Sai held a brush in one hand and a jar of paint in the other, but he wasn't focused on recreating the Magic Art that Rowana had demonstrated. Instead, he found himself doodling aimlessly on the canvas. He knew he was using the painting as a way to distract himself from the looming departure of his godmother.
Rowana was leaving today, embarking on a perilous journey to the Ancient Forest to acquire a mithril weapon. The journey alone would take a week, not to mention the additional week it would take to return to the Sapphire Principality.Sai admitted he would miss Rowana, however he was mature enough to know that she needed to make the trip. Especially since Rowana was doing it for his sake.
"Hey pet," Slither the snake was crawling toward him, he still felt chill when he saw the snake. "Let's go outside and take a walk. I want to get some warm sunshine."
Sai frowned, he didn't want to carry the snake. It was mean and he had a feeling it might bite him. Still he relented, he held his hand down and the snake slither up his arm and laid on his shoulders.
Sai left the palace, headed outside enjoying the weather.
Slither raised his head and tasted the air with his flickering tongue, "Some sunshine on the scale feels great!"
Sai strolled through the garden, enjoying the peace and tranquility it brought him. However, his peaceful moment was soon interrupted as he saw the two friendly guards, Ray and Roy, bickering in the distance.
As he approached, he heard them arguing about the war and whether or not the two countries should unite. Roy was in favor of reunification, while Ray was against it, fearing the bloodshed it might cause.
Sai couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, knowing that he too would be dragged into the war if it were to happen. He decided to speak up, "Hey guys, what's going on?"
Roy turned to Sai and said, "Oh, Sai, we were just discussing the war and whether it would be a good thing for the Sapphire Principality and Ruby Republic to reunite."
Sai furrowed his brow, "I'm not so sure about that. War only brings destruction and death."
Ray nodded in agreement, "I agree with Sai. We shouldn't be so quick to jump into a war without considering all the consequences."
Roy looked at them both with a perplexed expression, "But don't you guys want this kingdom back in the good old days? To fight for our country and make it better?"
Ray sighed, "I understand where you're coming from, Roy. But war is not the answer. We need to find a way to unite our kingdoms without resorting to violence."
Sai smiled, "I couldn't agree more."
Roy then mentioned something that caught Sai's attention, "Oh, by the way, did you hear about the force conscription in the Sapphire Principality?"
Sai's expression turned pale, "No, I didn't. What's going on?"
Roy explained, "They're forcing anyone who's of age to join the army. It's pretty brutal."
Sai shook his head in disbelief, "Everything is going pear shaped. Hope I am not dragged into this mess."
As the conversation about war came to a close, Sai decided to change the topic to something lighter. "Hey, how about we take a break from all this serious talk and play some cards?"
Ray grinned, "That sounds like a great idea. What game should we play?"
Sai thought for a moment, "How about poker? It's always a fun challenge."
Roy nodded in agreement, "Sure, let's do it."
It was hours later that Sai left the pair of the guards and headed back to the palace. As they parted ways, each feeling a little lighter and happier than before.
----
Rowana was leaving while the sun was setting.
Sai, stood with a heavy heart as he watched Rowana, his godmother and fairy companion, prepare to depart for the Ancient Forest. She had been by his side for three days now, helping him with the dungeon and teaching him the ways of Magic Art. But now, she had to go to negotiate a deal to get a Mithril weapon that could free Sai from the control of the Princess.
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Rowana turned to Sai and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Sai," she said. "I'll be back before you know it. And in the meantime, I've left you something to help you on your journey."
With that, she handed Sai a small crate. He opened it to find pink bottles and Magic Orb. The Magic Orbs had either the letter C or H on them.
"The pink glass bottles contain Mountain Frog Poison. I would like you to get immunity to the poison. The best way to drink the poison and use the Cleanse Orb to clear the poison afterwards. The other orb is the Healing Orb, which will heal any injury. The C denotes that it is a Cleanse Orb while an H denotes that it is a Healing Orb," Rowana explained.
"Thank you, Rowana," Sai whispered to himself as he closed the crate. He knew that Rowana would return soon, but until then, he would have to rely on his own wits and the training she had given him.
Rowana gave Sai a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, child," she said. "I'll be back before you know it. And in the meantime, I've left you something to help you on your journey."
"Slither will stay behind to protect you," Rowana said, referring to her familiar snake. "And he'll continue to teach you the magic arts. Help you in the Dungeon and relay messages to you from me. Keep him close to you, that way I will know your safe."
Slither spoke annoyed, "Guess I'm on babysitting duty."
Sai nodded, "He won't leave my side."
Rowana gave a big hug, "Goodbye, Sai," she said, her tearing up. "Stay safe, and remember that I'll always be here for you."
"Goodbye, Rowana," he said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.
With that, Rowana released Sai and took to the skies, disappearing into the distance. Sai stood there for a moment, watching her go, before turning to Slither.
"What should we do now?"
"I for one am going to catch some tasty rats," Slither said.
Sai frowned. "Can we go to the Dungeon? I want to level up."
Slither curled up, "I hate work... Fine, let's get it over with.”
Sai smiled.
----
Sai entered the Dungeon and checked if there were any Horned Dogs around.
He then said, "Blessing."
Level 7 Title Hero Agility 3 Durability 29 Mana 3 Mind 3 Strength 3 Remaining 9 Gift Sour Apples
Sai had to kill a hundred Horned Dogs yesterday to increase his level by three.
Sai had Slither wrapped around his neck.
"Hey Slither. Which attribute should I increase?" Sai asked.
"You idiot," Slither said. "It should be obvious. A newborn would know the answer."
"I'm new to this world, Slither," Sai said. "I've learned that I should ask more experienced people for advice. Especially when it comes to important matters that could be life and death."
Slither nodded, "So what's your goal?" he asked.
"I want to level up fast."
Slither thought for a moment before suggesting, "First you can fight stronger Horned Dogs, which would yield more glory, but would also be more dangerous. The second option is to fight a larger number of weaker Horned Dogs, which would be less risky. Considering the first options, it would take a long time to get to the lower floor of the dungeon since you don't know the path to the lower floor. So, for now, put all of the attribute points into Agility. This would allow you to move faster and find more Horned Dogs to fight, and map the dungeon more quickly," Slither explained.
Sai thought about it for a moment before agreeing with Slither's suggestion. "You're a genius, Slither," Sai said, feeling grateful for his companion's advice.
Slither smiled, feeling pleased to have been able to help. "Of course, I'm super wise."
Sai allocated all his points to Agility and then said, "Blessing."
Level 7 Title Hero Agility 12 Durability 29 Mana 3 Mind 3 Strength 3 Remaining 0 Gift Sour Apples
Sai was happy with his level. "Hey Slither hang on tight, I'm going to find Horned Dogs to fight."
Eventually as Sai explored the depths of the dungeon, he soon came across a group of four Horned Dogs. Drawing his sword, he charged towards them with a fierce determination.
With each swing of his blade, he dispatched one of the creatures in a single, clean hit. His movements were lightning fast, and his strength was greater than that of the Horned Dogs, allowing him to overpower them with ease.
Sai felt a sense of satisfaction as he dispatched each of the Horned Dogs with a single blow. "Now this is what I am talking about.
Slither ruined his parade, "It is not that impressive, a level 7 killing four level 1 Horned Dogs. You got way more Horned Dogs to kill before you reach the next level."
"Right."
With a deep breath, Sai sheathed his sword and continued on his journey through the dungeon, ready for whatever obstacles lay ahead. The memory of his swift victory over the Horned Dogs would fuel him, reminding him of his own strength and determination in the face of danger.