnified by the fact her speech rapidly lost its formality.


    While standing behind Mildred, I lightly tapped her shoulder. I was a little tense from the fear.


    "Are you ok?"


    Mildred''s head snapped to me, with unfocused eyes.


    "Of course I''m ok! If anything, I''m better than ever!"


    She raised her hands in the air along with the mug of beer, almost like she was attached to it.


    Mildred began to giggle. Although I considered laughter to be a happy thing, the way she was laughing just didn''t sit right with me.


    The corner of the bartender''s mouth turned up. He looked at me with a bit of condescension.


    "Young lass, you worry about things way too much. Frankly, you should be more worried about everyone else!"


    Mildred slammed down her mug, emptied out once again. She let out a loud laugh.


    "That''s damn right!"


    Like it was natural, the bartender already began pouring more alcohol into the mug, while Mildred slammed down another silver.


    Mildred was... slowly getting more unstable. She was becoming the Mildred that snapped my shoulder and dislocated my jaw.


    The Mildred that I pretended didn''t exist.


    She continued to throw down drinks like someone dying of thirst. After a bit of hesitation, I got the courage to put a hand on Mildred''s shoulder.


    "This is..."


    I cleared my throat.


    "You are drinking really fast. Maybe you should slow down a little?"


    Mildred tilted her head back as though she were falling over. A dissatisfied groan came out of her lips.


    "Slow? I can go way faster than this!"


    "Haha, someone is trying to tell the drunken warrior to stop drinking!"


    A man sitting at a nearby table pointed at me mockingly. He had a messy beard and scraggly body. The clothes he wore were already stained with what were presumably alcohol stains.


    I looked at him with a bit of confusion.


    "The drunken warrior?"


    The man threw back his head in laughter.


    "Kid, you seriously don''t know? A first-timer is it now?"


    Well... not exactly the first time. Still, it was basically so for me.


    I nodded with a bit of trepidation.


    Seeing this, the man slapped his knee several times. He laughed with his mouth closed.


    "Kid... let me give you some advice. You can tell anyone else to stop drinking, but not her."


    The man smirked.


    "Not the drunken warrior."


    The bartender laughed heartily while pouring someone else their drink.


    "I still remember the last time someone tried to stop her."


    The man grinned, showing his yellow teeth.


    "Haha, that dumbass got floored! After just one hit, he was out like a light!"


    Mildred raised her fist in the air confidently while drinking from her mug. Once she finished, she burst out into laughter.


    "Even I was surprised! He talked so big, yet went down like a wuss!"


    Mildred slammed her fist on the counter, causing a few mugs to bounce up.


    "Where is he now, huh? He doesn''t even dare show his face to me!"


    The bartender smirked.


    "Haha, you still gotta give him some credit. That punch was so loud, it still echoes in my ears! If it was me, the best case scenario would be being bedridden for months!"


    The man scoffed and laid his elbow on the table.


    "Oh, that''s way too much credit. In the end, we''d all take one hit if it''s the drunken warrior. How long you remain after that means jack shit!"


    The bartender nodded with a chuckle.


    "You got me there."


    With that, Mildred continued to drink even more. The smile on her face grew wider... and more malicious. Her lips loosened and her inner thoughts poured out.


    "And all those damn villagers, if they weren''t such cowards! Can you at least try to fight back if the slave traders come for you?"


    Mildred slammed down her mug of beer and pushed down on it to support her body. Though that didn''t stop her from swaying around like she was a string, rocking violently to keep a kite attached to it.


    Mildred mumbled something before dragging the mug of beer across the table.


    "Seriously! If you can''t even try to resist, you deserve to be captured."


    She hunched over and closed her eyes partway.


    "At that point, you might as well kill your-"


    "Mildred."


    I cut her off. My heart was in so much pain seeing her like this. Mildred... she wouldn''t say those things. Something must''ve happened.


    This just didn''t make any sense.


    Mildred slowly turned to me with a deep frown.


    "Hah? What do you want?"


    A small, yet sad smile emerged on my face.


    "Let''s go home. Please."


    Mildred raised an eyebrow provocatively.


    "Did you not hear about the last guy who tried to stop me? I brought you over here to have some fun but..."


    She scoffed.


    "You aren''t even willing to spend a bit of change on a drink."


    The bartender laughed mockingly.


    "You tell him, drunken warrior!"


    Mildred clicked her tongue and faced forward once again.


    "Such a bother."


    Her words hurt. Not because of what they meant, but who they were coming from.


    This... this place.


    It must be what made Mildred this way.


    My resolve became both weak and strong at the same time. I wrapped my hand around Mildred''s waist.


    "Please... let''s just leave."


    Mildred turned around to glare at me.


    "If you want to go, just do it! Don''t drag me with you!"


    The man from earlier chuckled.


    "Seriously kid."


    He narrowed his eyes.


    "You''re walking on thin ice."


    I slowly closed my eyes.


    ...So what if I was?


    My grip around Mildred tightened while a small frown emerged on my face.


    "I''m sorry."


    I tried to pull Mildred up, but she was far heavier than I imagined she would be. Mildred responded with an angry glare.


    "Fuck you!"


    In a flash, Mildred''s elbow crashed against my skull, sending my mind into a blur. I lost my footing and fell backward.


    Yet, before I even hit the ground, a merciless punch slammed me in the stomach. With a bang, I hit the floor. It was painful.


    Really painful.


    I could barely pick up on muffled roaring and jeering. After a few moments, my hearing returned, letting me listen in on the crowd.


    "Hell yeah, beat him down!"


    "Show that loser what you''re made of!"


    "Hahaha, that''s our drunken warrior!"


    My vision slowly cleared to see Mildred standing over me with her arms crossed. There was a disdainful look in her eyes.


    "I bring you here out of the goodness in my heart to show you how to have a little fun."


    Mildred''s tone dropped.


    "And this is how you repay me?"


    The crowd grew more boisterous and excited.


    "Beat that loser black and blue! Maybe then he''ll get it!"


    "There''s no need to make someone like him understand the refined culture of this bar!"


    "Seriously, why bring that guy here? You''re the drunken warrior, you don''t need anyone!"


    Mildred pointed towards the door.


    "Scram."


    My vision became blurry and my eyes warmed up. It was because tears formed on my face.


    I couldn''t help but remember the times Mildred brought me up when I fell so far down.


    When I felt useless because everyone else had extraordinary talent while I had nothing...


    Mildred was there to encourage me. She gave me the confidence to stand.


    When I tried to end it all because of how hard it all felt...


    Mildred caught me. She gave me the courage to walk forward.


    When I broke down because of the burden that not even I realized was on my back...


    Mildred comforted me. She let my tired soul rest.


    ...This couldn''t be her. There must be something else. Some other reason.


    I pushed off the ground and slowly got up to my feet. My body was wavering, while my mind still felt blurry.


    But in the end, I was standing.


    The crowd got even more excited.


    "Woah, he stood!"


    "Someone took on the drunken warrior''s hit?"


    "Haha, let''s take bets on how long he lasts!"


    Mildred raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue.


    "So? Are you going to get out of my sight now?"


    I didn''t blink, but tears overflowed from my eyes anyway. Then... with a determination that lurked deep in the ocean, I raised my head.


    "No."

 Chapter 105 - Always Hiding

    Mildred stared at me with disdain while the crowd roared with excitement.


    "We''re getting a show, people!"


    "Don''t hold back this time, drunken warrior! Knock him out in a single punch!"


    "Hahaha, let''s see if this kid can last another hit!"


    Why was I standing?


    In all honesty, I did not really understand.


    What was I trying to accomplish?


    Again, I have no idea.


    But there was something inside me that refused to back down. Something that made a coward like me stand up. It was as though I was the last flower in a field ravaged by someone that wanted to keep all the flowers in a jar. As a weak flower, there was nothing I could do to avoid being picked.


    But I stood up proudly anyway, challenging the inevitable.


    Mildred clenched her fists.


    "What the hell is your problem?"


    My head swiveled weakly while my mouth hung slightly agape.


    "...I don''t know."


    Mildred narrowed her eyes.


    "If you don''t know, what gives you the balls to stand there?"


    My eyelids fluttered weakly.


    "I don''t know."


    Mildred took a few steps forward. She wasted no time in throwing a right hook, landing squarely on my face. With a thwack, I recoiled backward, stumbling a few steps back.


    "Piece of shit!"


    Mildred lunged forward, bending down on one knee. She sent a clean uppercut right to my chin. My head snapped backward while my body was thrown up into the air.


    I could tell how hard my spine was working to keep me together, especially because of the pain between where my spine connected to my skull.


    After being lifted up a few meters in the air, I slammed back down onto the ground. The nearby tables jostled from the impact while the crowd cheered once more.


    My mind fogged up even more. It was hard to even think through the pain, much less stand. Yet, like it was instinctual, I stood up anyway. My breathing was ragged, while my vision was blurry.


    I could no longer see Mildred''s expression, but it was not hard to tell she was glaring at me. Almost like two daggers were being pushed into my skin.


    It was harder to think, and my thoughts became cruder.


    Yet, things seemed to be a little clearer to me.


    I refused to believe that this was who Mildred was. I refused to believe that Mildred would associate with these people.


    ...I refused to believe that she could say such hurtful words.


    My lips parted, but the words wouldn''t come out.


    Mildred cracked her neck.


    "Seems like you need someone to teach you a lesson!"


    She picked me up by my neck, choking me out. The pain in my mind immediately increased several times over, but before I could worry about that, I was slammed against a table.


    The air was knocked out of my lungs while I felt my spine crack. The table collapsed, leaving me lying on a pile of debris.


    There were people sitting at that table, but instead of complaining, they got out of the way while holding their drinks.


    Mildred huffed with anger.


    "Are you still going to get up?"


    I coughed up a bit of blood, letting it dribble down my cheek.


    "...Yeah."


    Staying true to my words, I pushed down against the ground to lift myself up. The piece of debris my hand was on suddenly rolled, making me slip and fall in the debris once more. The air was knocked out of my lungs once again, but that didn''t stop me from trying once more.


    Yet, before I could, Mildred grabbed me by the collar and slammed me down.


    "And why the fuck are you still standing up?"


    In her yells, a few flecks of spit hit my face.


    "What is it about me you hate so much? Huh?"


    My lips slowly parted, but before I could say anything, Mildred violently shook me.


    "ANSWER ME."


    My head slammed against the floor from the violent shaking. Tears overflowed, slipping down past my eyes.


    "I don''t hate you."


    Mildred was livid. Her eyes bulged from her sockets, just barely contained.


    "Bullshit."


    I slowly raised a trembling hand towards Mildred''s face.


    "This... this isn''t you, Mildred."


    Mildred grabbed my wrist and flung me to the wall of the tavern.


    "Oh yeah? Then who am I?"


    With a bang, I collided with the tavern wall. My legs buckled, making me fall down to my knees. Before I fell over My hand caught the floor, then pushed me up.


    I stood up once again.


    With just a touch, I would fall. Yet, there was still pride left within me. The pride that Mildred herself gave me.


    But right now, Mildred wasn''t encouraging me. She slowly walked over with a dangerous smile on her face.


    "I wonder... who exactly is this Mildred you are referring to?"


    I closed my eyes, letting all the tears flow freely. A deep frown etched itself on my face. So deep, that it hurt.


    The memories I had of her flashed in my mind. I knew that only I had those memories, but nothing would change the fact Mildred would do those things.


    "Mildred... is the kind of person to help someone at their lowest. To give someone confidence when they had none left."


    I clenched the middle of my chest, trying to grasp at my heart.


    "The kind of person... to catch someone when they fell. And to give them a reason to rise once again."


    I grit my teeth.


    "THE KIND OF PERSON TO CARE FOR EVEN THE MOST PATHETIC PERSON IN THE WORLD."


    With all my strength, I let loose a roar. By the end, my lips trembled and my throat felt like it was ripped apart.


    Mildred shrugged her shoulders. Then, she scoffed.


    "I don''t know what ''Mildred'' you think I''m supposed to be."


    The smile disappeared from her face.


    "But I am not her."


    I reached out weakly.


    "It''s... it''s just this place. We just need to leave here..."


    Mildred grabbed my arm and twisted it, immediately snapping it in the wrong direction. A grimace formed on my face.


    "AHHHHHHH."


    Mildred yelled at the top of her lungs.


    "LEAVE? HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT CHANGE ANYTHING?"


    I could hear her throat tearing apart. Strangely enough, the fact she was hurting herself weighed more on my mind than the fact she broke my arm.


    Mildred slammed me down on the ground and relentlessly rained down punches. My face quickly became black and blue.


    The crowd cheered her on, letting out the occasional encouraging remark.


    Then, my rib cage shattered under Mildred''s strikes. The snapping sounds were clear and frightening.


    The crowd fell eerily silent, losing their original fervor. It was hard for me to tell, but people seemed to be running out of the tavern.


    The shattered fragments of my bone began to penetrate my organs.


    ...At this rate, I was really going to die.


    Mildred had an uncanny smile on her face.


    "Is this the Mildred you were talking about?"


    She dislocated my shoulder.


    "Would the Mildred you know do something like this?"


    She snapped back several of my fingers.


    My eyes rolled back.


    "AHHHHHHH."


    It hurt.


    It hurt really badly.


    But... I''ve already dealt with so much pain before. I''ve literally died from being pierced through the heart by an eagle and having my rib cage shattered.


    Still, it was as though my soul was being torn apart.


    Like something securely placed in my mind was ripped away.


    I slowly came to realize that it was the image of Mildred in my heart. Although I was not always consciously aware, she was the pillar that held my fragile mentality together.


    ...So when it crumbled, I crumbled with it.


    Yet, this was something I already knew. It was just too scary for me to face, so the only option was to bury it deep inside.


    You''d think I''d learn at this point. That there''s no point in hiding from the truth.


    There was the time I denied the trauma of being captured and almost being turned into a slave.


    There was the time I sought the answer to create peace, when I already knew it was power.


    There was the time I pretended that my friends back in the palace didn''t exist. That when I left for the forest, they didn''t have to struggle.


    I''ve always been trying to hide.


    Perhaps not entirely, but there was always something I didn''t want to think about. And so, I just didn''t.


    It''s not like I didn''t know it was wrong. They''ve sapped at my psyche like a venomous viper, so the consequences were clear to me.


    But... it was just so hard not to.


    If I tried to confront it, the anxiety would overwhelm me. Almost like I woke up a sleeping tiger.


    My eyes were opened ever so slightly, just barely able to make out Mildred''s insane look.


    I couldn''t hide from it anymore.


    This has been a part of Mildred, and it will always be.

 Chapter 106 - What It Means To Be Perfect

    Suddenly, Mildred backed off. It was as though she couldn''t believe what she had done.


    "I... I..."


    The tavern was empty.


    All the others had left while the bartender himself abandoned his post.


    It was getting hard to breathe through my lungs as they had been pierced by the bone fragments. If I didn''t do anything about it, I would die in just a few moments.


    Mildred covered her trembling lips with both of her hands.


    "What... what have I done..."


    A weak smile formed on my face.


    "...I see now. I was too selfish."


    I coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    "Everyone is their own person. I tried to fit you into who I wanted you to be."


    Mildred didn''t seem to hear me.


    "Oh... oh god."


    I reached my hand out and lightly brushed against Mildred''s cheek.


    "Don''t worry... I''m fine."


    Mildred held her forehead with her hand.


    "What? But, but..."


    I closed my eyes. The surrounding wind whipped wildly while my skin tore apart. The tears in my lungs made me choke and even worsened from the mana gathered.


    ...But moments later, a gentle sensation spread throughout my body, washing away the pain.


    The bone fragments were pushed out of my lungs, letting them heal over. My twisted ligaments reorganized themselves while my bones regenerated.


    ...Well, that''s a bit of an exaggeration.


    I coughed up a mouthful of blood. My body was still pretty ruined even after the healing spell did its work. At least my torn skin healed.


    "Hold on, I got this."


    Mildred blinked a few times in shock.


    "What?... A healing spell?"


    Wind whipped around me as my skin tore open. A pained smile formed on my face.


    "Ah, yeah. It''s just something I picked up on."


    Mildred opened and closed her mouth a few times, taking her time to form her words.


    "It''s... so strong."


    My mind finished casting the healing spell, letting another gentle feeling brush past my body. It was almost like my body was laid down on a bed of flowers.


    My bones were put back into place, but hadn''t fully mended. As for my bent fingers, they were back to normal.


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "Is it strong? I need to cast this quite a few times..."


    Mildred lightly caressed the skin that just regrew on my body, where she last shattered my ribcage. It hurt a little because my bones still didn''t heal fully.


    Mildred blinked a few times, as though she was trying to dispel an illusion.


    "I... I''ve never seen a spell that can bring someone back from the brink of death."


    I chuckled and weakly waved.


    "I feel you''re exaggerating it a bit. I''ve been in worse condition."


    Mildred took a deep breath. She trembled faintly.


    "Am I?..."


    My mind cast one last healing spell, affixing my bones in the right places and regrowing my muscles. Though, my body felt really stiff.


    "Yeah, look, I''m fine."


    With a groan, I stood up. I pressed my hands against my back, cracking my spine. After a few stretches, my body was as good as new.


    Mildred furrowed her brows and held the side of her head. Her hands were still covered in my blood. She trembled a little more.


    "But how..."


    I shrugged my shoulders as a small smile spread out on my face.


    "There''s no need to think about it too much. I''m fine, see?"


    Mildred looked at me while I spread out my arms and did a few jumping jacks. Her trembling seemed to calm down a bit.


    "Ah, I suppose so..."


    Mildred walked over to a table. She pulled out a seat and sat down while clutching her scalp.


    "My head aches tremendously..."


    Mildred laid an elbow on the table and continued supporting her head. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open.


    "Am I dreaming?"


    I pulled out the seat opposite to Mildred and sat down with her. The seat was rather dirty, but not to the point it felt disgusting to sit on it. As for the table, there were many dried beer stains. There was even a mug that tipped over, spilling some alcohol over the table.


    I leaned back against the seat, letting out a long sigh. My eyelids gradually shut, while Mildred was still freaking out a little bit.


    It was nearly silent in the tavern. The only sounds I could make out were my own breathing and the rolling sounds of a few mugs of beer.


    The contrast was quite jarring, considering how boisterous it was just moments ago. It was as though this place was ravaged by a hurricane just a few moments ago. And now, only the aftermath was left while the winds have gone quiet.


    After resting for a few moments in this silence, I spoke up.


    "You know..."


    Mildred slowly lifted up her head.


    "Huh?"


    I slowly opened my eyes.


    "I''ve never really thought about it before, but people are so complicated."


    Mildred rubbed the side of her head.


    "I suppose so..."


    A faint chuckle escaped me.


    "Even something as simple as being happy, or being sad..."


    I narrowed my eyes and looked at the ceiling.


    "..Can completely change someone. It''s almost magical, in a sense."


    Mildred leaned back in her seat while holding her forehead.


    "Well, a lot of things are magical. Even the showers in the palace are powered through magic."


    A bitter smile emerged on my face and raised a hand in the air.


    "No, no. I don''t mean it like that. I just..."


    I sighed helplessly and let my hand fall onto my leg.


    "Nevermind, haha."


    Mildred shook her head.


    "Ugh... I feel terrible."


    Without knowing it, my eyes drifted towards Mildred.


    "What do you mean?"


    Mildred rubbed her eyes.


    "I just feel sick."


    I put my elbow on the table and rested my head in my palm.


    "Hmm... sick?"


    My mind slowly gathered mana, slowly forming the healing spell. After a few moments, I casted it on Mildred.


    Her expression dulled, almost like she was no longer part of this world.


    Mildred froze in place. The only proof that she didn''t become a statue was the faint trembling in her fingers. It seemed like... she was thinking about something.


    Without warning, tears began falling from Mildred''s face. Her voice became soft.


    "...It''s so warm."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "Haha, the spell does feel pretty nice."


    Mildred furrowed her brows, then looked at me with confusion. Suddenly, she stood up from her seat and hunched forward.


    Mildred reached out her index finger, holding it right in front of my face. While trembling, she lightly touched my nose.


    "It''s... real?"


    I shrugged my shoulders with a casual smile.


    "Well... it would be pretty concerning if I wasn''t real."


    Mildred took a deep breath.


    "I... I did all those things."


    A laugh escaped me.


    "Yes, but it was mostly because of me."


    Mildred shook her head.


    "What? No... if I just wasn''t..."


    A sad smile formed on my face.


    "Haha... it''s because I couldn''t accept you for who you were."


    My vision grew blurry.


    "For some reason, I believed people were like sheets of paper."


    I reached out my hand and looked into my palm.


    "I wanted to cling to this notion. That I could understand people clearly."


    My voice softened.


    "That only the good side of people existed."


    Mildred looked at me with a bit of confusion.


    "So... I suppose I would be considered a bad person."


    I clenched my hand into a fist.


    "No..."


    Mildred tilted her head to the side.


    "Are you trying to say I''m a good person?"


    I laughed.


    "No..."


    Mildred furrowed her brows and let out a soft sigh.


    "Then what are you trying to say?"


    I scratched my cheek with my forefinger.


    "Well... you can''t just label someone. In the end, that label will always be wrong in some way. Simply because people are far too complex."


    I tapped the table with my finger.


    "That''s why you can''t say that someone''s a good or bad person. Because that''s just not how it works."


    Mildred frowned.


    "...So what is it that I am supposed to think?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Nothing, really."


    Mildred raised an eyebrow.


    "Huh?"


    I chuckled.


    "It''s me that should''ve accepted you for the way you were. That you weren''t some cake to be cut into pieces."


    I sucked in a deep breath.


    "So... sorry."


    Mildred smiled sadly.


    "For what? Frankly, I should be the one apologizing."


    She brushed aside her hair.


    "I was the one that dragged you along because I wanted someone else to be with me."


    Mildred''s voice softened, barely loud enough for me to hear.


    "Yet, I..."


    I slowly raised my hand.


    "You''ve been doing the best with what we have been given."


    My heart ached.


    "I know this now. I finally truly understand that you are a person that goes through suffering and hope like me. A person that''s trying to understand the wide world around them."


    Mildred looked at me with a bit of shock. Her lips were parted ever so slightly.


    I shook my head.


    "From what makes you good to what makes you bad, I wouldn''t have it any other way."


    A bright smile formed on my face.


    "I''ve realized you are perfect just the way you are."

 Chapter 107 - So... Thank You

    Mildred smiled bitterly, as though she thought my proclamation was ridiculous.


    "How can I be perfect if you yourself said I have flaws?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Well... flaws don''t have to be a bad thing."


    Mildred raised an eyebrow while smiling helplessly.


    "Isn''t the very meaning of flaw something undesirable?"


    I waved my hand dismissively.


    "No, no. I just mean it''s not something to be ashamed of. Without them, you wouldn''t be who you were."


    Mildred sighed.


    "I... I suppose."


    She tilted her head to the side.


    "Um, can we pretend that this never happened?"


    I smiled mischievously.


    "No!"


    Mildred raised her hands up to shoulder level.


    "Eh? B-But why?"


    I crossed my arms.


    "I''ve already accepted that it''s a thing that happened!"


    Mildred smiled sadly.


    "Is that so?..."


    I stood up from the chair and hunched over the desk. With a finger, I lightly poked Mildred in the forehead.


    "It''s because I don''t mind."


    Mildred blinked a few times in confusion.


    "Ah... really?"


    I nodded.


    "Really."


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "...Let''s go home."


    Mildred nodded.


    "Ok."


    With that, the two of us made our way back to the palace. The sun began to set by the time we got back.


    Mildred rubbed her eye with her finger.


    "I''m quite tired... It appears my time for rest is going to be a bit early today."


    I nodded.


    "Alright. Sleep well."


    Mildred let out a small yawn.


    "Thank you"


    With that, Mildred left for her room, leaving me alone. For a few moments, I was at a loss for what to do.


    My first instinct was to go back and attempt to memorize the spell, but I told the others that I would join them to play around at some point. A fair bit of time had passed since then.


    With light steps, I made my way to the courtyard. A light breeze coasted by, lightly pushing against the grass and leaves. There was nobody there.


    I sighed helplessly before turning around to leave. It was rather silent all by myself.


    "Eh? There you are!"


    Ah, well never mind. I met eyes with Alyx, who seemed just as surprised to see me as I was to see her.


    She crossed her arms.


    "And where were you all this time? We thought that you would be practicing your spells, but when we checked, there was nobody there!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha... well I went out to do something with Mildred."


    Alyx raised an eyebrow and smirked.


    "Eh? So you could spare some time for her, but not with us?"


    I raised my hands as though I was surrendering.


    "Look, I was trying to memorize the spells, but it got really hard and then Mildred said she had a way to calm me down and-"


    Alyx raised her hand, making the stopping gesture.


    "Alright, alright. I don''t blame you or anything. Plus, it seems you at least tried to get to us."


    An awkward smile formed on my face.


    "Yeah, yeah. It''s about the intention!"


    Alyx rolled her eyes.


    "And you fully intended on abandoning us to learn magic you can''t even use."


    My eyelid twitched. I pointed at Alyx accusingly.


    "Y-You said you wouldn''t blame me, that''s not fair!"


    Alyx rolled her eyes with a smile.


    "Haha, that is true."


    I gasped exaggeratedly.


    "So you''re a liar!"


    Alyx swatted away the finger I was using to point at her.


    "It doesn''t count, it was a joke!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha. Well, what are you doing here anyways?"


    Alyx sighed.


    "I was trying to be a little like you and study my spells."


    She raised the spellbook in her hand to shoulder level and waved it around a little.


    "The only problem was, it felt a bit suffocating staying in my room the whole time. I thought going to the courtyard would be a good change of pace."


    I nodded a few times.


    "Ah, you have fun with that then."


    Although my foot was raised in the air, ready to take a step, it froze. Alyx grabbed my shoulder with a devious smirk.


    "But not now!"


    I turned to her with a bit of incredulity.


    "Ehhhh?"


    Alyx shook me a little.


    "Now, I''m waiting for an apology!"


    I pointed at her accusingly once more.


    "You''re clearly blaming me!"


    Alyx cleared her throat and held her spellbook over her heart shamelessly.


    "These are two different things! You are obligated to apologize whether or not I forgive you!"


    I raised my hands in the air as though surrendering once again.


    "Gah, ok, ok! I''m sorry."


    Alyx let go of my shoulder and smiled to herself.


    "Heh. That''s better."


    A long sigh escaped me.


    "Haha, I honestly didn''t expect you to be someone that would enjoy teasing others."


    Alyx shrugged her shoulders.


    "The more surprising thing is I hardly knew that I would either!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Eh?"


    Alyx poked my forehead.


    "Something about you just seems so pathetic. Perhaps that''s why."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Why you..."


    Alyx burst out into laughter.


    "Calm down, calm down. It was just a joke!"


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "I guess it''s my fault for coming to conclusions so fast. But still, it''s hard for me to imagine that this is actually you."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "If anything, I thought you were going to be more serious or become super naggy."


    Alyx rolled her eyes.


    "Well of course I''m not going to act the same to a stranger and someone I know."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Eh? Why is that?"


    Alyx raised an eyebrow.


    "Are you serious?"


    With a bit of awkwardness, I looked away.


    "Well... yeah."


    Alyx looked at me with suspicion, but didn''t question me outright.


    "How are you supposed to trust someone you''ve never met before?"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Trust them with what?"


    Alyx sighed exasperatedly.


    "With who you really are!"


    ...Was I supposed to be hiding something?


    It seems my method was wrong the entire time.


    Alyx held her forehead with one head.


    "Ugh. Let me explain it to you more. If you are with someone you don''t trust, you put up walls to defend yourself. Once that changes to people that you do trust, you are willing to let those walls fall, because you believe that they won''t hurt you."


    I let out a small gasp of realization.


    "That makes sense now."


    Alyx raised an eyebrow.


    "You must be pretty secluded to not know about that. It''s almost like we were the first people you ever met."


    My eyebrow twitched.


    ...Well.


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "So normally, you''re not just super cold all the time. Instead, you play around like this?"


    The corner of Alyx''s lip twitched.


    "Um..."


    My mouth was slightly agape.


    "What? Did I get it wrong again? I must be really bad at this..."


    Alyx chuckled.


    "No, no. It''s just that I''ve never really had that many people to talk to."


    She held onto a few strands of her hair and began twisting it.


    "You see, for pretty much my entire life, the only person I could trust was Erin."


    Alyx sighed helplessly.


    "But at the same time, I was more focused on protecting her for all of my life. Although we had fun together, it was essentially to comfort one another."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Who were you protecting her from?"


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "...Far too many people."


    Wow. Earth sounds like a dangerous place.


    Alyx sighed.


    "But here, nobody bothers us so long as we remain in the palace."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "How sure are you about that?"


    Alyx rolled her eyes and chuckled.


    "I don''t mean it like that. It just feels so surreal, suddenly living a life without having to worry about the future."


    ...That does sound pretty nice. Seems like I will have to work hard to see something like that.


    So that we can all see that.


    Alyx took a deep breath and brushed aside her hair.


    "Haha, honestly speaking, I never saw myself becoming friends with you guys."


    My eyes widened.


    "Eh? Do we look that bad?"


    Alyx burst out in laughter.


    "You''re misunderstanding. It''s not you two in particular. It was the fact I never saw myself getting along with anyone else.


    She shrugged her shoulders.


    "At some point in my life, I accepted that it would only be Erin and me together."


    Alyx twisted the end of her hair.


    "But ever since you decided to bring all of our desks together when we first attended school..."


    She smiled beautifully.


    "...I was willing to open up a little bit."


    I scratched the back of my head. Technically, Ned was supposed to do that...


    "Haha, I''m glad."


    Alyx tilted her head to the side.


    "I suppose it has been far more freeing than I thought it could ever be. It was unbeknownst to me, but even with Erin, I was still trying to hide myself."


    She giggled.


    "So.... thank you for letting me be myself."

 Chapter 108 - Watering The Farm

    After a few more words, Alyx broke off to study her spellbook in the courtyard. As for me, I went to the palace entrance, as it was the room that had the spells. There was the consideration to join Alyx, but there was also the fear of tearing the paper as well as being a bother.


    And so, I ended up just sitting down to continue to memorize the spell. As expected, my mind was now up to the task.


    Every few moments, I would need to take a break. With how slow and torturous the process was, I could easily notice when it was becoming night. For a moment, I thought about continuing, but it was probably too much for me.


    After all, not only would I make little progress, but there was still the farm work to do. With that reasoning, I went up to my room while clutching the side of my head.


    In the distance, I could see Alyx. She was yawning while rubbing one of her eyes. Alyx noticed me and gave me a small wave.


    "...Night."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "Night."


    With that, I went into my room and plopped onto my bed.


    Like turning off a light, it went black.


    ...


    "Mm..."


    My head felt a little fuzzy, along with a faint ache of pain. My body was facedown on the bed, the same position I was in when sleep had come to me.


    With a groan, I raised my head and looked towards the curtains.


    "Ah, shit."


    The sun was shining brightly, signaling that it was roughly noon. Although my body was unwilling, I pushed myself off with the power of panic.


    After freshening up, I hurried out into the hall and down the steps. Before long, I found myself near the palace entrance.


    "Eh? There you are, Jay!"


    I spun my head to the side to see Erin. She had a curious expression on her face, as though it was surprising for me to be here.


    Although my farming duties were waiting for me, it was my fault for being late in the first place. And so, I responded while scratching the back of my head.


    "Oh, hey Erin. I''m just on my way to do some farming. Unfortunately, I ended up oversleeping a little."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Eh? You were sleeping?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Hm?... What else could I be doing?"


    Erin tapped her chin with her index finger.


    "Were you sleeping in your room?"


    An awkward cough escaped me.


    "Well, yeah."


    Erin pouted.


    "So you ignored my wake up call?"


    I blinked a few times in confusion.


    "Huh?"


    Erin pouted and pointed towards me accusingly.


    "You ignored me, didn''t you!"


    I raised my hands as though I wanted to surrender.


    "What? No, I don''t even remember hearing a wake up call."


    Erin stamped her foot on the ground, letting out light tapping sounds.


    "But it was so loud! It even hurt my own ears!"


    Suddenly, memories of how Erin screamed before came to my mind.


    ''Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!''


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    Did I really sleep through something like that?


    I raised my fist to block my mouth and coughed awkwardly.


    "Um... I guess it was just too hard for me to notice how deep my sleep was."


    Erin hummed with dissatisfaction.


    "Ok..."


    She looked up at me and pointed a finger at my face. Then, she waved it around, nearly hitting me in the process.


    "You still have time for lunch, though! It''s not good to skip meals!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    Well... I was feeling a bit hungry.


    "Alright, alright."


    A small smile formed on Erin''s face.


    "Hehe, then let''s go!"


    She grabbed the cuff of my sleeve and proceeded to run to the kitchen, dragging me along with her.


    Right when we were at the entrance of the kitchen, Alyx came out while holding two plates. She was looking to the side, slowly turning towards us.


    "Ah, Erin. Did you find out where Jay went off-"


    Alyx looked at me and blinked a few times.


    "Oh, there you are."


    I scratched the back of my head and smiled awkwardly.


    "Accidentally slept in a bit."


    From inside the kitchen, Ned poked out his head while holding two plates of food.


    "Wow, you slept in while Erin was screaming like that?"


    Erin crossed her arms.


    "It was a reasonable volume!"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "...Didn''t you say that it hurt your ears?"


    Erin shook her fist at me.


    "It was reasonable because you didn''t answer!"


    I coughed.


    "Haha, I guess."


    With that, we went to the dining room and ate the food. I felt a little bad for not helping out with the cooking, but it was already done by the time I got there.


    Alyx, Erin, and Ned were having their own conversation. As for me, I was zoning out a little.


    For the farm, I just needed to water this time. So where do I get this water?


    It probably wouldn''t be so convenient as to rain once more.


    Hmm... hopefully I wouldn''t have to rely on casting the water spell.


    But there should be a way!


    I assume Mildred did this before, so she had to have gotten the water from somewhere-


    "Jay?"


    I flinched and turned to Erin. She had her head tilted to the side and an eyebrow raised.


    "Are you there?''


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, I was just thinking about my farm duties."


    Erin pouted.


    "Ok..."


    Other than some small talk, nothing much really happened. It was hard for me to focus on the conversation, since my focus was still on the work I needed to do.


    Once we were done eating, I said my goodbyes and hurried off to the farm.


    By the time I reached the hoed plot of land, my lungs were strained from panting while my hands were on my knees, using them to support me.


    There were still a few of my footprints in the ground, but already dried and hardened. As for the soil in the farm itself, it was not so different.


    After heaving a soft sigh, I made my way to the little shed built into the palace. After scanning the room, the only thing water related I could find was an old metal bucket.


    Since that was the only real option, I picked it up and went back outside. I cast my eyes on the horizon, slowly scanning my surroundings.


    That''s when I saw a tiny bit of water splash upwards.


    The sight was fleeting, almost like an illusion, but I made my way towards it. After a few minutes of jogging, a small river was laid out before me. The width was only perhaps a meter wide, but the water enthusiastically rushed downwards, occasionally splashing water to the sides.


    I walked over, letting some of the water sprinkle on me. I held the bucket with two hands and scooped up the water like my intention was to get sand for a sandcastle.


    The new weight of the bucket was immediately apparent. However, it wasn''t too hard for me to carry, which came as a surprise. As the bucket was lifted up, some water splashed onto the floor.


    My initial desire was to run, but the water would probably slosh out, making my efforts counterproductive. And so, I briskly walked back to the plot of land, trying my best not to spill any of the water. Unfortunately, by the time I made it back, some of the water still ended up spilling out.


    With what was left, I cast it upon the plot of land. A small section had been darkened, turning the dry soil from light brown to dark brown.


    Then, my eyes were set upon the rest of the farm.


    ...This was going to take a damn long time if I just relied on the bucket.


    With a bit of hesitation, I made one more round with the bucket. Despite the amount of time I put in, only a small part of the farm had been covered with water, once again.


    With a soft sigh, I set aside the bucket back into the shed within the palace. My mind began to gather mana slowly, eventually forming the water spell.


    I let the ball of water splash onto the farm. It was in essence, the same amount of water that the bucket would''ve brought. However, instead of making a round trip that took a couple of minutes, it only took twenty seconds or so to do it.


    And so, I continued casting the water at my own pace.


    After I finished one strip of land, I found my sides were aching painfully. It was only now that I remembered that my body would be strained from casting spells.


    ...But now that I think about it, my constitution has increased tremendously. My initial constitution only let me cast a few foundational spells before this pain arrived.


    It was because of the healing spell.

 Chapter 109 - Second Paycheck

    I continued to cast water spells despite the pain in my sides. Only when my vision became blurry and my knees began to buckle, did I decide to stop to cast the healing spell.


    At first, I gathered mana normally. However, the time it took gradually made me impatient. And so, wild gales of wind stirred around me while my skin tore open. A little bit of the soil ended up getting lifted up as well, but not so much that it ruined the farm.


    After a few moments, a gentle sensation spread through my body, mending the torn skin and getting rid of that painful ache.


    I was about to stop gathering mana, but then had a thought.


    How fast would the field be watered if I just continued to gather mana like this?


    ...Well, might as well try.


    And so, my skin tore open once again while countless balls of water continued to fall from my hands, splashing onto the ground.


    The soil picked up by the wind ended up getting wet, becoming muddy. Some of the muddy soil would occasionally hit me, making me close my eyes. It was a little annoying, but I guess it could be worse.


    As my body deteriorated under the pressure of casting so many spells, it soon came time for a healing spell. As such, I switched gears to repair my body.


    During that time, I opened my eyes by just a sliver.


    I was just a few steps away from the end of this strip. Although the time spent wasn''t large, my progress was fast.


    Knowing this fact felt pretty nice.


    Soon, my body was once again restored with a gentle sensation. My skin mended, but tore open right after.


    It was time to continue watering the field.


    Strip after strip was watered. A piercing pain began assaulting my mind. Though it was painful, I pushed through it.


    Every so often, I would open my eyes slightly to make sure I didn''t begin watering the grass. Sometimes, I would also sneak a peek at the progress I made.


    It was very easy to tell progress had been made.


    Before I knew it, there was only the last strip. After powering through it, the gales of wind suddenly died down while the tears in my skin mended.


    I fell to my knees, holding the side of my head with my hand.


    "Ugh..."


    Although part of me wanted to celebrate completing the task, the piercing pain in my head made it hard to do so.


    After taking a few deep breaths, the ache slowly subsided. Then, I walked back to the palace, stumbling occasionally.


    With a muddled mind, I gradually made it back to the palace entrance.


    The room was empty. The stillness almost felt like the stagnating air one would experience in a poorly built graveyard.


    I moved on quickly. The fifty coppers for working on the farm were still on my mind.


    ...Hm.


    I found myself at the foot of the stairs. To get to Mildred''s room, I would have to scale up these stairs. However, the last time I did so with a muddled mind, I nearly fell off.


    And might''ve even died.


    Thankfully, Erin was there at the time. However, there was nobody nearby now to help me. The side of my face twitched.


    ...My mind came up with a solution.


    However...


    It was a little degrading.


    The idea was to climb up the stairs on all fours. Even if a sudden dizziness assaulted me, my head wouldn''t get hit too badly. Standing would mean my head would get plenty of time to accelerate downward before hitting the corner of a step.


    ...That wouldn''t be pretty.


    However, the same was true for crawling up the stairs like an animal.


    Even if it was just me, just knowing the fact I did this would weigh down on my mind. As for why, I wasn''t entirely sure, other than the feeling I should be.


    ...On top of that, what if someone just so happened to appear while I was crawling upwards like some mongrel.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    At the end of the day, I still wanted the fifty coppers more than keeping my pride. And so, I began getting down. A pain shot through my knee as it buckled.


    Suddenly, I lost sensation in my entire body, making me collapse.


    This strange loss of control quickly disappeared, but only after my body had hit the ground. The corner of my lip twitched.


    I guess I was on all fours now.


    With that thought, I placed my trembling hand on the steps and began my journey. One after another, my trembling hands brought me up, while my foot would catch me. There were a few times where I slipped, but my foot was thankfully fairly secure.


    Honestly speaking, my hands felt a little dirty from doing this. However, there were other things my hand touched that had been far more unsanitary. Especially the rocks of that canyon I climbed out of. Those things had way too much dirt on them.


    Thankfully, my mind didn''t blank out at any point. It was quite surprising to me that the strain of going up this was far less than just walking on flat ground. Although my hands felt uncomfortable, they reached the top.


    "Are you pretending to be a zombie?"


    I flinched and slipped down a few steps. Panic filled my mind, tensing my body up. Fortunately, I was still able to catch myself despite the sudden rigidness of my body.


    I looked up to see Erin. She had her head tilted to the side as she stared at me.


    An awkward smile appeared on my face.


    "Um... I''m just having trouble getting up these steps."


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "Ah, let me help!"


    She went down a few steps and grabbed onto my arm. With an energetic heave, she helped me get up to the top of the steps and get back up on my feet.


    Erin slowly let me go, but I ended up stumbling. She quickly caught on to me, preventing me from falling.


    An awkward chuckle escaped me.


    "Uh, thanks for the help."


    Erin nodded while curiously staring at me.


    "No problem!"


    I wiped my hands against my pants to get rid of the dirty feeling. Afterwards, Erin slowly brought me over to the door to my room. Once we got there, Erin pushed open the door, prompting me to scratch the back of my head.


    "Um... could you bring me over to Mildred''s room first?"


    Erin gasped.


    "Ah, are you getting paid?"


    I nodded.


    "Haha, yeah. I will be able to begin drawing sooner or later."


    Erin giggled.


    "Then let''s go!"


    After a bit of stumbling, we made it to Mildred''s door. Erin lightly knocked, two short taps before a long one. It was almost like she was trying to make music.


    There was a moment of silence before muffled shuffling sounds came from behind the door. They were intermittent, almost like someone losing their balance as they walked.


    Soon enough, the door opened to reveal Mildred.


    Erin enthusiastically waved.


    "Hi, Mildred!"


    Mildred smiled weakly.


    "Ah, h-hi."


    She was trembling slightly, especially so for her hands. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead while her cheeks were flushed.


    I still wanted to ask about the money, but seeing Mildred like this made me concerned.


    "Are you alright?"


    Erin gasped.


    "Oh no, are you sick?"


    Mildred waved her hand dismissively.


    "I-I just need some sleep. What are you here for?"


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "Ah, it''s just I finished farming, so I came to get the fifty coppers."


    Mildred blinked a few times, then nodded.


    "O-Ok, let me get that."


    She left the door open and walked over to the desk. Once she got there, she suddenly held the sides of her head and turned towards the curtains.


    Mildred grimaced.


    "I got it, I got it! Why do you have to scream?"


    I scratched my cheek with my index finger. While trying to be as quiet as possible, I turned to Erin.


    "...Did I say that too loud?"


    Erin whispered back.


    "Um... I didn''t think it was loud."


    Soon enough, Mildred came back with the coppers in hand.


    She rubbed her eye.


    "I-I think this is the right amount."


    I held out my hand, prompting Mildred to drop them in my hand. From what I could tell, there seemed to be some extra.


    Mildred began to close the door.


    "I''m off to sleep now."


    I raised my free hand awkwardly.


    "Ah, wait! I think you gave me a little extra."


    Mildred shook her head.


    "Just keep it."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Ah, ok. Sleep well."


    Erin waved.


    "Sleep well!"


    Mildred nodded.


    "Thank you."


    Then, she shut the door.


    Erin smiled.


    "Ok, now to your room!"


    With that, Erin helped me over to my room. She pushed open the door and took me forward. I paused for a moment to put the coppers into the drawer of the table.


    Soon after I plopped on the bed.


    Erin waved.


    "You get some sleep too!"


    I smiled awkwardly.


    "But I wanted to study the-"


    "Sleep!"


    Erin crossed his arms and pouted.


    A soft chuckle escaped me.


    "Ok, ok."

 Chapter 110 - People Are Confusing

    I slowly opened my eyes to feel a dull ache in my head. A weak orange glow came from outside, signaling the coming of evening.


    It seemed I slept for a few hours. A soft sigh escaped me.


    Time seemed to be slipping away from me, constantly taking away the moments I could use to memorize the control vines spell.


    I sat up from the bed and thought about my routine for a moment.


    ...First off, I woke up really late, which took away a decent chunk of time.


    Then, because I ended up taking a nap afterwards, I lost even more.


    I closed my eyes.


    The first point could just be attributed to oversleeping, however, the second point...


    It was because I overdid it while watering the farm. Although the healing spell could restore my body, it was unable to restore the state of my mind.


    By forcing myself under so much stress and unnecessary spell casting, I got a headache so bad my body would occasionally be out of my control.


    Then, the only thing I could do was sleep some of the pain away.


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    It seemed like there were no shortcuts. Although it felt so much faster to water the farm by aggressively casting the spells, it was actually slower in ways that were not immediately apparent.


    ...That was disappointing.


    Next time, I should just gather mana normally. That should be significantly better than the results of what happened today.


    I shook my head and got off the bed.


    After pushing open the door to my room, I made my way down to the palace entrance, where the spells were.


    It was not too hard for me to find where the spell was located, so I pulled out a chair and began memorizing once more.


    Although it was only a day since I last looked at this spell, it felt like so much longer. The events that happened were a bit crazy, I guess.


    I shook my head and sharply sucked in some air.


    It was time to tackle this thing once more.


    After quickly refreshing myself on what I had already learned, my eyes drifted back to the new paths within the spell. My mind still ached a little, but the small nap from before helped me power through.


    I found myself back in the maze. After arbitrarily choosing a path, I began walking down it. My pace was slow and steady in an attempt to really soak in the details.


    Eventually, I tried to retrace my steps by memory. It was fine for the first half, in fact, I would''ve been fine even with my eyes closed.


    However, I suddenly found myself facing a wall when I thought it was time to go forward.


    I incorrectly memorized the spell.


    I slowly took in a deep breath before heaving a helpless sigh.


    From there, I tried to salvage what I memorized and discarded the incorrect parts. From there, I walked through the parts I did incorrectly.


    After memorizing that part, I went back to the beginning and tried to do it all from scratch.


    A few moments passed. Eventually, I made it through one-third of the original path no problem, but took a wrong turn once more.


    I clutched the side of my head with frustration, digging my finger into my scalp.


    It seemed like the information was too scattered. That while I memorized the bits and pieces, my loose way of remembering made it too difficult for me to connect them together.


    Once again, I tried to take a shortcut, but ended up wasting my time instead. I shut my eyes tightly and rubbed my temple with my knuckle. There was no point in remembering many little bits and pieces.


    The spell itself was already huge, meaning I would have to break it down into pieces. If I decided to further break it down into even more, the number of pieces would become startlingly large.


    It would be unbelievably difficult to connect these. Like what happened just now, I would end up thinking one piece was supposed to go next when it was really another.


    A soft sigh escaped me. After thinking it through, this setback wasn''t so bad, as I learned something from it.


    After all, if I only learned this after memorizing the majority or even the entirety of the spell, I would be in for a massive headache. After all, I would essentially have to start from scratch.


    I shook my head and tried my best to discard what I remembered from the path. Then, I began from the start once more.


    It felt familiar, almost making me try to skip ahead. However, I forced myself to stop. It was best to do things right the first time, rather than have to go through it multiple times due to carelessness.


    After a couple minutes of slow persistence, I was able to complete this section. From there, I attempted to retrace my steps once more.


    Unfortunately, my old memories ended up interfering with my current ones, making me take the wrong path once again.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    I started at the beginning once again. As anxious as I was to go faster, I made sure to slow down. There was only so much that I could do if I caved in to the antsy side of me.


    And so, I walked down this path for the third time. After what felt like an eternity, I made it to the end.


    I decided to do something different this time.


    My eyes slowly closed as though I was drifting off to sleep. I focused on the path I just memorized and got rid of all the distracting thoughts.


    Then... I retraced my steps.


    The parts of my body that didn''t need to move were deathly still, while the parts that did move hardly made a single excess movement.


    Occasionally, an intruding thought of the wrong path would leak into my mind, but I was able to detect it early on and remain steady.


    Eventually... I opened my eyes, as though lifting a magic spell.


    I saw my finger placed squarely back at the beginning. In other words, I was able to make a full round trip without looking at the paper.


    A wave of relief washed over me. The strain on my mind that I was not consciously aware of was released. I leaned back into my chair, letting my head fall back, and sighed.


    "...That was tough."


    "You finished learning the spell?"


    I nearly jumped out of my skin. My body tensed from fear, before slowly relaxing. I turned to the side to see Erin, curiously staring at the spell.


    She tilted her head to the side.


    "It looks complicated!"


    I laughed awkwardly.


    "Ah, yeah. I only memorized a little bit so far."


    Erin was sitting in the seat to my left. She was leaning over to get a better look at the paper. It was clear from how close she was that personal space was not one of her concerns.


    Erin hummed softly.


    "Wow, I don''t think I would ever be able to cast this spell!"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "I''m sure you would be able to get it eventually."


    Erin stuck out her tongue.


    "I wouldn''t try to cast this spell! It''s too hard!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Haha, it definitely isn''t easy. That''s for sure."


    Suddenly Erin turned towards me. Her face was a little close, so I recoiled back.


    She narrowed her eyes.


    "So..."


    Erin puffed up her cheeks.


    "Why are you trying so hard to memorize the spell?"


    After a few moments of hesitation I opened my mouth, but-


    "Don''t lie!"


    Erin cut me off and poked my cheek, pushing against it uncomfortably.


    I helplessly raised my hands as though I wanted to surrender.


    "Ok, ok!"


    Erin pouted and crossed her arms.


    "...Only if you are comfortable with sharing."


    I rubbed the side of my face as a bitter smile spread out on my face.


    "Well, do you remember what type of magic I wanted to cast?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side. After a few moments, she gasped and raised a hand high in the air.


    "To stop world hunger!"


    I laughed.


    "Yeah, it''s basically that. The idea is, I might be able to create some spell that grows stuff if I can figure out how this spell works."


    Erin nodded enthusiastically and raised both hands in the air.


    "Ooooh! That sounds so cool!"


    Then, she lowered her hands and pouted.


    "...But it sounds really hard."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Yeah..."


    There was a short moment of silence before I spoke.


    "Say, how did you tell I was going to lie before I even said the words?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "How your body looked and the way your eyes moved."


    My mouth was agape.


    "...It sounds like you can see into the secrets of a person."


    Erin smiled bitterly.


    "I wish I could do that."


    She sighed.


    "People are really too confusing."

 Chapter 111 - Teacher

    Eh?...


    Erin can so easily tell when someone is lying. How are people confusing to her then?


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "People are pretty weird... but if you can predict what they are doing, doesn''t that mean you understand them?"


    Erin giggled and poked me in the forehead.


    "I can''t just predict everything!"


    She raised her hands in the air.


    "The only thing I can see are some signals. That''s hardly enough to understand anything!"


    I lightly rubbed the spot on my forehead Erin poked me in.


    "Haha, I guess people are kinda complex. How are you even supposed to know what to do!"


    Erin rolled her eyes.


    "Of course, how could you not understand that?"


    She poked me in the chest, making me wonder when she got into the habit of poking people so much.


    Erin looked deeply into my eyes.


    "I mean, shouldn''t that already be obvious from how little people understand themselves?"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Eh? How can people not understand themselves?"


    Erin giggled mischievously


    "Oh, so do you understand yourself?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Well of cour-"


    I cut myself off. The memories of... when I first drank some beer came back to me. Just moments before, I thought I was doing fine, then came a breakdown.


    It was as though my mind was lying to myself. So that the truth wasn''t visible to me.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Ah."


    Erin tilted her head to the side with a smug, but cute smile.


    "Looks like you understand now."


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "Well... yeah."


    Erin stood up to give me two firm pats on the head.


    "There''s not too much of a point in overthinking it. Just try your best, and that will be good enough!"


    I sighed softly and scratched the back of my head.


    "But how am I supposed to know how people are?"


    Erin shrugged her shoulders.


    "Eh, you never really do get to understand them. If you haven''t been through what they have, there will always be something you won''t really understand."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "Haha, maybe if I just experience everything I will understand?"


    Erin pointed her index finger at my face, swinging it around frantically.


    "No! People take experiences differently because of what happened in their past! In the end, you won''t be able to understand them."


    I scratched the side of my cheek with my index finger.


    "...Eh? Then what am I supposed to do?"


    Erin put her hands on her sides and stuck out her elbows like a mother lecturing their kid, just without all the maturity. She puffed up her cheeks.


    "You don''t have to understand in the first place! You care so much about understanding, that you forgot about what really matters!"


    My eyes widened in surprise.


    "Ah! What is that?"


    Erin pouted and pressed the tips of her fingers together.


    "Just be a little nicer to people. Understanding does nothing while caring comforts the broken heart!"


    I gasped in enlightenment and hurriedly nodded.


    "Ooh! That makes so much sense, your wisdom is like, so much greater than mine!"


    Erin giggled and poked me in the cheek like it wasn''t actually part of me, but some putty.


    "Give yourself some more credit! You are willing to ask questions and learn, that means you are already quite wisdomous!"


    The side of my face twitched.


    ...Was wisdomous a word?


    I coughed awkwardly, trying not to think about it too much.


    "Haha, thank you."


    Erin nodded and gave an approving hum.


    I looked around the room, which was empty save, me and Erin.


    "Say, where are Ned and Alyx?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Um, Ned said he had something to do and went outside. He seemed a little nervous about something, but wouldn''t tell me what it was. As for Alyx, she wanted to study her spells alone, so I gave her some space."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Eh? Why would Ned need to go outside?"


    Erin shrugged her shoulders.


    "He wouldn''t say, so I just let him go."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Ah, well alright then. I''m going to continue memorizing this spell."


    My attention was once again placed on the paper in front of me, but before I could do anything, Erin grabbed my arm with both hands.


    I looked back at Erin, a little confused.


    "Er... what is it?"


    Erin pouted.


    "I''m bored!"


    I nodded.


    "I see."


    Then, turned back to look at the spell.


    Erin shook my arm up and down.


    "Come on! How can you so heartlessly turn away like that!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "...But I don''t know how to deal with boredom!"


    Erin hummed with dissatisfaction.


    "What do you mean? It''s so boring to have to stay here all the time! How have you not dealt with it!"


    I tilted my head to the side and pointed at the spell in front of me.


    "Well, there''s always something new when I look at this thing."


    Erin pouted and flailed her arms around.


    "But that''s even worse! It''s so hard to understand it all and really just hurts my head!"


    I smiled bitterly.


    "Um... there have to be some other things you can do, right?"


    Erin dejectedly hunched over in her seat.


    "But there''s so little to do in the palace! Maybe it''s big, but not that big!"


    I blinked a few times.


    "You''ve gone to every corner?"


    Erin nodded.


    "Yes! I went to the places I could go, I went to the places I wasn''t supposed to go."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Eh?"


    Erin coughed awkwardly.


    "I went into one of the maid''s rooms as she was changing. She was not happy with me."


    I looked at Erin in silence.


    I opened my mouth, but closed it soon after.


    Erin shook her head.


    "Anyway, I went everywhere and tried everything! Even the indoor hot spring!"


    I gasped.


    "Ah, that sounds nice."


    Erin was still seated in the chair, but flailed her arms around and kicked her feet.


    "It''s boring! So boring!"


    An awkward smile emerged on my face.


    "Then how about outside the palace?"


    Erin hummed sadly.


    "But... I can''t leave the palace."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Eh? Why is that?"


    Erin angrily shook a fist in front of my face.


    "Don''t you remember the whole reason we stopped going to magic school?"


    I raised my hands as though to surrender.


    "Ah, yes, yes! But you can still go outside, right?"


    Erin sighed softly.


    "No... there''s almost always someone outside, waiting for me. At least they won''t go into the palace."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Waiting? They could be waiting for anything, no?"


    Erin pouted and shook her head.


    "It''s different."


    I scratched the side of my cheek with my index finger.


    "Um, how so?"


    Erin hugged herself as though trying to protect herself from a chill.


    "The way they look at the palace. I can tell they want something."


    She clenched her fists.


    "And the thing they want is me."


    I couldn''t help but recall the three boys who were trying so hard to talk to Erin.


    ...Well, two boys now.


    Although they were less than respectable people, they didn''t strike me as the kind that would watch over the palace the entire time.


    This made me doubt Erin a little, but I decided to take her word for it.


    "I guess there really isn''t anything to do..."


    Erin raised her hands in the air excitedly.


    "Yeah!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "But I really don''t know what to do."


    Erin pouted.


    "Um... we can play duck, duck, goose!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "But the person you choose to run with will always be the same and there won''t even be a circle to run around."


    Erin angrily puffed her cheeks and poked my side.


    "Then you come up with something!"


    I chuckled and tried to think of something.


    ...But the only thing that came to mind was memorizing more spells.


    I cleared my throat.


    "How about learning spells?"


    Erin grabbed my arm and shook it around.


    "Ehhhhh?"


    I raised my free hand up.


    "Wait, hear me out!"


    Erin stopped, but was glaring at me.


    I raised my forefinger in the air.


    "What if I taught you?"


    Erin puffed up her cheeks.


    "I''m just not good at learning things."


    I chuckled.


    "Oh come on, what have you learned so far?"


    Erin pouted.


    "All of the simple spells with only one circle."


    I nodded.


    "Ah, only all of the foundational spells.


    Suddenly, I froze.


    "...Wait, you learned all the foundational spells already?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Yeah, I just can''t do anything more than that."


    ...That meant she averaged several spells learned each day.


    I decided to pretend this fact didn''t exist.


    After choking a little, I formed a coherent sentence.


    "Maybe you just needed someone to teach you?"


    Erin hummed.


    "...You did teach me how to cast the earth spell."


    She nodded.


    "Ok!"

 Chapter 112 - A Tiny Slip Up

    I scratched the back of my head.


    "So what spell do you want to learn first?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Um... I don''t know. You make it sound like you know all the spells!"


    I laughed awkwardly.


    "Well, I know some. Not all of them though."


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "...You practice so much!"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Sort of?"


    Erin giggled.


    "Hmm... you pick for me then!"


    I tilted my head to the side. Honestly, Erin''s use of the encase spell remained fresh in my mind.


    "How about we learn the elementary ice spell first?"


    Erin nodded and got out of her seat.


    "Ok!"


    She briefly scanned the table and hurried over to a parchment. She picked it up and got back into her seat.


    "It''s this one, right?"


    Erin held the parchment up to me with both hands, a little bit too closely. It was named ''Encase'' and had the spell diagram I remembered, prompting me to nod.


    "Ah yes, that''s the one."


    Erin peeked at me from behind the parchment.


    "What does this spell do?"


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "It encases things in ice. The biggest use is probably to preserve food by freezing it over."


    I coughed.


    "Though for you, it would probably be way too large to be used for food."


    Erin pouted.


    "Mm... why can''t my spells just be normal!"


    I smiled bitterly.


    "Haha, that''s a good thing! This way, even if you can''t learn the super complex spells, you can still have a similar effect."


    Erin rested the parchment on the table and puffed up her cheeks.


    "I can learn super complex spells too!"


    I blinked a few times.


    "...Didn''t you just say you refuse to learn harder spells?"


    Erin poked my face, then crossed her arms.


    "Only because I don''t want to! I can learn them fine!"


    She squirmed awkwardly.


    "...it would just take a while!"


    I laughed.


    "Alright, alright. Anyways, I guess I should start with the basics."


    From deep within my mind, the time Ela taught us resurfaced. I spoke with my eyes closed.


    "When we cast spells, we should actually be imagining the opposite of the diagram. That way, we can just push mana through, speeding up the process."


    Erin nodded.


    "Ok!"


    I then pointed to a spot on the diagram that contained the foundational ice spell.


    "As you see here, this is the ice spell you already learned, right?"


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "I think so!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Didn''t you say you memorized all of them?"


    Erin shrugged her shoulders.


    "Yeah, I''m pretty sure!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Have you casted them yet?"


    Erin pouted.


    "No..."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Why not? How are you supposed to know if you got it without casting the spell."


    Suddenly, Erin grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.


    "Don''t you rememberrrrr!"


    I let myself be rocked around, though it was making me dizzy.


    "Ah, I remember, I remember!"


    Erin stopped shaking me and crossed her arms.


    "If I cast any spells in the palace... it might be bad."


    The memory of that fifteen meter high mound of dirt resurfaced. She definitely had a point. If she tried to cast the fire spell, that would probably set a lot of things on fire. Then, if she used the water spell to put it out, she may very well flood the palace.


    ...I guess that''s how Erin was able to learn the spells so quickly.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "I guess it can''t be helped. At the very least, if you understand it in theory, casting should be pretty simple!"


    Erin raised her hands in the air.


    "Simple!"


    I pointed to the diagram once more.


    "Alright, so as you can see here, there are basically two foundational ice spells within the same diagram."


    Erin hummed in understanding.


    "Ok!"


    I raised a finger into the air.


    "The two ice spells are connected by the cores of their diagrams, so don''t forget about that part."


    Erin nodded.


    "Ooh! It looks pretty simple!"


    I chuckled.


    "However, there is a small catch. When you normally cast the foundational ice spell, the final step is to cover the entire spell with mana. However, you don''t do that step for these two foundational spells."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "So is it even easier?"


    I tapped the spell parchment.


    "No, it''s harder. It''s not the most obvious, but this slight grey tint is supposed to represent how you enclose the spell with mana."


    I cleared my throat.


    "The difference between this and the foundational spell is that you have to enclose the entire thing. I think for you, that means maintaining the spell as you enclose it which should be the hardest part."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Why do we have to do that? How does it change the spell?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Ah... that is a good question."


    Now that I thought about it, those were probably the things I should be thinking about. After all, the control vines spell wasn''t going to let me grow food just because I learned how to cast it.


    I had to understand it.


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "...So you don''t know."


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "Uh, no."


    Erin nodded.


    "Mm... I think I got it anyways."


    She sighed.


    "If only I could try it out. I wonder what it looks like."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Ah, I can just show you."


    I gathered some mana with my mind and after a moment of deliberation, plucked out a strand of hair from my head. After throwing the strand of hair in the air, I pointed at it and released the spell.


    Ice rapidly gathered around the strand of hair, encasing it into a cube. As that cube fell, I caught it in my hand, feeling the cool feeling of ice.


    I turned to Erin.


    "See?"


    She was looking at me very intensely, without saying anything. Honestly speaking, it felt a little invasive, as though she was trying to peek into my mind.


    I coughed.


    "Uh, hello?"


    Erin pressed her lips together.


    "It makes sense now..."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "What makes sense?"


    Erin pointed at my face.


    "Why you are so insistent on learning spells and know so much about them!"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Eh?"


    Erin pointed to the cube of ice in my hand.


    "You can cast spells."


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, what about it?"


    Erin blinked a few times.


    "You said you were talentless and couldn''t cast anything."


    The side of my face twitched.


    ...I forgot about that.


    I coughed violently and hid the ice cube behind me, as though that could somehow make Erin forget.


    "Um! It''s just a little trick! I always had this ice cube and made it seem like uh..."


    Erin giggled and put a hand on my shoulder.


    "If you don''t want anybody to know, I can keep it secret."


    I smiled awkwardly.


    "Haha... yeah, I would like that."


    Erin gave me a thumbs up and winked.


    "Don''t worry about it, my lips are sealed."


    She put her thumb and index finger together and traced them in front of her mouth, as though zipping her lips.


    I laughed.


    "Thank you."


    From there, Erin asked a few more questions about the foundational ice spell as well as a few other spells.


    It took a little while to recall the information, but I was able to explain all of them fairly clearly after a brief glance over them.


    By the time we were done, it had gotten late. As such, we called it there and went to our respective rooms to sleep.


    ...


    I slowly opened my eyes, feeling the soft bed underneath me.


    For what felt like the first time in forever, I didn''t have a headache. My eyes drifted to the curtains, to catch the rays of morning.


    Although I hadn''t woken super early, I imagine most of the others were still asleep.


    Anyways, it was time for a new day.


    I quickly freshened up before rushing to the farm. It was rather quiet along the way, and as expected, all signs pointed towards people still being asleep.


    Once I reached the plot of land, I cast my gaze over it. The land was dried once more, almost like it was never watered in the first place. There were even a few cracks, showing it had already hardened considerably.


    It made me a little confused, but maybe the seeds just sucked up a ton of water or something.


    I didn''t bother going to the shed and getting the water bucket. After all, my plan was just to use the water spell, just with less intensity compared to last time.


    And so, I began to slowly water the land by repeatedly casting water spells. I was able to water one and a half strips before my sides began to ache badly. It was really tempting to gather mana without abandon to cast the healing spell, but I just patiently cast it.


    Like this, I finished watering a little before the afternoon.


    Although my head hurt a little, it was more or less fine.


    I made my way back to the palace and up to Mildred''s room. From there, I raised my hand to knock on the door.


    But before I could, a loud slam resounded from behind.

 Chapter 113 - Convulsions

    Hearing the loud noise from behind Mildred''s door made me a little concerned.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Mildred?"


    There was no response. However, once I listened a little closer, my ears just barely picked up on several faint thumps. I called out a little louder than last time.


    "...Mildred?"


    There was no response.


    Was she being attacked?


    After a few moments of deliberation, I decided it was best to be safe, even though this might be a breach of privacy.


    I grasped the door handle and pushed hard against it. But it would hardly budge. I clicked my tongue.


    This wasn''t exactly the most convenient time for this...


    I pushed against the door harder and also tried shaking it back and forth. However, that did little except make a few jiggling sounds.


    The faint thumps continued on. They seemed to come from ground level and were rather swift, almost resembling the flapping of a hummingbird. The sound didn''t resemble anything I''ve heard before, which made me really confused.


    However, it sounded like someone was in there at least moments ago, while Mildred wouldn''t respond. This hardened my resolve to force my way through.


    It took a few steps back before rushing forward as fast as I could.


    A violent bang resounded.


    My shoulder crashed into the door. It brought me more pain than I expected, making me sharply inhale. However, the door remained standing, as though my efforts did nothing.


    It wasn''t made of anything simple, though that should probably be expected when within a palace. With my current strength, the best thing pushing against this door would do is hurt me.


    That means... the only thing left is magic.


    But if I casted magic right in the middle of the palace, that would essentially blow the entire ''no talent'' pretense I had built up. At this point, it was more so I didn''t want the others to find out I was lying more than the convenience it brought.


    After all, it wasn''t exactly easy to trust someone that had secrets.


    But...


    I couldn''t help but recall how easily Erin accepted the fact I could cast magic.


    ''If you don''t want anybody to know, I can keep it secret.''


    ...Maybe they wouldn''t be so harsh.


    In the end, I came to the decision to blow away the door with a firebolt. Ironically enough, my secret would be exposed right after Erin promised to keep it.


    And so, I took a few steps back.


    Wind rapidly whipped around me, whipping my hair and clothes around. My skin tore open, while pain flared in my mind once more.


    In less than a second, a firebolt coalesced at the tip of my finger. It shot out and exploded upon hitting the door.


    The door frame, along with the actual door, bent strangely and were charred black. Thankfully, the door was also forced open, revealing the room inside.


    Like it had been before, the room was terribly messy. However, I couldn''t care less about that right now.


    That was because Mildred was currently spasming on the floor, with a pool of blood underneath her head.


    I rushed over and got down on one knee next to her.


    ...Who did this?


    I whipped my head around the room, trying to find a possible culprit. The room itself was devoid of anybody else, and the curtains were closed.


    Logically, it made little sense for whoever did this to close the curtains after they left, making me think that someone was still here.


    However, the room really seemed empty.


    I decided to toss that thought to the back of my head and checked up on Mildred''s condition.


    She was convulsing madly, as though a strong electric shock was coursing through her body. Her eyes were rolled back into her head, while her body was covered in bruises and abrasions, making me believe she got into some kind of fight.


    I quickly realized that Mildred was hitting her head against the floor really hard. Although there were a few clothes strewn about, they did little to cushion her.


    I snuck in my hand underneath her head, letting it take the impact instead of the hard ground. Mildred''s convulsions were no joke. That much was obvious from how much my hand hurt just from keeping it underneath.


    That must mean the pain Mildred was experiencing...


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Mildred, stop moving so much!"


    Unfortunately, she did not accede to my request. From the feeling of the back of her head, I could tell the back of her skull was cracked.


    I grit my teeth and rapidly gathered mana once again. The resulting wind lifted up the bedsheets and clothes strewn about the room, making the scene look even more chaotic.


    I was casting the healing spell.


    After a few moments, it was completed.


    Mildred''s convulsions slowly died down the tremors while the frightening cracks on the back of her head healed up as well. As a bonus, the bruises and abrasions quickly healed over too.


    Yet, before I could let out a sigh of relief, the tremors became convulsions once again. Mildred''s skin was healed just moments ago, but became bruised once more.


    I was distraught.


    "Mildred, why are you moving so much! You''re hurting yourself!"


    Unfortunately, she didn''t respond. I helplessly kept my hand underneath her head, even when the pain from her hitting it was making my hand go numb.


    I grit my teeth.


    "Damn it, you have to wake up, Mildred!"


    My mind hurt bad, but I forcefully began casting another healing spell. Blood began to drip down from the tears in my skin.


    A strong sense of vertigo assaulted me as I cast the spell. It felt as though a dull knife was directly cutting through my head.


    Nonetheless, I finished the spell once more.


    Mildred''s convulsions calmed down to a stop while the abrasions and bruises disappeared from her body.


    I let out a sigh of relief and pulled my hand away.


    Yet, like a cruel twist of fate, Mildred began trembling once more. I hurriedly laid my hand under her head once more, right before they became violent convulsions.


    ...What was going on?


    Why wasn''t the healing spell working?


    My breathing was ragged while my vision became blurry. Casting those healing spells took a toll not only on my mind, but my body.


    If I cast another one...


    I might just die on the spot.


    It couldn''t go on like this.


    But...


    What was I supposed to do?


    My emotions burst out of my chest.


    "MILDRED, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF."


    "What''s happening?"


    Ned''s voice came from the entrance to the room. I weakly turned to Ned.


    "Something... something happened to Mildred."


    Although my vision was blurry, I could still make out Ned''s frown. He rushed over and crouched down.


    "Oh dear..."


    Ned carefully picked up Mildred, taking his time. His arms violently spasmed, following Mildred''s, but his hold was firm.


    Ned delicately laid Mildred down on the bed. Although she was still convulsing, it wasn''t harming her body.


    I tried to stand up.


    "Who... who did this?"


    Ned held onto my arm before I stood up.


    "You need to lie down too! What even happened to you?"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "I... I''m fine."


    Ned sighed.


    "First lie down before you say anything more."


    Honestly speaking, if I tried to stand up, I would probably fall down. As such, I gave a nod of agreement.


    "Ok..."


    With the help of Ned, my body was gently laid onto the floor among the randomly strewn about clothes. Although lying down brought a bit of comfort, anxious thoughts continued swirling in my mind.


    "Did someone attack Mildred? No, it''s more likely she was cursed."


    I held the side of my head with my hand.


    "Damn, why are people trying to attack us?"


    A soft sigh escaped Ned.


    "No, nobody attacked Mildred. But what in the world happened to you?"


    I shook my head.


    "I''m fine, but Mildred-"


    "She''s fine."


    Ned cut me off. He shook his head helplessly.


    "Thankfully, you didn''t let her head bang directly against the floor, so her head is fine."


    ...But her head did bang against the floor. It was only healed because of the spell I cast. Anyways, it sounded like Ned... knew something.


    "Y-You know what happened to Mildred?"


    Ned nodded.


    "Yes, I will explain. But first, what in the world happened to you? You look... I can''t even tell what happened to you."


    I slowly shook my head.


    "Nothing... important."


    Ned gave me a long look before sighing.


    "...Alright."


    My eyelids drifted between opening and closing.


    "What... what happened to Mildred?"


    Ned furrowed his brows.


    "...Withdrawal."


    After a few moments of silence, I spoke up.


    "What is... that?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "When someone stops taking drugs or alcohol this kind of stuff happens."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "But I haven''t done it, and I am fine."


    Ned shook his head.


    "No, this is different."


    He pulled out a chair and sat on it.


    "Basically... Mildred has been destroying herself."

 Chapter 114 - Do You Really Think...

    I furrowed my brows and shifted around uncomfortably on the floor.


    "Mildred has been destroying her body?"


    Ned leaned back in his seat and sighed.


    "...That''s the gist of it, yeah."


    I turned to look in Mildred''s direction, where her bed was. Although I couldn''t see Mildred, it was not hard to tell she was there from the soft thumping sounds and creaking from the bedposts.


    She was still convulsing.


    After a few moments, I spoke up.


    "Why... why is this happening? Is it because she drank too much alcohol?"


    Ned was silent for a moment, but eventually answered.


    "Kind of. When people drink alcohol, it makes their minds feel different."


    I looked in Ned''s direction.


    "Different? What do you mean by that?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "You know, drunk. Basically, it just makes them feel better."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Oh... ok."


    My last experience seemed to contradict that, but I decided to ignore that for now.


    Ned shook his head.


    "Anyways, the brain is kinda complex. If people regularly begin drinking alcohol, it will adapt and counteract it."


    He scratched the back of his head.


    "Over time, the brain gets used to greatly reducing the stuff that makes you feel nice to balance out the nice feeling you get from alcohol."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "In the end... you will have to rely on alcohol just to feel like normal."


    I widened my eyes.


    "So... it just becomes normal in the end?"


    Ned sighed.


    "Well, there are a lot of health concerns from just drinking alcohol in the first place. So as time passes, things just slowly get worse."


    I massaged my temple with my knuckle.


    "So Mildred needs to stop drinking, or else this will continue?"


    Ned smiled sadly.


    "...Well, not exactly."


    I raised my eyebrow.


    "Huh?"


    Ned looked at Mildred.


    "Remember that I said the brain will counteract the effects of drinking, right?"


    I nodded slightly.


    "Yeah..."


    Ned clasped his hands together.


    "If the brain expects alcohol to come and prepares accordingly, but that alcohol never comes..."


    He narrowed his eyes.


    "Then something like this happens. It''s called withdrawal."


    It took me a few moments to find the words.


    "...It''s so violent."


    Ned nodded.


    "It is very, very dangerous. You can probably tell, but if you weren''t there, Mildred could''ve died."


    I shuddered.


    "So Mildred... stopped drinking? But if she ends up like this, doesn''t she have to continue drinking?"


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "It''s a little complicated, but with enough time she will revert back."


    A frown slowly formed on his face.


    "The only problem is how hard it will be. Not only will she experience even more seizures, but will have to fight the urge to get some more alcohol. An urge that only grows."


    Ned sighed.


    "Normally, people would go to a hospital and have medical assistance for the seizures. However, I don''t think there''s anything like that here."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What does that mean?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "It means as Mildred takes the time to recover, she will probably experience more seizures like this one. Unfortunately, she will have to brush by death a few times before this will stop."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Oh... ok."


    In reality, I was asking about what the terms like ''hospital'' and ''medical assistance'' meant. However, I decided not to harp on it.


    I held the side of my face with my hand.


    "So this means Mildred has been trying to stop her drinking? Or did she just forget?"


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Something like that is probably impossible to forget."


    He looked off towards the curtains.


    "Frankly, the only way something like this can happen is if they really can''t get their hands on some alcohol or through sheer willpower stop themselves."


    Ned narrowed his eyes.


    "Even when they know that it''s bad for them... they can''t help but do just that. If you try to stop them..."


    He sighed and shook his head.


    "Nevermind."


    After a few moments of silence, I spoke up.


    "So Mildred has been trying really hard."


    Ned smiled softly.


    "Yes, she has. It definitely isn''t something one can do on a whim."


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    "Who knows, maybe Mildred had some sort of enlightenment about the type of person she wanted to be. Or maybe she desperately wished to change how her life was lived."


    I blinked a few times.


    "That sounds..."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "...amazing."


    Ned laughed.


    "It definitely is. I don''t know why she made this choice, but I can definitely respect her for it."


    I sighed.


    "So... is Mildred going to be ok for now?"


    Ned nodded.


    "She should be fine. Seizures usually aren''t longer than a few minutes. If they do go past, like, five minutes, then that''s really bad."


    I turned to Mildred. The faint thumping sounds were still going on strong, meaning her spasming hadn''t calmed down yet.


    "...How long has she been on the bed?"


    Ned blinked a few times, before whipping his head towards Mildred. A frown quickly formed on his face.


    "What?... it should already have been a few minutes."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Will something bad happen if the seizure goes on for too long?"


    Ned took a deep breath.


    "When someone goes through a seizure, it becomes really hard to breathe. That means if they go through it for too long..."


    A hint of panic seeped into my heart. I forced myself up, despite how painful it was. My mind felt like a ball of lead, prompting me to hold it up with my hand.


    I grabbed onto the bedpost to stop myself from stumbling and looked at Mildred.


    Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, while she began to foam at the mouth. I could hear her occasionally inhale, but would be cut off short. It sounded like she was choking.


    I turned to Ned.


    "What... what are we supposed to do?"


    Ned opened his mouth, but took his time to form the words.


    "I-I don''t know!"


    My fingers dug deep into my scalp.


    "But you knew so much before! How could you not know now?"


    Ned shook his head.


    "I''ve never experienced this before. I''m not a doctor."


    Ned furrowed his brows.


    "I only know you are supposed to call the hospital at this point, but..."


    I clenched onto the bedpost tightly.


    "Dammit... why is this happening?"


    Mildred...


    She was going to die because she stopped drinking alcohol?


    ...But why did Mildred stop?


    Unless it was because of... that time I talked with her.


    She... She was suffering because of me.


    Because I just had to say so many things.


    My breathing grew faster and increased in intensity


    I was the reason this happened.


    ...I had to do something about it. There had to be a way to fix it.


    The healing spell.


    Although it couldn''t fix her condition, it would calm her down.


    ...But if I cast it now, I wasn''t sure if I could survive.


    No, I just had to cast it on myself first, then cast it on Mildred.


    Large gusts of wind stirred up, picking up the clothes on the floor and making them fly around the room. The scene immediately became chaotic.


    The tears in my skin began to leak blood, while I felt my consciousness waver.


    It was only now, did I realize my mind was on the brink of losing consciousness. Would I even be able to cast two healing spells?


    ...Or should I just cast one?


    "Jay, what are you doing?"


    Ned yelled at me.


    I coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    "I... I need to..."


    Ned grabbed my shoulder firmly and looked at me sternly.


    "I don''t know what in the world is going on, but I can tell you''re going to do something stupid!"


    The healing spell was halfway finished.


    I shook my head.


    "No... this is my fault..."


    Ned shook me.


    "Since when was this your fault? Even if you did something, this was clearly her choice!"


    My eyes were bloodshot.


    "...Maybe."


    No...


    I already decided I wouldn''t take the blame for everything.


    That wasn''t the reason I was so desperate to do this.


    My lips parted ever so slightly.


    "I just... don''t want her... to die."


    Mildred...


    She probably died several times in my other lives, when I was exploring the forest.


    Even if Mildred died now, that wouldn''t mean I would never get to see her again.


    Even if she survived, that wouldn''t mean she would survive later...


    But still, I couldn''t bear to see her die.


    After so long, I was finally able to understand Mildred a little more. Past what she simply appeared to be.


    If Mildred died now... what we went through would die as well.


    The healing spell was almost finished.


    I let go of my head and pointed a finger towards Mildred.


    In just a moment... she wouldn''t have to be in so much pain.


    "....Do you really think Mildred would want you to do this?"

 Chapter 115 - To Make A Choice

    At any moment, I could release the healing spell. But Ned''s words made me hesitate.


    Although I didn''t want Mildred to die, casting this healing spell had a very high chance of killing me. It had never occurred to me before that someone else could be hurt by my death, but...


    I couldn''t help but remember seeing Everett die in front of me.


    Although I tried my best not to think about it, the thought remained in the corner of my heart, almost like a tiny splinter.


    ...Now that I thought about it, my death would defeat the purpose of saving Mildred in the first place.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "...Damn."


    I cast the healing spell on myself. A gentle feeling coursed through my body, mending the accumulated damage.


    However, I nearly blanked out just from the pain my mind was experiencing.


    While my body was in proper condition to cast a spell, the same couldn''t be said for my mind. As expected, it was going to be really hard to cast the healing spell.


    But...


    My eyes drifted to Mildred.


    Her condition seemed to get worse with every passing moment. Instead of choking, it seemed like Mildred stopped breathing altogether. As for her skin, there were certain sections with a faint purple tint.


    Ned looked at me with a bit of shock when he noticed my wounds healed. However, he quickly focused his attention back towards Mildred.


    A frown formed on his face.


    "This... this is bad."


    Ned held the side of his head and furrowed his brows.


    "CPR?... No, that might just make things worse."


    He looked around the room, as though he would find something by doing so.


    With the support of the bedposts, I made my way over to Mildred''s side. While one of my hands was still holding onto the side of the bed for support, I lightly grasped Mildred''s hand with the other.


    Like the rest of her body, it was trembling violently. Even though she was only shaking, it was quite painful to hold onto her hand. It was as though her hand was trying to tear me apart.


    I slowly closed my eyes.


    "Mildred..."


    At this rate, it seemed like she was going to die. The only chance I had to save her was using the healing spell.


    However, it wasn''t going to be so easy to do so.


    ...And even if I was able to, would that even save her?


    I had already cast the healing spell on Mildred twice. Yet, the convulsing returned just moments after.


    My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    I... I could at least try, right?


    Once again, gales of wind picked up around me while my skin tore open. There was an immediate resistance once I began casting the spell, almost like my mind was protesting against the abuse.


    However, I stubbornly continued.


    My mind felt like mush so much, it was as though my existence became a viscous liquid. Like I was a helpless slime that felt pain when my body was distorted. And it just so happened that my existence was being twisted in such a way.


    Halfway through the healing spell, the pain suddenly spiked.


    It was getting... harder to form coherent thoughts.


    A wave of unwillingness swept over me. The pain was simply debilitating, like I was a person living on their last breath.


    In fact, I almost gave up then and there.


    But before I could, my eyes slowly opened to see Mildred in front of me. Her condition was only getting worse.


    It reminded me of the reason I wanted to go through so much pain in the first place.


    To save someone else.


    It felt like the reason was for something bigger than myself. Though... I didn''t really know the person I was saving.


    Erin told me that I would never be able to truly understand someone else, simply because what they have experienced is fundamentally different from what I have.


    But still, I wanted to learn just a little more. In other words, I wanted to live with Mildred for a little longer.


    And so, despite the mind-numbing pain, I continued on.


    For a second, I mistook myself as a rope, while the pain was a knife cutting through me. The knife had already made a decent amount of progress, cutting through some of the twine binding me together.


    As I continued to cast the healing spell, that knife only pushed through faster. I had to toughen myself so that the knife wouldn''t cut through as easily, else I would snap.


    Thread after thread was cut through, slowly reducing the rope to a few strands. Those last few strands tightened to become far stronger than their predecessors, holding up against the relentless knife.


    Then... the healing spell was completed.


    The knife stopped sawing away at the rope, retracting back. However, it suddenly shot forwards, easily ripping through the last few threads.


    There was a snapping sound.


    And my mind blanked out.


    ...


    I opened my eyes to find myself... in a wasteland.


    The air was blood red, while both the moon and sun remained up in the air next to each other. It was as though they were two friends jeering at the misfortune of others.


    As for the world around me...


    Clouds of dust filled the air. Even at a glance, the strange orange color of the dust made it clear inhaling it would cause serious choking among a few other ramifications.


    As for the air, it was uncomfortably warm, almost like the world had become an oven that was slowly heating up. On top of that, there seemed to be a strange weight from that air, as though it was so dense that it gained substantial weight.


    As for the ground below me, it consisted of what appeared to be red stone. Hills and valleys extended across the horizon in the shape of sand dunes.


    Far off in the distance, I could see countless frighteningly large cracks that snaked across the ground. There were so many that it was as though the land I was standing on was its own island among several others.


    What was once part of a whole, had become something independent.


    However, the most strange thing wouldn''t be any of that.


    It would be the old man kneeling down in front of me. The old man was wearing a set of rags, as though he was a beggar of sorts.


    He had long white hair that just barely touched the ground in his kneeling position. It was as though the old man was praying to a god he believed in.


    Yet, something told me that this wasn''t the type of man to believe in gods.


    Suddenly, the old man stood up. He looked around frantically as though he desperately needed to find something.


    That''s when his hazelnut eyes landed on me.


    The old man ran towards me and stopped when he was a little over a meter away. The old man''s yellowed teeth were in full view. He held out his trembling hands in front of him as though they needed to grasp something.


    After a moment of silence, he spoke.


    "I... I need help."


    I was a little confused, but decided to hear him out.


    "...What do you need?"


    The old man looked to the floor and held his hands together.


    "I-I am supposed to make a decision."


    I took another glance at the world around me, one that resembled doomsday a little too closely.


    What kind of choice could even matter when things have come to this?


    I sighed.


    "Um, ok. What is it?"


    The old man took a few moments to gather the words.


    "I... I was offered a choice."


    The corner of my eyebrow twitched. Why couldn''t this guy just get to the point?


    "And?"


    The old man''s breathing became unsteady, as though instead of kneeling down, he had been running laps.


    "I... I have the chance to..."


    The old man swallowed uncomfortably, as though he was not willing to accept some truth.


    "...make the world peaceful again. Everything, everyone will come back and forever live on happily."


    The old man hunched over and shook nervously.


    "B-But... I will have to die to do that."


    He took a deep breath.


    "I can either sacrifice myself to save the world or continue living on."


    The old man looked up to me with eyes filled with both hope and hopelessness.


    "...What should I choose?"


    To continue living on...


    He was already old, not to mention, there was hardly anything left to even live if the world was like this.


    Yet, this old man was struggling so hard to make a decision?


    I opened my mouth, instinctively about to say he should sacrifice himself.


    But I stopped.


    If I was given the decision of the old man, I would sacrifice myself after a little bit of hesitation.


    ...However, something about this was different.


    In the end, all I could say was...


    "I don''t know."

 Chapter 116 - Devils Claw

    The old man looked at me silently for a few moments. It was as though he was in disbelief.


    The old man blinked.


    "You... You don''t know?"


    I lowered my head ever so slightly.


    "...Sorry."


    The old man opened his mouth and raised his hand. But shortly after, he closed his mouth and lowered his hand.


    It was as though the only thing this old man could do was hesitate.


    But something about his countenance changed.


    The old man nodded.


    "I see... thank you for the advice."


    He turned around and walked a few steps forward.


    Despite how lacking my words were, the old man seemed to treat them like gold. As though the words, ''I don''t know'', were enlightening.


    The old man stood up straight and looked high up into the sky.


    "...I''ve made my choice."


    ...


    My eyes slowly opened to greet a raging headache.


    "...Agh."


    There was a faint ringing sound in my ears that gradually cleared up.


    "You''re awake."


    I slowly opened my eyes to see Ned sitting in a chair a meter or so away. As for me, I was on the floor. There was a blanket underneath me and a pillow under my head. Faint breathing sounds filled the room.


    After turning to the side, I recognized that it was coming from Mildred.


    It seemed like her condition had stabilized.


    I rubbed my temple with my knuckle.


    "Ugh... it seems like everything is fine?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Yeah, pretty much."


    I took a deep breath.


    "How long has it been?"


    Ned scratched the side of his head.


    "Probably a few hours, nothing too long."


    I tried to sit up, but my mind immediately grew in pain when I did so. It was as though it was protesting.


    With a sigh, I laid back down.


    "You were watching over us the whole time?"


    Ned nodded.


    "Yeah, after someone has a seizure, they usually need someone to calm them down after they come to. Though, Mildred seems to have slept right after hers."


    I squirmed around uncomfortably while a cheeky smile spread across my face.


    "Thanks, but not being on a bed is a little uncomfortable."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Come on, the only way I can watch over both of you is if the two of you are in the same room. The fact I even got your pillow and everything is pretty good if I say so myself."


    I laughed.


    "Alright, alright. Thanks for watching over the two of us."


    Ned chuckled.


    "No problem. But still, once you feel better, you are going to have to watch over Mildred, alright?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, sure."


    Ned smirked and shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    "It seems like Mildred isn''t waking up soon, but it''s still best she wakes up with someone to explain the whole thing to her."


    I scratched my cheek with my forefinger.


    "Is it like, scary for them or something?"


    Ned rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Well... I imagine so. At least confused, that I''m pretty sure of."


    I looked at Ned blankly for a few moments.


    "Sorry if this is too personal, but have you experienced something similar to this before?"


    Ned chuckled.


    "Well, yeah."


    He sighed and placed his elbow on his thigh.


    "It was my mother."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Oh... is she ok now?"


    Ned scratched the side of his head.


    "Probably. She essentially recovered by the time I was summoned to this world."


    I nodded.


    "Ah, that''s good."


    Ned chuckled.


    "Yeah, but there really were too many close calls."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Sounds scary."


    Ned nodded.


    "Yeah, it really was."


    He leaned back in his chair.


    "When my mother suddenly quit drinking, she just had a seizure out of nowhere."


    Ned sighed and facepalmed.


    "At the time, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. In the end, I tried to hold her down and stop the shaking."


    He smiled bitterly.


    "Turns out, that''s really bad for someone having a seizure."


    I scratched the back of my neck.


    "Well, at least you had all the best intentions."


    Ned shrugged helplessly.


    "I guess... though really, I should''ve just called the emergency services. After all, they usually know what to do."


    He placed his hands on his knees.


    "I don''t know why, but my brain just short-circuited when it mattered."


    I shook my head.


    "Well, lots of things can happen in a panic. It''s hard to really think things through at that stage."


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Even though those are the most important moments to think things through."


    I laughed.


    "Quite ironic, I guess."


    Ned smirked.


    "Yet, you were able to perform the right actions quite easily. It''s almost like you''ve experienced something like that before."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I mean, I spent a good few moments just staring. The only reason I even blocked her head was because of the loud sounds it was making while hitting the ground."


    Ned nodded a few times and sighed.


    "If only I did that... then my mother wouldn''t have suffered the head trauma afterwards."


    I used a finger to rub my eye.


    "That sounds bad."


    Ned chuckled.


    "It is bad."


    He raised his hands to cover the back of his head while sticking out his elbows.


    "Basically, a lot of trouble could''ve been prevented. So much time and money for me and my mother was lost."


    Ned sighed helplessly.


    "I had to visit her in the hospital fairly frequently since she didn''t trust any of the staff."


    He laughed.


    "She thought that the hospital staff captured her and sent her to some underground facility for whatever reason."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "Sounds wild."


    Ned nodded.


    "Sometimes my mother wouldn''t even believe that it was me! She thought I was a clone and would only be reassured after asking me a bunch of questions."


    I let out a few laughs before the room descended into silence for a few moments.


    My eyes narrowed.


    "Alcohol... sounds so scary."


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "It is."


    I blinked a few times.


    "How can people do something so scary? Do they not know?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Most people pretty much know about the consequences, just maybe not to the full extent."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Then... why?"


    Ned sighed despondently.


    "It''s really just because the good feeling is far too tempting. It''s not like there aren''t people who can drink in moderation, but for some, it''s just too addicting."


    I took a deep breath.


    "And then... the withdrawal happens."


    Ned chuckled softly.


    "Yeah."


    He looked into the palm of his hand.


    "You can think of it like a devil''s claw."


    Ned began to slowly clench his fist.


    "At first, everything is fine. You are as safe as you can be."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "But... as time passes, that devil claw closes in on you. It''s slow, very slow. No matter what, it''s always moving."


    Ned pressed his lips together.


    "It lulls you into a false sense of security since you can escape at any time."


    He clenched his fist.


    "Until the claw has wrapped around you entirely. If you try to escape then, you basically face hell itself."


    I sighed.


    "Sounds kinda... crazy."


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "That''s why I was too scared to try it for myself, even when it was legal for me and all."


    Another moment of silence lingered between us.


    Ned''s analogy of the devil''s claw made me think of something else. It was the question lingering in the back of my mind that I forced back.


    What was Ned hiding?


    It seemed pretty clear that he didn''t want to reveal it, and I didn''t want to force him.


    But still...


    "Hey, Ned?"


    Ned looked at me with a bit of confusion.


    "Yeah?"


    The room fell into silence as I found myself unable to find a way to phrase my question.


    ...In the end, my mind wasn''t able to think of a good way to say it.


    "Do you... ever keep secrets?"


    Ned smiled bitterly and furrowed his brows.


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    I laughed awkwardly.


    "I... I don''t know. Just a little curious, that''s all."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "Frankly, I feel like everybody has their secrets."


    I looked at Ned curiously and raised my eyebrow.


    "That would make a lot of secrets."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "I mean, there will always be more things we don''t know than what we do. Every time we answer a question, there always seems to be another one."


    I scratched the side of my head.


    "Sounds really philosophical."


    Ned sighed.


    "Is it really though?"


    He smirked.


    "I''m sure you have your own secrets, right?"


    I pressed my lips together.


    "...Well, there are a few here and there."


    Ned leaned back in his chair and casually rested his arm on top of the backrest.


    "And why don''t you want to share them?"


    I scratched my cheek with my forefinger.


    "Well..."


    There were.... a few reasons.

 Chapter 117 - A Voice

    I didn''t want to reveal the fact I had already been through several lives. In turn, that made me lie about wanting to be talentless so that they wouldn''t be worried about me. Yet, I still wanted to learn how to cast spells.


    And so, I lied again, saying that I was trying to learn "drawing" when in reality, it was just spellcasting.


    Just revealing the truth would set up a whole bunch of complications, such as disbelief and confusion.


    So the reason I wanted to keep it a secret...


    "I guess it''s just more trouble than it''s worth."


    Ned nodded.


    "That''s pretty much the reason people have secrets in the first place."


    I blinked a few times.


    "I see..."


    After a few moments, I turned towards Ned.


    "So... you also have your own secrets?"


    Ned smiled awkwardly.


    "Well yeah, I would be a hypocrite if I said everyone had their secrets except for me."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Um... do you keep them for the same reason as I do?"


    Ned tilted his head to the side and remained silent for a few moments. He seemed to be lost in thought.


    "...I guess."


    I sighed.


    "Really makes me curious, though."


    Ned laughed.


    "I''m sure it does. But sometimes, it''s best to keep things under wraps if you want everyone to be happy."


    I blinked a few times.


    ...Was that really true?


    Why couldn''t everyone be happy when the truth was known?


    In this way, It''s almost like... happiness was a veil. One that could be taken off at any moment, ruining everything it once was.


    The room fell silent.


    After a few moments, Ned sighed.


    "...Sorry to ask you this when you''re probably tired, but could you keep watch on Mildred for a while?"


    I nodded slightly. I was still unable to raise my head from the ground without it hurting pretty badly.


    "Yeah, I should be able to."


    Ned smiled weakly.


    "Thanks, I just feel really sleepy. I imagine you won''t be able to do much if something actually happens with your condition, so I will sleep here. Just yell at me if anything goes wrong."


    I laughed.


    "I''ll make sure to yell extra loud."


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "I''ll be waiting for it with shut ears."


    He laid his head down on the table and instantly began snoring.


    I didn''t notice it before, but Ned''s eyebrows were slightly tensed. The only reason I even noticed it now, was because they relaxed after he rested his head on the desk.


    ...I guess Ned had a pretty bad headache, or was just really sleepy.


    Yet, that didn''t stop him from looking after me and Mildred. That was probably enough to conclude that even if Ned did have his secrets, he was still looking out for others.


    So... maybe it''s fine if Ned has a few things he wasn''t willing to tell.


    The room was quiet, but not in a scary way. That was because Ned and Mildred were both faintly snoring, so while there was nobody to talk to, I wasn''t alone.


    After a few moments, I tried once more to lift my head off the ground. Unfortunately, the pain hardly calmed down even after all this time.


    A soft sigh escaped me. It seemed like I wouldn''t be able to practice magic today...


    For some reason, it really felt like everything was trying to pull me away from studying the magic spell at any cost. I was getting a bit frustrated, to say the least.


    Well, at least Mildred was ok.


    I don''t know how much time passed by, but it should''ve been around an hour.


    Although I said confidently that I would watch over Mildred, my eyes were closed for most of the time.


    Every time I forced my eyelids open, they slowly dropped down right after.


    ...I wouldn''t fall asleep, right?


    Now that I think about it, I''ve been spending so much time sleeping. Obviously, sleeping should take a while, but lately, I''ve been doing it a little too much.


    There was the time I ended up oversleeping until noon as well as the times I ended up napping.


    Not to mention a few moments ago, where I passed out.


    All things considered, I''ve probably been spending most of my time sleeping. I couldn''t help but wonder if there were any side effects of sleeping so much, other than the lost time, of course.


    I yawned and felt my eyes get a little wet.


    "...Gotta stay awake."


    "Is this a sleepover party?"


    I turned to look at the door and saw Erin. She had both hands on the doorframe while her head peeked out from the side.


    A soft smile formed on my face.


    "Kind of?"


    Erin skipped inside, with a cheerful smile.


    "Hehe, you all look so cozy!"


    I chuckled.


    "Yeah, honestly, I can hardly stop myself from falling asleep right now."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "Eh? But you''re supposed to stay up really really late whenever you have sleepovers!"


    I raised an eyebrow while the smile on my face grew wider.


    "But isn''t sleep right there in the word sleepover? That would totally contradict the meaning."


    Erin put her hands on her hips and stuck out her elbows.


    "Heh, that''s because you aren''t thinking of the reason we have a sleepover in the first place!"


    My eyes were about to close, but I forced them open.


    "Haha... and what is the reason?"


    Erin smirked.


    "It''s so that when we are dead tired after playing for so long, we can go right to sleep! This way, the biggest amount of playtime is squeezed out!"


    I laughed.


    "Ah, that makes sense. Though, I think Mildred and Ned are both dead tired already."


    Erin pouted.


    "Mmm..."


    Then, she raised her hands in the air and smiled.


    "Then we can play until we are dead tired!"


    A cheeky smile appeared on my face.


    "Ah alright."


    Erin giggled.


    "So what should we do?"


    I slowly closed my eyes.


    "Ah, there could be many things. The only problem is, I''m already dead tired. In fact, I probably can''t stop myself from falling asleep right now..."


    Erin seemed a little angry.


    "Ehhhhh?"


    With that, I fell asleep.


    ...


    I slowly opened my eyes.


    My headache had settled to a faint, but dull pain.


    As for my body, it was still on the ground next to Mildred''s bed. There was no sign of Ned or Erin, but there was still faint breathing coming from the bed.


    I guess Mildred was still sleeping. She seemed fine, at least there were no convulsions.


    There was faint moonlight shining through from the curtains. It was well into the night. All things considered, I should be sleeping as I still needed to water the farm in the morning.


    ...But with how much I''ve slept, it was hard to even feel tired anymore.


    Maybe if I walked around a bit, it would come to me.


    With that, I sat up.


    I let out a faint groan, as the feeling returned to my limbs. After taking a peek at Mildred, who was sleeping soundly, I left.


    The halls were fairly dark. It seems like they were usually illuminated by the sun.


    The sound of my tapping footsteps faintly echoed throughout the halls. It was a little ominous, though that was probably my imagination.


    And so, I aimlessly traveled down the halls. I eventually reached the palace entrance. Although there was a small desire to walk outside, I was a little too afraid.


    ...I mean, Erin said someone was watching her from outside.


    While part of me suspected that Erin was just paranoid, it also made me a little afraid to go outside.


    Then, I wandered to the kitchen.


    It reminded me that I hadn''t joined the others to cook for a while now. I''ve either been sleeping or trying to memorize the spells. Unfortunately, it was right before I was beginning to feel a little confident and willing to try doing the actual cooking.


    ...By now, I kinda forgot some of the things I tried to remember. I guess just looking wasn''t the best way to remember things.


    Honestly, I was only feeling more awake as time passed. However, I just attributed it to the fact I was waking up.


    Eventually, I made my way to the built-in hot spring of the palace.


    There was still some steam rising from the place. It seemed like it was active all the time, which seemed pretty convenient.


    Though... I''ve never used it.


    I wonder if the others ever came to this place. Whether in this life, or the others.


    Although it was tempting to rest in the hot spring, I didn''t think it would help. My body probably had too much energy right now, so walking would probably get rid of that extra energy.


    And so, I made my way to the dining room, which was right next to the courtyard.


    Right when I was about to reminisce about the memories here...


    "And how sure are you about that?"

 Chapter 118 - What Would You Give Up?

    I furrowed my brows.


    I heard a soft feminine voice coming from the courtyard, and it was not one that I recognized.


    ...Was it a maid?


    The voice sounded rather hostile when they said, ''Are you sure about that?'', which didn''t sound the most maid-like.


    It appeared that a conversation was going on in the courtyard. Out of curiosity, I brought myself closer to the cased-opening, but made sure to hide behind the wall.


    Those days I spent in the forest suddenly came back to me. My breathing became shallow, while the sounds of my footsteps disappeared entirely.


    Although there was little I could do to increase my hearing, it still felt like I was straining my ears to make out the conversation.


    "I can''t be sure of it, but in terms of right here and right now, I believe it."


    It was Ned''s voice. I only recognized it after a couple seconds of listening.


    The reason was that his tone was far deeper and more serious than anything I''ve ever heard before.


    ...Almost like he was a different person.


    The unknown young female spoke up mockingly.


    "You believe it? It''s far too easy to come to beliefs. Frankly, every belief can be shattered at any moment. Even the ones we hold to be absolute."


    Ned chuckled.


    "...Maybe. But that doesn''t change where I stand right now."


    The unknown young female giggled mischievously. Her tone resembled a bratty kid, yet also sounded like a condescending princess.


    "I wonder how long you can keep that facade of yours up..."


    Ned took a deep breath.


    "It''s... not a facade."


    The unknown young female laughed.


    "Oh, Ned... I''m sure the both of us know the truth. The only difference is one of us is open about it while the other is trying to hide it."


    For a few moments, it was silent.


    Ned broke it by laughing bitterly.


    "Even if that is true... the answer is no."


    The unknown young female''s tone became teasing.


    "Are you sure?~"


    Ned''s tone contrasted greatly, as it was dead serious.


    "I am sure."


    The unknown young female did not seem perturbed by Ned''s persistence. She only giggled.


    "I wonder... how long can you really last?"


    Ned scoffed.


    "You sound so confident that I''ll break."


    The unknown young female hummed teasingly.


    "Hah. That''s because you''re the type of person that always breaks in the end."


    It fell silent once more.


    Ned sighed.


    "Then I guess I''ll have to find a way to become a different type of person."


    The unknown young female laughed.


    "Ah, then what should I call you later, mister changed person? What about Derrick, or Paul?"


    Ned laughed.


    "You can call me whatever you want to. It doesn''t change anything."


    The unknown young female sighed.


    "Well, Ned... I suppose I shall leave you to your thoughts."


    She giggled.


    "After all, they already appear to be swarming you. Until we meet again."


    Ned clicked his tongue before falling silent.


    Beads of sweat formed on my forehead when the person said they were leaving.


    ...They wouldn''t see me as they left, right?


    I made sure to look down to the floor, only able to just barely see the dining room in front of me.


    Yet...


    It was still silent.


    A little too silent.


    Did that person... leave?


    Unable to help myself, I slowly walked towards the courtyard due to my curiosity. I made sure that my footsteps were clearly audible so that there would be no surprise.


    The moon was shining faintly upon the grass and trees, caressing it lightly, as though they had a familial bond with one another.


    A few calm winds would lazily blow the grass to the side and rustle the tree leaves.


    The cobblestone path was the only thing that remained still, not that the other things were moving much either.


    But something about it just made it seem more lifeless.


    And sitting cross-legged on this cobblestone path was Ned. He was looking up into the stars, as though he was trying to find the answers within the cosmos.


    After a few moments of hesitation, I called out.


    "Ned?"


    Ned slowly turned around and smiled bitterly.


    "Ah, Jay. You''re up quite late."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Well, I did sleep a little too much during the day. Now, I can''t fall asleep even if I wanted to."


    Ned laughed.


    "Welp, now both of our sleep schedules are horribly messed up."


    I let out a soft sigh.


    "And now you''re making me scared. Has your sleep schedule been screwed up like this for a while now?"


    Ned raised his arms high in the air to stretch them and groaned.


    "I''ve hardly been sleeping at all, haha. I guess there''s only me to blame for spending so much of my time awake."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh, man... doesn''t that mean you get really tired all the time? How do you even stay awake?"


    Ned laughed and slapped his knee.


    "Oh, come on, you haven''t even done one all-nighter?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Eh? What''s that?"


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Seriously? You must''ve been living under a rock to not even know about that."


    I laughed bitterly.


    "Well, something like that."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders and sighed.


    "Basically, an all-nighter is when you don''t get a wink of sleep. Some people use that time to play games, while others use it to study."


    He smiled bitterly.


    "In any case, it brings a lot of regret, headaches, messed up sleep schedule, and a bunch of other health problems that I don''t really get."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Ah... that sounds horrible. Why in the world would anybody do that anyway?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "In an attempt to make up for the little time we have every day, pretty much every student tries to use up those eight long hours we spend sleeping."


    He smiled bitterly.


    "Though... it''s almost never worth it."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Ah, I guess it''s something you just try out then never come back to."


    Ned smacked his lips awkwardly.


    "Well..."


    The side of my face twitched.


    "...Are you trying to say people just do that over and over again, even when it screws them up?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    "Well, I''m basically doing that right now. Even when I know how bad the effects are first hand."


    I blinked a few times in confusion.


    "...Isn''t that just like, really contradictory?"


    Ned chuckled.


    "Yes, yes, it is."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Um, then why?..."


    Ned laughed bitterly.


    "Sometimes, it''s just too hard to not do these things even when you know the consequences. Have you never felt like all the time you could''ve used is now gone?"


    ...That reminded me of the fact I hadn''t practiced the magic spell today.


    Simply too many things happened.


    In fact, that went for most of the other days too. The farming would take up a decent amount of time, while some other things would crop up.


    In the end, so much of the time I would''ve rather spent on learning the spell was put elsewhere.


    In fact, I wanted to stay up longer to study the spell further, but the raging headache just didn''t let me do anything about it.


    It felt terrible, to say the least.


    ...So I guess Ned wasn''t saying something that bizarre.


    I heaved a heavy sigh.


    "Time... it always feels like there isn''t enough."


    Ned closed his eyes.


    "...yeah. There really isn''t."


    For a few moments, we remained silent.


    I couldn''t help but wonder about whoever it was that was talking to Ned. It seemed like some kind of... disagreement?


    They definitely seemed hostile to each other, but didn''t actually fight.


    I tried to think of various ways I could bring up the topic naturally, so it didn''t seem like I was stalking him or anything.


    But before I could say anything...


    "Say, Jay."


    Ned shifted his sitting position so that he could wrap his arms around his legs, giving them a nice hug.


    "...How far would you go to protect others?"


    I blinked a few times with confusion.


    "Um... I don''t know. I guess for those I really cared about... I would try my best."


    Ned smiled bitterly.


    "Just... how much would you pay to do so?"


    For some reason, I saw that old man...


    The old man I saw in my dreams.


    He so desperately asked me for advice when he was at his wit''s end. I couldn''t help but see his image overlapping with Ned''s.


    Honestly, I felt a little ashamed for saying ''I don''t know'' when that old man seemed at his last straw.


    But I just...


    Didn''t know.


    I didn''t know anything. The entire world still felt so blurry to me, so providing a true answer was too hard for me.


    In the end, there was only one thing I could say.


    "I don''t know."


    Ned laughed.


    "Yeah... I don''t really know either."


    I sat down next to him and looked off into the stars with him.


    We were quiet for the rest of the night.

 Chapter 119 - Still Asleep

    Ned and I probably spent a little too long underneath the night sky, but neither of us was that tired.


    ...It seemed our sleep schedules really were going to be screwed up.


    In the end, I gave up on going to sleep altogether. After saying goodbye to Ned, I went to water the farm a little early today.


    I stood before the plot of land and examined it for a few moments. The soil was a little dry, but not so much that it would make me concerned about the seeds underneath.


    The moon was still out, meaning it was a little hard to see. From what I could tell, the sun would probably come out in a couple hours, signaling the start of the day.


    For a few moments, I stood there awkwardly before the plot of land.


    It was because I couldn''t help but hesitate on the method to water this plot of land. There were definitely trade-offs for the two methods I had in mind.


    There was watering with the bucket, so not relying on magic. Then, there was watering by casting magic, without overdoing it when gathering mana.


    After all, that way actually made me lose time.


    I deliberated over this for a few moments, before coming to the conclusion that my headaches were what made me sleep so much. As such, it was probably better to rely on my physical body.


    And so, I took the bucket from the shed and made my way to the river. After scooping up some water, I began walking back.


    Unfortunately, even while walking at a relatively slow pace, the bucket still swayed and spilled out quite a bit of water.


    My only solution was to slow down and hold on to the bucket so that at least two-thirds of the water would remain inside. But carrying it in this way strained the arm I was using to hold it up.


    Nonetheless, I decided to go through with it.


    By the time I made it to the farm, although I salvaged most of the water, the journey was a bit tiresome and lengthy.


    I splashed the water onto the first patch of land and went back to retrieve some more water.


    This time, I tried to go a little faster while holding the bucket up with both of my hands. The bucket ended up hitting my leg several times, making it a bit painful.


    Unfortunately, I ended up losing most of the water, with less than a third still left in the bucket. With a sigh, I splashed it onto the farm, but it hardly did anything.


    The side of my face twitched.


    What kind of progress was this?...


    It might be difficult for me to even finish this today, even though I started before the sun even came up.


    ...Did Mildred do this before?


    If so, how did she possibly have the time to?


    Or maybe this was something new?


    I rubbed my temple with my knuckle. A soft sigh escaped me.


    "...It looks like I will just have to cast the water spells."


    I gave up on trying to water the farm with just the bucket, so I placed it into the shed.


    And so, I slowly gathered mana to cast water spells and slowly made my way across the farm, dropping balls of water along the way.


    I had already noticed that my body had gotten considerably stronger, but this was even more evident from the fact I could now go through three strips of land before the pain got really bad.


    That also meant I didn''t need to cast as many healing spells.


    However, it didn''t seem like my mind was getting stronger, or at least, not at the same pace.


    The water spells did not cause much stress, but the healing spell was a different story. Although it was relatively simple to cast given how strong its effects were, the strain it put on my mind was befitting of its potent effect.


    If nothing else, at least it seemed like I would need to cast fewer healing spells in the future.


    After a couple hours, I finished watering the field. The moonlight was nowhere to be seen, while a few weak rays of sunlight replaced it.


    It was early morning.


    My head hurt more than I was expecting by the time I finished, and it seemed as though not all of it was from the healing spell.


    That was my conclusion because the type of pain my head was experiencing was a little different. Normally, casting more spells than my mind could handle would provide a very sharp piercing pain, one that would make it hard to notice anything else.


    As for now, while there was that piercing pain, there was also a dull ache that made me feel lethargic.


    It did not take long for me to remember Ned''s words about an ''all-nighter''.


    ''In any case, it brings a lot of regret, headaches, messed up sleep schedule, and a bunch of other health problems that I don''t really get.''


    Headaches...


    It seemed the effects were already taking their toll on me. If things continued like this, it would greatly hamper my progress.


    As such, I made a mental note to sleep on time.


    ...Speaking of sleep, I was beginning to feel really tired.


    It wasn''t readily apparent at first. In fact, I felt pretty awake, other than the ache in my head.


    But now, I was really tempted to just lay down and go off into dreamland.


    Though, giving into that temptation was the reason my sleep schedule was ruined as badly as it had been.


    I sighed.


    To fix my schedule I would just have to power on, I imagine.


    Like that, I went back into the palace. Although the day had started, it was still fairly early. As such, it made sense that nobody was in the hallways.


    But it still felt a little lonely.


    Nonetheless, I made my way to Mildred''s room. By the time I reached the door, it occurred to me that I hadn''t taken my pay for the last day.


    After all, Mildred wasn''t exactly in the best position to do that type of thing.


    But...


    That didn''t mean I shouldn''t get it, right?


    Since I already had roughly one hundred coppers, collecting this day''s pay along with yesterday should be two hundred total.


    In other words, I would have enough to buy the ink for a silver, or one hundred coppers, the feather for fifty coppers, and the parchment for fifty coppers.


    That meant I could finally put my first plan into action, drawing the spell diagrams onto the paper.


    Those thoughts made me anxiously raise my fist to knock on the door, but I remembered how early it was beforehand. Thus, despite my lack of patience, I knocked very lightly.


    That way, if Mildred was already awake, she would notice, but wouldn''t be woken up if she was asleep.


    There was no response.


    I hesitated for a moment, as I imagined it was probably improper to intrude. After a moment of deliberation, a soft sigh escaped me.


    There was no harm in being a tiny bit patient. Though, I was still pretty reluctant.


    Since the others still hadn''t woken up, there was still some time before they were going to cook breakfast.


    I wanted to join them, partly out of guilt for not showing up, and partly because I genuinely wanted to help out. It wasn''t the most exciting activity, but I had fun doing it.


    However, for now, there was still some spare time. Finally, I could continue memorizing the spell.


    I went down towards the palace entrance and began studying the spell once more. It was hard to keep focus because of how tired I was feeling, but at least the pain wasn''t so bad.


    The pain wasn''t pleasant, but it was far better than the time I had to take breaks every few seconds just so my mind could actually focus on the diagram.


    It was going pretty well.


    That is, until everything went black.


    ...


    My eyes shot open to find myself resting my head on the table, on top of the spell diagram. I jerked up and looked down at the diagram in front of me.


    Thankfully, it was not damaged.


    After confirming that fact, I sighed.


    ...How did I even fall asleep this time?


    I looked to the side to see a plate of food that was still warm.


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    I had to remember to thank them later.


    After quickly eating the meal presented before me, I decided to check up on Mildred once more.


    It did not take long for me to reach her door. Like last time, I lightly knocked.


    There was no response.


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Still asleep, I guess."


    "Huh? You mean Mildred?"


    I turned around to see Ned, who seemed a little distressed.


    "Ah, yeah."


    Ned furrowed his brows.


    "...That means she has been sleeping for nearly an entire day."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Is that bad?"


    Ned clicked his tongue.


    "....Hopefully, it isn''t."

 Chapter 120 - Just Wait

    With a tense expression, Ned grabbed onto the doorknob and twisted it open.


    With a faint creaking sound, the door opened.


    And Mildred was there laying on the bed, still sleeping. She looked so peaceful but...


    ...sleeping for so long must be a bad thing.


    Ned furrowed his brows and heaved a deep sigh.


    "I... I might be jumping to conclusions as it''s only the first day, but she could be in a coma."


    I blinked a few times.


    "...What will happen to her then?"


    Ned walked over to the side of Mildred''s bed, as did I.


    Ned rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "If Mildred is in a coma... that might mean she will die."


    My fingers twitched. It felt as though a cold, like a bucket of water was poured onto me.


    "W-What do you mean?"


    Ned rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger for a few moments.


    "It depends if she really is in a coma, and what kind of coma she is in."


    He proceeded to put his hand just above Mildred''s nose and mouth. After a few moments, he let out a soft sigh of relief.


    "At the very least, she is still breathing."


    I gasped.


    "Why would Mildred stop breathing?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "Most people in a coma can''t breathe by themselves. Thankfully, that isn''t the case here."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "A coma can stop you from breathing?"


    Ned scratched the side of his head.


    "Well, I don''t really know the specifics, but that''s just how it is. Basically, their consciousness disappears so they''re just sleeping for a really long time."


    I leaned in a little closer to Mildred.


    "So... if she can breathe, is she ok?"


    Ned closed his eyes and held his forehead.


    "Not really. There''s no real way for her to eat or drink food..."


    My hands began to tremble ever so slightly.


    "What if we help her?"


    Ned frowned.


    "...Although we can pour water into her mouth, she has to swallow in the end. If she doesn''t, she will just breathe the water in. That will only worsen the situation, if anything."


    I slowly lifted my trembling hand up to my head to rub my knuckle against my temple.


    "Is Mildred really going to..."


    Ned held his chin tightly and furrowed his brows.


    "It just... doesn''t make sense though. You helped her before any major injury could form on her head, so why is she in a coma?"


    I pressed my lips together.


    "...Um, I didn''t."


    Ned raised an eyebrow.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    I let out a soft sigh.


    "By the time I got there, the back of her head caved in. The only reason she''s even alive now is that I casted a healing spell."


    Ned blinked a few times.


    "Oh... right, you could do that."


    I leaned in a little closer to Mildred.


    "Is there any hope of her surviving?"


    Ned smiled sadly.


    "The only thing we can hope for is that she wakes up early, before she dies of dehydration or starvation."


    My eyes drifted to Mildred''s expressionless face.


    ...She seemed so peaceful.


    But it sounded like death was just waiting around the corner for her.


    I took a deep breath.


    "Is there... any way to wake her up? Maybe if we shake her a little bit?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "From what I''ve heard, people hardly respond to anything when they are in a coma. Apparently, the only thing that kinda works is talking around them."


    He slowly turned his head to look at Mildred.


    "Although it is infrequent, they can still sorta hear things."


    Ned blinked a few times.


    "...At least, that''s what the doctors told me."


    I turned to Ned.


    "Um, what are the types of things I should say? Or does it even matter?"


    Ned shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    "My only guess would be reassuring things, or like a wake up call."


    A soft chuckle escaped me.


    "Like Erin''s?"


    Ned rolled his eyes.


    "The only thing that''ll do is make people want to go to sleep more."


    A small smile formed on his face.


    We stared at Mildred for a few moments more, in silence.


    Eventually, Ned sighed.


    "Anyways... it''s probably about time to go eat. Do you want to help out with the cooking?"


    I swallowed uncomfortably.


    "I just... want to spend a little more time here. I will be down later."


    Ned looked at me for a moment before nodding.


    "Alright."


    He walked out and began closing the door.


    Before it fully shut, Ned cleared his throat.


    "Don''t forget about the real world."


    Then shut the door.


    I didn''t really understand what Ned meant, but I just took it as well wishes.


    It was almost silent, except for the faint breathing coming from Mildred. After a few moments of standing there awkwardly, I decided to bring over a chair next to the bed and sat on it.


    I clasped my hands together and hunched over slightly, looking at Mildred''s face.


    But my gaze was aimless.


    Simply because it didn''t feel like I was looking at Mildred. It was as though I was trying to look at a faint reflection in a still pond.


    Yet, no matter how long I looked, I just couldn''t make out the blurry image.


    I slowly closed my eyes and lowered my head.


    "...Hey, Mildred."


    She didn''t respond, as expected.


    I rubbed my temple with my knuckle.


    "When I think about it, you''re probably confused by how I treat you."


    I let out a faint chuckle.


    "Almost like we were long-time friends or something."


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "I''m not sure if my actions are a little too forward to you, but they are real."


    I sighed softly.


    "You see, I''ve actually met you before, though you don''t remember it."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "I was a mess, in pretty much every way."


    I scratched my cheek with my index finger.


    "But... you didn''t seem to mind that about me. When I think back on it, I can''t help but find it a little crazy that you were willing to talk so much with someone as weird as me."


    My lungs forced in a deep breath.


    "You were the one that helped me up to my feet. The one that showed me that things weren''t hopeless, no matter how weak and pathetic I was."


    I brushed back my hair with my hand.


    "That I could actually change my future."


    A smirk formed on my face.


    "And... I did exactly that."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Though, it''s not nearly enough. After walking forward for so long, I''ve only realized the journey was far longer than I could possibly imagine."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "In time, I may even find the path forward was much longer than I could''ve ever expected."


    I clenched my fists.


    "But I''m going to walk down this path, for as long as it takes. It may be a little naive to say when I''ve only started, but I intend on seeing this through."


    I slowly opened my eyes.


    "Because you were the one that showed me this path."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "In the end, while you helped me so much, I''m powerless to do anything for you."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Maybe... it was a mistake to say all those things to you."


    My vision got a little blurry.


    "I''m not really sure about that, or anything else, to be honest."


    I held up my chin with my palm.


    "But when I really think about it, I end up realizing how self-centered that outlook was."


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "You were the one that made the decision to quit alcohol. Even if part of the reason was my actions, that fact remains. It is clear to me now, that kind of choice was hard to make and even harder to stick to."


    I smiled warmly.


    "...You must''ve been so strong to make a choice like that. Not just that either, but even living your life. You told me before that hope was what made us go forward when everything seemed so hard."


    A tear cascaded down my cheek.


    "But even to hope, is already so hard. You''ve told me how your life went before. That you let the rivers of time carry you away. It must''ve been many long years, yet you''ve been hoping all the same."


    I smiled with a bit of shame.


    "Whenever you comforted me, you also opened up about how hard it was for you. But I never really thought about it."


    I laughed bitterly.


    "I''ve hardly even experienced an entire year. My experiences must be laughable to you... like I was some child that finally saw the light for what it was."


    My eyes drifted to the window.


    "I regret not comforting you those times. I was so ignorant... and still am."


    A smile formed on my face.


    "But I will be strong just like you."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "....Just wait for me."

 Chapter 121 - Give It Back

    I coughed awkwardly.


    "Uh, I don''t know if the deal we made still stands, but I did work on the farm the past two days and..."


    Mildred didn''t respond, as expected.


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "I will only be taking what we agreed upon! So..."


    It fell silent.


    For a few moments, I felt a little weird for talking to someone who couldn''t even respond. Someone that probably didn''t even hear me.


    I cleared my throat.


    "Um, anyways... sorry for taking the money from you while you''re asleep."


    With that, I stood up from the seat and opened the drawer I remembered seeing Mildred open before.


    For a few moments, I was taken aback by the sight in front of me.


    There was a pile of copper and silver coins. From what I could tell, there were more than a hundred of each.


    ...Wasn''t this a lot of money?


    If I remember correctly, Mildred said she didn''t bother saving her money.


    So how did she have so much?


    Well... at least the fact that she had plenty took a bit of the guilt off of my shoulders. Though, I still spent a few moments awkwardly staring.


    In the end, I thickened my skin enough to take one of the silvers, which was two days worth of work.


    A bitter smile appeared on my face.


    Why did I feel a little...


    Nevermind.


    I opened the door and took a step forward.


    Then stopped.


    I gave Mildred one last look.


    "See you later, Mildred."


    With that, I left the room.


    I hurried over to put away the silver in my room. Then, I rushed down the steps. I almost tripped at one point which made my heart leap in fear. Thankfully, I was holding onto the railing.


    The reason I was in such a rush was that I told Ned I was going to be down soon to help cook, but ended up spending a little bit more time than I should''ve.


    Yet, once I reached the kitchen...


    "Jay?"


    Ned was walking out with a few plates of food already in his hands. Erin and Alyx were behind him similarly carrying some as well.


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Ah... sorry, I didn''t keep track of time that well."


    Ned laughed.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine. The intention was there, so don''t feel too bad."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "Haha, thanks."


    Erin giggled.


    "But arrive properly next time!"


    Alyx smirked.


    "Who do you think has to do your job when you''re gone? I need my fellow inept cooker, or I won''t feel right."


    I nodded while laughing.


    "Alright, alright!"


    With that, we walked over to the dinner table before eating our meal. Although we joked around like normal, I still felt a little guilty for abandoning them so many times.


    It didn''t take too long for us to finish, after which everyone seemed to have their own business to attend to, including me.


    After all, it was finally time to buy the tools I needed for drawing. I went to my room to retrieve the money. Once I opened the drawer and collected the silver along with one hundred coppers.


    There was still some leftover that Mildred carelessly gave me. Since she gave it to me while in a bad state of mind, I decided to put that extra amount back in her drawer.


    With that, I held the four days of payment in both hands.


    It felt a little surreal, given how much I had to work for something that I could carry so easily. Despite being light, there seemed to be a weight coming from them, simply because of what they represented in my mind.


    ...I guess it was finally time to buy those supplies.


    After putting the coins into my pockets, I walked out of the palace, feeling a little more sluggish than I expected. It was almost like... all the work I did for this money was just going to lead to even more work.


    Something like an endless chain.


    But before I could continue being swallowed up by my thoughts...


    "Hey, you!"


    I looked to the side to see the two boys.


    ...The two boys who beat me up multiple times before.


    There was a scowl on the taller boy''s face.


    "It''s been so long, yet Erin hasn''t even shown up! You owe us a meeting, don''t think you can hide away this time!"


    He was here...


    How long was this guy waiting?


    ...It seems Erin wasn''t overexaggerating it when she said people were watching her.


    This person was just far too persistent.


    I furrowed my brows with annoyance.


    "I told you before, there''s no way for me to get a meeting for you. The relationship between the two of us simply doesn''t extend that far."


    The shorter boy frowned.


    "Is it really that hard? You just have to ask her, that''s all! There''s no way she would refuse if she knew who was visiting her!"


    ...I couldn''t help but imagine the type of meeting these guys would have with Erin. It sounded like they would push things. All things considered, she wouldn''t want to meet with these kinds of people.


    Is this the type of protecting Alyx did?


    I really should''ve asked her how she pulled it off...


    A frustrated sigh escaped me, while heat began rushing to my head.


    "Did you not remember what I said? Erin hates me, if I ask for you, that would only make it harder for you to get a meeting."


    That was obviously false. If I really tried, I''m sure Erin would give these people a chance.


    However, there was no way they were going to get that kind of treatment.


    ...Somehow or another, a lie easily slipped past my lips. Almost like it was natural.


    The taller boy grit his teeth.


    "...So your only use is to be beaten up! Only then will she recognize our efforts."


    The shorter boy narrowed his eyes.


    "He''s already fine! There''s no way Erin will notice us if he just heals before she can see the work we put in!"


    The taller boy sighed.


    "Then we just have to make sure he can''t heal!"


    So it was going to happen again, I guess.


    My limbs began to feel cold, as though they were already saddened by what was to come.


    The taller boy shoved me, making me fall to the ground. Immediately, the coins in my pockets spilled out.


    He had raised his fist, but his attention was focused on the money on the ground.


    "...You almost have a week''s worth of my allowance."


    A bit of panic set in.


    I worked far too hard to get these coins. It only now occurred to me that they could take them from me.


    That everything I tried so hard for could disappear like that.


    I frantically tried to scoop the coins back into my pockets, but the shorter boy stepped on my hand, stopping me.


    He scoffed.


    "What do you think you''re doing?"


    A faint gleam flashed by his eyes.


    Eyes filled with greed.


    Although getting beat up was unpleasant, I could more or less endure it. As for the money, that was too far.


    The money represented something to me.


    It was my path forward to learn spells faster.


    By learning the spell faster, it could help me develop some kind of spell to grow things faster.


    And from there, it could help me save people.


    Save all of the friends I made.


    So that we could live a peaceful life together.


    Which was why...


    "I can''t give you the money."


    My stance was clear.


    The taller boy furrowed his brows.


    "And why can''t we? If anything, Erin would appreciate the fact we robbed you! I don''t see your point, are you stupid?"


    I took a deep breath.


    "Aren''t you a noble? You should have this kind of money already, no?"


    The shorter boy clicked his tongue.


    "As if! My dad only lets me have a silver a week, and that''s only if he''s feeling generous. Sometimes he only gives me fifty coppers!"


    ...I couldn''t help but think of the stack of silvers in Mildred''s wardrobe.


    Did that mean she was rich?


    I took a deep breath.


    "Is it not enough for you to survive?"


    The taller boy scoffed.


    "Of course not! How am I supposed to buy any jewelry at this rate? All the others must look down on me because of that!"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "...Is it not enough for food?"


    The shorter boy raised an eyebrow.


    "Hah? Why would we need to buy food? The maids always give us as much food as we want!"


    The taller boy shrugged his shoulders.


    "It definitely isn''t enough for a proper meal in the royal restaurant."


    The side of my face twitched.


    "...So you don''t need it."


    The taller boy rolled his eyes.


    "Of course I do!"


    He began sweeping up the coins.


    I felt something within me boil.


    "Give it back."

 Chapter 122 - A Tornado

    I stared at the taller boy dead in the eye.


    He flinched, but frowned soon after. It seemed like I hurt his pride.


    The taller boy scowled.


    "How dare you look at me like that! Do you even know who I am?"


    I took a deep breath, trying to control my feelings.


    "...You can beat me up, but you can''t take the money."


    The shorter boy smirked.


    "Oh really? Just watch me!"


    He began pocketing several of the coppers.


    It felt like they were tearing my soul away with each coin they took.


    The taller boy sighed.


    "If only you had a bit more... though, what can you expect from someone like you."


    He chuckled.


    "It''s probably your life savings, isn''t it?"


    My fingers tensed up from anger.


    "It is."


    The taller boy smirked.


    "Then that''s even better! It''s only fair for giving us so much trouble for nothing."


    ...It''s only fair?


    I was the one causing trouble for nothing?


    The tone of my voice subconsciously dropped.


    "...What are you even talking about?"


    The taller boy frowned.


    "This is your fault for healing so fast! You made us waste so much time for nothing!"


    ...This is my fault?


    A strange swirling sensation came over me, making me see things.


    I saw myself in the center of a tornado. The winds raged on, tearing apart several houses violently.


    My clothes and hair whipped violently. Although I was currently safe from the savage force of the tornado while within its eye, there were only a few steps between me and its frightening gales.


    In other words, if the tornado moved too fast for me, it would tear me to shreds.


    Yet, I wasn''t afraid of it.


    After all, it was a tornado that came from me.


    From the depths of my heart, it had revealed itself. It was as though the tornado was excited, seeing the outside world after so long.


    I took a step forward, and it moved along with me.


    The tornado seemed to be screaming out as loud as it could. If it had a throat, it would surely be bloodied by now.


    As I walked, the tornado continued to rip apart the surroundings, gathering more debris around me.


    Then, I began running.


    Even more houses were destroyed, filling the tornado with debris.


    I ran faster and faster.


    Until eventually, the debris blocked out all the light from outside.


    And as the darkness fell upon me, a small smile formed on my face.


    "I guess you''re right."


    I felt a wave of heat surge through my body, especially so for my mind. It was getting hard to think coherently.


    "It is my fault."


    The taller boy furrowed his brows and began to hesitate. On the other hand, the shorter boy nodded.


    "That''s right! This compensation is only fair."


    I heard a voice.


    "...Didn''t you hear him?"


    It sounded like mine, but was far deeper... and more sinister.


    "It is only fair, no?"


    The shorter boy reached for another one of the copper coins, but before he could reach for it...


    "GAAAAAAHHHHHH"


    The shorter boy recoiled in pain, and rightfully so.


    After all, I lunged forth and bit off his fingers.


    I couldn''t help but smile wider, which must''ve looked a bit frightening with the blood dripping down my chin.


    The shorter boy''s eyes widened in fear, while the taller boy took a few steps back.


    My eyes were slowly widening.


    The shorter boy stumbled backward before falling onto his rear.


    "It hurts! It hurts so bad!"


    His uninjured hand grabbed tightly onto the other, which was currently bleeding out. There was a nasty grimace on his face as his entire body trembled, especially so for his hands.


    "Ah... Ah..."


    The shorter boy continued to groan in pain, which made me a little scared.


    Not of the boy, but myself.


    Because I was enjoying it.


    ...I was enjoying it too much.


    A giggle seeped out of me.


    "It does hurt! You could say it hurts a lot!"


    I walked over to the boy, who began crawling backward once he saw me approach. However, his crawling was simply too slow.


    I had reached him.


    Tears streaked down the shorter boy''s face, unable to withstand the pain he was facing. Unfortunately for him, it was going to get far worse.


    I grabbed onto his uninjured arm, forcefully pulling it off the other.


    The boy tried to pull back his arm.


    "What are you doing? Let go of me!"


    But I was too strong.


    Casting so many healing spells may have torn apart my mind time and time again, but it also did something else.


    Rip apart my body, before healing it once more.


    I had already become far stronger than a normal person. So much so that even as the boy struggled, he could not make me budge.


    Not even slightly.


    My grip around his arm tightened as a mocking smile appeared on my face.


    "It really wasn''t hard for us to do things peacefully, you know?"


    I burst out in laughter, as though I said a terribly funny joke that made even me crack up.


    Though I was the only one laughing, so it wasn''t that funny apparently.


    "I wonder... what do you think will happen now?"


    The shorter boy shivered.


    "W-What are you doing! You should know my family name has weight around here! Nearly every- AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH."


    He threw his head back and screamed out in pain.


    I had straightened out his arm before placing the base of my palm on his elbow.


    ...Then, I pushed forward, making a clear cracking sound ring out.


    The shorter boy almost sounded like a pig being butchered, as they are not killed cleanly, but very painfully.


    After all, the pig''s throat may be slit, but it is still alive.


    In this way, once it is hung up, the blood will leave it faster, drying it out for proper preparation.


    The pig''s heart continues to beat, but with every second, it only speeds up its own death.


    The shorter boy could hardly breathe with the tears and snot running down his face, but he still managed to look at his counterpart and form a few words.


    "...He- Help... me..."


    The taller boy''s face became pale. He was frozen in fear before, but the scream of the shorter boy seemed to wake him up.


    The taller boy began to run away.


    But I wasn''t going to let him go.


    He ran for his life, meaning he was going far faster than he even thought he could. Yet, it seemed so slow.


    Because I was simply too fast.


    The taller boy looked behind him, but before he could see anything, something grabbed onto his face.


    It was my hand.


    I lifted him up off his feet as a giggle seeped past my lips.


    "Do you know what happens to things that go up?"


    The taller boy cringed.


    "Wait, I can give back the money! Just let me g-"


    A clear frightening crack resounded.


    I slammed his head onto the floor, directly shattering his skull. But I wasn''t done there.


    I flipped him over and dragged his face against the cobblestone path. He let out muffled moans of pain that sometimes got noticeably louder, and sometimes became quieter than a breath.


    It was almost like a cacophony of dead souls, still crying out in pain from the time that they were killed.


    I kept scraping his face against the ground, letting the stones tear away his face. In the end, I lost myself with the screams of agony, pressing the taller boy''s head down as though it was some kind of instrument.


    ...And eventually, the cries of pain stopped.


    I curiously flipped the taller boy over, as though I was a little child opening a long-awaited present.


    The skin of his face was nowhere to be seen, replaced with bloody flesh and the occasional bone that peeked out, almost like it was trying to say hi.


    The taller boy''s nose was completely crushed, leaving only a bloody patch where it once was. As for his teeth, they were partially covered in blood and flesh, but his mouth and cheek were nowhere to be seen.


    As such, his teeth and gums were fully exposed, almost like the appearance of a scary monster.


    Those details along with the flesh that was ground away made his face look eerily flat, like it was a cutting board.


    But that wasn''t the most jarring aspect.


    As for what that was... it would be his eyes.


    The eyelids had already been torn off, unable to protect the delicate eyes underneath.


    As such, they became a milky, yet bloody paste.


    The taller boy was no longer breathing.


    He had died a few moments ago.


    There were a few whimpers coming from behind me.


    It was the shorter boy.


    He was dragging his arms along the ground as he moved forward by raising his knees.


    The shorter boy was moving slowly, sometimes stopping since he could no longer bear the pain.


    I should help.


    By removing his arms.

 Chapter 123 - Damn You

    My pupils shook violently, while my mind felt soft.


    Like it was cotton candy.


    A strange overload of dopamine pierced into my mind like I suddenly became a full-blown psychopath.


    It didn''t really make sense to me.


    But as of right now, I didn''t care.


    What I did care about was making my way towards the boy. After all, he was painfully dragging his hands against the pavement.


    If only he didn''t have them.


    Then that wouldn''t be a problem.


    It wasn''t hard to understand that much, right?


    A sadistic smile slowly formed on my face.


    "...Why are you so scared?"


    The boy whipped his head around. He was clearly cringing in fear.


    "No, stay away!"


    I could feel some strange stimulation course through my body. It was probably adrenaline, but it also gave this strange tingly feeling. Yet, while it was strange, it was also strangely satisfying.


    It felt as though my body had so much energy within, yet nowhere for it to go. It gave me a strong sedentary feeling, making my body cry out for movement. As such, I tensed my hands while my fingers twitched.


    As for my arms, I pressed them tightly against my body, desperately trying to get rid of the sedentary feeling.


    Before I knew it, my head was tilted uncomfortably to my side, painfully stretching the skin of my neck.


    ...It wasn''t intentional, but I must''ve looked a little strange, no?


    The boy continued to whimper and crawl away. He was desperately dragging himself forward, but the pain made it too hard for him to move.


    I couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Don''t worry! It will heal, remember? Everything will heal, so it''s fine to just break it over and over again!"


    For some reason, a cackle burst out of me, as though it was the funniest joke I ever came up with.


    As for the boy, he sobbed.


    "I... I will heal?"


    Tears and snot ran down his face, giving him quite a pathetic appearance. Though it was kinda reasonable, given his missing fingers and broken arm.


    The boy''s breathing became ragged.


    "But... but it hurts! It hurts so much! I can''t take it anymore!"


    He hunched over, resting his head on the ground as he continued to sob.


    I leisurely walked over to his side before getting down on one knee. I twisted my head upside down to peek at the boy''s face.


    "It hurts? Yet you didn''t seem so concerned when you snapped my arm?"


    Panic immediately appeared on the boy''s face.


    "I-I didn''t know! I didn''t know it hurt so much!"


    My pupils shook wildly, darting all around my eye socket as though it was a child that ate too much sugar.


    "Not even when I screamed? Not even when you heard the crack of my bones shattering?"


    The boy flinched.


    "I-I..."


    A teasing smile appeared on my face.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t go too far!"


    The boy blinked a few times.


    "R-Really?"


    I laughed a little hoarsely.


    "Of course! Since you broke my arms twice, and I only broke yours once, I will simply have to do it again!"


    The hopeful expression froze on the boy''s face. His pupils dilated in fear.


    "No... wait, please forgive me!"


    I stood back up, all the while my body violently twitched from the excessive energy.


    "I said it already, didn''t I? Just one arm, and you will be forgiven completely!"


    A muffled giggle seeped past my lips as I grabbed the boy''s arm, the one with the fingers missing.


    As for the boy, he immediately began struggling, flailing his limbs and crying out in pain. It was as though a switch turned on once he realized what was going to happen.


    "No, stop, please, you can''t do this, you can''t!"


    My eyes widened.


    "I can''t?"


    I gripped the boy''s wrist.


    "Are you sure? Let me try!"


    I sent his hand crashing down towards the cobblestone path.


    "AAAAAAAHHHHHH."


    A scream resounded along with a clear smack. But I wasn''t going to leave it at that.


    I pushed his hand against the ground even harder, before scraping it across the cobblestone path.


    The boy continued screaming.


    And it was at this point I noticed a crowd was forming. The crowd stood a very healthy distance away and looked on in fear more than curiosity. A few of them immediately ran away upon noticing the scene while others stayed to look.


    Logically, I knew this was a really bad situation.


    I knew that I should hide my face and run away.


    I knew that what I was doing would make me an outcast.


    Yet...


    I couldn''t stop myself.


    A wide smile spread out across my face.


    "Don''t be so shy!"


    I stood up tall, even leaning back a little. I spread my arms out wide, as though I was trying to welcome them in.


    "It''s a free show! And the special offer just for today is unlimited front row seats!"


    Despite my efforts, the crowd didn''t get any closer. In fact, some of them took a step back. They couldn''t even let out a whisper.


    But I didn''t let that bother me.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes peeled, as the main show is going to begin!"


    I grabbed onto the boy''s arm and lifted him up as though he was a ragdoll.


    "This guy right here broke my arms twice. As of now, I already broke one of his arms, as you can see!"


    I used my other hand to pick up his broken arm, which was still loosely attached. After waving it around for a few moments, I directly ripped it off, prompting the boy to scream like a dying pig.


    He could hardly even speak. With all of his strength, he could only form one word.


    "N-No..."


    I grabbed onto the back of the boy''s head and forced it up so that he could look at the crowd.


    "Now, it''s time for me to break his other arm!"


    A wild cackle escaped me.


    "It''s only fair, no?"


    The base of my palm pressed against the back of his shoulder.


    But before I could continue, a vision flashed into my mind, as though it was an old memory.


    ...


    I saw... a cage?


    There was a rusty metal cage in front of me that housed a little girl. To my left were a set of curtains while the left was a large wooden wall.


    I quickly gathered that it was the back of a stage.


    Within my hand was a small key.


    There was also an excited smile on my face.


    "Zero-five! I finally got the key after way too many close calls!"


    The little girl within the cage perked up before whipping her head around. She was wearing rags and covered in dirt, but still looked rather pleasant despite all that.


    The girl I referred to as Zero-five rushed over to the side of the cage and pointed towards the padlock holding the door closed.


    "Nice, Ten! Quickly, open the lock, I think the curtains are going to open soon!"


    I rushed over and inserted the key into the lock. After fumbling around for a few moments, it unlocked with a clear click.


    I reached over to open the cage door, but Zero-five burst out of the cage before my hand even touched the bars. She took the key out of my hands.


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "Haha, you really are impatient like alwa-"


    I cut myself off.


    Because the girl I referred to as Zero-five had grabbed onto my shoulder and stabbed a knife deep into my arm.


    I looked down at the knife planted deep within in shock, as though reconfirming the searing pain I felt was real.


    Before I could regain my bearings, the girl threw me into the cage before hurriedly shutting the cage door.


    My eyes widened as it seemed I came to a realization. I rushed forward as the girl fumbled with the padlock.


    With a bang, I crashed into the cage door.


    But it was already too late.


    The girl had locked the cage.


    As the warm blood dripped down my arm, I looked at the girl with incredulity.


    "You... can''t be serious, right Zero-five?"


    My voice became higher pitched and shook, with a touch of insanity.


    "Why the hell..."


    The girl sighed.


    "I''m sorry Ten, but I am just doing what I have to in order to survive."


    It was strange hearing such words spoken in such a high-pitched and young voice.


    I grabbed onto the bars of the cage and shook them violently, ignoring the pain in my wounded arm.


    "Survive? If it wasn''t for me, you would be dead!"


    The girl nodded.


    "Yes, you''re right."


    I clenched my fists.


    "So-"


    "But."


    The girl took a few steps back.


    "If they don''t find anyone in the cage, they will come back for me. If nobody takes my place, there''s no hope for me."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Bullshit! Get me out of this cage right now, Zero-five!"


    The girl did not respond. Instead, she walked away.


    I continued to rattle the cage bars noisily.


    "Zero-five!"


    But the girl only pushed open a door and left, without so much as a glance back.


    I grit my teeth.


    "Damn you, Zero-five!"


    Then... my hold against the cage bars loosened.


    "...damn you."


    As tears fell down my face.

 Chapter 124 - The Fool Has Made Many Mistakes

    I continued sobbing. It was either the fact I was betrayed by the girl I called ''Zero-five'' or the fact I was locked in a cage.


    ...Well, it was probably both.


    Before there was any time to truly ruminate over the situation, the curtains were pulled back, illuminating the stage.


    It was as though the rays of a new day had shone on me, but my current state was definitely not one that was the nicest to see.


    The sky was a soft light blue, while a few puffy white clouds littered the sky. Someone about it seemed innocent.


    ...No, it would be more accurate to say fresh.


    It seemed like I was in some sort of colosseum, but it wasn''t particularly big.


    There was a man in a regal black suit and an overly pretentious top hat. Though, the man in question seemed to take pride in his hat, thinking it made him look more regal rather than a clown.


    He had one finger under his mouth, while a strange mana diagram rested on top. It appeared to be some sort of spell that amplified his voice. As for his other hand, it was raised high in the air, as though he was doing all he could to attract attention towards himself.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes peeled, as the main show is going to begin!"


    The man was an announcer. He wasn''t looking at me, but a crowd beneath him. The crowd consisted mostly of commoners that stood on the ground.


    However, there were also a few nobles and what appeared to be like slaves. The nobles sat on the colosseum''s seats, or the cavea, while the slaves sat on the floor next to them.


    The commoners gazed disdainfully at me, despite wearing ragged clothes themselves. It was as though they hardly had anyone to look down on, thus when they saw the opportunity, they cherished it.


    Perhaps only then, could the commoners forget how pitiful their own lives were in a moment of schadenfreude.


    Even though the only thing that set them apart from slaves was their title.


    As for the nobles, they looked on with amusement. Casual smiles rested on their faces, as though they were in a casual setting, like watching their child play with the flowers in the backyard. Except, it didn''t exactly seem to be something like that.


    One thing I noticed was that their focus wasn''t really on me, but on the slaves next to them. They kept glancing at them to see their expression.


    As for why...


    The slaves seemed to be afraid. From what I could tell, I myself was also a slave. It seemed that the nobles came to this show with their slaves in order to intimidate them further.


    To show what could''ve happened to them.


    Almost like they were trying to say the slaves should be thankful for the nobles taking them in.


    And it seemed to be working. Although nothing happened to me yet, the slaves already cowered closer to their respective masters.


    The announcer made various exaggerated hand movements before slowly turning towards me.


    "And today we have a very special guest. As you can see here we have-"


    The announcer froze when he saw me. He blinked a few times as though he was trying to ascertain that this was actually reality. It seemed like the announcer had rehearsed his lines several times over.


    But once things deviated from the script, he didn''t know how to handle it.


    As for me, the sobbing had stopped by now. What replaced it was an eerie stillness.


    It was as though I turned into a statue.


    An awkward silence fell down. The crowd was getting a little annoyed, as both the announcer and so-called guest just froze as though they were a photo.


    Then... I decided to speak up.


    "A fool."


    Although there was no magic that amplified my voice, it was still audible to every person in the colosseum.


    A bitter chuckle escaped me.


    "As you can see here, your special guest is a fool."


    The announcer repeatedly opened and closed his mouth before deciding to remain quiet and see where things went.


    I slowly stood up from within the cage. Although the cage itself was not spacious by any means, I was also quite short as of now.


    "Let me introduce myself. The name I was bestowed upon birth among the slaves was Ten. It was because I just so happened to be the tenth, and last slave from that batch."


    A strange smile formed on my lips as I moved my arms around exaggeratedly, kind of like the announcer.


    "The ten of us slaves tried to stick together for as long as we could. But as you may expect, most of us died. Some starved to death, others fell sick, some were beaten to death, and the rest decided it wasn''t worth it to continue anymore."


    The crowd seemed to be a little confused, but were a little interested in this strange segment.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "And your special guest here decided that it was best to support each other because he felt a little companionship. Guess where that led him?"


    An unsettling laugh escaped me.


    "Do you know why your announcer here is so confused? It''s because the special guest was supposed to be someone else! A member of my group!"


    I grit my teeth.


    "Although I went through several life-threatening situations to save this group member, the first thing she did was stab me and toss my body right back into this cage."


    There was a strong pain coming from my arm. I raised my arm casually and gestured towards it, as though the knife within it was just a stage prop.


    Like the knife didn''t cut through my muscles as I moved my arm around.


    My body twitched erratically.


    "Frankly, I can hardly even believe how stupid I was before."


    I twisted my neck, stretching the skin on top to its limits.


    "To think I somehow believed that the people around me had some sort of inherent value. That anybody had any value at all!"


    My arms continued to move around strangely, making it really painful for me. Yet, that didn''t seem to stop me.


    "The truest answer to life... is if everything dies."


    The smile left my face, while my head tilted to the side.


    "And I intend to stick to that truth by killing all of you."


    The crowd seemed unsettled, but soon calmed down. I was locked in a cage, after all. At most, it would look like a dog barking.


    I took a deep breath.


    "In a certain sense, my name can represent the end. The night that falls upon a long day."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "...But the end to a good story is hardly ever satisfying. What would''ve been better... is a sequel."


    I deliberately pulled the knife out of my arm, letting the blood spray out like a fountain. It was definitely really painful, but it seemed like I didn''t feel it.


    A faint giggle escaped me.


    "You see, the member called ''Zero-one'' in our group lost it nearly immediately. He attempted to kill anyone, including us. We tried to convince him, but we couldn''t get through to him."


    Suddenly, my face became expressionless.


    "So... we killed him."


    My eyes widened ever so slightly.


    "But now I realize..."


    Without warning, a sinister smile appeared on my face.


    "He was right all along. I''ve decided to reverse my fate, to take on the identity of ''Zero-one'' and start everything over again."


    My entire body began to feel strangely numb, as though something was enveloping it. Suddenly, the stage, the announcer, the crowd, and even the sky disappeared.


    What took its place... was a field of flowers.


    I was having a hallucination.


    This wasn''t the first time I saw the field of flowers, but there was something different in this vision. Normally, there would be tall black walls far off in the horizon, just barely visible.


    But now... there was a wooden fence around me.


    While it barely reached the height of my waist, it hardly gave me any room. In fact, if it wasn''t for the fact I was standing, I wouldn''t be able to fit within these confines.


    The fence itself looked terribly worn, with several cracks lined across them. On top of that, nearly half the wood that it was composed of had decayed.


    I looked around curiously, as though my surroundings were very new to me. After a few moments, I reached out with my hand, gently touching the wooden fence.


    It broke with just a touch, letting me walk through it.


    Then, my vision suddenly warped, and I found myself back at the stage.


    I was still holding onto the knife, and pointed it forwards.


    Except this time, I seemed to have come to some sort of understanding.


    A wild look appeared on my face.


    "But after the end, things will be different."


    My eyes slowly widened.


    "For the fool, has made many mistakes."


    My pupils constricted.


    "But because of that, he has become wise."


    Then, a familiar tight feeling wrapped around me.

 Chapter 125 - Bloody Massacre

    The announcer looked at me curiously before hunching over and furrowing his brows.


    Because I disappeared.


    The crowd immediately freaked out, making the announcer panic. He turned around and wanted to calm them down, but before he could say anything they freaked out even more.


    ...In fact, he couldn''t even say anything, to his dismay.


    The announcer blinked in confusion. Then, he looked down and slowly reached over to touch his chest with the tips of his fingers.


    After making contact, he lifted them up before his eyes.


    His fingers were bloody.


    The announcer began to tremble uncontrollably. Then collapsed onto the ground, unable to move anymore. A small pool of blood began to form under him.


    Several panicked screams echoed throughout the crowd.


    As for the person responsible, that was me.


    I teleported out of the cage, before appearing on the other side of the announcer. Despite being right in front of him, he didn''t seem to see me.


    Probably because his heart had been pierced through.


    For a moment, I looked down at my body, then the knife in my hand.


    My breathing was ragged, but it eventually calmed down.


    The commoners immediately ran away, unwilling to stay here any longer. The nobles flinched when they noticed what happened. After a few moments of realization, they hurriedly stood up and ran away too.


    As for me...


    A creepy giggle seeped past my lips.


    Although it was coming from my mouth, I couldn''t help but feel a little scared. Blood continued to seep out of the wound in my arm.


    In fact, there was no feeling left in it.


    My vision got blurry, but it was still enough to make out the general figures of everyone here.


    I slowly lifted my head.


    Earlier on, I declared that I would kill everyone here.


    It seems like now was the time to keep my promise.


    Without rhyme or reason, I ran forth. The man I was chasing after panicked.


    "N-No! Stay away!"


    However, his words fell on deaf ears.


    My knife directly pierced through his back, straight through his heart. The man''s eyes rolled into the back of his head.


    He began choking violently, and grabbed onto my wrists with both hands, trying to get the knife out of his chest.


    I didn''t try to stop him.


    The knife slipped out of his chest. Then, blood poured out relentlessly.


    The man collapsed to the floor moments later.


    It was ironic. The man''s instincts told him to get the knife out of his chest, but that only made him bleed out faster.


    Thus killing him faster.


    With an unnaturally wide smile, I continued towards my next victim. It was a young woman, who was tripping over herself as she ran because of the impractical shoes she was wearing.


    Once the woman noticed my approach, she immediately gave up on running and decided to take me head on.


    The woman''s hands trembled.


    I slashed at her mercilessly, but to my surprise, the woman caught my hand using both of hers. The trembling was fierce, showing how afraid she was, but her grip was also strong.


    It seemed my body was rather weak, though that made sense being both a kid and a malnourished slave.


    However, this didn''t upset me.


    Instead, a small smile formed on my face. My pupils constricted while my eyes widened.


    Suddenly, I appeared behind the woman, while a bloody hole appeared on her chest.


    The woman shivered for a moment, before collapsing.


    I didn''t even take a second look before going further. There was a man in front of me that put his all into running, but was still too slow.


    I slashed his leg, making a new gash that sprayed out vast amounts of blood.


    The man helplessly fell to his knees with a cry of pain.


    Although the man clearly knew he had to run away if he wanted to live, it was simply too hard to stand up.


    In the end, he could only hunch over and despair.


    As such, it took almost no effort to decapitate him on my part, other than his hard spine.


    While the man''s head flew into the air, I didn''t stop for a single moment.


    Like that, I cut into limbs, took off heads, and pierced hearts.


    Sometimes I would teleport, and other times I would get up close and personal.


    Regardless, my laughter filled the air along with splatters of blood.


    In the end, although people tried to run, everyone hampered each other''s escape greatly. They pushed and shoved just so they could get a little farther away, but all that did was make people fall over.


    Then, their fallen bodies would either be trampled or stacked to form a miniature wall.


    Because of this, I was able to kill the majority of the commoners, even when they had so much time to run.


    My sights were then set on a noble.


    There was a woman wearing a luxurious robe desperately trying to squeeze through the crowd. Behind her, was a kid wearing clean, but bland clothes. He was a slave.


    When the woman slipped past a few shoulders, the kid grabbed onto her sleeve, pulling her back.


    "D-Don''t leave me!"


    The woman was pulled back and immediately became furious.


    "You little-"


    Before she could finish her words, a large red gash appeared on her throat.


    She choked for a few moments before collapsing to the ground.


    As for the kid, he rushed over and shook the woman.


    "Master, no!"


    Then his head left his neck.


    The kid''s body collapsed, while blood sprayed.


    I was the one that did it.


    From what it looked like, innocence or guilt didn''t matter to me anymore. The only thing that mattered was killing as many people as possible.


    And kill, I did.


    As for the me that was watching all of this unfold, I actually enjoyed it a little at first. The bloodshed felt attractive to me, and even let me channel my excess anger.


    But...


    There was so much blood.


    There was far too much blood.


    Just looking at it all...


    Made me feel a little sick.


    The stench of blood only got stronger and stronger, making my nose feel numb.


    This...


    This was taking it too far.


    As I continued watching myself mercilessly reap one life after another, I began to wonder.


    ...Who exactly was this?


    Or perhaps, the real question would be...


    Was this me?


    Whatever these memories were, they were definitely not dreams.


    After all, I was able to inherit the power I''ve seen in these visions.


    There was my ability to rapidly gather mana at the cost of my body and my ability to teleport.


    I was able to use both of them because of the visions I saw of... myself.


    The more I thought about it, the less sense it made.


    Wasn''t I a summoned person from Earth like Ned, Alyx, and Erin?


    The clothes I showed up with even matched theirs, so there was definitely some sort of connection.


    But then, how would it explain all of this?


    From what the others said, there was no magic back on their planet. However, this was obviously not the case here, as the announcer used a spell to amplify his voice.


    That implies that I have memories of growing up here...


    I internally let out a sigh.


    ...I still didn''t have enough information.


    By now, nearly every single person had been killed.


    I could tell my body was terribly tired from the ache in my muscles. But it seemed that this wasn''t enough for me yet.


    I stepped into the streets of what seemed to be a village. Then, I continued killing.


    From what it looked like, I was taking a specific path. Until eventually, I reached a rather ominous house.


    I burst inside, where many burly men were.


    They immediately stood up.


    "Who the hell are you? Get out of here!"


    "Don''t you know who we are?"


    "...Hey, why is the kid so bloody."


    I did not respond. At least, not verbally.


    My pupils constricted while my eyes widened.


    Then, I appeared behind one of the men. He immediately collapsed while holding his chest, choking the entire time.


    The other men immediately freaked out, not daring to take me lightly anymore.


    But they were helpless before my ability to teleport and attack in between.


    In the end, I killed them all.


    From there, I walked upstairs and burst through a private office.


    Inside was a rather fat man smoking a pipe. He flinched when I burst in the room, before panicking.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    I twisted my neck to the side and let out an eerie laugh.


    "Oh, that''s not important. I''m just one of many slaves. However, I won''t be able to forget who you are, no matter how hard I try."


    The man opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly found himself unable to say anything. He looked down to a bloody wound in his chest, before passing out.


    All the while eerie laughs filled the air.


    ...


    The vision ended.


    And in my hand, was a boy''s bloody arm.

 Chapter 126 - This Little Girl

    As I stared at the bloody arm in my hand...


    A strong sense of vertigo assaulted me.


    There was too much blood.


    Too much blood...


    My breathing became ragged while my stomach churned disgustingly. I hurriedly threw the arm away, while I myself vomited on the floor.


    In a certain sense, my situation was like a kid that had eaten far too many chocolates, till the point they tasted disgusting.


    Yet, that kid kept eating them.


    I kept vomiting everything within my stomach.


    Even when there was nothing left, I continued to retch, as though there was still some sort of poison within me that I was still trying to get rid of.


    Drool dripped down from the corner of my mouth.


    I was so dizzy.


    ...Oh god.


    I... I need to get out of here.


    I took a step away, but suddenly remembered something.


    The money...


    I couldn''t abandon it.


    There''s no way I could possibly do that.


    And so, I scrounged the ground with my blurry vision, wading through blood and vomit to get all of the coins.


    I opened the two boy''s pockets and took back all of the coins with me. After gathering what I thought was all of it, my vision had cleared up a little.


    Thankfully, I found the silver coin and began counting the copper coins.


    Ten...


    Fourty...


    Ninety...


    Ninety-nine...


    The last one wasn''t there.


    Although it could''ve been an error in counting, I made sure to go through it slowly, so it probably wasn''t that. I searched the ground some more, while the corner of my vision caught onto two guards far off in the distance.


    I anxiously continued searching for the copper, desperately praying that it would eventually turn up.


    At some point, I could make out a yell from the guards.


    "Stop right there!"


    My hands that were already covered in blood and vomit, trembled even faster. The anxiety was really getting to me.


    Then...


    My fingers brushed over the copper coin.


    After putting it away, I immediately bolted into the nearest alleyway there was. I felt like a mess from all the blood and vomit over my clothes, but my anxiety let me ignore it for now.


    I continued running through alleyways, one after another.


    After taking a right, I suddenly saw the glare of the sun, realizing that way led back to the street. Without a second thought, I turned around to go back into the alley.


    ...It was like a maze.


    I had no idea where I was going, arbitrarily taking paths one after another, desperately hoping that things would work out somehow.


    The glare of the sun shone on my face several more times, telling me that it was the exit of the alleyway. I ran back into the alleyway each time I saw the light.


    It was...


    Ironic.


    I was in a maze with countless exits, but instead of taking any of them, I decided to continue to send myself back in. Because the purpose of the maze, to me, wasn''t to escape.


    But to hide.


    Hide from everything.


    Eventually, I couldn''t take running anymore. My legs wobbled uncontrollably before giving out. I fell to my knees.


    I pressed one hand against a wall and hung my head low.


    My breathing was ragged, while my vision was blurry.


    I... I must''ve gotten away by now, right?


    As I slowly caught my breath, my mind couldn''t help but think about everything that happened.


    What would''ve happened to me if I was caught?


    Would I even be able to keep my life?


    ...What would the others think of me?


    This... this wasn''t my first time killing someone. I had killed those slave traders before.


    But this was different.


    ...Far too different.


    Would Ned still think I was worth talking to?


    Would Erin still help me up when I fell?


    Would Alyx still be her true self next to me?


    ...Would Mildred still comfort me?


    I-I had to get away.


    If I messed up things now, everything would be ruined. I would have to start all over again.


    All the money I worked for would amount to nothing if...


    "Are you ok?"


    A childish voice rang out next to me.


    I slowly turned my head to the side to find a little girl.


    The little girl had short brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing rags, clearly showing she lived in poverty.


    Yet, there was a strong innocent aura from this little girl. Almost like a light that shined brightly despite the overwhelming darkness that tried to swallow it.


    The little girl tilted her head to the side.


    "What are you doing here?"


    She obliviously walked forwards, like it was completely natural that somebody would be covered in blood within an alleyway.


    "Stop!"


    I raised one of my hands in the air, prompting her to freeze up.


    The little girl raised her hands in the air.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you! Show me where you are hurt, I can help you!"


    This... this girl.


    If she reported me, wouldn''t that mean everyone would know what I did?


    This girl.


    She saw me.


    She knows what I did.


    She was going to tell everyone.


    ...Unless the girl couldn''t say anything in the first place.


    An ominous gleam passed by my eyes.


    What if... I killed her?


    Then it would all be fine.


    Nobody would have to know.


    Everything could go on as normal.


    My eyes slowly widened while I slowly stood up.


    The little girl gasped.


    "Ah, you shouldn''t force yourself to walk if you can''t!"


    She rushed over to me and pressed on my stomach, trying to hold me up. The girl got blood and vomit over her hands, but she didn''t seem to care.


    I... I had to kill her.


    My breathing became ragged once more.


    There was no other choice.


    I raised my bloodied hand.


    It just... just had to happen for me to continue.


    I slowly reached for the girl.


    If my peaceful life were to continue... she would have to die. It wasn''t a big deal, I already killed multiple people, and countless in that vision.


    It should be so easy.


    So, so easy.


    ...So why couldn''t I move my hand forward?


    The little girl blinked curiously, before reaching for my hand, and holding onto it. A bright smile formed on her face.


    "Come on, you need a place to rest if you want to recover from your wounds!"


    Unknowingly, tears began to fall from my face.


    I... what type of person was I becoming?


    This little girl...


    Her light brown hair and bright blue eyes were just like Mildred''s. The person who comforted me through everything.


    Her stature was the same as Erin''s, probably a really similar age too. The person who caught me when I was falling off the stairs.


    I guess in the end, it was all just too hard for me.


    My cruelty wasn''t enough for me to kill anyone that stood in my way.


    ...Maybe it''s not too big of a deal to start over once more.


    I just couldn''t make myself do it.


    The little girl saw my tears and panicked.


    "Oh no! Does it hurt too much? Stay strong and follow me!"


    I slowly opened my mouth.


    "...Alrigh-"


    "Stop right there!"


    Two guards suddenly appeared behind me. I flinched in fear.


    ...How did this happen?


    I ran for so long, yet they traced my path all the way here?


    The guards were clad in iron armor, covering every single part of their bodies. There was only a small slit for their eyes.


    One of the guards began panting and put his hands on his knees.


    "Thank god... we just had to follow... the trail of blood."


    A chill assaulted my body, as though I was suddenly dipped into a pool of freezing water. How did that fact slip by me?


    The other guard turned to look at his companion.


    "This is not the time to be resting! Look at what happened to you after skipping so much training."


    The panting guard nodded.


    "Alright, alright. Before you berate me anymore, we have to apprehend the criminal!"


    The guards unsheathed their swords and pointed them at me.


    I slowly closed my eyes.


    ...Perhaps this was a fitting end. After all, I''ve just become a mess, both on the outside and the inside.


    Next time I will just...


    "What are you doing!"


    The little girl ran between me and the guards, spreading her arms out wide.


    The guards paused. Although their faces were covered, they were still clearly confused.


    "Get out of the way, child!"


    "There''s a killer behind you!"


    The little girl leaned forward, despite the swords not too far away from her.


    "He''s clearly just hurt! Whoever this killer is, probably hurt him!"


    She had a childish voice and was so small, yet held an overbearing momentum.


    A warm feeling swept past my body, as though I was covered with a soft blanket.


    I stared at the little girl''s back.


    ....Maybe I was wrong all this time.

 Chapter 127 - Not A Killer

    The guards looked at each other.


    "...Shouldn''t he be the killer?"


    "Well, he was there before, right?"


    The girl shouted.


    "And did you see him do anything?"


    One of the guards tilted his head to the side.


    "Uh... well he was on the ground next to the bodies for some reason."


    The other guard let out a sigh.


    "...But why would the killer be doing that?"


    The girl put her hands on her hips and stuck her elbows out.


    "See? You must''ve followed the wrong person!"


    One of the guards clicked his tongue and looked at me.


    "Damn... do you know where the killer went then?"


    The other guard shook his head.


    "How would he know? We need to hurry and check the other places, or the killer is going to get away!"


    With that, the two guards hurried off back from where they came.


    After a few moments of silence, the girl let out a sigh and hunched over, resting her hands on her knees.


    "...That was scary."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "Then why did you do it?"


    The girl turned around and shrugged her shoulders.


    "...Well, you seemed like you needed help."


    I drew a deep sigh.


    "And why did you even help me?"


    The little girl tilted her head to the side.


    "I already told you, didn''t you hear? You seemed like you needed help."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "...You didn''t even consider whether or not you helped a killer?"


    The little girl smiled.


    "But I didn''t help a killer."


    ...I was the one that killed them though.


    It took me a few moments to form the words.


    "How are you so confident in that?"


    The little girl smirked confidently.


    "Because you aren''t!"


    ...How did that make any sense?


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What?"


    The little girl shrugged her shoulders.


    "If you were really a killer, then would you be saying those things?"


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "But..."


    The little girl raised her palm in the air, cutting me off.


    "It doesn''t matter if you actually killed anyone!"


    I couldn''t help but scrunch up my face, tilt my head to the side, and lean forward. In other words, my face was basically saying, ''What the fu-''.


    The little girl cleared her throat awkwardly.


    "It''s because... being a killer is more than just killing someone."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "...So what exactly does being a killer mean?"


    The little girl scratched her hair.


    "Um..."


    She began to gesture by swinging her arms around wildly, without any real meaning behind them.


    "It''s about how the person is! Not what they have actually done!"


    The little girl pressed her lips together.


    "...That''s why they can be a killer even if they haven''t killed anyone."


    I slowly nodded.


    "I understand."


    I didn''t understand.


    The little girl put her hands on her hips and stuck out her elbows confidently.


    "Hehe, see what I mean now?"


    A smirk formed on her face.


    "So you''re not a killer!"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "I guess..."


    The little girl blinked a few times before gasping.


    "Ah, wait, you''re hurt! I completely forgot about that!"


    I waved my hand in front of me casually.


    "Don''t worry about it, I''m fine."


    After letting out a soft sigh, the tension within my body slowly released.


    "...Though, I feel really disgusting."


    While adrenaline and anxiety were violently coursing through my veins, it was hard to care about the blood and vomit that covered me.


    But now that I had calmed down a bit, I really wanted to get this off me.


    My mind slowly gathered mana to cast the water spell.


    After a few moments, a basketball-sized ball of water formed above my head, which I let drop freely.


    With a splash, the water soaked my hair and fell down my face. My hair itself didn''t really get dirty, so it wasn''t the most effective in cleaning me up, but it still felt nice.


    The little girl''s jaw was agape.


    "Y-You''re a mage?!"


    I looked towards the little girl with a bit of confusion.


    "...Yes, but just barely so. There are way too many mages that are stronger than me."


    For whatever reason, the little girl clenched her fists and waved them around in the air excitedly.


    "But being a mage is so cool!"


    While she was speaking, my mind finished casting another water spell. I let it splash over my side.


    It felt a little uncomfortable since all the gross stuff got wet and slid down my body, but it was better than having it stick to me the entire time.


    A sigh escaped me.


    "I guess being a mage is better than not..."


    The effort I went through to learn the spell flashed by in my mind.


    "...but at least for me, it''s just really hard."


    The little girl giggled.


    "That''s why being a mage is so cool! Because they work so hard to cast all their spells!"


    I blinked a few times.


    Cool?


    Why didn''t I feel that it was cool?


    "Honestly, it just feels like a nightmare. There''s nothing really cool about it."


    The little girl puffed up her cheeks.


    "What are you talking about! It''s super cool!"


    She pointed a finger high into the air.


    "It''s never easy to do so much work, but they still do it! That''s what makes it so cool."


    I blinked a few times. Another ball of water splashed onto my body, cleansing me of the filth on my body. And perhaps my mind was being cleansed as well.


    A light chuckle escaped me.


    "Maybe it is a little cool then."


    The little girl nodded with a bright smile. Yet, a few moments later, she frowned.


    The little girl pressed her lips together.


    "...and way cooler than most of the people in the village."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Huh?"


    The little girl smiled sadly to herself.


    "Hehe... it''s nothing."


    Another ball of water splashed on me, except this time on my legs. My clothes were officially drenched, but much cleaner, at least.


    After a few moments, a small smile formed on my face.


    "Being a mage doesn''t make you cool... I know a person who can''t cast a single spell, but is far cooler than anyone I know."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Because she''s just such a nice person."


    The little girl let out a dissatisfied hum.


    "It''s not really the mage part but..."


    She looked to the side.


    "...nobody ever really tries anymore."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    The little girl pressed her lips together.


    "Hehe, it''s like everybody has already given up. They don''t want to change their lives anymore. Just coasting by is fine for them."


    She clenched her fists and raised them high into the sky.


    "But I won''t be the same! I''m going to try really hard!"


    A smile spread out on my face.


    "Haha, I guess I should do the same."


    The girl nodded.


    "Yes! I''m going to try really really hard and change everything!"


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "Well, to do that... I have to go somewhere first."


    To buy the ink, feather, and paper for drawing the spell diagrams.


    The girl nodded.


    "Ok! I will go too!"


    I waved my hand.


    "Bye... and thanks for everything."


    The girl smiled cheekily.


    "Hehe, no problem! I''ll see you later, when you become super good with spells!"


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "You bet."


    With that, the girl resolutely turned back and walked out of the alleyway. I considered leaving as well, but was too afraid of getting lost. My only reference point was right outside the palace. Anywhere else, and I would probably end up wandering aimlessly for the entire day.


    And so, I retraced my steps by following the trail of blood I left behind, like the guards had done.


    Eventually, I came across the two dead bodies once more.


    The sight reminded me of what I did, but...


    I was able to keep my composure.


    Although some people were still curious, looking at the body from a distance, nobody dared to get within fifteen meters of it.


    After a few moments of silence, I was able to walk away from the dead bodies and head towards the shop.


    On the way there, I saw the man who told me where the shop was in the first place, the artist. He was in the middle of making a new drawing, while several others were spread out across the table.


    The artist noticed me as I passed and gave me a nod.


    I nodded back.


    There weren''t too many people out on the streets.


    ...Though that may have been because of the dead bodies.


    I shook my head and took out the coins in my pockets. While walking, I cast the water spell in order to clean the coins a little more.


    And before I knew it, I found myself before the store.


    A big sign with the words, ''Refined Writer''s Shop'', spread out in front of me.


    After so long, I finally got enough to buy the paper.

 Chapter 128 - Shopping

    The shop was fairly large, but still smaller than the taverns here. The wood of this building was fairly dark. While most houses seemed to look light brown, this one was dark brown. It almost gave off a feeling of luxury.


    However, the place was simply too weathered to look that nice. This went for the sign as well. It said ''Refined Writer''s Shop'' in exquisite cursive writing. The sign itself was a large piece of parchment with ink for the lettering.


    However, the letters themselves were worn. Not only were they faded, but several cracks appeared within the ink. There were even some missing pieces, though the words themselves were still legible. It was as though the letters were actually shattered statues.


    The door was also dark brown, but had a silver handle.


    After standing there for a few moments, I grabbed the door handle and pushed it aside.


    "Mm? Are you certain this is the store you intended on entering?"


    I blinked a few times in confusion.


    "Uh, I think so?"


    There was a fairly young man in front of me. While he was definitely older than me, it shouldn''t be by too much.


    He had glossy dark hair that stuck out in every direction. His face was a little pale, but not enough to warrant that he was sick.


    A set of glasses rested on his face. The glasses themselves consisted of two lenses and worn dark wood. There was a piece of metal in the center of the glasses that seemed to act like the elbow of an arm. The glasses pinched the bridge of the man''s nose that had several red marks.


    In contrast, his clothes were fairly ragged, just like most of the people in the village.


    The man raised an eyebrow.


    "This is a store that provides ink and paper for purchase, not a tavern. If you want to go to the tavern, it is across the street and a few blocks to the right."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh... I didn''t want to go to the tavern. I came here to buy a feather, ink, and a piece of parchment."


    The man furrowed his brows, still not convinced.


    "Is that truly the case?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Uh... yeah."


    After scrutinizing me for a few seconds, the man let out a soft sigh.


    "Well... greetings. You can view the prices on the wall to your left."


    I looked towards the left, and sure enough, the prices were listed there on a piece of parchment. The prices were the same as what I had been told.


    Parchment, fifty coppers.


    Ink, one silver.


    Feather, fifty coppers.


    The writing was in ink. The strange thing was that the prices were scratched out, while a poorly drawn number was done on top.


    I could just barely make out that the parchment was in the price of silvers before. However, I couldn''t tell how much.


    There were also several other items on the parchment, but they were scratched out altogether.


    I turned back to the man, who already seemed to lose interest in me. He was writing something on a piece of paper.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Say, why did you think I came into the wrong place? It would be pretty hard to mistake this place for a tavern with the sign saying it''s a writer''s shop."


    The man chuckled, but continued writing down something on a piece of parchment, not even bothering to look up at me.


    "Frankly, there are only a few patrons that actually buy the goods of this shop. There is only the occasional fool that wanders in if they aren''t part of that group."


    I nodded.


    "Ah. But you had to have gotten new patrons at some point. Why do you think that will never happen now?"


    The man shrugged his shoulders.


    "The only others that purchase goods are nobles that wish to experiment with ink and paper. However, experiment is the most they do. I''ve never seen one of those nobles return after buying once."


    He took a moment to glance at me.


    "I am fairly confident you belong to this group."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "...Well my plan is to buy a parchment each day. If nothing crops up, that should be the case for a while now."


    The man raised his head in laughter. After he calmed down, he continued writing something while shaking his head.


    "I suppose something will ''crop up'' for you then."


    The man clearly disdained me, which felt a bit unwarranted.


    I mean, it''s not like I did anything to him, right?


    A sigh escaped me.


    "Anyways, can I buy a bottle of ink, a feather, and a parchment?"


    The man nodded, but didn''t stop writing.


    "If you have the payment, of course. Hold on a moment."


    After a few more seconds, he put his feather down.


    He walked into a back compartment of the shop. After a few minutes, he came out with everything I asked for in hand.


    The man set them down on the counter and looked at me.


    "A total of two silvers."


    I nodded and pulled out all the coins from my pockets. For a few seconds, I felt emotional parting with them. But I was definitely looking forward to finally acquiring the drawing tools.


    After setting the coins down on the counter, I reached for those tools. However, the man grabbed my wrist.


    "I said two silvers, not one silver and one hundred copper."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Are they not the same price?"


    The man cleared his throat.


    "Yes, but if you do not have two silvers, you cannot purchase these."


    I blinked a few times. It took me a few moments to gather the words.


    "...I don''t have any silvers. Is there really no exception you can make?"


    The man raised an eyebrow.


    "Surely you have two silvers. You are a noble, no?"


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "Not really... These coins are all I have."


    The man stared at me for a good few seconds. He then began counting the copper coins by setting them aside in groups of ten.


    After confirming the amount, he nodded.


    "Alright, you can take the feather, ink, and parchment."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Huh?"


    The man shrugged his shoulders.


    "I just wanted to see if you were a rich noble."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "...And how does that make any sense?"


    The man chuckled.


    "Only the rich carry around several silvers. As for the rest, they mainly deal with coppers. That much should be clear once you''ve dealt with money for a while."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Oh..."


    The memory of Mildred dropping down several silvers for a drink flashed into my mind.


    ...It seems she really was rich.


    When I really think about it, I realized that Mildred was an exception within the bar. Most of the people that ordered alcohol from the bartender then moved to a table. From there, they wouldn''t order another.


    Most of the people even had small mugs, as opposed to the large one Mildred had. There was the occasional medium-sized one, but they were the minority.


    After letting out a soft sigh, I picked up the feather and parchment in one hand, while the ink bottle was carried by the other.


    "Thanks for the stuff."


    The man nodded.


    "As long as you have the payment."


    He proceeded to pick up his feather once more and began writing once more with his head down.


    With that, I walked out of the store while inspecting the new goods I purchased.


    The feather was quite stiff, probably because it was made for writing. The tiny hairs of the feather were limp, like the stalks of a withered plant. However, that part wasn''t important for writing, so I didn''t mind.


    The ink bottle looked like it was made out of metal, but the outside was dull, without any metallic sheen to speak of. There was a cork at the top that sealed it.


    As for the parchment, it was rough and thick. However, it was still decently large. Although it would be an exaggeration to say it was longer than my forearm, it was near that length. The width was a little over half its length.


    By the time I finished inspecting the three things, I found myself at the palace entrance.


    The sun was about to set, signaling the coming of night.


    After such a long day, I was very tired. However, I was too antsy to sleep now. After all, after so much time, I finally got the supplies I needed to draw the spell.


    And so, I stepped into the palace and made my way towards the seat with the ''Control Vines'' spell next to it.


    After setting the supplies to the side, I pushed the spell diagram up and brought the paper over.


    I slowly drew in a breath.


    Now.... it was time to memorize this spell.

 Chapter 129 - A Light Within The Darkness

    With a bit of hesitation, I lightly tugged on the cork on the ink bottle. However, I couldn''t get it off the first few tries.


    Only after holding it with both hands and doing it resolutely, did the cork pop off. A strong scent of ink permeated the air, piercing my nose. It wasn''t the most pleasant scent, given how strong it was, but it wasn''t inherently disgusting.


    I picked up the feather clumsily, fiddling around with it for a few moments. It was pretty clear to any onlooker that I had no idea what I was doing.


    I slowly brought the feather down until it just barely touched the ink within the bottle. From there, I retracted the feather, leaving only a tiny black spot at its tip.


    With that, I cast my eyes onto the spell diagram, before looking at the blank piece of paper in front of me.


    I drew in a deep breath... then set down the feather onto the paper.


    Once more, I found myself in the elusive labyrinth. The walls were as cold and empty as they always were.


    But now, I had a torch with me, brightening the place up a little more. The flame was weak, but still did its job fairly well.


    After walking down the paths for a few moments, I didn''t find any immediate difference in having this torch with me. It made me a little concerned that I might have wasted my time, but I decided to have faith in it.


    However, not long after, the fire from the torch died out.


    The blank piece of paper in front of me had several lines drawn out onto it. However, as the lines continued, they gradually faded until they disappeared altogether.


    The ink ran out quite fast, but that was to be expected since I didn''t put that much ink on the feather.


    This time, I dipped the feather in a little deeper, but was still rather hesitant in doing so. I wanted to save as much ink as I could so that I wouldn''t have to buy it again in the future.


    Once again, I made my way through the maze. The torch lasted longer this time, but died out soon after, abruptly taking me out of the maze.


    The side of my face twitched.


    I decided to dip the feather in quite a bit further, drenching the end with ink. As I brought it over to the paper, some of it dropped onto the table. I hurriedly pulled the feather back over the ink bottle and let it hover there for a few moments, letting the ink slowly run down it.


    Then, I brought it back over to the paper.


    This time, I brought a blazing torch with me into the maze. However, the excess light hampered me more than it helped, making it hard to keep my eyes open and see the labyrinth walls.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    In the end, a long line of ink appeared, bleeding across the page excessively. It almost looked like a fuzzy rope, which was quite jarring compared to the thin lines next to it.


    ...Not too much, but not too little. That was how I had to do things.


    Frankly, that was probably how all things were supposed to be done, which was quite annoying when I think about it.


    After all, it means committing fully to anything would cause me to overdo it, achieving lackluster results. However, on the opposite spectrum, not doing it also makes me fall behind, as there was nothing much done in the first place.


    Again and again, something in between was the ideal spot. But as for where this spot was, it required experimentation and persistence.


    In short, it was complicated.


    ...But I guess everything was complicated, really. The answers were always so complex, even if they seemed simple.


    Yet, that also meant there would always be something to explore.


    Well, at least from my limited perspective, it seemed that way.


    I drew in a deep sigh, before sinking the feather within the ink less than a centimeter within. Although not perfect, at least the feather wasn''t dripping with ink, or had barely any to speak of.


    This time, I went through the maze with a rather reasonable torch. It lit up the path before me clearly and was easy to follow.


    While the torch would run out eventually, I made sure to light it back up soon after each time.


    Like that, I got lost in the rhythm.


    At some point, dipping the feather into the ink bottle became natural, like it was something I had done countless times before. But this was definitely my first time, from what I could remember.


    Slowly but surely, the spell diagram was gradually replicated onto the paper before me. Although I wasn''t intensely focusing on it, the sense of progress brought by seeing the paper being filled up was quite satisfying.


    And then... I finished.


    The spell diagram was quite large compared to the paper in front of me. Since I did the drawing to scale, I was only able to get about a third of it on the paper. However, if it was just the connections between the smaller diagrams, it would be about half.


    ...In other words, I only needed two parchments to draw out the entire spell.


    My eyes followed the wild lines on the paper. The ink was still wet, glimmering with a soft light. Other than the few mess-ups at the start, the lines were startlingly accurate compared to the actual diagram.


    It made me feel a little proud.


    As for the actual effects on what I remembered, I didn''t truly take it in at first.


    I was still half in the rhythm of drawing the spell diagram. However, once I finished, it all felt so clear.


    Before, it felt like I was walking through a foggy wasteland, where I could hardly see a few meters in front of me. The only way to know the path I had taken was purely by memory. However, that was simply too unreliable.


    After all, sometimes I believed I remembered the path, but it was actually wrong the entire time. Sometimes I actually remembered the right path, but second-guessed myself and took another path.


    But now... it was all laid out before me.


    As though I had a map...


    No, as though the wasteland wasn''t foggy at all, and my vision somehow expanded across its entirety.


    Some of the paths I misremembered were instantly cleared up, meaning I didn''t solidify fake truths.


    Back then, I thought I had memorized maybe a little over half of the spell diagram because of how fuzzy it all was. But now, I realized that it was at most a third.


    But now, I had a pretty strong understanding of half the diagram.


    However, the parchment was now used up.


    ...Wait.


    What if I turned it over and used the other side?


    With that thought in mind, I picked up the parchment and flipped it over. The back side of the parchment had faint visible lines of ink that had bled over from the front.


    My eyelid twitched.


    ...Could it still be used like this?


    That was when a thought flashed into my mind.


    What I could do... is close my eyes and attempt to retrace the entire diagram. The faint ink stains would let me know if I had messed up along the way, or if my understanding was correct.


    Since the parchment had been flipped over, it wouldn''t be in the exact same pattern. Instead, it was like the opposite. As though it had been reflected.


    However, the spell diagram was three-dimensional, meaning reflecting it didn''t change the overall structure.


    It would be a challenge, but would let me truly see if I had memorized the spell.


    And so, I closed my eyes and attempted to retrace this section of the spell diagram from scratch.


    This time, I walked through the labyrinth in complete darkness. Instead of a torch, I had a ball of yarn that I slowly unfurled as I traveled.


    It was like a trail of breadcrumbs, but I didn''t have to worry about any birds eating them up.


    The longer I spent in this darkness, the more aimless I felt. It was hard to tell if my memories were leading me the right way, but instead of second-guessing myself, I simply moved onward.


    After all, I still had that ball of yarn that would let me know if I had gotten it wrong.


    The darkness was already pitch black, but it somehow felt like it was becoming darker. It gradually got suffocating, like the darkness wanted to swallow me whole.


    But I kept my faith in the light until the very end.


    And eventually, I was done.


    I opened my eyes to look at the parchment before me.


    There were a few wrong lines here and there, but it was something to be proud of.


    I lifted the parchment with a smile.


    ...To see ink stains on the table.


    Oops.

 Chapter 130 - It Couldnt Keep Going On Like This

    I looked at the ink stains that spread out across the table. Although they looked pretty cool, the table was now in a mess. As for the table itself, it was made out of some sort of marble.


    ...If I didn''t think of something quickly, it was probably going to leave a stain.


    I stood there like a fool for a few moments, just staring at the mess I made. Using the spell diagram parchment was obviously a bad idea, as that would just exacerbate the problem. It would basically ruin it, so that it could no longer be used.


    As for the piece of paper I used to redraw part of the spell diagram, it was already really wet with ink. But... it could be used.


    My eyebrow twitched.


    ...Was this a stupid idea?


    Probably.


    But there was only one way to find out.


    I grabbed the edges of the parchment and tried to push off the ink like the parchment was a duster.


    ...But in the end, the wet ink from the parchment fell off the paper and ended up staining the table further.


    As expected, it was a dumb idea. Yet, I still went through with it.


    Cleaning... cleaning...


    Wait, Mildred was a maid, wasn''t she?


    That meant she had to have some sort of cleaning utensil or at least something like that.


    With those thoughts in mind, I rushed across the palace, up the stairs, and up to Mildred''s room. Upon raising my hand up to the door, a little hesitation welled up in me. However, it only lasted for a second or so.


    My hand pushed aside the door, revealing the inside of Mildred''s room.


    Mildred was still sleeping as she had been before. My eyes darted around the room for somewhere she could''ve kept whatever she used to clean.


    But then they froze on Mildred.


    Looking a little more closely, I recognized that Mildred''s skin had become unnaturally dark. Not like a tan, but as though her skin was beginning to decay.


    I took a few steps closer and observed her a little more carefully.


    Her eyelids seemed to have sunken in while the skin of her body had dried and hardened. When I held my hand above her face, I could only feel a very weak breath every five seconds or so.


    ...In other words, she was dying.


    This made me throw out any thoughts of cleaning the ink stain from before. There had to be something I could do, right?


    Mildred looked horribly dehydrated even though it hadn''t been that long since her last drink. Somehow, she resembled someone about to die of dehydration.


    Water... I needed to get some water.


    My mind began casting the water spell, but I soon found myself at a loss. There was no container for me to put the water in. It was probably a bad idea to just let it splash onto Mildred''s face.


    I gave the room a quick scan, but found nothing useful.


    In a fluster, I retained the almost completed water spell in my body and bolted back, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.


    After grabbing an arbitrary wooden cup, I made my way back up the stairs, into Mildred''s room.


    My breath was a little ragged, but nothing too crazy. I hurriedly cast the water spell above the cup, filling it up and splashing the excess water on the floor. My eyelid twitched, as I made a mental note to apologize to Mildred later.


    I carefully kneeled down next to her bed, holding the cup of water next to her face. It was only at this point did I realize how difficult this was going to be.


    I tilted the cup slightly, letting some water fall onto Mildred''s lips.


    The water seeped into her mouth soon after, which seemed like a good sign. I let a little bit more water drip through, but soon realized something was wrong.


    Suddenly, my mind picked up on an old memory, where Ned told me there was no way to feed Mildred since she wouldn''t be able to swallow it in her current state.


    It was interrupting her breathing patterns.


    ...No, Mildred wasn''t even drinking the water in the first place. She was breathing it in, meaning the water was going into her lungs.


    I furrowed my brows.


    What... what was I supposed to do?


    ...The healing spell.


    Last time, it seemed like casting the healing spell was able to restore Mildred to some extent. Although it couldn''t bring her out of unconsciousness, it should do something, right?


    With that in mind, I slowly cast the healing spell. My anxiety made me want to speed it up further, but I knew there was no immediate rush.


    I slowly raised my hand and stuck out my forefinger towards Mildred. A soft blue light shot out of my finger, wrapping around Mildred.


    It was slow, but Mildred''s complexion gradually restored. Her skin went from frighteningly dark, to a healthy rosy red. When I held my hand above her face, I could feel her breaths. While they were not strong by any means, they were not weak either.


    ...She was fine now.


    I looked at the water in the wooden cup in my hand. Then, I brought it up to my lips and threw my head back, drinking it all.


    As the clear refreshing water went down my throat, I realized how thirsty I had become. The tension rapidly left my body, before a pain flared within my mind.


    ...I was feeling a little tired.


    No... not a little.


    It wasn''t readily apparent to me before, but it seemed that whatever was numbing the pain to my body was gradually leaving me. A pale moonlight shone through the window.


    ...Night had already descended.


    Now that I think about it, the last time I slept should''ve been over an entire day ago by now. Because I ended up sleeping at weird times and woke up in the middle of the night.


    I tripped, before falling onto the floor.


    With a smack, my rear landed on the ground, while the palm of my hand rubbed against my temple.


    ...This was definitely bad for my health.


    Does this mean I ended up pulling an all-nighter like Ned said?


    It was a little ironic.


    I chastised the other people that did this sort of thing and even looked down on them in my heart. After all, they knew it was a bad thing, but did it anyway. Wasn''t that just foolish?


    ...Yet here I was.


    Neglecting my own sleep because I was unwilling to stop working.


    Chasing an illusory sense of extra time, when in reality, I was losing it.


    My eyelids parted slowly, but with great difficulty. After confirming Mildred really was fine, I decided to hobble my way over to my room, push aside the door, and fall onto the bed.


    ...


    A bright light shone in my eyes, forcing me awake. However, I was still far too tired to want to get up. The raging pain in my head from last night still remained strong right now.


    All things considered, there was no way I was going to get up now.


    In the end, I would just fall asleep once more anyway.


    With those thoughts in mind, I went to sleep once more.


    ...


    By the time I woke up, the sun was shining strong, even through the curtains. It was probably sometime late in the afternoon.


    ...I really didn''t want to get up.


    Although the pain in my head had more or less disappeared, there was still this strange feeling of unwillingness that spread throughout my body. It sapped at my motivation like my body was telling me it had enough.


    But realistically, I was already well rested. I had already rested for longer than what I normally slept at night, so that much shouldn''t be stretching it.


    And so, I forced myself up.


    ...Well, I tried to, at least.


    It was as though the air had become mud, weighing me down heavily.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "...I still have to water the farm."


    With that in mind, a strong motivation flowed through me, and I forced myself up.


    For real this time.


    My eyes still didn''t really want to open, but I freshened up and made my way downstairs. The only thing on my mind was to go water the farm, then get a new parchment, and finally, begin practicing again.


    After all, I was so close.


    But before I could leave through the palace entrance...


    "Jay?"


    I turned to the side to see Ned.


    He was far off in the distance with a plate of food in hand. He passed by a cased opening just when I was about to leave.


    I blinked a few times, still unable to keep my eyes open all the way.


    "Ah... Ned. I slept through the time we cooked through again."


    ...The others helped me so much, but I only took advantage of that.


    I even told Alyx that I would help her cook.


    It couldn''t keep going on like this.

 Chapter 131 - New Way To Learn Magic

    I wanted to water the farm as quickly as possible. But more than that, I didn''t want to be a burden on the others.


    ...No, I just wanted to spend a little time with them.


    There was only so much time in the day, meaning there was only so much I could do. In other words, I had to cut away things in order to make time for other things.


    But in the end, I cut the time I could''ve spent with the others each time. In a certain sense, that could be considered a waste of time...


    After all, I knew I wouldn''t be able to save the world in this life. The reason was simple.


    I was too weak.


    That was the whole reason I wanted to study these spells, to become strong enough to carry the weight of the world.


    ...And spending time with the others didn''t contribute to that.


    Logically it made more sense to just keep my head down and continue working. Perhaps I would be taking advantage of them now, but I would repay them in the future by making a reality where we could truly spend our days carelessly.


    That made sense. It was the most efficient way, and the way I wanted to take.


    So why?...


    Why did it feel so wrong to just abandon them?


    If I didn''t spend so much effort healing Mildred, then I would''ve saved so much time. Casting those healing spells took a toll on me, forcefully exerting my mind. In the end, that exertion made me fall asleep. I assume it was to repair whatever damage my brain had incurred.


    Yet, when I think back on it, I never hesitated to help her.


    It was just not the type of person I was. To let someone I cared about die in front of me.


    In the end, it was inefficient.


    A waste of time.


    It was always a waste of time.


    ...but how true was that?


    Although I''m not too sure when I found this out, I''ve come to realize I wasn''t some kind of machine. I couldn''t just keep working because I had been switched on and powered. My body got tired, as did my mind.


    I needed to go to sleep, no matter how much I wanted to stay awake.


    And most of all, the others were what kept my sanity together.


    Well, at least, most of the time. If you ignore... that time.


    There was a need for balance.


    Just like when I dipped the feather into the bottle of ink. If there wasn''t enough ink, the feather could only draw so much before it faded out entirely. If there was too much ink, it would bleed into the paper, destroying the line altogether.


    ...Perhaps it was the excuse of a weakling. But frankly, I was always a weakling.


    That wouldn''t change no matter how strong I had become.


    It was just who I was.


    That''s why when I saw Ned...


    "This is kinda rude of me since I didn''t help cook and all, but could I join you guys?"


    Ned chuckled.


    "Don''t sweat it so much. Of course you can join us, we always make your portion anyway, even if you aren''t there."


    Alyx walked forth and peeked through the cased opening. She raised an eyebrow.


    "It''s the professional slacker! You timed your sleep schedule so that you would have an excuse to shove all the work on me, didn''t you?"


    I raised an index finger defiantly while the corner of my lip turned up.


    "You have no proof! As professional of a slacker I may be, you have no evidence!"


    As the corner of Alyx''s lip turned up, both her eyebrow and lip twitched.


    "You just admitted it yourself! As for proof, that''s plenty!"


    I turned to the side as though there was something really interesting at the side.


    "Hm? I have no idea what you are talking about?"


    Alyx pointed at me accusingly.


    "You-"


    "Jay?"


    Erin backpedaled a few steps to reach the cased opening. She stared at me curiously for a few moments before waving her hand enthusiastically.


    "Heyyyy."


    A soft smile formed on my face.


    "Hi, Erin."


    Erin smiled brightly.


    "You have to teach me magic again today, ok?"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "...Alright, but I will be doing it unwillingly."


    I bowed as though Erin was a princess and I just gave some professional status report on the kingdom.


    As for Erin, she flashed a cheeky smile.


    "As long as you do it!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "...Shameless!"


    Erin giggled before prancing on forward. As for Alyx, she rolled her eyes.


    "Come on, cold dinner doesn''t taste as good."


    With that, she went on ahead.


    Ned looked at me with an awkward smile before helplessly shrugging.


    I responded with a shrug of my own.


    We came to a silent understanding, then made our way to the dinner table. As much as my mind wanted to drift off and think about how to learn the spells, I didn''t do so.


    I cleared my mind of all of those thoughts, anxieties, and plans.


    Just to focus on the present moment.


    By the time we finished eating...


    "Jay, Jay!"


    Erin ran up to me and tugged at my sleeve.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "What is it?"


    Erin grinned.


    "You said you would teach me, so that means you have to! No going back on promises!"


    My eyebrow twitched.


    "Right now?"


    Erin shook my arm up and down.


    "Right now!"


    Alyx giggled.


    "Glad to see you have to share my responsibilities."


    I turned to her helplessly, my eyebrow twitching.


    "Can''t you help me out?"


    Alyx looked the other way.


    "Hmph! It''s only fair, no?"


    I put on a distraught expression.


    "Ehhh?"


    Alyx got up from her chair and flashed a cheeky smile.


    "You didn''t help me cook, so I won''t help you now!"


    To my dismay, she walked out of the room, but not without letting out one last remark.


    "It''s only fair!"


    I reached my hand out hopelessly like my last hope was leaving me.


    Erin tugged on my sleeve.


    "Hehe, it''s only fair!"


    I looked towards her as a bitter smile spread out across my face.


    "...it''s only fair."


    With that, Erin and I went to the room with spells.


    The bottle of ink I left out was closed, while the feather was placed neatly on top. As for the parchment, it was laid on the side, while there were only faint ink stains left on the table.


    That definitely wasn''t because of me...


    I blinked a few times while staring at the now tidied up place.


    ...If someone didn''t clean it up for me, my ink would''ve dried up. I really dodged a bullet there.


    Erin looked up at me, noticing my surprise.


    "Is that yours? I saw someone forgot their stuff because they were irresponsible, so I tided it up!"


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "Hahaha... yeah, thanks for cleaning up for me."


    Erin pouted.


    "Be more responsible next time! You have to clean up after yourself!"


    I smiled bitterly.


    "Got it!"


    My life really was in a mess if even a child was lecturing me. Wasn''t this... supposed to be the other way around?


    Erin puffed up her cheeks.


    "Don''t forget it!"


    Like her sad mood was all a lie, a smile blossomed across her face.


    "Hehe, now you have to teach me!"


    Erin ran over to a new spell, her head bobbing up and down along the way. A few moments later, she came back and set down the spell diagram in front of me.


    It was the ice spell.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Didn''t we already work on the spell above this one? I''ve already taught you what you needed to know."


    Layla tilted her head to the side.


    "But I still don''t understand!"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Well alright..."


    My finger traced part of the spell diagram.


    "The biggest point to remember is to encase the entire diagram with mana after you-"


    "Not that!"


    Erin raised her fists and swung them around aimlessly.


    I blinked a few times.


    "Eh? Then what?"


    Erin pressed the tips of her fingers together.


    "Why does the spell have to be encased with mana for it to create ice?"


    I opened my mouth... then closed it.


    Why did the spell have to be encased?


    An awkward cough escaped me.


    "Um... I don''t know."


    Erin stared at me curiously.


    "Really?"


    I sighed.


    "Yeah... anyways, why don''t we move onto another spell. I won''t be able to explain that to you."


    Erin poked me in the chest.


    "No!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Eh?"


    Erin poked me on the forehead once more.


    "If you don''t understand, we will figure it out together!"


    It took me a few moments to form the words.


    "...But how?"


    Erin smiled.


    "You can cast the spell, right? Maybe if we pay really close attention, we can make sense of how it works!"


    This...


    I''ve never thought about learning magic like this before.

 Chapter 132 - Puzzle Piece Spells

    Erin looked at me with great anticipation, waiting for me to cast the ice spell. I took a deep breath and began forming the spell within my body.


    ...Now that I think about it, I''ve never really tried to understand how magic worked. In the past, I recklessly tried to combine random segments of different spells. However, that experience was rather painful, thus I never tried that again.


    There was also that time where I combined spells, casting the water spell then the ice spell soon after. The end result was a rather large chunk of ice. Yet, while I did those experiments, they were mostly on a whim, rather than any theoretical understanding.


    For the first time, I decided to pay close attention to the actual formation of the spell, thanks to Erin.


    My mind finished the ice spell and casted it.


    I watched the formation intently.


    Water began to form, as though there was some void that it was pulled out from. Then, after a few moments, it froze over, becoming an ice cube.


    It fell onto my hand and was cold as expected.


    I flinched.


    "Ah!"


    And dropped the ice cube on the floor.


    Erin didn''t seem to notice my strange display. Instead, she was tapping the edge of her chin with her index finger.


    Eventually, she looked at me, seemingly with the secrets of the universe at the tip of her tongue.


    "Did you understand anything?"


    ...Well, maybe not the secrets of the universe.


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "I mean, not really? There doesn''t seem to be much to go off of."


    Erin hummed curiously.


    "Hm, one step at a time! What do you think happened?"


    I paused for a moment.


    "...Well first, a bit of water was gathered, then it froze over. Though that''s not much to go off of."


    Erin raised a finger in the air with a bright smile.


    "How is that not much to go off of? Now that we know that, we can look at the spell diagram."


    She placed a finger onto the spell parchment of the ice spell. Frankly, I was already quite familiar with the diagram, thus wasn''t that concerned about looking at it closely.


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "So... now what."


    Erin tapped the spell diagram several times and pouted.


    "Look at the picture! You made some water, then made it ice! How do you think that happened from the picture?"


    My eyes followed her finger and landed on the spell diagram once more.


    ...It was the same diagram that I used before several times, but then I remembered Erin''s words.


    And it was like a whole new world opened up in front of me.


    Why did the spell have to be encased in mana?


    What exactly did encasing it do?


    What about the part of the spell that isn''t encased?


    I rubbed my temple with the palm of my hand.


    "...Huh."


    If I were to cast the water spell, then follow it up with the ice spell, it would freeze all of that water. Doesn''t that mean the ice spell would be an upgrade to the ice spell?


    I recalled the water diagram... but it was fundamentally different to the ice spell, disproving my theory immediately.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    My mind began casting the water spell. I raised my finger and held it up next to my face. Once the water spell was completed, a swirl of magic appeared on my finger, like a miniature vortex.


    ...Water was not being created in this spell, but rather gathered from the air.


    A ball of water gradually formed in front of me.


    Does that mean it is possible to replace part of the ice spell with the water spell? If that was the case, then-


    "Ah!"


    The ball of water fell on my face, prompting me to scream out in surprise. The water splashed across my clothes, which really woke me up.


    Erin gave me an awkward look.


    "...Um."


    I blinked a few times.


    "This... was on purpose!"


    I raised my finger in hopes of looking more professional.


    "I just casted the water spell to see if it differed in how the ice spell gathers water and found out while the ice spell creates a small amount of water, the water spell gathers it from the air!"


    Erin still gave me a weird look.


    "...So why did you have to drop the water on yourself?"


    I coughed violently.


    "Um... that was unintentional."


    Erin poked me on the forehead and giggled to herself.


    "What are you even doing to yourself?"


    I coughed awkwardly as water continued dripping down my face.


    "I..."


    The clothes stuck to me uncomfortably, making me squirm.


    "More importantly, I think I figured something out!"


    Changing the topic quickly, I decided to try something new.


    "I''m going to combine the water spell and the ice spell!"


    Erin gave a few soft claps.


    "Ohh, ok!"


    This time, I began casting the water spell. However, before it finished, I encased the entire spell with mana.


    A ball of water gradually began to converge before freezing altogether.


    It fell to the ground with a clear thump.


    This was considerably larger than the ice cube I made before. That was probably just because the water spell created more water.


    The overall complexity of the spell increased, as did the difficulty in casting it, but it was still fairly easy for me to cast it.


    Erin gasped.


    "Wow! Now what did you do to cast that?"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "I replaced what I thought created water in the ice spell... with the water spell itself."


    Erin tapped on the ice spell diagram.


    "And which part made the ice?"


    I looked over at the parchment and traced the edge of the diagram.


    "This part... it seems to freeze things."


    Erin raised both hands in the air with a bright smile on her face.


    "You figured it out!"


    I let out a small gasp.


    "Ah... I did."


    Now that I think about it, Erin kept leading me on little by little until I understood how it worked.


    I looked at Erin as an awkward smile formed on my face.


    "Haha... guess I figured it out. Thanks for the help."


    Erin gave me a toothy grin.


    "No problem!"


    My face twitched.


    "Say... wasn''t it me that was supposed to teach you? How did this go the other way around?"


    Erin shrugged her shoulders.


    "I don''t know!"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Well anyways, thanks for helping me out. If you didn''t mention it, I wouldn''t have seen the spells as bits and pieces that came together to make a whole."


    Erin gave me a thumbs up.


    "Hehe, it was pretty cool seeing you cast magic too!"


    A bitter smile spread across my face.


    "You mean splashing water on myself?"


    Erin giggled.


    "No, no! I can''t cast magic, remember?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Oh... yeah. Somehow our roles reversed. Kinda ironic, haha."


    Erin clapped softly.


    "Hehe, but it was still more fun to see you splash water over yourself. You''re more of a kid than me!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "You..."


    Erin hopped out of her seat.


    "And it''s time for me to run!"


    She ran away with her arms spread out to her side, giving one last remark as she left the room.


    "Bye, bye!"


    I watched her run off for a few moments with a twitching eyelid. Eventually, a soft sigh escaped me.


    "...Bye, Erin."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "I''ve already splashed water over myself, but not the farm."


    I shook my head.


    "Guess I should get to it."


    With that, I made my way towards the farm, still dripping wet.


    It did not take me too long to reach the back of the palace, where the farm was. As expected, the land was quite dry.


    I immediately got to it, casting the water spell.


    Yet, halfway through, I began questioning myself.


    ...The water spell gathered water, rather than creating it. Doesn''t that mean the water from within the soil was being absorbed before going back?


    A raging headache began to form in my head.


    Some of the water should''ve been gathered from the air, meaning my efforts weren''t useless. However, it was probably far less effective than I imagined. After all, the field was always so... dry.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    ...But what about the ice spell?


    If I just didn''t encase it, water would be created, rather than gathered.


    Yes, that made perfect sense!


    Putting my theory to the test, I began casting the ice spell but didn''t complete it. The process was rather quick, given the simplicity of the diagram.


    Then... water began coalescing at the top of my finger before falling onto the farm.


    It was a success.


    ...But a helpless smile appeared on my face.


    Simply because of how little water formed.


    Although I was creating water, the amount was far too little to justify the time put into casting the spell.


    Huh...


    In the end, my only choice was the bucket.

 Chapter 133 - Pursuit

    I walked into the shed, then looked at the bucket, just there in its lonesome. For a few moments, I imagined the bucket was mocking me, saying something along the lines of, ''you tried so hard to avoid me, but in the end, I was inevitable.''


    That was probably a little overdramatic considering I was just staring at an inanimate object in a still room, but it felt like that nonetheless.


    With a sigh, I walked over to pick up the bucket and began to process.


    Going to and from the river was annoying, to say the least. It not only took a considerable amount of time, but it didn''t feel like I was progressing. The rate at which the farm was being watered was just so slow.


    If I went too fast, the water in the bucket would spill out, but if I went too slow, it would take far too long to finish watering the farm.


    There were several times where I wanted to just quit.


    To pretend that either the bucket didn''t exist, or that I didn''t realize the water spell was counterproductive to watering the farm. Basically, I wanted to cut corners.


    However, every time those thoughts came up, I felt pathetic. In the end, I gripped onto the handle of the bucket tighter and kept on watering the farm like this.


    I was reminded of the time when I climbed out of the canyon. Like now, there was no sense of progress. Every single step made seemed pointless, but also required great amounts of will to overcome.


    The only difference between then and now, was that my life was not on the line.


    In other words, this was something I could do. The reason why it felt so hard wasn''t that each step slowly tore apart my body.


    But because I was lazy.


    As this fact became apparent, I got mad.


    Mad at myself.


    It was as though my body was set aflame, burning in shame.


    And so, I continued to water the farm with the bucket, no matter how unrewarding it felt. From the river, to the farm, to the river, to the farm.


    At first, my steps were motivated by anger. But as I continued, I realized there was a certain rhythm to it.


    The water would spill out of the bucket not because the bucket was swaying, but the water itself was swaying. The reason why it even spilled out in the first place was that my hand resisted the swaying of the bucket.


    And so, I loosened my grip a little, letting the bucket swing with the water. It wasn''t the most perfect, but it still worked.


    Even when I jogged, most of the water stayed within.


    After trying this a few more times, I tried to move a little faster. My grip loosened a little more while the bucket swayed even more violently.


    It was chaotic, but most of the water still ended up staying within the bucket.


    I began running back and forth from the river and farm and I was only getting faster.


    At some point, I was essentially sprinting as fast as I could. The bucket was swinging in full circles around me. It was a little hard for me to believe that the water could actually remain in the bucket despite how I was treating it.


    But it did.


    The only reason I decided to do it in such a strange way was that when I tried to prevent it from flipping upside down, more water spilled out.


    And so, I sprinted with all I had while letting the bucket wildly swirl around, doing cartwheels.


    A small smile gradually formed on my face when I thought about how absurd it all was. It felt like I was being an immature child, but doing it this way was ironically the most effective.


    There was a certain sense of flow with the water and the bucket. Initially, I tried to resist it in order to carry it over to the farm. However, there was no reason to resist the flow in the first place.


    Only by embracing it, could I move forward seamlessly.


    It was definitely chaotic and made my shoulder ache after a while. But there was a certain sense of order within all of it.


    In the end, I ran back and forth, wildly swinging the bucket around. And the entire time, I was laughing to myself.


    If anybody saw me in this state, I would probably be really embarrassed. However, in this plot of land, I felt isolated, like it was only me that existed.


    In a certain sense, it was lonely, but it also meant I could fully unchain myself without worrying about how I looked.


    ...And before I knew it, the whole farm was watered.


    The process itself definitely took quite a while considering the setting sun, but time flew by.


    I dropped the bucket to the floor and rubbed my sore shoulder.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "...Heh."


    With that, I went back into the palace and up into Mildred''s room. As for Mildred herself, she was sickly. Thankfully, after straining my mind a little to cast the healing spell, her body turned to normal.


    I took out fifty of the coppers from her drawer and made my way outside.


    ...Then stopped at the palace entrance.


    I wasn''t paying attention to it before, but the streets were no longer filled with people, but guards.


    The guards walked around in pairs of two, patrolling the area.


    With a bit of hesitation, I took a few steps forward. However, a guard walked up to me and blocked my path.


    "Stop! No civilians are to be out on the street. There is currently an unknown murderer within the kingdom. Remain in your residences until further notice."


    ...Ah.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What if I just want to buy something?"


    The guard shook his head.


    "The streets must be clear of anybody that will get in the way. This is how we can minimize the casualties, confusion, and catch the killer in one fell swoop!"


    After a few moments of silence, I nodded my head.


    "Ok."


    I backed off into the palace, but not with the intention of remaining within. The guards continued their patrol without another word, almost like they had gotten very familiar with saying those words.


    It seems my little episode from earlier had a few rippling effects, though that probably should''ve been expected.


    This meant it wasn''t going to be easy to buy the parchment I needed. There was also the option to just listen to the guards, but I refused to do so when I was already so close. Especially since I knew there wasn''t any true danger.


    After all...


    I was the murderer they were talking about.


    Suddenly, I felt a chill come over me. Not a fearful one, or one that made me shiver.


    But a familiar one.


    For a few moments, I was under the impression that I had returned to the forest, weaving my way through silently.


    However, this wasn''t the forest. There were no trees for me to hide behind. Instead, there was an empty street from which I could be spotted from very far away. However, so long as I got into the alleyway without being detected, it should be easy enough.


    I watched the guards patrolling for a little while, trying to find any openings.


    Unfortunately, while there weren''t too many people, there were almost always at least two sets of eyes watching almost every part of the street. There were a few gaps where the street wasn''t being observed, but they would at most last for a few seconds.


    In other words, I would only be able to get into the alleyway after being seen.


    Every few minutes, a small gap of a few seconds would open up. I watched these rounds happen a few times, hesitating with each cycle.


    Eventually, I steeled my nerves and told myself I would move the next time.


    The gap appeared...


    Then I hesitated.


    In the end, I let this opportunity slip by as well.


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    I would have to do this eventually, so there was no use hesitating.


    I exhaled slowly, letting the chill come over me. Then when the opportunity arose...


    My figure moved.


    It was as though a statue suddenly began moving against everyone''s expectations.


    My head was lowered while my eyes looked downwards. The alleyway was only at the very top of my vision and was blurry.


    But it was there.


    I was sprinting, letting the wind whip by me. However, my steps were completely silent, contradicting my appearance.


    In only five or so seconds, I slipped into the alleyway. For a moment, I thought my presence went unnoticed. However...


    "What was that?"


    "I don''t know, it just looked like a shadow."


    "Damn, that might be the killer. We have to chase after it!"


    And so, the pursuit began.

 Chapter 134 - Parasite

    A set of footsteps echoed out from behind me. Then, a loud horn blared.


    "IN THE ALLEYWAYS."


    A guard had shouted at the top of his lungs, alerting the other guards. Several other guards repeated that statement, one after another, almost like it was echoing.


    And now, countless faint footsteps reverberated around me along with the clanking of armor.


    I clicked my tongue. Although this outcome lingered in the back of my mind and was the most expected, it still left a bad taste in my mouth.


    I immediately ducked to the side, entering a different alleyway. However, I was greeted by the sight of two guards making their way towards this alleyway. The guards noticed my presence.


    "Halt! Identify yourself!"


    Without hesitation, I ducked back in and continued running through the alleyways.


    Although the alleyways were long and winding, there shouldn''t be too many of them. After all, it would be kinda strange for them to take on the form of something like a labyrinth. The only way that would happen is if there were several houses in the middle. At that point, it would be intentional bad design, and if it wasn''t...


    Then that would just be stupid.


    ...Wait a minute, why were there houses in the middle of the alleyway?


    To my surprise, the bad design I mentioned earlier was right in front of me. The houses were small and one story tall. They were made out of very dark colored wood and had nearly seamless walls. They looked quite ominous due to the lack of windows, though having windows for these houses seemed a bit pointless.


    As for the doors, they would be very easy to miss. The doorframe blended in with the rest of the wall, becoming rather unassuming.


    I furrowed my brows.


    Did I not notice this before? Or was this some kind of secret place?


    Regardless, I wouldn''t be able to figure it out now. The last time I traversed this place, I was in a panic, thus these details wouldn''t have been caught by me.


    The situation was strange, yes.


    But it only played out to my advantage, so there was no need to think too much about it now.


    After taking a few turns, I began to hear faint footsteps from both behind me and to my left.


    From what I could tell, if I continued forward, then those footsteps to the left would reach me. Thus I decided to go right, as that was the logical decision. However, sometimes logic would lead you down the wrong road.


    In other words, be a bunch of bullshit.


    The path to the right was empty, but further down it branched into its own separate paths. And from one of those paths, came several guards.


    The moment they appeared in my vision, I attempted to turn back. However, I was only greeted with more guards.


    They had their iron swords out and pointed them at me.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Identify yourself!"


    "You are the murderer, aren''t you?"


    Despite my less than ideal situation, there was no sense of panic. In fact, there was even a bit of playfulness that seeped into me. As for why this happened, I wasn''t entirely sure.


    But I decided to embrace it.


    A small smile began to form on my face.


    "Looks like you caught me!"


    I clasped my hands together, letting out a clear clapping sound.


    "To answer about my identity, I am the killer!"


    I shrugged helplessly.


    "As for whether or not I am the murderer, that is resounding yes!"


    I pointed towards the guards and winked.


    "Whoever got that, good on you!"


    The guards shifted uncomfortably.


    "I-It''s really the killer!"


    They hesitated despite having overwhelming numbers, unable to decide if they wanted to retreat or come closer.


    Though in the end, I was still cornered.


    The guards were slowly realizing this fact and gaining the courage to move forward.


    I was helpless.


    ...But that was only if I didn''t want to use any of my abilities.


    As for the spells I knew, they wouldn''t help much in breaking through a large crowd of guards. The best I could think of was either the firebolt spell, or healing spell.


    Perhaps if there were only a few guards, I would totally consider brute forcing my way through with a few firebolts, or with my body in combination with the healing spell.


    But still, there was my ability to teleport.


    The only issue with that would be how easy it was to mess up. Or in other words, teleport into the wall.


    The only real way to escape was teleporting past the wall and into a new empty alleyway. But not only would I not have a line of sight, I couldn''t be completely sure of how far exactly I would have to teleport.


    It was a long time in the past, but I had an experience similar to that. In particular, it was teleporting with my hand within the eagle. The end result was the eagle exploded, while my hand disappeared entirely, along with monumental amounts of pain.


    Although controlling the length of my teleportation was instinctual to me, this kind of pressure made me feel fear.


    ...Well, it would''ve made me feel fear, if I was normal.


    But now, I exaggeratedly moved my arms around with a wide smile on my face.


    "What are you so afraid of? It''s just one person!"


    The guards trembled slightly.


    "W-We know that!"


    I rolled my head around as though it was a ball, then stopped when it was twisted to the side.


    "Even if I am somehow stronger than one of you, look at your numbers!"


    The guards seemed to gain a little confidence, as though they only realized this fact after it was said by me.


    "Haha... exactly!"


    The smile on my face widened unnaturally, splitting my lips apart.


    "Not to mention I am completely unarmed without so much as a single plate of armor. Then look at you all with your swords and protective metal."


    With that, one guard got the courage to step forward, prompting the rest to go as well. Their swords pierced forth, coming straight for my body and face. Yet, despite being in a precarious situation, I began to chuckle as though laughing at a funny joke.


    I began contorting my body as though it was involuntary from something like an electric shock, or in pain.


    For some reason, that was my priority, rather than hurrying to teleport, or even prepare for that matter.


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Oops, I forgot one thing..."


    In just a few seconds, the swords nearly reached me. I directly looked at a sword coming straight for my eye with a wide smile.


    A small chuckle escaped me.


    "I am a little frightening."


    The swords got so close, that the wind from them brushed by my eye.


    Then, a tight feeling wrapped around me..


    Strangely enough, my mind only focused on activating teleportation after the wind brushed by my eye.


    But what was even stranger, was the fact I teleported right into the middle of an empty alleyway, hitting the bullseye.


    Even if the alleyway was considerably smaller, I would''ve been fine.


    But still, the rush of adrenaline was overwhelming. For the first time, I experienced the pure thrill of voluntarily dancing on the blade of a dagger. In the back of my mind, I couldn''t believe I was doing this.


    Not to mention how familiar it felt, as though I had done it many times before. Yet, as far as I could remember, I had never done something like this.


    ...Wait, that''s not entirely true.


    I recalled those visions. When I fought, every moment was one where I brushed right past death. The two-horned demon would swing at me, and I would recklessly evade by just barely enough.


    Almost like dodging a little more to be safe was below me.


    I immediately came to an understanding.


    The person was in the vision, whether it was myself or someone else...


    Was influencing me.


    As though they were a parasite, slowly eating away at my mind.


    They might just be memories naturally influencing, or a person trying to take over me. But regardless, it meant they were stealing away me.


    Who I was as a person.


    Like a cold bucket of water, a chill swept through me. The wide smile on my face washed away into a small frown, while my entire demeanor changed.


    There was a part of me that wanted to give in to that strange side of me, as it seemed frighteningly capable.


    However, I knew what I had been through.


    As weak as I was, nothing could take away what I experienced or overcame.


    Perhaps my past self was stronger, maybe even far stronger.


    But at the very least, I was going to do this my own way.


    That much is something I could promise myself.


    A chill swept past me, but a familiar one.

 Chapter 135 - To Push Forward

    Like a recurring nightmare, faint images of unrelenting snow and trees appeared in my vision. They were simply illusions, but felt real to me.


    I dashed forward with my head down, not forgetting to be completely silent.


    Several voices rang out from behind me.


    "Where did he go?"


    "Gah, you stabbed me!"


    "Split up, now!"


    Many sets of footsteps rang out from nearly every direction, meaning it was going to be pretty hard to escape this situation. Some of them were rapidly approaching my direction and would see me sooner or later.


    I saw a faint vision of a tree and ducked behind it, just barely dodging their watch.


    "Damn, he isn''t here!"


    "We should continue anyway, the killer may be further down."


    I continued running forth so as to not be caught by the people behind me, but that was when I heard footsteps gradually approaching from my front.


    Like last time, the guards approached from both sides, surrounding me. There was no way I was going to recklessly teleport like last time. That meant I had to think of how to escape this situation now.


    There was no way backwards, or forwards. Going down simply meant I cornered myself further. That meant only one option remained.


    Going upwards.


    Although I had a little bit of experience climbing, that wasn''t the case for doing it silently. Unfortunately, there was no time to learn and so, I simply had to do it by intuition.


    I bent my knees ever so slightly before leaping upwards.


    I grabbed onto one of the strange partitions within the houses. The hold was far from the greatest, but I was used to climbing with bad holds. However, while I was confident I could climb up, I didn''t believe it would be fast enough to get out of sight.


    Several random thoughts flashed through my mind and because of the limitation of time, I picked the one that seemed the most feasible.


    By straining my abs, I threw my legs up towards the other side of the wall. This alleyway was just a little bit wider than my height with my hands raised. However, by sticking out my toes, my body was suspended on its own, albeit barely.


    My legs began trembling, but I still lifted one upwards and caught onto the side of the wall. At the same time, my hand moved up for a new foothold.


    The moment they felt somewhat secure, I moved my other foot and hand, catching up.


    Like that, I began to walk up the walls.


    Every part of me wanted to take this slower. The walls weren''t exactly made to be climbed, making them very slippery. On top of that, this was my first time trying something like this.


    However, there were only a few seconds.


    If I didn''t make it at least out of their direct vision, they would see me.


    As if things couldn''t get any worse, there was also the need to be silent. Anxiety seeped into my heart, rapidly accelerating my heart rate. My confidence was at an all-time low.


    But then, I remembered how I was before.


    The way I teleported at the very last second without a single ounce of fear. Although I didn''t want to dance that closely to the edge of death, there was a certain truth in that kind of mindset.


    What was the point of being nervous, especially when it mattered most?


    I can imagine the purpose of the emotion called nervousness, was to make me aware of the threat before us, or how much it mattered.


    But I could already logically come to that conclusion, so wasn''t it worthless?


    Instead of being scared, it was better to perform to the best of your ability.


    ...However, that was easier said than done.


    My steps were still slow and shaky. I was simply too afraid to rush it for fear of making too much noise. From what I could tell, the guards would arrive in just five or so seconds. There was no time to hesitate, yet that was the very thing I did.


    In a flash, I saw myself before the farm. The very thing that caused me so much pain, but was also an obligation to come back to. It was as though I entered a dream.


    There was a hoe in my hand, while the field itself wasn''t tilled.


    And so, without so much as a question as to why, I got to work.


    I raised the hoe, slammed it down, then pulled it back.


    After taking a few steps forward, I continued this process.


    This farm was a place where I had been alone. A place isolated from the rest of the world.


    And because of that, there were no distractions, no feelings, and no need for emotions.


    The only thing left, was a job to do.


    And I planned on doing that job.


    Somehow or another, my hands and feet scaled up the wall naturally. There was no sense of hesitation, no sense of urgency, just a desire to do my best.


    When I learned to walk through the snow silently, there was a pattern. Fast when starting the step and slow when stopping. Along with that was a natural curve in how I walked, to nullify the sound of snow.


    In the end, I instinctively replicated that. Although only the tips of my shoes touched the wall, they still followed that natural curve, as did my hands.


    And before I knew it, the guards had arrived in the alleyway.


    Unfortunately, while I got out of their direct vision, I wasn''t able to completely get out of sight. If I had gotten rid of my hesitation earlier, I could''ve directly gotten on top of a house.


    However, there was no time to lament now. I needed to be as still as possible.


    But that was quite hard.


    My limbs began to tremble simply because of the difficulty of keeping this position. Yet, before panic settled in, I saw myself at the farm once more.


    It reminded me that there was only one thing I needed to do.


    To push forward, and do what I could.


    Thus, I raised the hoe once more to continue.


    My muscles gradually began to relax while tensing to maintain my position. It was a strange contradictory situation that I never knew was possible.


    Almost like a cat that was both dead and alive at the same time.


    However, the absurdity of the situation flew right past me. After all, it wasn''t related to moving onwards.


    A listless expression remained on my face, like a statue that looked longingly in the distance.


    The guards filed into the alleyway and ended up pausing before they reached the middle.


    Normally, I would be nervous. No, I would nearly be breaking down from the fear. But instead, I closed my eyes.


    The guards stopped to talk to one another.


    "The killer isn''t here, it seems."


    "Yes. Quickly search the rest of the place, and be careful!"


    "No need to tell our squad. We personally saw how badly those people were killed. No wonder we were sent out to patrol."


    With that, the guards moved out of the alleyway and continued their search elsewhere.


    I didn''t bother checking with my eyes to see if they all left, because I trusted my ears. I didn''t even let out a sigh of relief.


    Instead, I continued to move up the side of the wall, eventually reaching the top of the house. Without any hesitation, I threw my feet up and pushed hard against the wall with my hands.


    With a bit of stumbling, I landed on the roof of a house.


    The wood gave in easily under the weight of my step, making a few creaking sounds, but I slowly retracted it, keeping the sound to a minimum.


    I climbed up the house because that realization came to me a little earlier on. There were no guards up here, so moving around would be rather easy.


    Unfortunately, there were also some drawbacks that naturally came from it. For one, the only way to make it to the other houses would be leaping from roof to roof, which would be hard to conceal.


    A newfound problem was the squeaky wooden boards, but it shouldn''t be too hard for me. Although it was too hard to make absolutely no sound, the clatter of their armor would be more than enough to mask the slight squeaks.


    I gradually made my way to one side of the house. My eyes were still glued to the ground and the ground below was barely visible in my peripheral vision. After waiting for the guards to disappear, I leaped to another roof.


    After visualizing the path from the palace to the shop, I continued to hop across roofs until eventually, I was standing on the roof of the shop itself.


    I casually hopped down, as there were no guards patrolling the streets right now. Then, I pushed open the door to the shop.


    ....So I could buy some paper.

 Chapter 136 - Secrets You Should Not Touch

    I walked into the shop, greeted with a familiar sight. The man at the shop before was still there, writing on a piece of parchment. His eyes were dead set on the paper, not recognizing that someone just entered the shop.


    He would occasionally adjust his glasses, then continue scribbling something.


    Even after getting close to the man, he didn''t seem to realize I was there.


    Naturally, my intention was to speak up and ask to buy some paper. However, before the words could come out of my mouth, a sudden realization hit me.


    I put my life at risk, recklessly teleporting as I navigated the alleyways. My will was stretched to its very limits, letting me perform things I never thought of before. Especially the strange experience of both relaxing and tensing my muscles.


    And what was the purpose of all that?


    ...To buy paper.


    Not to mention, a single sheet of paper.


    Even worse, I would have to go back, meaning this was only half of what I had to go through.


    For a few seconds, I questioned my own intelligence.


    Then, without warning, burst out laughing.


    "Ah! Who''s there!"


    The man freaked out, cringing in fear. When he saw that it was me, laughing with no abandon, he let out a sigh. As for whether it was out of relief or frustration, I wouldn''t know.


    "I would appreciate it if you did not close in such a fashion that..."


    The man shook his head.


    "...so closely resembles an assassin."


    I gradually calmed my laughter and tilted my head to the side.


    "Eh? Really?"


    The man rolled his eyes.


    "You did not create a single sound, of course you have. For nearly most of my life, I would write on a parchment. Naturally, I have learned how to pick up on even faint noises so as to properly serve a patron."


    A faint chuckle escaped me.


    "Ah, I didn''t even realize."


    The man took a deep breath.


    "What even caused you to laugh, anyway? Now they will haunt me in my rest."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Sorry, I was just thinking about something and couldn''t help but do that."


    The man sighed.


    "...Well, I suppose it''s not the worst."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    The man smiled bitterly.


    "My hopes rested on the event that one of my more generous patrons had arrived. However, anybody is welcome at this point."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Have people not been coming?"


    The man furrowed his brows.


    "No... the few loyal people haven''t shown up for today, for whatever reason. Without their financial help, it will be hard for me to keep up."


    It was then I recalled the patrolling happening out in the streets. The reason they didn''t come was that nobody was allowed to leave.


    However, the shopkeeper did not know this.


    A tiny bit of guilt seeped into my heart. I coughed awkwardly to dispel it.


    "Anyways, I came to buy a piece of paper."


    The man nodded absentmindedly.


    "Nothing more?"


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "I really have nothing else to spend. Don''t get me wrong, I want to buy more, but can''t."


    The man brushed aside his hair as he sighed.


    "It can''t be helped. Though I appreciate your purchase anyway."


    I pulled out the fifty copper coins, while the shopkeeper pulled out a parchment. As I set down the payment, I looked up at him.


    "Say, aren''t fifty copper coins quite a substantial amount? It should be enough for just one day, right?"


    The man rolled his eyes.


    "Yes, fifty coppers is far more than enough for just a day. But the issue is that the store supplies do not come out from thin air. The processes behind it are not only very technical, but expensive."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Damn... how much do you make off each parchment?"


    The man readjusted his glasses with a bit of helplessness.


    "Perhaps only ten coppers."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Is that enough to get enough food?"


    The man smiled sadly.


    "Well, it is actually more than enough during the warm summer. However, that is a little bit of an exaggeration."


    He pulled out a parchment and set it down on the counter.


    "The creation process is truly too delicate. Although the resources themselves amount to forty coppers, it is far too easy to fail, wasting it all."


    I nodded slowly.


    "Then... do you have high success rates?"


    The man picked up the fifty coppers without bothering to count them.


    "It really varies. There are certain days where every single attempt is a success, while on others, more than half are ruined."


    I recoiled a little, surprised by the events.


    "That sounds unbelievably stressful. I don''t think I could spend my days like that."


    The man smirked.


    "And this has been my daily experience for several years now. Can you visualize how it must feel for me?"


    I shivered.


    "No, no. I really can''t."


    I waved lightly.


    "Anyways, I should be going now."


    The man nodded.


    "We all have our business to attend to."


    With that, he didn''t spare me a second glance, but rather began writing whatever it was on a piece of parchment. Honestly, I was really curious about what could preoccupy him for so long.


    However, because of how the counter was positioned, it blocked the work area the man used. As such, it would require me to really lean in next to him, which would just be too awkward for the both of us.


    I stepped out of the shop and was about to walk out onto the streets, but remembered that there were still guards looking for me.


    After securely tucking the parchment away, I got into the outskirts of the alleyway and climbed up with my nearly learned method. That method involved putting my hands on one side of the wall and my feet on the other, then climbing upwards as though walking.


    Although there were a few frightening slips, I was able to get to the top of the shop without too much trouble. I followed my usual routine, peering over the edge to see if there were any guards, and hopping over when the coast was clear.


    Despite spending a relatively long time in the shop, there were still quite a few guards swarming around the alleyways. They were persistent, that was for sure. However, that also meant it was taking me a while to find a proper window to hop between the houses.


    And so, I spent quite a while waiting on the roofs of these suspicious houses in the middle of the alleyways.


    A soft sigh escaped me as I continued to wait for the guards to clear out.


    But suddenly, my sigh was caught in my throat.


    "...And what are you doing here?"


    Before I knew it, someone had their hand tightly wrapped around my neck and began lifting me up. After a few seconds, I realized who this person was.


    Mark.


    He stared at me with a casual smile, like always. However, it somehow felt disdainful.


    "It isn''t very normal for people to come here. Especially not on the roofs."


    Mark narrowed his eyes.


    "Why don''t you explain yourself?"


    A strong pain came from my neck, as Mark really wasn''t holding back. This pain spread to my mind, as my head began to feel fuzzy from being unable to breathe.


    I kicked with my legs and tried to pry his hand off using my own, but to no success.


    Mark chuckled.


    "Not answering?"


    ...How was I supposed to answer if you weren''t even going to let me breathe!


    I exasperatedly pointed at my neck, hoping that he would understand.


    Mark blinked a few times.


    "Oh, right."


    He let go, prompting me to collapse onto the roof and gasp for air desperately. While one hand rested on my neck, I hurriedly looked over to the ground below me.


    The guards were still patrolling the area, while not one had turned to look up. They somehow didn''t notice the loud gasping sounds I made earlier.


    Mark crouched down, resting an elbow on his knee.


    "I would appreciate an answer now."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Sorry, sorry. I''m just trying to get back to my place without the guards noticing me."


    I held up my hands in front of me, as though surrendering.


    "That''s why I checked earlier, because I thought they would hear me."


    Mark raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmm? So long as I will it, no outsiders will be able to hear our conversation. But why exactly are you hiding from the guards?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Well, they aren''t allowing people to go out on the streets, so the only way to do so is by being undetected."


    Mark clasped his hands together and chuckled.


    "...Regardless, you shouldn''t be prancing on top of these houses so carelessly."


    His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.


    "After all, there are some secrets you shouldn''t touch."

 Chapter 137 - Unreasonable Mark

    It was a little nostalgic seeing Mark after so long, though the conditions definitely could''ve been better. There seemed to be some sort of secret that Mark was a little sensitive about. However, that really didn''t involve me.


    I raised my hands helplessly.


    "I was just using the alleyways as a place to sneak past the patrol!"


    Mark narrowed his eyes.


    "Is it really that important?"


    The side of my face twitched.


    Honestly?


    Not really. I mean, there is a limit to how important a piece of paper can be, especially if it was blank. It''s not like I had some kind of letter that would stop a war.


    But it felt important to me, at least.


    "Well, kind of?"


    Mark smiled in that strange empty way he always does.


    "Then why do you have to use the roofs?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Of course I don''t have to use them, but it makes it a lot easier to avoid the guards since they don''t get up on the roof."


    Mark remained silent for a moment.


    "Don''t use the roofs."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Isn''t this..."


    I moved my hands around exaggeratedly as though that would somehow convey the thoughts in my mind that not even I understood.


    "...just unreasonable?"


    Mark shrugged his shoulders.


    "Maybe."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "So-"


    "But I don''t care if it''s unreasonable."


    Mark raised his hand, cutting me off.


    The side of my face twitched.


    "...Not even until I get back to the palace?"


    Mark kept the familiar smile on his face and leaned forward ever so slightly.


    "No."


    A helpless sigh escaped me.


    "Ok, ok. I won''t use the roofs anymore. At the very least, you can let me stay here until I find an opening, right?"


    Mark chuckled.


    "Well... that much is fine."


    I gave a slight nod, then walked close to the edge of the roof. I peered off, looking at the ground with my peripheral vision. As of now, there were no guards around, prompting me to hop off.


    Upon landing, I gave one last look above me, but Mark had already left. And with that, my encounter with him was over.


    It made me wonder.


    What was Mark trying to do here in the first place? More so than just this alleyway, but this kingdom in general.


    From my past experiences with him, he definitely wasn''t weak, but aimlessly spent his time here anyway. And in the same vein... why was he in such ragged clothes all the time? It was almost like he didn''t care about worldly things, or just didn''t care enough.


    Nonetheless, there was no time to think for too much longer.


    There were footsteps in the distance.


    This time, there were far less guards. After all, they had scattered throughout the entire alleyway aimlessly, while before, they all began to swarm towards me. Hearing a few guards coming from the right, I silently ducked towards the left.


    Hearing a few footsteps coming from my front, I scaled up the walls, then remained there silently. A few moments later, a couple guards passed by. They did not even notice that their target was right above them.


    Like this, I navigated the alleyways until eventually making it back to where I started. The roads were unguarded, making it quite easy to walk from the alleyway to the palace.


    The night was dark, only lit up by the moonlight. I was very tempted to continue to draw the spell, but remembered that I needed to fix my terrible sleep schedule.


    In my heart, I promised that I would wake up in time to cook with the others.


    And so, I went up to my room, put away the parchment, and fell onto the bed. Sleep came almost instantly. It seemed like I was more worn out than I thought.


    ...


    I woke up, greeted by a few rays of the early dawn. Seeing how early it was, there should be enough time to water the farm, especially if I get into the groove of doing it like that with the bucket.


    And so, that''s what I did, wildly rotating the bucket of water around. It felt a little awkward at first, but became natural after a few rounds or so.


    Before I knew it, I was standing before the farm with an empty bucket in hand, while the farm itself was completely watered.


    After setting the bucket back, I hurried on back to the palace so that I would arrive on time.


    By the time I reached the cased opening to the kitchen, I heard some voices.


    First, Erin''s soft voice rang out.


    "Hmm... Jay isn''t here."


    Then, Alyx sighed.


    "If only he didn''t have such a strange sleep schedule."


    After that, Ned laughed.


    "Ironically enough, he was the one that told me it was dumb to mess up your sleep schedule with an all-nighter."


    I put my hand on the cased opening and took a step forward.


    "Hey, I woke up early this time, alright! And that''s how it''s going to be from now on!"


    The three turned to me with mildly shocked expressions.


    Erin raised both hands in the air.


    "You made it!"


    A small smile appeared on Alyx''s face.


    "Oh my, a blue moon rose."


    Ned laughed.


    "Ah, I take it back, you did wake up on time."


    I pointed towards them.


    "Look, I get that I haven''t been for quite a while. But that isn''t going to happen anymore. If I do end up oversleeping, you can just forcefully shake me awake and call me a filthy liar when I wake up."


    Erin clapped excitedly.


    "Yay!"


    Alyx laughed.


    "I will be sure to do that. You can be rest assured of that."


    Ned smirked.


    "Haha, you want to try to cook then?"


    I blinked a few times and raised a finger in the air.


    "Uh... no."


    Ned chuckled.


    "Come on, you haven''t tried a single time before."


    I pointed accusingly towards Alyx, selling her out immediately.


    "She hasn''t tried before either!"


    Alyx smiled teasingly.


    "Actually, I already have."


    My jaw dropped.


    "What!"


    Erin giggled.


    "But she did burn it pretty bad."


    Alyx''s eyebrow twitched.


    "...You didn''t have to say that part."


    Ned shrugged his shoulders.


    "At least she didn''t mention the part where you spilled more than half of the vegetables."


    Alyx looked at Ned angrily.


    "You!-"


    I ended up laughing, cutting her off completely.


    "Alright, alright. I guess it won''t feel so bad when I mess up if Alyx already did."


    Ned raised a finger.


    "If you mess up."


    Erin smiled brightly.


    "I believe you will get it!"


    Alyx simply rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen.


    And with that, we got to work, but I was one of the main cooks.


    I tried with everything I had to do it properly.


    Keyword there is tried.


    Erin gasped.


    "Wah! You did worse than Alyx!"


    Ned coughed awkwardly.


    "Well... there''s always next time."


    Alyx smiled bitterly.


    "There''s no need to do even worse just to make me feel better..."


    I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.


    "Uh... yeah, yeah."


    I was granted the duty to cook a piece of meat, and some vegetables. Apparently, Alyx had burnt the meat, but it was still edible. As for me, one side was pure charcoal, while the other was raw.


    I actually completely forgot about the meat. It was only when Ned noticed a burning smell did he take away the pan with the meat. Since it was already unsalvageable from one side, we decided to just leave it.


    As for the vegetables...


    I wasn''t used to my own strength yet, alright!


    I never did any exercises to improve my control, so when I tried to stir the vegetables, they might have all flown out.


    Ned and Erin took over, while I went back to helping with miscellaneous things. The sorry sight of what I had cooked was discarded, and a new meal was made.


    From there, the four of us ate. The three didn''t forget to tease me a little bit every so often, while I tried my best to justify myself.


    Though my success in that was pretty much the same as my success in cooking.


    Regardless, once that was over, I decided to go use that parchment to finish drawing the other half of the spell diagram.


    And so, that''s what I did.


    After a flurry of strokes, the parchment was covered in ink with the spell diagram. This time, I waited for the ink to dry, before flipping it over and attempting to retrace the diagram with my eyes closed.


    ...And other than a small mistake, I succeeded.


    My memorization definitely wasn''t perfect, as I had messed up on both halves of the spell diagram. However, I figured that should''ve been enough to cast the spell.


    Though that was with the spell diagram in front of me, so I could follow it.


    And so, I tried to cast it.

 Chapter 138 - Controlled Vines

    Mana slowly converged, seeping through my skin and into my body. The process of casting the ''controlled vines'' spell was slow, but steady. The diagram gradually formed in my mind.


    For some reason, it seemed far smaller than it did before. I guess memorizing with paper is just several times easier for me, or it was the fact I was casting while the spell was in front of me.


    After a few moments, I got a bit impatient, but did not act on that.


    Well, at least I didn''t intend on it.


    When I attempted to recreate the irregular spell diagram I learned a while ago, I ended up taking a wrong turn.


    A sharp pain cascaded throughout my entire body. It was like countless needles were piercing through my skin. I quickly held my hand in front of my face as I felt something well up.


    It was blood.


    I began coughing violently, causing the blood to splatter against my palm. As it was getting a little overwhelming, I pressed my hand against my face. My hacking became muffled while blood continued dripping down past my palm and onto my chin.


    After a little while, it calmed down.


    My breaths were a little unsteady, but the overall damage wasn''t too bad. It definitely looked bad since it was as though somebody just stabbed me, but the damage was manageable.


    The only reason it looked like this was that the surface layer of my throat was torn open, limiting the damage to the capillaries.


    As such, I didn''t even bother casting the healing spell and decided to try one more.


    The process was rather slow like last time, but I didn''t let it get to me.


    Mana first formed several base spells, such as the earth and water diagram. Then, it created lines that connected together and diverged into various paths, eventually interconnecting into an entire spell.


    Then the spell was cast.


    Such a complex spell made me expect something rather astounding, whether it was the size or just overall visual effects. However, only a tiny green stub grew out of my hand.


    My skin that surrounded the vine stuck to it tightly and the vine itself almost felt like a part of me. After a few moments of hesitation, I tried to move it.


    Making the vine move.


    After a bit of observing, I came to realize that the spell diagram lingered in my body. As in the mana was still in the shape of the diagram, but remained still.


    Under normal circumstances, the mana would be consumed entirely, thus there wouldn''t be anything left. However, right now, it was remaining stagnant within my body.


    My first instinct was to try and push the mana out of my body. But I stopped myself.


    Instead, I began gathering even more mana and continued to funnel it into the spell diagram within my body.


    A strange feeling came from my hand, then the vine slowly began to grow. It made me quite fascinated, so I continued to add mana, causing it to extend even further. It quickly reached the length of my arm and was about as thick as my arm bone.


    The sensation was a little creepy to a certain extent because I could even feel the air brushing against the vine. It was as though my nerves had extended into it, or that the nerves from the vine had connected to mine.


    It made me hesitate, but I wanted to see the limits of this spell, so I gathered even more mana. There didn''t seem to be any restriction as the vine continued to grow larger and thicker.


    Eventually, it became larger than even me.


    I stopped gathering mana for a moment and stared at it in surprise. The large vines gave me a strong sense of power. Like I could crush something easily.


    However, it was also really hard to control.


    As it was growing before, my control over the vines was very precise, like I always had a vine coming out of my hand. However, now I could only make general clumsy movements.


    This time, the mana that was in the form of the spell diagram began to rapidly dissipate, funneling into the vine. It continued until disappearing altogether, after which the vine began to decay.


    In mere moments, the once powerful vine coming from my hand turned into a bunch of mass of black. Thankfully, despite having my senses linked, there was no pain. As it began to decay, it became harder to feel and control the vine, until the sensation disappeared altogether.


    It felt a little empty, like I lost the function of a limb.


    With a soft snap, the vine broke off my hand, like it was never attached in the first place. The vine was now just the size of a rope. I set it aside casually, then leaned back in my seat.


    Successfully casting the vine spell made me feel a huge sense of progress, especially towards my goal.


    Creating some sort of spell that would grow plants.


    Then, the root of all problems would be fixed, right?


    The village that Leon was responsible for was so peaceful and had an excess of food. Surely, those two things are linked.


    However, I didn''t get ahead of myself.


    Like Erin, I began to question how this spell worked.


    Why was the strange smaller diagram required?


    Why were the interconnected pathways the way they were?


    I looked up at the ceiling.


    It was easy enough to combine the water and ice spell to create something new, but they were relatively easy spells.


    Not to mention, it was created using spell diagrams that had previously existed.


    I closed my eyes.


    In other words, while I understood the purpose of the smaller parts within the diagram, I did not understand why it was shaped in that way.


    The only real growth related spell I had access to was this vine spell. That meant the only way to make a new spell was to create completely original additions to the spell.


    Basically, it was going to be hard.


    I could beat my head against the wall and try out every single variation possible, but that seemed like a dead end considering how many possible variations there would be.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    Regardless, I made a step forward. With that in mind, I went up to Mildred''s room. Her condition was fairly bad, but was restored after I cast the healing spell on her. From there, I took fifty coppers out, the payment for watering the garden today.


    And so, with the money, I left to buy another piece of paper.


    Standing at the edge of the palace entrance, I could make out guards. They were patrolling as they were before, but in noticeably fewer numbers.


    After a simple observation, there was roughly a ten second window where the road wasn''t being monitored. Considering I nearly got into the alleyway with only five seconds, I was pretty confident in doing so within ten.


    I took a deep breath, then bolted forth.


    I made it into the alleyway, and as expected, nobody noticed my presence. Since nobody saw me, I felt pretty confident walking through the alleyways. However, I decided not to get on the roofs since Mark would probably either choke or directly kill me.


    Then suddenly, I froze.


    There were voices.


    "What is the point of us patrolling this place? It''s not like someone would live in a place so dirty."


    "The murderer may not reside here, but he used this as a method to escape. It is only natural to patrol here."


    It seemed like the guards were arguing. Since they were directly approaching me, I scaled up the walls and remained still.


    "But even if we did see him, there is no way we would be able to catch up! He disappeared completely last time!"


    "Yes, but doing this is still better than nothing."


    The guards began passing under me. One of them let out an audible sigh.


    "I suppose you are right, but I still don''t want to be walking around here. It''s so dirty."


    "That I can agree with."


    Once it became quiet, I let out a soft sigh. If I didn''t catch onto their voices, I probably would''ve missed the guards coming and got caught.


    I guess it wasn''t going to be simple.


    With that, I dropped back down and continued through the alleyways. There was an occasional pair of guards, but I either evaded them or climbed up the side of the walls and remained still.


    Eventually, I made it to the back of the shop, still in the alleyways. Every so often, I would see guards walk past out on the streets.


    My brows furrowed.


    ...This would be hard to deal with.


    I could time going into the shop while the guards weren''t looking. But the same couldn''t be said for leaving the shop.


    It would be really awkward if I opened the door while they were there.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    ....Unless I teleported inside.

 Chapter 139 - Take Me Home

    I knew for a fact that teleporting through objects was definitely possible. After all, I had done it before, but the only caveat was the fact it wasn''t really me doing it. However, taking advantage of the fact that teleporting could let me pass through walls would surely come in handy.


    It probably wasn''t the smartest idea to start learning it this way. I could''ve just experimented in safer situations but...


    I was too impatient.


    My eyes locked onto the wall as though they wanted to burn a hole through them. A bead of sweat fell down my forehead.


    ...This wouldn''t backfire, right?


    I imagined if the shopkeeper saw me suddenly appear in the shop, he might get freaked out. However, it seemed like he was always looking down at his paper. Last time, he didn''t even notice when I directly walked in.


    That was what gave me confidence that no freak outs would happen.


    Though that was under the assumption I completed it properly in the first place.


    Incorrectly teleporting makes me lose part of my body, but still makes me feel that pain. It was as though that part of my body never left, continuing to scream out in agony.


    I hesitated even more. Only after a needlessly long time passed, did I stop.


    My fist clenched tightly.


    Whatever I was in the past, there was no hesitation. Perhaps that version was simply too reckless, but at least it wasn''t as pathetic as me.


    I decided to suppress that side of myself, so it was only right I properly pushed forward to justify that.


    And so, my eyes widened, while my pupils constricted.


    In a flash, I found myself inside the writer''s shop, next to the door. I rapidly blinked a few times, feeling a strange combination of fear and achievement. Then, my head turned to the shopkeeper.


    As expected, the man was still writing something down on a piece of parchment. It really made me wonder what made him feel so obligated to do whatever he was doing.


    I walked up and when I reached the counter, I waved my hand.


    "Hey."


    "AH!"


    The man recoiled, lifting his feather up and pointing it at me like it was a sword.


    I scratched the back of my head, trying not to laugh.


    "Sorry, I just wanted to buy some paper again."


    The man''s eyebrow twitched. He sighed and lowered the feather in his hand.


    "Why have you come to decide to..."


    The man adjusted his glasses and pressed his eyelids together tightly.


    "...surprise me, all the time?"


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "It''s not intentional!"


    The man clicked his tongue.


    "Then make some noise when you open the door!"


    I raised my hands as though surrendering.


    "Ok, ok! But anyways, can I get a parchment?"


    The man sighed.


    "Of course."


    As he pulled out the parchment, I took out the coppers and set them down on the desk. Then, I grabbed the parchment, while the man swept up the coins without even bothering to count.


    The man sighed while I tucked away the parchment.


    "It is quite ironic..."


    I looked up at him.


    "Something is ironic?"


    The man smiled bitterly.


    "I was a man that prided myself on having loyal patrons to my shop. Yet, none of them had shown up in the last two days."


    My eyebrow twitched.


    Though that wasn''t exactly the situation, I also probably shouldn''t tell him I was breaking the law to buy some paper.


    I pressed my lips together.


    "Um... I''m sure they will come back sooner or later."


    The man laughed.


    "...Hopefully."


    He shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    "Somehow or another, my loyal patrons abandoned me, but the person I had no faith in has returned once more."


    A soft chuckle escaped me.


    "So... is it a good thing or a bad thing that I showed up?"


    The man rolled his eyes.


    "Practically yes, spiritually, no."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Then why don''t you try to branch out to something new? Surely whatever you are writing on that paper isn''t that important."


    The man became a little despondent.


    "...Perhaps."


    I blinked a few times.


    "It doesn''t sound like you will."


    The man laughed.


    "Yes, because the most likely situation is that I avoid it."


    It took me a moment to form the words.


    "But... why?"


    The man pressed his lips together and proceeded to adjust his glasses.


    "This is the only thing I know how to do and I''ve worked my entire life on it."


    He lifted up the piece of paper and showed it to me. There were dense lines of refined cursive calligraphy. Each letter was beautifully done while the lines were perfectly straight, as though he had used a ruler.


    However, there wasn''t a single one of those in the shop.


    I gasped.


    "What is that?"


    The man smiled bitterly.


    "Poetry."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "That doesn''t sound like it would sell well."


    The man laughed.


    "It doesn''t."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Then why..."


    The man took a deep breath.


    "I will say it once more. It is the only thing I know how to do."


    I scratched my cheek with my index finger.


    "But it wouldn''t be too hard to spend a little time doing something else, right?"


    The man shook his head.


    "It wouldn''t, but I am not going to."


    Feeling the solemn air, it took me a moment to gather the words.


    "Even if you die because of it?"


    The man smiled.


    "If I die, then so be it."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "...What makes you so adamant about this?"


    The man stared off into the distance, as though he saw a vast sky within this tiny shop.


    "I made a promise as a naive child."


    After a few moments of silence, I spoke up.


    "A promise?"


    The man nodded.


    "A promise to my father."


    He set the paper down on the counter, so I could see, then slowly continued writing his poem.


    "In his time, writers had declined greatly, as did their demand. My father was naturally upset since this was his entire business."


    The corner of the man''s lip turned up.


    "For his entire life, my father did as I am right now, making ink, parchment, and poems."


    He stopped writing the poem, keeping the tip of the feather on the page.


    "However, the financial situation wasn''t the best. According to my father, this kind of business had once been extremely popular, with countless similar shops within the kingdom."


    The man had a forlorn look in his eyes.


    "My father seemed really sad about it, so when I was still a wee little boy, I made a promise."


    He chuckled, as though he could not believe what he was saying.


    "I will bring back those prosperous days, just wait for it!"


    The man shook his head.


    "It was a stupid promise, but I intend on working towards it."


    I opened my mouth, then paused. After a few moments of hesitation, I forced out the words.


    "But you can still do something else while fulfilling the promise, right? The extra money you may get can actually make it even easier to fulfill it!"


    The man took a deep breath and set the feather down.


    "Yes, you''re right."


    I smiled.


    "Then-"


    "But..."


    The man cut me off. He had a bitter smile on his face.


    "...I simply don''t wish to change."


    He took off his glasses.


    "Now that I ponder over it, I suppose it was a lie that I told to myself."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "But things always change. Isn''t it normal to change with them?"


    The man nodded.


    "Change is good, yes."


    He looked at me dead in the eyes that sparkled with a touch of loneliness.


    "But I don''t wish to change."


    The man proceeded to pick up the poem, looking at the words intently.


    Silence descended.


    After a bit of hesitation, I spoke up.


    "Why are you afraid to change?"


    The man closed his eyes.


    "...To me, changing means losing my last connection to my father."


    It took me a few seconds to understand what he meant. Once it clicked, I nodded slowly.


    "I see."


    The man smiled slightly, then handed me the paper he was holding onto.


    "Why don''t you have this poem?"


    I chuckled.


    "Won''t it be worth so much once you make writing prosperous once more?"


    The man laughed.


    "If that is the case, then you owe me a favor."


    I took the poem from him.


    "Alright, fair enough."


    I slowly walked towards the door while reading the paper.


    ''I am alone, floating high in the sky.


    Far above the world I have known, safe between the clouds.


    Time flew past, but brought countless new opportunities.


    With just a touch, I could find them.


    But I was still so stuck on what we used to be.


    I watched the present go by, losing my sense of time.


    I''ll wait as long as needed.


    For you to come and take me home.''

 Chapter 140 - Combining Spells

    I walked out of the writer''s shop absentmindedly, still staring at the poem. That was when I heard a voice.


    "Hey, what are you doing? You are supposed to stay in your home!"


    I looked up to see a guard scolding me. After noticing the situation I was in, I hurriedly waved.


    "Ah, alright, alright. I''m going back!"


    As I closed the door, another guard next to the other one rubbed the bottom of his helmet with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Huh... that guy seems familiar for some reason."


    Cold sweat appeared on my back as I heard those words, but I closed the door before things got any worse.


    I took a peek at the shopkeeper, only to see an empty desk.


    This was probably the best time to teleport.


    And so, I did.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted while a tight feeling wrapped around me. A seed of fear festered in the process, but once I appeared on the other side, it blossomed into a tiny bit of thrill.


    And with that, I sneaked through the alleyways until I made it back to the palace.


    I sat down, with both the spell diagram and the empty piece of paper in front of me. It was a little meaningless to just stare at it, but that was exactly what I did.


    ...Simply because I had no idea where to start.


    After a few moments, a soft sigh escaped me.


    Maybe I should take this step by step.


    So what made this spell special? The most striking difference it had from other spells was the ability to grow.


    But what created this ability to grow?


    That should have partially come from the ability to continue and supply the spell with mana. But how was the spell able to do that?


    In terms of the spell structure, the only difference was in the pathways and that one extra miniature spell diagram that seemed a little deformed.


    There was no way I was going to be able to understand what the pathways represented anytime soon, so I decided to start with the deformed miniature spell diagram.


    First, I attempted to cast it on its own.


    It did not take long for me to gather the mana and form the spell. However, even when I had recreated it in its entirety, it simply remained there. The sensation was similar to when I kept an almost finished spell within my body.


    From this, I was more or less able to guess that this was something like a catalyst or secondary function. Rather than having a specific purpose itself, it was an addition.


    After a bit of hesitation, I began casting the earth spell and attempted to connect them together. Mana slowly flowed from the cores and gradually connected.


    ...Then, I spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The spell disassembled immediately, cutting up my insides. Thankfully, I was able to cover my mouth in time, thus no blood spilled onto the table.


    After feeling the pain subside, I continued.


    I tried to connect the earth spell with the deformed diagram differently.


    Then, I coughed up blood again.


    I continued to stubbornly try different ways to connect the spell together. However, the only thing I accomplished was making my hand redder than a tomato with all the blood.


    At some point, a strong sense of vertigo and weakness assaulted me. The loss of blood had taken its toll. I hurriedly casted the healing spell, restoring my wounds.


    I let out a soft sigh and decided to try something new.


    This time, I tried to connect that deformed spell diagram with the firebolt spell.


    The only question was how I could connect the two spells together. Because the deformed spell diagram had several cores, there were several different combinations to connect the core.


    As for the firebolt spell, it had even more cores to connect to.


    In other words, just for these relatively basic spells, there were countless combinations. It wouldn''t take me too long for me to explore all the combinations for this spell. At most, it would be a little bit of blood and the rest of the day.


    However, it made me think of the future. Wouldn''t spells just get even more and more complex as time went on?


    Trial and error simply wasn''t an answer at that point.


    ...But I didn''t know what else to do.


    And so, I sat there awkwardly.


    Eventually, I shook my head. Though this wasn''t the most efficient method, it was the only one available to me. First, I had to create a success to make a successful example.


    With that example, I would be able to slowly pick apart what made that one right and the other one wrong.


    ...Taking a step back and thinking about it, I realized that the path before me was quite scary.


    I sighed, then took a step down that path.


    First, was finding the correct example. And so, I went through a series of failed attempts, vomiting blood, and healing spells. Halfway through I was beginning to lose hope that I was even doing the right thing and was tempted to just give up.


    However, I persisted.


    Soon, I came to the very last combination. I held up my finger and stared at the tip intently.


    ...Then sighed.


    I finished casting the spell, but nothing had shown up. But, right before I could complain, I realized that some of the mana was remaining stagnant in my body.


    It succeeded.


    I smiled bitterly to myself. After all, it only worked once the last combination happened.


    How bad was my luck?


    I shook my head, putting those thoughts past me. In the end, it worked, so I should focus on that. From there, I tried to gather more mana and try to add it into the diagram.


    After an uncomfortably long time, a tiny flicker of flame appeared above my finger. As for the amount of mana I gathered, it was enough to cast the firebolt spell two times over.


    My eyebrow twitched.


    I guess this is why this was only used for the vine spell and not others. Or maybe it just wasn''t optimized?


    Well, I wouldn''t know.


    At the very least, I could conclude that the purpose of this strange deformed diagram was to allow continuous expansion. Simply out of curiosity, I continued to funnel mana into the small flame above my finger.


    After a while, it had expanded to the size of a fireball. This definitely wasn''t worth the amount of time it took to create, but it seemed like there either wasn''t a limit or that it could expand even further.


    So I continued to pour mana into the spell.


    It felt as though I was slowly dragging my feet through a marsh, but the spell eventually became the size of a firebolt. Despite reaching the size of the original spell, it still felt limitless.


    As such, I continued to pour mana in, mostly out of curiosity compared to anything else. My efforts eventually paid off, becoming a fairly large fireball. It was nearly the size of a large beach ball.


    Although I still felt like I could take it further, I was satisfied for now.


    Well, more so I didn''t want to continue spending so much time expanding it.


    There was definitely potential, but the absurd amount of time required to build up to such a state wasn''t worth it in the slightest. Not to mention, the amount of mana consumed was far too much for its effect.


    I stared at the fireball above my finger, flames still dancing.


    It was only at this point did I realize there was no easy way to dispose of it.


    ...Erin was able to realize casting spells willy nilly was a bad idea, without even casting the spell itself. Yet, even when it was slowly forming in front of me, I didn''t think about any of the consequences.


    I looked around, as though something nearby would be able to help me.


    My eyebrow twitched.


    I walked closer to the palace entrance, then when I felt like I had an angle, threw the fireball high up into the sky.


    ...That would be fine, right?


    "What the-"


    "A fireball!"


    "We are under attack!"


    I slinked far back into the palace, all the way to the courtyard so that they wouldn''t notice me. For a few moments, I questioned whether or not I did something stupid.


    ...It was probably fine.


    Probably.


    While still a little frazzled, I stumbled into the courtyard. My head slowly lifted to see Ned in front of me. He was sitting on the path casually, but looked at me with widened eyes.


    "Are you alright?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Uh, yeah. Why wouldn''t I be?"


    Ned pointed at me, with a slightly shaking finger.


    "You are covered in so much blood."


    I looked down and saw that my body was indeed completely covered in blood.


    "Ah right, that."

 Chapter 141 - Hint Of Insanity

    Now that I realized my situation, it was really absurd that I forgot about the blood on my body. After all, it had even dried on my hand, creating an uncomfortable sticky feeling.


    Ned was looking at me with widened eyes, concerned about my condition.


    I waved my hand dismissively with an awkward smile on my face.


    "I''m ok, I''m ok."


    Ned blinked a few times in disbelief.


    "Are you sure you''re ok?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Well, remember how I could cast that healing spell?"


    Ned thought for a moment before nodding.


    "Oh, yeah."


    I nodded along with him.


    "So like, I''m fine. Any injuries I get, I can just heal them."


    Ned seemed to be at a loss for a moment, but quickly accepted it.


    "Ah, that is a really convenient ability."


    I laughed.


    "Yeah."


    Ned chuckled.


    "Why are you even covered in blood in the first place?"


    I shrugged.


    "It looks bad, but it was just some spell casting."


    Ned raised both eyebrows.


    "That''s just from spells?... And you can cast spells?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Uh, yeah. Basically, I can cast spells despite having no talent, but it hurts my body a bit. That''s why I have so much blood."


    Ned was silent for a moment.


    "Huh."


    I coughed awkwardly.


    "Anyways, do you have any tips for cooking better?"


    Ned nodded after a second.


    "Oh yeah, I got lots. First of all..."


    With that, the two of us began talking for quite a while. The topics shifted every so often and weren''t the most meaningful, but it was still enjoyable.


    Once the moon came out, we went to sleep like normal people.


    As I closed my eyes, I already thought about preparing for the next day.


    ...


    I woke up a bit tired, but early in the morning.


    And so, my routine began.


    First, I went to the farm, and watered the entire field. By the time I finished, it was nearly afternoon.


    Second, I went to help cook a meal with the others. This time, I didn''t cook and the others probably wouldn''t let me even if I wanted to.


    Third, I went up to Mildred''s room, casted the healing spell on her, and took fifty coppers.


    With that, I reached the palace entrance and peeked out curiously.


    Instead of guards, there were people.


    I was a little concerned that the fireball I threw outside last time might have caused some panic, but there were no longer guards on the streets. However, one thing I noticed was that some seemed to be in a panic anyway.


    There was quite a lot of screaming.


    "Why the hell have your prices increased by more than triple?"


    "I will take it right now for double the price!"


    "Move aside! I have money for this!"


    There were a few people fighting to buy food, however, it wasn''t anything too drastic. The majority of passersby were simply walking by, as normal as ever.


    The people asking for food were noticeably skinnier and dirtier than the others. It seems the patrol made people desperate. I guess some people just couldn''t take it anymore and left.


    I walked down the streets, on my way to the shop with paper and ink. On the way there, I noticed someone familiar.


    It was the man who drew pictures.


    Currently, he was slouched down, resting his head on a table. Below him was a single drawing. He was still holding his feather, placed at the corner of the parchment. The ink on it had already dried while a small bottle of open ink remained next to him, also dried out.


    I decided to go up and greet him.


    "Hey, long time no see."


    ...


    There was no response. I waited there awkwardly for a moment.


    He had probably been working too hard, thus wouldn''t wake up anytime soon. I decided to first buy the parchment, then see if he was awake when I came back.


    And so, I left.


    It did not take long for me to reach the shop and push open the door. The shopkeeper had a small smile on his face, probably because of the return of old customers.


    I waved.


    "Hey, you seem rather happy."


    The man nodded.


    "Turns out there was a lockdown that prevented the others from coming."


    I chuckled.


    "Yeah, yeah anyways I''m here to buy another parchment."


    Before I even finished, he was pulling out the very thing I requested. As he set it down on the table, he gave me a curious look.


    "I never expected someone like you would have connections to the military."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Huh?"


    The man laughed.


    "You were able to come to my shop despite the patrol, so you must have some sort of connection, no?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Ah, yeah."


    Thankfully, he came up with a reasonable explanation on his own.


    The man rolled his eyes.


    "Why did you not tell me about the patrol? That would have been rather nice to know."


    I shrugged my shoulders awkwardly.


    "...Uh, I guess it didn''t come to mind."


    The man shook his head.


    "Well, it hardly matters now, I suppose. Take your goods now, why don''t you?"


    I nodded and took the parchment as I set the copper coins down on the table. The man waved, then continued writing poems on a piece of paper.


    "See you."


    I waved back.


    "Yeah, see you."


    With that, I left the shop and headed back to the palace. On my way back, I saw the person that made the drawings once more. He still had his head down on the table, sleeping.


    I walked up to him and after a bit of hesitation, shook his shoulders.


    "Hey, the day is early. It''s no time to sleep!"


    The drawer''s arm slipped off the table, then fell down listlessly along with the feather. After a bit of hesitation, I picked up the feather.


    "Oops, sorry about that."


    The man was drooling ever so slightly, still deep in his sleep.


    ...That''s when an eerie cold feeling washed over me.


    I thought of a different possibility.


    With a bit of nervousness, I brought my hand up next to the man''s nose.


    ...He wasn''t breathing.


    I remained there silent for a little, a bit shocked by what happened. It seemed that I had indirectly killed him, making that patrol happen. As such, he wasn''t able to sell his drawings for several days, meaning he had no money to buy any food.


    And so, the man starved to death.


    I remained frozen for a while, still holding the feather in my hand.


    ...It was at this point I remembered the purpose of everything I was doing. It was to learn the spell and become strong enough to save everyone. I might have indirectly killed him now, but I would save him in the future.


    I would save everyone.


    ...So why did I feel so guilty?


    I put the feather back into the man''s hand, letting it rest there, then stood up. A headache began to assault me. My eyes drifted to the last drawing the man made.


    Although the parchment should''ve originally been white, a faint grey coated it. On the left side was a person on his knees, looking upwards. As for what the person was looking towards, it was a black sun.


    The sun had clear flames that danced and was disproportionately large. In a certain sense, it seemed to be consuming the paper. As for the man on the left, he seemed to be asking the sun a question.


    How did he end up this way?


    I clutched my head with my hand, digging my fingers into my scalp.


    My initial expectation was that I would begin crying, or just remain there emptily. However, a hint of insanity seeped into me, making my mouth do something that somehow scared me.


    Smile.


    It was a strange feeling. Both fear, and a strange happiness seeped into my mind at the same time.


    The sensation was hard to explain. Although they were separate emotions, they did not feel separate from each other, as though they were actually distinct. Instead, they merged together to create some sort of variation that was both one emotion, but also not.


    Essentially, it was a contradiction, existing naturally, seemingly breaking logic.


    Eventually, the strange happiness left me, while the fear grew stronger. For a moment, I thought I jumped into a pool of freezing water.


    With a small frown, I hurried on back to the palace entrance, trying to stop myself from thinking about it any further.


    Upon getting back to the palace, I stood still for a moment. Suddenly, I remembered I had to learn the spell.


    And so, I brought my focus back to it, until I forgot about everything.


    Lines, diagrams, connections.


    Various concepts and theories flew around my mind like a hurricane. They were scattered and wouldn''t make sense to anybody normal.. Yet, in the chaos, lines slowly connected one by one.

 Chapter 142 - Tag

    Before I knew it, the parchments in front of me were filled with countless lines, connecting together in seemingly random ways, but somehow intuitively made sense to me.


    I was slowly finding out how to solve the basic integral, to understand the area below a line, then the double integral, to find out the volume of a basic three-dimensional object, then the triple integral to define a three dimensional object defined by several expressions and boundaries.


    And then, and then,


    And then...


    ...What was I doing again?


    I shook my head, as the words that made so much sense to me seconds ago gradually left. Thankfully, while those words and strange concepts left me, the understanding of the spell functions didn''t leave me.


    It should''ve given me a strong sense of progress, some sort of satisfaction.


    ...But it didn''t.


    I heaved a deep sigh and rubbed my temple with the palm of my hand. It was only now that I realized how bad of a migraine I had.


    After sitting there pointlessly, I ended up standing up and wandering towards the courtyard. Before I knew it, I was already there. Ned was already there, sitting down on a patch of grass.


    It seemed like he always came here, each and every day.


    I waved.


    "Hey."


    Ned turned to me.


    "Oh, hey Jay."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Another day, huh?"


    Ned chuckled.


    "Yeah."


    With that, we talked about rather meaningless things. Ned gave me a few more tips for cooking and asked me a little about magic. As for me, I made sure to try my best to understand his tips, but couldn''t get into it that much. I also tried to explain some magic to Ned, but he didn''t seem to get it much.


    In a certain sense, one could say we were wasting time. Which in all honesty, we kinda were. However, it gradually made the pain in my mind subside.


    And soon enough, went to sleep, as did Ned.


    ...


    I got down on one knee to closely inspect the farm in front of me.


    Before I knew it, my routine gradually became this same cycle.


    Waking up early, watering the farm, cooking with the others, healing Mildred, taking my day''s pay, heading off to buy some parchment, coming back to study spells, talking with Ned, and sleeping.


    Then after that, it would begin all over again.


    As of now, I was lightly poking at the dirt in the farm.


    Because a tiny shoot had formed in the dirt.


    Although this was only to be expected, given that I had been tending to them everyday. However, there was a part of me that thought the seeds I planted would never grow into anything.


    Granted, they were only a shoot right now, but it was still encouraging.


    I talked about it to Ned, Erin, and Alyx, who commended me for it.


    When I eventually reached Mildred''s room, I first took the chair and sat by her bedside. She was still sleeping soundly, but I talked to her enthusiastically, as though she was right in front of me.


    Days passed.


    One time, when learning the spells I tried to make my drawings on the parchment smaller. Having just one parchment a day felt really limiting, after all.


    However, it turns out I was spending way too much time and energy in an attempt to save what little I could. In the end, I hardly learned anything.


    It was quite ironic.


    It caused me quite the headache, but I learned my lesson and stopped trying to cut corners wherever I could.


    More days passed.


    There was a time where the others invited me to play a game. It was a game of tag, where the boundary was the entirety of the palace.


    At first, I was a little scared, but it turned out I was quite fast. That gave me a little confidence, but I unfortunately still got caught quite a bit. The other three were both slippery like snakes, but as cunning as a fox.


    It seemed like they played this quite a bit before.


    They had invited me to play more, but I wanted to spend more time on learning the spells.


    Weeks passed.


    My progress in learning the spell was painfully slow. I eventually reached the point where I didn''t even know where I was supposed to go. However, I stuck to it and kept trying as hard as I could.


    Although I hardly went forward each day, I at the very least went forward.


    However, it was only now I realized the pain in the back of my head. In reality, it was always there, but I had only noticed it now. It was definitely a problem, but I ignored it.


    More weeks passed.


    The plants had grown to full shoots, but my head hurt too much to even feel happy about it. It was only now that I considered that this pain might be a result of my actions.


    I was pushing myself farther than what my body could take. It was only a little, but that tiny bit of pain stacked up each day.


    ...Ignoring it for so long only meant it kept getting worse.


    I aimlessly walked around the palace, holding the side of my head. My eyes fluttered, while the only thing on my mind was the stress I was experiencing.


    Suddenly, someone poked my shoulder, causing me to jump.


    "Ah!"


    Erin looked at me with her beady eyes, blinking innocently.


    "Do you want to play tag?"


    I slowly shook my head.


    "Sorry, I want to focus on studying the spells more."


    Erin tilted her head to the side.


    "But you aren''t learning the spells right now! You can play tag, just for a little bit!"


    I opened my mouth and was about to decline once more, but the words got caught up in my throat. I truly wasn''t progressing much during this time, so what was the harm in playing around a little?


    "...Ok."


    And so, I played with the others again. In terms of running, I was definitely not lacking. After all, I had to run to the river and back numerous times each day, so I was definitely not slow. Yet...


    "Haha, got you again Jay!"


    Erin''s giggles rang out as she ran down a hallway.


    "I will get you eventually, just you wait!"


    It seemed they had been playing tag nearly every day. They themselves were not slow, but I was still faster. However, they seemed to get out of my sight at the perfect times and somehow predict the direction I was going in.


    The game took longer than I expected, leaving me with none to actually study the spells.


    The next day, I couldn''t help but think about how they were winning our game of tag the entire time.


    I ended up joining them for another game, despite the voice in the back of my head that told me to study the spells.


    "What the-"


    My eyes widened as I saw Alyx, the person that was it, run towards me. The side of my face twitched.


    "How did you know I would go here?"


    Alyx laughed as she placed her palm on my shoulder.


    "Because you''re too easy!"


    My eyelid twitched.


    I wanted to refute, but couldn''t really as it seriously felt like I was just running into her arms.


    The first thing I did after she tagged me was persistently chase after her, but once I turned a corner, she was already gone.


    I spent a few seconds hesitating, before eventually picking a direction. Unfortunately, she was already nowhere to be seen.


    Thankfully, due to my higher speed, I was able to eventually find someone else. However, I wasn''t able to catch up to them.


    I didn''t learn the spells once more.


    The next day came.


    My legs were a little sore from running around so much, but I could still walk and run fine. Like yesterday, I participated in their tag game once more, casting the thoughts of studying the spells.


    I told myself I would get back to it later.


    As we continued to play for longer, I realized a pattern. The only reason I caught it was because Ned took the same turn twice in a row. When I thought about the others, they would also all take this turn.


    Despite being it, I decided to check out the place they didn''t go to.


    And found that it was a dead end.


    There were a few times when I ran down this way and ended up getting caught. It opened up my eyes in a certain sense, that while tag itself was a simple game, there are tiny nuances depending on the environment it is played in.


    Upon identifying these dead ends, I no longer went down them. As such, the number of times I got caught lowered greatly. However, that wasn''t enough.


    As I flew down a hallway, I felt a poke on my waist.


    "Got you!"


    It was Erin.


    ...I was still missing something.

 Chapter 143 - Change In Perspective

    Before I knew it, a week had passed by.


    I had spent most of my time playing tag with Ned, Alyx, and Erin. It took me a while, but I eventually picked up on several patterns.


    In all honesty, I probably would''ve missed them forever if I didn''t shift my perspective.


    The entire time, I was asking myself how they knew I was going in a certain direction. However, what I should''ve been thinking about is the situation from their perspective.


    If I was faster, then they wouldn''t be able to catch up simply by following behind me. Instead, they would have to find some way to get to the same destination I was, while traveling less distance.


    In other words, they cut me off by predicting where I would go next.


    It was fairly easy for them. After all, I wasn''t really thinking about it and simply ran down as fast as I could. If it wasn''t for the fact I was not only faster, but also getting caught, I never would''ve thought this far.


    If I was slower, I probably would have just attributed getting tagged to my slow pace. If I was not getting caught, I wouldn''t even bother thinking about how to optimize playing tag and just attribute winning to having a faster speed.


    I decided to try and use this newfound knowledge to my advantage.


    As of now, Erin was chasing me.


    "Come back here Jay!"


    I laughed.


    "No way!"


    Erin smiled confidently.


    "I''m going to get you anyway!"


    A smile formed on my face.


    "This time it will be different!"


    Erin giggled.


    "We will see about that!"


    I occasionally glanced behind me, seeing Erin chase after me the best she could. However, her figure was gradually getting farther away. Normally, I would''ve been confident, but this had happened far too many times preceding the event where I was caught.


    As such, my guard was up high.


    Once more, I looked over my shoulder, but Erin wasn''t there. I immediately stopped running in the direction I was and turned around.


    Moments later, I saw Erin behind me once again. She raised both eyebrows in surprise.


    "What! How did you do that?"


    I waved teasingly with a cheeky smile on my face.


    "I told you it would be different this time!"


    Erin continued chasing me for a little before eventually giving up.


    I was feeling pretty good about myself, but I ended up running into Erin by sheer coincidence when I turned the corner.


    The both of us jumped in surprise, but Erin recovered faster and tagged me. She stuck out her tongue and blew, making a sound similar to a fart.


    "Hehe, too bad!"


    My eyebrow twitched as a bitter smile formed on my face. As for Erin, she immediately ran off, giggling to herself.


    I let out a soft sigh and ran around the palace, trying to find anyone else I could tag.


    Eventually, I caught a glimpse of Alyx in the corner of my eyes.


    From my experience, she was the most evasive out of the three, which is why I didn''t want to lose this opportunity and immediately shifted trajectories to chase after her.


    When I turned the corner, she wasn''t there. There was only an empty hallway, other than the pillars that stuck out of the wall. However, there was only one path she could''ve taken. I knew a path that would let me cut her off, so I hurried down it.


    With my speed, there was no way she could reach that point before me.


    ...So why wasn''t she here?


    Upon reaching the point I believed I would cut her off, Alyx wasn''t even there. The strange emptiness was almost creepy along with the silence.


    After giving another quick scan, I realized that Alyx might''ve somehow realized I broke off, then ran back down the path she took. That was the conclusion I came to considering that was how I lost Erin.


    With that in mind, I bolted back down the path, hoping that I would be able to catch another glimpse of Alyx.


    However, the result was not what I expected.


    I saw Alyx, who was hiding behind a pillar. She was peering over the side of the pillar down the hallway, except it was in the wrong way.


    Seeing her exposed back, I shamelessly took advantage of her guard being down. Alyx didn''t turn around once. That is, until I eventually tapped her on the back.


    She jumped.


    "Ah!"


    I laughed.


    "Got you!"


    Alyx''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "How did you get there? And why don''t you make a single sound when you move! This isn''t fair at all!"


    I smiled cheekily while running down the hall.


    "It''s completely fair, you''re just too easy!"


    After throwing her line right back at her, a smile formed on Alyx''s face. Though, it was twitching with anger. Her eyebrow did the same too.


    "Get back here Jay!"


    Unlike how she requested, I ran faster.


    "No way!"


    Alyx chased after me without hesitation despite the fact there was an unspoken rule to not immediately go after the person who tagged you. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway.


    "You!"


    Alyx was quite persistent, opting to chase after me for a few minutes. However, she eventually gave up.


    For a while, I found myself running around the palace without encountering anybody, almost like it was empty. This was fairly normal, as it has happened several times. After all, the palace was a really big place for just four people to be running around it.


    At that time, I thought about Alyx''s strategy. I honestly did not expect it in the slightest, being able to get away simply by hiding.


    I mean, it was called tag, not hide and seek!


    However, that opened my eyes once more. It made me realize that I was treating things with too much simplicity. Yes, tag was a very rudimentary game, but that didn''t mean there weren''t more complicated ways to execute it.


    Within simplicity, there was complexity. I guess that could be attributed to how complicated and vague the world always was.


    Eventually, I turned a corner to see Ned running down it. Although I wasn''t sure if he was ''it'' I wasn''t taking any chances.


    I turned around and bolted off, prompting Ned to chase me.


    He laughed as he ran.


    "Come on, not even going to say hi?"


    A smirk formed on my face.


    "I can say hi fine from over here!"


    Ned swung his arms up and down wildly as he chased after me, while his hair blew aside in the wind.


    "Just a little bit closer is fine!"


    With that, the chase began.


    Ned tried to cut me off a few times and almost caught me. However, I was able to slip by since I was expecting it. However, part of the reason I wasn''t going too fast was that I wanted to try what Alyx did, hiding.


    I waited for an opportunity where I could slip out of Ned''s vision, then hid behind a pillar.


    I rested my back against the wall, feeling the cold marble against my back. From there, I simply closed my eyes and remained silent, almost like I was dead.


    No, like I didn''t even exist.


    I heard footsteps, rapidly approaching me, but was not perturbed. Then, the footsteps passed right by me, completely unaware of my presence.


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    It honestly had more effectiveness than I expected.


    Eventually, once we got really tired, we all went to the dining room and sat down in the chairs. All of us were panting heavily, even me, who had the strongest physical constitution.


    Although the little tricks I figured out were really effective, sometimes my luck would just be bad and I would end up getting tagged anyway.


    Ned plopped his elbow down on the table and hunched over, looking at me.


    "You really... got better at this game, huh?"


    He greedily gasped for air as he talked, but it was still coherent. As for me, I chuckled.


    "I learned... a little bit."


    Erin raised both hands in the air and flailed them around.


    "Why are you so fast? I remember... you were slow before!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Working on the farm made me get really used to running!"


    Alyx let out a sigh.


    "How about how silent you are? You never make a sound even while running! How is that possible?"


    A cheeky smile formed on my face.


    "You just gotta get good."


    A twitching smile formed on Alyx''s face.


    "Oh, really?"


    She got up out of her seat, prompting me to get out of mine and run away.


    Alyx raised her fist and swung it around.


    "I will get you one day!"


    I waved back.


    "And I will be waiting for that day!"


    I chuckled as I heard Alyx''s frustrated cries.


    ...And eventually wandered into the room with the spells spread out on the table.


    There was a smile on my face, but it disappeared.


    I hadn''t even tried to learn for so long.

 Chapter 144 - Derivative

    There was another reason why I was getting caught in tag so much despite being faster. More than the tricks Ned, Alyx, and Erin used, was the fact I didn''t want to come into this room.


    In fact, I actively avoided it, both subconsciously and consciously. Even if that would end up in me getting caught, I didn''t care. To me, it was as though there was no path to this room. Instead, it was just a wall.


    And I wasn''t going to try to go through a wall.


    However, it was at this point I was forced to confront the lie I had been telling myself.


    That I had no time to practice magic.


    It was more than just having my time taken up by playing tag. Upon asking myself if I could''ve at least tried to learn magic, there was only one answer.


    In reality, if I forced myself to, I could have squeezed some time to work on learning the spells. In other words, the only reason I wasn''t working was because of laziness, rather than any sort of real constraint.


    It made me feel a little sad and disappointed in myself.


    But more than that, it made me mad.


    My head began to heat up.


    I had decided to work hard in order to become stronger, to gain more power. Yet, I was already stagnating, when I knew the journey ahead was unbelievably far. A headache immediately formed, prompting me to rub my temple with my palm.


    Each day, I went out to buy a piece of parchment and lay it down on the table, so quite a few blank sheets had stacked up. However, that was more for the sake of telling myself I had worked, rather than actually doing any work.


    It was already getting late, and I had no plans of staying up for too long. However, I was going to use what little time I had to study the spell.


    And so, I sat down and looked at the ''Control Vines'' spell.


    Then found myself at a loss.


    ...It was simply because I had no idea what else I could learn from this spell. I tried to find a pattern within the pathways of this spell, but it was far too random. Any patterns I did find, weren''t really patterns. The only reason I thought that way was because I tried to stick to my belief I was on to something, even when it was a bunch of nonsense.


    My progress had always been slow recently and was really demotivating. Perhaps that was part of the reason I stopped.


    However, feeling demotivated was no excuse.


    No matter how little progress it seemed like I was making, it was a step forward nonetheless.


    And so, I forced myself to stare at the diagram, even when my mind began to feel tired and unwilling.


    At some point, I looked outside and saw night had descended. I had spent the entire time trying to study the spell.


    ...But in the end, I wasn''t able to think of anything.


    A soft sigh escaped me before I went to my room and slept.


    ...


    I woke up early once again, then repeated the same routine.


    This time, I decided not to play tag with the others and spend some more time studying the spells once more.


    Alyx teased me a little, but let me go.


    With that, I found myself sitting down and staring blankly at a piece of paper once again.


    ...Somehow, this feeling of boredom was worse than debilitating pain. At the very least, I could endure pain, but there was nothing to endure like this.


    I rubbed my temple with my palm and sighed. In the end, my thoughts began to wander to the games of tag I played by the others. Once I realized this, I hurriedly tried to reel those thoughts back in.


    But then I remembered something.


    I originally believed tag was rather simple, but found myself being outsmarted in various ways. It was only when I shifted my perspective, did I realize that there was more to it.


    The reason I decided to experiment with the strange deformed diagram and see if it would let me continuously channel mana into other spells was that I discovered what the purposes of certain sections of the ice spell were.


    And Erin, who steered me into thinking that way.


    If I shift my focus to other spells, I may not be able to directly learn about the spell, but it would give me both direction and a better understanding of magic in general.


    With those thoughts in mind, I no longer looked at the ''Control Vines'' spell and instead grabbed each foundational spell there was on this table. After gathering all of them, I quickly realized I learned each of them.


    Ice, water, fire, lightning, earth, wind.


    However, I still looked at their diagrams intently and even used the parchment to draw their diagrams. In the back of my mind, there was the concern that my actions were not only meaningless, but wasteful.


    However, hesitation would only waste more time than I was willing to give. Maybe this wasn''t the right decision, but it was better than making no decision at all.


    It did not take me long to finish drawing each of the foundational spells. I slowly lifted my feather and looked at the spell diagrams below me. Due to their natural simplicity, I was able to fit multiple on the same sheet of paper.


    And that was when I realized that the cores of each spell were strangely similar. It occurred to me that the cores did not actually help in the actual formation of the spell. In the context of casting a foundational spell, the cores were useless.


    The only reason they were there was to make casting the higher level spells easier. Since they consisted of the exact same diagram, one would only have to learn how to connect the smaller spell diagrams together.


    Almost like puzzles in a puzzle piece.


    I was happy that I made this revelation, but I couldn''t find much practical use of this idea to apply to the control vines spell. However, a step forward is a step forward, no matter how small.


    From there, I began to relearn the elementary spells I knew.


    Firebolt, Encase, Tunnel.


    And then learn the elementary spells I didn''t know.


    However, it quickly became nighttime partway through.


    And so, I went to sleep.


    ...


    Many days passed, but what I was doing remained the same.


    It almost felt like I was a machine, doing the same thing over and over again. Naturally, it was beginning to feel mundane. However, I also knew what to expect each day and what to expect from myself.


    I wasn''t entirely sure how, but I pushed through those days with determination.


    A few weeks passed.


    I crouched down on the farm I had just watered.


    The plants had grown to become what looked like tall grass. It was still fairly hard to tell what kind of plant they were, but that fact would probably reveal itself soon enough.


    As for my progress in spells, I got a vague understanding of why the connections between the spells existed and their purpose. If multiple foundational spell diagrams were connected by their cores, the power would increase several times over.


    However, it was more complicated than that. The method by which they were connected also changed how they worked.


    For example, the firebolt spell was shaped similar to an arrowhead. This shape was what made it propel forward, rather than just exploding in one''s hand.


    With one hand, I gently traced the stalk of the mystery plant.


    I hesitated for a moment.


    Then began casting a derivative I made from the ''Control Vines'' spell.


    As the spell neared completion, my confidence in it dropped significantly, but I committed to casting despite that.


    Once it finished, I coughed up blood.


    The spell failed miserably, as expected.


    Something was still missing.


    A month passed.


    Each day, I would experiment with at least one new derivative I had created the previous day. As I learned about magic, my intuitive sense grew far stronger.


    It became easier for me to discern that the spell was going to fail. Sometimes it was even apparent the second I began casting.


    I learned the elementary spells, now knowing each one like the back of my hand.


    The elementary water spell was called ''Water Beam'' and shot a beam of high pressure water for a few moments.


    The elementary lightning spell was called ''Pulse'' and created a strong electrical current within one''s body.


    The elementary wind spell was called ''Dash'' and temporarily increased one''s running speed by propelling one by the bottom of their feet.


    As of now, I could hardly care about the function of these spells. Instead, the various insights I had let me slowly apply them to the control vines spell and create more accurate derivatives.


    Several months passed.


    ....And I succeeded.

 Chapter 145 - A Little Girl

    I had one knee on the grass and my finger pointed towards an almost fully grown plant in front of me. With the belief that it was going to fail, I began casting a derivative of the ''Control Vines'' spell.


    However, that intuition of failure didn''t appear. Although it got my hopes up, it didn''t do so by much since I had gotten so used to failure after trying so many times.


    ...But then, the plant in front of me started to shift.


    A strand of what looked like yellow grains began to grow from the green plant and hung down as though it was a limb dangling powerlessly.


    I slowly raised my hand, letting the end of the yellow grains fall onto my palm.


    "I... succeeded."


    For a few moments, I stared at the plant in front of me in disbelief. Honestly, at some point, I thought I would be doing this forever.


    So seeing the results come to fruition...


    Was both unexpected and exhilarating.


    I gently tugged on the yellow grains until they came off. From there, I began inspecting it, trying to find out what they were supposed to be.


    I pinched one of the grains, breaking the shell. A tiny wet grain of rice was revealed.


    For a moment, I was speechless.


    Then, a smile broke out on my face.


    It took so long, but the seed I had sown finally grew to its fullest, free for the harvest.


    The excitement that filled my chest made me feel antsy. I wanted to share this with someone, so I ran back into the palace, holding the grain of rice in my hand.


    As I passed through the entrance, I felt something cold touch the back of my neck, frightening me.


    I snapped around, but there was nobody behind me. I brushed the back of my neck with my finger, feeling a drop of water.


    It was a little confusing, but I decided to let it go.


    As of now, it was still fairly early. The others were probably still in their rooms. I planned on sharing it with everyone, even Mildred, though she was still unconscious.


    Considering the others probably didn''t want to be disturbed as they slept, I decided to go to Mildred''s room.


    A small smile formed on my face.


    I gently pushed open the door.


    "Mildred, I finally-"


    I froze.


    The smile remained still on my face while my eyes gradually began to widen.


    Many times I imagined that Mildred would have woken up after I pushed open the door, however, she would always just be sleeping.


    It slowly came to the point that the only thing I expected was that she would be lying down on the bed, even when a tiny hope in the back of my head told me something different.


    Maybe this time?


    Maybe tomorrow?


    However, my real expectation would be that she was asleep on the bed.


    Yet, that wasn''t the case.


    ...Not because she was awake.


    But because her head was missing altogether, along with a hole in her chest.


    A needlessly large amount of still-wet blood covered the room, smearing across the walls and ceiling.


    Mildred''s pillow was soaked with a terribly dark red color. A bit of blood was still coming out of her neck.


    The clothes around Mildred''s chest were similarly dark red. Some of the fabric slipped into the wound, almost like something punctured her.


    Mildred''s body was still in the same position as it had always been. It was almost like she was still sleeping peacefully.


    However, she wasn''t.


    Mildred was dead.


    And somebody killed her.


    The grain of rice I was holding dropped onto the floor.


    I fell to my knees while grabbing my skull with both hands. My pupils shook violently, almost like they were experiencing an earthquake.


    My fingers began digging into my skin, forming new wounds that began to bleed.


    My head hurt.


    It hurt so much.


    For a moment, it felt like I was sinking into an unbelievably deep ocean. The pressure overloaded my mind, making it feel as though my skull was going to cave in and explode outwards at the same time.


    There was an endless dark void deeper in the ocean. The only thing other than water was the faint silhouette of what looked like sharks swimming far in the distance.


    I continued to sink down in this ocean.


    The deeper I got, the more I understood the endlessness of the void.


    As for the sharks, their figures were slowly getting closer.


    They were still extremely vague, but some of their details, like the color of their skin, became clearer.


    I couldn''t take the pain.


    ...So I let the insanity seep into my mind.


    Like a drug, this strange numbness spread through my head, getting rid of the pain. Then, an uncontrollably strong uplifting sensation filled my mind.


    A smile gradually formed on my face.


    It was definitely not the most welcoming of smiles, especially when combined with the blood dripping down my face.


    The sensation was strange.


    I knew I had control over myself, like I could stop clawing away at my face. If I let it, my smile would disappear, replaced by a grieving frown. The strange sense of giddiness would leave me right away.


    But I didn''t want to.


    I just didn''t want to.


    I don''t want to.


    Why should I in the first place?


    Both sanity and insanity merged to create this strange state, almost like some freak experiment.


    Who?


    Who did this?


    Who dared?


    With shaking legs, I gradually stood up.


    I walked out of the room, and slowly closed the door as though my problems would all go away once they were out of sight.


    It felt as though my body had too much energy and desperately wanted to get rid of it. In an effort to stifle this feeling, I twisted my head around, stretching the skin of my neck one step away from the point of tearing.


    Then, I slowly began walking back.


    But that was when I heard a chuckle.


    It was coming from Ned''s room, but it definitely wasn''t Ned laughing. The pitch was far too high, like a little girl.


    It was at this moment I noticed that the door to Ned''s room was open ever so slightly. After pushing open the door slowly, my eyes widened further.


    Ned was face up on the ground, with a bloody hole in his chest.


    His eyes and mouth were wide open, but as lifeless they could be. Standing near the balcony was a little girl.


    She was tiny, even smaller than Erin, and had long black hair.


    The little girl was holding onto a still-beating heart, looking at it longingly. The heart wasn''t any normal heart, as half of it was crystallized. The crystallized was light blue and still stretched as it beat, almost like it was skin.


    At the little girl''s feet were Mildred''s head and another heart.


    There was a small trail of blood that started from the balcony railings and ended at the head and heart.


    I looked back at Ned''s lifeless eyes, then to Mildred''s.


    ...Then up to the little girl.


    She too looked back at me and flashed a smile.


    "Oh, hello there."


    It was as though the little girl was greeting a next-door neighbor. She had a white gown which would''ve looked nice if it wasn''t for the blood that covered it. However, that was no match for the amount of blood covering her hands that nearly became black.


    I slowly opened my mouth.


    "You..."


    This little girl...


    Was familiar.


    The feeling was slight, like it was on the tip of my tongue. In fact, it would be very easy to convince myself that it was a false belief.


    However, the more I thought about it, the more true it felt.


    I''ve seen this girl.


    I''ve seen this girl.


    I''VE SEEN THIS GIRL.


    ...And not in my visions.


    The first time I ever came out to the balcony of my room, I saw her talking with Ned.


    My breathing became terribly heavy.


    "You..."


    The little girl covered her mouth with the tips of her bloody fingers and giggled.


    "Well, I''ve gotten what I came here for. Though it''s still probably better to not leave any witnesses."


    Her figure blurred.


    Then, an empty feeling coursed through my body, starting from my chest.


    I looked down to see the little girl slowly pulling out my heart. A few fragments of the broken bones of my rib cage fell to the floor.


    The little girl looked up at me and I stared straight back.


    I could feel everything going black, but more than that, a tiny seed of rage began to sprout.


    "...I will kill you."


    The little girl laughed mockingly.


    "And how will you do that?"


    My body began trembling uncontrollably, both from the blood loss and anger.


    "I WILL KILL YOU."


    The little girl raised an eyebrow.


    "Ok, sure."


    A giggle seeped out of me, and with my last breath I forced out my last few words.


    "Just wait for me."


    Then it was black.


    ...


    "Um, why are you here?"

 Chapter 146 - A Demon Girl

    "Ow, you are pressing against my leg wound!"


    "Oh come on, you are constantly grating against my shoulder wound!"


    "But I can''t really help that now, can I?"


    I saw myself walking with a four-horned demon. I was missing my left arm, while she was missing her right leg. She had one arm wrapped around my shoulder to hold her up, but was brushing painfully against my wound.


    We weren''t moving the fastest as it was hard for us to coordinate moving while she had one leg and I had two.


    In a certain sense, we were having a three-legged race, except there were actually only three legs.


    My current mental state was going a little haywire, so seeing this vision made me quite irritated. I wanted to get out, but didn''t know how or if I even could in the first place.


    The four-horned demon and I continued walking through the forest with ragged breaths.


    It felt really boring, frustratingly so.


    I wasn''t entirely sure if it was because the vision was actually taking a long time or my impatient state, but I just wanted it to be over.


    The four-horned demon sighed as we traveled.


    "...I''m hungry."


    I turned to her and raised an eyebrow.


    "Didn''t you just eat my arm a moment ago?"


    The four-horned demon rolled her eyes.


    "Yeah, and didn''t I just tell you about the whole problem about being a demon?"


    I blinked a few times awkwardly.


    "Ah right, you need a lot of food."


    The four-horned demon sighed.


    "Yes, it will probably be a great burden for you to bring me along."


    A short moment of silence lingered between us as we continued forth.


    Suddenly, a chuckle escaped me.


    "I suppose you will just be one more that I carry with me."


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "It''s going to be a damn heavy burden. You know that right?"


    I shrugged my shoulders, then immediately winced in pain right after. After all, my arm was currently missing, so shrugging my shoulders meant I scratched the wound against the four-horned demon''s shoulder.


    After shaking my head, I finished my sentence.


    "I''m basically carrying the weight of the world already. I can''t imagine you will be that heavy in comparison."


    The four-horned demon giggled.


    "Wow, you can even carry the world, you must be so strong."


    A smirk formed on my face.


    "Why of course."


    As we kept on walking, I eventually stopped and pointed at a bush with quite a few blueberries.


    "Wait, I remember being able to eat those berries fine. Would you be able to eat it as a demon?"


    The four-horned demon nodded.


    "When it comes to food, there are practically no differences between demons and humans. Even what we find appetizing is pretty much the same."


    I scratched the side of my head.


    "Ah, I see."


    With that, we slowly walked over to the bush and the four-horned demon hurriedly picked berry after berry. She ended up rustling the bush quite a bit in the process, almost like they would disappear if she didn''t get them fast enough.


    Only when she was about to eat the last berry, did she pause.


    "Ah, did you want some?"


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "I just wanted one."


    The four-horned demon cleared her throat.


    "Alright."


    She gently plucked the last berry and brought it over towards my hand.


    "Here."


    After bringing my hand over, she dropped it. I tossed it into my mouth and chewed.


    "Thanks."


    The taste of rotten leg had still lingered in my mouth. However, the moment I bit down on the blueberry, a strong sweetness spread through my mouth, covering up some of the bad taste left over.


    As we continued through the forest, we encountered a wolf. It was much smaller than the wolves I was used to seeing. However, the current size of the wolf seemed more normal.


    Much more normal, in fact.


    The wolf slowly walked forward, staring at us intently. It could probably smell the blood from our injuries.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Damn, I really hope this is a lone wolf."


    The four-horned demon smiled.


    "If there is a pack, that simply means there is more to eat."


    I sighed.


    "More to eat for who exactly?"


    Without warning, the wolf howled.


    I clicked my tongue.


    "Ah, it is a pack."


    I reached for my belt and pulled out a knife. After taking a step forward, breaking off with the four-horned demon, I pointed it towards the wolf.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Then, I was behind the wolf, while the wolf had a bloody mark on the bottom of its neck. It was in the middle of howling, but was cut off.


    Then, it fell to the ground lifelessly.


    The four-horned demon raised an eyebrow.


    "Is the howl for gathering other wolves?"


    I turned around to look at her.


    "Uh, I think so?"


    The four-horned demon hopped a little, losing her balance with one foot.


    "Then why did you stop it? There won''t be any problem if they come."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "I don''t have good memories of being swarmed by wolves. Plus, it''s not like they aren''t going to come. They still heard the howl after all."


    The four-horned demon hopped over to a tree and placed one hand on it for balance.


    "Ah, then we just wait here?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "...My preference would be leaving. Maybe if we both had our limbs I would be willing to try, but not having my arm really limits me."


    The four-horned demon shook her head.


    "If it''s only wolves, I should be able to take care of them all."


    I looked at the four-horned demon silently for a few moments.


    "Even if there are thirty or so?"


    The four-horned demon smirked.


    "That would just be better. You may want to get behind me. Having four horns symbolizes my strength, but not how in control I am of that strength."


    After hesitating for a second, I walked behind the four-horned demon. However, that turned out to be rather pointless.


    That was because we were suddenly surrounded on all ends by what seemed to be about forty wolves.


    I cleared my throat.


    "Um, what is the plan?"


    The four-horned demon rubbed her chin with her thumb and forefinger.


    "Just a second. I''m thinking of a spell that won''t mess up the food."


    Nearly a hundred eyes that seemed to be glowing were looking intently at us. At first, they were only circulating around, but they gradually began to approach.


    When I saw the scene in front of me, I felt my rageful state calm a little bit. This made me wonder if the wolves still moved in packs once it snowed.


    If that was the case, then I lucked out all those times in not encountering a pack consisting of forty giant wolves.


    The four-horned demon was muttering to herself.


    "Fire? Maybe that would even cook them preemptively... No, that would probably burn them."


    At this time, the wolves decided to stop circulating and start closing in. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. After tucking away my knife, I patted the four-horned demon on the shoulder.


    "Uh, sorry to disturb you, but they are getting closer."


    The four-horned demon waved her hand dismissively.


    "I got it, I got it."


    The wolves started to get even closer and were going a bit faster.


    In the meantime, the four-horned demon simply continued muttering to herself, even opting to close her eyes.


    "The earth spell? That wouldn''t burn them... but it would also crush all the meat."


    The wolves seemed to think that the two in front of them were helpless prey and began to run towards them.


    This made me anxiously shake the four-horned demon''s shoulder.


    "They are coming!"


    As for the four-horned demon, she ignored my shaking completely.


    "Ah right, why didn''t I think of that."


    The wolves pounced, prompting me to scream.


    "Shi-"


    Before I could finish speaking, the four-horned demon picked me up by the waist, then threw me up into the air.


    All of the wolves pounced straight towards her, but she just leisurely swung her arm around in a full circle.


    ...But it didn''t seem to be doing anything.


    I reached my hand out.


    "No!"


    The wolves continued forth, about to land on the four-horned demon. And they did.


    However, upon collision, they split in two, with a horizontal cut. Then, the halves of wolves fell to the ground lifelessly.


    Almost like that was a signal, every tree within fifty meters began tilting away from the four-horned demon, almost like they were trying to give way. With a smash, several trees landed on the ground, leaving stumps in their original location.


    The four-horned demon sat down on the stump next to her.


    "The water spell."


    I fell back down from the air and the four-horned demon caught me before I hit the ground.


    She flashed a smirk.


    "See? Even if there were a hundred, it would be just as easy."


    I nodded in a daze.


    "Y-Yeah...."

 Chapter 147 - Cold Night

    "Was that... really a water spell?"


    I was sitting down next to the four-horned demon on a stump. The reason that stump was there was that the four-horned demon cut through it with her spell.


    As well as forty or so wolves and every tree within a fifty-meter radius.


    There didn''t seem to be any water that was involved, which was probably what made me ask that question.


    The four-horned demon shrugged her shoulders.


    "There is water, it''s just hard to see."


    She pointed towards one of the fallen trees.


    "Watch carefully, I will try to make it appear more visible."


    The four-horned demon flicked her finger, sending out a slightly shimmering line of water. Despite its small size, it cleanly split past the wood, splitting the trunk into two.


    I gasped.


    "You used that tiny thing to just..."


    I looked around myself.


    "Do all of this?"


    The four-horned demon laughed.


    "It is easier to cut using something thinner and sharper. Obviously, I''m going to make it as thin as possible."


    My face twitched.


    "You say that like it''s simple to use a strand of water to cut through a tree."


    The four-horned demon giggled.


    "Well, it''s not that hard."


    She said it a bit sarcastically.


    A small sigh escaped me. With my remaining hand, I took a gemstone that was hanging on my belt.


    "The only way I can even cast spells is with something like this."


    The four-horned demon looked at the thing I was holding in my hand.


    "Ah... the heart of a demon that has been transformed by the mana volcano."


    I blinked in surprise.


    "What? This is a heart?"


    The four-horned demon shrugged her shoulders.


    "Yeah."


    I stared at the gemstone for a few more moments.


    "...Really doesn''t look like a heart."


    The four-horned demon sighed.


    "Because it is no longer a heart that pumps blood, but mana."


    I slowly nodded.


    "I see."


    The four-horned demon turned to look at the wolf corpses scattered across the floor.


    "Anyways, we should get to cooking before they rot."


    I got up off the stump.


    "Alright."


    With that, I watched the four-horned demon and me gather branches. Then, we set up a campfire and roasted large pieces of meat skewered on sticks.


    ...It took quite a while.


    Frustratingly long.


    Why was this vision going on for so long?


    It made me wonder about the nature of them. Was there any pattern or reason for the visions that I saw?


    Some of them seemed relatively related to the moment before they appeared, but this strange calm state truly contrasted with my unstable state.


    I hastily grabbed one of the skewers that let out a concerning sizzling sound.


    "Um..."


    The four-horned demon turned to look at the skewer in my hand.


    "How did you even burn it already?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Come on, I''m not a professional cook, ok?"


    The four-horned demon leisurely picked up one of the skewers near her, which was not burned.


    "Well, not a competent cook either."


    My face twitched.


    I began waving the skewer in front of her face.


    "Like you are so much better than me because you didn''t burn yours!"


    The four-horned demon giggled while dodging the swings of my skewer. She even bit one of the pieces of meat and chewed it up. After swallowing, she nodded.


    "Yep, burnt."


    A twitching smile formed on my face. Then, I sighed and brought it back to eat.


    The four-horned demon wasn''t lying about her appetite. While I could only eat part of a wolf, she was able to finish off every single wolf that was here and still seemed hungry for more.


    I raised my finger in the air.


    "...Is there just a black hole in your stomach? Where did it all go?"


    The four-horned demon shrugged.


    "By the time I take the second bite, the first bite has already been digested. As you gain more horns as a demon the faster your digestion."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Huh, interesting."


    With that, I watched the two of us continue for even longer, still traversing through the forest.


    The frustration was starting to get to me. This was definitely the longest vision I ever experienced and that wasn''t just an illusion because of my current state.


    ...There had to be some way to end it early.


    However, I was basically being controlled by whatever this vision was. There was no way for me to move my body.


    Which left my mind.


    Or maybe my soul?


    I''m not exactly sure what let me be conscious like this. But regardless, this was going on for far too long.


    With my thoughts, I tried to forcibly get out of the vision.


    ...Then, my vision began to twist, while the sound became a blur.


    My body stopped walking, prompting the four-horned demon to stop and look at me. I couldn''t make out the expression since my vision was twisted.


    With a bit more effort, my vision twisted even further.


    That was when I started to speak, but the words were getting vague.


    "Hey, this is probably really late, but my name is Zero-One. What is yours?"


    From here, everything continued twisting on its own, almost like I flicked a switch, turning it on.


    The four-horned demon smiled.


    "Haha, that is a weird thing to forget. My name is-"


    The only thing I heard was muffles.


    ...That was bad timing. If only I was a little more patient.


    Everything became black like I was in a room that was painted pitch black and had no windows.


    A little bit of regret seeped into me. If I figured out that demon''s name, I might''ve been able to find her and even ask for help. I guess it''s too late now.


    While standing in this black void, my head felt a little fuzzy. Then, a minor pain formed in my head, like a mini headache.


    Suddenly, I woke up, sitting up in a bed.


    Looking around, I realized that this was my room. I lifted the sheets off me and got up. The room was dark, meaning it was probably night, but I got over to the balcony and pulled aside the curtains just to be sure.


    A wave of cool air swept past me while my eyes were presented with a starry sky and a full moon. My eyes narrowed while my head snapped to the left.


    If this was the night of the day we got summoned, that meant the little girl should be on Ned''s balcony.


    ...But she wasn''t.


    I looked up to the sky, but not even a speck of snow was in the air. I dug deep into my memories and recalled that the snow only came at the start of the third day. Using that, I could determine this was the second night, right before it would begin snowing.


    Though that was assuming it began to snow at the usual schedule.


    I rubbed my temple with my palm.


    What determined when it would snow anyway?


    ...It definitely had something to do with Ned. I remembered overhearing that girl talking to Ned previously. It seemed she had shown up to visit Ned several times when nobody else was around.


    From how it looked, that girl seemed to have some sort of connection to the snow as well.


    My eyes narrowed as another realization hit me.


    The time I was holding onto the grain of rice and heading back to the palace, there was a cold feeling on the back of my neck. When I felt it, there was only water.


    At the time, I didn''t think about it.


    But that was snow.


    It was snowing.


    I put my elbows down on the railing and pressed both hands to the sides of my head.


    That girl... she must''ve been the one that made it snow in the first place. The early winter that doomed so many people.


    My fingers began digging into my skull.


    The whole reason I created the growing spell was that I thought it would solve the problem of starvation everyone had and fix this world.


    But that wouldn''t work, because that early winter was created by someone. In other words, they would find their own way to cause suffering if hunger didn''t work.


    There was a fuzzy pain in my head, but I could tell that it wasn''t from a headache.


    Because the pain from a headache was festering right now.


    This pain... it just wouldn''t go away.


    Since it came after I forcibly ended the vision, that was probably the consequence of not sitting through the vision.


    I looked down at the ground.


    Now that I think about it, I''ve been waking up later and later after dying.


    ...Which meant that there was a cost for dying.


    I was on a clock the entire time, I just didn''t see it.


    Nonetheless, it would all start by finding that girl. Heat began rushing to my head, making it warm despite the outside temperature.


    It was a cold night.


    But I was seething.

 Chapter 148 - An Almost Silent Night

    I decided to head out after taking a jacket, without talking to anyone. Chances are, I wouldn''t be able to talk to them normally.


    ...Plus, they didn''t remember me anymore.


    I closed my eyes as I walked down the streets. My back faced the palace. Though my goal was to protect them, it almost felt like I was abandoning them.


    But there was simply no time to waste. Each second was precious, even if it did not seem like it.


    The streets were very quiet, but that was to be expected since it was the middle of the night. Thankfully the full moon gave off a decent amount of light, making it easy enough to see my way forward.


    As I walked, my mind slowly gathered mana to form a few spells. The first priority was definitely the healing spell because my body would break down after a few foundational spells.


    By the time I made it to the outskirts of the kingdom, I had finished the healing spell. There was a strong pain in my chest, but that was it. Forming another spell might be pushing it, however, I figured that testing my limits would need to be done one day or another.


    Yet, before I could do it...


    "What the hell''s this guy doing here?"


    "Some more free money I suppose. Just catch him."


    There were two burly men standing outside the doors of a fairly large house almost like they were guarding it. They seemed to be interested in me.


    I shot a glance towards them.


    "I have no time for you."


    One of the men smiled viciously.


    "Talking big now, are we?"


    The two of them walked up to me leisurely, cutting off my path ahead.


    It pissed me off.


    One of the men laughed and threw a fist towards me.


    "Know your place!"


    I stepped to the side, dodging his fist, and threw my own punch with all the power I had.


    The sound of bones cracking resounded.


    My own bones. The man cringed in pain from my punch, but the damage I took was far greater. My body was simply too weak right now. As though realizing this, the man smiled and grabbed my arm with his free hand.


    "You got nowhere to go now!"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh, really?"


    The man took a swing at my face as my eyes widened and my pupils constricted. His strike missed. As for me, I appeared behind him.


    Both of the men were surprised.


    "Where did he go?"


    One turned around.


    "Wait, behind you!"


    I put both hands on the shoulder of the man I appeared behind and pulled my head back. Then, without concern about my skull, I slammed mine against his.


    A frighteningly loud cracking sound rang out.


    My vision immediately became blurry while a loud ringing noise filled my ears. I couldn''t even feel my body, though I knew from the pain in my head that my skull cracked.


    Without delay, I casted the healing spell. At first, it only brought more pain, but it rapidly subsided. Once my vision cleared, I was greeted with a fist right in front of my face.


    A dull thud rang out.


    My face hurt pretty bad. My head had snapped back from the hit and even knocked me off my feet. With a bang, I landed on the ground and had the air knocked out of me.


    Though it hurt, I had already gone through way worse. On top of that, the remnant effects of the healing spell healed those injuries too.


    In less than a second, I was up on my feet.


    The man that I headbutted was face-first on the ground. There was a small pool of blood under his head while he himself was no longer moving.


    As for the man that punched me, he had a frown on his face. The fist he used to punch me was clenched tightly and dripping with a bit of blood. The man did not lunge towards me like I expected.


    Instead, he pulled out a small purple stone and crushed it, creating a familiar magical diagram.


    My eyes narrowed.


    I recognized it immediately as the messenger stone.


    The man smirked.


    "So you''re a mage, huh? No wonder you could slip right past us, you even had a dash ability."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    What was this guy talking about?


    The man laughed as though he figured me out.


    "You might''ve escaped with that seamlessly last time, but now you''ve shown yourself. In your next life, don''t be so confident!"


    My eyes narrowed.


    "What are you talking about?"


    The man cackled.


    "There''s no point in playing dumb, it''s already too late!"


    I heard shuffling sounds and looked over my shoulder.


    There were burly men surrounding me on all ends.


    "Heh. Don''t worry, we won''t kill you straight away!"


    "But if you obediently give us that back, then it will be a swift death."


    "You will have to tell us sooner or later, just make this easy on us."


    With just a rough count, I could see at least twenty of them. At first, I was only interested in not wasting time and getting out of here, but they kept mentioning ''that'' which made me curious.


    I slowly raised my head.


    "What is this thing you are talking about?"


    One of the men laughed and lunged at me with his fist.


    "Still playing dumb now are we?"


    ...It seemed I would need to use a bit of force.


    My skin tore open while wild gales whipped around me. I sidestepped the man''s hit, letting it brush right by my face. My cheek even felt the warmth of his skin.


    Although I was a little concerned for my body, I casted the control vines spell. My mind hurt from it, but it only took several seconds to form.


    A tiny vine budded from my hand and rapidly grew larger.


    As for the man, he turned to look at the vines in surprise. He attempted to back off, but they wrapped around his neck anyways. I lifted him up in the air before slamming him back down on the ground.


    He was immediately knocked unconscious, prompting the others to charge in too. Despite the amount of mana I was channeling into the vine spell, there was a relatively low burden placed on my body. Maybe if the men knew how strong it could become, they would run away instead.


    The vines rapidly increased to the length of ten meters. The feeling of strength was overwhelming, but I could hardly control it. But thankfully, I didn''t need to.


    Nearly twenty men attempted to close in on me, but I swept with my new massive vine.


    Several deep thuds rang out one after another.


    The first man hit was carried along like a ragdoll. His eyes rolled into the back of his head while the side of his rib cage shattered. Similar fates happened to each of the others. Some of their limbs were ripped off while others directly lost their heads.


    There were two things in common they all had.


    Their blood was splattered across the ground and they had died.


    It was a relatively off-putting scene seeing various limbs and heads on the ground, especially since they were torn off messily with strands of flesh attached to them.


    I looked down at the only survivor who was knocked unconscious earlier.


    First, I casted the healing spell on myself, restoring the damage I took from all those spells. After that, I casted the water spell and let it splash on the man''s head.


    He began to choke and spit out the water before waking up.


    "What the..."


    I looked him straight in the eyes.


    "Tell me about this thing that was stolen."


    The man blinked a few times, still not understanding the situation he was in.


    "Huh?"


    The man looked to his left, then his right.


    "...What?"


    The vines were still attached to my hand. My original intention was to constrict his limbs with them, but I quickly realized that I would probably kill him. So instead, I slammed the vines next to the man''s head.


    With a crash, several stone fragments flew in the air.


    The man cringed, moving his head away from the vine.


    "Stop, stop!"


    I tilted my head to the side ever so slightly.


    "Tell me now."


    The man furrowed his brows.


    "Tell you what?"


    I brought my face a little closer to the man.


    "The thing that was stolen. You were talking about it earlier, no?"


    The man narrowed his eyes.


    "Weren''t you the one that stole it? Why do you care?"


    I sighed.


    "That doesn''t matter, just tell me what it is. Unless you want to share the same fate as your pathetic friends."


    The man seemed to be at a loss for a moment, but quickly recovered himself.


    "Er, it is a small purple amulet."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "What does it do?"

 Chapter 149 - An Amulet

    The man blinked a few times.


    "The amulet? I... I think it''s some sort of valuable."


    I nodded my head a few times, but suddenly stopped. The man in front of me was looking to the side, unable to make eye contact with me.


    I brought my face closer and forced him to look me straight in the eyes.


    "Why are you lying?"


    Beads of sweat formed on the man''s forehead.


    "W-What do you mean?"


    I sighed.


    "If you just tell me the truth, I can make it painless."


    The man grit his teeth.


    "What are you talking about?"


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "I think you know exactly what I''m talking about. Weren''t you the one that proudly said it?"


    An overly pretentious expression formed on my face.


    "Heh. Don''t worry! We won''t kill you straight away!"


    The man tensed up.


    "Wait, you can''t kill me! At least let me live!"


    A giggle seeped out from between my clenched teeth.


    "Hmm? But then that would make me a liar! I already made my promise!"


    The man looked desperate.


    "Promise? How did you even promise that?"


    I slowly pulled back the bundle of vines, curling them up in the process because of their sheer length. It was at a speed that let the man realize what was happening.


    I made sure of it.


    The man''s face began twitching uncontrollably.


    "What are you doing?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Keeping my promise."


    The man scrunched his face up.


    "You can''t be serious!"


    Something told me that he was going to be difficult until I showed him a little pain. And so, I made him know that I was indeed serious.


    By smashing the vine down on his hand.


    A bang filled the air along with several cracking sounds.


    The man began to cry in pain, but that was reasonable considering his hand was smushed into really chunky tomato sauce.


    As the man continued to scream out in pain, I repeated myself.


    "What is this thing you are talking about?"


    After a few moments, the man calmed down. However, he was now panting heavily and even sweating. The man''s pupils seemed to be shaking slightly, unable to take the pain.


    I decided to ask once more.


    "What is this thing you are talking about?"


    The man blinked rapidly, as though he only now understood his situation. He clenched his teeth.


    "I-It''s an amulet that holds something! Apparently, there''s something really precious inside, but the boss doesn''t know how to open it."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "And someone stole it?"


    The man nodded, but with a bit of confusion.


    "Y-Yes?"


    I smiled.


    "I see."


    Then, I raised the bundle of vines up once more.


    And dropped it down on his head.


    The man''s eyes widened.


    "No!"


    He tried to use his remaining hand to block the vine, finding inner strength once his life was threatening to make it. However, it was meaningless.


    The vine easily pierced through the man''s hand and then through his skull.


    The man''s arm fell lifelessly to the side.


    I stopped channeling mana into the vine, letting it decay rapidly, and continued my walk. Many thoughts coursed through my head, centering around this strange amulet that the man mentioned.


    It seemed like I was too late as someone had already stolen it and there was supposedly something valuable inside. I rubbed my chin with my index finger and thumb, partly entranced by the steady taps of my footsteps on the cobblestone path.


    Though what was inside the amulet piqued my interest, two other things were even more intriguing to me.


    How the amulet someone kept this valuable inside.


    And who was the one that stole it.


    From what the guard said, they didn''t even catch a glimpse of the thief. Because of that and a series of other events, they assumed that I must''ve been the person sneaking around and taking things.


    ...Though I could try to investigate this now, I imagined it was better to try next time. Maybe if I got an early enough start, it would be me that stole the amulet instead.


    After that episode, the rest of the journey through the village was uneventful.


    I stared at the forest spread out in front of me and felt a little estranged. Instead of being covered by snow, the forest was lush and green. It was hard to see, granted it was night. However, the sight still made me feel strange.


    I made my way through the trees, feeling my feet sink into the muddy ground. Although the snow wasn''t the most stable, this still felt new to me because during the cold winter, the ground had hardened considerably.


    It quickly became too hard to see since the trees blocked out most of the light that the full moon gave off, when it was already so little.


    For a few moments, I deliberated over whether or not I should walk through the forest with my fire spell active. From the vision earlier on, there should be a chance to encounter a pack of wolves.


    While I did have the teleport spell to escape, I figured it was best not to teleport around recklessly when there were so many trees I could teleport into.


    That was when an idea struck me.


    After gathering some mana, I held out my hand in front of me. Suddenly, a tiny flame appeared right above the palm of my hand.


    This was the firebolt spell in combination with the strange diagram from the control vines spell. It started small and needed an egregious amount of mana to expand slightly. However, that wasn''t bad for me in this case, because I simply wanted a small flame.


    I covered the flame with both hands and found it basically got rid of all the light. This way, I wouldn''t be caught so easily. After a bit of hesitation, I tried to cover the flame with only the hand that was holding it, but stopped once I felt my fingers get singed.


    During the time I experimented with covering the light, I was also walking forward.


    And when I was finished, I turned my head to the side and saw a blueberry bush. I blinked a few times in surprise. Almost instinctively, I reached out and plucked one of the berries and tossed it into my mouth.


    It was sweet, just like in the vision.


    I continued to eat a few more before leaving. There were still quite a few berries left, but frankly, it was probably a waste of time. They hardly sated my appetite given the amount of time needed to pick them.


    For the majority of the time, I covered the small flame with both hands. Only occasionally, would I part them ever so slightly to get a quick glimpse of the terrain around me.


    After closing my hands together, I began to walk forward. With my memory of the land ahead, I stepped around the trees and their roots. I lifted my hand for only a moment and saw a flash of something familiar.


    It was a red and yellow pepper.


    Although I was focusing on the place around me, I was also sifting through my memories. I set my first goal, which was to reclaim that black crown and crystal. That meant I would have to kill the lizard king once more.


    Frankly, that thing was just far too huge to kill with conventional means.


    Though I have learned the control vines spell, I doubted it would be able to do anything against that massive lizard. After all, it was roughly fifty meters tall.


    That meant I would have to get the peppers once more.


    Thankfully, after a bit of wandering, I was able to find it.


    The yellow and red pepper both let out a soft glow. It was so soft, that once even the tiny bit of light from my flame shone on them, the glow disappeared.


    I walked up to them and kneeled down next to them. My mind gradually formed the encase spell, but halfway through I decided to stop myself from completing it.


    ...I learned a derivative that let me grow plants.


    So what would happen if I used it on these peppers?


    The curiosity was simply too much for me. I pointed one finger towards the peppers and held the tiny flame to the side, giving off a bit of flickering light.


    Thankfully, I remembered that my body was still fairly weak, thus I prepared a healing spell in advance. From there, I let loose the derivative spell onto the plants. Like the control vines spell, I could continuously channel mana into this growth spell.


    At first, it seemed like nothing was happening. However, I just barely noticed that they were increasing in size.


    Seeing this, I decided to continue.


    The peppers continued to grow in size. My eyes were intently trained on them, watching them change in size.


    But because of that, it took me a little too long to realize the peppers were falling.


    Because the stalk was withering.

 Chapter 150 - Wildfire

    At the last moment, I noticed that the peppers were falling to the ground because the stalk was withering away. Unfortunately, it was already too late at that point.


    In the first split second of realization, there was no panic. I simply didn''t think that anything would happen other than the peppers landing on the ground. However, there was a voice in the back of my mind that called me an idiot for thinking that way.


    After all, they were the peppers that naturally turned any snow that touched it into water. Once put into a pool of ice-cold water, it heated it up fast enough to turn that water into steam.


    Once put into a really large lizard, they essentially caused him to blow up entirely.


    So why could I possibly think nothing would happen when the peppers touched the ground?


    A clear sizzling sound filled the air.


    The peppers landed on the ground.


    Then, a full-blown flame rose from the ground. I began to panic. My skin tore open while mana rapidly gathered into water spells within my body.


    One after another, balls of water appeared out of my palm.


    However, in the second it took to cast those balls of water, the flame spread immensely and soared high into the skies. By the time the water landed on the flame, it barely did anything to slow it.


    I was forced to backpedal in order to not be caught up by the flames.


    My eyes narrowed.


    It seemed the result of my actions led to some pretty bad consequences, but I was unwilling to give up on the peppers. After all, they were my ticket towards gaining a huge surge of power that would help greatly in and further endeavors.


    Countless thoughts flashed through my mind.


    Until a rather insane plan formed.


    I casted another water spell, but didn''t attempt to put out the flame. Instead, I let it splash on top of me, getting myself wet. It was uncomfortable, but I could hardly care about that now.


    Then, I casted a variation of the encase spell. It was one I made by combining the strange deformed diagram in the control vines spell with the original encase spell.


    After a few moments, a thin layer of ice covered my hands. It was terribly cold, making it feel as though my hands were actually burning. However, I was still able to move my hands.


    Enough to grab something.


    As the flames continued to spread, I stepped forward. Right when the flame was about to reach me, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    I teleported right where the peppers were, or the center of the flame.


    Almost immediately, I could feel my flesh burning. The water did not even prevent the pain for more than a single second. Yet, I still reached down and picked up each pepper with one hand.


    The layer of ice that coated my hand lasted even shorter than the water. The chilling sensation that felt like burning suddenly became a real burning feeling.


    With clenched teeth, I endured the pain despite it nearly overloading my mind.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted once again.


    I teleported a little far from the fire and thankfully didn''t teleport into any trees. My jacket had caught aflame while the skin on the palm of my hand turned black.


    The moment I reappeared, I tossed the peppers into the air. Then, I recklessly gathered the mana to cast two encase spells.


    One encase spell finished, catching the red pepper while it was in the air. Then, right before the yellow pepper hit the ground, I caught it too.


    Though it was a success, there was no time to celebrate.


    I hurriedly cast a water spell to put out the fire that formed on my coat, then coughed out blood.


    For a moment, I thought I was attacked, but quickly realized that it was actually the consequence of casting so many spells consecutively.


    This body was still weak.


    I hurriedly cast the healing spell and upon completing it, my consciousness nearly disappeared. Normally, I would''ve just let my consciousness go at this point.


    The only issue was the flames behind me that were rapidly spreading.


    And so, I forcefully endured the agonizing pain my mind went through to retain consciousness.


    My body was shaking.


    I grit my teeth as hard as I could.


    I even began foaming at the mouth.


    But I was conscious.


    My ears picked up on the crackle of flame right behind me. Smoke had already filled the air, making me cough. I hurriedly picked up the peppers that were now encased with ice. If I forgot them at this point, it would simply be too much.


    I teleported forth once more, feeling a bit of flame lick my back.


    Due to curiosity, I couldn''t help but look over my shoulder. Although the source of the flames, the peppers, were gone, the flames continued to spread out rapidly.


    They forced me to flee.


    My hands were sending me several mixed signals of pain consisting of excessive cold and hot. Even when I put the encased peppers into my pocket, this remained true.


    It was as though my hands couldn''t make up their mind on what kind of pain they wanted to transmit to my brain. I guess it might''ve been because of the number of times they shifted between touching ice and burning.


    Nonetheless, I had no time to lament over the pain as the fire was catching up.


    The only thing left for me was to continue running.


    ...However, I ended up having to run for a long time.


    At first, it was the residual heat that ended up hurting the most. My coughs became more violent because of the smoke I began breathing in.


    I began teleporting to get farther from the fire. From the occasional glances over my shoulder, I was able to see how fast the fire was traveling.


    And while I wasn''t experienced in the spreading of fire, this was definitely faster than what it should''ve been. The only saving grace was that the fire behind me gave off plenty of light.


    The constant use of teleportation quickly brought a burden on my mind. My vision was getting blurry, which was really bad when needing to determine a safe location to teleport.


    However, I kept going despite the risk.


    Yet, I found myself unable to teleport with such frequency after only a few minutes of running. Not to mention, having my mind so muddled would make it hard for me to reach my desired destination.


    The cave that housed all those black lizards.


    And so, I began running with all I had. My eyes were strained to their limits to make sense of the terrain around me.


    However, the difference between a snowy forest and one filled with vegetation was quite big already. It wasn''t like one of the trees was my pal Jeremy that would give me directions.


    Though I tried to use the information of my terrain, I ended up having to use my intuition for the most part.


    Eventually, the sun peeked over the horizon, slowly rising into the air. In other words, I had been running for the majority of the night.


    By now, it was not the burning sensation that hurt the most or my mind, but simply physical exhaustion.


    That was not to say I didn''t teleport, because I did. The catch was I only teleported when I believed my mind could handle it.


    Upon looking up into the air, I could catch a few snowflakes falling from the sky. It gave me a little hope that the cold would be able to put out the fire. Unfortunately, it didn''t seem to slow it down at all, at least not for now.


    Yet, as bad as the situation was, it wasn''t hopeless.


    Suddenly, my eyes widened while a jolt passed through me.


    A familiar hill was before me, the one that had the entryway to those black lizards and the canyon. I took one last glance over my shoulder before searching for some sort of hole I could within.


    My eyes scanned the side of the hill while my feet continued to slam down against the ground. A hint of despair began seeping in.


    Because the hole wasn''t there.


    The crackle of flame got closer and closer, but I stubbornly continued searching. However, this also meant the flames caught up.


    The fire caught onto my hair and jacket.


    Yet, right when I thought it was all over, my body phased right through the ground underneath me.


    My body spun a few times in the air. I quickly regained myself and covered the back of my head with my hands. My back slammed hard onto the cave floor, knocking the wind out of me.


    However, the fire on my clothes disappeared. Up above, the flames passed by but didn''t enter.


    I was about to let out a sigh of relief, but that was when I saw a three-horned demon dragging its mace towards me.

 Chapter 151 - Straight To The King

    Still a little muddled from the pain, I stood up. The grating sounds of the mace being dragged against the floor were grating against my ears, filling my mind with anxiety.


    It was now that I realized I didn''t get a wooden stake, or any weapon for that matter. In other words, since there was no mana in this place, there was little I could realistically do.


    ...Unless I was willing to sacrifice my hand in order to take this three-horned demon down. Wait, what constituted as a weapon I could use anyway?


    As that question appeared in my mind, it quickly disappeared as I realized that the dragging sound was getting terribly close.


    In desperation, I held out my hand in front of me and decided to think about the consequences later. Since I couldn''t cast the healing spell here, it was probably a terrible idea.


    If I retreated back outside of the cave to cast spells, I would be thrown right back into the flames.


    However, there was nothing else I knew to do at this point and I planned on trying everything I could.


    My eyes widened with determination.


    And then...


    They narrowed.


    The three-horned demon in front of me collapsed. My eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness and let me see what was in front of me.


    While it was indeed true a three-horned demon was in front of me, its body was unbelievably thin and its body a pale grey, unlike its normal black color. Although it brought its mace along with it, the fact was, the three-horned demon could only barely drag it along with itself.


    Now, The mace lay by its side while the three-horned demon itself was face down on the ground.


    After a bit of unsteady breathing, I gradually calmed down.


    I reflected on my past thoughts and realized they were quite foolish. There was no need to force myself to confront the demon in front of me. After all, I could run away.


    That would be much easier with the ability to teleport.


    However, my mind instantly locked onto the idea that I had to kill. That it was either the three-horned demon or me.


    ...My mentality seemed to be a little more self-destructive than before.


    Regardless, the fact that I didn''t have any weapon on me was still going to be a fairly major problem. After all, I still had to get through the black lizards in order to reach the lizard king. In essence, there was no real way for me to kill any of the black lizards.


    That is, unless I wanted to give up the peppers. However, that was my only way to kill the lizard king, so I wouldn''t do that unless I had become an idiot.


    I began walking forward silently, right past the three-horned demon.


    For a moment, I considered bringing along the mace, but my body seriously couldn''t support more than a couple of swings with that. Considering that there was no magic here, that meant the inability to use the healing spell.


    In other words, the condition of my body was precious while I was still inside here.


    And so, I walked down the cave path with the intention of fleeing as much as possible.


    I was able to reach the part where the cave split into two paths without encountering any of the black lizards. It was a little frightening as my vision really didn''t extend far. Though I had dealt with this before, the lack of vision was jarring, especially because of the fact I was unarmed.


    Nonetheless, I walked down the left path, remembering that this was the way towards the black lizard ecosystem.


    It was also where I remembered there being several black lizards here. With slow and silent steps, I walked forward.


    I intently looked in front of me, trying to catch any sign of the black lizards before they reached me. For what felt like an eternity, there were no lizards.


    The paranoia made me occasionally glance at the side to see if they were there or even behind me. Although there was nothing there, it felt as though they were crawling at my sides or following from just behind me.


    I put myself under the illusion that the black lizards were all around me.


    However, no matter how much I scared myself, my steps steadily moved on.


    My eyes continued to dart all over the place.


    Left, right, behind, front.


    Then eventually, I saw the tip of a black lizard''s mouth. Adrenaline immediately kicked in and my mind was ready to teleport at any moment.


    ...But the lizard wasn''t moving.


    I took another step forward and realized it was a baby black lizard that had died. There were no external wounds that told me so, but its emaciated body told me the whole story. It had died of starvation.


    I spent a second watching over the baby lizard. But in that second, my ears caught onto what sounded like a snap. My ears listened in more closely and heard the sound of flesh being torn.


    I slowly took another step forward and saw that a larger black lizard was feeding off the corpse of the baby lizard, not even sparing the bones. The lack of kinship was not too surprising to me.


    After all, the black lizard would probably starve to death otherwise.


    I walked down the side of the cave in order to avoid the black lizard and was able to walk past it without getting noticed.


    The cave walls gradually spread out and to my surprise, the cave walls spread out to the side. It was no longer a path, but a large enclosement. From what I recalled, I met several black lizards on my journey here, but now there was only one.


    I hugged the left wall and slowly walked across it, not forgetting to look down occasionally. My goal was the tiny black crystal that let me see everything.


    And soon enough, upon casting my eyes down, I saw that tiny black crystal. I bent down to pick it up with my thumb and index finger. The instant that I touched it, my vision cleared up.


    It was as though I had been closing my eyes this entire time and only decided to open them up now.


    I took a brief scan of the vast expanse before me.


    Far down this expanse was the lizard king, sleeping peacefully. It seemed like all the bigger and stronger black lizards were also either leisurely sleeping or eating. However, things were not so peaceful near the entrance of this expanse.


    There were several of the smaller black lizards opening their jaws wide that appeared to be roaring. It was like a group of kids yelling at each other trying to justify who deserves a piece of chocolate.


    Though instead of chocolate, these black lizards were fighting over the right to reside over a hill. Their roars definitely weren''t that loud because even as I strained my ears to their limits, I couldn''t catch a hint of any sound being made.


    After a small period of time, a pair of lizards left the hill, letting a group of three lizards take it. Yet, all things considered, there were only a few stalks of black grass on that hill. In other words, it would probably be difficult for the three of them to reach an agreement when the food was so scarce.


    The pair of black lizards that just had their hill taken from them began walking across the expanse, trying to find another hill. However, they began walking into the entrance of the expanse. The only thing they would find there was a bunch of stone, a dead demon, and an aggressive fish.


    Perhaps the fish got its food from black lizards that aimlessly wandered into the pond in search of a hill.


    After making those observations, I continued to hug the edge of the wall and continued down it. Without a weapon, I doubted it would be easy to steal the black grass. Though I''m sure I could easily take some with my ability to teleport, there was only so much I could do.


    That was because the lizards that acted as patrolmen would eventually notice me at some point. I still remembered how they followed me everywhere, forcing me to run and fight them head on.


    I was pretty sure the amount of black grass I needed to consume was quite high in order to have those lizards notice me. However, the point at which it was too much was unknown to me.


    My memories weren''t clear enough to remember it down to the number of every stalk of black grass.


    And even if I could, that wasn''t the way I wanted to do things.


    With my weak body, I slowly traversed down the side of the expanse.


    After quite a while, I passed by all the large black lizards and reached the lizard king.


    Then, I poked the lizard king on the snout.

 Chapter 152 - Escaping The Lizard King

    Though I poked the lizard king, it did not react.


    For a moment, I was feeling its breath blow past me. Although it was only sleeping, the breath that came from it was enough to cause my clothes to flutter. That fact made me realize the enormity of the lizard king.


    Somehow I forgot it was about fifty meters tall despite being right in front of me.


    The plan in my mind was definitely not the most reserved one if that wasn''t obvious from poking the snout of the lizard king. Yet, I''m pretty sure it''s the only plan that has a real chance of success.


    I was going to toss the peppers into the lizard king''s mouth and immediately rush towards the entrance of the expanse. After all, the lizard king was unable to fit through there, so I should be safe.


    Then, once it died, I could claim those special black fruits and claim the crown. From there, I imagine it would be easier to deal with any remaining black lizards.


    And so, my first obstacle was finding some way to make the lizard king consume the peppers. The initial attempt didn''t go so well, which meant it needed something more stimulating to wake up.


    I looked at the lizard king''s shut eye. It was relatively tiny considering its size, just slightly smaller than the palm of my hand.


    ...It would probably hurt to poke in the eye, right?


    I slowly reached over with my index finger out, standing on the tip of my toes. I gradually brought it to the eye, just hovering over.


    Then, with determination, I firmly poked it.


    A thundering roar filled the cavernous expanse. I immediately pulled back, avoiding the lizard king''s jaws that suddenly opened. I threw both the peppers inside the lizard king''s mouth without hesitation, sending them down its gullet.


    And then, I turned towards the entrance and teleported.


    The moment I materialized, a massive crocodile-like lizard next to me had noticed me. It opened its jaws wide in a familiar way. I remembered that the lizard would let out some kind of special roar that would damage me if I was within the range.


    Without hesitation, I acted. My eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    For a split second, I could feel the sound wave rushing towards me, but I teleported out of the way. After finishing the teleportation, I found myself around several massive lizards this time.


    Although I wanted to pick a better spot, there was simply no time to deliberate over my decision. It was at this instant that I realized this was bound to fail me sooner or later. If I began teleporting without hesitation, I would be able to evade the lizard''s shouts.


    However, if the random destination I selected just so happened to be next to a massive lizard, that meant they could swipe at me with their tail and destroy me instantly.


    The massive lizards'' jaws opened, giving me little time to think. Once again, my eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Except this time, I was looking up into the air.


    I teleported upwards and found myself starting to fall down, feeling the wind brush by me. Then, I tilted my head upwards and started the teleportation process once more.


    The space around me began to distort. Then suddenly, I teleported much farther ahead than usual and up in the air.


    This was my new strategy, as the lizards would be helpless to attack me while I was in the air. Not to mention, I could use the time in the air to teleport freely.


    A deafening roar rang out from behind me.


    ...Well, not all the lizards were helpless.


    I snuck a glance over my shoulder, catching wind of the lizard king. Its skin had already been strangely deformed, bulging and contracting. There was a red color that appeared across the lizard king, almost like it had been bruised. However, the color shifted around its body, almost like raging seas of magma were right under its skin.


    Though as bad as its condition was, the lizard king was very much alive, and very much angry at me. It was charging towards me at full speed.


    The speed I was going at with my teleportation was not nearly enough to outrun the lizard king. In other words, if I teleported forwards, it would easily catch up and kill me.


    And so, I teleported to the side.


    The lizard king rushed past me, blowing strong gales in my direction. Several massive lizards were stepped on during its rampage. While the massive lizards were not weak by any means, they were helpless under the lizard king.


    They let out unwilling cries as they breathed their last breath, unfortunate casualties caught in the crossfire.


    Although adrenaline was already rushing through my veins, I got another sudden surge, almost like I was an impulsive addict.


    Upon missing its target, the lizard king began slowing down and turned to me. It was in a wild rage, but knew what it wanted to vent its rage upon


    The walls of the cavern began breaking apart and swirled in the air like there was a tornado. The eye of the tornado being the lizard king.


    Those stones connected to the lizard king''s body, but couldn''t seem to stick that well considering all the bulging and contracting. However, that didn''t seem to be enough to discourage it.


    The lizard king continued to pull more and more stones, forcefully covering its body, resisting the distortions it was experiencing. Once the stones wrapped around its body, the bulging seemed to calm down. Unfortunately, this was a rather forceful solution. Although the lizard king was clearly trying to fix its situation, it didn''t forget its other priority, me. The lizard king charged towards me.


    I hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second. I decided to let my instincts fully take over. My eyes tilted upwards and quite far up for that matter.


    Then, a tight feeling wrapped around me.


    The lizard king charged towards me violently, opening its jaws wide in an attempt to crush me. However, before it could, I vanished.


    Just a moment later, I materialized on top of the lizard king''s back and began running across its rocky back. It was very unstable, especially because of the random rising and falling experienced. However, I remained determined and continued going on this rocky rollercoaster ride.


    The lizard king seemed to notice me on its back, gathering more stones, but not with the intention of covering its skin, but bashing against me.


    Upon seeing three large stones shoot towards me, I immediately realized that the situation wasn''t the most favorable. I could no longer spend any more time on its back, as I would just be crushed.


    My eyes widened and my pupils constricted. However, I didn''t teleport immediately. The space around me distorted while the stones got closer and closer.


    The space around me distorted even more while the stones were only a few meters away from me.


    Then the space around me quickly became something that resembled a black hole.


    As for the stones, they were right in front of my face.


    Then, once I could feel the wind brush by my eyes, I teleported.


    The distance this time was massive, instead of the common couple or so meters, this was nearly a few hundred. The entrance to this expanse was close. I was almost home free.


    The reason I decided to do such a risky maneuver was because of the fact I wasn''t confident in not teleporting into a stone. The stones around were chaotic, so if I didn''t escape the range of the stones, I would simply be leaving my life to chance.


    I didn''t want to leave it to that, so I took matters into my own hands.


    The furious roar of the lizard king rang out from behind me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I wasn''t home free yet.


    Constant teleporting was making my senses muddled.


    My vision already got blurry while my ears were ringing almost like a blaring megaphone was put up next to me. The world had essentially become a vague place, almost like it didn''t exist. However, that wasn''t enough for me to stop trying.


    Although I couldn''t really tell because of the lack of feedback from my senses, I knew my eyes were widening and my pupils constricted. The space around me distorted once more while thundering footsteps resounded from behind me.


    The exact location of those footsteps was unclear to me. The uncertainty made me feel quite a bit of pressure. It was as though a shadow was gradually forming above me, pushing down on my shoulders.


    My instincts told me to turn around and look. However, my eyes remained forward resolutely, right on the entrance to the cavern.


    The booming footsteps got closer.


    For a moment, I sensed a mountain behind me.


    Yet, I still waited.


    Then, the feeling of death approached.


    And I teleported.

 Chapter 153 - Animal

    A tight feeling wrapped around me.


    In just a moment, I found myself standing within the entrance to the cavernous expanse. The lizard king did not give up and charged towards the entrance.


    A deafening bang resounded.


    The lizard king slammed its jaws into the entrance, but could only fit its maw so far in. Nonetheless, the ground shook violently, jostling my body up and down. The lizard king attempted to open its jaws, but could only do so slightly.


    I could feel its breath brush past me, which was scorching hot, enough to start a fire. I imagine the cause was the peppers.


    After a few more seconds of struggle, the lizard king backed up, then rammed the entrance once more. A few pebbles fell from the ceiling as the cavern shook violently.


    I continued backing up just to be safe.


    As for the lizard king, it backed up once more to try one last time. Its maw crashed against the entrance at a volume that hurt my ears. However, what happened next hurt even more.


    The lizard king seemed to realize something. It no longer tried to smash against the entrance, but let out a terrifying ear-splitting roar. I hurriedly covered my ears, but in the second that they weren''t covered, blood had already leaked out of them.


    From there, the lizard king went on a rampage.


    It ran around the expanse, flinging stones around wildly. The lizard king didn''t seem to care about anything anymore, other than venting its anger.


    Occasionally, the dying cry of a lizard would seep past all the smashing and angry roars. The place was being destroyed without abandon.


    As time passed, the lizard king''s bulging and contractions got more violent. Similarly, the reddish tone of its skin spread across its body and was getting far deeper in certain locations.


    The rock armor could no longer remain on its skin that resembled the waves of a raging sea. Only a few fragments remained on the lizard king''s skin, but even those began to fall off.


    Though I couldn''t see it, I was sure a bloody massacre occurred. The lizard king''s gradually slowed down. As for its body, it began deforming further and further.


    If one saw it right now, one would be unable to tell the original shape.


    The lizard king thundering stomps reverberated but went at the pace of a metronome ticking its last few beats. Eventually, it stood still.


    Then, the lizard king looked up to the sky.


    Seconds later, it exploded, becoming pieces of flesh that shot in all directions across the air. Seeing this, a soft sigh escaped me.


    As violent as the lizard king''s fury was, it didn''t directly concern me. Because of that, my body began relaxing ever since I made it into the entrance. However, my conclusions were a bit hasty.


    I was not out of trouble just yet.


    There were a few skittering sounds coming from behind me.


    I glanced over my shoulder to see the rough outline of five black lizards that were approaching me. They were tiny, that''s for sure. However, my condition wasn''t the best right now, especially after activating teleportation ability so many consecutive times. I didn''t even have a weapon on me to use.


    The only saving grace was that with the tiny black crystal in my hand, I was able to see them all clearly. From what it looked like, they couldn''t see that far.


    I slowly backpedaled away from the lizards who were cautiously approaching. Once confident I had the time, I picked up a pebble with my index finger and thumb. Then, I flung it towards the side of the cave.


    It landed with an audible clack.


    Moments later, like hungry wolves, all of the lizards lunged towards that pebble. From this, I could confirm that they were not peaceful, that was for sure. For a second, I had the thought of evading them entirely.


    After all, their senses were clearly pretty bad. However, there was one complication.


    The black crown.


    After killing the black lizard, the black crown would come to me on its own and forcefully attach itself to my head. Although getting the crown wasn''t a bad thing, it would also cause great amounts of pain and potentially make me pass out.


    Leaving me defenseless against these lizards.


    In other words, I was on a timer, and not a generous one either.


    With that thought in mind, I moved towards the backside of an arbitrary lizard. The entire time, I didn''t forget to move silently. Although my thoughts were muddled, those actions had already become something like an instinct to me.


    I possessed no weapon, so I grabbed the lizard by the tail. My left hand wrapped around the tail while the other held onto the base of its body. I immediately lifted it up with all the strength I could muster, prompting it to let out a cry of shock.


    The other lizards turned around, but before they could do anything, I slammed the lizard against the ground, head-first. A frightening cracking sound rang out as the skull of the lizard shattered.


    Blood seeped out of it while the lizard''s head had deformed greatly. Fragments of the skull were visible from the outside.


    Naturally, with those kinds of injuries, the lizard was dead. There were four left.


    But now, I had gathered the attention of other lizards.


    Without hesitation, I threw the corpse in my hand to the side, letting it smash against the floor. All four lizards charged towards it without hesitation. They bit into the corpse aggressively, as though it was actually alive.


    With this opportunity, I used the same trick.


    Once more, I lifted one of the lizards by the tail, causing it to shriek in surprise. Then, I slammed it into the ground, cracking its skull against the rocky floor. Now there were three left.


    The lizards turned around, prompting me to throw the lizard to the side, letting it smash against the bottom of the wall.


    However, they didn''t lunge for the corpse like before. Instead, they ignored that sound entirely and pounced towards me.


    A small frown formed on my face.


    The situation caught me off guard, but that didn''t mean I was going to stand there and take it. My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Right when the three lizards were about to bite down on me, I vanished entirely. Moments later, my body materialized roughly a meter behind the lizards.


    Several light smacking and snapping sounds rang out.


    The lizards landed on the ground and began biting as though something was there, but came up with nothing. The lizards stopped moving, at a loss.


    With that time, I picked up one of the lizards once more. Once it let out a screech, the other two lizards immediately turned and lunged towards me. Though I wanted to dodge, I more so wanted to make use of the opportunity at hand.


    And so, I slammed the lizard down on the ground, splitting its skull and killing it.


    The other two lizards each latched onto the calf of each of my legs. Their teeth sank past my clothes and into my flesh, sending piercing signals of pain into my mind. I clenched my teeth and grabbed one of the lizards below me in an attempt to pull it off.


    My hands clenched until my knuckles were white. Then, I gave a strong tug.


    However, its hold on my leg was simply too strong for me to pull off. The only thing I accomplished was make myself feel even more pain than before. It seemed like the correct decision might''ve been to dodge.


    My vision was blurry, but I caught something in the corner of my eye.


    It was the crown, floating over towards me. I suddenly remembered that I didn''t have the time to be dodging, or even hesitating for that matter. In just a few moments, it would be too late.


    An animalistic feeling bubbled up from within me. The insanity that rested comfortably in my mind suddenly flared up as though it came alive.


    I gave up on using my hands entirely.


    Suddenly, I raised my leg while my mouth was wide open. I lunged towards the lizard''s neck then bit down. My teeth felt like they were on the verge of snapping while my gums were inflamed from the excessive force.


    The lizards could do it, so why shouldn''t I?


    Blood rushed to my mind while my bite on the lizard''s neck slowly sank further and further.


    I was trembling violently.


    As though matching my pace, the lizard''s bite on my leg increased in intensity as my teeth sank further. Until eventually, it disappeared entirely.


    I bit off the lizard''s neck, causing fountains of blood to pour out from the wound. As for me, I had a mouthful of flesh in my mouth. Without hesitation, I swallowed it whole like a snake.


    I was about to proceed with the other lizard.


    But that was when I felt several spikes pierce into my head.

 Chapter 154 - Anger And Frustration

    The sudden pain that filled my mind felt all-encompassing and authoritative, almost like a higher-level figure. It was at that moment I realized what had happened.


    In the middle of my fight with the lizards, the crown had set itself upon my head. In other words, I ended up taking too much time. It was already too late.


    My consciousness immediately began to blur despite the sense of urgency that flowed through my body. It was as though my mind was telling me one thing, but my body wasn''t listening.


    If I fell here, I would surely die by the black lizard.


    Which meant I couldn''t just fall here. It would end up being a wasted life, serving no real purpose. Mistakes were inevitable, that was a fact I understood.


    And there was definitely a time where I would''ve accepted that.


    That I was unable to do anything more.


    But right now, I refused to give up until the bitter end. Even as my consciousness neared extinction, my thoughts remained.


    And they were not the most passive thoughts.


    I didn''t realize it at the time, but I was letting out a furious roar. It was as though the spirit of the lizard king came to possess me in order to vent the rage that it was unable to do while alive.


    An unbelievably large amount of blood rushed to my head, heating it up considerably. For a moment, it felt as though my head was boiling. In fact, the heat became too much, as a burning pain formed.


    It was as though I had become a volcano.


    Ironically enough, this compounded with the pain I was already experiencing, making it far worse. However, it was with this hatred that I was able to move.


    I lunged towards the lizard and bit down on its neck.


    My teeth sank in... then broke off. Warm blood poured out of my gums, dripping down my face. Honestly, I wasn''t expecting this situation. However, I suppose that it did make sense considering teeth were not a conventional weapon amongst humans.


    But that didn''t mean I gave up.


    I grabbed at the lizard with both hands. Blue veins clearly bulged from my skin, my knuckles whitened, and my skin reddened. With all I could, I pulled.


    I could feel the grating pain of the teeth against my flesh and bone. It ground further, until eventually, one of the teeth was lodged in between my bones. Despite pulling with strength I didn''t know I had, this wasn''t going to work.


    It more so felt like I was pulling off my bones themselves. In fact, if I kept pulling, those were probably going to come off before the lizard.


    My thoughts were becoming even more incoherent.


    This time, I decided to abandon strategy and thought altogether. It was as though my mind was regressing. And so, I raised my leg and repeatedly slammed the lizard against the wall.


    Each hit was slow, but powerful.


    I would wind up my leg far back before letting it loose onto the wall.


    Several deafening bangs resounded one after another. The lizard jostled violently from the impact, causing its teeth to rip into more of my flesh.


    Yet, I didn''t even feel it.


    I could hardly feel anything anymore.


    My only goal was to smash this lizard into a pulp.


    The first strike hardly did anything to the lizard, as did the second. However, by the third strike, scales began to fall off. It prompted me to slam the lizard against the wall even harder.


    By the fifth time, the lizard was bleeding badly, while huge sections of its body had lost scales.


    By the tenth time, fountains of blood were pouring out, but it still retained a weak grip on my leg.


    By the twentieth time, the lizard was no longer black, but a mush of dark red flesh. It was dead, no longer holding onto my leg.


    Yet, I continued to kick. My mind was simply unable to process anything other than violence. My vision was too blurry to even see the lizard in front of me. The only thing on my mind was to continue attacking.


    Continue.


    At some point, the lizard had become pieces of mangled flesh scattered across the cavern. As for me, I was still trying to slam a lizard against the wall. However, the only thing I accomplished was slamming my foot against hard stone.


    And eventually, I passed out altogether in the middle of a kick.


    ...


    Everything hurt.


    It hurt really bad.


    Before I could register the fact I woke up, pain assaulted my senses. Certain sections of my body felt deathly cold, where I was injured.


    Though my mind was muddled, I forcefully sat up, stressing out my unprepared brain. Upon looking down, I saw dried blood coating the injuries on my legs. One of them was clearly far more messed up than the other.


    Even bone was visible.


    Despite being in such a terrible condition, I attempted to stand up. Then, as I probably should''ve expected, I tripped and fell.


    Those wounds that had stopped bleeding, began once more.


    The blood that came out felt warm, but my legs were only getting colder. Seeing these results, I gave up on trying to walk forward. My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Then, I teleported.


    It was a strange sensation to suddenly land on my stomach, but I didn''t care enough to mind it. With teleportation and crawling, I made my way into the expanse, where the lizards used to be.


    I use the term used to, as what laid before me the result of a massacre. The carnage consisted of torn up lizard corpses all across the place. As for the black grass, almost all that I could see was torn up as well.


    However, from my memory, the lizard king would block his own plants with a wall of stone. Now that I had the crown, I should be able to command that wall of stone to fall down and the black fruits should be mine.


    And so, I slowly crawled and teleported across the expanse, encountering shattered rocks and lizard remains along the way.


    Seeing all the destruction when it was now calm felt a bit strange. The dichotomy to it made me really take in the ruin around me. Nonetheless, I continued to drag myself forward on what seemed like an endless journey.


    I couldn''t imagine how torturous it would be if I was unable to teleport.


    After what felt like days, I made it to the end of the expanse.


    I strained my neck to look up at the rock wall in front of me. Then, I closed my eyes and tried to make it fall.


    ...But they didn''t.


    These walls felt immoveable for whatever reason.


    I furrowed my brows then tried once more.


    And nothing happened.


    What was going on?


    ...My memories were a little fuzzy. Maybe I needed to get the black crystal first.


    With those thoughts in mind, I traveled down the side of the expanse. The entire time, I stretched my neck to look upwards while I was crawling. Eventually, I made it to where the hole was.


    Although I couldn''t see past it, I teleported with less hesitation than I should''ve had. And so, I found myself in the section that gradually transitioned from grey stone to black stone.


    After another segment of teleporting and crawling, I made my way down. There was a steady pulsating, but it didn''t feel hostile. Something I noticed was when my body brushed up against the black rock, was that the pulsating felt stronger.


    Eventually, I crawled up to the place with the black crystal.


    I reached out my hand towards it, but it did not move.


    Suddenly, I remembered that I needed the gemstone from the three-horned demon for it to activate.


    With frustration, I crawled back out, traveling all the way back to the three-horned demon. I pulled out the gemstone from its body, but not without cracking a fingernail.


    Then, I made my way back.


    The gemstone flew out of my grasp and into the floating black crystal, before causing the surrounding black crystals to fly towards it, then were absorbed. The floating black crystal hovered just above my hand as this all happened.


    In fact, one of the black crystals underneath me jostled violently and scraped past my wounds as it flew into the floating black crystal.


    It further annoyed me, but I let it pass.


    After all that, the crystal began to hover around me, as it did so long ago.


    I painfully crawled my way back. Upon teleporting out, I then made my way back to where the lizard king''s plants should be.


    The anger was slowly building up, but knowing that the black fruits should be there was enough for me to keep going.


    I made it to the back of the expanse.


    Then, once more I attempted to make the wall fall.


    But it didn''t.


    In a fit of anger, I slammed my fist down, which landed on something.


    After moving it aside, I saw part of the stalk of the black fruit.

 Chapter 155 - Frustration And Sadness

    I stared at the stalk of the black fruit below me with an empty look. The realization of what it meant slowly became apparent to me.


    The lizard king never created some sort of wall to block the black fruits. It seemed that within its rage, it never paused to consider that. In the end, it rampaged as hard as it could, destroying nearly everything within the expanse.


    Including the black fruits.


    The frustration that had built up in me began rushing upwards, about to explode. However, I stopped it.


    My head was scorching hot, to the point that it was painful. My breathing was heavily unstable. I was nearing my breaking point and my thoughts were chaotic.


    However, I forcefully reigned those thoughts in.


    It wasn''t easy to accept that the very thing I spent so much effort coming here for was gone, but what else was there to do?


    I shut my eyes tightly.


    The anger slowly subsided while the aching pain became more apparent. My mind cooled slowly. Once the anger disappeared, it left me with a strange feeling. Like it was empty.


    The air felt a little stagnant. Though it was probably only my imagination, everything around me seemed to become colder. Like I was actually within a refrigerator. Moments later, it felt as though my blood was carrying misery itself.


    It was as though sadness had to come in order to replace anger.


    I ended up thinking about everything I had been through. Not that I didn''t before. In fact, in order to remember enough to do what I just did, I had to sift through my memories.


    From the peppers, to the cave location, and everything in the cave.


    However, it was different. The only things I thought about were the facts.


    What is the goal? Power.


    Where do I get the power? Killing the lizard king.


    How do I kill the lizard king? The peppers.


    I glossed over how I got to this point and the significance of it. Every second I spent here, a bit of blood was spilling out of me. If I didn''t get out of this cave relatively soon, then I would die.


    However, I simply remained there. I simply shut my eyes to take a step back.


    And thought about how I got here.


    Some memories were comforting. Some of them were saddening. And some of them made me mad.


    Then eventually, I thought about how I slowly grew the farm. It was a slow process, but eventually came to an achievement. Learning so many spells was never easy, but I told myself that I would do it.


    And so, I did.


    Until eventually, I was able to devise a derivative of the control vines spell that could make things grow. While I''m sure it was partly due to luck, I could definitely say I put in enough effort to at least deserve it.


    ...Wait.


    The growing spell.


    I picked up the stalk of the black fruit and looked at it for a moment. An idea that I should''ve thought of long ago came to my mind.


    Using the growing spell on the black fruits.


    For whatever reason, I thought of those as two separate things. I suppose to me, the black fruit just represented something different compared to the growing spell.


    In my eyes, one was the path of power while the other was the path of peace.


    I didn''t realize it, but it seems that I subconsciously thought that those were two different paths when there was nothing stopping me from combining them.


    My eyes slowly widened while my breathing became heavy for different reasons.


    I attempted to gather mana.


    However, there was no mana to gather.


    I looked up at the black crystal floating above me, slowly rotating. It was a little embarrassing that I forgot, but at least nobody was here to see it.


    My mind commanded the black crystal to stop rotating.


    The mana slowly returned from the air, but it was far thinner than what I was used to. Nonetheless, it was there for me to gather.


    I began casting the growing spell, filled with anticipation. It took quite long, which was a little torturous, but at least progress was seen.


    For a few moments, only the sound of my heavy breathing filled the air.


    Then, the spell was completed.


    I slowly injected mana into the spell and funneled it into the stalk. My eyes were fixed on it, staring intently. However, nothing seemed to be happening at first.


    I decided to continue, trying to notice any change. It was slow, but I eventually realized that the stalk began wilting. This made me panic a little.


    I immediately began to consider various possibilities that could have caused this to happen. Because I was the one that devised the growing spell, although I wasn''t aware of it completely, there were certain things I was pretty sure of.


    The growing spell forces a plant to grow, almost like it was experiencing time at a faster rate. The plant itself also definitely gained some source of nutrients or energy from the mana that was injected within it, but I found that was not where they got most of their energy.


    That would be from the natural environment they were in.


    In other words, since the stalk was not planted, then it could not grow properly. With that thought in mind, I hurriedly stuck it into the ground. After a few moments of anticipation, the stalk only ended up wilting further.


    A little bit of helplessness had overcome me, like nothing I did would matter. However, I already learned and proved to myself that I could do something. And so, I swept those insecurities away.


    I began to think about how these plants formed in the first place. There was definitely something special about the environment since they could only form in this specific location. However, what about this location gave them so much energy?


    It definitely wasn''t anything small, as these black fruits were not just some common grass.


    ...The only thing it could''ve been would be related to the non-magic properties of this place.


    In other words, the black crystal.


    The stalk in my hand looked like it was on the verge of dying, prompting me to hurriedly stick it on top of the black crystal. There was a bit of uncertainty and a sense of ridiculousness in the back of my mind.


    After all, I was essentially trying to grow a plant, by using a rock.


    However, I was too desperate to care about those nuances at that point.


    The moment the stalk touched the end of the crystal, my eyes widened. It began to grow.


    But my surprise wasn''t because it grew, but how fast it grew.


    Almost immediately, roots burst out like snakes and wrapped themselves around the crystal. As for the stalk itself, it rapidly extended outwards before becoming a white flower. A moment later, that white flower became a black fruit.


    After a bit of hesitation, I peeled the stalk off of the crystal and stared at it.


    The roots clung a little, like a child unwilling to leave their mother, but came off easily. For a moment, I just admired the black fruit in my hand.


    Well, not so much the black fruit itself, but what the ability to grow them represented.


    As long as I had mana, I could make as many of these as I wanted.


    I picked the black fruit, which came off with a light pluck. Then, I ate it.


    A familiar strong sweet taste overwhelmed me. My body immediately heated up tremendously, washing away the chill from earlier. As for my mind, it was sent into the middle of a tundra, but not in a bad way.


    My stomach felt really full, but I wasn''t on the verge of vomiting or anything. It could be compared to having just enough to be completely satiated.


    The injuries in my legs rapidly recovered, as did my stamina. Even the headache I had from activating my teleportation ability rapidly recovered too.


    Soon, all the pain disappeared.


    ...Well, almost all the pain.


    Although my mind felt like it was at its peak, there was still a tiny numb pain in the back of my head.


    A consequence of my reincarnation.


    Nonetheless, things were good.


    I stood up after what felt like forever, then made my way out of the cavern. Upon making it to where I initially entered this cave, I found it was flooded with large amounts of dirt, ash, broken trees, and even snow.


    The hole that I fell through was no longer visible.


    Though I could teleport, there was also the consideration I teleported right into a tree. Not wanting to take that chance, I cleared away the path in front of me by pulling those things aside.


    Then, once I could see a bit of light poking out, I teleported out.


    I got all I needed from here.


    But there was still so much more left for me.

 Chapter 156 - True Mage

    I took a quick glance at the forest around me.


    Or, what had become of it.


    There were hardly any upright trees from as far as I could see. The few trees that were, had burned most of the branches away. The fire seemed to cause quite the aftermath.


    A thin layer of snow coated everything. The snow was pretty relentless on its own, as it not only put out the raging fire, but was able to stack up already. Although I wasn''t sure how long it had been, the upper limit should be two days and even that was pushing it.


    I walked through the ashes and went off to my next destination.


    The labyrinth.


    More and more trees were now upright as I walked. Although the fire was merciless, it seemed like either the forest was too big, or the snow was just too cold. Soon enough, the trees were all undamaged and covered in snow.


    On the way was Leon''s village. The one that was so peaceful all the time. For a moment, I considered meeting with him, but decided it would be a waste of time. I continued to walk past without any intention of going to the village.


    Yet, the moment I stepped on the soil not covered by trees, a rumbling sound came from the village. From the center of the village, a large amount of earth sprouted out. It traveled towards me, forming a huge arch in the sky.


    On the end of that arch, was a young man with robes, a staff, and long brown hair.


    It was Leon.


    In mere moments, Leon slammed down onto the ground in front of me. He remained standing the entire time, almost like a statue. This was despite the fact a miniature crater formed on the ground underneath him. The arch behind him went into the ground seamlessly, almost like it was being swallowed up.


    He gave me a quick glance.


    "Hello. I am known as the Earth Emperor. May I know who you are?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Well, I''m not really known for anything, but I can somewhat be considered the king of lizards. I would prefer to be called Jay, though."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Is that so?"


    A small smile formed on his face.


    "Very well then. Hello, Jay. You may refer to me as Leon."


    I nodded.


    "Leon, nice to meet you."


    Leon nodded.


    "Nice to meet you as well. What brings you here, may I ask?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Just passing by. I am trying to get somewhere."


    Leon''s eyes lit up a little with curiosity.


    "Sounds interesting. Where exactly do you plan on going?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Just some underground place."


    Leon nodded.


    "Sounds interesting. Mind if I tag along? I have spent the majority of my days studying magic and that gets quite boring after a while."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "It does get boring after a while. Sure, you can join me, though it won''t be the most eventful trip."


    Leon smiled amicably.


    "Haha, not everything has to be eventful. Sometimes even mundane trips have their merits."


    I began walking and hummed to myself.


    "I suppose."


    With that, the two of us walked at a relaxed pace through the snowy forest. After a bit of silence, Leon turned to me with a slightly curious expression.


    "Say, what brings you out into the wilderness to wander?"


    I glanced at Leon before letting out a long sigh. My eyes closed as the words slowly formulated in my mind.


    "Many things."


    I turned to Leon and slowly opened my eyes.


    "But I suppose the main thing is power. Enough power to bend this world to my will."


    Leon chuckled.


    "That is the goal most of us have. However, the reason we have that goal differs."


    He gingerly stroked his staff with one finger.


    "As for me, that reason is to live by my own rules, freed from the regulation of the world."


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "But are you freed from the world''s regulation?"


    Leon laughed.


    "Not yet. But I will get there one day. How is it for you?"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "There was this man that once told me I needed power in order to protect what I found was important to me."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Once he knew that I wished to protect this world, he told me that I needed unfathomable strength for that. Then, gave me a direction to search for that power. In fact, the way we are going right now is that direction."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Haha, that man sounds quite knowledgeable and respectable."


    A small smile formed on my face.


    "He is."


    Leon looked up to the sky, watching the snowflakes gently fall down.


    "Well, it seems you have progressed decently. However, the path ahead of you is still very long. A lofty goal like that is admirable, but also a frightening burden to place on oneself."


    I reached for a tree branch and broke it off as we walked.


    "Perhaps. Maybe I will regret such a choice later down the line. But for now, I intend on sticking with it."


    Leon smiled bitterly as he shook his head.


    "I would like to think of myself as accomplished, but even then..."


    He sighed.


    "...I do not believe I could reach that level of power within my lifetime."


    I broke another tree branch and used it to sharpen the one in my hands.


    "You seem pretty powerful though. How old are you? You appear fairly young."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "I am twenty-five."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "...Then shouldn''t you have, say, sixty years?"


    Leon smiled bitterly.


    "I should have a few centuries left. My guess is about one thousand years."


    I blinked a few times and even stopped sharpening the branch in my hand.


    "One thousand years?"


    Leon nodded.


    "More or less."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Two questions. One, how are you able to live for that long. And two, if you reached this point at twenty-five, how can one thousand years not be enough?"


    Leon laughed like I was telling a funny joke.


    "There were many things I experienced that forcefully increased my lifespan as well as the natural increase from magic."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Natural increase from magic?"


    Leon blinked a few times with surprise.


    "You don''t know this? ...Well, it is commonly known that learning magic has those effects. It is one of the reasons even those of higher status don''t necessarily need the practical benefits, practice magic anyway."


    He sighed.


    "Though... there is only a significant difference once one has become a true mage. Although it is not fully understood, there seems to be something about one''s affinity with mana that breaks some sort of limiter within our bodies."


    I cleared my throat awkwardly.


    "Um... what is a true mage?"


    Leon turned to me with a bit of confusion on his face.


    "...Are you a self-taught mage? From what I understand, any formal school of teaching goes over this."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "In a certain sense, yes, but I did attend a magic school."


    Leon gave me a weird look, still not truly understanding me. I smiled bitterly in response.


    "It''s complicated."


    Leon slowly nodded.


    "Understood. Back on topic, a mage is one that can cast spells. One''s rank as a mage is determined by the highest level spell they can cast, from foundational to advanced. Though it is not the most accurate description of their power, it is very simple and convenient."


    Leon casually flicked his hand to the side.


    "As for true mages, they no longer need spell diagrams to cast. Instead, with their strong understanding of magic, they can cast spells flexibly, as needed."


    He pointed one finger towards the ground, they moved it upwards. A small rock pillar shot out of the ground and on top of that rock pillar was a miniature metal statue of a person. Leon picked up the statue and casually tossed it to me.


    "For example, I was able to create a spell like this on the spot, since I understand how magical diagrams work. As for others, they would only be able to cast previously created spells that they memorized."


    I caught the statue that Leon tossed to me and slowly turned it over, inspecting it closely. The statue was unbelievably detailed, down to the individual hairs.


    It was a young man in formal clothes with a crown on his head. In his hands were two branches


    The man was me.


    I sucked in a deep breath.


    "That is... fascinating."


    Leon smirked.


    "Naturally."


    I tilted my head to the side and thought about my experiences with learning magic. Although I have yet to learn any advanced spells, I was able to derive my own spell.


    "Say, am I on the right track if I created a new spell based on another one?"

 Chapter 157 - Revisiting The Labyrinth

    Leon looked at me and raised an eyebrow.


    "Creating a new spell definitely means you have taken a step down the path of a true mage. May I know what level spell you used for that?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Intermediate. I don''t think I''ve ever gotten the spell diagrams of any advanced spells."


    Leon nodded approvingly.


    "That is definitely good progress, especially if you haven''t touched advanced spells. What element was that spell?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Uh... I''m not sure."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "What do you mean?"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Well... there''s the earth and water spell within it and also this other weird diagram."


    Leon raised both eyebrows.


    "An amalgamation spell?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "What''s that?"


    Leon furrowed his brows.


    "Spells that combine the principles of multiple elements. These are considered several times harder than other spells. Creating a new spell based on it is even harder. Most people won''t practice them unless they are lower-level mages."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Wait, what? Why only lower-level mages?"


    Leon sighed.


    "Amalgamation spells are simply too inefficient in terms of the effort you put in and the results. Surely it must''ve taken you a tremendous amount of time to do the things you tell me, no?"


    I slowly nodded.


    "Yeah..."


    Leon looked down at his staff.


    "There is a reason most people specialize in only one element. I have never met a true mage that specializes in multiple elements. This is simply because learning more complicated versions of a certain element is easier when one has learned previous less complicated versions."


    He looked at me.


    "In other words, your progress slowly speeds up over time. However, with multiple elements, you have to learn more to gain the same amount."


    I rubbed my temple with the palm of my hand.


    "In other words, I ended up wasting all of my time?"


    Leon chuckled.


    "Multiple element spells are considered one rank higher than they should be. You may have taken the wrong path, but you should be able to easily progress forward anyways."


    He shrugged.


    "After all, we don''t have all the time in the world to learn spells."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Um, yeah."


    ...All the time in the world, huh?


    Although Leon was probably right about the slow progress of learning all spells at once, I couldn''t help but wonder if my situation was different. For starters, I learned all of the foundational and elementary spells of the elements I knew.


    They were not powerful and shared very few similarities.


    However, the fact that they were all magical in nature meant there were some parallels. With those parallels, I was able to understand the control vines spell much easier.


    And from there, I created the growing spell.


    At this point, that spell was quite integral to my power as it would let me consume as many black fruits as needed. Seeing that even Leon, who had gone so far, thought that this was a long path helped me put in perspective how boundless my path forward would be.


    Leon shook his head.


    "Ah, we got a little off topic there, haha. Your second question was why I don''t believe one thousand years would be enough, right?"


    I hurriedly nodded.


    "Haha, I almost forgot I even asked that question."


    Leon smiled.


    "Good thing I remembered."


    He took a deep breath.


    "Regardless, my rate of growth is simply too slow to make any true difference. In the past, so long as I worked hard, I could improve my strength significantly."


    Leon held out his hand as though he was holding something.


    "In the past, I was only able to hold a person. However, within a week, I was able to change that to two people. In that case, my strength doubled."


    My eyes widened.


    "That''s... fast."


    Leon laughed.


    "Yes, yes. Now, a week of training, instead of an increase of one person, it would be two."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "So the rate increased, no?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "Yes, but what is the significance of two people when I can already hold up thousands?"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Ah... it''s not that much."


    Leon sighed.


    "Unfortunately, training can only increase your strength by so much. Simply because it has become my routine, I continue to do it every day, but the results aren''t the best."


    A bitter smile formed on his face.


    "For people at my stage, we depend on various forms of enlightenment to grow stronger. Generally, they can only come when one is at the peak of their element. This is another reason why choosing to learn multiple elements is a waste of time."


    Leon chuckled.


    "Enlightenment comes in many forms, but there is no true way to force it. If enlightenment is bestowed, then one can consider themselves lucky, else they can only hope."


    I nodded while rubbing my chin with two fingers.


    "I understand."


    Leon cracked his neck.


    "All that talk has reminded me of those boring times. Are we near our destination?"


    I looked ahead and coincidentally enough, there was a large patch of ice.


    "Ah, yeah we are."


    Leon looked at what was in front of us.


    "What is that? It is a little strange that there is no snow on this section."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "It is pretty strange."


    The two of us walked towards the ice, soon reaching the edge. I stopped here, prompting Leon to do the same.


    "It gets a little weird when you step in, so watch out."


    Leon nodded.


    "Alright."


    We both put our foot forward, but before we placed it down...


    "Wait, stop right there, this is private property!"


    Suddenly, a man with white hair, silver armor, and a silver crown appeared from within the forest.


    It was Osric.


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "This is your private property? How exactly was that determined?"


    Osric cleared his throat.


    "I... I found this place first."


    Leon blinked a few times.


    "So it is not your property."


    Osric looked a little exasperated.


    "I have spent a tremendous amount of time discovering the secrets of this!"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Secrets? What have you found out?"


    Osric''s expression froze.


    "...Many secrets, I just can''t tell you!"


    Leon let out a disappointed sigh.


    "So you know nothing?"


    Osric opened his mouth, but no words came out. He wanted to rebuke but couldn''t think of a valid point.


    Leon turned to me.


    "Do you have some sort of understanding of this place?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, this is the entrance to a labyrinth."


    Osric pointed at me accusingly.


    "Impossible! I have already checked the ground underneath this place and it is all rock! If you state something, you must have sufficient knowledge, else you are a fool!"


    Leon rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "It is true that I don''t see any labyrinth underneath..."


    He turned to me.


    "So how do we enter this labyrinth?"


    I laughed.


    "Nothing special."


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "What? How do you believe him?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can just stay out of the ice rink while we are in it."


    Osric''s eyelid twitched. He remained silent.


    I smirked.


    "I will take that as you don''t believe me."


    Osric reached out his hand.


    "No, wait!"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "What?"


    Osric coughed awkwardly.


    "...Take me with you, please."


    Leon laughed and looked towards me.


    "I am fine with it if you are."


    Seeing Osric in a fluster, I couldn''t help but laugh as well.


    "There isn''t anything particularly valuable. It is more so a sightseeing journey. You can come if you wish."


    Osric looked a little disappointed.


    "...Well, I would like to see what I''ve been trying to access for so long."


    With that, the three of us stepped into the ice rink. Immediately, walls of ice appeared to shoot up into the sky, surrounding us while a small hill with snow formed. There was a pedestal in the middle.


    Skeletons crawled up out of the ground, clattering with their bones.


    Osric took a step forward.


    "I can take care of these fellows."


    I shook my head.


    "No need."


    I took a few steps forward, then commanded the crystal floating above me to start rotating. The skeletons immediately collapsed into a heap of bones, no longer moving.


    Both Leon and Osric looked a little surprised.


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "You are able to nullify mana?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah."


    Leon chuckled.


    "That startled me. It has been a while since I''ve been in an area without mana."


    Osric blinked a few times.


    "That is quite the strange ability."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Kinda."


    Osric scratched the side of his head.


    "Where is this labyrinth you speak of? There aren''t any entrances as far as I can see."


    I chuckled.


    "This entire place is the entrance."


    I walked up to the pedestal in the center and placed the crystal within.


    Then, the pedestal cracked.

 Chapter 158 - What Are You Doing?

    The snowy hill rapidly melted before becoming a flat stone platform. The bones of the skeletons remained on the ground. Then, the floor below us rapidly began falling. Clear scraping sounds of stone reverberated through the air.


    Osric widened his eyes and looked at me.


    "...You weren''t lying."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Guess not."


    Leon rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Have you been here before, Jay, was it?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "In a certain sense, I suppose."


    I turned to Osric.


    "Anyways, this is a great time to introduce ourselves to each other since we are waiting anyway. My name is Jay, king of lizards. What about you?"


    Leon similarly turned to Osric.


    "My name is Leon, the Earth Emperor. Nice to meet you."


    As for Osric, he nodded a little absentmindedly, far less aggressive than how he was moments ago.


    "Hello, Jay and Leon. My name is Osric, the king of wolves. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    He then looked at me and looked a little dejected.


    "Is there really nothing here?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Not anything worth that much, really."


    Osric clicked his tongue.


    "Shame."


    Leon chuckled.


    "Anyways, we have two kings of beasts here. May I ask how it is like to be the king of a species?"


    Osric sighed, seemingly still in the afterglow of disappointment.


    "Even I imagined that being a king of wolves would be more eventful than it is now, but nothing truly occurs. There was a time I gathered the wolves as an army, traversing the forest."


    The corner of his lip twitched.


    "But then it occurred to me that there wasn''t exactly anything for us to attack. Our only realistic enemy was the wildlife in the forest, but it was the wolves attacking them, not the other way around."


    Leon smiled awkwardly.


    "You didn''t lay siege on any villages or cities?"


    Osric waved his hand dismissively.


    "For what? It is easier to hunt wildlife for food, and other than that, I doubt any of the smaller settlements have anything valuable. As for the larger places, they are more likely to have something, but they also have incredibly large and powerful armies to protect them."


    He sighed.


    "The only purpose of laying siege is to waste our time or end our own lives."


    Leon laughed awkwardly.


    "That is true. At least you are sensible enough not to attack simply because you are bored."


    Osric rolled his eyes.


    "My intelligence isn''t so low that I would do something like that."


    Leon turned to me.


    "Well, do you have a more exciting story to tell us?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "It will probably be hard to take an example from my experiences."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Is it as uneventful as Osric''s story?"


    A laugh escaped me.


    "In a certain sense, yes. There is not exactly an army for me to lead. The method by which I acquired this crown was by killing the previous lizard king. The lizard king threw a rampage as it died, killing all of the other lizards."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "So it simply leaves me with what is essentially an empty title."


    Osric''s eyes widened slightly.


    "...Oh, it appears that you are not truly a king of lizards."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Is that not right?"


    Leon chuckled.


    "Under normal circumstances, people that claim to be the king of a species are able to exert their influence on a significant number of that species to follow their command."


    I blinked a few times.


    "I see. That is my error then, I am not a king of lizards."


    Osric shot me a strange look.


    "Then what is your title?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "I''m not sure... I suppose I don''t have one."


    An awkward silence descended. Right when it was beginning to feel uncomfortable, a deafening slam rang out.


    The stone platform abruptly stopped descending, reaching the floor.


    My knees buckled slightly, but other than that I was fine. The other two were also not in any panic.


    I cleared my throat.


    "We are here. Is there any path you guys wish to start with?"


    Leon and Osric casually glanced around at their surroundings, looking at the four paths laid out around us. Then, Leon turned to me.


    "Do you have any recommended path you wish to go on?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Since we are here to sightsee, we may as well go down that way. It is a little disturbing though."


    I pointed down a dark pathway. It was the one where the original owner of this place experimented with people, killing them before trying to bring them back to life.


    Leon shrugged then began walking.


    "It is quite dark..."


    I nodded.


    "Ah, I can help."


    I was about to have the crystal stop rotating so that I could cast mana, but remembered the skeletons. The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Wait, could you guys carry the bones for me while remaining within range of my crystal?"


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "Why is that?"


    An awkward laugh escaped me.


    "If they don''t remain within the range of my crystal, they will be quite annoying."


    Leon looked at me for a few seconds before picking up most of the bones.


    "Alright."


    Osric hesitated for a moment before picking them up as well. With that, I stepped out of range from the others then began casting the fire spell. However, halfway through I stopped myself.


    Instead, I gathered mana as fast as I could.


    My initial expectation was that my skin would tear and some wind would pick up. However, that did not happen. There certainly was a considerable amount more mana coming into my body, but it was probably too thin to create such a reaction as it would above ground.


    With that mana, I casted the modified firebolt spell. First, a tiny flame appeared above my hand.


    Osric''s eyelid twitched.


    "Um, that does not provide much light. Perhaps I can take that role?"


    I waved my wooden stake dismissively.


    "Don''t worry, just wait a little while."


    The small fire gradually expanded to the size of a normal fire spell. Then, it continued to grow larger. Once it nearly reached my size, the fireball lit the way forward like a pocket sun. Before, it was dark and dreary, but now it was just dreary.


    Leon nodded approvingly.


    "That is an interesting method to cast spells."


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "Thanks."


    With that, we walked down the pathway, greeted with stone platforms covered with dried blood along with experimental log sheets. Leon picked up one of the papers with a frown. Osric looked over and similarly frowned.


    "This... who did all of this?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Someone desperate, I suppose."


    Leon shook his head.


    "Hopefully they did not take this too far."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "...Unfortunately, they have taken it even farther than I knew was possible."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "What? You''ve already seen what is up ahead?"


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "...Yeah, it is not good."


    We continued walking, reaching another room. The only difference being it was bigger, with more bloodied stone tables and more experimental logs. Due to the light of my fireball, it was very easy to see the entirety of all the blood.


    After glancing around, both Leon and Osric went up to one of the wooden tables and picked up the experimental logs.


    "It appears there is no return for this man."


    A small sigh escaped me.


    "It truly seems that way."


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "When did this man do... this? It must have been quite a while, no?"


    Leon nodded.


    "From how worn everything looks, that is definitely the case."


    Once more, we reached an even larger room. Osric sucked in a cold breath as he looked around.


    "...It appears some people have too much time on their hands."


    Leon narrowed his eyes.


    "Yes."


    There was a persistent frown on his face, though that was reasonable given the story of what happened here. I glanced over my shoulder at the two who were looking over the scattered papers.


    "Are the two of you done reading? There isn''t that much on those things."


    Osric looked up from the papers and to me.


    "It probably is better to look less at all of these."


    As for Leon, he simply remained rooted to the spot. His frown deepened.


    I blinked a few times.


    "Are you ok Leon?"


    From what I remember, he was fine the last time we were here. Why was he suddenly starstruck?


    Leon did not look at me. Instead, his eyes shifted towards Osric.


    "Throw the bones out of range."


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "What?"


    Leon snapped.


    "Now."


    With that, he threw the bones far off into the distance, while Osric followed a second later. They clattered before sinking into the ground.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What are you doing?"


    Leon pointed at me with a deadpan expression.


    "I should be asking you that."

 Chapter 159 - Misunderstanding

    I was at a loss.


    Seeing Leon accuse me like I did some sort of irredeemable crime made me feel strange.


    Weren''t we just walking through the labyrinth?


    What could I possibly have done?


    Osric seemed to share my thoughts. He looked towards Leon with a bit of confusion.


    "Is something the matter?"


    Leon stepped out of the range of my crystal and took a deep breath.


    "I understand now. The reason you decided to do all of this."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Huh?"


    Leon narrowed his eyes.


    "You are attempting to kill the two of us!"


    Osric looked at him with confusion.


    "What?"


    Leon cleared his throat.


    "You simply laid out too many clues."


    He raised a finger.


    "For starters, it does not make logical sense for you to want to be here. You told me your motivation was power, yet you decided to come here, a place that you know doesn''t have any valuables that will further progress you down that path."


    Leon raised another finger.


    "Then, there''s the fact you so conveniently had the method that let us descend into this place. That crystal acted as a key, meaning you have some relation to this place."


    His chin lowered ever so slightly.


    "However, nobody has been here for centuries. That much is clear from the thick layer of dust that covers the place. Despite that, you already knew everything here like the back of your hand. In other words, you are the owner of this place!"


    Leon picked up one of the nearby papers and showed it to me.


    "You are the person that wrote all of these things! Getting people to trust you before killing them for the sake of your mad experiments."


    I leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the paper. Sure enough, it was a story where the writer made friends, but deceived them before killing them deviously and using them for experiments.


    Leon tossed the page aside, letting it flutter to the ground.


    "The reason you lured us down here was to get a stronger subject to experiment on, wasn''t it? You have some ability that negates mana, which you used in order to make the mana in this place so thin."


    He smirked.


    "However, that won''t be enough to stop me."


    For a moment, I was convinced. Then I remembered the person Leon was talking about was me and I definitely didn''t do all of this.


    Like, I literally saw the person responsible resurrect before... killing himself.


    I raised my hands up with a bit of helplessness.


    "You make very valid points, but-"


    Before I could finish my sentence, Leon lunged towards me. His staff traced an arc right towards my skull. I leaned backwards, just barely dodging in time.


    The wind from the strike blew aside my hair, giving me a sneak peek of the horrifying force behind that attack. I had a feeling that if I was hit, my skull would crack open.


    And then I would die.


    I threw the fireball above my hand towards the ceiling and yelled.


    "Calm down for just a moment!"


    An explosion resounded within the room, shaking the room and filling it with ash and debris. It somewhat obscured vision, but would hardly do anything now as I was standing right in front of him.


    After missing with his staff, Leon quickly followed up with his fist, sending it towards my abdomen. Though I doubted it would kill me, it would probably cripple me to a certain extent.


    And so, as the fist traveled, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted.


    Then, disappeared.


    I reappeared within the range of my crystal. The lingering flame from the fireball made the room slightly visible still, but quickly died out, sending the room into darkness. Feeling that this wasn''t going to end easily, I pulled out the stalk of the black fruit and attempted to attach it to the crystal.


    As I brought it closer, my knuckle hit the edge of the crystal. Then, I could see the entirety of the room as though it was lit up. For a second, I was confused. But then I remembered how I was able to see through the dark by holding onto a smaller crystal.


    During my revelation, I noticed that Leon was charging straight towards me. As for Osric, he was looking around confused, still not really understanding the situation.


    Not wanting to get hit by Leon, I ran to the side. However, despite the fact it should''ve been dark, Leon perfectly changed his direction towards me. The moment he was in range, he swung his staff at my shoulders.


    I leaned back, letting it brush by me.


    A sharp bang rang out. Leon''s staff hit the side of a stone platform, causing it to shatter into pieces and scatter in the air. After realizing he missed, he threw his fist forward, but it was to my side.


    I didn''t have to dodge, but I teleported away anyway as it was probably a bad idea to stay near Leon.


    The strange difference in how Leon attacked was quite apparent to me. Before, he swung his staff at my head, aiming to kill me, then tried to stagger me with his fist. Now, it seemed he was doing so randomly.


    ...Like he couldn''t see.


    Yet, Leon turned to me straight away once I reappeared. He did not go for me immediately, giving me time to think. Leon turned to Osric.


    "Are you going to help, or not? You want to be put on a table and sacrificed for some madman''s experiments?"


    My eyelid twitched.


    "That''s not what''s going on, seriously!"


    Leon scoffed.


    "Don''t believe him! He presented no evidence to support his claim, while I laid out true reasoning."


    My eyebrow twitched.


    To be fair, Leon did lay out somewhat reasonable evidence. However, it really wasn''t me that did it.


    Osric furrowed his brows, clearly confused. However, he eventually came to a decision.


    "Alright, I will trust your judgment, Earth Emperor!"


    Osric stepped out of range from my crystal. Then, his body lit up. Arcs of lightning jumped around Osric''s body, occasionally zapping at his surroundings. While they didn''t do anything to me directly, there was something else that happened.


    The room was lit up.


    It was still pretty dark, but the light was enough to make out my figure. And so, Leon charged towards me once more. I had placed the stalk onto the crystal, which wrapped its roots around it.


    However, the plant was growing too slowly to make a significant difference. I needed to use the growing spell, but to do that I needed to stop the crystal''s pulsating as it got rid of the nearby mana.


    Osric turned to me and flicked his sleeve. A thunderbolt snaked towards me at frighteningly fast speeds. For a split second, the entire room was lit up. Yet, once that thunderbolt got within range of my crystal, it disappeared.


    ...I think disabling the crystal right now wouldn''t be the best. Especially because I wouldn''t have been able to dodge that thunderbolt.


    Leon clicked his tongue.


    "Osric, continue bringing light to the room. Do not get too close to that crystal as it will nullify any magic. Since I am confident in the strength of my body, I will fight head on."


    As promised, he dashed towards me.


    "If he ever drops the nullification, attack him with your spells!"


    Osric nodded.


    "Understood."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "I''m seriously not your enemy!"


    Unfortunately, they didn''t listen to me. Leon charged towards me once more. I kept my eyes on his staff as I expected that to come at me first.


    However, that was not what happened.


    Leon suddenly bent down slightly and extended out his leg, sweeping it towards me. I was a little flabbergasted because there was a stone platform in the way. My initial belief was that his foot would get caught, but...


    A deep boom resounded.


    The stone platform was directly smashed into pieces. Leon''s leg continued to sweep towards me as though nothing was blocking it in the first place. In response, I jumped up, avoiding it. Yet, the next moment, Leon''s staff traveled straight towards my head.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted. I teleported away and commanded the crystal to get closer to me. The stalk of the black fruit was still wrapped around it.


    Leon turned to me once more. But before he lunged forwards, a crumbling sound came from the top of the ceiling. Then, six skeletons of various sizes fell from the roof. They had different types of armor and weapons in their hands.


    Upon seeing this, Leon smirked.


    "They are the people this madman killed! Now that they are here, they should attack their killer!"


    Osric nodded.


    "Good foresight!"


    One of the taller skeletons with a giant saber approached Osric. In response, he looked up at the skeleton.


    "...Your killer is over there."


    Then, the skeleton brought his saber down.

 Chapter 160 - Your Words, Not Mine

    Osric jumped out of the way, letting the saber slam into the ground next to him. He then turned to Leon with a questioning expression.


    "They are attacking me! Are you sure he is the killer?"


    I sighed.


    "I''m not the killer!"


    A frown formed on Leon''s face.


    "It appears they have already lost their mind and will attack anything nearby. Nonetheless, it doesn''t change the fact he is likely the killer! The evidence still supports it."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "And what exactly would convince you otherwise?"


    Leon glared at me.


    "If you weren''t so suspicious."


    With that, he charged towards me, making me feel a little helpless over the situation. I never thought that Leon could be so...


    Unreasonable? Or is it stubborn?


    Probably both.


    Osric began fighting with the other skeletons. He attempted to use lighting to destroy them, but that didn''t work. Osric quickly realized the only option was to beat them down with his physical body and thus began doing that.


    Leon lunged towards me, reaching out with his hand. Naturally, I wasn''t willing to be grabbed, so I stepped out of the way. Then, Leon''s foot traced an arc upwards, heading straight for my chin.


    I didn''t expect him to move like that. I knew I wouldn''t be able to dodge this normally, so I began my teleportation as it came up towards me. Right when I felt a strong gust of wind brush by my neck, I disappeared.


    Upon reappearing, a strong sense of danger filled my mind. Without really understanding why, I jerked my head to the side.


    A sharp gale brushed right past my ear, as though the air itself was tearing apart.


    Then, a deafening boom reverberated.


    After a few seconds, I was able to process what happened. Leon threw his staff straight at my head the moment I reappeared. The staff missed because of my sudden movement and slammed into the wall.


    Massive cracks formed in the wall while large stone fragments scattered in the air. Leon put some force into that, needless to say. A small frown formed on my face.


    To be honest, I wasn''t sure if I could dodge another one of those attacks again. He was able to do that because of the light Osric was providing. I had to do something about that. My head slowly turned until it was set on Osric.


    He destroyed most of the skeletons which were all after him. However, there was a frown on his face. It was because Osric realized they wouldn''t die despite taking several hits. On top of that, none of the damage he was doing seemed to be permanent.


    I began running towards Osric, with my crystal in my free hand.


    He didn''t notice this.


    However, Leon obviously did. He called out and used this time to retrieve his staff.


    "Watch out, the madman is coming!"


    ...Just saying, him calling me madman for something I didn''t do was quite offensive.


    Osric turned to Leon upon hearing him scream, then quickly processed his message. He turned to me, and began retreating. But that was when a giant saber was being brought down on him.


    In his confusion, Osric did not take notice of the skeletons around him. He reached out with his hands just in time, catching the blade between both hands. But that was when the other skeletons attacked. Swords and spears shot towards Osric.


    Leon clicked his tongue and seemed to be questioning the intelligence of a certain someone.


    A soft sigh escaped my lips.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    I teleported within range of Osric. The lightning on his body disappeared while the surrounding skeletons all collapsed into a pile of bones, armor, and weapons. I looked at Osric who was still holding onto the saber with shock.


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "I got you."


    Osric blinked a few times.


    "Ah, thanks."


    Leon had an ugly frown.


    "Don''t trust him! Run away right now!"


    Still in a confused fluster, Osric ran away. After he had gone fairly far, he furrowed his brows.


    "Why should I run?"


    Leon grit his teeth.


    "Because he is trying to gain your trust and turn on me."


    I took a frustrated breath.


    "If that was the case, it would be far more beneficial for me to let him die or at least be critically injured. Then, I could deal with you."


    Osric nodded slightly.


    "...That does make sense."


    Leon stubbornly remained with his opinion.


    "Oh, really?"


    A small smirk formed on his face.


    "The only reason you kept him alive is that you weren''t confident in taking me on alone!"


    Osric''s eyes widened ever so slightly. It seemed he believed Leon''s statement.


    To be clear, I always thought Leon was a good person overall, even if there were a few disagreeable aspects about him. After all, he went out of his way to create a village for many people to live in happiness.


    However, he was also beginning to get on my nerves.


    A smile gradually formed on my face.


    "Leon. This entire time, I haven''t attacked you once. Do you really wish for me to start?"


    Leon chuckled.


    "You haven''t attacked me because I haven''t given you the opportunity to. Even if you could, it would hardly scratch me."


    He didn''t wait for my response and dashed towards me once more. My neck twisted, tilting my head to the side.


    "So will you believe-"


    I was interrupted by the horizontal swing of a wooden staff. My knees buckled, letting me lean back.


    "-me if I can..."


    Leon raised his leg high in the air before bringing it down, aiming the heel of his foot at my head. Intuitively, I realized that Leon was determining the position of my head from my voice.


    As such, I cut myself off before jerking my head to the side.


    A loud crash resounded just behind my head. I could feel several sharp rock fragments cut into my scalp, making me bleed a little. However, there was no real damage. Then, I was able to catch a fist going for my abdomen in the corner of my vision.


    A tight feeling wrapped around me. I teleported once more, farther away from Leon, but with Osric still within range of my crystal. The corner of my lip turned up slightly. I tried to suppress it, but it was uncontrollable.


    "...hurt you?"


    Leon took a deep breath while pulling his foot out of the ground.


    "Believe you if you can hurt me?"


    He laughed.


    "I suppose. But I am not some sort of pushover that will let that happen."


    Leon bolted towards me. It almost felt like I was food and Leon was a starving lion. After a bit of pondering, I realized that my attack had a chance of killing him if it hit the wrong spot.


    I didn''t know if Leon had any weaknesses, so as he was charging towards me, I asked a question.


    "What place on your body-"


    Before I could finish, Leon attacked. He balanced on one leg while the other did a horizontal sweep towards my waist. I took a step backward and folded my body so that my waist was safe from his attack.


    I took this time to continue asking my question.


    "-will be the least likely-"


    Leon did a strange cartwheel-like maneuver, which resulted in him bringing his fist down towards my shoulder.


    I twisted my body so that the top half of my body was sideways, like I was sleeping on my side. As the fist glided past my back, I finished my sentence.


    -to kill you?"


    Leon did not respond. After missing that strike, his strange maneuver caused him to face the opposite direction. However, he wasn''t done yet.


    Leon pushed off the ground with both feet, doing a backflip over me. As he did so, he brought his staff down onto me.


    After twisting my body, I found myself in a position that made it a little too hard to dodge. And so, I teleported once more.


    Leon landed squarely on his feet, then dashed towards me.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Answer my question or I will choose for you!"


    Leon threw a fist at my chest. For a moment, I thought it was actually a spear coming for me. I sidestepped it.


    Leon swept with his leg, shattering two stone platforms along the way. As he did so, he responded.


    "Then choose for me!"


    I jumped to evade it once more. As expected, Leon took advantage of that by bringing his staff down, towards me. A sense of danger suddenly came from behind me as well. I glanced over my shoulder to see Osric in the form of a wolf, lunging towards me with his jaws wide open.


    At first, I didn''t want to hurt Leon too badly. But now that he said that and Osric too tried to kill me...


    That desire changed.


    A creepy smile formed on my face as I raised my wooden stake.


    "Your words.. Not mine."

 Chapter 161 - Teleportation Attack

    The threat of death rapidly closed in on me. Leon''s staff mercilessly came towards me. I faced forwards, but I could still feel Osric behind me, like some sort of intuition. My thoughts rapidly sped up.


    The air began to feel heavy to me and every split second that passed made it feel several times heavier.


    It was as though death himself had his scythe right at my throat.


    Yet, the smile on my face grew wider, almost like the disdain couldn''t be contained with me and spilled out there.


    I pointed my wooden stake forwards.


    The pressure on me became stronger.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Leon''s staff was right in front of my face and I could intuitively tell Osric''s teeth were right around my waist, almost like he was trying to give me a hug.


    Then, I disappeared.


    Upon reappearing, I felt a fairly strong pain in my hand. It was trembling ever so slightly.


    Behind me was a clear thud. I turned around to see that Leon had fallen to his knees, using his hand to cover the left side of his chest and the staff to cover his back. Blood was spilling out from underneath. It was clear he suffered a pretty bad wound.


    An expression of disbelief on Leon''s face. As for Osric, he was still in the form of a wolf and looked to be at a loss. He just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "...Do you believe me now?"


    Leon opened his mouth, but instead of words, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. After a few moments, he recovered and began speaking while blood fell down from his lips.


    "Yes. My apologies for misinterpreting the situation."


    A bitter smile formed on Leon''s face.


    "It appears my mentality of attack first, ask later has a few flaws."


    He looked at me and forced out a few words after coughing up a bit more blood.


    "That attack of yours is truly powerful. My body is one of the few qualities I am most confident in, yet you pierced through it easily. I am not sure if I am overconfident, or you are simply too strong."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I guess it is pretty strong."


    Though I said that, I was similarly surprised by the result of that engagement. After all, there were very few occasions where that sort of attack made me feel some sort of backlash.


    I looked down at the stake and noticed it was different. It wasn''t the most noticeable, but the tip was cut off. I brought the tip of the stake a little closer to myself.


    The cut was really clean.


    ...No, that wasn''t the right way to say it.


    Even the cleanest cut wasn''t perfect. What happened here looked more like the tip disappeared. Something along the lines of everything beyond a certain point was removed out of existence.


    Leon laughed awkwardly


    "Thank you for not going for my heart. That would''ve been very hard to heal."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Well, I was a bit angry, but I''m not that cruel."


    Leon nodded.


    "Regardless, I will need a small break with an injury like this. The two of you can continue without me."


    Osric blinked a few times. After a few moments, white mist coalesced around him. Then, it parted to reveal he returned into his human form. Osric cleared his throat.


    "So... are we all peaceful now?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "I guess."


    Then, I turned to Leon.


    "Hold on, I know a spell that can heal you. It should help."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Are you sure? There only exist a few healing spells that truly make a difference and tend to have stringent mana requirements. Not to mention they usually require physical materials as support."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Ah, it might not be the best then. But it''s still worth a shot, right?"


    After a moment, Leon nodded.


    "Why not."


    I walked out of the range of my crystal. As for Leon, he got up to his feet shakily and also walked out. From there, I rapidly gathered mana which eventually formed the healing spell.


    Then, a very light blue mana shot out towards Leon.


    Once it hit, a surprised expression formed on Leon''s face. However, what he did next was even more shocking. Leon stopped covering his wounds. Instead, he dropped his staff and used both hands to peel away at the flesh that was regenerating.


    It was clearly painful for him as Leon had a deep frown on his face the entire time, but resolutely continued on.


    Osric''s eyes widened considerably, helping me confirm that this wasn''t something normal. Eventually, the effects of the healing spell wore off, but not much was able to heal since Leon tore off his flesh.


    He nodded approvingly.


    "That is a shockingly good healing spell."


    Osric couldn''t speak. As for me, I forced out the words after a bit of hesitation.


    "Why... why did you do that? That is far more shocking than anything I''ve done."


    Leon looked at me casually, like what he did was perfectly normal.


    "The healing spell truly is effective, but it appears that the way it is created prioritizes immediate survival. If I let my flesh grow as the spell wanted, it would repair the surface of my injury, leaving a hole in my body. That would greatly hamper my breathing in the future, so I stopped it."


    I blinked a few times.


    "So... how do you fix it?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "Over time, my body should be able to repair it along with my occasional assistance along the way. If I acquire any special consumables that can increase my vitality, I should be able to speed up that process."


    I nodded.


    "Oh."


    Then, I turned to look at the crystal. By now, the stalk had grown another black fruit. I plucked it off and tossed it to Leon.


    "Try that then."


    Leon caught it and inspected it thoroughly. A bit of shock appeared on his face.


    "This is quite high quality. Are you sure you wish to give this to me?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I can make many of them. It''s fine."


    Although it was very slow, a bud was forming on the end of the stalk, thus proving my point. Osric looked at the stalk intently, before averting his gaze, pretending he wasn''t looking in the first place.


    I noticed this, but didn''t say anything.


    Leon ate the black fruit.


    His body immediately began to repair the wound. Occasionally, Leon would reach into his wound to either peel flesh away or move it into a different position. Though there was a nasty frown on his face, he remained silent the entire time.


    Leon must''ve gone through many painful experiences to be able to do something like that without making a single sound.


    ...Maybe someday I would also reach that point.


    Anyway, the wound on Leon''s body gradually sealed up. In a matter of moments, he was good as new, other than the hole that formed on his white robe.


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Regardless, could you go back to holding the bones? It won''t be as easy because they are all bigger now and have armor."


    Leon laughed awkwardly.


    "Yeah. Sorry about that."


    I shook my head.


    "So long as you understand."


    Osric similarly picked up the bones. It was a bit difficult for the two of them to get all of the bones, but they accomplished it nonetheless. During the process, Osric would sneak a glance at Leon, then at me.


    Even after they picked up the bones, he continued to do so. My guess was Osric couldn''t believe how casually we brushed off the conflict between us. After all, we both nearly killed each other.


    But still, I understood Leon''s character to a certain extent. He didn''t seem to be one that held grudges, simply because it was too much work. As for me, I just didn''t care enough.


    And so, we continued down the path.


    We were eventually greeted to a set of ten pedestals. On top of four of them were four skeletons with staffs in their hands. As for the others, they each had a small white bean on top.


    The phylacteries.


    I pointed towards the pedestals.


    "If we destroy those small white rocks, it will destroy the skeletons. As for the four skeletons in the middle, they all have phylacteries inside the top of their staffs."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "You even know this? How?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "It''s complicated and I don''t want to waste the time needed to talk about it."


    Leon nodded.


    "Makes sense."


    Beams of water, massive rocks, and bolts of lightning shot out towards us.


    Osric turned to look at me.


    "Will those get through your domain?"


    I assumed he was talking about the ability, so I nodded. Sure enough, once those magical abilities got in range, they disappeared.


    Osric hummed.


    "Alright, I should be able to take care of this then."

 Chapter 162 - Didnt Care

    Osric dropped the bones within the range of the crystal, then stepped out. The moment he did, the skeletons shifted their spells to Osric. However, since they were quite far away it would take quite a while for them to reach him.


    In this time, Osric flicked his sleeve before stepping back into the range of the crystal. A thin lightning bolt snaked through the air. It was really hard to see from its small size, making it rather unassuming. However, it was still quite deadly.


    All of the spells that were about to hit Osric disappeared once they entered. On the other hand, the lightning bolt Osric sent out pierced through one of the skeleton''s staff. Immediately afterward, that skeleton dissipated into ash.


    Osric did the same thing and was able to kill another skeleton. As this was happening, the two remaining skeletons stopped casting, as though they realized this wasn''t going to work. However, there wasn''t much they could do.


    Osric stepped out to let another lightning bolt loose. As for the skeletons, they launched a giant boulder. It rapidly approached Osric, but he didn''t flinch. After all, every other time it worked out.


    ...But then, a deafening crash rang out.


    The boulder traveled straight through the range of my crystal and hit Osric squarely in the chest.


    ...Well, more to be more accurate, it was everywhere.


    Together with the boulder, he crashed into the side of the wall. My eyes widened as I did not expect the spell to get through. As for Leon, he blinked a few times and pointed towards the boulder.


    "Why did that happen?"


    Suddenly, a bang filled the air.


    The boulder shot out and Osric came out. A bit of blood was coming from his nose, but he was otherwise ok.


    He glared at me.


    "Why did you deactivate your spell?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "I didn''t."


    Osric narrowed his eyes.


    "Then how do you explain what just happened?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I mean, you could feel it, right? There was no mana where you stood."


    Osric opened his mouth to rebuke, but then closed it.


    "...You''re right."


    Leon furrowed his brows.


    "It appears that the earth wasn''t magical."


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "Then how did they conjure it with magic? Is it not magical?"


    Leon rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Normally, the earth spell both creates a boulder and flings it. The natural propulsion is only possible because the earth itself is magical. However, it appears this time they created a giant rock before sending it out with some sort of wind spell."


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "I guess my ability isn''t that strong then."


    Leon shook his head.


    "No, it is still strong. After all, that process is more wasteful and takes much longer."


    He then pointed in front of himself.


    "In fact, it took so long, it was only now that these boulders reached-"


    He was interrupted by a crash.


    There had been two boulders flung towards both me and Leon. Thanks to Leon''s warning, I teleported out of the way in time. As for him...


    He just stood there and took it.


    However, the boulder did not crush Leon. In fact, it directly broke upon hitting him. While the debris continued on behind Leon. he himself did not move.


    Osric let out a long sigh.


    "If they do take that long, they will be unable to cast before I kill them."


    Osric flicked his sleeve, sending out a lightning bolt. Then, he stood there for a few moments with both hands behind his back. Then, he flicked his sleeve once more.


    As Osric said, both skeletons dissipated into dust before they could do anything. In the back of my mind, I felt the pause between attacks was a little weird. From how Osric attacked, it looked like his cast was instant.


    ...But it seemed like he needed time to charge up.


    I didn''t say anything about this.


    I cleared my throat.


    "Nice. Now we just have to destroy all the other phylacteries and none of the skeletons will bother us."


    Leon nodded.


    "Alright."


    He walked over and destroyed all of them, clearing out the bones we brought with us. Now that all the skeletons were dealt with, Leon walked over to the parchment in the middle. Osric also came over to read it.


    As for me, I stood behind.


    Honestly, it was hard for me to remember the contents, but I don''t remember reading anything good here. It would be better to just forget.


    Leon sighed.


    "This man... is simply too rotten."


    Osric chuckled.


    "I suppose that was already made clear from the other reports."


    Leon turned to me.


    "This is all for this path, I assume?"


    I nodded


    "Yeah."


    As I turned around, I suddenly froze.


    "Wait no."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Is there something here still?"


    I walked over to the pedestals and pointed towards a spot on the ground.


    "There is something here sucking away all the mana. If we destroy it, normal spellcasting should be fairly easy."


    Leon furrowed his brows.


    "...You really know this place in and out."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "I suppose you could call one of my abilities a way to know the future."


    Leon smashed his staff down on the place I mentioned, but continued to talk to me.


    "That sounds quite convenient."


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "It is a little more complicated than that, so it isn''t the most convenient."


    Leon laughed.


    "I can imagine. Seeing the future isn''t exactly the easiest act to do."


    He smashed the floor once more, revealing the surface of a massive gemstone. Once Osric saw this, his eyes widened considerably.


    "Wait! Isn''t this something valuable?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Maybe? I don''t think it''s that useful though."


    Osric hurried over and placed his hand on the surface of the gemstone.


    "This must be holding all the mana, so if we extract it..."


    Suddenly, a frown appeared on his face.


    "Why can''t I extract the mana?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "It''s probably useless to us then."


    Leon nodded.


    "Seems logical."


    He slammed his staff down on the gemstone. Seeing this, Osric panicked.


    "Wait, wait, stop!"


    Despite taking Leon''s hit directly, the gemstone wasn''t damaged. Osric pleaded.


    "This could potentially be extremely valuable! Why are we destroying it?"


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "It''s basically a chest we don''t have the key to. How about this, I will give you one of these black fruits, and we break it."


    Osric''s face twitched.


    "But I don''t see why this must be broken."


    I rubbed my temple with the palm of my hand.


    "...Because there will be someone down here that might be able to use it."


    Leon furrowed his brows and looked towards me.


    "Someone is down here?"


    I recalled how the person who wrote all these papers was killed. This time, I wanted to see if I could convince him to stay alive.


    "Yeah, someone will be down here."


    Leon blinked a few times. With that, he raised his staff high into the air. Osric cried out once he realized Leon''s intention.


    Unfortunately for him, Leon remained resolute.


    His staff whipped through the air before slamming down on the crystal with a deafening bang. Cracks formed across the surface and mana rushed out like a storm.


    Leon took a deep breath, as though he was refreshed. As for Osric, he looked down at the crystal with pity. It was as though he lost his child or something.


    I shook my head. By now, a black fruit had grown on my crystal. After taking it off, I tossed it to Osric.


    "Cheer up."


    Osric caught it and looked at it for a moment, before calming down.


    "Thank you."


    I sighed.


    "There''s some more stuff for us to get. Let''s go."


    We retraced our steps back to the place we initially entered. Then, I led us down to the grassy plain that was eternally raining.


    As the other two inspected this strange phenomenon, I walked on ahead towards one of the plant monsters. It was a tree walking on its roots that had an eye in its trunk. The tree casually walked around, blinking as it walked.


    "These things have some kind of vitality thing inside them. They should be worth taking."


    With that, I walked up to the tree and shoved my hand straight through its eye. The tree immediately struggled, attempting to free itself. However, I grabbed the side of it, preventing it from moving. The tree tried to scamper away, digging into the ground with its roots.


    But there was nothing it could do.


    The feeling of killing the tree felt a little too real to me. I had killed people before, but this was different. The flesh of the eye was warm and soft.


    I couldn''t convince myself that I wasn''t killing something.


    But I didn''t care.

 Chapter 163 - Another... Me?

    Leon and Osric both seemed a little surprised as their eyes widened ever so slightly. But they didn''t say anything. After a bit of digging, I felt someone more solid. I pulled it out and was greeted with what looked like a tiny blue bean.


    I inspected it.


    "Mm. Got it."


    Leon''s eyes lit up.


    "Wow, you noticed they had lifeforce within them so quickly?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Yeah."


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "...I thought you said there was nothing valuable here."


    Leon laughed.


    "Did you not hear him earlier? He can create something very similar all the time. Of course they aren''t valuable in his eyes."


    Osric nodded.


    "Ah... then if we were to decide who gets it, surely he doesn''t need one, right?"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "There are two more plant monsters over there for you to take from. That way, we each get one."


    Osric looked over, then hurriedly rushed towards the nearest one. As for Leon, he casually walked up to the last one.


    They both killed the plant monsters without a single ounce of hesitation or mercy. Then, they retrieved their respective blue beans.


    Leon came back and turned to me.


    "Is that all for this section?"


    I nodded.


    "Pretty much."


    With that, I led us to the place with the crying kid. As we walked down the halls, Osric had his head down inspecting his blue bean. On the other hand, Leon turned to me with a curious expression.


    "There are quite a few cracks lined across these walls. Is that anything to be concerned about?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Maybe."


    Leon blinked a few times.


    "I see."


    We eventually arrived at a lamppost in the middle of the room. There was a wind that sounded like a wail, circulating around in the room. And in the middle of the lamppost, was a flickering blue light.


    I turned to look at the others.


    "I think I can do something with this. You can stand back if you wish."


    Osric hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat.


    "I shall come with. After all... you shouldn''t be left alone as there might be something dangerous."


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "This place is quite interesting. I see no reason to not explore further."


    I nodded.


    "Alright."


    The only reason I said that was to save them from walking forward pointlessly. It wasn''t that big of a deal.


    As we got closer, the wind similarly got stronger. As for the sound, it gradually became the cries of a baby. I found that it was a little hard to resist the wind, as my body wasn''t fully suited to this.


    I used the growing spell to create another black fruit and ate it. Leon noticeably raised an eyebrow when he saw me do this, but didn''t say anything. The effect of the fruit was immediately apparent, as it was no longer difficult for me to resist the wind.


    Though the uncomfortable overly full feeling came back.


    The light from the lamppost began to flicker. As we got closer, it began flickering faster.


    Until eventually, the blue light brightened considerably, until I couldn''t see anything.


    My vision gradually refocused on the situation at hand. I saw myself in a small room of white walls and a small black pedestal with a baby on top. The baby was flailing its limbs and crying, but that was reasonable as it had several deep scars across its body.


    Suddenly, I remembered what would happen if I reached out towards the baby. A hallway would form, then I would have to strain myself heavily just to step forward.


    I took a deep breath, bracing myself.


    Then, my hand reached out towards the baby. It froze, unable to move any further. The crying kept getting louder, hurting my mind. Then, the pedestal and the baby warped, before appearing ahead of me.


    Shrugging off the painful pressure that appeared, I immediately took a step forward. That was when I heard a cry of pain.


    It was my voice.


    But I could''ve sworn I didn''t do it.


    I turned around to see a figure made of ethereal black dust. It had a crown, cape, and even a wooden stake in its hand.


    It was my figure.


    A gaping black void pulled at the figure, forcefully distorting the ethereal black dust before swallowing it whole. Seeing this made me quite anxious, prompting me to begin running forward.


    ...But that was when I realized there was no pressure.


    In fact, there wasn''t even any force trying to pull me back.


    I took one more glance back to see that while the void was there, it was still.


    What just happened?


    I looked down at my own body to see that it was composed of ethereal black dust, just like the other figure. After a bit of hesitation, I walked towards the baby.


    It was still crying loudly and it was still quite painful.


    Upon reaching the pedestal, the baby suddenly stopped crying and turned to me. Its eyes were wide open and even its mouth. The baby was shocked.


    It pointed at me.


    "Bah! Bah, bah?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "What?"


    The baby swung around the finger he used to point at me.


    "Bah!"


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "I can''t understand."


    I took a step forward. But that made the baby freak out more, calling out louder and swinging his finger around.


    It seemed... afraid.


    I raised my hands up.


    "Hey, hey! I don''t mean anything bad. Don''t you want to get out of here? I can carry you out."


    The baby fell silent.


    After a few moments, it slowly nodded, but still seemed to be filled with distrust.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "Alright, let''s get you out of there."


    I cradled the baby and walked back down the pathway. Upon reaching the void, I took a step through it.


    ...


    The light was blinding, making me cover my eyes. That was when I heard a voice.


    "What do you mean?"


    I shook my head, then looked towards the voice. It was Leon. He was walking forward, then stopped to turn towards me.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    I shook my head.


    "Ah, no."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "Then why did you stop walking?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Huh? I was walking?"


    I looked around to see that we were in the middle of the hallway.


    ...This wasn''t where I remember being.


    "What is happening?"


    Leon looked at me strangely.


    "Well, you were telling us about the last pathway. You said that the ground will fall when we step on it, so I should use my earth magic to get across. Then, you said we would be able to meet the man behind all this, both dead and alive."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "I..."


    A chill swept over me.


    "I said all that?"


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "What? It''s not exactly profane, I don''t see the problem."


    I rubbed my temple with the palm of my hand.


    "I just... don''t remember it happening."


    I turned around to see a pale blue light following us. It kept quite the distance, probably not trusting me.


    The other two turned around as well. Leon let out an interested hum.


    "Since when was that thing following us?"


    Osric rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Is it alive?"


    The pale blue light backed off more.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    "It''s basically a baby. The reason it''s that far back is that it probably doesn''t trust us."


    I shook my head.


    "But more than that, I very clearly don''t remember doing all that."


    Leon blinked a few times.


    "If that really is the case, you may have some sort of memory disease."


    I covered my forehead with my hand frustratedly.


    "Whatever, I will just think about it later."


    Osric turned to me.


    "So were all those things you said before false?"


    I shook my head.


    "No, no they were true. At the end of the hallway is some resurrection magic type thing. We can make the original person come back to life and all that."


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "Is that... a bad idea?"


    Leon laughed.


    "Most likely. However, it is far too interesting to pass up, no?"


    Osric rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "And we are not weak individuals."


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    "Witnessing something as grand as a resurrection would make this quite an exciting trip."


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Then let''s get to it."


    Once we reached the initial place we entered, I walked down the last pathway. It was covered in sand and caused my feet to sink. Eventually, the ground caved in, making me fall.


    But I just teleported out, landing back on solid ground.


    The pathway quickly fell down, becoming an empty void.


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "That would be quite the scare for most."


    I nodded.


    "Yeah. Anyways, it''s your turn."


    Leon chuckled.


    "Alright then."


    And now.... I began devising a plan.

 Chapter 164 - Ah, I Forgot

    Leon walked forward, creating a platform of dirt underneath him right when his foot was about to touch the air. Osric and I both followed closely from behind.


    I began to think about what I could say to convince the person who created this place, Noah, not to give up his life.


    From what I remember, he openly said that he wanted to resurrect his wife, but was also stopping himself at the same time. In the end, when Noah succeeded, he couldn''t bear the shame.


    Simply the thought of his wife seeing him made him resolutely decide to give up on everything.


    So for starters, Noah definitely valued his wife and her opinion. Though, that much was pretty obvious considering how much he went through to resurrect her.


    The only issue was his own perception of how terrible he was. It appeared that being a terrible person itself was not what Noah was afraid of, but the fact that his wife would see him as one.


    ...So maybe I just had to convince him that his wife didn''t care.


    As I thought of how to accomplish that, we reached the end of the hall. A familiar room was laid out in front of me.


    Five green glowing stones were at the edges of the room. In the center was a skeleton with cracked bones. In one of its hands was a dagger in reverse grip while the other was holding onto a shattered phylactery.


    It was fairly easy to tell Noah broke his own phylactery before.


    Around his neck was a rusty metal necklace with a heart at the end. It was also cracked.


    And underneath him, was a piece of paper.


    I walked up to it without much hesitation and picked it up.


    "Do you guys want to read it?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "Sure."


    Osric simply nodded and walked over.


    After a few moments, Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "This person is quite arrogant to believe that anybody reading this desires to learn resurrection magic."


    Osric looked over.


    "Though resurrection as a concept is quite fascinating."


    I smirked.


    "Do you guys want to see something cool?"


    Leon chuckled.


    "That''s why I came here in the first place."


    I laughed.


    "Well, I''m not actually entirely sure how this is going to go, but it should be fairly eventful."


    Osric shrugged his shoulders.


    "If it weren''t for how strong we were, I would object. But surely there wouldn''t be anything that threatens us."


    With that, I placed the piece of paper under the skeleton''s feet.


    Soft gales picked up, stirring around us. As for the paper, it gradually began rising all the while emitting a weak grey light. Then, the light started to flicker.


    As for the paper itself, it began shrinking and burgeoning. Mana rapidly gathered around the piece of paper. It was so dense, there were even a few lines of blue mana that appeared, injecting itself into the piece of paper.


    A groan of pain filled the air, which gradually became angry.


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "So he did succeed in creating a form of resurrection."


    The skeleton broke apart into many little pieces. Together with the necklace and dagger, they were carried with the violent wind. One of them scratched against me, breaking the surface of my skin. I frowned, then cast the growing spell to make another black fruit.


    Then, I consumed it.


    In this time, the groans of anger calmed down as did the wind. Then, a voice came from the paper in the middle.


    "Amy... yes, Amy, I will get right to it!"


    I cleared my throat.


    "Amy isn''t here right now."


    The voice paused. Then, the paper turned to me, almost like it was looking at me.


    "What do you mean Amy isn''t here? She''s right there."


    I chuckled.


    "Right where?"


    The voice from the paper seemed annoyed.


    "Right there, can''t you see? Amy is-"


    It paused, then turned to look at the necklace.


    "Amy? What happened to you?"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "...Amy has been waiting for you all this time. All you need to do is lay that necklace down on the floor."


    The voice from the paper appeared hesitant.


    "Oh... but why does it feel wrong?"


    Hmm... this probably wasn''t good. It seemed Noah was slowly understanding the situation he was in. I had to act first.


    "Why would it be wrong? It''s essentially just opening a door so she can come in! Amy just doesn''t have the keys to the house."


    The paper hummed.


    "Oh, ok."


    Then, it laid the necklace down on the ground.


    "I-It still feels wrong. I don''t know why!"


    Well, he wasn''t exactly wrong. After all, an eerie wind stirred up. The necklace began trembling and emitting a faint black mist.


    Noah, or the paper, seemed to come to a realization.


    "Wait... where are my arms? Why is Amy a necklace?"


    The blood scrawlings faded along with the glowing green beans. The winds swirled faster and began sounding like a whistle.


    Or more accurately, a shriek.


    Noah began freaking out.


    "No... no this can''t be true!"


    He looked towards the necklace.


    "Amy?..."


    Then began contorting.


    "D-Don''t look at-"


    "How... dare you. How dare you kill my child?"


    I was about to speak to try and convince Noah, but Amy did it before I had a chance to. The paper stopped contorting after it heard Amy''s words.


    "Child?"


    Noah got closer to the necklace.


    "Someone... someone killed our child?"


    Amy shrieked.


    "You all killed me and my child!"


    Leon turned to me.


    "Say, what exactly is happening."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I uh... don''t really know."


    Suddenly, Noah''s breathing became heavy.


    "Wait, Amy was resurrected? And me too?"


    The paper shivered.


    "Oh no, t-there is a price."


    Noah seemed to be freaking out.


    "There is a p-price. There is a price! Price, price, price!"


    Amy also appeared to be going insane.


    "I will kill you! I will kill you all!"


    Suddenly, Noah became quiet, muttering out the words.


    "There is a price... to cheat death."


    The paper turned to the necklace.


    "I must. Kill her."


    Noah''s voice trembled.


    "But... Amy."


    The paper began stretching, as though it was being pulled on both ends. The grey light gradually changed, shifting into a bright red on one side and a bright blue on the other.


    They appeared to be fighting each other.


    Two voices began interlacing. One of them was determined to kill Amy, while the other was proclaiming its desire for her. The paper continued to stretch.


    As for the necklace, it continued to gather black mist, screaming out that it would kill all of us. Then, the necklace turned to the paper and shot out a black mass towards it.


    Yet, right before it hit, the paper split in two.


    The last time this happened, Noah died, thus that was the conclusion I came to.


    But I was wrong.


    Pieces of paper continued to flutter apart. The shattered pieces of skeleton coalesced around each half of the papers.


    In mere moments, two halves of a skeleton formed, split down the middle. The halves were messily put together, almost like a kid trying to put together something they broke. One of the halves of a skeleton had a glowing red piece of paper within its chest cavity.


    The other one had a glowing blue piece of paper, but within the skull.


    Osric narrowed his eyes.


    "Should we be concerned?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Maybe?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "Just in case, I will create an exit for us here."


    For a moment, he was silent. The wall next to us rapidly fell down, before becoming a staircase upwards. Osric nodded when he saw this.


    "Ah, that''s convenient."


    However, Leon had a frown on his face.


    "Something is resisting my magic. It is fighting over the authority to control the earth around us."


    The red half of a skeleton pointed at us.


    "You! You''re trying to take Amy away! I won''t let you!"


    Leon''s eyebrow twitched, then turned to me.


    "Was this how it felt like when I accused you earlier?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Pretty much."


    Leon turned to face forward once more.


    "Huh. I''m quite the insolent person then."


    I laughed.


    "A little bit, yes."


    The blue half of a skeleton looked over to the necklace.


    "I must kill you. This is my fault."


    In response, the necklace let out a screech.


    "You killed my child!"


    Mana rapidly coalesced around both the red and blue halves of a skeleton. Then, the terrain around us rapidly shifted.


    The room grew in size. Several times larger than it was before. The hallway behind us disappeared. Leon furrowed his brows, clearly trying to do something, but couldn''t.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Ah, I forgot."


    Leon turned to me with a confused expression.


    "What did you forget?"


    I pointed towards the skeletons.


    "He was apparently someone with monstrous magical talent."


    It appeared we had a tough fight in store.

 Chapter 165 - Chaotic Battle

    There was a lot of yelling.


    The red half of a skeleton was accusing us of taking away Amy.


    "I won''t let you kill her!"


    The blue half of a skeleton was proclaiming something about the price of cheating death and how he had to kill Amy.


    "This price is too much! It''s too much!"


    As for Amy, the necklace, it continued to shriek, exclaiming that everyone had killed her child.


    "You! You killed my child!"


    Osric furrowed his brows.


    "What is happening to the terrain?"


    The room was continuously expanding, almost like it was alive. I turned to Leon.


    "Are you able to stop that?"


    Leon furrowed his brows.


    "I am fighting two forces over the authority of this earth. Though the biggest problem is that there appears to be some sort of mark on the terrain around us, making it prefer the manipulation of the two forces."


    I blinked a few times.


    "What?"


    Leon shook his head.


    "Imagine a dog that has gotten attached to a person. Although it isn''t impossible to win the favor of that dog, it will prefer the person it has already established a connection with."


    I nodded, then pointed forwards.


    "So that massive boulder coming straight for us isn''t because of you, but the two skeletons."


    Leon looked to where I was pointing and nodded as well.


    "Yes, that is the case."


    The boulder rapidly filled the entirety of my vision, making the entire place seem dark. I was about to teleport out of the way, but saw that Leon had acted.


    Mana coalesced around his body before transforming his staff into an overly long spear. Leon lunged forward before stabbing at the boulder in front.


    A deep boom resounded.


    Leon directly pierced through the boulder, shattering it into several pieces. Those pieces landed at our feet, scattering across the place.


    At the same time, a massive thunderbolt snaked towards Osric. However, it only made him scoff. He flicked his sleeve sending out his own thunderbolt.


    With a crash, the two collided together, sending out volatile sparks into the air.


    The red half of a skeleton began letting out groans of pain. It pointed its finger at Osric, shooting out a giant beam of water.


    Osric simply raised an eyebrow and held up his sleeve. It collided against his arm, splashing water everywhere. However, it wasn''t able to cause any significant damage.


    That was when the red light from the paper glowed a little bit brighter. Suddenly, lightning snaked across the beam of water.


    It was so fast that Osric didn''t have any time to react.


    He immediately let out a cry of pain. Lightning zapped across his body from the beam of water and wreaked havoc on his body. Within the pain and lightning, Osric narrowed his eyes.


    "Insolent."


    Large amounts of mana gathered around his body before exploding in the form of his own lightning. Now, thick lightning bolts snaked across his body, occasionally discharging onto the floor below him.


    This lightning overwhelmed its counterpart and rapidly traveled down the beam of water. The red half of a skeleton was assaulted with its own attack. Arcs of lightning jumped across its body violently, almost like they were alive and had malicious intent.


    ...But the skeleton simply stood there, unaffected.


    Unfortunately for Osric, the skeletons were immune to lightning. He furrowed his brows upon realizing this and cursed under his breath.


    As for the blue half of a skeleton and the necklace, they were also having a fight of their own, adding to the already chaotic situation.


    The blue half of a skeleton shot out several beams of water, along with a thunderbolt. As for the necklace, it shot out a black mass. The moment it came in contact with all those magical abilities, it made them disappear. The blue skeleton shot to the side, dodging the black mass before it hit.


    Then, it began to float in the air.


    Originally, there wouldn''t have been far to fly up to, but even at this moment, the roof was getting higher and higher. The skeleton flew up fifty meters in the air and began gathering mana.


    In that time, the black necklace picked up the dagger on the floor. The black mass wrapped around the dagger and sent it straight towards the blue half of a skeleton.


    In response, the skeleton made a pulling gesture with his hand towards the wall. Then, a pillar of earth burst out and blocked the path of the dagger.


    A loud crash ensued.


    Although the pillar was not small by any means, the dagger seemed to hold too much power. It crashed straight through, splitting the pillar in two. At the edges of where the pillar was cut, decay rotted across the edges.


    The blue half of a skeleton seemed to sense imminent danger. Gales of wind gathered around its body before it shot to the side. However, the dagger simply shifted trajectories to continue following after it.


    Their speeds were relatively similar, thus they ended up chasing each other for a while.


    While this was happening Leon looked at me.


    "Can your ability to nullify magic affect them?"


    I shrugged my shoulders


    "I can try."


    I commanded the crystal to move the red half of a skeleton. It was currently shooting a beam of water towards Osric and didn''t care about the crystal.


    Then, once it entered within its range, both the beam of water and lightning disappeared.


    The red skeleton''s gaze snapped to me. Then, it leaped off the floor and flew up into the sky. I tried to command my crystal to follow it, but the red skeleton was simply faster.


    Leon furrowed his brows.


    "Did you not nullify his magic?"


    I narrowed my eyes as I looked up at the red skeleton.


    "I did."


    Leon frowned.


    "...Then how is it able to fly?"


    I shook my head.


    "The origins of that ability isn''t some sort of magic. I can''t stop it."


    Leon clicked his tongue.


    "Resurrected beings are quite strange, it seems."


    He twirled the spear in his hand, then when it stopped twirling, it became a staff once more.


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "So I guess we have to kill them the old fashioned way if we want to get out, right?"


    Leon shut his eyes.


    "Essentially."


    Suddenly, he sank into the ground below, almost like it was water instead of solid stone. My initial thought was Leon wanted to stop the expansion of the room, but it simply continued.


    As I wondered about his intentions, a massive hand of earth burst out of the ground, reaching towards the red skeleton. The red skeleton looked down and noticed this. It quickly raised its hand before bringing it down.


    Then, a massive earth spike shot out from the roof, tearing through the air.


    A thunderous crash resounded.


    The earth spike pierced through the massive hand, but the hand simply continued upwards. Seeing this, the red skeleton attempted to fly out of the way.


    But the hand was simply too large.


    I noticed that within the hand''s grasp was a tiny gap. From that gap, I could see a glowing red piece of paper. It seemed like Leon was waiting for me to attack it.


    Without delay, I raised my wooden stake, pointing it towards the glowing red spot. As it was pretty far away, it would take some time for me to charge up my teleport.


    The space around me began to distort like it was being twisted.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Then...


    The air was knocked out of my lungs. Something smacked hard into me, not only interrupting my teleportation, but sending my body catapulting to the side. I slammed into the wall, sending shattered rocks into the air.


    As my vision cleared, I saw what it was that crashed into me.


    The blue skeleton. The dagger was still chasing after it, but the skeleton was looking at me dead in the eyes.


    "Price... Price for death. You cheated death."


    My eyes narrowed.


    Did this thing somehow find out I died before? But how?


    The blue skeleton charged towards me, not caring about the dagger coming straight towards its back.


    My initial instinct was to dodge, but I decided to try something. Large amounts of lightning coalesced around the blue skeleton''s hand. Then, it shot out towards my heart.


    I grabbed onto the skeleton''s hand.


    The skin of my hand immediately burnt off. As for the skeleton, it still did not give up on trying to pierce through my heart. I used all of my strength to push it back, but the flesh of my hand kept burning off before I could get any real traction.


    As such, the hand was slowly getting closer to my heart.


    Both of our hands were trembling violently. The lightning coursed through my entire body, damaging it and forcing my muscles to tense up. Naturally, it hurt.


    But I''ve been through worse.


    The corner of my lip turned up.

 Chapter 166 - Belly Of A Beast

    The skeleton''s fractured skull slowly got closer to me. The blue light from the paper within the skull seemed to get brighter.


    As for the thunder that rampaged through my body, it was making it harder and harder to move. Even my thoughts became clouded. The skeleton''s hand kept slipping forward, pushing past my mangled hand.


    I could tell in the next second I was going to lose my hold, but I didn''t do anything about it.


    Then, the skeleton''s hand slipped out of my grasp, tearing through the burnt flesh of my hand.


    An audible crack rang out.


    The skeleton in front of me froze in place because a dagger pierced through its back. There was a painful scream from the piece of blue paper. Several bone fragments fell from that half of the skeleton. It ran away, but shot a glance at the bones it left behind.


    I let out a soft sigh and looked at the dagger.


    "Took you a while."


    Then, the dagger continued and tried to pierce me, prompting me to teleport out of the way.


    At first, the bones left behind by the skeleton gravitated back towards the original. However, some black mass wrapped around them, stealing control over them.


    It was the most noticeable, but the rate that the room expanded slowed.


    Thankfully, the dagger did not continue chasing after me, but the blue half of a skeleton. I used this time to grow a black fruit to both mend my injuries and increase my physical strength.


    As all of that happened, the red skeleton that had been trapped inside Leon''s hand of earth began breaking out. Several cracks formed on the hand, showing that it wouldn''t be able to last much longer.


    During this time, Osric was at a loss. His magic centered around lightning, but that was also the very element these skeletons were immune to. He also noticed that Leon was trying to keep hold of the red skeleton, but the only way he could do anything was with physical strength.


    Unfortunately, the target was high up in the air and he did not have any form of flying.


    Osric was about to give up, but then he laid his eyes on a large fragment of stone lying on the ground. An idea quickly formulated in his head.


    While the lightning itself was not harmful, that didn''t mean it was useless. With a heave, Osric picked up the fragment of stone and pointed the edge towards the slightly glowing red paper.


    Mana rapidly gathered around him and the lightning around his body rapidly built up, until it covered the majority of Osric''s figure.


    Then, a thundering bang rang out.


    The stone fragment was launched forth with an explosion of lightning. A good chunk of the stone fragment actually shattered from that, what remained left trails of lightning in its wake, speeding up as it traveled.


    At that moment, Leon''s hand of earth directly exploded, revealing the skeleton. The red light from the paper inside glowed brightly, almost as though incensed. It was about to let out another scream, but before it could, the stone fragment reached it.


    The skeleton only realized what was coming at the last second, with no time to dodge. And so, the stone fragment pierced through the red paper.


    A deafening groan of pain rang out.


    It was so loud, the walls themselves seemed to be shaking. The red light from the paper began to flicker rapidly while the room finally stopped expanding.


    I just barely noticed that the blue skeleton looked towards the red one, seemingly concerned. It appears that while they separated and had different ideals, they were still connected in a way.


    Upon seeing his attack succeed, Osric smiled to himself.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t seem like it was over. The bones that were originally half of a skeleton disassembled before revolving around the red paper. The stone fragment was still lodged within that paper, but it seemed like the paper was forcefully assimilating it as part of his body.


    The groans of pain constantly rang out. Among them were other sounds. It was like the paper was trying to speak, but the only things that came out were unintelligible syllables.


    Then, the room began to shift.


    Before, every surface was completely straight. But now, it began to distort. The stone burgeoned as though it were alive, making it seem like we were actually inside the belly of a beast.


    While I was in the middle of growing some more black fruit, several cracks formed in the ground. At first, I didn''t mind it, but then a chunk of the floor next to me directly fell down. The only thing revealed was a dark and empty pit that seemed to extend down forever.


    Once I saw that the floor below me was also crumbling, I ran off. The floor I was just on collapsed, falling into the abyss-like pit. Osric had the same realization and watched the ground closely.


    Cracks formed within the ground around roughly ten meters away from me and Osric, but not directly underneath us. Osric frowned.


    "This isn''t the most favorable situation."


    Mist gathered around his body. The next moment, he turned into a wolf with bright silver fur. Osric ran fast and even stepped on the crumbling ground. As one might expect, it gave way right after, but Osric was able to leap and land on solid ground.


    As for me, I simply remained on the spot.


    A strip of ground ten meters around me fell.


    Then, the ground nine meters around me began to crumble. It was now that I realized what was happening. The red paper was probably trying to get rid of the ground around me. That way, I would be constrained to this section, then slowly work on what remained to send me down into the endless black pit.


    I nodded to myself as the platform kept crumbling.


    Then I looked off into the distance. My eyes widened while my pupils constricted. I teleported onto stable ground.


    Because of my ability to teleport, I wouldn''t be trapped. However, that didn''t mean the situation was under control. Although the red light from the paper was flickering, it didn''t seem like it was dying any time soon.


    That meant with time, it would be able to get rid of all the ground. Even if I did begin falling, I was confident that my rate of teleportation upwards would be faster. The only issue was the burden that would place on my mind, meaning I wouldn''t be able to do it forever.


    In other words, it was better to end it before things came to that.


    I narrowed my eyes and looked up to the amalgamation of bones glowing red. My target would have to be the paper in the middle, but I wasn''t sure if I could do it.


    One thing I noticed while teleporting, is that it was harder to determine where I would end up the farther I teleported. It was because channeling the teleport for longer did not increase the distance at a steady rate, but one that increased.


    Half a second of channeling could teleport me roughly five meters ahead. However, a full second would be roughly twenty meters.


    A soft sigh escaped me.


    Well, what else was there to do?


    I casted the elementary wind spell, ''Dash''. Wind gathered around my feet. Each step I took felt a little lighter and became a little longer. Using that, I was able to run away from the crumbling floor and channel my teleportation.


    Yet, right as I began, the blue skeleton charged towards me, with the dagger still chasing after.


    "There is a price!"


    A rumbling sound came from the ground below me, prompting me to jump to the side. That turned out to be a good idea as a giant metal spike ruptured out of the ground where I just was.


    Then, that metal spike lost its form, almost like it was melting.


    They turned into many long chains that shot towards me. It seemed the skeleton wanted to bind me. My first instinct was to teleport out of the way, but that was when I realized the chains froze.


    Then, they shot back towards the skeleton, restraining it instead.


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "It''s about time you did something, Leon."


    I pointed my wooden stake towards the skeleton''s glowing skull. Since I had already begun channeling before, this teleportation was nearly instant.


    I reappeared behind the skeleton, while the blue piece of paper had a newly formed hole on it.


    The blue piece of paper immediately let out a painful screech.


    My hand trembled violently, while a small crack had formed on my wooden stake. Why was a damn piece of paper so hard?


    Unfortunately, my strike was unable to kill it.


    The blue light from the piece of paper began to flicker as well. As for the skeleton, it broke into pieces and shot in all directions.


    One of which, came straight for me.

 Chapter 167 - Family Reunion?

    I must admit, when I saw those bone fragments shoot out, I didn''t think too much of them. After all, when I last got hit by them, it only scratched my skin a bit.


    But that was an incorrect assumption to make.


    Thunderous explosions filled the air, shaking the room.


    As for me, I lost the entirety of my arm, shoulder, and half of my chest. When I looked down, I could directly see my organs. The pain overloaded my mind. I could tell I was going to bleed out in a matter of seconds.


    Gales of wind stirred around me while my skin tore open. I hurriedly casted the healing spell, focusing everything on it. For a moment, I lost any cognition of the outside world. The only thing I thought about was casting the spell.


    And then, it finished.


    A gentle feeling wrapped around my wounds. The bleeding stopped and my flesh began to regrow. Knowing how bad my injury was, I immediately started casting another healing spell after finishing the first one.


    As the healing process slowed, it suddenly ramped up once more. The pain finally disappeared and I came to my senses.


    To realize I was being carried away by a hand of earth.


    There was a black mass rushing towards me, trying to turn me to ash. Crashing and rumbling sounds echoed one after another, courtesy of huge stones falling from the ceiling and walls.


    The hand of earth blocked the black mass, decaying immediately after.


    I muttered under my breath.


    "Thanks, Leon."


    After landing on the floor, I felt it vibrate.


    "If you want to thank me, stop that piece of paper."


    I looked up to see that the piece of paper flickering blue was slowly floating up to its other half. On the ground, Osric was running away from a black mass that shot out from the necklace.


    It seemed that for now, I would be left alone.


    Not wanting to waste this tiny window, I raised my wooden stake towards the flickering piece of paper.


    ...Or at least, that was supposed to happen.


    For some reason, I couldn''t feel my arm. I looked towards it to see that it wasn''t there. The only thing left was a stump on my shoulder. As for my wooden stake, it was gone. Chances are, it was blown to smithereens.


    Suddenly, I remembered Leon''s words.


    The healing spell prioritizes saving one''s life. In other words, it neglects repairing lost functions if that means it''s more likely to survive. Needless to say, that really worked against me.


    I casted the growing spell on the plant and got another black fruit. After eating it, I felt strength surge through me. However, other than making my wound feel hot and itchy, it did nothing to regrow my arm.


    I looked up to the piece of paper that had already made it halfway to the one floating in the air.


    ...There was still a way to use my teleportation attack without a weapon, but it would sacrifice a part of my body and be very painful. Even now, just after losing my arm, that pain still scared me.


    I furrowed my brows. There was not much time left.


    Thoughts whirled in my head. Now that I think about it, I''ve never thought about how my teleportation attack even worked.


    I simply did it on instinct.


    My eyes glazed over as I recalled the process.


    I would teleport... then in the middle, I would just barely teleport the very tip of the wooden stake out and retract it almost instantly.


    That was why it was so easy to pierce through things using an object made of wood. The actual toughness didn''t matter that much.


    As I came to this realization, the flickering blue piece of paper was very close to the red one. I anxiously picked up a fragment of stone with my remaining hand and pointed it upwards. The space around me began to distort.


    But a sense of dread came over me, almost like it was warning me against using this fragment of stone.


    It didn''t make much sense, but in this tiny timeframe, I decided to trust my instincts.


    I dropped the stone.


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Then, a tight feeling wrapped around me.


    The chaotic travel through space was chaotic, rocking me back and forth like a rollercoaster. There was no real pattern to it or anything to tell me at what point I was in.


    Yet, I randomly pressed down with my index finger, letting the tip of it disappear from this space.


    Then, I reappeared high up into the air.


    The thing I immediately noticed was the searing pain coming from my index finger. As my mind processed the pain, it got overloaded and began hurting too.


    However, there was something that hurt me even more.


    An ear-splitting cry came from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see the blue paper gradually ripping apart. The light flickered faster and faster.


    Until eventually, it split in two. The blue light disappeared altogether, along with the cry of pain.


    The abrupt cut off of the deafening scream made the place seem extremely quiet.


    As I began to fall, I noticed that the bones rotating around the red piece of paper froze in place before dropping down. However, the piece of paper that split earlier floated up to the red one.


    I narrowed my eyes.


    That probably wasn''t a good thing.


    I tried to raise my trembling hand towards it while a massive hand of earth shot out from the ceiling.


    However, it was just too fast.


    Before any of us could do anything, the red piece of paper attached the ripped piece of paper to itself. Then, everything seemed to freeze.


    ...No, that wasn''t accurate.


    Time slowed down.


    It was very difficult to tell, everything was moving, just very slowly.


    ...Correction, almost everything.


    The red light continued to flicker, but got brighter as time went on. A frightening amount of lightning began to coalesce around the piece of paper. It was at a normal speed, which wouldn''t have been that intimidating when time flowed properly.


    But now, I felt a sense of fear. If time was moving properly, there probably would''ve been cold sweat on my back.


    I attempted to gather mana, but it was far too slow.


    Though I desperately wanted to command my body to move, even the time that it took for my mind to send a message was unbearably long.


    The lightning around the piece of paper gradually stabilized, signaling that it was coming. Giving one last try, I attempted to teleport, but without much faith. Yet, a massive lightning bolt shot towards me, I disappeared.


    Then, once I came back, a fairly small lightning bolt crashed into my back.


    Unfortunately, the reappearance process was too slow. There was time for the red skeleton to continue hitting me, while I couldn''t even turn to change the direction of my teleportation.


    Down below, I saw a black dagger pierce straight through Osric''s armor and his abdomen. His body and armor slowly began decaying.


    It appeared that we were checkmated because of the time slowing ability.


    ...How was this ability even fair?


    And why were the necklace and paper allowed to move, but not us?


    After a bit of resignation, I began thinking about what I could do after dying here. The first part of the plan was definitely not to trick Noah into witnessing his wife alive in front of him.


    However, my thoughts were interrupted by an extremely loud wailing.


    Suddenly, the entire wall was blasted aside. Pieces of stone were flung aside before freezing in the middle of the air.


    ...And among those rocks was Leon.


    He currently had a dull expression on his face, but there was a bit of blood in the process of being coughed out.


    Behind him, was a flickering grey light.


    The baby.


    Wild gales whipped around him. Deep cracks formed in the surrounding rocks as well as the walls.


    And Leon too.


    The necklace''s attention was immediately attracted. It ignored Osric completely.


    "Child?"


    The necklace bolted towards the grey light.


    "My sweet baby boy!"


    The grey light continued to let out distressed wails along with frighteningly sharp blade-like winds. As the necklace traveled, it was hit several times, letting out a violent clanging sound.


    Yet, it didn''t seem to mind.


    Eventually, the necklace made it all the way next to the baby who was in the process of throwing a tantrum.


    "Oh hush, my child. It''s alright now, your mother is here."


    Unfortunately, the grey light didn''t calm down. In fact, it got even wilder, even damaging the necklace in its anger.


    As for the piece of paper, the red light dimmed slightly.


    "...Child?"


    It slowly flew over to the pale grey light, almost like it was curious. Suddenly, the grey light fell silent.


    Then, it snapped, letting out a shrill cry.


    Countless gales of relentless wind picked up both large and small stone fragments and were sent directly towards the red piece of paper.

 Chapter 168 - Another Me?

    As the stone fragments traveled towards the red piece of paper, they began to slow down. The pale grey light''s cry grew louder and louder, but they could no longer push forth.


    The paper that was glowing red seemed to panic.


    "Child, wait! It''s me, your father!"


    The grey light did not listen to him. The stone fragments began to tremble and crack under the force both the father and son were putting on them. It was at this point the necklace turned to look at the red piece of paper.


    "...Noah?"


    The paper was silent for a moment.


    "Amy..."


    Suddenly, the rocks cracked into pieces. The pale grey light began screaming in a way that would tear its throat if it had one.


    The necklace then trembled slightly.


    "You... what did you do to our child?"


    The red paper shivered. It took a while to respond.


    "I do not know."


    The necklace had another good look at its surroundings.


    "What happened to us?"


    After a few moments, the red piece of paper curled up slightly.


    "I think I somehow brought all of us back to life."


    The necklace froze.


    "What?"


    The red piece of paper looked towards the crying grey pale light.


    "I think I did something bad."


    For a second, there was only silence. Then, the necklace trembled violently.


    "This is great! All of us are together again! We can start our family once more!"


    The red piece of paper froze. It moved slowly, in a way that showed both happiness and guilt.


    "I''m not sure exactly, but I can remember there was a reason we shouldn''t have come back. Some sort of price."


    The necklace giggled.


    "What price could be so large that it is actually worth more than our lives? You did an amazing thing honey!"


    The red piece of paper grumbled.


    "But I can vaguely remember I killed so many people for this."


    The necklace scoffed.


    "Why does that matter? It''s not like they are us!"


    The red piece of paper did not speak for a few seconds.


    "But weren''t you the one that said every life is precious? Even if they weren''t the most virtuous person?"


    The necklace hummed.


    "Hmm... I did say that. But that was a dumb thing to say! It was another person that killed our child and me after all!"


    Suddenly, the red piece of paper shook.


    "Someone... someone killed you?"


    The necklace swirled around in the air slightly.


    "Yes. Do you see now? Nobody matters other than us!"


    The red piece of paper trembled slightly.


    "Who... who killed you?"


    The necklace audibly sighed.


    "I have no idea. They were behind me once they plunged a knife into my back. But that doesn''t matter now!"


    The red light from the piece of paper dimmed slightly.


    "I-It really doesn''t matter?"


    The necklace laughed.


    "Why would it?"


    Like a crazy person, the red piece of paper began muttering to itself.


    "It doesn''t matter. It doesn''t matter. It doesn''t matter."


    While all this was happening, I couldn''t help but complain in my mind.


    It was fine that you were having a reunion and all, but could you at least stop slowing the time down around you?


    In the end, Leon, Osric, and I were basically forced to watch a play with a friend that recommended it. While we found that play extremely boring, we stayed so that we didn''t offend that friend.


    The necklace trembled.


    "First we need to find a way to calm down our child! He seems really angry at you!"


    The red piece of paper chuckled awkwardly.


    "I think I did something bad."


    The necklace gasped.


    "Then apologize to the child!"


    The red piece of paper nodded before turning to the pale grey light.


    "Child. I am sorry for what I put you through because of my selfish ambitions."


    The crying from the pale grey light calmed down, but it was still clearly upset. Noticing this, the necklace let out a soft sigh.


    "We can work on repairing our relationship slowly. There will be plenty of time."


    Then, the necklace turned to look at me. It observed the rest of the room and came to the realization that there were three people suspended in time.


    "Honey, who are those people?"


    The tone of the necklace was slightly hostile. As for the red piece of paper, it turned around as though it just noticed our presence.


    "Ah, that one was the person that convinced me to resurrect you and the others are his friends."


    The necklace gasped.


    "You needed someone to convince you?"


    The red piece of paper shook.


    "If I remember, there seemed to be some sort of reason I didn''t want to, but I can''t remember."


    In response, the necklace hummed.


    "Well what are they doing all the way up there? We should greet them!"


    The red piece of paper coughed.


    "Hold on, I think I am the reason why."


    Suddenly, I began falling through the air at a normal rate. Leon finished coughing out a mouthful of blood and shook his head. As for Osric, he collapsed to his knees. The decaying wound on his chest looked quite gruesome.


    After taking in a deep breath, I looked down at the ground. My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Then, I was on the flat ground.


    On Leon''s side, a hand of earth burst out of the ground and grabbed him. After a few deep breaths, he looked as good as new. The hand of earth lowered him to the floor slowly.


    As for Osric, things weren''t so simple. He grit his teeth and resolutely tossed the blue bean we had gotten earlier into his mouth. Then, Osric began peeling at the decayed flesh.


    He seemed fine at first, but once he started to pull at the decayed part of his body connected to the flesh, Osric let out audible grunts of pain.


    However, he eventually pulled through and the wound in his chest was healed.


    Leon first walked up to me.


    "Haha, that was quite the experience."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "It really was."


    Osric walked over to us, but had a slight hobble. He looked at Leon with a bitter smile.


    "You really make removing the flesh of one''s own body look easy."


    Leon rolled his eyes.


    "Of course it''s difficult. If it was someone else doing it, all you would do is have to endure the pain. On the other hand, doing it yourself makes you not only expect the pain, but fear it. In a certain sense, you experience it several times over."


    As we were talking, the red piece of paper and the necklace floated over. As for the pale grey light, it remained where it was.


    The necklace made the sound of clearing one''s throat, despite not having one.


    "Hello there. My name is Amy, what are yours?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Jay."


    Leon took a peek at me before looking at the necklace.


    "My name is Leon. Nice to meet you."


    Osric looked slightly displeased.


    "My name is Osric."


    The red piece of paper curled up slightly.


    "Hello there, I am Noah."


    The necklace chuckled.


    "I would tell you the name of my child, but I never got to come up with one!"


    It then began to laugh for a little too long. As for the red piece of paper, it hummed softly.


    "How was I brought back to life?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I put the piece of paper you wrote on that strange formation you made. Then, some winds picked up, and there you were."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Ah! You are the one that brought back my husband? Thank you!"


    I chuckled.


    "Well, he''s the one that made it, so you can''t give me too much credit."


    The red piece of paper sighed.


    "But I never had the courage to use it."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "May I ask the reason why?"


    The red piece of paper shrugged by bending itself strangely.


    "I really can''t remember. If I knew, I would tell you."


    I clicked my tongue.


    "That''s inconvenient."


    Leon held his chin with his hand as he inspected the items.


    "It is quite fascinating to see what was once dead come to life."


    Osric nodded.


    "It truly makes one wonder about the limits of magic."


    The red piece of paper laughed awkwardly.


    "Um, from what I remember, it wasn''t magic."


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "Truly? Then what was it?"


    The red piece of paper hummed softly.


    "I can''t remember."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Is it because the blue light within you is gone that you can''t remember?"


    The red piece of paper turned to me.


    "Huh? What are you talking about?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "When you were initially resurrected, you tore yourself into two parts. They seemed to have different wills and I ended up killing the blue one in our fight."


    The necklace gasped.


    "W-What?!"


    I turned to the necklace.


    "It was trying to kill you, by the way."


    The necklace trembled and didn''t say anything more.


    The red piece of paper got a bit closer.


    "There was.... another me?"

 Chapter 169 - A Plan

    I tilted my head to the side.


    "You really aren''t aware of that other you? It was screaming about a price to cheat death."


    The red piece of paper trembled slightly.


    "That... that sounds really familiar. I still do have some sort of feeling that there is some sort of price. However, it feels vague."


    My eyes narrowed.


    "Back when you were still alive, did you have any sort of split personality? Something like two people living inside the same body?"


    The red piece of paper hummed softly.


    "I don''t think so. I''ve just always been... me."


    Osric raised an eyebrow.


    "Does this matter even have that much significance? He simply split into two separate personalities, right?"


    Leon rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Though it does pose an interesting question. What would you become if you were split into two personalities?"


    Osric clicked his tongue.


    "Doesn''t that just depend on how you were split?"


    The red piece of paper trembled.


    "Can we just... stop talking about this?"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "It seems like you are getting closer to the truth about yourself, but your mind is trying to stop it. Aren''t you curious about what will happen next?"


    The red piece of paper let out a soft sigh.


    "I don''t know."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Noah, if it hurts, just stop thinking about it!"


    It then turned to me.


    "I think it''s best we leave this topic alone now."


    I mentally clicked my tongue, trying my best not to show my displeasure.


    "Alright then."


    The necklace sighed.


    "Thank you. Anyways, I want to meet my old friends! Can we get out of wherever this place is?"


    Leon''s eyebrow twitched.


    "Um... I think quite some time has passed since you were alive."


    The necklace scoffed.


    "So what? I don''t care if they are a little bit older, they are still my friends!"


    Osric shook his head.


    "It may be more than just being a bit older."


    The necklace looked at each of us, pausing slightly before each time.


    "What are you talking about? Just tell me."


    The red piece of paper audibly took a deep breath.


    "From what I can remember, I started this journey a few centuries ago. Though I don''t know exactly how long, it should be roughly three hundred years."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Huh? How does that-"


    It cut itself off, as though coming to a sudden realization.


    "Oh."


    Several thoughts spinned in my mind, but gradually came together to make me give an invitation.


    "Say, since so much has changed, would you like me to show you around?"


    The red piece of paper let out a faint humming sound.


    "I don''t see why not."


    The necklace looked at the paper before nodding as well.


    "Alright!"


    I pointed towards the pale grey light behind them.


    "Could you make things better with your child though? He''s basically been alone for however long you left him here."


    After hearing that, the pale grey light began to let out soft sobbing sounds. That was when the necklace and piece of paper hurried over and began comforting it.


    I didn''t really pay attention to the things they said, but the sobbing sounds were getting a bit quieter as time went on.


    As for the reason why I decided to invite the three to come with me so that I could show them around, it wasn''t because I was feeling generous or anything. It was more so I still wanted to talk with the piece of paper about how he was split in two.


    After all, I seemed to be having a similar situation on my hands.


    Then there was also all of their abilities.


    The child had some sort of healing ability and could cause quite a bit of damage when it threw a tantrum.


    Amy had that strange decay magic which was quite potent. Although it wasn''t the most foolproof, it could be quite effective in certain situations.


    As for Noah, that strange ability to slow time was more than enough for me to want to have him. Even if there weren''t the child and Amy that could continue attacking, the simple fact I could teleport during that was good enough.


    Though the only problem was finding a way to convince them to help me. From their perspective, I was a random stranger that decided to lend a helping hand.


    More importantly, I needed to find ways to ask Noah about his split personalities without being too overt about it. From before, when my body was piloted on its own, it seemed to perform actions that I would likely do as well.


    As such, it didn''t seem that harmful.


    However, it was better to know more. Perhaps it was actually a good thing that could be taken advantage of.


    Eventually, the sobbing stopped. The family came over to us. Then, the necklace spoke up.


    "How do we get out of here anyways?"


    Leon shrugged his shoulders.


    "I can take care of that, don''t worry."


    Suddenly, the holes beneath us mended. Then, the ceiling rapidly opened up. In the next moment, we shot upwards, on a pillar of earth. A fairly loud rumbling sound filled the air as the ceiling above us continued to make way.


    The red piece of paper gasped.


    "Your ability to manipulate earth even surpasses mine!"


    Leon shrugged.


    "That''s because I focused all my effort on one spell instead of branching off into so many."


    He stared at the red piece of paper closely.


    "Unlike you."


    The red piece of paper flinched before letting out a long sigh.


    "Originally, I attempted to pursue the highest attainment with water magic, but found myself at an unfathomable bottleneck."


    Leon chuckled.


    "There are plenty of those, I''ll have you know."


    The red piece of paper laughed awkwardly.


    "In the end, I gave up on it and began learning more recognized elements of magic like lightning and earth. My progress was definitely much faster because of my previous knowledge of magic diagrams."


    Leon sighed.


    "But didn''t provide a substantial strength increase."


    The red piece of paper hummed.


    "Perhaps not, but there is much more versatility in understanding more elements."


    Leon rolled his eyes.


    "At the end of the day, absolute strength will win against everything else."


    The red piece of paper seemed to shrug by folding its corners.


    "Perhaps. But sometimes our goals are not as simple as winning a fight."


    Leon raised an eyebrow.


    "And what kind of goal would that be?"


    The red piece of paper coughed.


    "Well, the thing that comes to mind... is resurrection. By using different elements, I could perform various other experiments, most namely the earth element and bringing back people in the form of plant-like creatures."


    Leon rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger for a moment while looking upwards.


    "Fair enough. Perhaps there is merit to learning more elements depending on your goals. I do believe that sticking to one will suit me the most, however."


    I didn''t say anything, but my eyebrow jumped slightly when I heard Leon say that. In all honesty, I thought he was going to stick to his opinion stubbornly. Perhaps suitable logic is all that one needs to convince Leon.


    Eventually, the ceiling above us parted to reveal the bright blue sky.


    Well, it wasn''t that bright. In fact, it was kind of hazy. But relative to how dark it was underneath the ground, it was quite bright.


    Upon seeing the sky, the piece of paper muttered.


    "Snow..."


    I looked over to it.


    "Does it remind you of anything in particular?"


    The piece of paper let out a soft sigh.


    "When it first stopped snowing for me was the first time I met Amy."


    The necklace trembled excitedly.


    "I remember that too!"


    Then, the tone from the piece of paper dropped.


    "And after the day I lost Amy, was when it first began snowing."


    After a moment of silence, the necklace perked up.


    "Don''t worry about it so much, honey. From now on, we will never be apart!"


    The red piece of paper let out a soft chuckle.


    "Yes. I hope that is the case."


    Leon cleared his throat.


    "Regardless, the time I''ve spent here is a little too long. I should hurry back to my village and attend to my responsibilities."


    Osric put his fist in front of his mouth and coughed.


    "I should be going too."


    I nodded.


    "Goodbye then, you two."


    Leon smirked.


    "We should meet again sometime. Hope you have fun with your tour."


    The red piece of paper and necklace similarly said their goodbyes.


    Then, a giant arc of earth burst out of the ground, taking Leon with it. As for Osric, he transformed into a wolf before disappearing into the forest.


    The necklace let out a soft hum.


    "So, where should we go first?"


    I shrugged my shoulders and pointed in an arbitrary direction.


    "Maybe that way?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Weren''t you supposed to be our tour guide?"


    I smirked.


    "Yeah.. This is my tour."

 Chapter 170 - What Do You Think Being Insane Means?

    Although it took a little bit of convincing, I was able to get the necklace, paper, and pale grey light to follow behind me. Not that I couldn''t have shown them something. After all, there was still that city I once went to.


    However, there were many less than likable things about that city that made it hard for me to want to go to it. I''m sure it wouldn''t be the most enjoyable tour either.


    I casted the elementary wind spell dash so that while I was walking, it was still at a fairly brisk pace. The others followed behind easily.


    As we traveled, the necklace turned to look at the piece of paper.


    "Say, how did you figure out how to bring us back to life, honey?"


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "It''s very complicated. There were hundreds of experiments with countless little nuances depending on the situation. To prepare something like the one we used, it would probably take nearly a year to procure the materials needed."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Ah! That''s a shame. I thought we could''ve made several more in case one of us died, then we could be brought back once more."


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "I-I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Why not?"


    The piece of paper mumbled.


    "It''s just a strange feeling."


    My eyebrow twitched.


    "...I see."


    The necklace sighed.


    "But what could possibly outweigh the merit to live a new life all over again?"


    I took a deep breath.


    "Perhaps something that makes that life no longer worth living. But as for what that could be, I''m not so sure."


    After saying that, I snuck a glance at the piece of paper. However, it was simply silent the entire time.


    The necklace hummed.


    "I don''t see what it could be either."


    After a few moments, the piece of paper spoke up.


    "Maybe... if the person brought back wasn''t exactly the person that died."


    The necklace turned to the paper.


    "Eh? What does that even mean?"


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "Perhaps certain qualities that made that person special were lost."


    The piece of paper bent itself to nod.


    "Something like that."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Do you think that you lost anything?"


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum, like it was thinking.


    "Huh."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "What?"


    The piece of paper sighed.


    "When I look back on my memories, I just..."


    It seemed to be at a loss for words, making several stuttering sounds.


    "I-I just can''t believe that I went through all of that. It feels like I was just completely insane, caring about nothing other than furthering my research each and every day."


    The necklace gasped.


    "Honey! You didn''t overwork yourself, did you?"


    In response, the paper trembled.


    "I-I think so? But maybe not? At the time, it felt completely natural. Yet, when I look back at it now, I''m a little scared. As of right now, I don''t think I could take it."


    The necklace let out a sympathetic sigh.


    "Oh, honey. You''ve worked hard, no need to worry about it now!"


    The red piece of paper chuckled weakly.


    "No need to be concerned about me, I''m not worrying about it. It''s more like... shock that I even did it in the first place."


    I put a finger on my chin.


    "Is it like... you were someone else entirely?"


    The red piece of paper hummed.


    "Not exactly. I know for a fact that it happened and that I was the one that did it. I can even remember all the motions. And most notable of it all, was the constant pain in my head from how little I slept."


    My lip twitched. I couldn''t help but think of the slight fuzzy pain in my head right now. Like I predicted before, this was a pain that wouldn''t go away. More than anything, it was irritating. However, the fact that it simply remained with me took a toll on me.


    ...If it was any worse, I probably wouldn''t be able to ignore it anymore.


    The necklace trembled.


    "Well, the good thing is that it''s all over now."


    There was no response from the piece of paper.


    We continued making our way through the forest on what seemed like an endless trek. The necklace was eager to catch up with her husband, thus made small talk along the way.


    "What happened to Patricia, do you know?"


    The piece of paper shook from side to side.


    "Um, I don''t remember anybody called Patricia."


    The necklace giggled.


    "Oh come on, it was the lady that would always give us an extra free treat when we were kids!"


    For a few moments, the piece of paper did not respond, seemingly thinking.


    "Oh. I remember now."


    The necklace got excited.


    "Do you remember what happened to that sweet lady?"


    After a few seconds of silence, the piece of paper spoke.


    "I think I killed her for the sake of experimenting. Sorry."


    The necklace froze up.


    "...Oh. Well, as long as we are together, then it''s fine."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "What do you think being insane means, Noah?"


    The red light from the piece of paper dimmed slightly.


    "Mm... it''s definitely quite complicated, in my opinion."


    I laughed.


    "I believe so too, that''s why I am quite curious about how you see it."


    The piece of paper crumpled a little bit.


    "My belief is that it stems from an incorrect belief. Something that makes you act in a foolish way."


    I nodded slightly.


    "And what would you consider to be one of these incorrect beliefs?"


    The piece of paper sighed.


    "Well, in my case, it should be the belief that I had to keep going on relentlessly, without break."


    It let out a soft hum.


    "Regardless, I believe that from that incorrect belief, is where illogical actions occur. That in itself isn''t what I think is insanity. After all, it is completely natural to not know what is the ''correct'' way."


    I smirked.


    "Haha, I agree. That would be an unfair way to judge when there isn''t some sort of method to find out how to perfectly optimize everything we do."


    The red piece of paper twirled around a little in the air.


    "Yeah. But when you do the incorrect action for long enough, chances are, you will notice it. Experiencing the consequences of such an action time and time again may slowly let one come to realize these things."


    It took a deep breath.


    "But that doesn''t mean that the person in question changes their actions."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Then they would simply be foolish, no?"


    The red piece of paper shook its top half, like it was shaking its head.


    "No, no. The key difference here is that the person knows that they are doing something wrong. They know that they should change and it usually isn''t even that complicated to do so."


    It sighed.


    "But they don''t."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "And that is how you see insanity?"


    The piece of paper was silent for a moment.


    "Sort of. It is a little more complicated than that, but I''m not sure if I can explain it properly."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Ah, just try it."


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "Something... something like a routine. Doing it over and over again despite the fact it hurts. When the reason for performing an action is just for the sake of doing it. Something along those lines."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "That does sound pretty crazy."


    The red piece of paper twirled around in the air.


    "Well, I wouldn''t say crazy."


    I blinked a few times.


    "There seem to be many nuances with the slight word change in your eyes."


    The piece of paper laughed.


    "Yeah, but I believe that is natural."


    It took a deep breath.


    "In my eyes, what I was doing for so long was because I had become insane. For nearly each and every waking hour, I would further my research. Logically, I understood that even if I wanted to progress as fast as possible, I needed to take a break."


    The red light from the piece of paper dimmed slightly.


    "But I didn''t. Despite knowing that it made no sense, I let my actions slowly erode my mind."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Guess that''s what you meant by doing it for the sake of doing it, huh?"


    The necklace got closer to the piece of paper.


    "Oh honey, it will all be better now, I promise."


    In response, it seemed to nod.


    "Yes. At least now, it no longer feeds off my mind."


    I took a deep breath.


    "...The more I think about it, the more it really does sound insane."


    The piece of paper laughed.


    "Honestly, I don''t even really understand what I said. I''m glad that you seem to have grasped some sort of meaning from it."


    I closed my eyes.


    "Yeah...."

 Chapter 171 - Peculiar Forest

    As we walked deeper and deeper into the forest, we eventually came across some strange trees, both thinner and darker than normal ones. They bent at strange angles, in ways that made it look like they were about to snap off. Yet, the trees were completely still.


    I got down on one knee and felt the bark of this strange tree. It was a little more squishy than what I expected a tree to be. Though it wasn''t the most outstanding feature about them, it also made the trees feel a little more alive.


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "What is this place?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I don''t know."


    The necklace trembled.


    "You don''t seem to be the best tour guide."


    I laughed.


    "I''m just exploring new things along with you. That doesn''t change my status as the tour guide."


    The piece of paper turned to me.


    "I-It doesn''t?"


    I lifted my fist up to my mouth and coughed.


    "Anyways, let''s have a closer look at this place."


    And so, I walked through the assortment of trees. Because of the strange angle they were bent at, I had to duck down and jump over various trunks and branches to make my way forward.


    The piece of paper sucked in a sharp breath.


    "This truly is a fascinating place."


    As for the necklace, it responded in an astonished way as well.


    "Indeed."


    Even the pale grey light was letting out faint sounds of amazement in the form of cooing that babies make.


    On the other hand, I was a little confused.


    Yes, this place was definitely cool because of all the twisted trees and such, but there wasn''t much else to this place. Though they probably were going to be amazed by even trivial things after being in the dark and dingy place for a while.


    After several hours had passed, I made my way through all the strange trees. Now, it was a normal forest just like before. My eyes narrowed.


    I couldn''t help but wonder if there was something more.


    The piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "It is quite strange that none of the creatures attempted to attack us. They looked quite hostile from what I saw."


    The necklace trembled.


    "That is quite strange, but I suppose you can''t judge something by the way it looks."


    I froze up.


    "You guys saw creatures?"


    The piece of paper nodded.


    "Well of course, there were so many of them."


    The necklace scoffed.


    "Oh come on, don''t tell me you didn''t see them. You even looked directly at several!"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "I did?"


    The piece of paper coughed awkwardly.


    "Well, yes. There were times when they were right in front of you."


    I turned around and had a good look at the forest.


    Because these trees didn''t have too much foliage, the light of the sun let me see quite far in. Yet, the only thing my eyes could make out were trees.


    My eyebrow twitched.


    "I seriously haven''t seen a single creature. Are there any in front of me right now?"


    The necklace scoffed.


    "Of course, are you blind?"


    I narrowed my eyes, trying to look closer. But no matter what, the only things my eyes picked up on were trees and more trees. I let out a soft sigh.


    "What does it look like?"


    The piece of paper floated into the forest then stopped, as though something was there.


    "Mm... it appears to be a black monkey? Their eyes are far different from any monkey I''ve seen. There doesn''t even seem to be a pupil, but rather a pure yellow. It makes one wonder how they are able to see in the first place."


    I slowly walked forth.


    "Try to lead me to it."


    The piece of paper nodded by bending itself a little.


    "Alright."


    Before I even made it close to the piece of paper, it gasped.


    "It ran away!"


    I clicked my tongue then sighed.


    "Could you lead me to where you see things?"


    The piece of paper looked around.


    "Um, ok."


    I nodded.


    "Thanks."


    The necklace muttered.


    "I thought you were supposed to be the tour guide."


    I raised my fist to my mouth and coughed.


    "Anyways, let''s get going."


    As we traveled, the piece of paper frequently made comments.


    "Um, there''s another monkey here. Oh, it ran away as you walked over."


    "What the... there''s some strange thing with really large jaws."


    "There''s a huge spider over here. I believe it''s several times larger than you."


    However, I couldn''t see any of it.


    "Where is the spider? Surely it''s too big for me to miss, right?"


    The piece of paper crumpled a little awkwardly.


    "Uh..."


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "Just say it!"


    The necklace muttered.


    "You are halfway inside it right now..."


    I blinked a few times.


    "What?"


    After looking down, my eyes could only pick up on the bare floor.


    "Are you guys joking with me?"


    The piece of paper coughed.


    "Earlier I thought you were joking with us. But seeing as your body is physically incapable of interacting with the spider... you may really be unable to see it."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Under the assumption you two are telling the truth, then it appears this place is quite magical."


    The necklace let out a soft hum.


    "It truly is. But what allows us to see it while you can''t?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "It appears to be something with the fact you guys aren''t exactly in a real physical body."


    The red light from the piece of paper dimmed slightly.


    "This truly is a place filled with mysteries then. What would we have to do to get you to see these?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "That I do not know. Perhaps we can continue traveling through to find out?"


    The piece of paper nodded excitedly.


    "Yes, yes. Maybe we figure out something revolutionary!"


    The necklace giggled.


    "You still like doing research after doing it for so long?"


    In response, the paper trembled like it was embarrassed.


    "W-Well if I didn''t like it at all I wouldn''t be able to do it for so long!"


    With that, we continued walking through the forest.


    Other than the sounds of Noah trying to describe the various sights he saw, there were my footsteps and the various sounds of amazement from the pale grey light.


    At some point, I froze in place.


    The piece of paper turned to me with a bit of confusion.


    "Is something wrong?"


    I didn''t respond. Instead, I abruptly whipped my head to the side.


    Then, I narrowed my eyes.


    "...What?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Is something wrong?"


    I rubbed my temple with my palm.


    "There was... something."


    Though it was faint, my eyes just barely caught onto some black figure. If I had to hedge a guess, it was probably the monkey Noah was referring to earlier.


    However, the strangest thing was that I could only see it while it was in the corner of my eye. I turned to it once I saw it start to flee, but then it disappeared completely.


    I closed my eyes.


    "Hmm... Noah, I''m going to point my finger forth. If you see something, could you tell me?"


    The piece of paper tilted to the side.


    "Uh, ok."


    With that, I raised my finger, pointing it at the place in front of me.


    Noah spoke up immediately.


    "There is a spider in front of you right now."


    I tilted my head to the side, trying to look at my front using the very corner of my vision. Yet, there was nothing there.


    Then, I casted the firebolt spell, launching it on ahead. However, it only kept going forward until eventually colliding with a tree. My eyes shifted to the piece of paper.


    "Did I miss?"


    The piece of paper was speechless for a moment.


    "Um, no. It just passed through. By the way, did you create that spell yourself?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Uh, no I didn''t make the spell. It was just one of the many spell diagrams we are given."


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "Wow."


    I shook my head.


    "Uh, how about this time you tell me if there is a monkey?"


    The piece of paper cleared his throat.


    "Alright."


    Although I was expecting it to take a while, it was only a few seconds later that the piece of paper spoke up.


    "I see it in front of you right now!"


    I immediately turned my head to the side.


    "Ah... I see it."


    As Noah said, it was a monkey with black fur. However, its eyes were a bright solid yellow. At first, the monkey was looking curiously back at me, but the moment I laid my gaze on it, the monkey began running away.


    Without hesitation, I casted the firebolt spell towards it.


    And it exploded upon hitting the monkey, blowing it up into pieces.


    I rubbed my chin with a small smirk on my face.


    "Interesting."


    As for the others, they seemed a little speechless.

 Chapter 172 - Fruit

    The piece of paper trembled slightly.


    "Y-You just killed it?"


    The pale grey of light also let out a faint crying sound, as though agreeing.


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "It''s not like it was a person."


    The piece of paper stuttered over its words.


    "B-But it was just running away!"


    The necklace turned to the piece of paper with a bit of confusion.


    "Why does it matter so much? Even if it was a person, it''s not like it was one of us."


    For a few moments, there was only silence. The piece of paper didn''t know how to respond.


    An exasperated sigh came out of me.


    "Plus, weren''t you the one that killed like, countless people for the sake of your resurrection magic or whatever? I never judged you for that."


    The piece of paper let out a few faint groans, almost like it was in pain but suppressed them as best it could so that we wouldn''t notice.


    "I... I suppose that I am wrong. For whatever reason, my mind still clings to these strange morals."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "If you know, then that''s good. Anyways, could you tell me anything notable you see?"


    The piece of paper curled up slightly like it was nodding.


    "Ok."


    We began waking forward, while I turned my head to the side so that the very corner of my vision was ahead of me. It took a little bit of time to get used to looking in a direction without looking directly at it. However, doing so was easy enough because I had already done something similar before.


    Keeping my head down and seeing things with only my peripheral vision.


    "It appears that I can see certain things, but only if they are in the corner of my eye."


    The necklace gasped.


    "That sounds a little frightening!"


    I laughed.


    "Well, it isn''t. At least not for now."


    The piece of paper constantly twirled around.


    "Uh, there seems to be a bush of berries over there."


    It pointed using the corner of its page.


    I tried to look in that direction with the corner of my eye, but couldn''t see anything.


    "Hm... I don''t see it. Let''s try something else."


    Like that, the piece of paper continued to point to various locations and described what seemed to be a magical wonderland, but none of it was visible to me. However, that wasn''t the case forever.


    The piece of paper pointed towards a tree.


    "I see a lot of what appear to be glowing yellow fruits. They look like bananas, but are much smaller."


    I tilted my head in that direction, but none of us had much expectation. But immediately after, I raised an eyebrow.


    "Ah, I see it."


    As Noah described, they were small little glowing things in the shape of bananas. Quite a few of them were bunched up together, forming several bunches that hung from the tree. The piece of paper let out a faint gasp.


    "Maybe you can touch it?"


    I nodded and walked over to it. After wrapping my hands around one, I felt the smooth and silky texture that came with it.


    "Huh."


    With less hesitation than I probably should have had, I tossed it into my mouth and began to chew. Well, I tried to chew.


    The moment it entered my mouth, it began to melt. It was soft, almost like I was eating a cloud. As for the taste, it was bittersweet with a hint of salt. Though I wouldn''t like to eat something like this on a regular basis, it was still enjoyable.


    The necklace gasped.


    "You were able to eat it!"


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "Why did you do it so easily! What if it was poisonous?"


    After swallowing, I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I don''t know. This is the easiest way to find out though."


    The pale gale light let out a curious humming sound. It slowly got closer to one of the fruits to the point it touched it. Then, it began to cry soon after.


    The necklace hurried over and comforted it.


    As for the piece of paper, it let out a soft sigh.


    "It appears we can''t consume them because... this is the form we are in."


    I nodded absentmindedly before eating another one. It quickly became apparent that these things were quite filling despite their small size. The black fruit was obviously far above it, in a league of its own, but that fact still stood.


    After just the third glowing fruit, I felt extremely full. It would be quite hard to make myself eat anymore.


    However, there was a reason I wanted to continue.


    "I can... see things."


    Though it was blurry and seemed to be coming in and out of my vision, I saw what appeared to be black gas. Mixed in between were countless shadows of various beings, however, their figures were not only incoherent, but vague.


    It was like I just took a peek at the monsters that were hiding around me.


    Then, like it was all a dream, I couldn''t see any of it anymore.


    The piece of paper turned to me, its voice filled with curiosity.


    "You see something? What do you see?"


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "There were shadows after I ate these fruits. However, it only lasted for a few moments. I probably have to eat more of these and eat them fast for that to happen."


    The piece of paper paused for a moment.


    "...If that is the case, it appears to be a progressive system. The more you travel down it, the more you can see or touch."


    I nodded.


    "Well, I guess I have to work up an appetite."


    Suddenly, wild gales of wind whipped around me as my skin tore open. I immediately began casting the growing spell. At the same time, I moved my only hand to the stump on my shoulder and peeled off the flesh.


    After all, I lost my arm earlier on.


    I grit my teeth in the pain and couldn''t help but let out a pained groan. Blood began flowing freely from the wound while my body hurriedly tried to repair it. The process was a little slow, so I decided to pause the growing spell and cast the healing spell instead.


    In a few moments, the wound regenerated, but the actual increase of my arm was unbelievably small. I was forced to tear it open again and casted the healing spell once more.


    My body sent countless panic signals to my brain, begging it to stop. However, I resisted my natural instinct for survival and continued to peel away at my skin.


    It did not take long for me to feel hungry once more, as I expected. And so, I ate another couple fruits.


    The necklace trembled.


    "...Oh dear."


    As for the piece of paper, it began muttering to itself.


    "I think that I''ve done something similar to this in the past..."


    Like that, I continued to repeat the same routine. Recklessly tear away the flesh covering my wound, cast the healing spell to repair it, and eat some fruits.


    The progress was painfully slow. As Leon said before, the goal of the healing spell was to save one''s life, not repair one''s wounds. In other words, the moment it sealed up the stump, the healing stopped.


    At the very least, a tiny bit of additional flesh grew, making each cycle amount to something. However, it was not much.


    After what I guess was roughly an hour, quite a bit of my arm regenerated, almost all the way up to my elbow. In that time, I ate an extremely large amount of fruits. The tree actually only had a few left.


    However, that was not going to be a problem. I continued casting the growing spell and targeted the tree. After a few moments, more of these fruits began to form. Though it wasn''t super fast, it was growing at a speed that could be noticed by the naked eye, which was still pretty decent.


    A strong sense of sleepiness had assaulted my sense. I didn''t realize it at first, but these fruits seemed to have the effect of making someone tired. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that fact was a little scary.


    The tree made things fall asleep, making them defenseless.


    It was probably bad to fall asleep next to these things. However, I really didn''t need any help staying awake. After all, the fresh pain of tearing off my flesh was more than enough to make me shake it off.


    More than sleepiness, my mind was feeling pain just from processing the messages my body was sending.


    And so, I continued the process once more.


    The shadows slowly became clearer in my eyes, while the flickering images of monkeys appeared. As time went on, they no longer flickered, but became clear to me even while not in my blindspot.


    One of the monkeys was watching me curiously, as though wondering what I was doing.


    Then, it suddenly lifted up from the ground and began turning into black ash.

 Chapter 173 - New Creatures

    I furrowed my brows.


    "Do you see anything?"


    The red piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "Um, I see a strange creature with a large mouth in front of you."


    I tilted my head to the side, looking at my front with my blindspot. Then, sure enough, I saw something. It looked relatively humanoid, but its skin was also black. The overall body was rather thin while the face consisted of one large jaw, as Noah said before.


    Suddenly, this creature jumped towards me.


    I immediately sidestepped out of the way. My vision of the creature was lost, but I could still generally tell where it was and thus shot my hand out in that direction.


    Along with an uncomfortable squelch, I was immediately greeted with a warm fleshy feeling. Not planning on wasting time, I dug in deeper, mutilating whatever this strange creature was.


    Once I turned to look at it, I saw that the creature was trying to bite my head off with its jaws, but was just barely out of reach. It struggled intensely in my grip, but it eventually slowed until it couldn''t move anymore.


    And with that, I retracted my hand and let the corpse fall onto the floor.


    When I didn''t directly look at it, my hand looked perfectly clean. However, I could tell from the strange feeling that it was definitely covered in blood and guts. After letting out a soft sigh, I clicked my tongue.


    "I should probably get a weapon."


    With that, I pulled out a random branch in a nearby tree and began to sharpen it. The piece of paper looked at me as though confused.


    "Um, are you sure that will be a proper weapon?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Anything that is both sharp and doesn''t make me feel weird should be fine."


    The piece of paper fell silent, as though still confused. However, it didn''t question me any further.


    My other arm was still missing, albeit not too much of it.


    Constantly tearing it off after healing it made it so that a rather large amount of blood and flesh was on the ground below me. As for what that could possibly attract, I wasn''t exactly sure. However, I also didn''t really care that much.


    And so, after making the wooden stake, I continued to force the tree to grow so that I could continue eating. And to continue eating, I tore off the flesh on my arm and casted the healing spell.


    My mind was beginning to feel rather exhausted. Although the healing spell was quite gentle, greatly suppressing the pain, the constant ups and downs of feeling hurt then not, was a ride I was not prepared for.


    But thankfully, things weren''t too bad. By the time the healing spell reached my wrist, I no longer had to peel away my flesh. Half of my hand regrew with the first healing spell while the rest of it came back after the second.


    I slowly moved the fingers of my newly healed hand, getting used to the sensation once more.


    And from there, I started to leave.


    However, it seemed that not everything wanted me to leave. After all, there were quite a few of the creatures from earlier surrounding me.


    I no longer needed to use my blindspot to look at them, as they were now completely visible to me.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Well, this is probably not the best situation to be in."


    The piece of paper seemed to panic slightly.


    "Um, it seems that they can see you now!"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah."


    Suddenly, the creatures charged forth, screeching loudly and with their jaws wide open. I raised my new stake to an arbitrary creature. Then, my eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Right when the creatures were about to sink their jaws into my flesh, I disappeared. One of the creatures had a new hole in its body. In the next moment, it spewed out blood before collapsing.


    The creatures immediately froze before turning to me. It was pretty hard to miss, given the wild winds whipping around me.


    However, I didn''t think they were ready.


    Immediately upon reappearing, I began casting the vine spell. By the time I finished, the creatures began charging towards me. A tiny vine sprouted from the palm of my hand before rapidly growing.


    I backpedaled rapidly, avoiding the creatures that closed in, waiting for the vine to grow further. The closest creature pounced towards me, with black saliva still dripping from its sharp teeth.


    I retaliated with the vines, wrapping them around its body and restraining its movement. The creature struggled intensely, and was even on the verge of breaking out. But the vines continued to grow larger, and consequently more powerful.


    It did not take long for its struggle to be rendered pointless.


    As I continued to backpedal, the other creatures got much closer. They let out annoyingly high-pitched roars and were about to lunge for me.


    But the vines coming from my hand had already grown too large. An audible series of cracks resounded from them, as the creature inside was crushed. With all the strength I could muster, I swung with the vines in a full circle.


    Several loud crashing sounds resounded.


    Large gales of wind were stirred up, shooting outwards almost like a shockwave. One after another, the creatures were smashed into pieces. Their blood and body parts scattered high into the air.


    That was the same for the surrounding trees and branches. When the vines hit against them, they directly smashed through, splitting the trees and branches apart and sending them up into the sky as well.


    For a brief moment, everything felt calm.


    Then, the loud crashing sounds of everything falling onto the ground reverberated one after another.


    I looked at the vines that had formed from my hand.


    "These things are pretty useful."


    The piece of paper''s red light brightened slightly.


    "You can even use the spell like this?"


    I turned to Noah with a bit of confusion.


    "What? Is there something wrong with the way I''m using it?"


    The piece of paper began to mumble.


    "But most magical users would use that spell to restrict others using it, as it would take far too long and far too much mana to actually use it in other ways. Not to mention, the lack of control."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Well, they grew pretty fast for me."


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "I suppose there are some mages out there that could replicate a similar feat, but they also have much better spells that are simply more effective than the vines one. Do you not have a better alternative than this?"


    I let out a soft sigh.


    "I don''t know any better spells. The only ones I''ve gotten to learn so far were the elementary ones and this intermediate one."


    The piece of paper let out a small gasp.


    "You have such a strong mana aptitude despite knowing hardly any spells? How is your mind able to collect mana so easily?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Well, I''m a constitution mage, so I wouldn''t really know about that."


    The piece of paper paused.


    "A what?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "The mages that use their body to forcibly cast spells, does that not ring a bell?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "That doesn''t sound familiar to me..."


    I blinked a few times.


    "I guess they weren''t around during your times."


    The piece of paper suddenly spoke up.


    "Wait! I remember now. I''ve only heard it through rumors, but apparently, someone discovered that it was possible to absorb mana without aptitude if one uses their body. However, I thought it was fake as the people I knew without aptitude tried to absorb mana that way but were never able to succeed."


    I raised both eyebrows.


    "Really? It came pretty easy to me."


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "I remember... there was this one mage with low aptitude that did it for his particular element, but that was it."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "So I''m actually pretty good at magic?"


    The piece of paper waited for a second to respond.


    "I suppose so?"


    I looked at the vines that sprouted from my hand. They had grown to be several meters long and began covering up my arm.


    "Say, what if I continued to make this bigger. Wouldn''t that just let me kill everything here even if they are super scary?"


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "Um... I don''t think that would be a good idea. As the vines get bigger, one may find it hard to even keep them from moving. There was once a mage that accidentally killed himself in that fashion."


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "Huh, I guess this is an ok size for now."


    The necklace suddenly interjected into the conversation.


    "Hey, what are those?"


    I looked over, to see what appeared to be weeds.

 Chapter 174 - Black Birds

    I walked over to the plants and crouched down to take a closer look at them. They were plants with grey leaves slowly growing, but at a rate that could just barely be seen by the naked eye. They had roots that latched on to the dead bodies of the creatures from before. Given that their dead bodies weren''t the most intact, they were also quite scattered.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "These things have already snuck their way here. Didn''t I just kill those creatures a moment ago?"


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "These plants... are like parasites."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Were they in the creature the entire time, or do you think they just came along afterwards?"


    The piece of paper paused for a moment.


    "I don''t remember seeing them come over, so it appears that they reside within these creatures, sprouting after they die."


    I nodded.


    "I see. What do you think they will grow into?"


    The piece of paper paused.


    "...Either they will just grow from here like fungi or they will turn into some other form of plant made to be eaten by something else. From there, whatever eats that will become the new host of that parasitic plant."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Honestly, that sounds disgusting. Let me speed it up a little."


    After a few moments, mana shot out from the tip of my finger and injected into the plant before me. The leaves grew rapidly, before becoming what seemed to be a bush. And within that bush, were little fruits that began to form.


    They started off as tiny little beads before growing into their full size, which was about as big as a blueberry.


    I pointed towards one of these berries.


    "So is that the thing filled with parasites?"


    The piece of paper mumbled.


    "It should be. I imagine it to be that way at least."


    After staring at it for a few seconds, I put away my stake and plucked one of the berries.


    The piece of paper seemed to panic.


    "Hey, you aren''t going to eat that, right? Some parasites can do pretty bad things."


    I shook my head.


    "No, I''m just looking. But these things are rather strange..."


    The necklace trembled.


    "They are?"


    I nodded.


    "Yes. It feels like this thing is trying to struggle. For whatever reason, it doesn''t like being in my grasp. Almost like... it''s an animal."


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "Then it probably is a parasite. Or at least parasitic in nature."


    I tilted my head to the side. Then, after a few seconds of silence, I squished the berry.


    It burst into dark red fluid. My eyes scanned for any living things within, but couldn''t catch any.


    "Huh. I didn''t catch anything inside."


    The red piece of paper trembled.


    "That doesn''t mean there aren''t any! They could still be inside but blend in well."


    I shrugged my shoulders and got my stake back out.


    "I suppose."


    Suddenly, the necklace began to stammer.


    "Um... I might just be calling for a false alarm, but there are a lot of birds around us."


    I looked up, and sure enough, there were black birds all scattered throughout the air. Once my eyes landed on them, they began to caw aggressively.


    "Ah, yeah I see them. They appear a little angry."


    The piece of paper also turned to look at the birds, then at me.


    "Uhh... I think you should start running."


    The black birds shot towards me, clearly having hostile intentions. I nodded.


    "Yeah, that seems to be a good idea."


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted. The black birds that so confidently shot to their target, suddenly found that it disappeared. They ended up colliding with each other, causing many disgruntled caws to fill the air.


    However, it did not take too long for them to get over it and find me, standing a few meters away.


    I casted the dash spell and began running away. However, it proved to be quite hard. The branches and trees bent at strange angles already made it difficult to navigate the way. On top of that, the vines that came from my arm already made it quite awkward to move forward, making my movements even more clumsy.


    As such, the black birds had an easy time closing the distance.


    The piece of paper seemed to be panicking.


    "You should just abandon the vines! They won''t help you now!"


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "But I''ve gotten a little attached to them. I''ll get rid of them later. As for now..."


    This seemed to really confuse the paper.


    "What? But-"


    It was interrupted by a series of deafening bangs.


    Once the black birds got a little close, I whipped my arm of vines back, directly smashing through a tree before pulverizing about ten of the black birds. It continued on, breaking several other trees until eventually relaxing once more.


    The necklace trembled.


    "I will help!"


    Suddenly, a black mass shot out from it and shot towards the black birds.


    ...However, they just passed right through.


    The corner of my eyelid twitched.


    "Well, that''s a bit unfortunate."


    Seeing this, the red piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "There is no use fighting! Far too many birds are here, they will overwhelm you!"


    I clicked my tongue. Noah wasn''t exaggerating when he said there were alot of birds.


    "You are right..."


    For one last time, I whipped my vines once more, causing more destruction within the forest. Several more of the black birds exploded into mush, but that didn''t stop the rest of them from coming after me.


    I stopped channeling mana into the vines, causing them to decay rapidly. As I began running past trees, the decayed vines got caught on something and ripped off entirely. It was a little more painful than what I expected, but it was not a big deal.


    The necklace trembled.


    "Um, they are catching up!"


    After hopping over a branch, I glanced over my shoulder. Because they were able to fly, the chaotic assortment of trees did not bother them nearly as much. I turned forward once more but pointed one finger behind me.


    Fire rapidly coalesced at the tip before shooting out.


    A small explosion rang out along with the cries of a few dying crows. I continued to cast the firebolt spell repeatedly, causing a series of loud noises.


    For whatever reason, these things were so damn stubborn. Some of them were able to slip by my firebolts and even peck me. It was quite painful as they would peel off my flesh, albeit a small amount to match their small beak.


    When this happened, I put away my wooden stake and directly grabbed onto them before crushing them into a mess. It was quite gruesome, especially with the sounds of their bones breaking, but I wasn''t going to be merciful as they clearly weren''t to me.


    After quite some time, I suffered quite a few injuries, but the black birds weren''t much better. Even though swaths of them had died, they continued chasing. I couldn''t help but wonder why.


    Wouldn''t this just hurt both parties?


    Feeling a little aggrieved, I continued to run through the branches.


    Eventually, I came across a strange light in the distance.


    Although these black birds were already quite the handful, I decided to run towards the strange light, even when I had no idea what it was. More out of curiosity as opposed to anything else.


    After going over a small hill, I was able to see where that light was coming from. It was a giant sphere that was emitting that light, almost like a secondary sun. It was being held up by some structure, making it like a tower.


    As I got closer, I could make out other things. In particular, a village right underneath. Most of the walls were hardly standing, some just barely being held up on their own. I couldn''t see much of the village inside, but I could make out a few trees with those glowing banana-like fruits here and there.


    "...People are living here?"


    The piece of paper sounded a little frantic.


    "You are still being chased by the birds, you know?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Yeah, yeah. Let me get a little closer. To this place."


    The light became a little clearer the closer I got to it. The feeling of it was slightly warm, or maybe that was just my imagination. It wasn''t that strong, after all.


    As I got closer to it, I came across a fairly large set of gates and began to slow down.


    The piece of paper freaked out when it saw this.


    "Why did you stop running?!"


    The necklace responded before I could.


    "Um... the black birds seem to have left."


    After taking a glance over my shoulder, I saw that the black birds were indeed flying away, no longer bothering with me.


    ....It seemed that this light was rather special.

 Chapter 175 - Valuable

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    After getting close to the gate, there was a deep, but raspy voice.


    "Stop!"


    I decided to listen and looked up, where the voice was coming from. However, there was nobody there. Though if I had to guess, I doubted the person in question was invisible because there was a convenient cover on the top of the wall.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Why exactly should I stop?"


    The person behind the cover seemed to be at a loss.


    "...You are not from this village."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "But I could be part of the village if you let me in."


    The person scoffed.


    "Scram, monster! If you truly did try to enter the village, then the light will burn you to ashes!"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Then why are you so unwilling to let me in if I''m just going to burn?"


    The person fell silent once more. Only after a minute or so, he spoke up again.


    "It is simply a warning for your own sake, don''t get it mixed up!"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "So what happens if I enter the village and I don''t burn?"


    The person took even longer to respond this time.


    "T-There''s no point in taking such a big risk! It will be better for everyone if you just left!"


    I laughed.


    "Well, if you say that..."


    I purposely dragged out the last part of my sentence, wondering how afraid I could make this guy. My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Suddenly I appeared on top of the wall and behind this person, who was looking through a tiny peephole.


    "...I won''t be able to resist my curiosity."


    "AHHHH!"


    The person turned around in fear, pointing at me accusingly.


    "Monster! Go away or I will have to fight you!"


    I blinked a few times.


    "That''s a bit rude, don''t you think?"


    The person seemed to be having a bit of a difficult time replying. In that time, I took a closer look.


    It was an emaciated man. His hair was black, but it was very dull. If I didn''t know any better, I might''ve thought it was actually grey and that he was an old man. He also had a messy beard that made him look like someone that came straight from the wild.


    However, the thing that caught most of my attention was the fact that he only had one arm.


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Hey, you lost an arm too?"


    The man''s finger began shaking.


    "You... what do you want?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "I dunno. Though I feel we could be a little close considering we both went through the experience of losing an arm."


    The man looked at my left arm, then my right arm.


    "...You used to have three arms?"


    His lip trembled as he said that fact, like I was some sort of monster. I simply let out a soft sigh.


    "No, I regret my arm."


    I then pointed at the arm that had been broken off.


    "This thing was blasted off, but I was able to heal it."


    The man''s eyes widened.


    "A monster with that powerful regeneration?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Hey, since when was I a monster?"


    The man frowned slightly.


    "What do you mean? Are you not a monster?"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "Have you never seen another person before?"


    The man paused.


    "...The only time an outsider showed up was many years ago and the actual truth of that fact is unknown. Chances are, it was probably just a monster."


    I tilted my head to the side then pointed at the giant glowing sphere in the distance.


    "But from what it sounds like, if I was a monster that light would burn me up, right?"


    The man''s lip twitched.


    "Under most circumstances, yes."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "So is this not proof enough?"


    The man coughed.


    "There are still monsters that are only slightly affected, especially if it is at a distance. That way, they can pretend that they aren''t."


    I rubbed my temple with the base of my palm.


    "So how about I prove it to you by moving further into the city."


    The man had a slightly aggrieved expression.


    "That could prove it but-"


    "Alright."


    Without waiting for him to finish, I teleported from the top of the wall and into the city. From there, I began walking on ahead by myself. I inspected the village for what it was.


    The houses were just one floor and made of some black wood held together by some rope. They seemed to be pretty haphazardly put together, especially because of all the gaping holes I could see.


    There wasn''t anybody out on the streets right now, either because they were sleeping or people rarely came out in the first place.


    It did not take me long to come across a tree with just a few glowing fruits on it. I walked up and took a closer look at it.


    In the distance, I could hear the sound of rushed footsteps along with panting.


    "Don''t touch those!"


    I turned around to see the man once more.


    "Why not?"


    Once the man reached me, he bent his knees and started panting.


    "Those... we need those to survive in this village!"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "I never said I was going to take them, alright? Calm down."


    The man furrowed his brows.


    "...Ok."


    I took another look around.


    "The streets here are completely empty. Is there even a single person here in this village?"


    The man shook his head.


    "What''s the point of walking around? That''s just a waste of energy, you know."


    I blinked a few times.


    "It is? I find myself enjoying a little walk now and then."


    The man sighed.


    "We don''t have that luxury. The food we have in this village is simply too small. We are always on the verge of starvation. If it weren''t for the people working hard to collect the fruits of light in the wilderness, we would be dead."


    I nodded.


    "Ah, I see. These things are called the fruit of light. So things here are just barely afloat, I''m guessing?"


    The man smiled bitterly.


    "Well... it feels more like we are sinking."


    I turned to him.


    "Why is that?"


    The man shook his head.


    "The scavengers of this city are having difficulty finding enough for us to have a proper meal. It seems that the shadow monkeys of this place have been too rampant, eating quite a few of the fruits of light."


    I looked up at the tree next to me again.


    "Why can''t you just plant more of these trees? Won''t that work fine?"


    Galileo shook his head.


    "We have tried that before, but it appears like something underground eats the fruit of light before it has time to grow into a tree. The only trees we''ve seen are the ones that naturally form."


    He sighed.


    "...If only there were a few more trees then we would be fine. However, it has gotten so bad, that our council has been heavily debating whether or not they should give up one of our precious artifacts to commission a hidden organization into eliminating them."


    My eyes lit up slightly.


    "Artifact?"


    The man pressed his lips together.


    "I''ve said too much."


    I laughed.


    "Maybe we should start again. Hey, my name is Jay."


    The corner of the man''s lip twitched.


    "...My name is Galileo."


    I put the tip of my finger on my chin.


    "So you say that your village is concerned about the lack of food? To the point they wish to give up something valuable to remedy it?"


    Galileo slowly nodded.


    "Essentially, yes."


    I couldn''t help but smirk.


    "What if someone was able to grow several trees in your city?"


    Galileo furrowed his brows.


    "That is impossible. We have already tried that before."


    I waved my hand dismissively.


    "Just think of it as a hypothetical for now."


    Galileo paused before rubbing his temple.


    "Well... if such a miracle truly could happen, then our village could soar to new heights. We would no longer have to be so afraid all the time. Then, expeditions could be voluntary, so we wouldn''t have to worry that our bravest warriors would die."


    The corner of my lip turned up.


    "So that person should naturally be rewarded, right?"


    Galileo sighed.


    "Yes, but only if that is actually the case. I understand you wish to have this artifact, but how would you even be able to do that in the first place?"


    I pointed a finger towards the tree.


    "Watch closely."


    Galileo did as I said, keeping his eyes on the tree. After a few moments, I finished casting the growing spell, forcing the tree to sprout with more fruits of light.


    His jaw immediately dropped at that sight.


    From there, I plucked one of the fruits and put it on the ground. After stamping on it a few times, it went deep into the dirt. Seeing this Galileo cried.


    "Wait don''t ruin it!"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "I said to watch, alright?"


    I diverted the growing spell onto the plant below me. A small black stalk sprouted out of the ground.


    Galileo''s eyes widened.


    "What?!"


    I turned to him.


    "So, about that artifact...."


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 Chapter 176 - Oh Really?

    I cleared my throat.


    "So what exactly does that artifact do?"


    Galileo blinked a few times.


    "Um, well you see, it''s a very magical artifact that will let you see! Many additional wonderful sights and uh..."


    My eyelid twitched.


    "Huh?"


    Galileo''s expression froze.


    "S-Sorry. Um, we actually aren''t too sure about what it does. It was something that our old chieftain used to wear, until he set it aside one day. Then, he disappeared altogether. All we know is that you can see a few extra things sometimes if you put the magical artifact on."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Huh. Really now?"


    From the way he put it, this thing didn''t sound all that good. However, it couldn''t help but make me think, what if they did not know the true use of this artifact?


    Honestly, it sounded like something related to the strange layer-like structure of this place. Where you could only interact with certain beings after sinking deeper into it. My guess was that it had some sort of effect in manipulating how one perceived the layers.


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "...It sounds quite useful. We should get that."


    I nodded.


    "Guess we should."


    Galileo looked at me strangely.


    "...We should do what?"


    I raised an eyebrow and pointed to the torn piece of paper emitting red light next to me.


    "I wasn''t talking to you, but that guy."


    Galileo turned to look, before laughing awkwardly.


    "Why are you joking about? It''s only us two here."


    I raised an eyebrow before turning to look at the paper.


    "Huh."


    The necklace trembled.


    "It appears that they are unable to see us for some reason. I wonder why that is."


    The piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "Hmm... It appears that our forms like this might not allow us to interact, but still see the things in this realm. Either that, or we have automatically transitioned far down past whatever system there is and thus can''t interact with things not that deep."


    I scratched the back of my head and turned to the pale grey light.


    "Hey, could you like, slash my arm?"


    The pale grey light let out a faint questioning cry.


    The necklace turned to me slowly.


    "Um, why do you wish for that to happen?"


    I cleared my throat.


    "To see if you guys can interact with me, since I''m technically still pretty high up in the layers here."


    Galileo looked at me strangely.


    "Um, how about we talk-"


    He stopped talking and looked at me with his mouth wide open. That was because a large slash mark appeared on my arm and began bleeding profusely.


    Galileo began to panic.


    "Oh no! Um, um."


    I waved my hand dismissively, even as it caused blood to fly everywhere.


    "Don''t worry so much about it."


    My first thought was to cast the healing spell, but then I decided to grow the stalk I had on me and eat a black fruit. It did not take long at all for my injuries to heal.


    Galileo looked at me with a bit of shock.


    "W-What? How did you do all of that?"


    I let out a soft sigh.


    "There are some people with me. You cannot see or touch them, but I can. I was just curious about something and wanted to test it out."


    Galileo''s eyes widened considerably.


    "...Invisible creatures?"


    He seemed to be afraid.


    Noticing this, I coughed.


    "They aren''t harmful. You don''t have to be so scared just because you can''t see them."


    Galileo furrowed his brows.


    "Those are monsters! You''ve let the monsters into the village! How could you!"


    I stared at him with a bit of incredulity.


    "Are you serious? I mean from what you just saw, they will listen to what I say. Even if they were somehow monsters, that doesn''t mean they are a threat."


    Galileo''s breathing was disorderly, however, he seemed to be calming down.


    "...Peaceful monsters?"


    He furrowed his brows.


    "I-I suppose that is a possibility."


    Though the distrust was still clear in his voice, there was probably nothing I could do to change that.


    I sighed.


    "Anyways, I am interested in this artifact. I am willing to create enough trees for your village to thrive in order to acquire it."


    After hearing this, Galileo''s initial fear seemed to disappear entirely.


    "Ah, yes! All we need to do is meet with the council quickly and we can have that handled!"


    I nodded.


    "Lead the way."


    With that, Galileo hurriedly stumbled on ahead, even though it was clearly hard for him to do so. He was quite enthusiastic about the prospects for this village, almost like a little boy.


    Though it took a while, we eventually made it to the center of the town, where the giant glowing sphere was with a tower underneath. That tower was actually a building we could enter, and Galileo took me in.


    Inside, I was met with five people, all sitting at a round table. Once we came in, they all turned to look at us.


    An old, but robust man with a crown made of black twigs spoke up.


    "What is it, Galileo? Why have you brought one of the townsfolk to us?"


    A woman with a black robe sighed.


    "I bet he''s here to beg for more food on behalf of them..."


    Galileo hurriedly waved his hand.


    "You misunderstand sire. This is not one of the townsfolk, but a person from the outside that can help us with our dire food problem!"


    The man with a black crown immediately narrowed his eyes.


    "Monster? How dare you bring a monster within our village!"


    The woman with a black robe clicked her tongue.


    "So it''s even worse than what I imagined."


    A man wearing a suit of armor made of black wood sighed.


    "Of all people, I thought that you would understand the dangers of these monsters. That''s why I set you to guard the city doors."


    He stood up before pulling out a black spear and pointing it towards me.


    Galileo looked distraught.


    "Wait! Just hear me out for a moment, this person can solve our food problem for good!"


    A young man with his arms crossed scoffed.


    "Shut up Galileo! You''ve already gone mad, can''t you see? Once we take care of the monster, you will be exiled!"


    As Galileo was freaking out, I couldn''t help but laugh. Everyone looked at me strangely as I did so, but I couldn''t help myself.


    Galileo turned to me with confusion apparent in his eyes.


    "I-Is something wrong?"


    I shook my head.


    "No, no. I just found that all of them are just like you. You sound so defiant against these monsters, like you would kill them the first chance you get, but..."


    A sinister smile formed on my face.


    "You''re too scared to actually do anything about it."


    Silence descended in the room. Like I said, although everyone looked composed, they were faintly trembling. Even the man who pointed his spear at me was frozen in place, unwilling to take a step forward.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "It really makes me wonder what this monster you speak of is and why you are so afraid of it."


    Eventually, Galileo spoke up.


    "S-So are you still willing to make that trade?"


    I nodded.


    "Yeah, the artifact and I will make a bunch of trees here in the village."


    The man with the twig crown swallowed before speaking up.


    "W-We do not have the artifact. Please let us be."


    Galileo furrowed his brows.


    "What? But how is that true, I saw it just yesterday!"


    The young man with his arms crossed furrowed his brows.


    "We already decided to give it to the association to deal with the shadow monkeys! The help you brought it was useless!"


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "You''ve decided, but haven''t given it yet. In other words, that means you still have it, no?"


    The man with the twig crown shot an annoyed glance at the young man before speaking.


    "...Well, all five of us have agreed on it. As such, our decision is final. Please leave our village, as there is no artifact for you to have."


    Galileo walked up, clearly passionate.


    "Wait! But he is able to grow trees, this means we could survive entirely on our own basis, without the need for expeditions at all."


    The woman in the black robe slammed her fist against the table.


    "Nonsense! How is it possible to grow trees!"


    The person with the twig crown shook his head.


    "It appears you truly have gone mad..."


    I turned to Galileo.


    "You said all of those exact things, remember?"


    He turned to look at me.


    "Well..."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "You all are not acquainted with magic?"


    Everyone fell silent. They looked at each other, as though asking if the other person knew what I was talking about.


    Eventually, the man with a twig crown cleared his throat.


    "We will not believe your trickery."


    I chuckled.


    "Oh really?"

 Chapter 177 - Growing Some Trees

    These people... really were stubborn. It was almost like they couldn''t understand the fact it might be possible for me to kill every single one of them. Perhaps they did understand that fact and just wanted to go down pridefully.


    Nonetheless, I decided to show them that I could indeed cast magic by sticking my index finger up in the air and casting firebolt on top.


    "Does anybody want to try getting hit by this?"


    The five people sitting down immediately widened their eyes when they saw the fireball on top of my finger. In particular, the young man with his arms crossed furrowed his brows.


    "I-It must be an illusion! Don''t believe the monster!"


    I turned to him and then smiled.


    "Then would you like to get hit by it?"


    The young man''s lip twitched before he fell silent altogether.


    Eventually, the man with the black wood armor spoke up.


    "Then try and hit me. If the others can confirm it really isn''t an illusion... then we can consider talking to you about the previous plans."


    I raised an eyebrow as I wasn''t expecting them to actually agree on being hit.


    "Well. Alright then."


    After letting the firebolt loose, it exploded onto the man''s chest, sending him across the room and slamming against the wall. All of them looked on with astonishment.


    The man with the twig crown narrowed his eyes.


    "It really doesn''t seem to be an illusion..."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "Of course not. Just look at him."


    The man was heavily coughing and gasping for air. There was a big black scorch mark on his chest. While the firebolt did injure him slightly, the armor took on most of the impact, albeit being destroyed in the process.


    Honestly, the toughness of the black wood scared me a little.


    The woman in the black robes turned to the man that was struck earlier.


    "Francis, do you feel like you were sent across the room and hit the wall?"


    Francis nodded.


    "Very much so. Very, very much so."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Why are you guys so paranoid over these kinds of things anyway?"


    Galileo turned to me with a bit of surprise.


    "You haven''t seen them?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Can you be just a little more specific?"


    Galileo pressed his lips together.


    "The... The monsters. They appear in the form of shadows. While they do not appear often, it has been known that they do appear. Occasionally, there would be a mysterious disappearance because of them."


    The man with a twig crown frowned.


    "Because of them, we can no longer trust our eyes. But what we feel. It appears that you are not a monster, in which I apologize on behalf of me and my subjects. Please understand that trusting too easily is no different from death to us."


    I nodded slightly.


    "I guess that makes sense. From what I recall, there were some strange things that I saw here and there. Regardless, could I have that artifact now?"


    The man with a twig crown coughed.


    "Please understand our circumstances. We do not know if you will run away and leave, thus giving the artifact to you may leave us with no way out. However, if you perform the action first, you can always choose to come back and seek payment as we have nowhere to go."


    I clicked my tongue.


    "You really aren''t going to make it easy for me?"


    The man with the twig crown bowed slightly.


    "I apologize, but you must understand our circumstances."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "Alright, alright. How many trees do you guys need?"


    At this question, the man was stumped. However, Galileo spoke up.


    "First off... a tree produces about one fruit of life for each day after full maturity. Each person needs at least one third of a fruit to survive per day, but some may need more due to their physique.


    He shut his eyes.


    "Then... there are two hundred and thirty two civilians and fifty-one soldiers that will need more. As for our current trees, there are only twenty."


    Galileo began lifting up fingers and muttering numbers one after another.


    "...Um I think it should be about forty trees."


    I looked at him strangely.


    "Are you sure?"


    The man with the crown scoffed.


    "Are you accusing him of setting too high a target? He is the best person with numbers in this entire village!"


    I looked at him strangely, before looking back to Galileo.


    "You may have done it a little incorrectly."


    Galileo furrowed his brows.


    "But I do believe that is correct. I didn''t state too many, did I?"


    He continued to flip his fingers up and down. The young man with his arms crossed narrowed his eyes.


    "You said you could give us enough trees for us all to survive, but are not willing to create that many?"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose.


    "Assuming Galileo counted the people correctly, you need at least one hundred and three trees to support the village. Since you already have twenty, that means you need eighty-three trees."


    The woman with a black robe looked offended at first, but then her expression stiffened up.


    "...So we need more than double that?"


    There was displeasure in the air, but after a while, it gradually calmed down. After all, I wasn''t asking to make less trees, but telling them I was going to make more.


    The man with a twig crown looked at Galileo.


    "Did you... make an error?"


    In response, Galileo furrowed his brows.


    "What?... but that is around... is it thirty? Then it should be around thirty again..."


    As I overheard his words, my eyebrow couldn''t help but twitch.


    "You are just guessing the answers?"


    Galileo coughed awkwardly.


    "...But I am fairly confident they are..."


    He trailed off and froze in place, until eventually, he let out a gasp.


    "Oh dear, it is indeed about eighty. I uh... made a mistake."


    I rubbed my temple with the base of my palm.


    "Yeah..."


    The man with the twig crown coughed awkwardly.


    "...Apologies. We seem to have misunderstood you again."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "At this point it''s expected. You all don''t seem to be the... brightest."


    There was clearly some resistance against my comment, but they did not speak up. Galileo turned to me with genuine curiosity.


    "How did you figure that out so easily?"


    I scratched the side of my head.


    "It was quite simple for me. Though I do find it a little harder than casting spells."


    Galileo nodded hurriedly.


    "Alright. Thank you for correcting me. Will you go about it now?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "What? Am I supposed to wait until next week?"


    Galileo chuckled.


    "Sorry, sorry."


    He turned to the man with the twig crown.


    "We should prepare the artifact."


    In response, the man scoffed.


    "There is no need to rush. I imagine planting so many trees will take several days."


    I smirked.


    "Do you want to watch?"


    The man blinked a few times.


    "...Well, I do wish to see more of this magic."


    The man with black wooden armor coughed.


    "C-Can I come too?"


    He stood up on his shaky legs.


    I sighed.


    "Anybody can come, so long as they don''t interfere."


    After a few murmurings, everyone stood up, though I suppose that was reasonable given they had never seen magic before.


    I led everyone back to the tree that I first grew. The man with the twig crown immediately exclaimed when he saw it.


    "Oh my. You already have created a budding tree? How long have you spent on it?"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "A few seconds?"


    The five people looked at me with disbelief. The woman in a black robe clicked her tongue.


    "Does few mean countless in your vocabulary?"


    I shook my head.


    "Nah, not really."


    Galileo''s eyebrow twitched.


    "Um, you can just show them and they will believe."


    I laughed.


    "Oh come on, it''s a little fun to tease."


    The young man''s eyelid twitched.


    "...You can''t be serious, righ-"


    He cut himself off as the tree in front grew at a rate visible to the eye. Everybody here was speechless as they saw what was once a tiny sapling grow into a full blown tree. After a few moments, fruits of light blossomed one after another.


    The man with the twig crown muttered.


    "My word..."


    After a few moments, I stopped and plucked out the fruits of light myself. I turned to see that even Galileo had his eyes widened considerably.


    "It shouldn''t take too long for me to make many more trees."


    While the others were still rooted in place, I decided to continue, stuffing fruits of light into the ground and growing out trees.


    As I continued to do so, a little boy ended up running out of a house.


    He looked super excited.


    "Wow you made food! Can I have one!"


    I chuckled and plucked off one of the fruits.


    "Sure, child."


    But at that moment.


    "Don''t Timmy!"

 Chapter 178 - Thank You

    I retracted the fruit away from the little boy and looked at who called.


    It was an emaciated woman with a concerned expression on her face, reaching out to her sound like a monster was about to eat him.


    ...Which was quite offensive, since I would have to be the monster in that situation.


    Regardless, I gave a small wave and smiled.


    "Hello. Why don''t you want your son to have a little snack?"


    The woman looked at me in fear.


    "G-Get away from my son!"


    I raised my hands and took a few steps back.


    "Ok, ok!"


    The man with the twig crown looked uncomfortable watching this situation.


    "Madam. Please do not antagonize this man. He is not a monster, but a savior of the village."


    The woman looked towards him and proceeded to freak out.


    "Oh no! The monsters are able to disguise themselves as the chieftain? I have to warn everybody when I can!"


    It was hard for the man with the twig crown to respond. His lip twitched fiercely, like he couldn''t comprehend that this was actually happening.


    I turned to look at him.


    "You see how annoying it is now, right?"


    The man with the twig crown slowly nodded.


    "...Yes. Once again, I apologize."


    As for the little boy, he was quite startled after his mother called out for him. However, he seemed to care less about his mother''s orders and more about the fruit of light in my hand.


    The boy reached out towards it, but I had lifted it too high for him to grasp.


    "Sir! You said that you would give me one, please hand it over!"


    A bitter smile formed on my face.


    "But you see, your mother doesn''t want you to. I don''t want to upset her."


    The boy flailed his arms around.


    "But you promised! You promised!"


    At this point, the woman couldn''t help but be confused. I shot a glance at her and shrugged my shoulders.


    "Look. I would keep it for myself, but I did say that I would give it to him."


    She seemed to be at a loss, blinking repeatedly.


    Though that wasn''t exactly a form of permission, I decided to take it that way and give the boy the fruit of light. With a smile, he immediately split it in half and stuffed it into his mouth. He looked quite satisfied after that one bite.


    It was clearly more than the boy was used to.


    Honestly, I was expecting him to stuff the other half into his mouth right after. However, he actually ran over to his mother and tried to hand it over.


    "I got this for you, mommy!"


    The necklace floating next to me couldn''t help but tremble in joy.


    "Wow! What a sweet little baby boy!"


    His mother seemed a little shocked. After a few moments, she reached out with a trembling hand and took it.


    "Oh dear... if it really is a monster, I don''t care anymore."


    Then gingerly took a bite.


    The man with a twig crown cleared his throat.


    "Um, it shouldn''t be a monster. I imagine it will be fine."


    The woman looked to be quite sleepy after eating the fruit of light and nodded absentmindedly.


    "Y-Yes..."


    I sighed.


    "Well, I''m going to go back to work. Still need to make over eighty trees."


    And so, that''s what I did. The little boy from earlier decided to come along and watch. This resulted in the mother following along as well. As I continued to grow more trees, filling the place up, it inevitably attracted many other people.


    They came out from their houses, both curious and afraid. Most people watched from a distance at first, but they couldn''t help themselves and got a little closer each time.


    One after another, a tree filled with bright glowing fruits appeared.


    The crowd that began to amass before me made it hard to even see forward. There were constant murmurings among them, but none of them raised their voice too far. It was a little confusing to move on ahead, but they all parted ways whenever I tried to move forward, meaning that it wasn''t too hard to get around.


    By the time I made the fortieth tree, three burly men appeared with spears.


    They pointed at me with clear confusion.


    "What are you doing?"


    It was a little hard to see them from past the crowd, but I waved anyway.


    "Hello. I am making some trees here in exchange for an artifact."


    One of them pointed at me accusingly.


    "What? But... but..."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Hm? You appear to be one of those that have to scavenge for these fruits normally. Are these trees not beneficial to you?"


    The men didn''t know how to respond.


    At some point, one of them yelled out loudly.


    "You must be a monster creating illusions! All of these fruits must be toxic!"


    The murmurings in the crowd noticeably got louder. In fact, while I did grow several trees, none of them dared to take one of the countless fruits that grew. And that was despite the fact they all seemed to be bare bones, about to die of starvation.


    The words from that mean seemed to cause quite a bit of commotion among the crowd. I thought about saying something but realized that I didn''t care that much in the end. So long as I got this strange artifact, in the end, it was fine.


    As the murmurings got a little louder, a commanding shout suddenly resounded.


    "This man is not a monster!"


    It was the little boy from earlier.


    "I already ate the tasty fruit and mommy did too! They aren''t toxic!"


    The man with the twig crown cleared his throat.


    "I too can confirm that he is not an illusion. Please do not spread baseless rumors."


    The three burly men from early immediately frowned. For some reason, they seemed displeased about getting all these trees. It made me quite curious as I imagined that they would be the people that benefited the most from this.


    After all, they wouldn''t have to go on expeditions anymore.


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "It seems you don''t like it when there is an abundance of food. May I know why?"


    While the other two froze in place, one of the burly men pointed at me with a deep frown.


    "We don''t want food that will poison and kill us!"


    Though he said that, I couldn''t help but think that he was unable to believe his own statement.


    The man with the twig crown seemed to be a little incensed.


    "I am the chieftain of this village and I have said before that they are not from the source of a monster!"


    In response, the burly man frowned and walked away. Probably because he had no rebuttal.


    After hearing their chieftain speak up, most of the people became ambitious enough to take some of the fruits on their own. Although Galileo said that one third was all they needed, most people ended up eating a whole fruit.


    Though that probably shouldn''t be considered overeating when they were all as thin as sticks.


    I simply continued growing trees one after another. By the time it had reached sixty trees, the clamor and excitement around me built up. All of the people couldn''t help but get excited about their sudden increase in food.


    Even Galileo, who hadn''t taken a single fruit himself, had a wide smile spread across his face. The other five members of the council also seemed shocked and no longer looked at me with any hostility.


    By the time I had planted the last tree needed, there were screams of joy and laughter among the people. The man with the twig crown approached me.


    "Haha, now that you have given us so much, would you like to participate in a banquet for us to show our appreciation?"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "What? So I can eat the food that I made?"


    The corner of the man''s lip twitched.


    "Um... I had the best of intentions."


    I waved my hand dismissively.


    "Then just get me that artifact already. I did my part, no?"


    The man with the twig crown nodded.


    "Of course. Stay here for just a moment."


    And with that, he left, pushing through the crowd with a bit of difficulty.


    Galileo slowly walked up to me.


    "...Thank you."


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Well, I wouldn''t have done it if you didn''t give me the artifact, just so you know. There isn''t much to thank me for."


    Galileo shook his head.


    "Regardless of the fact you did this for something else, you have brought countless smiles to our village. People have become so paranoid that they were afraid of each other. There was just... far too little food."


    He sighed.


    "There have been several incidents where it has been stolen. You may not understand it, but the insecurity of not having enough food wears a person down in more ways than one."


    Galileo bowed.


    "So truly, thank you for helping our village."

 Chapter 179 - Strange Sights

    Honestly, I felt a little strange hearing Galileo thank me so sincerely. It made me remember a bit of why I set out on this journey in the first place.


    Not to gain appreciation, but so that people didn''t have to suffer as much as they did.


    Though that vision had gotten a little blurry, a tiny bit of it always stuck with me. But in the end, it didn''t change the fact that I needed to become stronger.


    I remember that girl.


    She was just an unassuming little girl, but she was very strong. At the time, although I hadn''t significantly improved my body through external means, it had become quite tough due to the damage and healing from the constant spellcasting.


    I''m sure that while I am stronger now, it wasn''t to that huge of an extent. However, I only realized that the little girl moved by the time she slowly removed my heart from my chest.


    She was simply too fast.


    Simply too vicious.


    And too powerful.


    As for how I could reach that same level, I did not know. However, I was going to try my best regardless. It seemed that the answer kept going back to power, no matter how far it seemed to stray from it.


    I needed to become more powerful.


    "Um, are you ok?"


    Galileo was giving me a fairly concerned look.


    I nodded.


    "Yes, I''m fine. Since you all are fine here, I will leave after taking the artifact."


    Galileo''s eyes widened slightly.


    "You don''t wish to even greet all the families you''ve saved?"


    I shook my head.


    "There is simply no time."


    Galileo blinked a few times.


    "Surely it will not take much of your time. I can''t imagine a few seconds would break you, right?"


    I let out a soft sigh.


    "Perhaps not me, but the people that I could''ve saved with that time."


    Galileo seemed to be speechless for a moment, but seemed to come to accept my reasoning.


    "Alright."


    After a few moments, the man with the twig crown came back. He was gingerly holding onto what looked like some glasses. However, what was strange about these glasses was that instead of being two circles that pinched around the nose, there were these weird extensions on the side that looked like they were supposed to go on the ears.


    The man walked up to me.


    "I am not sure what use you will find with this, but our old chieftain treasured it greatly."


    I nodded.


    "Alright."


    After taking it from him, I looked at it a little closer. It was rather sleek, made of some material I did not know of. As for the lenses, they were a translucent black and had a few cracks here and there.


    I hesitated, then put on the glasses.


    Immediately, everything I saw changed.


    Shadows of various kinds filled my vision, like creatures hopping to and fro. The actual village itself disappeared, revealing what seemed to be a mostly bare plain with only the occasional tree.


    These shadowy figures scattered about seemed to notice me the moment I put them on, startling me slightly.


    "Are you ok?"


    I turned around to the voice and saw the piece of paper a little close, as though inspecting my conditions. The necklace and pale grey light were also behind, seemingly curious as to my sudden reaction.


    I coughed.


    "I can see something different when I put these on. It''s like... the world has changed."


    The necklace trembled.


    "What do you see?"


    I rubbed my temple with the base of my palm.


    "I''m not sure. It feels like when my eyes try to focus in on something, it suddenly blurs. Almost like my vision was always blurry and I was fooling myself into seeing something. The best I can tell you is that it appears to be some place with far fewer trees than before."


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "That is... interesting."


    Upon taking my glasses off, I noticed that there was quite a bit of panic.


    Galileo shouted.


    "Ah! There you are!"


    I blinked a few times.


    "What''s the problem?"


    The clamor from the crowd was quite loud, but it calmed down after a few moments. Galileo let out a long sigh.


    "You... you disappeared after you put those glasses on. We thought that the monsters had taken you."


    I shook my head.


    "No, I''m fine. However, these glasses seem to take me to some other place. I couldn''t see any of you either."


    Galileo''s eyes widened.


    "Truly? But I don''t remember such a thing when I put them on."


    I blinked a few times.


    "What did you see?"


    He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.


    "Um... I didn''t feel so good. There might''ve been a monster, but I couldn''t catch a proper look at whatever it was."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "...So different people see different things."


    Galileo nodded.


    "Yes, yes."


    I shook my head.


    "Regardless, I got what I came here for. I shall now leave."


    As I turned to leave, someone tugged onto my pants.


    "Wait, you are leaving already?"


    It was the little boy from earlier. I turned to him and flashed a small smile.


    "There are many people waiting for me, so I must go."


    He pouted, clearly unhappy. However, he eventually came to accept it.


    "Ok! I''m sure all the people you help will be super happy like us!"


    I chuckled.


    "I hope so too."


    With that, I walked out of the village. Though people watched me as I left, they did not beg me to stay. Instead, they gave their goodbyes. Upon reaching the doors, I teleported out.


    And from there, I started to walk once more.


    As I got up on top of a hill, I took one last look at the village.


    ...Then noticed that the light at the top was flickering. No, more than that, the entire sky was flickering. I didn''t notice it at first, but the sky in this place was very dull and grey. It wasn''t too different from how the sky usually was, so the difference wasn''t too striking.


    However, now that sky would intermittently change from grey to pitch black.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What is happening?"


    The piece of paper mumbled.


    "...What are they all doing?"


    I turned to it.


    "What are you talking about?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Um, some of the creatures are like, moving in really weird ways."


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "Yes, their bodies appear to be twisting in strange ways, almost like they are squeezing themselves through a hole."


    After a bit of hesitation, I put on the glasses. The empty plain was revealed to me once more. However, this time the shadows were doing something strange. They were stationary, but their bodies continued to twist.


    As they did so, they became thinner. It was almost like they were transforming into pieces of paper. Last time, they noticed my presence and stared at me.


    However, this time, I was pretty confident they knew I was here, but didn''t care about me.


    I looked up at the piece of paper.


    "They appear to be leaving this realm for whatever reason."


    In response, the piece of paper gasped.


    "Could it be possible that they are moving between the layer-like structure this place has?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "What do you mean?"


    The piece of paper excitedly went on a tangent.


    "I believe that those glasses should allow you to go further down a layer or two of this place and let you witness those creatures. The reason why they are disappearing is that they are leaving this realm to go to the higher surface ones."


    I blinked a few times.


    "So they can just... do that?"


    The piece of paper exclaimed.


    "No, no, no. I believe that what is occurring is some sort of phenomenon where the rigid boundaries of these layers once had become frail, letting things pass over to each side more easily."


    I looked around, watching as all of these things disappeared.


    However, at some point, I saw... eyes.


    They were simply appearing out of the sky, just observing. The creatures here seemed to be anxious as they let out various garbled cries before twisting even faster, as though trying to escape.


    The various eyes that appeared were huge and bright yellow. Their pupils were a line, reminiscent of a lizard''s eye or a cat''s.


    The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that it might be a bad idea to continue staying here. However, I was curious. I wasn''t sure when something like this would happen again, so I decided to stay.


    The eyes gradually became clearer, as though making their way past a misty fog. By now, nearly all of the shadows had left.


    The piece of paper let out a concerned hum.


    "I see... I think monkeys looking at you? But how would that be the case if you are in so deep?"


    I narrowed my eyes.

 Chapter 180 - Dragons

    I cleared my throat.


    "Um, I definitely don''t see monkeys."


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "Ah, well that makes sense, they are probably just coincidentally looking over here."


    I shook my head.


    "No, I see things looking at us. But they aren''t monkeys."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Huh? What do you see?"


    The eyes in the sky had cleared a little more to reveal giant black jaws, like a lizard''s. They seemed to be looking at me, but after a bit of time, I realized they weren''t exactly looking at me.


    They were looking at the three things behind me.


    I turned to them.


    "Hey, I think you guys should run."


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "Huh? Why? We are unable to interact with the objects here. Plus, there isn''t anything to run from."


    I pressed my lips together.


    "I mean, you don''t have to trust me, but I think you guys are in far greater danger right now than compared to me."


    The necklace trembled.


    "From what?"


    I pointed up towards the giant heads in the sky that were slowly opening their mouths, with saliva dripping out.


    "Those things. They are uh, kinda scary."


    All of a sudden, the pale grey light began crying intensely. It shot back, running away from the heads that formed in the sky.


    The necklace gasped.


    "Ah, child, wait!"


    The piece of paper similarly followed from behind, also concerned. I naturally followed them, but took a look over my shoulder as I did so.


    Now with a closer look at them, I recognized that they were the heads of dragons. As for how the others saw monkeys, I don''t exactly know. It appears that they had some sort of camouflage ability that either made them look scary to me or less scary to the others.


    The few dragons froze for just a moment once we started running. Then, they seemed to notice that the jig was up. Several blaring roars reverberated, prompting me to cover my ears.


    They directly charged through the mist, revealing their gigantic bodies. They were covered in countless scales and had wings that seemed to spread across the sky. I could feel intense gusts of wind blow down as they shot towards us.


    The necklace gasped.


    "The monkeys are flying towards us!"


    The piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "But how does that make any sense for monkeys to do?"


    I clicked my tongue.


    "Because I told you before that they weren''t monkeys!"


    The piece of paper mumbled.


    "If that really is the case... it appears they have adapted in such a way to trick prey like us that it''s harmless, but do the opposite for everything else."


    As for the pale grey light, it continued to run away and cry loudly. It was unknown if the kid could see it, but he definitely at least recognized the danger.


    Unfortunately, the dragons were simply faster. Though I felt unsettled by how huge they were, they also seemed to ignore me entirely. Instead, their eyes were trained onto one of the three objects in front of me.


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Um, I will try to hold them off."


    Though I doubted it would cause much damage, I began preparing several firebolts. If that didn''t do anything substantial, then there was still the vine spell.


    I started off strong, shooting three firebolts out.


    ...But they all went right past the dragons.


    It was now I realized that while I could see them, that didn''t mean I could interact with them. This place only got more confusing by the second.


    "I can''t hurt them! Maybe you guys can do something? They are very huge from my perspective, by the way."


    The necklace trembled.


    "If they are huge, then I''ll just attack as much as possible."


    A massive amount of some black mass spewed out of the necklace, passing by uncomfortably close to me and towards the dragons. Almost immediately, I heard several deep cries of pain. Once the black mass cleared, it revealed the dragons with the scales peeling off of their faces.


    They had rapidly decayed into stone before being unable to stick onto their bodies. Dark red flesh was revealed from underneath. As for their expressions, they seemed to be extremely pissed off.


    Two of the dragons darted to the side, disappearing off into the fog.


    I decided to notify them.


    "Um, the attack seemed pretty effective. I don''t know why but two of them shot towards the side. They definitely don''t seem to be running though."


    The piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "It sounds like they are trying to cut us off."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Oh dear, what do we do now?"


    Suddenly, the pale grey light turned to the left, opting to go that way without giving us a warning. This prompted the necklace to freak out a little.


    "Child! Where are you going?"


    It hurriedly chased after the kid while Noah and I followed close behind. After a few moments of diving through the mist, I saw a giant dragon head on the right. I pointed towards it.


    "Incoming!"


    The necklace promptly spewed out a massive wave of black mass towards it. The dragon had already been struck before, making its flesh melt further and causing some of the scales on its upper body to peel off.


    It screamed with rage, going even faster than before.


    My eyebrow twitched.


    "Um, maybe try to do that time slowing thing you did before?"


    The piece of paper yelled.


    "Ok?"


    Suddenly, I found myself unable to move. Well, unable to move at a rate that realistically counted as moving. As for the dragons... they were frozen in place too.


    It seemed that everything would be fine so long as Noah had that ability. It was kind of overpowered.


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "Er, I don''t think I can maintain this ability for more than ten seconds."


    ...Weren''t you able to do that casually for a minute before?"


    The piece of paper sighed.


    "For some reason, the more time passes, the weaker I feel."


    In response, the necklace let out a concerned hum.


    "Oh don''t worry, honey. I''m sure it will all work out in the end!"


    As I contemplated why Amy wasn''t using this chance to attack, I heard a loud cry coming from the pale grey light. Violent gales of wind whipped around.


    Immediately, several large gashes appeared on the dragon''s skin. Some blood spewed out from them, but froze in the air before getting too far. The surroundings were also hit in the process. Some trees directly snapped off their base and several concerningly large marks appeared on the ground.


    One of which was right next to my foot.


    After roughly six seconds passed, I found myself able to move again. As for the dragon, it let out a severe cry of pain as multiple fountains of blood spilled out from it. That dragon was stubborn though, still taking a few steps forward.


    However, only after two steps did it stop walking and collapse to the ground as a corpse.


    The necklace didn''t even seem to notice the dragon.


    "Oh, my child! Everything is ok, your mother is here!"


    I coughed.


    "There are still others coming. We should probably move."


    The piece of paper was panting, despite not having lungs.


    "I... I think we should as well."


    They continued on. Unfortunately, I heard the cries of several dragons from behind me. After taking a look over my shoulder, I saw three dragons that had caught up. Two of which had their faces peeled off from Amy''s power.


    I coughed.


    "Um, they are getting a little close."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Agh... they look so harmless, the only thing they are is fast. Maybe we should stop running. Who knows if they could even harm us?"


    I cleared my throat.


    "For the record, it was your kid that started running in the first place. I believe that it sensed some sort of danger, so unless you don''t believe him, you should keep running."


    The necklace seemed shocked.


    "Oh dear! I will deal with these then if they are frightening my child!"


    This time, even more black mass spewed out from the necklace. This time, it was a constant flow, so my vision of the dragons was completely obscured. The only thing I could hear was the cries of pain that came, probably meaning that they were effective.


    After about roughly a minute, the cries of pain stopped, prompting the necklace to as well. It was heaving.


    "Ha... Ha... That will show you..."


    Once the black mass disappeared, I saw a horribly decayed dragon with one eye far off in the distance. A little closer was what appeared to be a dragon with only a thin layer of dark red flesh coating it.


    And just a few meters away was just a set of bones.


    I let out a soft sigh.


    "It appears you dealt with them."


    The piece of paper chuckled.


    "Wow Amy, you are so strong!"


    The necklace trembled.


    "That''s just natural, honey."


    But at that moment, something blue glowed from the eye socket of the set of bones.

 Chapter 181 - Escaping The Layer

    Suddenly, a strong sense of pressure came down.


    The piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "What? This... This feeling is..."


    The dragon that had been reduced to a skeleton just moments before suddenly stood up, with a bright blue light in its eye socket. It spread its skeletal wings apart proudly, like it was trying to show off.


    I blinked a few times.


    "That can''t be good."


    As though wanting to prove a point, the dragon roared, far louder than before and strangely distorted.


    The three objects in front of me did not waste any time in running away, as did I. However, it was noticeably harder for me to run as lifting my foot off the ground became a struggle. As for the three objects, they seemed to be having even more trouble. Despite my already slow movement, they were going even slower.


    The necklace trembled.


    "Why... is it so... hard to move?"


    I furrowed my brows. Though I could still teleport, there was no pressing feeling of danger. That might be quite ridiculous to say given the giant dragon behind me emitting extreme amounts of pressure.


    But I seriously didn''t feel threatened by it.


    However, the same could not be said for the others, the pale grey light, in particular, was screaming really loudly. It stirred up gales of wind, sending them out as blades towards the skeletal dragon. They hit and were able to nick the dragon''s bones, but not any significant damage.


    The necklace also joined in, spewing black mass towards the dragon. However, other than slightly discoloring it, that attack could not accomplish much.


    Suddenly, it lunged forth, shooting straight towards the piece of paper. Right as the jaws were about to snap onto the piece of paper, I felt the time slow considerably.


    The red light from the piece of paper was glowing brightly, but it was also weakening by the second. Thankfully, this ability was actually effective on the dragon, or whatever it actually was.


    The piece of paper clearly panted as it hurried off.


    "Ok, that''s not a monkey. Definitely not a monkey. What monkey''s mouth opens that wide?"


    I tried to raise an eyebrow, but the whole time slow thing made it difficult.


    Nonetheless, I wondered what exactly Noah was seeing as opposed to me. Just a few seconds later, the effect of the time slow wore off. A loud snap rang out in front of me. The dragon turned to look at the three objects that were still trying to run.


    However, they simply couldn''t do so quickly under the pressure exerted on them.


    In the process of turning, the dragon''s head phased straight through me. It was definitely a strange thing to witness, almost making me feel like I wasn''t actually here. The blue light coming from its eye was especially bright this close and also quite annoying. At this rate, I felt that whatever the dragon was probably going to kill the three objects.


    Considering that I spent quite a bit of time and effort getting them out of the labyrinth in the first place, I didn''t really want to see them die just yet. As for how, I thought of an idea.


    "Hey, grab on to me."


    I tried to step forward to get away from the dragon. On the other hand, the three objects obviously hesitated as it meant they would have to get dangerously close to the dragon to get to me.


    However, the pale grey light decided to move towards me. Seeing this, the dragon opened its jaws up wide. As for the necklace, it chased after the pale grey light upon noticing that it left.


    "Child!"


    As for the piece of paper, it did something similar, charge towards me because of the necklace.


    "Amy!"


    As this was happening, my eyes widened and my pupils constricted. Right before the teleportation activated, I was holding onto each of them.


    It was a close call, to say the least.


    The dragon''s jaws snapped down right before they disappeared. We immediately reappeared several meters away. I figured that since I took my clothes and things I carried with me as I teleported, the same would apply for


    Upon noticing that its targets disappeared, the dragon let out a furious roar. I wasted no time in channeling another teleport. The piece of paper was trying to say something, but my mind was focused on the rushing sounds of wind behind me.


    I could tell the skeletal dragon was getting closer.


    Once more, I teleported. This time it was roughly fifty meters or so, giving a good bit of distance. Though I was avoiding it for now, the dragon didn''t seem like it planned on giving up any time soon.


    At this moment, the piece of paper was sitting on my shoulder muttering to himself.


    "This ability... isn''t directly tied to magic, nor is it tied to a realm. It is almost like... it ears through the fabric of reality itself. But how? Every other similar ability relies on-"


    I clicked my tongue.


    "Hey, do you think there''s any way to deal with these things?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Um... maybe if you take off the glasses, they won''t be able to hurt you?"


    I sighed as I channeled another teleport. Upon reappearing, I responded.


    "That thing can''t hurt me in the first place! For some reason, it really wants to kill you guys almost like you are all tasty snacks."


    The piece of paper seemed to snap out of his stupor.


    "I believe that this isn''t permanent."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "What do you mean?"


    The dragon directly crashed through several trees, prompting me to teleport once more. As for the piece of paper, it seemed unconcerned about the surrounding situation and methodically explained.


    "It should be a temporary phenomenon where creatures in this place are able to cross over into different layers. From the creatures that were in this place previously, they hurriedly tried to escape as though they already knew the dangers that were coming."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "So do we just continue to run until this phenomenon stops?"


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "That, or we as soul based objects must find a way to take advantage of the destabilization and ascend in terms of layers, thus not allowing these creatures to interact with us. Though before it appeared as though we were actually existing in all layers at all times, that was not the truth. Rather, we were already deep within a few layers and were able to see the layers above."


    I nodded before teleporting once more as the tree next to me crashed, feeling quite mentally exhausted.


    "Well, I can''t keep this up for much longer, so if this thing doesn''t end any time soon, you are going to have to find a way to exit this layer."


    The piece of paper began mumbling to himself.


    "What if..."


    I couldn''t help but wonder if he even cared about his own life at this point. He seemed so calm despite his life being in danger. Perhaps it was this type of calmness that allowed him to actually figure out a way to perform resurrection.


    Though it was hard because of the pressure, I pushed off the ground, darting to the side. The dragon passed by, crashing into a nearby tree. After teleporting once more, I took a deep breath.


    "And if you do find out, don''t forget to tell the other two how to do it as well!"


    The pale grey light let out a cry as though agreeing. As for the necklace, it simply said various soothing things to the child.


    Suddenly, the piece of paper gasped.


    "Wait, I think I know what we can do! Those creatures seemed to be able to distort their soul in order to ''fit'' into the layer above. If we just do that, then it should be very plausible to do so!"


    The necklace took a second to respond.


    "What?"


    The piece of paper recognized the confusion, thus tried to clear it up.


    "Think about it like this. We need to stretch out our bodies to make them thinner, kind of like... how certain things may fit only when they are rotated into a certain position."


    I rubbed my temple with the base of my palm.


    "Ok, please hurry up and try, because the pain in my head makes me really unwilling to do so right now."


    At that moment, the pale grey light distorted. The light coming from it both brightened and darkened at the same time in different locations. Then, it disappeared.


    The necklace cried out.


    "Ah, I''m coming, child!"


    Several cracks formed on the necklace itself as it moved strangely, squeezing against itself and being stretched out."


    As for the piece of paper, it let out a soft sigh.


    "Yes, it does work!"


    Right after, the paper began to tear.


    ...Then let out cries of pain.


    "Gah! Why is this so-"


    And disappeared.

 Chapter 182 - More Than One

    In the end, I was left alone with the skeletal dragon above me. It took a look at me and while it couldn''t really make an expression with only bones, it seemed annoyed at me.


    I simply scratched the back of my head.


    "Uh... sorry."


    Then, I took off my glasses.


    I immediately took off my glasses and saw that the world reverted back to normal. I was back in the familiar forest and the three objects were next to me. The pale grey light seemed to be as good as new. However, the necklace clearly suffered some cracks, though the person in question didn''t seem to mind.


    As for the piece of paper, the bottom half was missing. It seemed rather distressed.


    "My... My body!"


    The necklace was also concerned.


    "Oh dear, are you ok honey?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Um, he still seems fine, right? There''s still half of him left."


    The necklace gasped.


    "How could that be fine?"


    I raised my hands up as though to surrender.


    "My bad."


    As I was about to respond, a black figure flashed by in the corner of my eye. I turned to look with my blindspot and saw a blurry misty figure. It was quite familiar since they were the things trying to escape whatever layer I was in while I had the glasses on.


    However, their treatment of me seemed a little different now.


    After all, it was charging straight towards me while reaching out with two grabby hands. I sidestepped it. However, I could see two other monsters chasing me from my other blindspot. With a quick scan, I realized I was nearly being surrounded on all ends by these things.


    Yet, whenever they came near the three objects, they just walked around like it wasn''t their business. I sighed.


    "It appears that these things won''t leave me alone. I will be leaving until this whole thing blows over."


    Without waiting to hear their response, I put on the glasses, sending me back to the place with fog. The moment I appeared, there were a few dragons that instantly snapped their gaze towards me. However, they lost interest right after.


    I rubbed my chin, more or less understanding how these glasses worked.


    It seemed like they let me travel down a layer more than I was supposed to. That would be quite convenient in escaping a situation in one layer, like what just happened. It would also give me a sneak peek at what''s to come.


    After thinking about this for a while, I eventually found that the black dragons were beginning to leave.


    Well, to be more accurate, they were forced to leave as they seemed to be sucked in by the air.


    I let out a soft sigh and took this as the sign that the whole layer destabilization was over. And that was right to think, as I found the black misty figures appear back along with the objects floating in the air.


    After taking off the glasses, I found myself back in the forest along with the others.


    "Well, at least we know how we can deal with that kind of situation."


    The piece of paper trembled.


    "I... don''t think I ever want to experience that again."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Was it that painful?"


    The piece of paper shook.


    "It''s not really painful. More like... like I lost part of who I am."


    My eyes widened.


    "You lost part of your personality?"


    The necklace gasped.


    "Honey? Are you still fine?"


    The red glowing piece of paper took a deep breath.


    "I- I should be fine. But it just feels like part of me is missing."


    The corner of my eyelid twitched.


    "What part exactly?"


    The red piece of paper crumpled up slightly.


    "I... I don''t know. The only thing I can tell is that I''ve lost something."


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "Honestly, the more I think about it, the more scary it feels. Just knowing that you''ve lost parts of yourself, yet can''t tell what you lost."


    The red piece of paper chuckled.


    "Well, I don''t feel afraid. But maybe that''s because that fear hasn''t settled in yet."


    I cleared my throat.


    "Anyway, do you want to explore the layers some more? Considering those fruits of light let me transfer over, eating more of that or some other food should also help."


    The red piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "Well... not really."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Really?"


    The piece of paper scoffed.


    "I mean come on, I literally lost half of my body already. If anything, I just want to leave!"


    I fell silent for a moment. Giving up exploring this strange place didn''t feel right to me just yet. It still seemed like there were many secrets to find. However, I also wanted to stay with these things.


    "...How about we stay for just a little bit more. Say like, a few hours. The phenomenon from before shouldn''t happen until then, right?"


    The piece of paper grumbled.


    "Well, it is unlikely..."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Honey, if you really don''t like this place, then we can go!"


    Hearing this, the corner of my eyelid twitched. It really seemed like they were going to leave, so I tried to think of any idea. As they flew by, I ended up blurting some random thing that seemed to make sense.


    "The things in the layer we just saw look like souls to a certain extent, kind of like you guys. I think there might be a way to repair your body somewhere in this place as it appears closely related to the soul body."


    I had no idea what I was talking about.


    The piece of paper let out a soft hum.


    "They were indeed souls... This place is definitely closely linked to souls. Ah, maybe you are right. There may even be some things we learn about increasing the longevity of the soul."


    I smiled.


    "Haha, of course, of course!"


    Huh. Were they really related to souls? That would be cool.


    I cleared my throat.


    "Anyways, it appears that these glasses let me skip through a layer. That means if I find a way to transition to a lower layer, it should let me see what''s underneath. That way, I can scout."


    The necklace hummed.


    "That seems about right."


    I nodded.


    "Alright, my best guess is that eating more of the stuff here should let me transition faster. I still vaguely remember where all those creatures died. If I eat those berries, I imagine they will help."


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "But didn''t we conclude they were very likely parasites?"


    I waved my hand dismissively.


    "I can always figure out a way to deal with them later. They shouldn''t be immediately fatal."


    That was terrible logic, but since I was the one taking the risk, it seemed that the piece of paper was willing to agree.


    "Ok..."


    Albeit reluctantly.


    As I said, I sort of remembered where the berries were. Considering I had the ability to start things over, I''ve always been creating a map in my head of the places I have been.


    It did not take long for me to come across all the corpses with bushes growing out of them.


    I noticed that there were a few black birds eating the fruit, but they left before I got close.


    Upon reaching there, I was half expecting it to be empty, but many fruits were still there. As such, I began popping them in my mouth without much hesitation. The struggling feeling was uncomfortable at first, but I got used to it after the first few.


    Almost immediately, I began to feel a change.


    These things appeared to be much more effective than the fruits of light as I began to see shadows around me.


    As I continued to eat more, things began to flash in an out of my sight.


    I was expecting to see that misty place with the souls... but that wasn''t it.


    Instead, I saw... really really big spiders form.


    Eventually, after eating about thirty or so of these berries, my sight of these spiders gradually cleared up. They appeared to be doing the actions of spinning a web, but I couldn''t see any.


    The piece of paper noticed I stopped eating.


    "Have you finished transitioning through the layers?"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "Um, I think so? But I see a spider, not any of the souls."


    The piece of paper exclaimed.


    "Eh? So you haven''t yet. Why aren''t you eating them anymore?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "Wait."


    The necklace looked at me.


    "Um, what?"


    I reached for the glasses and slowly put them on my face.


    I was immediately greeted by a pitch black world.


    Within, several black dragons were flying high up in the sky. As for the trees, I could see several, but they were huge and spaced far apart. The only reason I saw multiple is because my vision extended quite far in this place.


    It was then I realized that these glasses seem to transport me through more than just one layer.

 Chapter 183 - King!

    Honestly, it was hard for me to believe that I was still even inside the forest with those crooked trees. The difference was simply too staggering. Though I could see far away, it all looked black.


    I began walking through this place, forced to walk around the giant trees that were in this place. As for the several dragons flying around here, they were also quite large and intimidating. However, they also didn''t seem to care about me, just flying on by doing their own thing.


    The three objects were no longer here, presumably because I traveled into a layer deeper than them.


    I decided to take off my glasses for now, and suddenly found myself back into the forest.


    "Woah! There you are!"


    The piece of paper seemed a little astonished that I was able to disappear. I simply chuckled.


    "It appears that these glasses travel down more than a single layer. It appears that there is actually a layer deeper than you all can see."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Wow... what if I put on the glasses?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Hm. That does sound interesting, why don''t we try?"


    After I lifted the glasses up, the necklace promptly came over and slipped the handles of the glasses within.


    There was a moment of silence.


    Then, the necklace sighed.


    "What? Why doesn''t it work for me?"


    I took back the glasses and shrugged my shoulders.


    "It appears that you need an organic body in order to do something like that. Regardless, I will try to scout that layer and see if anything is there. Be right back."


    With that, I put them back on and sent myself back into the layer with the dragons. After taking a quick scan of my surroundings, I began walking around.


    The gusts of wind that stirred up from these dragons as they passed by were strong. That along with the casual roars they would emit from time to time.


    However, it was rather peaceful despite the power the living beings had here, which seemed ironic in my eyes. For a while, there were only trees and dragons, making me think that my adventure was pretty pointless.


    I was about to take off my glasses, entirely, but I caught onto a blue glimmer in the corner of my eye. The glimmer itself was coming from behind one of the giant trees. Naturally, I ended up walking towards it to get a closer look.


    The blue glimmer became brighter, until revealing itself to be a relatively small gemstone lodged into the trunk of a tree. It was a little high, meaning I would have to climb up the tree a few meters to get to it.


    This blue gemstone immediately made me think of that blue light emitted by the eye of that skeletal dragon. For whatever reason, while its companions fell, it was able to stand once more, as though revived.


    As for whether or not it was harmful, I wouldn''t know. However, my curiosity was simply too strong to resist it. I scaled up the tree by wrapping my arms and legs around the trunk and slowly scooting up.


    Getting closer made the blue glimmer rough on my eyes, hurting them. Nonetheless, when it was within arm''s reach, I grabbed onto it.


    ...Then found that it wouldn''t easily be removed.


    I furrowed my brows.


    Seeing no other solution, I pulled out the stalk for the black fruit, then grew it until it became a fruit.


    Right as it blossomed, I heard several loud roars in the distance. Getting a bad feeling, I hurriedly tossed the fruit into my mouth and hardly chewed before swallowing. When I did so, I heard more roars that were both closer and more aggrieved sounding.


    Though the feeling of consuming the black fruit was intense like always, there was no time to bask in its effects.


    I got down from the tree and turned around.


    My eyelid uncontrollably twitched.


    Because there were nearly one hundred dragons approaching me in the distance. Cold sweat immediately formed on my back as I reached for my glasses, aiming to take them off.


    "Wait!"


    My hand that was about to remove the glasses froze. There was a voice coming from behind me. Upon looking past the tree, I saw a massive dragon. It was the one that called out to me.


    The dragon''s voice was both deep and had a strong vibrato.


    It looked up to me.


    "Fruit!"


    A violent rushing wind blew over as all the other dragons landed. They formed a massive semicircle near me. They sat upright, almost like children doing their best to straighten their back.


    The dragon behind me joined the others.


    "King!"


    "King!


    "Fruit!"


    "King!"


    I blinked a few times, not knowing exactly how to take in this situation. I stuck out my finger and pointed towards myself.


    "Are you referring to me as your king?"


    The dragons proceeded to nod.


    I couldn''t help but half close one eye.


    "Um... why?"


    The dragons looked at each other. One of them began patting their heads, while the others soon followed.


    "King!"


    ...Ah right, I had a crown on my head. I actually almost forgot about that thing. Turns out that this thing had more applications than I thought.


    The tip of my index finger scratched against my cheek.


    "Um... I guess I''m your king then."


    The dragons hurriedly nodded.


    One of them lowered their head onto the floor.


    "We good!"


    The other dragons soon followed.


    "Good!"


    "Reward!"


    "Reward!"


    Their eyes seemed to be shimmering, like they were filled with innocence.


    "Fruit!"


    "Deserve!"


    "Fruit!"


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "You guys want to have some of the black fruit?"


    All of the dragons lifted their heads up and down, slamming them against the ground. As for their bodies, they paced around uncomfortably, almost like they couldn''t take the anticipation.


    I couldn''t help but smile at how ridiculous this scene looked.


    After all, these dragons were about five meters wide by their bodies alone and if they stretched out their wings, it would be nearly double that. Yet, they were all acting like little children wanting candy.


    I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.


    "How about this? You get out this blue gemstone for me and I will give you guys the black fruit."


    Against my expectations, all of the dragons froze up.


    After a moment of silence, I raised an eyebrow.


    "Is there a problem?"


    The black dragons shivered uncomfortably.


    "Dangerous."


    "Blue thing... Dangerous."


    "Kill many!"


    I blinked a few times.


    "This thing has killed you all before?"


    The dragons nodded.


    A soft sigh escaped me. If they were giving me this much of a warning, I suppose it''s best I leave it alone. But I still wanted to get something out of this.


    "Then is there anything else you could get me?"


    The dragons looked among each other, muttering various words.


    "Food?"


    "Soul!"


    "No Soul..."


    "Soul Collector?"


    "Soul Collector!"


    The dragons seemed to get excited. Eventually, one of them soared far off into the distance. A minute or so, it came back and landed next to me. It slowly lowered its head to the floor and parted its jaws to reveal... a black armguard?


    It looked like it was made for a human, which I thought was a little strange. The design was much more intricate than what I was expecting. It had the general design of a dragon head, with teeth pointing out at the end.


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "What will this do?"


    The dragon next to me responded quickly.


    "Harvest soul!"


    The other dragons nodded in agreement.


    "Soul!"


    "Harvest!"


    I chuckled.


    "Alright, alright. I will give one fruit to all of you."


    The dragons immediately jumped up and down with joy, some letting out roars. Deciding to keep with my promise, I attached the black stalk to the black crystal and began growing it. As the dragons saw several black fruits form, they pushed and shoved each other to get closer.


    I held my hand out, to stop the chaos.


    "Order, or nobody gets the fruit!"


    The dragons clearly panicked when they heard that.


    "Fruit!"


    "Order!"


    "More Order!"


    They quickly lined up before calming down. Satisfied, I began handing out the black fruits. The dragons would open their mouths, and I would toss one of the black fruits in.


    Right when they could, their jaws slammed shut. Then, they hopped off to the side happily.


    It wasn''t apparent at first, but I realized that these dragons seemed to be changing. Those that had eaten the fruit and remained there had... white stripes?


    Some of their scales began changing color, prompting me to take a closer look at them.


    Thin stripes of white appeared across their body.


    It appeared that these fruits did quite a bit for them.


    Eventually, I was finished.


    All of the dragons bowed down to me.


    "Thank!"


    "King!"


    "Thank King!"


    I laughed.


    "See you guys later."


    Then, I picked up the armguard.

 Chapter 184 - Soul Confusion

    I decided to put the black dragon head armguard onto my left arm, the one that wasn''t holding onto the stake. It was surprisingly easy to put on, though the teeth were concerningly close to my hands.


    Though I didn''t know exactly how to use this, there was a slight feeling that gave me some confidence that I would know how to use it in the first place.


    With that, I took off my glasses, leaving the layer with dragons and reappearing in the forest.


    My location upon reappearing was a little off to the side, but still very close.


    The three objects noticed I had arrived.


    The piece of paper immediately spoke.


    "Did you find anything?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "So apparently, the dragons consider me their king. They also gave me this armguard, which they said could collect souls."


    The necklace trembled.


    "Eh? You... you''re going to collect us?"


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "What? No. But with this thing I can collect the souls from before and maybe that would be able to fix your bodies."


    The piece of paper crumpled slightly.


    "Ah, then why don''t you catch that soul right in front of us?"


    I tried to look with my blindspot.


    "Where exactly?"


    The piece of paper moved.


    "Just below where I am standing right now."


    Looking at that spot with my blindspot, I did indeed see a shadowy figure. It was relatively humanoid and looked like a kid sitting down with its arms wrapped around its knees. It appeared to be dozing off, resting its head on its legs.


    Without complete confidence, I reached out with my left hand towards the shadowy figure. Suddenly, the armguard expanded greatly, lunging past my hand in the form of a giant dragon head.


    The shadowy figure jolted awake, but it could only get up to its feet before it was swallowed whole by the dragon head.


    It gradually pulled back. I could feel that it was still struggling from here, however, that was quickly weakening. In just a few moments, there was no more movement. The dragon head gradually retracted, but the mouth was still closed.


    The piece of paper sucked in a cold breath.


    "That... that was scary."


    The necklace seemed to be in agreement.


    "Be careful with that thing!"


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Ok, ok!"


    I could feel some kind of strange energy surrounding my hand. It was a very silky sensation. In a certain sense, it was like touching a thick mist that had become tangible. Yet, it also somewhat felt like water, but more gentle.


    ...What was I supposed to do?


    Right as I thought about trying something, I felt the energy seep into my body through my hand. The energy was so gentle before, but...


    I fell to my knees from the shock.


    It wasn''t necessarily painful, but it messed up my mind. Countless signals fired off, almost like I was experiencing the life of two people at once. There was mild pain from my hand, like it was being electrified. On top of that, it trembled violently while my muscles were being locked up.


    I grit my teeth.


    "What the..."


    The piece of paper seemed confused.


    "What are you doing?"


    The necklace trembled.


    "Did something happen?"


    Blood rushed to my head as well as my now bloodshot eyes. I forced out words between clenched teeth.


    "For some reason... I''m absorbing the soul right now."


    I uncontrollably spasmed, making several cracking sounds. My vision had gotten a little blurry, but I could still make out the changes in my vision as they were fairly drastic.


    They flickered in and out of my vision, but I saw the shadowy figures in the distance, the souls. As for the trees, they also seemed to be moving. Sometimes away from me and sometimes closer.


    It quickly became apparent to me that I was transitioning through the layers.


    "Haha, it seems that I''m already progressing to the place you guys are at."


    The piece of paper hummed.


    "Oh really? Wait... what is..."


    The necklace seemed shocked for some reason.


    "Eh? My eyes don''t seem to be working properly."


    Before I could ask them what they were talking about, the energy of the soul had spread throughout my entire body, after which I began vibrating.


    The visions of the shadows gradually stabilized as did the location of the trees.


    As for my body, it seemed to be going through some sort of drastic change, like it was undergoing metamorphosis. Everything began to feel lighter, like I was a feather drifting up with the wind.


    My vision only spanned to the tips of my fingers, but I could see that they were transforming into something else.


    ...A familiar black ash.


    Eventually, it was done.


    The piece of paper gasped.


    "What? How is this possible?"


    The necklace seemed to be in more shock.


    "This... is it really not my vision?"


    I rubbed the side of my head with a bit of confusion.


    "What are you guys talking about? I feel you must be overreacting"


    Then, my jaw dropped.


    My hand was made of many tiny flakes of black ash, which wasn''t too surprising to me. However, there was... another hand.


    I jumped up and looked back towards my initial position.


    To see another version of me.


    That version of me also had a stake and armguard on, though they were made out of black ash as well.


    My immediate reaction was that it was a threat, thus I prepared to stab it with my stake. However, before I acted, the black figure scratched the back of its head and tilted its head to the side slightly.


    "Um... Hello?"


    My eyes nearly burst out of my sockets.


    "What? You can talk?"


    The black figure didn''t seem to be that concerned.


    "Yeah, why?"


    I coughed violently.


    "Are you... me?"


    The black figure shrugged its shoulders.


    "From my perspective, it seems like you are me."


    I then turned to the three objects, about to ask a question. However, my jaw dropped once again.


    Because I didn''t see three objects, but three people.


    "What the? When do you guys become humans!"


    The black figure turned to them.


    "Oh, you''re right! When did that happen?"


    A middle-aged man with a clean-shaven face raised his eyebrow.


    "Huh? What are you talking about?"


    The black figure pointed a finger.


    "You''re Noah?"


    Noah nodded.


    "Um... Obviously. I have just been standing here the entire time. Why are you so shocked now?


    He was wearing a black robe, fitting his short black hair. His face was rather smooth while his jawline was pretty sharp. It made him seem younger, but the way he looked with his eyes showed that he had been through a lot.


    I pointed towards Amy.


    "You don''t look anything like before either!"


    Amy tilted her head to the side with a bit of confusion.


    "You''ve been looking at me this entire time and nothing has changed. Is something the matter?"


    She was a young woman, with long blonde hair that reached her waist. She had bright blue eyes and a rather gentle looking face. Her slender arms were cradling... a baby.


    That baby was rather familiar to me, covered in several large gashes.


    The baby was looking at me rather curiously, clearly with piqued interest.


    I cleared my throat.


    "Before... I only saw you guys as varying objects."


    The black figure spoke up.


    "But now, you look like actual people."


    Noah blinked a few times.


    "Really? I always saw myself as this."


    Amy nodded.


    "Exactly! It seems you two... one? Or is it two halves? I don''t know. Anyway, you seemed to have been unable to actually see us then."


    Noah sighed.


    "If anything, the thing you two should be questioning is how you suddenly split apart!"


    I looked towards the black figure and it looked back at me.


    "Uh..."


    "Uh..."


    Honestly, I didn''t trust the black figure, and it too did not seem to trust me. Suddenly, an idea came to me. I promptly raised a finger.


    "Honestly, I don''t believe that you are me. But to prove it, we can take turns in recounting what had happened to us before."


    The black figure nodded.


    "Ah, that makes sense. It would have to be me that remembered everything that happened in our lives. After all, nobody else remembers."


    My eyebrow twitched. Well, it seemed like it knew about the fact I came back to life several times.


    "Anyways, I will start. The first time I was summoned, I was all confused with no memories. After deciding not to join the others in exploring the palace, I went into the village. From there I wandered until it was late, got caught as a slave, then died while trying to escape."


    The black figure pointed at me.


    "You forgot about Mark and the rock paper scissors match."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Well, I''m not going to recount literally every single detail. It''s your turn now!"

 Chapter 185 - That Look

    The black figure let a faint humming sound, then stated what had happened.


    "Well, we first woke up in a stupor, thinking that Mildred had saved us, but it was actually us going back in time. After that, we decided to stay with the group. Later on, we saw Ned with... that little girl out on the balcony. Then, we went to magic school and found that there we had no talent then..."


    He continued to narrate until he reached the time I died. Honestly, it made me feel a bit of melancholy. I hadn''t really thought about my past until now.


    Noah''s face was twitching.


    "Wait... you guys can come back from the dead?"


    I tilted my head to the side.


    "Uh... something like that yeah."


    Amy furrowed her brows.


    "That... that sounds really unfair."


    The black figure shrugged its shoulders.


    "Well, we didn''t really want this type of power."


    Noah''s eyes widened.


    "But why? You can go fix all of your mistakes! Not to mention to live with all your loved ones!"


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "But the problem is that they aren''t the same people. In the end, I''m always meeting them for the first time, when I''m used to being so familiar. It hurts."


    Amy held her child a little closer.


    "It... does?"


    I shook my head.


    "Nevermind, it''s my turn to recount the events."


    It took a little while, but I was able to remember and retell the events. Afterwards, the black figure would do the same.


    After going back and forth so many times, we had essentially gone through everything. From my suicide attempt, to Mildred helping me. Our times at the magic school, and surviving out in the winter.


    Meeting Leon for the first time, and climbing out of that canyon


    From killing the lizard king to learning spells.


    And... killing people.


    By the end, there was a moment of silence between us. Honestly, it seemed a little hard to believe that I went through so much. Thinking back on it makes me wonder if I could really do it all again.


    However, before I could think about that any more, a different thought popped into my head.


    What happened to... ''that'' side of me?


    The one that was essentially insane.


    I turned to the black figure.


    "Do you have any other memories? From even before?"


    The black figure paused before shaking its head.


    "Um, I don''t think so."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Then what happened to that part of us?"


    The black figure stared at me blankly.


    "What are you talking about?"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "You know... the one that wants to kill a lot."


    The black figure stared at me strangely.


    "I have no idea what you are talking about. We only killed because we were forced to do so."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Wait. You don''t remember any of those visions?"


    The black figure seemed to get agitated.


    "Are you just pretending to know something that I don''t? That doesn''t make you the superior version, alright!"


    I raised up my hands as though to surrender.


    "That''s not what I meant!"


    The black figure was holding onto the side of its head.


    "...You don''t have to lie."


    Though I felt that statement was a bit unwarranted considering that I wasn''t lying, it was probably best to drop the subject. Honestly, up until this point, I had more or less accepted that the black figure was essentially me. However, it still looked like there were some differences.


    As for why those differences occurred, I''m not exactly sure.


    Noah let out a faint gasp.


    "You seem to have gone through a lot."


    I nodded.


    "From what I read of your diary, it seems like you have as well."


    Noah sighed.


    "Honestly, I can''t really remember most of those days anymore. But maybe that''s for the best."


    I looked at the souls wandering around casually in the area around us.


    "Anyway, should we try and harvest some of these souls? Maybe we can do something with them."


    Noah nodded.


    "Maybe they can be used to repair my body."


    Though I originally believed it was going to be easy to do this, the black figure spoke up.


    "What? We can''t do that! They are probably all human souls."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Well, yeah. I mean we just killed one earlier, right?"


    The black figure shook his head.


    "No, but that was out of necessity. This isn''t!"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "But how are we supposed to find out what we can do with them without harvesting them?"


    The black figure looked at me strangely.


    "Why do we have to find out in the first place? We can just leave them alone."


    Amy looked between the two of us.


    "The souls of those people aren''t us. We don''t even know who they are. Why does it matter so much to you?"


    The black figure began breathing heavily.


    "What? How could you look at someone''s life like that?"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose.


    "How about you just stay here and not harvest any souls, while I go out to do it on my own?"


    The black figure took a step forward.


    "How does that change a single thing? People are still dying!"


    Noah raised a finger.


    "Well, souls."


    The black figure began yelling.


    "How does that matter!"


    I rubbed my chin.


    ...Was this the type of person I was before? For some reason, it feels a little foreign to me.


    Amy pouted.


    "You really are making it a bigger deal than it has to be."


    The black figure''s head tilted to the side.


    "Wait..."


    I blinked a few times.


    "Um... what?"


    The black figure''s tone dropped several times over.


    "You are just like that little girl. Why didn''t I see the similarities earlier?"


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What? You have to be kidding me."


    The black figure pointed at me.


    "The same face. You both have that same look."


    I held up a hand.


    "Hold up. You are saying I have the same face as a little girl, despite being a guy."


    The black figure simply looked at me.


    "It''s the look of someone that has gotten so used to killing, that they see it as a normal occurrence."


    If I was drinking water, I would have spat it all out.


    "How can you even tell something so specific from a-"


    The black figure lunged towards me, not willing to listen. The black dragon head on his arm immediately expanded several times over, quickly reaching me.


    By instinct, I teleported away.


    Upon reappearing I sighed.


    "Hey, you''re just jumping to conclusions. Are you not even willing to listen?"


    The black figure clicked its tongue.


    "I am not willing to listen to you."


    Noah scratched his beard.


    "I am very confused."


    Amy nodded.


    "So am I."


    As for the child, it raised a hand and let out a cry of agreement.


    Without waiting for me to respond, the black figure disappeared. I instinctively knew what was happening, thus stepped to the side. Right as I did so, the black figure appeared next to me, holding its wooden stake out.


    I looked at it.


    "If you try that one more time, I''m going to start fighting back."


    A long set of vines made of black ash burst from the black figure''s hand.


    "Then fight back."


    It swung the set of vines towards me, but because they weren''t too thick, I was able to bend back, letting it pass just over me. The corner of my eyebrow twitched.


    "I will then."


    The dragon head on my arm expanded and shot out, trying to swallow the black figure whole. However, it disappeared before the dragon head could snap down.


    The black figure reappeared several meters away.


    I cast the elementary wind spell, dash, in order to boost my speed. Then, I ran forth. The set of vines around the black figure''s hand rapidly expanded, but that was also the hand it used to hold the wooden stake, so it could use that anymore.


    Seeing my approach, the black figure swung the giant set of vines towards me. This time, it wasn''t going to be so easy to dodge. So I decided to teleport.


    I attempted to pierce through the black figure''s heart with my wooden stake, but by the time I reappeared, the black figure also appeared to the side.


    I couldn''t help but sigh.


    "So this is how it''s like to fight against me, huh? Annoying."


    The black figure scoffed.


    "We are different people."


    In response, I teleported towards it once more, but didn''t try to attack this time. The black figure had already moved as expected, but I immediately tossed a firebolt into its direction.


    In response, the black figure simply swiped with its large vine arm, causing it to explode on the vines harmlessly.


    A smile began creeping up on my face.


    "Not making it easy, huh?"


    The black figure yelled.


    "I knew it! You must be the little girl!"

 Chapter 186 - Oh Shit

    I couldn''t help but be a little confused when the black figure so confidently claimed that I was the little girl.


    Nonetheless, it didn''t seem like peace was going to be an option, so I rushed forwards with the intention of killing.


    The black figure immediately swept its giant vine arm against the ground. The grating sounds against the ground rapidly got closer.


    However, I was not concerned. I waited for the vine to approach up close.


    Suddenly, I leaped up into the air, doing a backflip. The giant vine coasted right by my back, stirring up a large amount of wind. Upon landing, I continued to run forward. The black figure seemed surprised and I fully intended on taking advantage of that.


    The dragon head around my arm expanded, shooting towards the black figure. Naturally, it disappeared before I could snap down. I immediately scanned the area, finding that it reappeared off to the side.


    Then, I whipped my wooden stake around to face him and teleport.


    There was no way the black figure had the time to teleport again. That was why I was surprised when I reappeared.


    As it wasn''t there.


    I looked at the ground and saw a miniature hole had formed along with decayed vines off to the side. An instinctual need to dodge came over me, thus prompting me to throw my body to the side. Almost immediately, the black figure burst out of the ground, with its wooden stake pointed upwards.


    While keeping balance on one leg, I spun around, whipping my foot towards the black figure''s waist.


    A clear thump rang out along with a grunt of pain.


    The black figure shot backwards. After landing on the ground, it tumbled, rolling over a few times. The moment I could, I shot forth, growing my own set of vines on my arm.


    By the time I reached the black figure, it had already gone to quite a large extent. Without hesitation, I swung the thick vines. However, as they traveled, the vines decayed, prompting me to furrow my brows.


    Then, my eyes landed on the black crystal slowly rotating behind the black figure. I clicked my tongue and activated my own black crystal.


    Suddenly, the black figure lunged upwards, aiming the wooden stake for my head. I tilted my head to the side just enough, letting the wooden stake lightly brush against my face.


    At the same time, I reached out with my own stake aiming for the black figure''s abdomen. Yet, before it could land the black figure disappeared.


    In the next moment, I felt a threat coming from behind me. I spun my head around to see a giant dragon head with its jaws wide open.


    And right when it snapped down, I teleported, appearing behind the black figure. Without hesitation, I whipped around and let my own dragon expand and shoot forth.


    The black figure didn''t seem to be prepared. It attempted to step out of the way, but was a little slower than required to dodge.


    "AHHHHHHHHH."


    The dragon head did not swallow the black figure, but it was still able to clamp down on the arm holding the wooden stake. The corner of my lip turned up while my eyes widened.


    Honestly, I had my guard down a little, which was probably not the best idea.


    Against my expectations, the black figure decisively threw its head forwards to headbutt me.


    I didn''t hear any sound.


    For a moment, everything was blank and also slightly warm. By the time I came to, I was stumbling backwards and nearly fell down. As my vision cleared up, I saw the black figure in front of me and the condition it was in.


    The black figure was holding onto its mangled arm and panted heavily. It was bleeding, but the sight was rather strange because instead of blood, black ash slowly flowed out.


    I laughed.


    "Are you regretting it now? I can''t believe you actually wanted to fight for... well I still don''t understand the reason."


    The black figure took several deep breaths.


    "You... are not... me."


    I blinked a few times.


    "I guess not. But we do have all of the same memories. Well, mostly the same memories."


    Suddenly, the black figure extended out its armguard, forming a giant dragon head. I got ready to dodge, but was a little confused as to why it was doing it so far away.


    But I found out why soon after.


    The dragon head chomped down onto the injured arm, ripping it off resolutely. As expected, the black figure let out a grunt of pain, but the entire time it was standing and also looking at me.


    The corner of my lip twitched.


    "You uh... really don''t hold back. Or is it more accurate to say I don''t hold back? This is quite confusing."


    The black figure didn''t respond. Instead, it dashed towards me and was several times faster than before.


    I furrowed my brows before lunging to the side, just barely dodging a giant dragon head''s teeth. Naturally, I wasn''t going to be some pacifist, so I expanded out my own dragon head, reaching for him.


    Unfortunately, the black figure''s newfound speed was enough for it to dodge it easily. I narrowed my eyes before suddenly pulling my head back. A fist brushed right by my face.


    It was an awkward angle, but my stake shot towards the black figure''s abdomen.


    However, it was able to dodge by sidestepping.


    The black figure then tried to headbutt me, taking advantage of the position I took to dodge. With a frown, I decided to let my body fall down, but also swept with my leg, tripping the black figure. It was knocked off balance before falling.


    In the end, both of us fell to the floor, face up.


    Almost immediately, we both shot back up, but the black figure was a bit faster, thus able to extend the dragon head towards me. I hadn''t even fully stood up yet, so it was a situation where I really needed to teleport.


    However, instead of doing so, I stared that dragon head dead in the eyes and reached out with my hand. Like an insane person, I grabbed onto the top of its snout and pulled up with all of my strength.


    I had to really strain my arm, nearly pulling a muscle, but I was able to lift myself up and out of the way. With one hand still on the dragon head snout, I used the other to thrust my wooden stake towards the black figure''s face.


    It shot to the left and backed off, dodging it but giving up counter-attacking.


    I took a deep breath.


    The black figure was faster than me, but only had one arm. Because of that, despite being faster, the attacks we launched out were more or less at the same rate.


    I was dodging each attack just barely, giving me enough time to do something else, usually counterattack. On the other hand, the black figure would make sure to fully dodge, using up move time than needed to actually negate the effects.


    All in all, we were essentially evenly matched.


    There was a reason we both stopped using our teleportation. It took the black figure a little bit longer to figure out, but the person who teleports first will have a disadvantage as there will be a slight cooldown.


    Then, the other person can teleport and take advantage of that opportunity to make an attack that is really hard to avoid.


    We were essentially just trying to force the other to teleport first.


    ...But at this rate, we would be fighting forever.


    As such, a rather dangerous idea formed in my mind.


    The black figure lunged towards me seeing that I was standing still, extending the black dragon head towards me. I stepped to the side and turned so that my back was facing the dragon head, letting it fly by.


    Then, I thrust forth with my stake purposely aiming it towards the black figure''s abdomen even when hitting the head wouldn''t be too hard.


    The black figure didn''t dodge this time, taking it directly. The dragon head had already retracted by this time, which he then tried to use to attack me again.


    Now I teleported.


    Then, I made the dragon head on my arm extend out. But not towards him, but rather the spot behind me.


    Lo and behold, the black figure appeared, still in the process of retracting its own dragon head.


    Then, the jaws slammed down on its body, consuming it whole.


    I could feel the energy within struggling intently until eventually, it stopped.


    But not because it was dead.


    I could hear its voice.


    "Oh shit."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What?"


    The black figure that was in the process of being consumed sucked in a cold breath.


    "I uh... didn''t know. Look, you take half the blame because you are the one that consumed me!"


    Right when I was about to ask, I suddenly felt a strong pain in my head.

 Chapter 187 - You Should Be Careful

    I fell down onto my knees, clutching the side of my head.


    "What the... what is happening?"


    The black figure was slowly being consumed, but after it coursed through my entire body, I heard its voice.


    "So, apparently we were supposed to be separated to protect ourselves, but then-"


    Before it could finish, I blacked out entirely.


    ...


    I could feel that the floor was shaking. Upon opening my eyes, I found myself on top of a piece of stone. There were countless cracks within the ground around me. The various fragments of earth both rose and lowered, almost like they were ships in a storm.


    High above in the sky was a red sun, coloring the rest of the sky a dark orange. It was as though the sun was laying its gaze on something that it found interesting.


    In front of me was a familiar old man. He was down on his knees with his head down on the floor.


    It was then I remembered this was the person I saw long ago, the one that I saw from a dream. He was the person that asked me if he should give up his life to save the rest of the world.


    Being the very helpful person I was, I said, ''I don''t know''.


    Then, the old man came to a decision.


    I wondered... what kind of decision would he make?


    If someone asked me if I was willing to give up my life to save the entire world, I would imagine my answer was yes. However, it was quite different when someone asked me if they should give up their life to save the world.


    It felt like it was out of my jurisdiction.


    I walked towards the man until I was standing to the side of him. My eyes didn''t focus on the prostrating figure, but the chaos that this world was in.


    "Hey."


    The old man was silent for a minute. Right when I thought he was just going to stay that way, he spoke up.


    "Hey."


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "So um... I was just wondering what kind of choice you made."


    The old man remained still. If it wasn''t for the fact he talked just a moment ago, I would think he just died.


    Eventually, the old man slowly took a deep breath.


    "I''ve realized something."


    I raised an eyebrow and looked at him.


    "What is that?"


    The old man slowly raised his head to look at me. With a solemn expression, he spoke.


    "We''ve been lied to."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "What?"


    Before I could ask him to elaborate any further, I was pulled out of the dream. For a moment, I thought that I was awake, in the real world.


    However, it only took me a few moments to realize I was mistaken.


    Rather, I was in a vision.


    Though I was conscious, I couldn''t control my body. When my vision cleared up, I saw a bright blue sky up ahead. And below, was a humble village. It was quite small and looked like just some random village with people casually living out their lives.


    The sun was shining peacefully, up high in the sky.


    It was a gentle day.


    Well, it would''ve been, if it weren''t for the demons wreaking havoc in the village. Screams filled the air, as did blood. It was a massacre.


    The people weren''t even able to fight back against the one-horned demons, which there were plenty of. However, as if that wasn''t enough, there were several two-horned demons and one three-horned demon.


    The once peaceful village was destroyed.


    As for me, I was standing on top of a tree. It was a tree that had its top cut off, thus giving me a flat trunk for me to stand on.


    I was looking at that village.


    And I had my finger raised, pointing at them.


    There were various victorious hollers among the demons as they continued to charge into the village, rampaging among it. As for where the demons were coming from...


    It was behind me.


    I pointed my finger towards the village, and the demons behind me charged in.


    There was nearly no emotion on my face as I pointed my finger forward. Like all of this was completely normal to me, something I''ve done countless times before.


    I simply kept my finger up, watching all of this happen.


    I did not move, nor did I speak. Other than blinking every minute or so, I apathetically watched it all.


    Though I didn''t really want to believe this was happening, it was hard to deny.


    I was commanding the demons to destroy the village. However, what was strange to me was the fact I was human.


    At least, as far as I could tell. My skin was still a healthy shade instead of being pure black. Why were they even listening to me in the first place?


    Eventually, the entire village was destroyed.


    The loud clamor from before was now replaced by an uncanny silence.


    None of the structures remained standing. The only things that did were the various flames and embers scattered about, making a few crackling sounds.


    For a while, I simply looked at the wreckage. Until I finally lowered my finger. The demons from before gathered around the tree, but were otherwise silent.


    Suddenly, I heard a voice coming from behind me, which was rather unexpected.


    "How many more should we do?"


    It was the voice of a girl.


    I turned around to see a four-horned demon laying on the ground. One of its legs was missing, replaced with a makeshift one made out of some wood and twine.


    A low tone escaped from my lips.


    "Eleven should be enough. Fifteen to be on the safe side."


    The four-horned demon slowly nodded.


    "Alright..."


    It was only at this point I realized I didn''t have one of my arms. Instead, there was a thick layer of bandage covering it along with some metal thing covering it.


    I slowly lowered myself down. The four-horned demon grabbed onto my shoulder and got up with my help. Like that, the two of us jumped off the tree. Upon landing on the ground, the four-horned demon held onto my shoulder a little more tightly to regain its balance.


    With how fluid the motions were, it was clear that this was done several times before.


    The two of us began walking straight through the wreckage, stepping over the embers and scattered broken planks of wood.


    The four-horned demon kept looking around, taking it all in. Eventually, she sighed.


    "For how much longer will we have to do this?"


    I shook my head.


    "Until we find a way to solve the root of the problem."


    The four-horned demon rested its head on my shoulder.


    "But... do we truly need to do this? It is not as if we must take responsibility for all of the things we didn''t do."


    I closed my eyes.


    "...Someone has to take responsibility."


    The four-horned demon rubbed its cheek against the top of my shoulder.


    "But nothing says that we have to be the ones."


    I reached over to pat the four-horned demon''s head, tactfully avoiding the horns.


    "I''m sorry. Once... once everything is over we should have plenty of free time."


    The four-horned demon sighed.


    "And how long will that take?"


    I blinked a few times.


    "...Not too long."


    With the four-horned demon and me in the lead, the army of demons followed from behind. We continued to siege several villages, but as for why, I could not understand.


    However, for whatever reason it seemed like I thought it was a necessity.


    After five or so villages were burnt down, some people came to stop us.


    There was a man in black robes, sprinting across the field, leaving large divots in the ground every time he pushed off.


    To his side was a man who seemed to be running across the air. He was wearing white robes and had a staff.


    As for the last person, it was someone that was wearing red robes. Currently, the tips of his bright red hair were singed black while his face was covered in some ash. For some reason, his mode of transportation was shooting out these smokey flames from the back of his hands which then propelled him in the air.


    I tilted my head to the side ever so slightly.


    "Hm... I suppose it''s natural to be meeting some people that wanted to stop us sooner or later."


    The man with the black robes shouted.


    "Stop right there, demon! I will get revenge for that day! Just you wait!"


    As for the man running across the air, he pointed his staff at me.


    "You won''t get away anymore! I''ve developed several spells for that very purpose!"


    Lastly the man flying via some sort of fire spell narrowed his eyes when he looked at me.


    "The despicable will always fall!"


    As for me, I let out a soft sigh and raised my hand.


    "You should be careful...."

 Chapter 188 - Who Was I?

    The man wearing the red robes shot a rather large fireball towards me. It was then I raised my hand confidently, as though reaching out towards it. The fireball traveled fast, but for some reason seemed to slow down.


    After a few moments, that fireball got smaller and smaller, until it disappeared entirely. What was left was a long string of mana that flowed over to my body.


    To be honest, this was not what I was expecting. After all, the ability to turn spells into mana sounded just a little bit too strong.


    As for the four-horned demon on my shoulder, she began to absorb that mana that flowed over before pointing her finger towards the man in black robes that was getting closer.


    A massive fireball, several times larger than the one the man cast before appeared before shooting out. The man with the black robes widened his eyes. He gave up on trying to advance and jumped out of the way.


    The man with white robes pointed his staff towards me, sending countless tiny little wind blades that darted towards me. However, I simply reached out with my hand. They slowed before turning into mana like before.


    Then, the four-horned demon absorbed it to shoot it back out towards him in the form of larger wind blades.


    The white robed frowned and backed off as well, sending several of his own wind blades to ward them off. He immediately shouted.


    "We can''t use spells on him, what are we going to do?"


    The man with the red robes clicked his tongue.


    "Just don''t use them against him directly, use it to support Ken!"


    The man with black robes, Ken, smiled.


    "Seems like you will be relying on me now!"


    I sighed.


    "Why are you guys trying so hard anyway?"


    The man in white robes seemed to be incensed.


    "Because we care about innocent lives, unlike you!"


    He then turned to Ken.


    "I can let you walk in the air, just trust me!"


    Ken nodded.


    "Got it."


    With that, he began jumping up into the air, now shooting around in the air erratically. As Ken approached, I took out a stick from my pocket and aimed it at him. At this point, the red robed man shouted.


    "He''s casting a spell, watch out!"


    He then put both hands out, before emitting large plumes of smoke. The smoke quickly traveled and obscured Ken''s figure.


    I clicked my tongue, then turned to the four-horned demon.


    "Hey, you handle it."


    In response, the four-horned demon simply raised her finger, before swiping.


    A nearly invisible blade of water shot across the air, tearing through the veil of smoke. It revealed Ken, but was unable to hit him.


    He had a smile on his face though, as he had already gotten really close.


    "You''re too late!"


    Ken reached out towards my face, but I simply remained there, with the same dead look in my eye. I didn''t even flinch.


    The most I did was shift my gaze over to meet Ken''s.


    And right before the hand was about to grab onto my face, it paused. Because the four-horned demon had grabbed the man''s wrist. It smiled.


    "Did you really think I was just going to let you do that?"


    A snap rang out.


    Ken''s eyes widened.


    "AHHHHHHHHHH."


    His wrist had snapped, while he had fallen down onto his knees.


    I then slowly raised the stick in my hand towards the man''s head.


    "You should''ve seen this coming."


    The man with red robes reached out with his hand.


    "No! Ken!"


    My eyes widened while my pupils constricted.


    Then, I disappeared.


    And behind me, was Ken''s body, which slowly fell over, landing face down in the grass. As for his head, there was a giant hole in the middle.


    The man with white robes had an ugly frown.


    "You... devil!"


    A small smile crept up on my face.


    "Hah. You already knew my nickname? But I haven''t even told you yet."


    The man with red robes clutched onto the side of his head, grabbing a fist full of his hair.


    "How could you!"


    I rolled my eyes.


    "So you guys hardly care when I kill a village full of people, but the moment I kill one person close to you, that''s when you freak out?"


    A sinister smile formed on my face.


    "Hypocrite."


    The man with white robes turned to his partner.


    "We can''t win, he can just use our own spells against us!"


    The man with red robes frowned deeply.


    "But... but..."


    He seemed to be against retreating. As for me, I simply stared at him, waiting for his decision.


    The man with white robes clicked his tongue.


    "Dammit, Leo!"


    He began running away in the air, but reached his hand out towards the other, Leo. Although it wasn''t visible, a wind whip had wrapped around Leo and began dragging him away.


    After watching them leave, a soft sigh escaped me.


    "Anyways..."


    I turned around to the four-horned demon.


    "Shall we continue?"


    The four-horned demon nodded


    "Yeah, now get over here and help me walk."


    The vision... began to disappear.


    As it did so, I couldn''t help but wonder.


    Why were the demons following my command? Perhaps it could be considered to be following the four-horned demon...


    But it was definitely my finger that was pointing forward.


    I tried to take a deep breath, but found that I couldn''t.


    After a few seconds, I realized I was still in a vision. I couldn''t help but feel a little confused.


    Right now, I was sitting down on something that was cold, but definitely a chair of some sort. As for my gaze, it was simply facing forward, almost aimless. The only thing I could make out was that I was looking outside of a window towards the blue sky. It was like the occasional cloud was enough for me to just keep staring.


    One thing I noticed was that I had my arm now, but I couldn''t move my head to look at it.


    Time passed.


    I didn''t know how much it was, but it was also really boring.


    Was this what the other me meant by protecting ourselves? So that we didn''t have to sit here?


    Eventually, something else finally happened. I felt someone holding onto my hand.


    "We finally did it."


    I slowly turned my head to the side.


    There was a girl, faintly smiling. She had short black hair and bright blue eyes. However, there was one feature that made her stand out far more than the rest.


    There were six horns on her head.


    I let out a faint sigh.


    "Your hair''s really short."


    The corner of the girl''s lip twitched.


    "I can grow it out then."


    For some reason, my head began to hurt. It hurt really badly. However, the me that was sitting down right now didn''t seem to feel that pain.


    "I suppose. Is there anything you want to do?"


    The pain was making me feel dizzy. As for why this pain was happening, I couldn''t tell. By now, I could hardly tell what was happening.


    My mind was spinning.


    I... I had to break out of this.


    With every shred of my being, I attempted to tear myself out of this world, distorting it''s image. The four-horned demon''s voice still echoed slightly, though it wasn''t too easy to hear.


    "How about we go to that kingdom? I doubt anyone can see through our..."


    I ripped myself out of the vision, coming back to the real world.


    My eyes shot open and were definitely bloodshot. It was immediately apparent to me that I was on the floor. An uncomfortable feeling filled my chest, making me feel nauseous. It rose up.


    Then, I coughed up a mouthful of... black ash.


    Noah was looking down at me.


    "Are you ok?"


    As for Amy she tilted her head to the side.


    "It seems you are awake now."


    I grabbed onto the side of my head as a flood of memories entered my mind. They were memories of my other self, the one that I devoured with the dragon hand earlier. It was a little strange to see myself through those memories, but I shrugged it off.


    After taking a few deep breaths I calmed down.


    "That... was weird."


    Noah raised an eyebrow.


    "Did something happen?"


    I closed my eyes.


    "Well... I think I got memories of my past self."


    Noah blinked a few times.


    "Ah, so that is why you split into two?"


    I scratched the back of my head.


    "Um. Maybe?"


    For whatever reason, I never really thought too much about whoever I was in the past. I figured that at most, I''d be some relatively strong figure that died at some point along the way.


    However, I was casually talking to a six-horned demon. As of now, I haven''t even seen a four-horned demon that wasn''t part of my visions.


    Now, I really decided to sit down and wonder.


    Who am I?