“We’re not going to make it like this!”
Sulong extended both arms and let out swirling flames bursts that merged in the air then exploded into a sea of crimson fire. The van was rocking intensely, coupled with the narrowness of the ice bridge and the incessant attacks of the pursuers, making it seem as if it was about to submerge into the swamp waters anytime soon.
“Aah!”
Scholar Venzo Fekhyr, who was sitting at the back and hugging the Elf King’s sword, was pale-faced and shouting in fear. Eventually, the expected and unavoidable happened as Bran was distracted by numerous enemies, thus rendering it impossible to continue the bridge.
Thus did the van dive into the swamp, causing huge volumes of water to slip inside. With its rear pointing upwards, the vehicle was being submerged, making the defending process more difficult for Zeke and Sulong.
Fortunately, at that time, the frightened Arbert made a move. Before the van could completely get engulfed in waters, the youth bit his hand and muttered something.
Within a couple of breaths, a large hand made of solidified blood appeared out of thin air and picked up the comparatively small van.
It lifted it above the waters and waited for the pre-occupied Bran to reform the ice.
The roof of the back of the van was pulverized, which allowed Zeke to jump up and lend assistance to Bran. The two nodded at each other as the knight drew a symbol with his hand then let out a chilling aura that spread around him, freezing everything. Zeke, on the other hand, used all of his remaining Aether in his body and the Voltage Run to unleash a rain composed of dozens of powerful thunderbolts.
The crips and deafening sound of the voltage echoed across the swamp, laying waste to the nearby Blight Toads and dealing substantial damage to the approaching Dark-scaled Crocodiles.
“Huff…huff..”
As his arms got heavy and his body wobbled, Zeke was caught by Bran just as the van fell to the new ice bridge.
The distressed Jack turned the keys and pressed the pedals, praying that the engine would return to life.
“Come on… please work. Come on!”
Fortunately, the van roared as it let out black smoke and accelerated forward. Venzo lost hold of the broken sword, which slid towards the open back of the vehicle before flapping into the murky waters.
The Elf King’s sword also escaped him as he had grasped into something to not get swept up by the abrupt momentum.
Sulong reached out with his hand and held Arbert’s light body, saving him the tragic fate of getting left behind. However, as he pulled the boy closer and out of danger, the black scales came flying straight at him, piercing his muscular arm and almost making the two of them fall.
One of the wheels got hit, causing it to deflate then explode, but Bran was quick-witted enough and used his ability to momentarily target the van.
His timely intervention saved it from falling to the side or derailing, but the speed it had gained was now gone and its current pace was pitifully slow.
Sulong instructed Arbert to hold into something while he knelt at the back of the van. He concentrated for a couple of breaths as red particles gathered in front of him. Then, when he was done, he shouted,
“All of you! Hold on to something!”
Bran and Zeke held the former’s sword, which was stuck into an unscathed part of the vehicle’s roof.
Jack grabbed the steering wheel, still trying to navigate across the swamp. As for Arbert, he jumped into the passenger seat and used the seat belt to bind his body.
Soon, Sulong’s magic burst forth, resulting in an explosion that sent the van flying like a rocket. Jack lost control of it as it was launched in the air.
It was in those few seconds that Venzo, whose body was swept up in the air, involuntarily lost hold of the Elf King’s sword. Although he managed to retrieve it back, the momentum gained by Sulong’s spell was gone as the van started falling.
However, everyone could see that they weren’t falling back into the swamp. No, they have reached a ‘dead end’. Basically, there was an outrageously big cliff, one that oversaw the rest of the Living Forest.
“Aaaahhh!”
Jack cried as he closed his eyes and kept hugging the steering wheel. Arbert bit his hand and was about to use his magic again but stopped at the last second as a silhouette appeared in front of the falling van.
When it appeared, all of them were shocked as they were bound by something suffocating and irresistible.
Bran and Zeke were still holding the sword, Sulong was at the back of the van with the frightened Venzo, and Arbert lowered his head, not daring to meet the entity’s deep and ethereal eyes.
The Elf King ‘Roenyr’, in the flesh, was hovering before the van, his cold gaze sweeping across everyone. He focused on the sword in Venzo’s arms but didn’t forcefully take it.
Instead, he seemed surprised by Zeke. He floated closer to the startled and pale-faced youth, who was feeling genuine fear and anxiousness.
“Ohh… the 5th user.”
He spoke using a different tongue, an unknown language that, though sounding like gibberish, contained an invisible pressure and authority.
Roenyr was a slim elven make, taller than even Sulong. He had long light yellow hair that reached his waist, decorated with an Elvish emerald ornament that resembled a crown. His skin was as white as snow, but the most attractive thing was his face, which was equipped with unparalleled beauty. His feminine was a bit feminine, but his sharp eyes and angular face, coupled with his prowess, made him look dangerous rather than amicable or harmless.
Seeing that Zeke didn’t understand him, the Elf King frowned and leaned closer, scrutinizing the youth from head to toe.
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“Get a Divine Path, then I’ll consider you worthy to shoulder the burden of truth.”
After muttering those words, Roenyr vanished into thin air, along with the dozens, if not hundreds of Dark-scaled Crocodiles and Blight Toads down below.
However, the Elf King seemed to have forgotten about their current predicament. The van continued falling as its passengers panicked again, especially Jack, who lost consciousness from sheer fright.
Like a helpless leaf, the van shot down from above, spinning slowly as it closed in on the visible and tree-filled ground.
Whether it was Bran, Zeke, or Sulong, none of them could do anything to ensure their safe landing. They could only hope as the vehicle crashed into the vines and the trees then thudded on the ground, landing on its four, or rather, three wheels.
There was a moment of deafening silence as they all processed what just happened. The engine was letting out steam, the windows were shattered, the roof was all but gone, and there were dents riddling every corner.
As for injuries; Jack, who snapped out of it, cried out in pain and cursed out loud as his shoulder was dislocated. Arbert was seemingly unscathed, same for Zeke, Bran, and Sulong.
Venzo, however, was unconscious and tightly hugging the Elf King’s sword as if his life depended on it.
“We made… made it… hahahahaha…”
Either due to the ridiculousness of what they went through or the repeated life-threatening situations he had found himself into in such a short period of time, Jack burst out laughing with a shaky voice.
He only sobered up when Sulong, who was faintly smiling, dragged him out of the van and gave and fixed his shoulder.
“Ouch! Shit man! Can’t you be gentler?”
“Don’t be a little girl!”
A distance away, Zeke sat on the ground and gasped for breath while Bran was examining his sword.
“Suffice it to say, this has been an… enlightening experience.” Remarked Bran as he scanned his body, satisfied with the effects of the Healing Elixir. He walked to Zeke, handing him a leather pouch.
“Take it, please.”
Although hesitant at first, Zeke accepted it with a wry smile.
“I wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for you. I must, however, apologize for my employer’s reckless and idiotic behavior. I didn’t sign up for this.”
“Neither did I. Still, at least I got to know a veteran Knight of the Empire.”
Zeke chuckled as he moved his arms, content that he sustained no fatal injuries. His Aether Reservoice was completely depleted and his was very fatigued, but he managed to survive with everyone.
It was, undeniably, the first time he felt so scared, especially when the Elf King appeared. It felt as if he was probed by a divine entity.
‘He mentioned a Divine Path. Could it be a special type? Like the time-gated one? And what did he mean by the ‘burden of truth’?’
There was definitely a lot of take-in from that situation. Whether it was Roenyr’s abrupt appearance, his disregard for the stolen sword, or his confusing behavior when he spotted Zeke.
‘He wouldn’t spare me on a whim, which means he acted as such because of the System. Was he a previous user? But I didn’t see his statue on the Mausoleu-no.. Wait…’
Zeke turned his head and looked at Sulong, the Seat of Criminality. Roenyr could have been an associate or a friend of a previous user. However, that wouldn’t explain everything, unless there were unwritten rules that all System-users, past, and present, were actually allies and had to aid each other. Then again, that theory was inherently flawed as there was no need to help those in the past.
“For the sake of avoiding pointless arguments… with him. I believe it’s best to separate now.” Suggested Bran as he checked Venzo’s pulse then lifted his body and put it over his shoulder.
“I agree.”
Zeke stood up and firmly shook hands with Bran as they smiled at each other.
“Again, if you ever find yourself in the Empire, specifically the Imperial Capital, then look for me. Look for The Bjarg Group.”
“Alright. I wish you a safe return.”
“Likewise, my friend. Likewise.”
Bran departed thereafter, disappearing amidst the cluster of trees.
As for Zeke and his companions, they couldn’t leave the van after coming this far. There were quasi-roads that could be used, but first, Jack had to fix the vehicle and one of the wheels had to be replaced. Fortunately, there were spare ones at the back, though one was flung by the impact and the remaining one was, more or less, usable.
“You did a good job. Thank you for saving us.”
Zeke walked to the quiet Arbert and patted his head, which made him react in a positive manner. He didn’t ignore Zeke or back away, as was his wont, instead, plastering a sincere smile and nodding, seemingly proud and glad.
“So…”
Once he was done calming down Jack and urging him to start fixing the van, Sulong drifted away and scratched his bald head.
“It wasn’t our fault. Venzo stole those artifacts and we saw him running.”
Perhaps Sulong thought Zeke was angry with him, so he offered an explanation. But, much, to his surprise, Zeke heartily laughed, which was uncharacteristic of his part.
“Come on, Sulong, you don’t have to explain everything to me. I’m just glad we’re all alive. Speaking of which, let’s rest a bit then do those ‘Regional Missions’ we saw earlier. I think Arbert is perfectly capable of protecting Jack, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Alright.”
…
Zeke and Sulong received two missions, but one was unwittingly completed in their attempt to pass through the swamp.
Zeke had checked the logs and confirmed that the rewards were decent and worth the effort and time. He was rewarded with 4 PE, 4EXP, and 1 Agility. However, it was unknown what the System did to Sulong as he didn’t have a personal Status Window.
Then again, it wasn’t particularly difficult to guess. Although it hasn’t been long since he was granted the Seat of Criminality, Sulong has been growing at a drastic and surprising rate.
His Fire-aspected magic, although inferior to Azmer’s golden flames, was still dangerous and highly effective. Perhaps the System was strengthening Sulong based on Zeke’s improvements? Or maybe there was a different advancement System that was still hidden.
Whatever the reason was, Zeke didn’t dwell too much about it, not because he didn’t care, but because he lacked sensitive information that no one could provide. Additionally, Sulong was his friend and companion. They were in this together and he had come to trust him and Jack after getting to know them.
Just seeing how Sulong cared for Arbert and treated him like a son showed how good of a person he was. He was taking care of a child that wasn’t his own, one who was suspected to be born artificially and from the sacrifice of many people.
As the youth and bald man warily ventured into the gloomy parts of the nasty forest in search of Treants, Sulong cleared his throat and stutteringly asked,
“H-hey… about Arbert.”
“What about him?” Replied Zeke as he pushed away the vines and looked around for potential targets.
“What do you think we should do about him?”
Zeke halted his feet and looked back at the conflicted man.
“I’m not the adult, you are. The kid’s circumstances of birth do not define his nature, nor should they condemn his life. If you are serious about keeping him, just know that displaying kindness alone isn’t enough. He’s a child… and a special one, at that.”
Sulong frowned, silently disagreeing, which made Zeke continue,
“You’re not a fool, Sulong. Surely you’ve noticed already. Arbert ages faster when he uses his Blood Magic. I’ll even take it one step further and say that any excessive ‘exercise’ might also lead to rapid aging. That’s why he mostly does nothing.”
“W-we could find a solution. I mean, you helped me, right?”
“You put me on too high of a pedestal, Sulong. Separation will come. It always does, so I advise you to keep your expectations in check.”
The man lowered his head, his eyes containing a mix of sadness and frustration.
“If you were looking for words of optimism, you’ll get none from me, Sulong. I’m sorry, but I prefer to be realistic and prepare for any eventuality. That’s how I deal with problems… I try to rationalize rather than fall to sentiment. Enough brooding, on our left, get ready!”