Erik was no athlete. Hell, he had never been in a real, honest to god fight before. Because of his inexperience, Erik had no shame running away from the psychopathic blond man as floating blades of steel narrowly missed him in every direction.

"Talia! Help!" He screamed, as he heard the sound of his own blood pumping in his ears. Deep down, he knew it would be a while before anyone came looking for him, if at all. The house was a good distance away from the burger shack, where pretty much everyone was at. That meant that Erik was alone. It didn't help that he was still tipsy, so he couldn't think of anything.

But as he stumbled and the man pursued him, Erik's thoughts raced. He had seen this in movies before. He knew he had to use his environment to his advantage. He spotted a pile of discarded wooden planks from the treehouse project and had an idea. He dashed towards them, tripping slightly as he went. The blond man's sneer grew as he saw Erik's clumsy escape attempt.

"Have you lied to me, Traveler? Are you actually this weak?" the blond man taunted, his sword slicing through the air as he approached.

"Fuck off, man, it's only been like two months since I got here!" Erik shot back, his eyes darting around the forest for anything that could serve as a weapon. He grabbed a wooden plank, feeling the roughness of the bark against his palms. "And I've had a bit to drink, so cut me some slack!"

A blade flew right towards him, slicing his wooden plank in half. His weapon now rendered useless, Erik continued to run away from the deranged blond man. There was nothing but trees and darkness surrounding him, and he knew he wouldn't last long without a proper weapon.

"Wait a minute," he muttered, cracking open his journal and hastily sketching something out as he ran. He tapped the drawing with his pen, immediately catching it with one hand. Stowing away his journal and pen, Erik cocked the device in his hands and turned on his heels.

The blond man pursued him, his eyes narrowed. "I thought you'd have more fight in you," he sneered, his sword still gleaming in the moonlight.

"Yeah, well, I don't even know your name," Erik replied, aiming the device at the man. "Not that it matters anyway."

"It is–"

Erik squeezed the trigger, firing his gun. He had gambled on the fact that the blond man would have no idea what his firearm was, and thus would be caught off guard by the speed of the bullet. While Erik did feel sickened at the thought of killing this man, it was only because the blond assassin tried to kill him first.

Unfortunately, the blades swirling around the blond man seemed to have a mind of their own, intercepting the shot with inhuman speed as one of them slash the bullet in half.

"-Ulrich," the blond man finished, unperturbed by what just happened. "I assume that was some sort of metal magic?"

"You could say that," Erik replied, his hand shaking slightly. So, conventional weapons from his world were ineffective. Then, perhaps a weapon imbued with the magic of this world might fare better.

Erik cursed himself for forgetting that he had another gun he conjured earlier tucked behind him as he quickly reached around to draw it. Taking aim at Ulrich again, he fired the rune-engraved gun.

Just like the first time with the hunting party, the moment Erik pulled the trigger, a massive chunk of solid earth shot out of the barrel. This time, however, it hit its mark. The earth collided with Ulrich's chest, sending him flying backward with a thud. The blades of grass around him bent and snapped from the sheer force of the impact.

Ulrich slammed into a nearby tree, the mass of earth exploding with a tremendous force that shook the ground. The air was filled with the scent of shattered wood and leaves. Erik took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.

"Not bad."

Erik stared in shock as he watched Ulrich get back up with barely a grunt, brushing himself off. The blond man's eyes narrowed at the sight of the new weapon.

"Judging by how you seem to use magical objects as a medium for powerful spells... I assume you're a 5th Circle mage?" Ulrich asked, a demented curiosity in his eyes.

"Y-yes, yes!" Erik lied, trying to muster up false confidence. "I'm the strongest 5th Circle here. I don't know if you've heard of Myr- Myra? A dark-skinned elf assassin who is also a 5th Circle came to kill me, but I defeated her pretty easily."

"Is that so?" Ulrich raised an eyebrow, his smile growing even more sadistic. "I've been looking forward to fighting someone like you, but it turns out you're just a 5th Circle."

"Fuck." Erik thought, as he immediately turned and ran without waiting for Ulrich to finish talking.

Ulrich chuckled darkly as he gave chase, his magical blades slicing through the air like a serpent's hiss. "You know, you're only making this more entertaining for me," he called out.

"I'm glad at least one of us is enjoying this!" Erik shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted through the forest. The branches of the trees slapped against his bare chest and back, but he ignored the pain. The alcohol was wearing off, leaving him with a pounding headache and a sharp clarity that told him just how dire his situation was. Considering how relaxed Ulrich was when Erik lied about being a 5th Circle, he assumed that the assassin was a much higher rank. It basically meant that Erik couldn't hope to defeat him.

Cursing under his breath, Erik tried to think of a way out as his stamina began to wane. He knew he couldn't outrun Ulrich forever, especially with the man's unnatural speed and reflexes. The forest grew denser around them, the shadows dancing eerily in the moonlight.

"Hey, whatever you're being paid, I'll pay double!" Erik panted, his legs burning from the sprint. "Triple! I can get you anything! Just name it!"

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"Your head," Ulrich said, his voice a whisper in the dark. "It's worth much more than gold to me. And I always collect what's owed."

For the first time in his life, Erik was at a loss. He'd dealt with bullies, corrupt bosses, and scammers. He could often find the right words or incentives to persuade just about anyone. But a cold-blooded insane killer? That was something new.

"Yeah? Why is my head worth so much to you?" Erik gasped back, trying to get Ulrich to talk while he desperately came up with a plan.

"You're a Traveler. Your kind are rare, and your heads are quite the trophy," Ulrich's voice echoed through the forest, his words sending a chill down Erik's spine. "And Travelers are supposed to be extremely strong. So while you might not be what I expected, you're still a rare hunt nevertheless."

Gears began to slowly turn in Erik's head. If Ulrich was after a challenge, maybe he could give him one.

"What if... I told you... there was a 12th Circle sorceress, here in this village!" Erik shouted, his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to buy himself some time. "Wouldn't that be worth more than my head?"

A flying blade finally found its mark, piercing through the back of Erik's shoulder and causing him to trip over his feet. He roared in pain as he hit the ground, dropping his rune-engraved gun.

Adrenaline coursed through his body as Erik refused to remain still, crawling along the ground even as he bled out and pain shot through his shoulder. He had to get away, had to keep moving. The blond man, Ulrich, slowly approached him from the shadows, the same deranged curiosity in his eyes.

"12th Circle? Here?" Ulrich's footsteps slowed, his blades hovering around him as he considered Erik's words. "Now that would be quite the catch."

Erik took the opportunity to stumble to his feet, his vision swimming with pain. He had to keep the blond man talking, had to distract him. "Yeah, I know where she is. I can take you to her."

Another flying blade sliced at his leg, causing Erik to fall to his knees in agony. He could hear Ulrich snorting derisively.

"If that were true, then she would've come running by now. I've exuded enough mana for higher Circle ranked sorcerers to sense," Ulrich said, the blade hovering just a breath away from Erik's throat. "But, you do intrigue me, Traveler. Who is this sorceress you speak of?"

Despite the situation, Erik hesitated. Initially, he was going to use Talia's name as a way out of this, but something in him just couldn't reveal her identity. What if there were more powerful people than her who were threats? "Her name... is... Illyri," he managed to choke out.

"Then who's Talia?" Ulrich whispered coldly, kneeling to level with Erik. He cursed silently, berating himself for slipping up.

"My... co-president, I guess," Erik replied, his voice shaking. "But she's not as strong as the one I spoke of. The 12th Circle mage is... a recluse. They don't leave the village much."

He roared in pain again as Ulrich slashed his body with a couple of flying blades. With a swift kick, the assassin sent Erik flying into a tree, where he slammed against the sturdy bark and slid down toward the base.

"I have no idea what this 'co-president' means, but I'm only interested in the 12th Circle mage," Ulrich said, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Where is this recluse hiding?"

Gasping for breath and struggling to stay conscious, Erik opened his mouth, but stopped. He couldn't just tell Ulrich to go to the center of the village, where innocent civilians were. Even if he directed him to the burger shack, if there was a fight that broke out, unaware bystanders would still be involved.

"She... wouldn't be much of a recluse... if I knew where she was... right?" Erik managed a cheeky grin.

Ulrich's eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. "You're playing a dangerous game, Traveler."

"I never had time for games," Erik wheezed, his mind racing. "All I've done was try to scam- try to build businesses for profit. Why am I being punished right now?"

Ulrich stepped closer, his booted feet crunching the forest floor. "A 12th Circle sorceress would be a challenge even for me. I want to know where she is. Tell me, or I'll rip this village apart until I find her." The blade that floated near Erik's neck returned to Ulrich's side, joining with the others.

"From the way you still remain so defiant in the face of death, you're not worried about your own life. But, I've got a hunch that the lives of those in the village are worth a lot more to you, aren't they?" Ulrich had a sinister smile on his face, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

Erik's chest tightened, his mind racing. He had to think of something. Fast. "Look, man, I'm telling you the truth. If I knew where she was, I'd tell you. But all I know is that she's powerful and you don't want to mess with her. Trust me."

Ulrich's smile faded, his eyes narrowing. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because she taught me this really powerful magic," Erik gasped, tapping the design he had drawn covertly on the ground with his pen. A silver light illuminated the forest, condensing into a cylindrical device with a ring chain near the top. "Something that can replicate the luminosity of the sun."

Before Ulrich had a chance to react, Erik pulled the pin and tossed the flashbang towards the assassin. The explosion of light and sound was intense, even to the intoxicated Erik. The bright light engulfed Ulrich, blinding him and deafening him temporarily.

Unfortunately, it also affected Erik, but in his drunken state, his pain sensitivity was dulled, allowing him to blindly move through the light. He sprinted back towards the village, hoping to put as much distance between him and Ulrich as possible. His heart hammered in his chest as he heard the rustling of leaves behind him, the sound of someone giving chase.

Even more unfortunate was Erik's physical state. If one were to compare his body to someone from his original world, Erik would be considered nearly superhuman, surviving a fall from the sky and battling a skilled assassin while intoxicated. But alas, in this world, Erik was a regular person save for the ability to conjure.

Just as quickly as he ran, Erik ended up falling, his body finally giving out. He had been running on pure adrenaline and instinct, but his legs could no longer carry him. He tumbled into a bush, the thorns piercing his skin and tearing at his clothes.

He tried to scramble to his feet, only for a flying blade to pierce through his right hand, pinning it to the ground. Erik howled in pain, the reality of his situation crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. The blond man, Ulrich, had caught up and was now standing over him, sword in hand.

"For a Traveler... not only are you annoyingly tricky, but you're also one of the most pathetic outsider I've ever faced," Ulrich sneered, his voice barely audible over the ringing in Erik's ears. He pushed down on the blade skewering Erik's hand to the ground, causing him to cry out again.

"Once I collect your head, I'll tear this village apart trying to find this so-called 12th Circle sorceress," Ulrich threatened, his eyes cold and emotionless. He raised his sword, then brought it down on Erik's neck.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden flame burst over Erik's head, slamming into Ulrich's chest and sending him flying across the forest. Erik looked up in shock to see Talia standing before him, flanked by Illyanth and Myrese. Alyssa and Ricteronu were also there, the former holding a spatula while the latter held a hammer.

For the first time since he'd met her, Talia had a look of pure rage and hatred. Expressionless and reserved as she usually was, Erik never expected her to look so furious.

Ulrich laughed, getting back up from the ground as the blades returned to his side, though Erik could see a slight surprise in the assassin’s eyes, as if he hadn’t expected the blast to hurt. "Ah, so the village has a pet dragon and a rather powerful sorceress to protect it," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "This is going to be more fun than I thought."