Hey guys, when I writing this chapter it was getting a bit long so I decided to split it into two parts. Enjoy!
PS- I also kinda rushed this chapter so the grammar may not be the best.
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> Quote:"If you could be either God's worst enemy or nothing, which would you choose?" -- Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club)
Patter patter. The carriage’s wheel rubbed against the rough road. Sitting at the back of the carriage was Shin wrapped in his robe. One leg dangled out of the carriage, rocking rhythmically. Shin’s eyes looked out into the distance, unfocused. “How’s the ride?” a kind old man dressed in simple clothing asked from the box seat.
“Fine, thank you,” Shin replied.
“I am glad to have person for a companion on my trip, this old man gets lonely easily,” the old man said.
“Indeed, it is always safer to travel with others,”
“Say, you haven’t talked much, but what’s your name youngster?”
“Shin, sir,”
“Oh stop it with the ‘sirs’, didn’t I tell you to call me Arnold,” the old man appeared uncomfortable to be addressed so formally, “And I’m no older than 60, mind you,”
“60 is plenty old,” Shin retorted with a wry smile.
“So anyway, where are you headed?” Arnold asked.
“The beast-men realm,”
“Really? Not many visit the beast-men realm, most that do never return. They do not take kindly to our kind,” a horse grunted as if in response.
That was true; Shin had learnt that beast-men hated the humans as much as humans hated them. Most of the beast-men slaves that Shin had seen were caught from villages near the edges of beast-men territory.
“I have some business with the beast-men,”
“Is that so, I hope that you aren’t one those hunters that slavers employ. I never really liked those kind of men. Cruel and remorseless,” the old man did not implore any further.
The rest of the ride was in silence, as the sun was beginning to set; Arnold found a clearing and began to set up camp. After watering the horses and giving them some oats, Arnold began to make a fire. Soon a pot was boiling with stew. The smell made Shin’s mouth water. Eating the meal, Arnold began talking about his life. He began a small merchant company when he left his village; he traded in simple wares, modest things like: books, second-hand clothes, candy and tableware. He met his wife on one of his trips to a nearby town.
“She was like small graceful lily in a pond. She was a cook for a popular inn in the town. Our first meeting started rather awkwardly. I was only just starting out as a merchant then, so I was tight on coin. When I couldn’t afford to pay, it was decided that I work as a dishwasher and an assistant in the kitchen, and that was how it all started,” the old man sighed affectionately as he recalled the memory. Shin listened quietly.
“Well, look at this old man talk. I’m sure it must be very tiring for you. Go get some sleep, we have another day’s ride till the next town,” the old got up and brought out two mattresses and handed one to Shin. Accepting the mattress, Shin spread it over the grass and laid down. Not long after, the soft snoring of the old men filled the night air. Sitting back up again, Shin looked at the moon in the cloudless sky. Stars dotted the sky like splatters of paint.
“So are you going to silence the old man?” Nana whispered in Shin’s mind.
“Yes, I can’t take chances,” Shin murmured.
“How cruel,” Nana mocked.
“It’s essential to erase our tracks; no man can see me and live. And you know that all of this is for our future,”
“That’s my Shin,” like a wisp of air, Nana faded into Shin’s mind.
Shin watched the moon for couple moments before lying back down and falling into his slumber. It was a dreamless sleep.
The sound of steel and grunts resounded through the courtyard; Jason, Steven and Lori were viewing the soldiers train. A soft breeze rustled the tree hanging over them, shading them from the sun.
“Did you hear what happened in the slave market?” a boy ran. He was small for his age and sported sandy hair with freckles; he was a cheerful lad, a newly made knight-apprentice from a small noble family.
“It’s all what people talk about, of course we know, Rump,” Jason greeted boy.
“Please stop calling me that name,” the boy, Rump, shuddered at his nickname, earned from constantly falling onto his butt during sparring sessions; “But to destroy one of the most powerful companies in the city, who could have done it?”
“Maybe a demon-kin,” Lori replied. A concerned look flashed through the group.
“They say he was in black, and left a trail of black mist when he left. I’ve visited the site, the building was gone. The guards claim that it was the black mist that swallowed the building,” Steven said.
“Enough with the talk of demons, you’re giving me goose bumps. How is your training going?” Rump asked.
“We’re doing pretty well, we’re currently A-rank adventurers and can take lower S-rank quests now,” Jason puffed out his chest in pride.
StatusName:JasonAdventurer Rank:A-rankLevel:49Class:SwordsmenRace:HumanGender:MaleHealth:14000/14000Mana:5500/5500Strength:200Agility:120Vitality:180Magic:120Defence:190Magic Resistance:100
StatusName:StevenAdventurer Rank:A-rankLevel:46Class:ArcherRace:HumanGender:MaleHealth:10000/10000Mana:4500/4500Strength:120Agility:220Vitality:150Magic:90Defence:120Magic Resistance:90
StatusName:LoriAdventurer Rank:A-rankLevel:45Class:MageRace:HumanGender:FemaleHealth:9500/9500Mana:12000/12000Strength:90Agility:100Vitality:80Magic:250Defence:100Magic Resistance:200
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“Wow that’s amazing, there’s hardly anyone who can rank up so quickly, you’re definitely heroes,” Rump said excitedly, “Anyways, I’ve gotta go, if I don’t my teacher will be angry at me again.”
Watching the boy run away quickly, the trio once again returned to watching the soldiers train.
In 3 years we’ll be off to fight the Demon Lord, should I confess then? Lori fidgeted as she sneaked glances at Jason who was helping a young soldier with his stance. Noticing Lori’s behaviour, Steven said nothing.
“Alright the town is just over there,” Arnold, as the carriage rocked gently on the gravel road. Shin looked up and inspected the town that creeping closer as the carriage advances. It was a small town; wooden walls provided protection from invaders. Arnold called out to two guards who were playing dice at the entrance of the town. Acknowledging Arnold and Shin, the guard gestured them in.
“Hardly any people visit the town, but the people here are nice once you get to know them,” Arnold guided the carriage into a large open area; several merchants had already set up stalls. Shin walked around observing the goods, there were also adventurers selling monster parts and equipment. A pair of black leather gloves caught Shin’s eye, they made of good quality leather from the B-ranked monster [Mad Bull]. The merchant told Shin that he was also enchanted with minor magic and physical boosts. Dropping 10 gold coins on the counter Shin took the gloves, leaving the merchant looking aghast at the amount of gold coins. Other merchants who saw the shine of gold in Shin’s hands began to desperately market their products to Shin. Shin ignored them and walked back to Arnold.
“That’s a nice glove, [Mad Bull] leather is hard to obtain due to it constantly charging around which leads to damages to its hide,” Arnold commented as Shin pulled the gloves over his hands.
“Thanks, can you show me around the town?” Shin asked with a fake smile.
“No problem! I’ll show you that this old man has not gone senile yet,” Arnold said as he thumped his chest.
Arnold began to tour Shin around the town, there was a small Adventurer’s Guild branch but not many adventurers come here. A smithy that overcharges for a sword when it comes to adventurers; “They say it’s because his daughter ran off with an adventurer one day, left him bitter ever since,” Arnold said. As they toured the town, they found themselves in a shadowed area of the town, it silent, the only sound that could be heard is a crow cawing.
“I guess that’s all, let’s head back now,” Arnold frowned as he was about to turn around.
“No, this perfect,” Shin whispered
“What did you say lad?” Arnold turned around to face Shin.
Shin grabbed Arnold’s head and sent electricity through his skull. Without a second to even scream, blood streamed out of Arnold’s eyes, nose and mouth. Letting the old man collapse onto the floor twitching, Shin casted another spell. Flames engulfed the body and the body turned into ash.
“You’re right, these gloves are nice,” Shin remarked.
“That was cruel,” Nana commented.
“I know,” Shin replied curtly and left the scene
(Before Shin’s arrival at the town)
“Have you checked your equipment yet?” Royal Knight Captain Marcus asked the trio.
“Yep,” Jason sheathed his sword as he put away the oiled cloth.
“Me too,” Steven lifted his bow, wiping lard onto the string.
“I’m fine,” Lori added.
The party of heroes were preparing for a quest towards the beast-men realm; it was a subjugation quest of the grand serpent. The serpent is considered to be one of the protectors of the beast-men forest and is generally docile, but a report from the king’s spies had found the serpent to be controlled by the demons and is attacking everything on sight. The quest level was ranked at S and required a party of S-ranked adventurers; however Marcus managed to obtain the quest as training for the heroes.
“So it’s finally time for a boss monster,” Jason’s heart thumping from excitement when he read the description of the monster.
“Acid breath, camouflage, scales as hard as steel, able to wield both water and earth magic, heat sense, and a tail that can blow away a grown man with a small flick. You’re right, this is a boss mob,” Steven murmured thoughtfully as he stroked the feather of his arrows.
“C-c-can we beat it?” Lori asked.
“Of course you can, remember your training and work as party and nothing can stand before you,” Marcus reassured the party.
A carriage rattled up towards the group.
“You’re the heroes right? Hop on and I’ll get you to the beast-realm without a hitch,” a young man with curly blonde called from behind the reins of the horses. “Do you think there will cat girls?” Jason whispered, as the group climbed onto the carriage, the carriage began to patter down the road.
As Shin was walking through the town with the party, a young child in a ragged cloak ran into him. When the child fell over the hood also fell off, revealing a pair of cat ears. Shin bent down and saw that it was young girl.
“Hey move out of my way!” the young girl shouted at Shin.
Studying the beast-girl Shin found her to be familiar.
“You’re that beast-girl from before, so you’re still alive huh?” Shin had thought that girl had been captured when he left the town.
“Wait! You’re that mister who killed the bad men who were chasing me!” the beast-girl called out, too loudly.
“Who’s this beast-girl? Do you know her Shin?” the burly who had introduced himself as Rimut asked, “What did she just say?”
“I only met her once by chance, in the slums. There were some people chasing her, I merely knocked them out, but she thought they were dead. Pay it no heed,” Shin explained.
“Ok, let keep going, we can only reach the beast men realm by walking. No carriages go there, and we don’t have enough money to buy our own,”
“Hey, don’t ignore me!” the beast-girl chased after the group.
When the party walked past the entrance of the town, Shin spotted a carriage that’s emitting a strange aura.
“Sense them?” Nana asked.
“Sense them,” Shin replied in a muttered voice.
“What did you say?” the beast-girl was still following them, her cat ears twitched.
Ignoring the beast-girl, Shin walked right past the heroes’ carriage without batting an eye.