Author's note: What?! Another chapter already?! Yes, I'm insane. No, I don't accept candy from strangers. And yes, I was in the mood to write another chapter!
As it's past my bedtime I will edit this chapter tomorrow! Enjoy!
Shout out to some fans helping edit the chapter(s)! Appreciate it~
Chapter 30: The Heart of a Child Arc (2)
A powerful gale was rushes through the trees. The wind was howling. The stars slowly faded away. A giant cumulonimbus calvus blanketed the sky. It was coming... the storm.
[whooooooooo]
The giant was rumbling; as if Zeus himself was roaring in the clouds. All the demons frantically looked towards the sky. Sparks were flying. A giant bolt flash, striking a nearby hut!
[BOOM]
“...” (Markus)
Yunni…
Markus had to hand it to Yunni. To summon a storm this size took considerable amounts of mana and control. Or… the lack of control in Yunni’s case.
[rumble]
“Diloria, lets find Rieko” (Markus)
“Woof! (This way!)” (Diloria)
All the demons quickly took shelter from wind. However, as soon as the funnel cloud started to form, running became a much better option.
“Mages! Use your earth magic! We need bunkers!” (Demons?)
“Ahhh! What’s happening?!” (Demons?)
It wasn't just any ol'twister. It was a tropical cyclone! Markus could only give himself a facepalm as he and Diloria sneaked in undetected. Quietly slipping inside the fluttering tent, he found Rieko alone in the corner, shuddering in fear. The winds was getting more intense by the minute; any stronger and the tent would flutter away. Markus wasn't sure if Yunni wanted to kill or save Rieko... but it was probably the latter.
“Psst-Rieko! I’m here to save you!” (Markus)
“M-Marcus?” (Rieko)
Markus picked Rieko up and gave her a quick examination. Everything looked alright.
“Hey! Who are you?” (Demon?)
“...” (Markus)
[BOOM!]
Markus used -Terraform- to encapsulate the demon before he could call for help. Something he learnt from the demons from their last encounter. Unfortunately the demons were also familiar with earth magic.
[BOOM!]
The wall shattered, causing fragments to lodge themselves in Markus’s back.
-130 HP
“Ugh” (Markus)
With the tent flying in the wind, Markus wasn't required to perform any fancy maneuvers to escape. Carrying Rieko in his arms, he took flight towards the woods while casting several stone walls; hopefully shaking off any pursuers in the process.
“HEY! A human has kidnapped the child!” (Demon?)
Thankfully, the loud winds were muffling most of the noise. Only a handful of demons were chasing after Markus. Markus had already prepared for this moment in advance. Pulling out several ‘exploding shards’ he bought at the city, he unleash the ‘bombs’ on the unsuspecting demons.
[BOOM!]
Markus knew it wasn't enough to stop them but hopefully his petty antics could buy him some time... unfortunately not as much as Markus had hoped for. The demons continued chasing after Markus, now clad in stone armor. To make matters worst, the explosion drew the attention of several more demons as they all started giving chase.
Ah fuck. That was a bad idea
“Yunni!” (Markus)
The storm touched down, picking up some stranglers inside the vortex. Most of the villagers were hiding underground, using their earth magic to build a temporary shelter. Other demons with the stone armor were too heavy to lift! The storm didn't have enough power to carry them up the current. Markus was sweating. Why were the demons so fast? Were they using their mana to manipulate the movement of the armor?
“Yunni! I’m here!” (Markus)
“Markus!” (Yunni)
Mana stopped flowing towards the storm. Yunni was preparing to take flight with Markus and Rieko, however the storm didn't stop. It only continued to grow larger.
“Hey! Stop the storm!” (Markus)
“Ehh?! But I don’t have enough mana to do that” (Yunni)
“...” (Markus)
[BOOM]
The demons were hot on Markus’s trail. They were now launching boulders towards Markus and friends. Thankfully the erratic winds caused enough disturbance for the projectile to miss.
“Yunni! Lets get outta here!” (Markus)
“-Flight-!” (Yunni)
Markus and friends took off like a rocket! They broke through the galling winds and entered the clearing. However Yunni wasn't lying when she said she didn't have enough mana.
“Eeek!” (Yunni)
“-Terraform-!” (Markus)
The group fell from the sky towards a soft landing. Markus made use of his terraform to change the earth to sand, thus cushioning their descent.
“Yunni! Drink some of this” (Markus)
Markus quickly pulled out 3 mana potions. Yunni chugged the potions before returning the empty vials to Markus.
“Ah-do you have any more?” (Yunni)
“No..those are my last 3” (Markus)
“Ehehe~ Carrying 4 people with magic is a little hard” (Yunni)
“...what’s a little?” (Markus)
“Um. Maybe 3 more potions?” (Yunni)
“...” (Markus)
Markus potions healed roughly 600-700 mp. Factoring the other 3 she needed, the total mileage for flying was roughly 50 mp/1 km/ person. Which was actually pretty efficient. But Markus figured it would probably be a little higher than that. He wasn't expecting Yunni to burn most of her mana with the tornado, if she saved half of her total mana pool, they would probably be back at the capital by now!
“Hey! Over here! It’s the human!” (Demons?)
Markus could see the demons approaching through the trees. Time was of the essence.
“Yunni! Take Rieko. I’ll stay here and fight. Diloria, you follow Yunni” (Markus)
“Eh?! But-” (Yunni)
“YUNNI!” (Markus)
Yunni trembled. She never seen Markus so angry before. She quickly took Rieko by the arm and started flying. Before they left, Rieko’s lips quiver as her eyes pleaded for Markus’s safe return...
“T-thank you Markus…” (Rieko)
Markus wasn't planning to fight for too long. Just enough to stall for some time. If things turned sour, Markus was planning to log out and rejoin the group later.
As Yunni flew past the horizon, the demons made their way towards Markus. They were obviously pissed and wanted Markus dead.
“There you are!” (Demon?)
“Where’s the child? You better not be hiding her!” (Demon?)
Markus smirked as he waved around his hoe. He was bluffing. He didn't have any more cards to play. Only a few explosive shards that were useless against the demon’s armor. The most he could do was bury them under some dirt for a seconds before they dug themselves out.
Markus cocky attitude cause the demons to lose their temper.
“You! For a human to drink the blood of a demon, you sure are cocky picking a fight with a real demon” (Demon?)
“Hmph. If you want the child back safely, put down your weapons” (Markus)
“Hah? You think we’ll negotiate with the likes of you?!” (Demon?)
“Wait! We can’t put the child in danger. Let's listen” (Demon?)
This was what Markus was looking for. Out of the 4 demons, at least one of them kept their cool. Markus needed to think of a way to buy some more time. Considering Yunni’s current mana and mana regeneration, he estimated it would take Yunni 20-30 minutes to get to the capital.
“Well then. I already had my men carry her towards the hideout. If you want to see her again, follow me. But all your weapons must be on the floor” (Markus)
“Do as he says” (Demon?)
The bows and daggers were dropped, but Markus wasn't a fool.
“Dispel your armor. I want to see what’s hidden under your clothing” (Markus)
“We don’t have time for this!” (Demon?)
“Jeddril!” (Demon?)
“...” (Demon Jeddril)
The demons followed Markus's instruction. He knew they were concealing weapons under their armor and clothes. He waited patiently for them to remove any weapons before proceeding. Markus knew they probably still had other weapons concealed but he already got three minutes out of the rouse. Using -terraform-, he bury the pile of weapons in a block of stone.
“Okay follow me” (Markus)
Markus led the demons in the opposite direction from Yunni and Rieko. They ran for 5 minutes until the demons became suspicious.
“Hey stop!” (Demon?)
“What is it?” (Markus)
Markus continued to sprint while pretending to listen.
“I said stop!” (Demon?)
Using earth magic, the demon made a stone wall, blocking off Markus’s path.
“You escaped in the other direction before, why are you changing direction now?!” (Demon?)
Markus grinned. He figured he already did his job successfully. There was no longer any need to play games.
“Sorry, but I have no intention of helping you. Rieko is our friend, she stays with us” (Markus)
“You-!” (Demon Jeddril)
“Silence!” (Demon)
The demon who was the most calm appeared to also be their leader. He took a step forward to get a closer look at Markus.
“Why help a demon? What are you planning to do with her?” (Calm Demon?)
“I plan to return her home to Kilennun” (Markus)
“You fool! You think we would fall for such an obvious lie!” (Demon Jeddril)
“You’re wasting your time! Give us back the child!” (Demon?)
“Everyone! There’s no need for further blood shed! There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding” (Calm Demon?)
“What make’s you believe a human can ever tell the truth?! All they do is spout lies!” (Demon?)
“Just because you’re the chief’s son, doesn't mean you have power over us!” (Demon Jeddril)
Markus was slowly backing away as the demons were bickering amongst themselves. Before he could give them the slip, another earth wall sprouted from the ground.
“...” (Markus)
“Stand down Yurisii (chief's son), we’ll kill this human for making a mockery of us” (Demon Jeddril)
“Sigh, do as you wish. My hands are clean” (Demon Yurisii)
Three of the four demons stepped forward. They created earth daggers using magic. Markus figured it was time to log out.
[ping]
Log out failed: In combat
Huh?
Yes. The game prevented players from exiting during combat. They needed to wait a full 45 seconds out of combat before login out. It was unfortunate for Markus, as the game registered the stone walls created by the demons as a hostile act. If he had just waited 14 more seconds, he would be able to log out; now he was staring down 3 demons in a death match of winner takes all.
[ba-dump, ba-dump]
“-equip-” (Markus)
“Die human!” (Demon?)
“Roar!” (Demon Jeddril)
What Markus needed right now wasn't power but speed. Invoking the demon blood from within, he called forth for its power!
[ping]
Aszalar’s Blood: -200 Max HP (48 hours)
+200 agility (10 minutes)
Markus whole body burst in a black flame! Using the sudden shock to its utmost potential, he unleashed a -Lion’s Roar-.
“ROOAR!” (Markus)
The demons were temporarily stunned for half a second. That was all that Markus needed to unleash his first attack.
[BOOM]
Markus knew burying them in earth was pointless. He made sure to only use terraform to cancel out their armor or weapons.
The first strike was a success. A hoe to the face was what the doctor ordered. Jeddril clutched his face in pain while rolling on the floor. The other two snapped out of the daze and started attacking Markus.
Swaying back and forth, Markus avoided the attacks cleanly. If anything were to touch his body, he made sure to transform the dagger into sand. The demons soon realized what Markus was doing and changed tactics. Using their fist, the fight became an all out brawl.
Markus was dodging the best he could but fighting against 3 demons was still a difficult task. As Markus stepped to the left, his footing was suddenly lost.
Fuck
The demons had altered the earth beneath Markus to cause him to lose balance. A swift kick was coming from the left.
“-Terraform-!” (Markus)
A giant pillar erupted below Markus, pushing him up towards safety. However the demon kick was powerful enough to snap a tree in half. The pillar crumbled as Markus began falling back down.
Though it may look grim, Markus didn't give up. His life pool was barely above 700 at this point, taking a single hit from a demon would surely kill him. Markus envisioned a large chasm as he equipped both his axe and hoe mid-air.
“Die human!” (Demons?)
Two of the three demons were ready to strike. The third one was also readying to pounce as soon as Markus touch the floor. As the fist came flying towards Markus’s direction, he swung both his weapons in unison. It was a struggle of power. Even with Markus’s inflated strength values, he only manage to deflect some of the energy before both his hoe and axe shattered and his arms twisted in pain. Though it was painful, Markus was still alive.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
The instant Markus touch the floor, the ground caved in. The demons panicked. Markus knew just changing the earth wasn't enough. He needed to make it disappear. The demons leaped away from Markus before the earth finished crumbling under its own weight. A large underground rapid swept the earth and everything in it. Including Markus.
The two of the demons looked on as the other two were hanging on the ledge. They never knew there was such an extensive underground waterway in these parts of the wood. Of course, little did they know, the rapids were the resulted from an itty-bitty mage who casted an itty-bitty spell called... -Heaven’s Flood-.
“Hey, should we follow?” (Demon?)
“Leave the human be, we must return back to our people” (Demon Yurisii)
“Hmph. Lucky human. Next time I catch you, your head is mine” (Demon Jeddril)
***
[cough cough]
Markus pulled himself from the water. He found himself swimming in a large underwater aqueduct. There was no light. He felt around the walls as he tried his best to find some footing. Times like these are when you learn new things about yourself. For example. Your eyes.
Markus silvery eye’s wasn't just for show. Though it was still very difficult to see, he was able to make out the distinct edge of the water and what direction it was flowing. It was rather strange considering there was absolutely no light. But somehow Markus was able to catch the floor of water regardless...
“...huhaaaa...huhaaa...” (Markus)
Markus arms were both twisted and bent the wrong way. He carefully grabbed a health potion, trying his best not to fumble to much. Luckily his -inventory window- wasn't phased by the darkness. He could clearly see where he stored his potions. Taking a sip, Markus's arms twisted back into shape.
He was now waiting patiently for his mana to recover. His goal was to create a staircase leading back to the surface. He hoped the currents haven't taken him too far.
One by one, Markus was forging the steps. The darkness didn't help calm his nerves. He couldn't help but feel someone’s presence watching him from behind.
[splush]
Markus froze. He didn't say a word. He silently created the next step as sweat trickled down his back.
[splush, splush]
“...” (Markus)
Something was there. Markus wasn't curious enough to find out exactly who... or what it was. He needed to get out.
[splush, splush, splush]
More of them were gathering around Markus. He cursed the fact that he was out of MP pots. He quickly planted some mana herbs on the side of the wall. Nibbling on the plants, Marcus had enough mana to create a few more steps.
[splush, splush]
Markus felt it. A hand touched his legs. The slimy fingers sent chills down his spine. He quickly retreated to the highest steps. Markus continued for another 20 more steps before breaking to the surface. The sound of a monster splashing around in the water made the whole ordeal more terrifying than it should have been.
Now basting under the moon’s glow, Markus finally had enough light to see what monster was lurking in the waters. Peering down the steps, the image caused Markus to shutter. A dozen pale and slender arms were flailing about, trying to find Markus. It was the stuff of nightmares.
Without hesitation, Markus resealed the entrance. For a demon to have a dozen human-like arms was unheard of.
Shaking off the goosebumps, Markus was now finding his bearings. Looking towards the east, Markus could see a large storm cloud. That was probably Yunni’s handy work. Markus figured the capital would be southwest from where he was.
Next he looked towards the moon. Like earth, there was only one moon and one sun. Thanks to his years of experience travelling without maps, Markus quickly studied the crescent to find which direction was south. Since the sun was east of the moon, only the ‘right’ side of the moon was lite. Thus, by drawing a perpendicular line from the top of the crescent to the bottom, Markus was able to figure out roughly what direction south was.
Taking into consideration the moon, the storm, and the stars, Markus started making his way towards the capital. With a little luck, he should be there in roughly 2 days.
***
-Rieko’s POV-
It’s day break. 3 days have passed since Rieko escaped. Even though the demons treated her kindly, she was still terrified of strangers. It wasn't like she hated Marcus. But she was never good around adults. Yunni, who looked close to her age, was very friendly towards her. She felt she could trust Yunni.
“Hey Yunni, let’s eat. The food will get cold” (Rieko)
Rieko watch as Yunni was only picking at her food. She didn't understand why she was still upset. Wasn't Marcus one of those adventurers? Her view of adventurers were something along the line of a divine being. Powerful and immortal. Even Marcus would sometimes terrify her with his display of power.
[knock knock knock]
“We’re not done eating yet! Please come back later!” (Yunni)
Disregarding Yunni’s orders, the door opened. Rieko jaw dropped as the young man made his appearance.
“I hope you save some food for me. I’m starving” (Markus)
“Markus!” (Yunni)
“Woof! Woof! (Daddy! Come eat!)” (Diloria)
Rieko mood brighten. Though she still didn't fully trust Markus, she figured Markus wasn't so bad.
Markus wasn't given a chance to sit down. Yunni tackled Markus to the floor with a big hug. Rieko awkwardly approached Markus and gave him a meek smile. She was having trouble getting the words out.
“What happen Markus? How did you escape?” (Yunni)
“Haha! I guess you would call it luck?” (Markus)
“Um-T-thank you!” (Rieko)
Rieko flinched as Markus placed his hand over her head. She was afraid Markus would reprimand her for causing so much trouble. Instead, he gave her a warm smile.
“Sorry I’m late. I stopped by the adventure guild along the way” (Markus)
“Adventure guild?” (Rieko)
“Why?” (Yunni)
Markus also stopped by the armory to buy some fire-resistant clothing, but that wasn't something he needed to mention.
Pulling out an old slip, Markus showed Rieko what was written on it.
Quest: Scout KilennunRank: DDescription: The king has ordered an expedition towards the demon city of Kilennun. Please report detail information about city size, city layout and population. Kilennun is located northeast from the capital; 1 days by foot.Reward: Depending on information acquiredQuest duration: Will be cancel without noticehttp%3a%2f%2fi58.tinypic.com%2fap8qc1.jpg [http://i58.tinypic.com/ap8qc1.jpg]
“Ah!” (Rieko)
“...” (Yunni)
Rieko was excited. She can finally return home to her parents!
“Let’s not waste time!” (Rieko)
This was the first time Rieko felt so happy since being kidnapped by humans. Her face lighted up like a child during Christmas eve. Pulling on Markus’s and Yunni’s arms, Rieko wanted to return home as soon as possible.
The group ran through the forest for the next 7 hours. Being so close to the city, there wasn't any monsters impeding their way. The mood was great.
Even Yunni stopped pouting and started to smile for Rieko. She also missed her own mother. It’s been over 3 months since Yunni’s left Filoria. She also understood the excitement of reuniting with one’s family.
As they broke through the clearing, Rieko froze. The appearance of her hometown left her speechless.
“No way…” (Yunni)
“Wa-wa-wa…” (Rieko)
Before them... a city of ruins. The city’s wall had topple over. Houses were demolished. Corpse were lying in the streets... Rieko became a zombie. She mindlessly wandered forward. The silence was deafening.
***
-Markus’s POV-
Rieko lead the way through the ruins. Markus and Yunni held back their words. Nothing they could say now would help ease the pain. Stopping in front of a small house, Rieko started shaking the handle violently. It was locked. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She started to scream as she shook the door vigorously. Her frail body was banging on the door helplessly. She continue to bang her head against the door while shrieking in horror.
“WAH! WAHHH!” (Rieko)
“...” (Yunni)
Markus used his terraform skill to destroy the lock with a small shard. The door swung open. Rieko stumbled on the floor. She was trying to compose herself but her heart instantly sank. The pain on her face gripped Markus’s heart. There was something lodged in his throat. It was difficult to speak.
Lying on the floor were two corpses. Their bodies have been dead for days, there was already signs of decomposition. Yunni started to cry with Rieko. This wasn't how Markus envisioned this moment. What happened to the confetti and streamers? Where were the open arms and smiling faces?
“WAHHHH! MOMMY! DADDY!” (Rieko)
“...” (Markus)
***
It’s been several hours. Rieko had finally stopped crying. The mood was damp. The skies were gray. The sun had disappeared from view. Rieko wandered aimlessly around town. She stopped in the center of the town's square. Falling to her knees, she starting pulling her hair. The braids became undone. She kept screaming towards the sky.
As if the clouds felt her pain, it started to rain.
“WHY GOD?! WHY?!” (Rieko)
[ba-dump, ba-dump]
Something was pulling at Markus’s chest. He couldn't take his eyes off Rieko while she was cursing the gods.
“I HATE MY LIFE! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE IT!” (Rieko)
[ba-dump, ba-dump]
Yunni was holding onto Markus’s hand tightly. A nostalgic feeling was taking hold of him.
“WHY AM I ALIVE?! KILL ME! KILL ME! I WANNA DIE!” (Rieko)
Markus's ears were burning. His eyes focused. He saw it. Sora’s life...
-Flashback-
“WAHHH! I HATE MY LIFE!” (Sora)
A little boy was crying alone in the forest. He’s been bullied yet again by his peers. They lead him in a forest and abandon him as a cruel joke. The feeling of being lost, being alone, being helpless began to surface. It weld deep within Sora’s heart. Where was god? Wasn't he a merciful being? Marcus cursed towards this unknown god. He hated his cruel fate.
“I WISH I WAS DEAD! I WISH I WAS DEAD!” (Sora)
Sora was pulling his hair out. He wanted the physical pain to take away his emotional pain. He kept pulling and pulling. He wanted to die.
“Sora! Where are you?!” (???)
Calling out from the woods was the voice of an angel. Sora eyes were full of tears. He could barely see who it was but he recognized the voice. It was his one and only friend. Akiko.
“Sora! There you are!” (Akiko)
“Akiko...?” (Sora)
“There-there Sora, I’ll always be here for you” (Akiko)
Akiko wiped Sora’s tears with her chest. She wrapped her arms around his heart, keeping him warm from the cold. Sora blew his snot in Akiko’s shirt but she didn't mind. She kept caressing his head. The pain was slowly fading away, her hands were like magic.
“Hic-Akiko...please don’t leave me” (Sora)
“Don’t worry Sora! I’ll be here for you! Just like a superhero~” (Akiko)
“T-thank you...” (Sora)
-End Flashback-
Rieko kept crying out. Markus felt a cold chill in the air. His breath became foggy. It was freezing.
“I HATE THIS WORLD! I HATE IT!” (Rieko)
“Wah!” (Yunni)
The ground was freezing around Rieko. The moisture in the air became frozen; leaving glitter of snow on the ground. Markus took a step back.
“WAHHH!” (Rieko)
[BOOM]
Shards of ice erupted from the floor! An explosion of magic caused a huge shockwave, knocking back Markus and Yunni to the floor. Rieko started running towards the forest. Her outburst of emotions caused hundreds of frozen spikes to explode from the ground.
Markus was shocked. To think she was so powerful. Yunni turned to Markus, pleading him to chase after her.
“Marcus, it’s dangerous out there! Go after her!” (Yunni)
“Wa...?” (Markus)
“Marcus! Stop crying! Rieko needs you!” (Yunni)
Huh? I’m crying?
Markus touched his cheeks. He felt it. Tears.
I-I'm crying?
Markus was confused. He couldn't recall the last time he'd ever cried. Maybe when he was 3? When his parents sent him off to a Magic Academy even though he wanted to stay home. It’s been a long time, a very long time since he shed a tear.
“Geez Marcus!” (Yunni)
Yunni took off without waiting for Markus. Yunni was right. He needed to focus. This wasn't the right time to become sentimental. There was a little girl out there who needed someone to save her. Someone to save her from the depths of sorrow. What she needed was a Hero.
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