⟐ CHAPTER 15

The captain didn’t arrive alone, though; he brought a number of other guards. But when he suddenly acted submissive towards me while the other guards behind him watched, they were confused. Though after hearing our exchange and seeing their meek captain bow down towards me, they didn’t know what to do and just merely stood there like statues.

“Y-you heard him; go get the Mayor and tell them to meet us in my office.”

“But Captain.”

“That’s a command from your superior; now go!”

“Understood.”

After commanding his perplexed subordinates, he asked me to follow him back to his office so that we could just wait for the Mayor to come there. While we were walking towards the place, the people of the town that we passed by saw us and watched as their town guards escorted an unknown and weird-looking person. In their minds, they guessed that it might just be one of the Captain’s visitors or the Mayor’s, whom they were escorting, and didn’t think much about it as they returned to what they were previously doing. But as we walked, the Captain, who’s still under the [Terrified] status, managed to calm himself down to the point that he was able to hide that fact, and he regained enough courage to ask me a question.

“Esteemed guest, do you have a name?”

It was a mere simple introductory question that could easily be answered, but saying my true name towards such a being is a little wasteful. So I instead said one that first came to mind.

“Blanc.”

“Blanc?”

“You heard me.”

“Y-yes, Sir Blanc.”

There was a silent pause for a few moments, but that was soon ended by another question of the man.

“And could I ask where did you come from, Sir Blanc?”

“It’s better for you not to know.”

“I-I see…”

Then there was silence like last time, and after a short moment, I could see him visibly preparing himself as he asked a question again, but now his tone was like a whisper and was tainted with a hint of anticipation and fear.

“...A-are you a monster, Sir Blanc?”

He looked me dead in the eye, and I stared back at him without a change of face nor tone.

“You already know the answer to that.”

His eyes sunk, and his heart turned heavy as stone from my answer. Though I don’t think anyone heard his secretive question, and it’s not like I care much because sooner or later, they will all get to know the answer to that question anyway, whether they like it or not. Though there’s a chance that might not happen depending on their choices, but that’s too hopeful of thinking.

Not so soon after, we reached his office. It was a stone and wooden building with a big wooden sign above that said ‘Kulv Watchman Station’. Though it seemed like it had been a while since this place had gotten a renovation, but it looked more luxurious compared to the surrounding structures. Though considering the surrounding buildings aren’t any better at all, it wasn’t really much of a praise. Then after the captain himself opened the door that was too small for me, that made me need to duck as I walked inside, which was a hassle that made me really want to just punch a hole in it, though it was easier, I refrained from doing so.

“P-please take a seat as my men call upon the Mayor.”

Not having much to do other than wait, I took his offer and sat on a short wooden seat that was a far cry from the heaven-like platform I enjoyed back in the headquarters. But while we were waiting, I asked my question.

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“Do you have [Champions] here?”

“What do you mean by that, Sir Blanc?”

He's useless to me but oh well, it seems I'll be needing to ask the Mayor then. But the silence within the room was deafening after the unanswered question of the captain, as it seemed like he was having a hard time bearing the brunt of it. As every minute passed, he grew paler and paler while sweating profusely. I don’t want to see a man pass out in the room as we wait, so I said to him.

“Go drink water.”

“W-what is it, Sir Blanc?”

“I said drink water.”

“T-then excuse me for a moment while I take one.”

…

And so the captain left the room to get some water. In truth, he could actually just request some and not leave the room, but in there, it was like staying underwater as the atmosphere was suffocating. The moment he was given the chance, he took it without a second thought. The captain went outside to get some fresh water from a well outside behind the station building, and beneath the moonlight, he took a bucket, lowered it down the well, then pulled it back up, and then finally drank from it. While he was having a quick breath of relief, he thought about the man inside his office or if he could even be called that, as the man himself confirmed what he saw. For a captain out here in the outskirts of the empire, he was actually a decently talented individual, as he had a skill that was divined to be by the church as [Eye of Gauge]. It was a skill under the [Analyze Skill Tree] that was decently ranked as well as it helped him live through some dangerous encounters against monsters and people.

The skill, when used, would provide him information about their strength compared to something he had encountered, and he encountered a lot of enemies that were many times stronger than him. But this one, after using it on him, showed that he was stronger than all that he encountered so far by a great margin. What’s more alarming is that the man who called himself ‘Light’ wasn’t classified as a [Person] but as a [Monster]. After seeing the intellect of the creature, he was certain that this could only be bad, and the only thing he could do now is avoid as many casualties as he could. Because whatever the monster is planning to do isn’t good, but against it what could he do? Thankfully, the monster seems to possess intelligence and the ability to talk while also not being aggressive. So with that, he could only hope for a good outcome.

But that hope was shattered in an instant when suddenly an explosion that howled greatly beneath the cold clouds under the moons as flames erupted from within his office. With a confused and frantic mind, he rushed back quickly towards the scene.

…

Moving a little while back while I was sitting on the uncomfortable bench, I was getting incredibly annoyed by such a long wait, there wasn’t much I could do that wouldn’t cause chaos. But now that it’s taking that long, I have begun to consider it. While I was having that thought, my main target finally came, a well-dressed stereotypical looking fat man of what I assume is the Mayor had entered the room. After being surprised by my appearance for a quick moment, he greeted me as he went inside. Coming along with him was a teen boy that looked no younger than seventeen.

“Good evening, Sir uh, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

“You may call me Blanc.”

“Oh, well then, Sir Blanc, it seems that you have something important that you need to talk with me about. Could I care to hear what it is? Also, may I ask where Captain Brigs is?”

“I will and as for the captain he just went outside to get some water.”

“Then would you care to learn about this place then, Sir Blanc while we await Captain Brigs? As I’m pretty sure this is your first time in this outskirts of ours.”

“Maybe later and also the captain doesn't have the answer so he's not necessary. And now moving on, I have an important question that I’ve been willing to receive an answer to since I came here.

“And what would that be?”

“It's a simple one, are there any [Champions] in this town?”

“[Champions]? Could you care to explain what you mean by that?”

“It seems he hasn’t told you yet, it’s that one right there beside you, are there more of him here?”

The atmosphere in the room turned cold yet embers of flames began to ignite. From beside the Mayor, the boy looked at me with eyes of fear as sweat began to run down his glowing cheek. Though I can see it in his fiery eyes, this one isn’t going just going to lay down and accept whatever that’s coming. Even before he entered the room, I inspected him the moment I saw him, and I knew he did the same to me as well, the moment we met each other. Now trapped in a small room, two beings whose fate had been split from the very beginning and are meant to clash at some point now met each other. Like oil and water, we both knew what was going to happen.

[Name: Josiah Helpant (Kevin K. Harp)

Race: Human

Class: Superior Fire Elemental Monk

Faction: Champions (Rank 14,934,245)

Lv. 21 (651/2,100)

Status: Burning Fiery Heart, Lifeforce Burn, Great Fire Strength.

Stats: Strength: 120, Constitution: 67, Agility: 129, Dexterity: 70, Intelligence: 129, Wisdom: 125, Willpower: 68

Skills: ??? (?), Burning Fiery Heart (C), Superior Fire Elemental Talent (C), Sacrifice of Flames (C), Intermediate Unarmed Combat Talent, Basic Fist of the Fire Serpent Technique (C), Burning Man’s Physique (D)...]

And in a blink of a second, a warm glyph shined below the stone tile floor, and in an instant, a great explosion occurred that rattled the whole town awake. The whole room was destroyed as the stone where the glyph was located melted into a pot of burning lava. As the white ashes from the burnt timbers and dust from the crumbled stone began to settle, I alone stood inside the room still in a sitting position, though my seat had been turned to coal. It was a surprise attack and a good one at that, as he took hold of the initiative of this newly triggered fight. Though I received damage, it was small because a skill of mine was passively in use. It is one of my newly unlocked skills, [Basic Apotheosis Neutrumoid’s Body], which was at (C) rank and managed to increase my natural resistance against all elements except fire, which was unfortunately for this particular moment. The skill also increased my physical and magical resistance. But still, it’s the very first pain I felt ever since coming to this world, as my pure white skin had now gray ashes and coal stains covering me.

From his attack, my first thought was that he killed himself from his attack as he disappeared from the location. But upon observing further, I can see a trail mark leading away from this place. Even without having to say it, I knew what he wanted to do. It's that he too doesn’t want to have this town join in the destruction our fight would likely cause. I honestly applaud his behavior, and it made my disdain towards him weaken a bit. Though I don’t think it will ever be gone unless his head is removed from his insolent shoulders.