CHAPTER 8 - I'll let you ride on top of me
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“Go back Eroan my child, I don’t want you to live all alone your whole life”
“But why they don’t want us I am okay being alone as long as I am with you.” I cried as I beg to the owner of the voice.
“I want you to live a normal life before you carry the burden of fate that our blood holds.”
“I want you to feel in love with someone and to feel beloved, to make friends like a normal person”
“You will hold the greatest burden in the future, I don’t want you to face it and suffer alone. I just hope you are not alone when the time comes my child.”
“No, please! I don’t want to go”
I cried as I slowly drifted away from the source of the voice.
Heuk
I am crying as I wander on the vast emptiness of space. I have something on my bottom. I was riding a black horse it has a single horn on its head. Riding that black horse was so comfortable but it walks too slowly.
I kick it to run faster because I am bored traveling in empty space but it ignores me and continues its pace. That’s why I kick it again and again until...
“Stop kicking me I am not a horse”
“Hmm?” My eyes opens up and saw long black hair. I was being carried by this person and unknowingly kicking her while I am dreaming.
Dream? I don’t know what is that dream about. I don’t remember it anymore.
The person carrying me notices that I am awakened and looks sideways. I saw her familiar face, and all the things that happened came back to my mind.
I died as the Ogre easily crush my body with its hand. Even right now my body still remembers the excruciating pain I felt during that moment. I am sure I died there so how?
“How?” I blurted out as Isabella face me.
However, Isabella did not answer me and instead straight-up hug me as she cries behind me. I felt Isabella’s warmth simultaneously I felt alive that I inadvertently hug Isabella back.
It felt so comfortable and sentimental as I gradually tighten my arms on Isabella’s soft body. This feeling I don’t want to lose it anymore.
I don’t want to die again
I could not stop bawling on Isabella’s back as I was reminded of that terrifying experience. Trapped inside the darkness with all your senses being cut off while your existence slowly fades away in that infinite darkness.
“I’m glad that you are awake now I thought it will take more time to regain your consciousness.” Isabella pushes me away to look me face to face.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Do you feel unwell?” Isabella looks at my body everywhere and simultaneously bombards me with questions about my well-being.
“No I am okay, but how I thought that I died?” I asked as I stop Isabella from her unnecessary checking that almost strip me naked.
Isabella looked at me with deep guilt as she explained what happened inside the ruin.
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“I am sorry, I never thought we will pay a lot in this ruin.” Isabella apologizes first to me.
I didn’t think that ruin was also hard at first. Although it is hard to fight goblins for days however there is tremendous support from the ruin itself. I think that what makes it difficult is because of that final fight.
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I clench my teeth as I remember that scene again when the Ogre comes to confront us as the last obstacle of our journey. We even did not become complacent during the journey we prepare and make sure to be in good condition. It is just that the final obstacle was drastically increased and Isabella thinks that too.
“I am really sorry I was also surprised when I saw the Ogre, when the time I came to my senses the Ogre already dash forward using its skill into me and I forgot about you” Isabella explained to me what was happening from her perspective.
“My attention got drawn in that defensive battle and act on my own forgetting your existence. If I just think of you first then I would not take that risky play.” She explained to me that her getting caught off guard and being thrown off by the Ogre was not her intention and it was an honest mistake.
“It’s okay the opponent was too strong, even I find it hard to move around when I am in its presence. It is normal to think about yourself first when your life is on the line.” I consoled the crying Isabella. “It is just I am too weak that I could only watch and do nothing to not be a burden to you.”
“No, you are not a burden.” She shakes her head as a sign of disagreement.
“I am the burden to you, I got too overconfident with myself because I have an artifact and took you to one even when you are not ready. I thought I could do it myself but I still failed and you even help me during that last moment.”
“Yeah now that I think of it what happened during that time after the Ogre crush me to death” I inquired Isabella.
“When the Ogre crushes you on its hand. I hurriedly tried to take its life by slashing its neck from the back but its skin, muscles, and bones are too hard for me to cut in one slice. I just did minimal damage and change my approach because of what happened to you I tried to end it sooner in the most efficient way.”
Isabella explained to me one by one about what happened as we find something that we could sit on in the meantime.
“Then how come I am alive and even if I survive what happens to my injury?” I asked about my biggest doubt.
Isabella looks at me first with full guilt, then she shows me her antique sword again.
“This sword has a skill that uses your current spirit level to heal any injury as long as you are still breathing. How much it will use will also depend on how grave your injury” Isabella explained as I am once again amazed at the artifact’s power.
“But I don’t have spirit level yet,” I asked the conflict about her explanation and Isabella’s reply left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Eroan, I am sorry, the antique sword use your future talent to bring you back to life again” Isabella answered my question in full sorrow.
I could not continue to talk with Isabella and I just droop my head down. I am the greatest liar if I said that I’m not excited about being awakened and getting to know what my talent is. Just the fact that the antique sword brings me back to life shows just how promising my talent was. But it was now gone forever I could not even think about my dream of being someone strong like Fredric.
“It’s okay Isabella, I am still young even if I lose all my talent I could still live a simple life like the majority of people on this continent do.” I smiled at her and tried to act cool even though deep inside I feel bitter and blamed her for all of what happened. The bitterness was still on my face as I look down again analyzing what I should do in the future.
Isabella who is sitting right beside me suddenly grabs my dejected face and kisses me on the lips.
“Wha– Mppph”
I was surprised by her sudden action that I forgot to think. After smooching my lips she let go of me and did not say anything. We look away because we could not stare at each other because of embarrassment. We were like two tomatoes on the brink of exploding in the middle of the forest.
After a while, Isabella gains the courage to strike up a conversation.
“I gain a lot from you, you might not know its value for now but it was massive. That’s why I will pay you with all I have and support you in whatever you decide.” Isabella vowed to me.
“No, you should not do that. I’m really okay with having a simple life just being able to accompany your caravan is already enough for me to live in peace.” I hurriedly wave my hand in front of Isabella to decline her offer.
“Don’t talk to the conclusion about your future. You might change your thinking and even blame me for what happened today so just let me pay you and accept it”
I felt like I got caught as I am already blaming her now. Now that I heard her sincerity to compensate me I felt a little bit guilty. I could only nod at her offer.
“The ki– ki–“ Isabella started stuttering and blushing intensely.
“Ki what?” I started to tease her and whisper close to her ear as I guess what she wants to say. I also wanted to lighten this heavy mood.
“T– the kiss is just the first payment” Isabella yelled out as she becomes a red tomato.
“What? Your offer comes late so it was not valid and your payment ends a bit fast don’t you think I didn’t even get to enjoy it.” I retort Isabella
“Come here and settle your initial payment. Mhmmm” I close my eyes and stuck out my lips.
Then the something soft and moist feeling that I was expecting to feel was non-existent. Instead, it was a hard, dry, and grainy feeling that I receive before I could comprehend what it is, Isabella’s shoes were all over my face.
I grab her ankles she tried to take away your feet but they won’t budge I look at her dirtily and grinned.
“PINK!”
“Let go of me you pervert!”
Isabella becomes a ripe tomato again as she fought for her freedom.
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It took around half an hour for us to leave the perimeter of the forest. I thought that we will meet Fredric and others who were frantically looking out for us. But we did not and I notice that they were still peacefully waiting in the fields as if nothing happened. I asked Isabella about this bizarre phenomenon.
“Some ruins are also capable of slowing down time up to the bare minimum and close to stopping time” Isabella explained.
So my theory is right that ruins are not only like a treasure trove but it was something like a training facilities. If a large ruin can stop time and lets you train for 1 year, 2 years and so on then isn’t that too much of an advantage?
I inwardly thought about the benefits of ruin.
Although my talent was reduced I still have Isabella who can open the final room of a ruin. I can just stick with her like a leech and get benefited. She can’t even say ‘no’ huehuehe
I grinned from ear to ear as I thought of a plan that exploit my lovely friend here.
“So basically I won our bet but because of what happened I will retract my bet”
While I am immersed in my thought I heard Isabella who was walking in front of me speaking like a saint. I rush and insert my head between her legs and lift her up.
“Huup Ackk!! Eroan put me down!” Isabella was surprised about my sudden action. I locked her feet into my arms so she could not go away from me.
“No, I am a man of honor I’m not going to go back on my words huehuehue” I spoke like a chivalrous person but deep inside I just don’t want to reduce the payments of my friend so I could exploit her more.
"I'll let you ride on top of me! Hahaha" I ran wild as I laugh like a maniac.
“Kyaaa! I am going to fall”
Isabella cried out as she pulled my hair so she do not fall while I happily ran and jump around toward the caravan that are waiting on us for a long time.