Intermission: Tob's Dream (Part 2)

Hmmm???

It's dark. Is this hell?

I can't hear or see anything.

Voice: "Boy..."

Tob: "Huwah!!!!"

I was surprised! Suddenly, an old man's voice could be heard.

Old Voice: "Hey, don't you think "Old" is going too far? But yeah, I'm like a thousand years old anyway."

Tob: "Who are you?"

Dark Lord: "Me? I'm the Dark Lord. Turned into fist weapons."

Tob: "Ehhhh!!! You have your own consciousness."

Dark Lord: "Of course, a weapon like mine is unique! You're fortunate to be my owner, boy."

Tob: "W-why is that?"

I was scared because he suddenly used a deeper voice. Mom never told me about any Dark Lords before. It must be from way, way back.

Dark Lord: "You will feel it... Power, unlike any skeleton, could hope to have. I'm going to make you into a Dark Lord!"

Tob: "AHHHHH!!!"

His face was visible for a moment. He was a terrifying monster.

Tob: "AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I am awake now. I'm in my room screaming.

Mom: "Tob!?"

Mom quickly got inside.

Mom: "What is it!? Are you alright!?"

Tob: "Ye. Yes, Mom. Just a bad dream."

Mom: "Dream? You made me worried. I thought you were gone forever. I asked Lord Mag to check on you personally, and he told me that you'd come back. I'm so happy."

Tob: "Mom, I'm sorry."

She hugged me.

Yeah. You can confuse an unconscious skeleton with a lifeless one. We aren't breathing either, which makes it confusing.

Tob: "But... Lord Mag came?"

Mom: "Yes... The great mage, who is second to Master Bon, told me that you were just unconscious. He's outside now."

Tob: "Eh?"

Mom: "They said that they needed to talk to you."

Tob: "Okay..."

Mom: "Is anything wrong, Tob?"

Tob: "No, Mom. You don't need to worry."

After feeling my body for a bit, I got out of the house. Somehow, I was more powerful than before. I can feel it. I can blast the tree behind our house with my punch. Did I evolve while I'm out?

Mag: "Sir Tob. A wonderful! Day to meet you."

Lord Mag exclaimed in a loud, cheerful voice.

Tob: "Ah, I'm Tob. Nice to meet you, good sirs."

Mag: "I am a Mag, and these two are Ran and Mel. We are fantastic and beautiful! Stewards of this kingdom."

Tob: "I've heard..."

Mel: "Really! That's great, hahaha!"

Miss Ran seems embarrassed that Magang Mel was just laughing.

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I quickly kneeled to show my respect.

Tob: "How may I help you, Lord Mag?"

Mag: "No need for the "Lord." Ehem. Tob, you have a powerful weapon inside you."

Tob: "Ah!?"

Mag: "You don't need to hide it. We know you have it. We were searching for it, but since you have it now, we can't force it out of you."

I felt terrified for a moment. There was something in Mag's eyes that burned brightly when they looked at you.

Tob: "Are you going to kill me and take it?"

My nonexistent heart was pounding so hard that I thought I might "faint."

Mag: "Nononono... Tob. We are going to make you work for us. We would like the owner of the "Fists of the Dark Lord" to serve Lord Idmon."

Tob: "Me? B-become one of you guys. It's..."

My dream!

Mel: "You don't need to force yourself, kid."

Mel told me in a light-hearted tone.

Tob: "No. It's always been my dream!!! I became an adventurer because I wanted to repay Lord Idmon, and now I can!"

Mag: "That's great news... But. Is it okay for you to spar with Mel?"

Tob: "Huh??? But I'm just a"

Mag: "Check yourself with this."

It was an analysis, Crystal.

Tob: "Dread Knight?"

Mag: "Yes, you became a Dread Knight when you were out."

Tob: "How long was I out anyway?"

Mag: "A week or two? We just got here today. We heard about you from your friends."

Tob: "Yeah! How are Claire and Beko?"

Mag: "They're fine... You can meet them after this. So, do you accept it?"

Tob: "I don't know if I can bring it out, but I'll try!"

Mel: "Don't worry too much, kid. I'll go easy on you."

Tob: "Please do!"

They brought me to a training hall. It seems like I need to learn how to use my "weapon" as soon as possible.

Tob: "Hm. You strike me first!"

Mel was giving me the first strike.

Mag: "Be careful, Mel... If he pulls out the fists, who knows if you'll be okay?"

Mel: "I can take it! Shut it, Mag."

Ran: "...take care."

Mel: "Okay..."

Mel raised his hand to assure the two.

Tob: "Here, I go..."

Mr. Dark Lord, sir, I need your strength.

Dark Lord: "It is yours. Hehehe."

I heard a small whisper.

Tob: "Yahh!!!"

The same energies that I saw before enveloped my arms. My speed was rising too.

A straight punch!!! Mel raised his shield to guard, but.

Boommm!!!!

Despite his best efforts, the force of the attack caused Mel to fall.

Mel: "W-what was that? Huff."

My attack cracked Mel's shield. Some of his bones were broken too.

Tob: "I did it... Oh."

I couldn't stand up after that.

Mag: "Don't use it too much, Tob. It's going to drain your energy quickly."

Tob: "Yes, Sir Mag."

It was incredible. Before, I couldn't even imagine making a dent on a shield with my punch. To destroy the equipment of Sir Mel was a huge achievement.

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(Mag POV)

It's outrageous, as the records say.

The kid's power is unmatched right now.

He can only use it for one strike, but the attack becomes unavoidable.

For a moment, he turns into the Dark Lord to make one strike.

The Dark Lord is an 8th-tier monster. One of the few 8th tiers known to us.

He was the only leader who was able to command an army made up of all kinds of monsters and undead.

The ancient documents we uncovered in the caves and from the Dwarven Libraries claimed that the gods themselves had destroyed him.

It was a dangerous period for all living things back then.

He almost wiped out the world of all living things. If their prayers weren't answered, the Dark Lord could've ruled the world.

Mag: "Mel... How strong was the attack?"

I whispered to Mel so that Tob couldn't hear.

Mel: "Look for yourself."

Mel took off his armor, and what I saw was that his torso was a mess. Broken bones were all you could see. His shield arm was slowly crumbling away too.

Mag: "Let me restore you now."

Mag was slowly repairing his bones, but to be damaged like that in a single blow was monstrous.

Tob himself has become a strong Dread Knight. He had a unique fighting style using his fists—a perfect fit for the legendary weapon.

Tob can either be one of Lord Idmon's greatest allies or his greatest enemy. I must inform Lord Idmon right away, and I just hope that the Dark Lord won't steal the kingdom from Lord Idmon.

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(Tob POV)

Tob: "Hey, guys!!"

Claire: "Tob? Tob!"

Claire rushed towards me and checked my body to see if it was okay.

Claire: "Wooo! You made us worried. Beko even became unreasonable for a while, but he's okay now."

Tob: "That's great... Where's Beko now?"

Claire: "You'll be surprised when you see him!"

We went inside the guild.

Tob: "Where's... Oh!"

I saw a human-like person smiling wide at me. He had some branches on his body, so I knew he wasn't human.

Tob: "Are you... Beko?"

Beko: "Yes, Tob. You're finally back!"

He hugged me.

Tob: "Oh, what happened to you?"

Beko: "I thought we could only evolve into elder trees, but I was surprised when I woke up like this!"

He showed me his analysis report.

Beko: "I'm a forest warrior now! The elder trees told me that it was a long-lost class. Now it has finally returned!"

I could see some in the guild who were the same as Beko. It must be the change in their pace. Maybe just sleeping without fighting is what made them evolve into elder trees.

Claire: "Eherm!!! You guys are not the only ones who got stronger, you know!"

She showed me a new staff.

Claire: "I got this strong staff and a few trinkets to increase my magical power and energy storage! I can cast 20 spells a day now!"

Tob: "Hehehe. Good job!"

Claire: "Thanks!"

I looked at her equipment, and it was indeed high-quality now. I thought she became a wizard, but I heard that it was a long wait for a mage to become a wizard.

Tob: "Let's go!!!"

Claire: "We're finally going on a request again? Nice!"

Tob: "This time, though, we're receiving a request from the castle directly!"

Beko: "Wow...."

I'll read the letter I received from Lord Mag earlier.

Tob: "Let's see what it is... You are tasked with taking out a behemoth. Hmm..."

WHATTTTTTTT!???

Claire: "Let's do it!"

Beko: "Yeah!"

As always, these two are too pumped up about this.