Just before Paladin Zack took the three of his friends out for a tour around the kingdom, three other misfits had begun their plans toward world domination. Riding on the back of a covered horseback wagon towards a kingdom far west of the Kingdom of Leviere were three men covered from head to toe in black robes. They each had their own distinctive qualities, varying in skin tone and class.
The one sitting on the opposite side of the wagon was the leader of the three, a dragon tamer with crimson eyes that lit up in the dark, and slit pupils that matched those of a beast. His black robe covered almost everything about him, keeping his narrow eyes and mouth visible. As he looked out the front of the wagon and caught sight of the kingdom's capitol ahead, he ordered that the dog-man driving the carriage stop in the middle of the road.
As he hopped out of the wagon, the other two followed suit. The second to hop out of the wagon was a man who had long strands of black cloth hanging from his legs and waist. He looked like the average human, but the katana casing hanging from his waist and poking his robe made it quite obvious he wasn't your average adventurer. His skin was darker than the leader, and he was much taller.
Behind him was a fellow that had two sharp teeth and was taller than the leader, but shorter than the sword-wielding man in front of him. His skin was the darkest of the three, a light-skinned African American if he were to be compared to anything else.
Dragon Tamer: [We're here.]
The horse carriage in front of them turned around as the Dragon Tamer handed the driver a few silver coins.
Human, drowsily: [About damn time,]
He raised his hands and stretched his back.
Human: [I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever make it!]
Vampire with a groan: [Your constant complaining didn't make things any better.]
The human flinched back in anger.
Vampire: [Let's get this over with. I'm not in the mood for having fun.]
The vampire began to make his way toward the kingdom's gates, but just before he could make it very far,
Dragon Tamer: [Wait!]
The vampire let out a sigh.
Dragon Tamer: [Whatever you guys do, do NOT kill the princess.]
The vampire turned back to him. The Dragon Tamer walked towards the gates and in front of the vampire. As soon as he made it to one of the guards, he reached his right arm out and a black blade appeared out of thin air. The guard charged at the Dragon Tamer with a spear in hand, but before he could reach him, the black blade that once laid in the Dragon Tamer's hands suddenly pierced through the guard's armor and cut through his head.
Dragon Tamer: [Everyone else is fair game.]
Human excited: [Alright! Time to let justice be served!]
----------------------------------------
Parker and Sean made their way to the guild that Zack introduced them to, also known as the Lyon guild. A large brick building sat in the middle between two smaller houses and had a sign above the wooden door that was impossible for both of them to translate. Thankfully, Zack had already brought them here and done all of the translating, but Parker still felt a little nervous about entering new territory.
Parker with a groan: [He never told us how to apply. Is there a payment fee?]
Sean opened his inventory and looked at the few pieces of silver coins that Zack generously donated before he kicked them out.
Sean: [We should be able to afford it. Beginners guilds shouldn't charge much for entry.]
He closed his inventory and watched as Parker opened the door to the Lyon guild.
Parker, unsure: [If you say so.]
They walked into the guild building and were impressed by how 'old west' it felt. Wooden barrels were laid around in stacks, and wooden tables and chairs were spread apart at fair distances, enough to make walking around comfortable and seamless. Straight ahead of the door was a long table that spread across from one side of the building to the other, and standing behind that table were a few individuals wearing the same uniform. Equipped with lavender button-down shirts and light brown leather vests, they stood with smiles towards the entrance door and turned to any individual who approached them.
Everyone in the guildhall was lively and loud, puddles of alcoholic beverages were being formed around the place, but people wearing the same uniforms as the ones behind the counter were quick to come and clean up the messes.
To the right of the counter was an empty brown board, and to the left were a pair of stairs that led to the patio on the second floor.
The atmosphere felt real, but fake at the same time. Zack had explained the situation with NPCs in the world, claiming: They may be fictional, but they have lives like the rest of us. They act and talk like average humans until you interact with them, but if you get super lucky, one might open themselves up to you. It's in an NPC's nature to act limited around people they don't know but will open up if they get attached. He used the guards as an example for his claim.
Everyone's eyes flew directly onto Parker and Sean like they were the late hosts to a get-together. They both received the chills.
Parker creeped out: [NPCs are weird, man.]
Sean: [You said it.]
The both of them walked to the young man standing behind the counter. He had a cup and towel in his hands and cleaned like a bartender. His eyes were closed tight, yet he knew they were coming. When they walked near him, a small text box appeared at the corner of their eyes, and looking towards it extended and centered the box. Parker awed at the mechanic.
Sean: [It's like playing VR.]
Parker: [I never owned one. They were too expensive.]
The enlarged box had the name of the guild manager, Wilson, and the words he was saying. There was a speaker symbol to the right that if focused on would play the young man's voice. Parker stared at it and heard the voice of a mature teen in an upbeat, happy tone.
Wilson: [Welcome to the Lyon guild! How may I help you?]
Sean turned to Parker as soon as he heard Wilson's voice play out loud.
Sean with disappointment: [Really?]
Parker: [I don't feel like fucking reading, give me a break.]
Multiple options appeared to the right of the text box:
> I want to apply for the guild.
> I have a few questions about the city.
> Nothing, just visiting.
Parker: [Which one do we click?]
Sean: [I'll close my hub since you have the sound on.]
The wizard looked away from his inventory and it immediately closed, fading out of his visual plain. After pointing at Parker's interface, he continued.
Sean: [Choose the first one.]
Parker: [Don't you want to join too? Me clicking would only apply to me.]
Sean: [It's fine, just do it.]
With hesitation, Parker focused on the option: "I want to apply for the guild," and Wilson continued talking with the same tone.
Wilson: [To apply, you must sign an agreement form and pay the 50 silver fee.]
A pop-up appeared in front of Parker's vision, blocking Wilson out of sight.
Sean surprised: [50 Silver? That's surprisingly cheap.]
Parker looking at his balance: [Zack only gave us 300 silver each. We have to spend it wisely.]
Sean: [If guilds here are as Zack says they are, joining one is the best investment we can make in this world.]
After a groan, Parker stared at the "I Accept" box without reading the guild rules and terms of service. Sean began talking to Wilson without his voice playing and did as Parker did.
Wilson: [Welcome to the Lyson guild, Parker! We're glad to have you!]
Parker was surprised that Wilson knew his name.
Wilson: [To your right is the mission board, where you'll see all the current available quests. The harder the quest, the greater the reward will be.]
Both of them turned towards the board that Wilson mentioned and were surprised to see the new quests that suddenly popped up.
Sean confused: [Those slips weren't there before.]
Wilson: [Right now, you are only able to access the beginner quests stamped with the letter 'D', however, you may apply for a higher rank after completing seven D-rank quests.]
Several options appeared beside Wilson's text box. Parker read one out loud and Wilson continued to talk.
Wilson: [D rank quests include tasks such as simple kill quests. These types of quests include the killing of giant slimes, frogs, ants, or sometimes even spiders.]
Parker without hesitation: [Nope.]
Sean: [What are the available quests?]
A pop-up suddenly appeared in front of their eyes.
{Rank D: Kill Quest — Eliminate 7 Giant Slime}
[Reward: 5 silver]
Sean: [We had a hard time taking out the small slimes, so the bigger ones are out of the question.]
Parker: [It was the medium ones we needed Zack to kill. If it weren't for him, we would've died. Should we really take the quest?]
The wizard started to think to himself with a groan.
Sean unsure: [Zack once said that starting a party would boost our attack damage by 2%, along with giving us a 5% shared XP boost. Maybe we should start a party and level up to the point that we can at least kill a giant slime, if anything at all.]
Parker: [So we go out and kill weak monsters until we can beat the boss. Sounds like an XP grind. Reminds me of Final Fantasy.]
Sean turned to Wilson with a smile.
Sean: [Can we save the quest for later?]
Wilson smiled back like he was listening to their conversation.
Wilson: [You bet!]
After a little chuckle, Sean and Parker began to make their way out of the guild building, but suddenly an NPC charged into the guildhall while covered in sweat and hyperventilating.
She was a little girl, about 144 centimeters tall, and had short yellow hair that reached the bottom of her ears. Several other NPCs, both human and not, made their way toward the girl and started questioning her.
Girl: [IT'S A SPECIAL EVENT! ONE OF THE DEMON LORD'S GENERALS IS MAKING HIS WAY HERE!]
Everyone's eyes widened, including Sean and Parker.
Girl: [All adventurers are to go to the front gates to participate!]
Parker: [Shit!]
A pop-up appeared in front of the two, and without hesitation, Sean hit
Parker: [WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!]
Sean: [The cash prize is too high to pass off!]
Parker let out a sigh and followed after Sean.
*
While sitting dormant in her prison cell, Faith began to hear the clinging of armor and the thuds of footsteps moving rapidly through the halls. A large crowd of royal guards ran past her cell with the man that gave her snacks being last in line. She called for him, and surprisingly he stopped.
Faith walking towards the cell bars: [What's going on?]
Guard, shaking: [One of the demon lord's generals came to the city entrance. All of the guards and adventurers were called to hold him back, so we're on our way right now.]
Faith noticed the guard was shaking.
Faith: [Are you scared?]
It was as if the guard didn't know the symptoms of fear he was showing. He raised his hand and watched it shake until he clenched his fists and looked at Faith with a smile.
Guard: [No, there's no reason to fear.]
After a smile, Faith sat back down in her cell.
Faith: [Good luck, then.]
Guard: [Thanks! We'll need it.]
The guard ran after the other guards and followed them until they reached outside the city entrance, where the green grass glistened and the sun shined all around. The sound of the bird's song was silent, but still there. On a bright sunny day like this one, the birds and giant critters would be roaming freely, but they seemed almost gone. The area seemed mostly barren, and lifeless. If it weren't for the sun, the city outskirts would've been full of dire wolves.
Parker: [What the fuck happened here?]
Sean, Parker, and the other adventurers arrived shortly after the guards and Paladin had already claimed their ground.
Sean: [Look up ahead.]
In front of them all, in the center of the barren land was a human creature with a torn black robe, a red tie flowing with the wind, sharp white fangs coming out from behind his top lip, and black sweatpants releasing a mysterious black mist. Through the robe, they noticed dark skin the shade of oak wood and smoother than a baby.
Parker: [Shit... it's a vampire.]
Sean: [Yeah, but I feel like I've seen him somewhere before.]
The vampire ahead started chuckling, but somehow everyone could hear it. His voice was deep and menacing
Vampire: [Mortals!]
The vampire had a very creepy voice and his grin made Parker and Sean uneasy. He let down his hood and revealed his wavy black hair that had a fade towards the sides.
Vampire: [I felt a heavy amount of dark magic coming from here, so I just want to speak with the person responsible. I'm not here to cause any trouble.]
Parker in his head: [Dark magic? Could it be Felix from back then?]
Zack shouted from a distance and began to walk through a path formed from the crowd.
Paladin Zack: [Omar Hussein, a Head Knight turned Vampire and one of the Demon Lord's generals.]
He reached for the sword sheathed behind him.
Paladin Zack: [You aren't going to lay a finger on anyone in this kingdom!]
Sean widened his eyes upon hearing the name and leaned in to get a better look. He was right, this was someone he knew.
Omar, confused: [And who might you be?]
Paladin Zack: [I'm disappointed that you can't tell from my aura.] Zack pulled his sword out just a bit, revealing a small bit of a white clean blade that had a streak of gold in the center. The sword released a heavy burst of wind around him and created a small transparent barrier that covered everyone behind him.
Omar unfathomed: [Paladin.]
Paladin Zack: [Zachary Chagnon. Paladin of the East!]
The vampire's dark eyes glistened as he narrowed his eyes.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The vampire stood still and started thinking to himself. After a moment of silence, the vampire's body rose while he had a sharp glare directed toward Zack. Parker placed a hand on the barrier in front of him and noticed that he could go passed it. Was it even a barrier?
Paladin Zack sharply: [Is something the matter?]
Omar: [This is the city of Leviere, yes?]
A guard from the crowd agreed and attempted to walk passed the barrier, but was pushed back the moment he came into contact with it. Parker was baffled.
Omar: [I have been ordered not to attack this city, but I can't risk shattering my image. I'll have to cause some damage somewhere. Therefore,]
The vampire disappeared from the human eye in an instant. Everyone began to freak out, but the guards remained calm, including Zack. As the adventurers panicked and the guards tried calming them down, Zack closed his eyes and paid attention to the wind patterns. He knew that Omar couldn't get passed his barrier, so the vampire was either going to attack him or had already fled.
Unknowing of what was going to happen, Sean took Zack as an inspiration. He kept his calm and began to use the lessons he learned from the Paladin earlier in the day. He shut his eyes and listened for the voices of the spirits.
As a wizard capable of using all forms of elemental magic, he was able to do just as Zack was doing, only at a lower scale. He listened to the wind spirits circulating around Zack and a small piece of the battlefield in front of him, then heard a soft cry behind Zack.
Sean shouting: [Zack!]
Omar suddenly reappeared behind Zack with a red dagger in hand and his veins showing. His nails grew out to the size of a pencil's tip and sharpened like a blade itself. He aimed for Zack's neck, which shocked everyone.
Zack quickly drew out his entire sword revealing the rest of the oddly designed blade, which blew Omar dozens of feet away from him. While airborne, Omar felt an arm-like figure grab onto his waist and raise him in the air, following Zack's blade as it did the same. The wind current around Omar began to circulate and become dense.
Omar in his head: [This guy isn't outputting a mana aura, but his sword...]
Omar looked at Zack's confident, fearless dark eyes as he walked towards him while reaching in his suit of armor for a gold pendant. Once Omar noticed Zack reaching into his armor, he vanished again, and this time, it was for good. As soon as he vanished, a pop-up appeared at the top center of Zack, Sean, and Parker's interfaces.
New Title Achieved:
Guard: [We survived!]
All the other guards cheered. The wind that was once around Zack and the barrier that covered all of the guards and adventurers faded away as Zack put his sword back in its socket and sighed.
Paladin Zack: [We might have survived, but I have a feeling that this was only just the beginning.]
Zack reassured the guards that there was possibly more to come and to be ready just in case.
Parker walked up to Zack with fear that he was going to be yelled at.
Parker nervously: [We should probably keep in mind that Omar was after Felix.]
Zack turned to Parker with curiosity.
Paladin Zack: [Why are you two still here? And why isn't Felix with you?]
He noticed Sean walk up to Parker.
Parker: [Omar said he came here because he sensed a surge of dark magic a few hours ago. Felix kind of lost it when Sean said he couldn't be a part of the team anymore and is now imprisoned for breaking the law.]
Paladin Zack with a sigh: [If Felix has been imprisoned, it's because he poses a threat to the kingdom. We can't have him freely walking around, which is why I told you three to leave the capitol!]
Sean: [We can't just leave with 300 to our names. That just barely gets us a room for a night.]
Paladin Zack: [Which is why you should've gone to another kingdom to catch your bearings. Now that she's imprisoned, it's likely the king will have her killed!]
Sean and Parker diverted their eyes toward the ground as they were getting scolded.
Guard: [Are you talking about the woman in prison?]
The guard that took care of Faith joined in their conversation. Zack and Parker nodded.
Guard: [She told me a couple of things about how what happened wasn't her fault. She said her body was taken control of by another force.]
Paladin Zack: [It was probably that amulet she has. All the more reason she should've left.]
Sean sympathetically: [Rather than having him rot, we should at least release him out of the city and ban him from ever coming back.]
Guard: [That's kind of a harsh punishment for a lady that did no harm.]
Sean carelessly: [Whether or not she did any harm isn't important. There might be other great forces that are interested in her newfound power. Keeping her here will only cause further problems for the city.]
Paladin Zack: [This is your friend you're two are talking about. Whether or not she's a sorceress, or has the potential to wreak havoc, she's still a friend.]
Zack turned around and started walking towards the city.
Paladin Zack: [I'm not putting her life in danger. If Omar wants her, he'll have to go through me first.]
Zack and the rest of the guards walked back into the city and continued doing what they were doing before the sudden arrival of the demon lord's general. Parker and Sean continued to go on the lookout for small monsters while waiting for their pending reward.
----------------------------------------
Down in the underground prison right beside the main castle, the guard that took care of Faith walked up to her cell with his helmet covering his mouth and sticking his dark eyes and sharp nose out. Faith laughed at the sight of him but quickly stopped as soon as she found it unfunny. The guard gave her a serious glare.
Faith with a giggle: [You look ridiculous.]
Guard: [Do I really?]
Faith nodded with a smile.
Guard: [Whatever, that isn't important. Sir Zack wants to see you.]
Faith stopped smiling and looked at him with uncertainty.
Faith: [What would Zack want from me?]
She got up from her bed and held on to the metallic steel bars separating her from the outside world.
Guard: [He spoke with the king regarding you and your livability in the kingdom after the Demon Lord's general fled.]
Faith let out a sigh.
Guard: [What they are going to do to you is unknown, however, I doubt that they will take your life. He ordered that he and the royal family deal with your case rather than the judge.]
Faith silently: [So my chances of staying here are slimmer than before.]
She stared at the ground for a moment.
Faith: [Fine,]
She raised her head with confidence.
Faith: [take me to your leader.]
The guard opened the cell and connected a long metal chain to Faith's magical handcuff.
Guard: [Follow me.]
Faith mumbling: [Not like I have a choice.]
The guard tugged on the chain and forced Faith to follow suit. He took her to the castle, where Faith was once again dumbstruck by its beauty. After passing by several gate guards and walking through the castle doors, the guard brought her through a door she was unfamiliar with. They walked through a long, bright hallway with a single carpet that guided their path. It reminded Faith of the clichè castles portrayed in Western medieval films.
The two of them made their way towards the throne room, an enormous room filled to the brim with guards standing tall and strong. The city's symbol had been plastered on every piece of merchandise, flag, and even the windows. In the center of the room was a long red carpet that led to the King's large gold throne. Right before the king's throne stood Zack, giving off a bad vibe to Faith and making her wish she never accepted the amulet. As the guard unchained her and told her to stand in the very center of the throne room, Faith's amulet glistened in the sunlight beaming in from the windows.
The king, queen, and princess had been sitting on their thrones, looking down at the Alice-blue-haired sorceress. The king, a tall man with a sharp brown beard, shining green eyes, and muscular from head to toe, frightened Faith from appearance alone. The queen, a look-alike to the princess standing beside her, had long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and ears longer than any Faith had ever seen on a human. She was dressed diligently in a blue velvet dress that excessively exposed her large breasts but made her stand out like a sore thumb. The princess was in a similar dress to the one she had when the two of them first met, but her hair was bundled up, leaving two strands hanging like bangs.
They all stared daggers at Faith as she settled down.
Faith nervously: [What's the meaning of—]
Paladin Zack: [Faith Himari.]
His voice was a lot deeper than normal, a lot sharper and menacing. Faith flinched back a little in shock.
Paladin Zack: [You have been called up front for multiple reasons, but first in foremost, you need to confirm your reason for the attack on your close friends.]
Faith mumbling: [It wasn't me.]
King Didus: [Speak louder!]
The king is this huge mammoth of a man. His narrowed eyes and intimidating voice caused Faith to begin to shake.
Faith shouting: [It wasn't me! Something took over my body or—]
Queen interrupting: [We've heard that excuse multiple times, sorceress.]
She gave Faith a disgusted glare. Faith stood speechless, she felt cornered as she was being shunned by people with a higher status than she would ever have. The royals wouldn't even consider her proposition.
Queen Nefrai [Absolutely disgusting.]
Faith silently: [... but that's what happened.]
Her voice started to whimper.
Hilda: [Do you realize what trouble you got all of us involved in?]
Faith shook her sorry head. She's been behind bars for the past couple of hours. Apart from what her guard told her, she had no idea what was going on outside.
Paladin Zack: [One of the Demon Lord's generals came to the capitol in search of you.]
Faith confused: [For me? What does one of the Demon Lord's generals want to do with me?]
The sorceress's amulet glowed for a few seconds. Zack stared at it with uneasiness building up inside of him.
Faith: [I haven't done anything!]
Paladin Zack: [Parker said it has something to do with your attack on them. The general then continued to make claims about how your aura intrigued him.]
Faith: [My aura? You of all people should know that I have literally no control over my powers!]
Hilda: [Then explain your increase in levels since the last time we spoke.]
Faith: [Level increase?]
Her cuffs broke apart and crashed onto the ground. As she watched them turn into blue pixels, she noticed that her interface began showing up again. She took a look at the top left of her peripherals and saw she was level 12, twelve levels higher than she was when she met Hilda for the first time.
Faith silently: [What the...]
King Didus: [It seems pretty clear to us that you–]
Faith: [This isn't possible!]
Faith raised her head and looked at the king with confidence in her eyes. The guards in the room circled around Faith with their swords pointing at her neck.
Faith: [No matter the class, a level twelve attack shouldn't and can't be strong enough to get the attention of a demon lord general! Come on Zack! You have to understand me! I'm being framed here!]
Paladin Zack: [Watch your tone, Felix! You're in front of the king.]
He bit his teeth as he watched his close friend being surrounded by blades. Tears began to form in Faith's eyes as she watched her old friend turn against her.
Faith shouting: [You can't be serious! Kick me out of the city or behead me right now! See if I care!]
Her tears hit the red carpet as she tried to free herself from the circle of spearheads. The king clenched his jaw. An aura started forming around Faith, one that first grew out of the amulet around her neck.
Faith: [All I'm trying to say is that I'm not guilty! It's impossible for a level twelve sorceress to gain the attraction of one of the Demon Lord's generals!]
The spears that were being held against Faith's neck started to melt after coming in contact with Faith's aura. The guards pulled back in shock, and Zack's narrow eyes slightly opened.
Paladin Zack after a sigh: [Tell you what, we can make a deal.]
He made his way toward Faith and the guards in his path cleared the way. Zack's red cape trailed behind him and flowed against his calves.
Faith with a shaking voice: [What kind of deal?]
Her tears began to die down as he walked up to her and the aura around her faded out of existence.
Paladin Zack: [I'll be honest. I'm not in favor of kicking you out, but his highness has made a decision. However,]
Zack took a big inhale.
Paladin Zack: [In this world, deals like these are broken with a duel. If you want to stay in this kingdom, I suggest we have a duel. If you win, you can freely stay. If you lose–]
Faith interrupting: [I leave the kingdom immediately and am never to return again.]
She said as she stood up and wiped her tears with her sleeve. She seemed to have gained some sort of strength and stood in front of Zack with confidence gleaming through the remainder of her tears.
Faith: [I'm down.]
Paladin Zack turned to the guards around Faith, signaling them to give the two some space. It wasn't until all the guards were against the walls that Zack offered Faith a weapon and discussed the rules.
Faith confidently: [What if we say anything goes?]
Faith's heart began to pound like a beating drum.
Paladin Zack: [I'm fine with that, as long as murdering one another isn't allowed.]
Faith nodded.
Paladin Zack: [Fine then, let us begin.]
Faith got into a battle formation, clenching her fists and splitting her legs apart. Zack had one of the guards hand him their swords, and kept his in its casing. He quickly unequipped all of his silver armor and stood against Faith with a t-shirt and jean pants.
Paladin Zack: [I'll be going easy on you, considering you're only level 12.]
Faith scared out of her mind: [Fine by me.]
With that, Faith charged straight for Zack with everything she had. This being her first-ever fight, she attempted to imitate the actions done in her favorite shows. She started off with a light-speed dash, which she failed miserably. Instead of disappearing from sight, she could be seen like a bull in a crowd. Running straight for the Paladin at unimpressive speeds and while swinging her hands by her waist, Zack sighed. This whole situation was pitiful.
Zack had been in this world for over a year, learning several different combat techniques and building relationships up until the point that he was appointed Paladin of an entire kingdom. He watched Faith's stance and from it, he could predict her next move. He raised his sword as soon as Faith got close enough and raised a fist.
Apart from the sound of Faith's footsteps, the throne room was extremely quiet. Everyone in the crowd seemed confident that Faith was going to lose, so there was no tension in the air. While watching, Hilda pulled out a yawn and rolled her eyes. This fight was pointless, and the crowd reacted appropriately.
As soon as Faith came a finger's distance away from Zack's sword, she suddenly vanished into a cloud of black smoke. Zack was slightly fazed and so was everyone watching. The cloud of black smoke expanded as time passed, and eventually covered Zack entirely. There was nothing to the smoke apart from the visual debuff that it gave everyone around. It took Zack a moment to collect his thoughts, but when he sensed black clouds forming behind him,
Faith shouting: [I'M NOT GONNA LOSE!]
He instantly turned around and was kicked in the face.
Faith seemed to have used the smoke as a diversion to get behind Zack and jumped high enough to land a kick before falling on her feet. She was impressed by her tactical attack, and Zack seemed to have been too. Zack's head turned a whole ninety degrees with a bruise on his cheek. He trampled back a little and touched his cheek. He was surprised at first but later started to laugh. The black smoke cleared as soon as Faith touched the ground, revealing Zack's small bruise to everyone.
Background Guard: [To think, a low-level sorceress hit the Paladin.]
Tension began rising. People began to worry. Hilda went from sleeping on her seat to standing and trying to get a better view of the fight. Her eyes along with her mother's were wide open in shock.
Paladin Zack laughing: [That one attack depleted you of all your mana. You must have had a lot of faith in it.]
Faith was breathing heavily as she stood up from the floor. Her lungs felt like she just ran a whole mile without taking a break, they were dry, and swallowing her own saliva wasn't enough to keep her hydrated.
Faith in her head: [Is mana in this world stamina? What kind of brain-dead idiot would make that kind of system?!]
Zack turned back to Faith with a red glare in his eyes. They suddenly became wider and his iris shrunk in size. He looked like a lunatic, a psychopath.
Paladin Zack: [You might be in a new body, but you're still as stupid as always!]
Zack swung his sword towards Faith, which released a giant air blade in the shape of a cut.
Faith, still breathing heavily: [Oh god.]
She tried her best to jump out of the way, but the air blade cut a bit of her left thigh. Though her heart was racing, she didn't feel the cut until a little after she landed back on the ground. Putting pressure on the foot made her feel a sudden pulse around her thigh, which caused her to look at it and notice the bright red liquid seeping down her leg, and the bit of skin that had been cut through her clothes.
Her eyes widened as she cried in pain.
Paladin Zack: [Felix, Faith, whatever you go by now...]
He began making his way towards the girl.
Paladin Zack: [just because this is a fantasy world, doesn't mean you have everything handed to you.]
His sword began to glow.
Paladin Zack: [I had to work day in and day out to receive the title I have now. Lemme tell you, it wasn't easy–]
Once again, Faith's amulet began to release a light purple aura that formed around her in a fire-like fashion, sticking onto parts of her cheeks and flowing westward.
Faith in pain: [This hurts so much!]
The color of her hair flashed black every few seconds, which caught Zack off guard.
Faith: [AUUUUURGGHHH!]
The aura around her almost tripled in size as she screamed her lungs out. Zack took a step back to avoid touching it. The aura heated up the room to insane levels, making every guard sweat and melting the ground beneath Faith. Smoke rose from the ground and the throne room began to smell like burning wool.
While paying close attention to the aura, he noticed the figure standing in the very center get up on its feet and stared straight at Zack with colorless eyes and long black hair. Zack reached for the blade on his back as he watched the figure inside attempt to step forward, but the cut on its thigh caused it to tip over and collapse on the ground. The aura around it faded away, and the figure inside returned back to normal. Though small purple flames remained on Faith's body, everyone around calmed down and stood dumbstruck.
Faith's hair changed back to its Alice-blue shade, but she was knocked unconscious for some time. In shock, Zack stared at Faith's unconscious body and the guards around did the same. The royals, however, now saw Faith as a greater threat than she had been assumed to be. She is a monster.
The king finalized his decision, but Zack managed to give her some extra time. While she recovered, he brought her to his home and waited for her to gain consciousness.
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Faith opened her eyes the very next morning to Zack sleeping on a chair beside her bed. Surprised to have awoken in his home, she stood up and stared at the wall. After a moment of silence, she suddenly remembered the cut on her leg and quickly removed the blanket to check if it was still there. On the very spot, she remembered the cut to be, was her smooth, soft beige skin in one piece. She stared at her leg in confusion, even assuming that everything was a dream.
Zack waking up: [You managed to get yourself imprisoned on day two, which is surprising for someone like you.]
Faith turned to him as he scratched his eyes and stretched.
Faith: [So that wasn't a dream...]
Faith sighed
Faith: [How can you talk to me after a duel like that?]
Zack: [I don't hold grudges. You should know that.]
Faith lowered her head.
Zack: [I won the duel, so you have to do your part and leave the kingdom... forever. I tried my best to convince the king otherwise, but your performance after getting cut scared him.]
Faith confused: [What happened after I got cut?]
Zack stared at her as if he thought she was joking around, but after seeing the seriousness and confusion in her expression, he knew what she said wasn't a joke. Without giving her a response, Zack stood up from his chair and walked up to the window, and told her not to worry about it.
Faith: [Alright, but you have to explain how a deep cut like the one you gave me healed so quickly.]
Zack: [An Aveay Max Heal potion. After applying it to your body, it heals any physical problem you have with your body. The only problem with them is that they cost several diamonds, which is the hardest to earn currency in this world.]
Faith chuckled at the fact that such a potion existed.
She stood up from her bed and faced the opposite direction from Zack.
Faith: [I guess it's time for me to make my leave, huh?]
Zack: [Felix,]
Him using her real name caught her off guard.
Zack: [I suggest that you get to know this world a little more while you're gone. I doubt that Parker and Sean are going to accompany you, so be careful on your own. I'll send you a friend request, so if you ever want to ask any questions, don't hesitate to DM me.]
Faith looked at the friend request notification she got at the top left of her peripherals near the world map. She accepted it and saw Zack's player level.
Faith with a chuckle: [No wonder I was one shot.]
Before closing, she stared at Zack's insanely high combat level.
With a nod, Faith walked out of Zack's home and towards the path to a new land.
*
Meanwhile, with Parker and Sean:
They were on a quest that had them leave the city and onto a plain field near Zack's house.
Sean confused: [Nothing's here.]
Sean and Parker looked around and were disappointed by the absolute nothingness around them, not even a single tree was in sight. It was a brand new day and the sun had just risen. If Zack's information wasn't false, low-level monsters should spawn around this area, low enough for Parker and Sean to take them out.
Parker: [Are you sure this is the right place?]
Sean: [Yeah, the giant earthworm is supposed to be somewhere around here.]
Parker: [Since it's an earthworm, Maybe it's—]
The ground beneath them started to tremble, cutting Parker off and scaring the both of them.
From the green grass sprouted a brown earthworm the size of a dozen men and the length of several airplanes. The worm flew into the air and did a dolphin dive into the ground behind them, leaving them speechless, wide-eyed, and soiled.
Both of them stood in silence for a moment, but it didn't take long for Parker to turn in the other direction and start walking away.
Parker: [Fuck that shit!! I might be desperate, but I'm not messing with THAT fucking thing!]
Sean disappointed: [C'mon, Parker! Don't be a pussy!]
Parker shook his head and stuck his middle finger in the air as he ran away.
On their way back to the capital city, they came across Faith but ignored her like she didn't exist. After crossing paths, Faith stopped in her tracks and turned toward her previous companions. She watched them walk to the city in total silence as her heart broke and tears began to form.
Faith whispering: [New world...]
She took a big breath and walked in the opposite direction of the city. Her tears began to roll down her cheeks but she tried her best to stay strong.
Faith: [New me.]