"Oh, damn," Darius whispered as he retreated, eyeing the weapons pointed at him with trepidation. The glowing runes on the bows heightened the threat level, making him ready to bolt at any sign of aggression.

Cedric's timely intervention prevented the situation from escalating. He stepped forward, shouting a few words at the individuals. However, those words didn't seem to compel them to lower their weapons; instead, it prompted them to shout back at Cedric, as if urging him to hasten. Cedric's pace quickened, and he moved closer to them until he stood before the elderly man. exchange of words followed, less confrontational, easing the tension. Cedric signaled to Darius to join, and the men slightly lowered their weapons.

As Cedric engaged in conversation with the elderly man, Darius observed the interaction, though he couldn't understand their words. Yet, it became apparent that their discussion was not hostile, as the men gradually eased their grip on their weapons, a sign that the situation might not be dire.

As Darius approached the elderly man, Cedric extended his hand to hand over a Runic bracelet, signaling for Darius to use it. This unexpected action caught Darius off guard, as he was unsure how to operate the bracelet. Before he could process it fully, the elderly man extended his hand for a handshake, prompting Darius to do the same. As their hands touched, a resonant and steady sound pierced through his consciousness.

"Greetings to our village," immediately followed by the question, "What are you?" Darius, who had started to nod in response to the greeting, froze midway upon hearing the question. The initial sense of welcome quickly dissipated, replaced by a mixture of curiosity and menace. He glanced at the old man and the young boy standing behind him,the latter gesturing with his hands implying helplessness. Before he could reply to the question, the old man's voice interjected again, denying him the chance to respond. He stated, "I believe I may have rushed things a bit. This conversation seems to require a pause and a cup of tea." With those words, the old man headed towards the solitary building nearby, signaling for everyone to follow. His speech continued, devoid of any remaining warmth or friendliness.

"You will enter my house, but let me warn you. Any attempt at violence, curses, or deviance from you, and I will ensure that someone dies today, whether it's me or you. Perhaps I'm old, but I won't hesitate to blow up this place with everything in it if necessary."

Now, Darius really thought that staying in the forest might have been a better idea. As he walked behind the old man, a hand was placed on his shoulder. It prompted him to start pulling the bracelet off his wrist to hand it over, while Cedric's voice echoed in his mind, "Don't fret too much about it. It's just a caution, an attempt to protect everyone. You'll grow to like him once you get to know him better.Still, avoid anything unusual. You might survive, but I won't, and I don't want my end to be in an explosion."

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Darius mentally grumbled at his words, "You could've skipped the last part. It would've been more reassuring."

"Don't blame me. I just want to ensure my survival and that of the others."

"Speaking of the others, where's Zaleel?"

Cedric pointed to the sky ahead, where Zaleel was flying around them. Unbeknownst to them, Zaleel was casting an amused glance at the enthusiastic old man, a stark contrast to his previous words.

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On a stretch of beach, a black substance akin to ink sprawled calmly across several meters of ground. It exuded milky matter from certain areas. Perched atop this mass sat an aged, bearded man, audibly catching his breath as he swiped the milky residue from his hand onto his tawny leather shield. He leaned upon his new sword, the blade reflecting sunlight along a portion of its length, while the rest remained firmly embedded within the unyielding black substance, a testament to its remarkable solidity.

A meticulous look revealed the black substance's quasi-humanoid form, marked by a lack of intricate details. It sported four limbs—two forming arms with hand-like structures boasting five claw-like projections, and two footless legs. Its head took on a semi-circular shape, absent any distinctive features except for two circular eyes radiating a luminous white glow.

Khaled observed his superficial wounds slowly closing as his mind wandered back to the battle that had transpired moments ago. He was certain that if he had faced this creature just a few days earlier, he wouldn't have emerged victorious on his own, let alone without any losses. The creature stood towering over him, surpassing most buildings he'd ever seen. Its body seemed to be a composite of tree trunks, and its remarkable speed made it an almost unbeatable opponent—almost, except for that sword...

He gazed at the sword radiating with blue light, lost in thought. Kilfer hadn't lied or exaggerated about the sword. Using it in combat made him feel as though he had reclaimed his youth, with movements coming effortlessly. Even forgotten techniques seemed to return to his muscle memory, and his heightened focus allowed him to anticipate the creature's every move. Yet, the sword's intensity, the searing heat it radiated, hinted at its true power. Its edge sliced through flesh with ease, leaving deep, telling wounds, a far cry from the mere superficial scratches he could manage with a regular blade.

"The old dog, how did he manage to create this thing?" he muttered in his mind as he observed the merchant and his cart approaching after the battle's conclusion.

"Sir Khaled, I already knew you were one of the finest warriors, but what you've done exceeded my expectations," the merchant said, acknowledging his prowess.

"Remind me why we chose this path," Khaled retorted, his voice tinged with frustration.

The merchant hesitated for a moment before answering, "Believe me, Sir Khaled, this route has been used by many caravans and is usually safe. But this circumstance, and that creature, were genuine surprises."

"I understand that well, but what prompted it to come ashore? Forgive me, but from what I know, it's a sea creature that attacks ships, not caravans. At least, that's what I thought, though I might be mistaken."

"Believe me, you're not mistaken. This is not its usual behavior. Even its appearance is distorted and different. I've heard some rumors about unusual behavior among creatures these days, so this might be one of those cases," the merchant explained.

With a nod of understanding, Khaled climbed ont o the cart to resume the journey.