Nurse Jill and I entered the old man's house, with the old man closing the door behind us. We followed his lead as he walked ahead, leading us to the living room. Stepping into the room, I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between its well-maintained interior and the house's aged and crooked exterior.
In the living room, a modest table occupied the center, surrounded by scattered books. Despite the clutter, it was clear that someone had made an effort to keep the space organized. However, Nurse Jill couldn't hide her frustration and exclaimed, "Damn it, old man! Learn to clean up after yourself." She swiftly picked up the books and neatly filed them on a nearby shelf.
"Stop calling me 'old man,' I have a name, you know," the old man, He said, asserted. His gaze then shifted towards me, his eyes seemingly piercing through me. "You can call me Vigil Amos."
"Amos?" I said, glancing at Nurse Jill. "Then that means..."
Nurse Jill turned to face me, her arms crossed. "Yes, I'm that old man's daughter," she confirmed.
My gaze shifted from Nurse Jill to Vigil, a realization dawning upon me. "Ah, now I see where the attitude comes from," I remarked, half-jokingly.
Nurse Jill's eyes bore into me, a warning implicit in her stare. "Be careful," she said, her voice laced with a hint of malice.
Vigil, maintaining his skepticism, questioned, "So now what? What makes you think I might be interested in this... guy?" His hands waved dismissively, emphasizing his lack of interest.
"This guy might be related to the stories you always tell me," Nurse Jill said, her tone thoughtful and serious. She then walked over to the shelf full of books and began to skim through them, her expression intense as she searched for something.
"Stories? What stories? I told you a lot of stories when you were a kid," Vigil said, taking a seat at the table. He gestured for me to sit across from him, and I pulled out the chair and sat down.
"Here it is," Nurse Jill said, pulling a small book from the shelf. She dropped it on the table, causing dust to fly everywhere. Vigil leaned closer to the book and put on his glasses, squinting to read it.
Vigil's eyes widened as he saw the book. "Ahh, this, this is the book of origin. This isn't a story, this is a historical fact!" he exclaimed, his tone filled with excitement.
Nurse Jill looked at him skeptically. "Sure, sure old man if that's what you believe," she said, taking a seat beside me.
"This guy broke a power sphere," Nurse Jill said, gesturing her hands towards me.
Vigil nonchalantly remarked, "Well, that's nothing new. Power spheres break easily if you're clumsy." He opened the book and casually flipped through a few pages, seemingly unaffected by the comment.
Nurse Jill countered, "But they shouldn't break during a test."
Vigil paused, diverting his attention to Nurse Jill and raising an eyebrow. "So? What's your point?" he replied, feigning indifference.
"In this case, the power sphere attempted to measure something it wasn't meant to," Nurse Jill explained. Standing up, she grabbed the book, took a seat, and swiftly flipped it open, searching for a specific page. "Here it is," she said, pushing the book towards Vigil.
Vigil glanced down at the page, maintaining an air of disinterest.
"On this page, it mentions powers that go beyond magic," Nurse Jill revealed.
"More than magic?" I interjected, tilting my head in curiosity.
"They have various names," Vigil responded.
My attention shifted to Vigil.
"They are referred to as natural essence, natural power, holy essence, and God's divinity," Vigil explained. "This book, the Book of Origin, recounts the story of the heroes who saved this world from what ignorant individuals call the 'demon king,' but for those who possess knowledge, Sitan."
"Hold on, hold on," I interjected, rising from my chair. "Holy essence? Just like what Grace possesses?" I exclaimed.
"Holy essence? Grace?" Vigil's eyes locked onto mine, filled with curiosity.
"At the underground facility, they placed a talisman on her head to extract what you referred to as 'holy essence.' It was believed that they needed it to resurrect Sitan," I explained.
"They? Someone is attempting to resurrect Sitan?!" Vigil exclaimed, his hands gripping the book tightly.
"Yes, they are trying to use the holy essence within Grace's body for that purpose. Although they didn't manage to extract all of it, they still took a substantial amount, resulting in Grace's hospitalization," I revealed.
"Indeed, only holy essence could have caused his demise, so it stands to reason that it possesses the power to bring him back," Vigil contemplated.
"By the way, who is this Sitan guy?" I inquired, eager to learn more.
Vigil closed the book and leaned forward, intertwining his fingers on the table.
"Two thousand years ago, there were three extraordinary beings whose powers were so immense that their source originated from everything itself. They shaped towering mountains, rivers that flowed through the earth, and vast forests that enveloped the land. These three individuals hailed from another world and were considered gods. While we, regular humans, possess magic akin to water in a cup-our power is limited and can be honed through training-these beings had something different. They possessed Natural essence, a power that didn't stem from within themselves but from the world. Our magic is finite, requiring cultivation to grow, but their power was limitless. They could manipulate nature, bend space, and toy with time-things that we consider natural were mere tools to them. One of them was Sitan" Vigil elaborated.
Curiosity still swirling in my mind, I settled back into my seat. "What do you mean by 'considered as gods'? They already sound like gods to me," I questioned.
"In a way, you could refer to them as gods because of their essence. However, those three individuals also claimed that they received their powers from a higher being," Vigil responded.
"According to the story, humans already existed before their arrival," Nurse Jill added.
My gaze shifted to the book in Vigil's possession. "So, is the story depicted in the book true or is it merely a work of fiction?" I inquired.
"It is, in fact, true! Despite what people claim, dismissing it as fiction!" Vigil exclaimed, forcefully smacking the cover of the book with the back of his hand. "And I am the one who will prove its authenticity!"
"Easy there, no need to get so serious, old man," Nurse Jill remarked with a hint of amusement. She then stood up and stepped aside. "My break is nearly over, so if you have any more questions, just ask the old man," she said, walking away without even glancing back, until the sound of the door opening and closing signaled her departure.
"So, you broke a power sphere, huh?" Vigil remarked.
"Yes," I replied.
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"It seems like my daughter took an interest in you. She even brought you here to me," Vigil stated, looking at me intently. "But my daughter is too young for marriage," he added, teasingly.
"W-What?" I stammered, feeling flustered. "Why would you say that? She didn't even explain the purpose of bringing me here."
"Hahaha," Vigil chuckled, amused by my embarrassed reaction. "Don't worry, kid. I was just joking. So, how did you end up here?" His tone suddenly shifted, becoming serious.
"Here?" I repeated, a bit puzzled.
"No one has ever broken or even cracked a power sphere just by testing it. Power spheres are unique magical items that gauge one's magic capacity. Even a light touch can reveal the extent of your magical power," Vigil explained, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table, his hands covering his mouth.
"And not long ago, I sensed magic that was strange and foreign, yet incredibly powerful," Vigil continued.
The power he referred to was my own, unleashed during the battle with Lily.
"Was that you?" Vigil asked with a serious and somewhat menacing tone.
"Yes, that was me," I admitted, lowering my head to avoid making eye contact. I could sense the gravity of the situation.
"Great!" Vigil exclaimed, suddenly filled with excitement.
"W-What?" I asked, still confused.
Vigil walked around the table, approaching me closely. He grabbed both of my hands and raised them up. "If we discover that your power is truly a Natural Essence, then I-we can finally prove to those fools who disagreed that the three god-like beings existed. We can demonstrate that this book," he pointed at the Book of Origin, "is a historical fact!" Vigil's eyes widened with excitement, his passion palpable.
"What?!" I exclaimed, my brows furrowed in anger. "I didn't come here just to prove some fairy tale! I have more important matters to attend to. I need to help Grace recover and check on Tem."
I stood up, determined to leave. I took a few steps away.
"That power you possess, if it truly is Natural Essence, you might be in danger," Vigil said, attempting to stop me.
I halted my steps and turned around. "In danger?" I questioned.
"Your power is connected to the resurrection of Sitan. Both Holy Essence and Natural Essence refer to the same thing with different names. If people discover that you possess that power, you could become a target," Vigil explained, his brows furrowed with a serious expression.
"Then what should I do?" I asked, curiosity filling my voice.
"First, we need to determine if what you possess is truly Natural Essence," Vigil replied.
"And how do we do that?" I inquired.
Vigil walked over to the shelf where the book had been placed and returned it. Then he knelt down and opened a drawer, retrieving something from it.
"Here we go," Vigil said, pulling out an object.
"Is that a power sphere?" I asked.
"Yes, it is," Vigil confirmed, standing up and placing the power sphere on the table.
"You know I can't use that," I told Vigil.
"No... You can't use it...not yet," Vigil replied. "I'm going to modify it so that it can measure your power. It will be challenging since Natural Essence is omnipresent, and this is something that has never been done before. But for the sake of my pride..." Vigil paused, his eyes locked with mine. I stared back, my brows still furrowed. "I meant, for the sake of your safety!"
I let out a sigh. "So, what should I do?" I asked, placing my hands on my waist.
"Come back here after three days. I'll figure something out by then. In the meantime, find something to occupy your spare time," Vigil instructed.
Vigil approached me, and together we walked toward the door.
"By the way, you mentioned your friend having Holy Essence," Vigil asked, curiosity piqued.
We both paused at the door. "Yes, and the doctors say she needs magic to sustain her body," I replied, my eyes darting around.
"Magic alone won't suffice, especially if her body is composed of Natural Essence," Vigil remarked, looking at me with concern. He placed his hand on my shoulder, offering comfort. "Don't worry, kid. If there's anything I can do, I'll help you."
"Thanks, Vigil," I replied. Vigil opened the door, and I walked out.
"Come back after three days," Vigil called out. Slowly, he closed the door, and it made a solid thud against the frame.
I made my way to the guild, my mind filled with worry. Upon entering, I headed straight to the quest board. I couldn't help but glance over at the desk where Grace should have been working. Memories of our conversations flooded my mind. I chose a quest: harvesting slime cores. It might be considered a low-ranking quest, but it was essentially a shortcut to earning money quickly. Slimes were easy foes to defeat. With my quest in hand, I left the guild, ready to embark on my task.
On the first day, I easily harvested slime cores. My ability to adapt, honed through battles with Lily and other enemies, made me stronger, faster, and more agile. Yet, concerns continued to fill my mind. In my previous world, I never had any friends, and I didn't even consider my family as family, so I never had any real connections. I used to walk alone at night, work my part-time job, and go to school without talking much because there was no one to talk to. But now that I have friends, they mean the world to me. I used to dislike having Tem around, but now it feels strange, almost lonely.
On the second day, I took my haul of slime cores to the guild and had them confirmed. I earned some money and decided to visit the weapons store. Since my sword was broken, I needed to buy a new one. Although I could fight using my ability to form a sword with my magic, having a visible, well-crafted sword would make me appear more threatening in case someone attempted to rob me.
After purchasing the sword, I returned to the guild. As I entered, the guild master emerged from his room and walked past me. I could sense the stress he was feeling; his hair was disheveled. Understandably, his adopted child was in the hospital, so I empathized with his current state.
I approached the quest board and selected a quest. Walking over to the guild workers, they noticed my presence and shared some good news. "You're the guy who brought in a ton of slimes within a week. As a result, you are hereby promoted to a 5th rank. You can now take quests suitable for 5th rank adventurers, including those of higher difficulty like the 4th rank quests. Congratulations," one of the workers exclaimed with a smile.
He asked for my identification card to update it accordingly and returned it to me once the process was completed. "Now you won't be fighting slimes anymore. You can take on quests to battle stronger monsters and earn bigger rewards," he added.
"Thank you," I replied with a faint smile. "But I'll start with this quest," I showed him the slime quest, and the worker raised an eyebrow in confusion. "O-okay," he stammered. "Come back after you've finished your quest, and I'll confirm it for you."
With that, I walked away from the guild and made my way outside the kingdom to begin my quest. As I battled some slimes, a large orc suddenly appeared before me. This thing was known as lesser orc, bigger and more ferocious than the orcs I had faced previously. However, they lacked the capacity for independent thinking and strategic planning.
This orc stood at about 10 feet tall, towering over the previous ones I had encountered, which were only around 7 feet tall. The lesser orc noticed my presence and looked down at me, raising its massive club that resembled a tree trunk. It swung the club in an attempt to strike me, but I swiftly dodged the attack, maneuvering behind a nearby tree. Even though I managed to avoid the blow, the force of the orc's strike left behind a deep crater in the ground.
"That would've hit me if I were still the old me," I thought to myself, grateful for my newfound agility.
As I prepared to jump and strike down the beast, a distinct sound caught my attention. Laughter echoed through the air, filled with confidence and amusement. Curiosity piqued, I concealed myself among the branches of the tree, observing to see who the source of the laughter was.
"HA HA HA HA," the voice laughed boldly. "A beast dares to challenge me?"
I watched as she emerged from the forest, revealing herself to the orc. She exuded an air of self-assuredness and grace, drawing her sword and pointing it directly at the towering creature.
"It seems I heard a loud commotion coming from this area and thought someone might be in danger. However, it appears the only one in danger here is you!" she declared.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the lady with silver hair was an elf. Her hair was tied into a braid, and her long, pointy ears were visible. She wore a cloak, making it difficult to see if she was wearing any armor.
"Come here, foul beast! Let us bask in the glory of this fight!" the elf exclaimed, her arms open wide.
"She may be an elf, but she's unlike any elf I know," I muttered to myself.
The orc let out a thunderous scream, causing the birds perched on nearby trees to take flight. It raised its club and swung it vertically.
"Ha! Predictable," the elf taunted. She attempted to leap back, but her heels got caught on a branch, causing her to stumble. "No! No! Hold on!" she screamed in panic.
"This idiot!" I exclaimed, attempting to leap forward, but the orc was quicker, delivering another powerful swing that struck the ground, creating yet another crater.
"No!" I cried out as I landed. "I'm too late."
As the orc lifted its club from the ground, I saw that the crater contained no blood or any signs of the elf's remains.
"HA! HA! HA!" I heard a voice.
Both the orc and I looked up towards one of the trees and saw a silhouette created by the sun shining behind it.
"You thought you had ended me, foul beast?" the elf's voice echoed. "You can never defeat me!" she continued. However, upon closer inspection, I realized that she was being carried by another elf with silver hair.
"Let us descend, dear brother," she declared with resolute confidence.
The elf gracefully leaped down, still carrying the female elf in his arms. Upon reaching the ground, he gently placed her down. The female elf glanced up at the imposing orc.
"I am grateful, dear brother. Yet, in my present state, I lack the fortitude to overcome this monstrous foe. Hence, I implore you to vanquish it in my stead," she stammered, a visible sweat glistening on her forehead and her legs trembling slightly.
The male elf sighed. "So be it."
Drawing forth a pair of kama blades, elegantly curved weapons with chains adorning beneath the handles, the male elf prepared himself for the impending encounter.
The orc let out a roar once more, charging forward with unbridled fury. It swung its weapon in a powerful horizontal arc, compelling all three to leap agilely, narrowly evading the devastating blow. The sheer force of the swing caused the surrounding trees to bend in its wake.
I landed firmly on both feet, while the female elf found herself landing on the ground butt first. "Ouch!" she exclaimed.
The male elf, still in mid-air, swiftly threw his kama blades, and they struck the head of the orc. The orc desperately tried to reach the blades lodged in its skull, but the male elf's agility was unmatched. While still airborne, he spun around, creating a chain reaction with the chain attached to his weapon. The chains tightly wrapped around the orc's head, constricting it. With a forceful pull, the male elf descended to the ground, exerting immense pressure on the orc's head. The inevitable outcome was the orc's head exploding under the immense force applied by the chains.
The male eld then stood Infront of me, "Are you okay?" the elf inquired, shifting his gaze towards me.
I stood in awe, mesmerized by the spectacle that had unfolded before my eyes. The swiftness of the elf's actions left the orc with no chance to retaliate.
"We have rescued thee, human. Be grateful that our presence graced thee," declared the female elf as she rose to her feet.
"Let us proceed, dear brother, for our duties await," spoke the male elf. He turned and began to walk away.
"But should we not continue our mission?" questioned the male elf.
Suddenly, the female elf halted in her tracks, swiftly turned around, and hurried towards me.
"We seek a child, human. Behold, an image," she proclaimed with an air of pride.
From her cloak, she produced an object, revealing it to be a picture. Both elves stood before me, awaiting my response.
"Wow, is this a photograph? And it's not even made using paint," I exclaimed, captivated by the image that appeared to be captured by a camera.
"Are thee astounded by our elvish creation?" taunted the female elf. "HA HA HA! I am aware that such marvels are absent from thy feeble human domain," she continued, her tone filled with annoyance.
"Ahem," interjected the male elf.
"Have you seen this child?" he inquired.
Upon closer examination, the child depicted bore resemblance to Tem. However, I could not divulge this information. I was a stranger to these elves, after all.
"I have never seen that child," I replied.
"Are you sure?" questioned the male elf, his eyes piercing into my soul, seemingly aware of my untruth.
My body tensed, and involuntarily, my foot took a step back upon meeting his gaze.
"By the way, allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Bem, and this gallant maiden beside me is Jem," announced Bem, while Jem puffed her chest out in pride. "We are friends of this child, and it is important that he returns home with us," Bem continued.
"I have already told you, I told you, i have never seen that child," I retorted.
Jem concealed the image within her cloak. "Tsk, humans can never be of assistance, dear brother," Jem scoffed as she turned away. "Let us press forward."
She resumed her walk, and Bem bowed in front of me. "We express our gratitude for your cooperation," he conveyed, then stood upright. "Should you ever chance upon this child, we expect you contact us." And with that, both of them leaped away.
"How can I contact you? You didn't even leave anything," I called out, gazing at the sky where they had disappeared.
I glanced down at the lifeless body of the slain orc for a moment. Then i walked. As I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter with Bem and Jem was not the last.
End of chapter