Somewhere in Serisis.
00:35 am. 21 st Banem 1092.
31 Days to World’s End.
Drixlia huffed as it absent-mindedly dug at the bare ground. The kirin was bored out of its mind, but it could not risk leaving its current position. Every now and then, a curious or foolhardy monster would attempt to draw near, but most times, a well-placed lightning bolt was sufficient in chasing them away. Luckily, this was not a high-leveled area, so barring any unfortunate miracles, there was no chance of any local monsters overpowering it.
Crack!
A crack in the ground drew Drixlia’s attention. The kirin harrumphed with excitement as the tear slowly widened until a hand broke through. Kashi emerged from beneath the ground with a slight frown. He had no choice but to bury his body underground to prevent the local wildlife from treating it as lunch. But, it did not take away the unpleasantness of awaking to a dust-covered body.
Kashi sighed and futilely dusted himself off. “Thanks, Drix.” Kashi patted the kirin with a grateful smile. Burying his body was not complete insurance. Some beasts had excellent smell, and bad luck was something he genuinely feared. So, he had Drixlia guard his body. It was a tedious job, but the kirin completed it nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the monsters who had gathered around Drixlia, awaiting their chance, dispersed upon sensing the daeben’s power. They only dared confront Drixlia under the assumption that the delicious being buried underground was dead. Since Kashi was not only alive but even stronger than Drixlia, there was no longer any point.
Kashi ignored the retreating monsters. The experience points from these low-level creatures weren’t worth the effort. Instead, he checked the in-game clock. Indeed just over 14 hours had passed in-game since he logged out. By now, both the Merrite and Rosen delegations should have returned to Orez. He would take care of them before going dealing with his issues.
With this at the back of his mind, Kashi patted Drixlia. “Take care of me just a little longer.” He chuckled as Drixlia harrumphed and bumped its head against his. “All right. I’ll be right back.”
Kashi closed his eyes. When he opened them, he stood in the sky above Yggdrasil. The daeben quickly flew to the ground, where he found the Merrites, Rosen, and Maggots resting beneath Yggdrasil’s branches.
Kashi really did not feel like talking, so he briefly informed the group that it was time to leave. He would take them to their specific destinations in a minute. The daeben left those words behind and then returned to the real world before anyone could ask any questions.
Upon his return, Kashi took out Rosario’s brush. He drew a massive ten-meter sigil on the ground and then used [Lock] . Perhaps because of its size, it sucked out 10,000 MP before its completion. Then, as expected, the sigil caused a massive commotion as it forcefully absorbed mana from the world. Luckily, this was a remote location. No one noticed aside from a few curious monsters.
Kashi examined the sigil, and then, when he was sure it was functional, he once again returned to Orez. This time, however, he appeared near the shores, far away from the settlements. He then, once more, drew another sigil and used [Lock] . When the sigil finished forming, Kashi walked into it and then activated [Dimension Piercer.] He hoped it would send him to the one in Destia.
Unfortunately, he received an error prompt.
Warning: Dimension Piercer cannot cross Dimensions at current Dimension Artist Mastery Level.
Required: Dimension Artist (Intermediate.)
Warning: Orez’s space is still unstable. Only keys generated from Orez can allow visitors safe passage. Gather all elements to stabilize Orez’s space.
Kashi frowned. Well, that put a damper on things. It appeared he had to wait a little while longer until guests could independently travel through his world. The daeben sighed and then returned to Destia. “No choice then.” Kashi regarded Drixlia with a wry smile as he took out a painting from his inventory. He placed a hand on Drixlia and then ripped up the painting.
A blinding light burst out and consumed Kashi. Within seconds, he pierced through space and appeared on a field outside Riven. Several Residents and Summoned gaped at the daeben who appeared from nowhere. Their jaws dropped even deeper at the kirin.
Kashi chuckled as he glanced at Drixlia. “You really stand out.” Drixlia rebutted with an angry harrumph, but Kashi ignored it. He took out Rosario’s brush and then spent a few minutes drawing a carbon copy of the sigil in Serisis. Finally, he activated [Lock] . Kashi stepped out of the way, ignoring the stunned shouts as the portal gobbled up the surrounding mana.
When it was complete, Kashi opened a portal. The first contingent, King Parissius, his delegates, Leila and Stryke, stepped out. Jade, Syel, Shoko, Shadow, Lunette, and Miote remained in Orez.
King Parissius revealed a wry smile as he looked at his surroundings. “You couldn’t drop us closer?”
Kashi smiled apologetically and then pointed at the sigil behind him. “Sorry. I don’t think they’ll let me make that inside the town.”
“And what is that?”
“You’ll find out in a few seconds.” Kashi and King Parissius shared a mischievous smile before the daeben turned to Leila. “Sorry. I’ll be depending on you.”
“Mm.” Leila understood the importance of the next few weeks. She had to ensure the Maggots were prepared for the battle. Which meant more intensive level-boosting raids and supporting the crafting of higher-level weapons. No doubt. These upcoming days would be the most critical test of her time as Vice-Guild Master. Leila had the administrative side covered. But there was one place she could not help. One thing that bothered her. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine,” Kashi affirmed, but his smile was off.
Leila could tell because she had seen the daeben’s real smile. But she could not tell what exactly was wrong. She could do many things, but mind-reading, unfortunately, was not one of them. “Fine.” Leila sighed. She decided to trust in Kashi this time. “Just don’t overdo it. We’re here if you need help.”
“Yeah!” Stryke, affected by Kashi’s mood, also appeared subdued. His cautious gaze as he observed Kashi’s expression belied his apprehension. “You have us.”
Kashi looked at Stryke. “Punk.”
“Ow!” Stryke cried out as he grabbed his forehead. A significant bump had risen from the spot Kashi flicked.
Pat! Kashi placed his hand on Stryke’s head and then gently ruffled it. “You’re still too young to be worrying about me.” The daeben then waved as he stepped back onto the sigil. “Take care of yourself. Don’t slack off, or you’ll be eating my dust.” With those words, he stomped his foot on and then transferred 10,000 MP to the sigil.
Kashi felt a sensation similar to when he used Rinks once the sigil activated. He was suddenly ‘aware’ of one other door. As long as he willed it, he would be transported there. Kashi had no reason to hesitate. He once more stomped on the sigil and then said, “ [Pierce] ”
Light poured from the sigil, swallowing everything above it. A few seconds later, it disappeared, leaving a stunned crowd behind.
King Parissius stared at the empty spot. “BAHAHA!” The dignified king suddenly burst out laughing. “Oh. Yes. They definitely wouldn’t let you build that in the city.” He understood now why Kashi dropped them off here. No matter how much King Parissius trusted Kashi, the city would not stand to have such a significant security breach.
King Parissius looked at the teleportation sigil and then at the onlookers. The fact that Kashi did this in the open meant... “Destroy it.”
Two wind blades suddenly shot out from either side of the king. Boom! The ground exploded, destroying all traces of the sigil. The delegates shivered as Narkis and Alex silently sheathed their blades. Moments later, they once more ‘disappeared’ from sight.
King Parissius examined the destroyed sigil. Once he was sure the diagram was not salvageable, he nodded with satisfaction. He turned to look at Leila. The halben sensed his gaze and returned an approving nod. ‘Ah. As expected.’ King Parissius smiled. It was truly gratifying to work with intelligent people. “It would appear we both have work to do.”
“It would seem so.” Leila nodded. She shared a look with Stryke and then looked to the south. “I must apologize. I shall not be able to accompany you back.”
King Parissius smiled and waved his hand. “Go do what you must. We will begin preparations on our end.” He watched as Leila nodded and then headed for the stable outside Riven with Stryke. Her stallion was resting there. When the young woman was out of sight, the young king’s gaze turned solemn. “Once we get back, summon the Minister of War. We do not have much time left.”
The delegates vehemently nodded and then followed behind their king as he returned to Riven. Of course, a hundred soldiers marched out to escort and protect him long before he reached the city walls.
King Parissius frowned as he walked into the bustling city. Four Weeks. He had to vastly improve the country’s soldiers in four weeks. Only then would they stand a chance. Not just against the Chaos Order, but the increasingly powerful Summoned. The world would not be the same following that battle.
They had to be ready.
Merchant’s Guild, Merriheim.
1:12 am. 21 st Banem 1092.
31 Days to World’s End.
Kashi and Drixlia appeared in front of the Merchant Guild in a flash of light. The daeben let out a sigh of relief. This was the last stop. He had dropped off Absalon, Jade, Asha, and the dwarfs at Aygorzi. Absalon immediately went to prepare the troops while Jade rushed back to her lab. The new, hard deadline determined she was about to encounter a series of sleepless nights as she sought to perfect everything needed for the battle.
Asha began a journey to gather willing fighters to join this battle. Finally, King Xafier ordered the dwarfs to ramp up armor and weapons production. This would be the first large-scale transaction among Aygorzi, Serisis, and Rosendun. They could not mess this up!
Kashi looked at the merchants, who quickly bent their heads, and continued about their business. There was not a soul in Merriheim who did not know Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots. A man who caused chaos wherever he went. This was his reputation. It was best not to get involved with this living disaster.
The man in question did not care for the fearful or judgemental gazes. Kashi opened his portal, allowing Miote, Shadow, Lunette, Shoko, and Syel to exit. Kashi first looked at Miote. “I’ll leave the bank to you.”
Miote grinned. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure we have enough cash to fund this battle.” The chesch glanced at the siblings. Well, it seemed this was not an atmosphere for him to hang around. So, he tapped Kashi’s shoulder and then walked into the Merchant’s Guild. “See you soon, Kashi. Try not to die.”
“Wait!” Kashi’s call stopped the merchant in his tracks. “Catch.” Kashi flung the spare pocket Syel gave him.
Miote caught the pocket with confusion in his eyes. Clack! That confusion cleared up the second he opened the case. Miote, who had followed the progression of Kashi’s powers very closely, instantly guessed the purpose of the small picture. The chesch’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Kashi. His lips parted, revealing a beautiful grin that did not reach his eyes. “Looks like this is not the time. But, we’ll need to have a looong discussion on gradual progression in business. Kashi-dono.”
“Sure. Hehe.” Kashi replied with nervous laughter. He had pissed off Miote multiple times in the past, but this was the first time the chesch genuinely seemed like he would tear Kashi a new one if he got his way. Kashi swallowed and then patiently watched Miote retreat into the building.
“I guess that covers everything.” Kashi sighed as he looked at the remaining four individuals. These four were exceptional, even in this crazy guild. They did not have any outstanding duties, but none could be ignored. Kashi quickly worked out a plan on how to best utilize their time. “Uh... Lune... Lunette.” Kashi’s hesitation came through in his uncertain tone. “Please, gather the orchestra and any volunteers for the Bard Division. Practice as many new songs as you can. If the enemy is as sly as we think, we’ll need all new songs to catch them off-guard. The bards’ buffs might just decide this battle.” The daeben then said to Shadow. “Protect her. Make sure no harm comes her way. The Chaos Order knows she exists by now. They might make a play.”
Shadow frowned. “If you want to protect her, why not stay?”
“I have to go.” Kashi shook his head. There would be no point if the others were with him. He needed to be alone to find himself. Razznik was right. Even now, he still depended on his teammates. That was a fatal flaw that was making him weak.
“Are you at least going to say what’s going on with you?”
”...Sorry.”
Frustrated, Shadow jerked his head to look at his sister. “And what about you, Sis? Not going to say anything!?”
Lunette bit her lip but ultimately nodded and said, “Be careful.”
Shadow cursed under his breath, but there was nothing he could do about it. Trauma was not something that could be overcome overnight, or just because someone wished it away. In this regard, perhaps Mato Ryumaki made them ‘too human.’
“Thank you.” Kashi, oblivious to Shadow’s internal struggle, thanked Lunette. He then turned to Shoko and Syel. He immediately felt a headache incoming as he looked at these two cheat lifeforms. What to do with them? He could not send them out to one-shot destroy the West Claw’s rebels. That might piss off those strong recluse characters. Eventually, Kashi shrugged and gave up. “You two do whatever. Just be back in time for the final fight.”
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Shoko grinned and elbowed Syel in the gut. “Hey. We finally got some vacation time. What do you want to do? We cannot really level much in these three weeks.” This was true. The higher you climbed, the slower leveling got. Of course, you could beat this by constantly fighting higher-level creatures.
Unfortunately, both Shoko and Syel were around Level 175.
In a world with a level cap of 200, there weren’t many monsters around Level. 180 and above. It would take too much time to search for and start killing these monsters. At most, they would only gain 3 levels by the end of the third week. It was not worth the hassle.
The people who designed Destia evidently wanted the gamers to focus more on quests once they reached the higher levels. After all, only by emphasizing quests over monster-slaying could the poor fauna of the world survive.
By the way, Kashi leveled quickly despite rarely level-battling or raiding like other players, precisely because of his primary quest plot-line. Multiple level increases accompanied every territory added to Rosendun’s. Smaller boosts in experiences also occurred when smaller targets were met. For example, when Leila first opened relations with Serisis.
Syel looked at Kashi, Lunette and then rested his gaze on Leila. A small smile spread on his face as he said with twinkling eyes. “Fancy a date?”
“What?” “What?”
Somewhere in Serisis.
00:56 am. 21 st Banem 1092.
31 Days to World’s End.
Kashi and Drixlia appeared on the sigil he left behind. The daeben sighed as he thought back to Syel’s daring request. He’d never expected Syel to be the type to propose a date. Not in a million years. Even more shocking, Shoko not only accepted but immediately logged out after dragging Syel into Orez.
The ensuing silence between Kashi and Lunette could only have described as deafening. The daeben quickly escaped before the situation got even more awkward. Kashi let out another sigh. He knew he could not avoid Lunette forever. Still, this was not the time. Right now, he had to figure out a way to defeat Razznik.
That’s right. Despite what he told the kings, Kashi considered it a foregone conclusion that Razznik would be successfully summoned. This was not because of some prophecy, or fate, or feeling. No matter what, Kashi did not forget that this was still a game world. The return of Razznik could be considered the end of a major story chapter. What developer would introduce this massive threat and then not use it?
The Chaos Order would undoubtedly be formidable opponents. But they had yet to generate enough clout amongst casual gamers to justify being an opponent capable of uniting the entire player base.
No. Razznik would definitely show up. And when he did, Kashi had to be ready.
But there was one small problem.
Razznik had trained for a thousand years, sharpening every skill he had to perfection. The Chaos God’s battle instincts were as close to perfection as one could reasonably get. Kashi, on the other hand, had slacked off greatly when it came to improving his basics. Increasingly, he found himself reliant on [Gilgamesh] and [Asura] , a pair of OP skills that decimated opponents without requiring much strategy on his part.
‘Razznik was not like this.’ No. Razznik, despite his overwhelming strength, often fought with the bare basics. It was precisely this simplicity that often made it nigh impossible to catch the warrior off-guard.
What about Kashi?
Kashi was definitely strong. No one could reasonably doubt the daeben’s accomplishments. But, his over-reliance on powerful one-shot abilities would be easily found out in a fight against true experts. [Gilgamesh] and [Asura] , despite locking Kashi in place when activated, were godsend against monsters. But would he dare use them against Syel or Shoko?
‘No. That would be suicide.’ Kashi placed his bow on the ground as he recalled Nornesh’s test. What was the difference between him and Syel in that fight? That was the first time Kashi fought an opponent that did not give him any chance to use Gilgamesh. No. That was not quite right. It was not that Nornesh did not give him any opportunity, but Kashi did not dare use any skills that would lock him in place for the briefest second.
‘Useless.’ Razznik’s rebuke echoed in Kashi’s mind. The daeben sat next to his bow as he pondered. Was he genuinely useless? When did he start relying on system skills? Even without skills, he should have been able to injure Nornesh much earlier. Compared to Syel, Kashi’s performance had been subpar, both at long and short-range. While Syel pressured Nornesh with a myriad of intelligent combination magic, Kashi relied on his body to catch the dragon off-guard.
On the one hand, Kashi’s immunity to fire and dragon blood were his hard-worn abilities. To not use them was stupid. But on the other hand... Kashi clenched his fist. ‘I’d have lost if Nornesh specialized in ice magic.’ Kashi had been lucky so far. Fire was the most common attribute among mages for its destructiveness. He had gotten cocky because his fire attribute countered most mages. Couple that with the fact that his dragon blood made him physically stronger than most of his foes, then it was no surprise that Kashi had neglected his training.
‘No more.’ Kashi looked at his fist. Starting today, he would return to the basics. But, Four weeks was not enough time. Razznik had mastered the basics. Kashi would never beat the Chaos God if he fought with just basics.
‘I need something original.’ Kashi needed something no one had seen before. Only a unique style would give him a chance against Razznik. With this in mind, the daeben took out everything he had and placed it on the ground. A quiver of arrows, a painting, a drop of his blood, and after considering it, he also set Rosario’s brush beside the rest.
These items represented everything that was Kashi. Unless he wanted to throw everything aside and start from scratch, he had to build using these as the foundation.
Kashi revealed a bitter smile. “What do you think, Drix? Got any ideas?”
Drixlia harrumphed in response. The kirin gave Kashi a look as if questioning the daeben’s sanity.
Kashi chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s the appropriate response.”
Shaking his head, Kashi slung the quiver and bow over his shoulders. He returned the painting to his inventory but then hesitated after picking up Rosario’s brush. He thought about returning it to his inventory but then ultimately holstered it at his waist.
Perhaps because of the situation, Kashi was ready to consider any and all options. It might have been desperate, but these were desperate times. Once he was ready, Kashi rose to his feet and then climbed atop Drixlia’s back. The foundation was strong, but he was not sure what to do with it right now.
So, Kashi ultimately decided to focus on something else. Something new that he could train while he reinforced his foundation. With his next target in mind, Kashi spurred Drixlia on. “Let’s go to the sea.”
???
1:18 am. 23 rd Banem 1092.
31 Days to World’s End.
BOOM!
The underground cavern trembled. Simultaneously, a mighty earth dragon crumbled to the floor in a messy heap. Hundreds of Rockbiter Rats peeked out from tunnels, staring in shock and greed at the delicious-looking corpse.
Unfortunately, none dared to enter the cavern because of the young man next to the corpse. Hektor grunted as he brushed dust off his face. Earth dragons were notoriously difficult to fight because of their skill in earth manipulation. Hektor couldn’t count how many times he face-slammed into massive stone walls while fighting this beast. Ultimately, however, he still emerged victorious.
Hektor clucked his tongue as he examined his injury-free body. It was a comfortable victory, too, despite all the dust. A grin spread across the young man’s face as he clenched his fist. Yes! He had gotten stronger.
Definitely.
Hektor glanced at an empty space on the ground. As if in reaction to his gaze, a white ball slowly appeared. Rex playfully waddled to Hektor and gently raised his front paws.
“Can’t be helped.” Hektor chuckled as he lifted Rex. The baby dragon cried with joy and snuggled its head against the young man’s chest. It then turned to the earth dragon and let out the cutest little roar. Well, it was much closer to a cat’s meow, but the baby’s exposed teeth affirmed its intentions. “Alright, go eat.” Hektor pet Rex and then let him down next to the corpse.
Hektor cut out a hole in the dragon’s scales and then sliced out a chunk of meat for himself. He did not need to worry about Rex. He might be a baby dragon, but he was a dragon nonetheless. Hektor bit into the dragon meat as he watched Rex tear a hole in the corpse and then walk inside.
The first time Rex did this, Hektor panicked, but contrary to his expectations, the dragon did not drown inside the blood vessels. In fact, it appeared right at home as it swam up the vessels until it reached the earth dragon’s heart. Rex gobbled the human-sized heart, drained the dragon’s blood, and then tore its way out of the corpse.
By the time Rex emerged, Hektor wore a strange expression as he looked at the snow-white dragon. The young man could not understand where the dragon kept all that food, and most importantly, how its scales remained so white. It was almost like it rejected any dirt.
“Do you feel proud?”
Hektor froze. He slowly turned to see the Sword Spirit wearing a harsh smile. A lump formed in his throat. “I... won.” Hektor finally managed to find his tongue. The Sword Spirit’s aura was just too strong. Especially when it seemed upset. Hektor felt like he would crumble if the spirit just exerted a bit more pressure.
“Yes. You won.” The Sword Spirit’s harsh gaze bore into Hektor’s. “But it was quite the stupid victory, don’t you think?”
”...What?”
The Sword Spirit snorted. Hektor made quick progress after practicing the Dragoon Technique. The technique’s strength greatly depended on a mixture of the dragon and the dragoon’s latent talents. In Hektor’s case, his personal strength had exploded exponentially. Although the Sword Spirit had not confirmed Rex’s level, he was at least an Elder Dragon. That was why Hektor had gotten so much stronger.
But.
“You became stupid.” The Sword Spirit frowned. Previously, despite sustaining injuries, Hektor fought with caution. Granted, he was more instinctual than analytical, but the young man possessed fear in his heart. Fear made him cautious. Fear made him careful. But, Hektor’s new strength eroded a lot of that fear. “Why did you let yourself get hit so many times? You could have just as easily dodged them all.”
Hektor’s gaze lowered. Indeed, he could have and should have dodged the earth dragon’s attacks. It might have taken longer, but it was undoubtedly the safest, most secure method. At that moment, he recalled how Kashi battled alone in Suvron’s pass against a horde of monsters. “Yeah. I could’ve dodged.” Hektor raised his head. Resolve burned strong within his eyes as he admitted, “Yeah, I’m pretty stupid. I’m not as smart as Leila, Miote, or the others. I’m not as strong as Kashi, Syel, or Shoko. There’s nothing special about me. I’m just a kid from the swamps.”
The young man’s fists clenched tight as he gritted his teeth. “I will never be worthy of fighting by Kashi’s side. So, at the very least. I want to be his spear. I will go ahead of him to clear the way. I will pierce through whatever blocks his path. Opening the shortest path to Kashi’s goal. That’s the path I want to take.”
The Sword Spirit’s mouth twitched as he observed the fervent youth’s expression. “You want to swing your sword for another’s cause? You are fated to become a Dragoon. One of the strongest beings in the world. Will you truly be satisfied following another?”
Hektor laughed and scratched the back of his head. “My Army Instructor used to say something to us. ‘Some men choose to lead—others to follow. Neither is more important than the other. A leader without followers is like a lion without a pride. Strong, but fated to be killed or swallowed by an unforgiving world. A follower without a leader is like a headless chicken. Wasting his energy and vigor, running without a goal until he eventually falls.’ ” Hektor’s eyes shone as he regarded the Sword Spirit. “I’m more than happy following Kashi. It’s because of him that a kid from the slums could one day meet dragons and talk to gods.” Hektor pumped out his chest. “I don’t want to be a Leader of Men. It’s enough being the Leader of One Man. I’m fine as long as I’m in control of my own life.”
Rex walked over to Hektor’s side, admiration in his eyes as he observed the warrior’s proud stance. The baby dragon pushed on his stubby little feet to raise his chest high. It then glared at the Sword Spirit over his lifted chin and softly growled.
The Sword Spirit glanced at Rex. Its lips curled up in a frustrated smile. “I watched over you for a thousand years.” Unfortunately, Rex had no recollection of that time. Plus, its grasp over human language was still too little. It might not have recognized the Sword Spirit’s words regardless.
The Sword Spirit, realizing the futility in speaking to a baby dragon, gave up. It looked at Hektor. “Leader of One Man, is it? That is not a bad principle to live by. Heh.” To Hektor’s shock, the scary Sword Spirit chuckled. “You are more like me than I thought. Indeed, who cares if you want to swing your sword for the sake of another?” An imposing aura suddenly burst out of the Sword Spirit, causing goosebumps to shoot up both Rex and Hektor’s skins. “People will tell you your path is foolish. I will tell you your path is foolish. But why should you give a damn what the world thinks? You are You! Your path, for as long as you can pursue it, is the correct one. That conviction. That is what it means to be a Dragoon. Pierce through the world’s beliefs to forge your own path. That is the Dragoon’s creed.”
Hektor’s eyes lit up. His heartbeat accelerated. Hot blood gushed through his veins, causing his face to flush red with excitement. “So... So. I’m not stupid?”
“No. You’re stupid!”
“Huh?”
“Extremely stupid! Insanely stupid!”
Hektor felt like someone drenched him with cold water. The youth’s eyes dropped, and his fingers shook with fear. If a being like the Sword Spirit believed he was stupid, then was there any hope? Rex, sensing Hektor’s discomfort, cried and rubbed his head against the youth’s leg.
“But ―” Hektor’s gaze trembled as the Sword Spirit continued speaking. “You are a stupid kid with a chosen path.”
Hektor looked up. To his surprise, the Sword Spirit was smiling. “Chosen path?”
“Ah.” The Sword Spirit pointed at the bone sword in Hektor’s hand. “Stupidity can be cured through practice.” He then pointed at Hektor’s heart. “But no amount of practice can help a rudderless fool. You need to know who you are and what you want to achieve to work toward it. Or else, you will end up like a washcloth in the wind, blown whichever way nature fancies.”
A sword materialized in the Sword Spirit’s right hand. “First lesson. Do not charge in blindly. That is neither brave nor valiant.” The Sword Spirit tapped its foot, and a stone wall emerged in front of it. “Next time, rather than breaking through with your body, utilize your ki.”
“Ki?”
“Your ki is the most flexible weapon you have. It can be a weapon, a shield, a boost, and also...” The Sword Spirit swung the sword. A red ki blade shot out and rammed against the wall. BANG! A tremendous explosion followed, but the wall stood firm. The Sword Spirt looked at Hektor. ”... a scouting tool.” The Sword Spirit dematerialized its sword as it regarded the young Dragoon with a stern stare. “The earth dragon’s intellect is sub-par, so your brute force, no, mindless approach worked. If it were me, I would put up a succession of weak walls and then utilize half of my mana to create a powerful final shield. You, overestimating your strength, would crash into that obstacle with full force. At your level, this might only leave you disoriented for a second or two.”
Schling! Hektor swallowed as a ki blade appeared next to his neck.
The Sword Spirit’s cold eyes bore into Hektor’s. “But you should know. At your level, that is akin to an eternity. You can get killed seven times over in that timeframe. Do you understand?”
Hektor’s gaze turned grim as he nodded. He realized that he had indeed gotten cocky. What would have happened if he went to battle with that mindset? Hektor shivered at the thought. He then looked at the Sword with admiration and awe. This was the importance of having a great, wise, benevolent mentor.
“Good.” Evil shone in the Sword Spirit’s eyes as the sword reappeared in its hand. Its lips curled in a deadly grin as it proclaimed, “Now, I shall commence beating the stupidity out of your bones.”
Fuck. Benevolent, my ass.
Rex cried in agreement, but just as Hektor assumed it wanted to fight alongside him, it immediately turned invisible. The little baby then cheered on its ‘big brother’ from safety.
“Fuck.” Hektor did not know whether to laugh or cry as he gazed at the empty spot. Fine. Whatever. He brandished his bone sword and then focused on the Sword Spirit. A certain future reflected in the young man’s eyes as he pushed off and charged. “Soon...”