There Zurka stood, towering over us. The tall brolic knight lifted his pole hammer up and swung it down with power rivaling a high-orc.

We fell back, and where we stood, a large crater was created from the impact of his strike.

What is this??? Why is this human so strong?

[Zurka: "What? Afraid?!"]

["As if!"]

["O fatum flammarum perdere inimicis"]

A big ball of fire is shot from the palm of my hand.

The ball of fire flys with immense speed towards Zurka and hits the right side of his helmet, knocking his head to the side.

A muffled grunt exits from the knight.

Quick! I have to use the second in which he is startled to inflict critical damage!

I grab *Externish* with both hands and start to channel my mana through my muscles and into the blade.

I can feel my muscles condensing and bulking. The previously dark-greyish blade of *Externish* turns black, littered with fiery cracks and lines.

With lightning speed, I swing the ashen blade into Zurkas upper body. Blood gushes out from the large cut that formed on the knight's chest. Zurka falls onto his knees, holding himself upright with his pole hammer.

[Zurka: "Ughhh... I didn't expect you to have this kind of firepower left..."]

["Too bad for you! Alright, gotta go!"]

I place *Externish* at the steel rods, making up the gate, and begin slowly cutting through them.

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I turn my head to look after Auru and Grinla. Luckily they don't seem to have any problems repressing the soldier's attacks.

After a few minutes, I had already cut a decently sized hole into the city gate.

["Alright then! It's time for us to go!"]

Auru and Grinla nod as we exit through the hole. Finally, Grinla blocks the way of the soldiers with a large earth wall.

After a while of running, Auru raises her voice:

[Auru: "So what was that about Ignatius?"]

["Uhm, you see... I was once called Ignatius, the Demon Lord, but Lucius betrayed me and started a war."]

Yeah. Let's go with this for now.

[Auru: "But I heard that the war began before Lucius was elected the Demon Lord."]

["Nonono. This is what they want you to believe."]

Yeah. I am such a great liar.

[Auru: "So you're telling me you didn't want a war? Then why didn't you stop it?"]

["Well, as you can see... I am in a rather pathetic form right now, so we are gathering the remnants of my lost power..."]

That isn't even a lie.

[Auru: "And you expect me to believe this?"]

["Well, yes, to be honest."]

[Grinla: "What my lord is saying is true. I saw it with my own eyes."]

Good one, Grinla! You're gonna get a raise! Oh, wait... I don't even pay you.

[Auru: "Ugh, alright. Fine, I believe you."]

["Alright then! Let's continue to *Nirva-Forest*!"]

Before us, there lays a deep, mystical forest. The Trees reach far higher than anywhere else on Va'an. (Va'an refers to the world they live in.) On the ground, there grow mushrooms which are glowing in all kinds of colors. The chirping of wind elementals can be heard and the wicked laughter of the fairies. There is truly no similar place in this world.

Even though there is an abundance of valuable herbs and fruits growing in the forest, Humans rarely choose to trespass, since the fairies and gnomes are very territorial. This has led to them pulling pranks on travelers and said travelers getting lost in the woods and dying.

There is also the thing ruling the forest people. The supreme earth spirit Gaia. Gaia is also one óf the Iuga Septem. "The Lord of Nature" is what they call her(?).

["Man, I hope those fairies don't approach us, or else I'll have to deal with all of their nonsense."]

[Grinla: "Yes, that would indeed be troublesome."]

[Auru: "Ehehe..."]