Even on the darkest days, the sun rises and shines its light on life. Washing away yesterday’s past, and glowing the path for the future. But as for Illumi, there was no such path, as the only path he walked on was one through a graveyard, passing through thousands of those who died, not knowing the freedom of the outside world. Illumi didn’t care for such a cause, his only motivation was driven by the emptiness he felt.
“Save us. Save us. Save us.” The same word loops endlessly, echoes on as Illumi continues his walks, trying to ignore the voices.
Illumi heads straight back to the inn. Everyone’s day had just started, busy with their own shenanigans of their own life.
The innkeeper greeted Illumi, but he ignored him, and went straight to his room. Illumi took his thin bedding, and covered his body with it, crouching on the corner like a baby. His tears kept on flowing, little by little, but his expression had not changed.
Time had moved on, as did everything, but for Illumi, everything had stopped. He sits still for hours, his throats are dry, his belly is grumbling. The day becomes night, and the night becomes morning once again. A knock from his door awakened Illumi, who had passed out on the floor.
A soft woman's voice slips through the door’s gap. “Is anyone by the name Illumi, in here!?”
Illumi was a bit weak, but he tried his best to get up to answer the door. The woman almost left, as Illumi was taking too long to answer, but was able to catch up to her, a few steps away from his door. The woman took notice, and confronted Illumi. Her attitude and body language was awkward, her eyes were red, as if she had been crying non stop for days.
Breaking the awkward silence, Illumi asked. “Do you need anything!?”
“I-I’m… My name is Leste… Mi’s fiance… I’ve heard of what happened to Mr.Eric… I couldn’t even begin to understand… the things you’re going through right now… A man from the guild’s financial team paid me a visit, and told me your party’s beneficiary payout was all put under my name… It’s not fair for me to receive all of the money. I will share half of them with you. I just need you to come with me to the guild, and have you sign a few papers.” said Leste, whose voice sounds a lot rough without the door’s in between.
Illumi was a bit surprised, after realizing Mi’s roommate was actually his fiance, and how she had been suffering more than him. Illumi couldn’t come up with anything to say, his feelings were split into two. The dream he had, of Eric and everyone, affected his view of his own life. Knowing that the boy who’s named Illumi, his soul still resides in the same body, and that, the emotions he’s feeling, might not even be his. He wanted to express his frustration and his worries, but that would have only made things more confusing, and he gave up.
“Y-You can just take the money. I-I’m doing just great! I-I-” Illumi stuttered, and realized he had been holding on to the poster with the 300 gold pieces rewards.
“Look! I’m about to finish this quest! Once I complete the quest, I will be good!” Illumi shouted nervously.
Seeing how nervous and anxious Illumi was, Leste couldn’t help but smile gently. “I’ll wait for you at the guild’s office.” She said, and soon after, taking her leaves.
Knowing that his lies were so easily seen through, Illumi glooms silently. He went back into his room, it was dark and empty, except for a small ray of light shining through the window sills, and the gaps. Sounds of chatters from the people outside, and the creaking wooden floor rings into his ears.
Illumi went to the innkeeper, and said. “I will be leaving for another place. Thank you for letting me stay all this while. It has been a short stay, but I deeply appreciate it.” and leave short after.
The innkeeper was a bit shocked and surprised, since Illumi had never once spoken to him, and they barely had the time to talk. He tried to stop Illumi, but he already went far away.
Arriving at the city’s entry gate, he was stopped by a guard, asking him where he headed. Illumi looks distraught, not looking the guards in the eyes.
Hovering the poster in front of the guards, he said, “I… I have a quest outside…”
“300 pieces of gold? There’s no fucking way they let a kid like you take a job this dangerous!” one of the guards shouted in surprise, seeing the poster up close, grabbing it tightly.
The guards behavior was obvious, that they had been lazing around and getting drunk the whole day. Some can be seen coming back to his post with a woman with barely any clothes covering herself, and looking somewhat terrified.
“I-I have other members waiting for me outside. I-I was just getting the poster.” Illumi lied to the guards.
“Thought so. Seems like the guild sure loves to give special privilege to you adventurers. It honestly makes me sick. If it weren’t for that, I would have beat you senseless!” the guard loses his grip on the poster, and bitching in spite at Illumi. He walked back to his drunk friends and continued his drinks.
Illumi feels anxious, but with the guards' behavior, he feels his anger boil deep inside of him instead.
He tried to avoid attention, as so, he hastened away, not getting sidetracked by the commotion surrounding him. From infighting of the slums resident outside the walls, to the crying childrens, starving, as their parents lying on the sidewalks, dead.
Illumi arrived at the edge of the slums, at an entrance of a forest. He dropped to his knees, feeling like his body is being ripped apart by tiny hands. Various sorts of emotions jumbled up in his mind, as though he could feel everyone’s emotions.
He was seated in a fetal position under a tree, trying to calm his mind and body. Illumi started to cry, thinking of his old life. His parents died of a car accident when he was 11 years old. It had broken his little heart, as he cried for days. A few months later, as a result, he had kept everything to himself. He had been living with his parents his entire life, with them always by his side, from day to night, from him going to school, and getting home, greeted by the bright smiles of his parents. His parents didn’t really socialize much with the neighbors, since the house his parents bought is near an abandoned housing area. His father was a college professor, bringing in just enough for the family to get by. While the mother is a stay at home wife. His only friends were those he met on the way to school, since they walked the same path. Being isolated since birth, everyone else was a stranger to him, and he had felt no connection towards anyone else, and it was worsened by the fact that he had lost those that were his precious.
Many had walked in his life, but he shuts them off, fearing that he would form a connection, and fearing most, that he would lose them too. By keeping himself away from others, it would have made others follow suit. To keep his mind busy, he would have swallowed himself in study, trying his best to achieve what his father had achieved. But reality sets in for him, he was no more than the average people you would meet anywhere. With nothing special, nothing to look up for, he shuts himself even more. Realizing his mistakes for far too late, his behavior had become a habit, a habit that he could not get rid of, and having to learn to live with it.
In his late 20’s, he had frequent blackouts, and went to visit a doctor. There he learned that his heart had become weak, and could no longer last, unless he stopped his selfish behaviors, and learned to put his faith on others, even if it hurts him. Leaving the hospital in defeats, he could only blame himself, associating his heart conditions, as his own weakened will to live.
Supplied with heart medications, he’d spent his days as he would, but slowly, he’d do some changes, trying his best to socialize more. He wouldn’t want to die a pathetic life, as it would make his parents in heavens worried for him. It would become his only sole motivation in changing his life.
But alas, the changes he made were too slow, and he would later die, and his soul was brought into a different world.
With nothing but whispers of the words, “save us”, he dragged his body through hell. Given no other signs, his hopes had dwindled, and grew more confused, and frustrated. As if his body is moving automatically, he’d move forward. His curiosity also grows, as he learns more of the world. Determined that he would seek the truth, he wiped his tears and got up, continuing his march, towards the most dangerous part of the forest. So that he could complete the request that he had picked up, part of it also because he didn’t want to end up being hated by the guy that gave him the information.
He’d trek the forest for hours, as the sun is almost down. He started to worry that it would be too dangerous, and decided to camp for the night. He’d look for a dead tree knocked on the ground, and he set up his campfire next to it. He’d spent half an hour, gathering what food he could, before huddling up near his campfire.
Munching on whatever edibles he could, he’d then tried to spend most of the night, trying to meditate. Trying to feel the energy that is around him, which he had failed to before, and it would be very beneficial for him in the future.
An hour into it, he finds that he could not feel the energy, but he’d know for sure, that he had been using the energy to cast various magic.
He raises his arm trying to cast a spell, and as he’d predicted, he succeeds in casting a ball of fire, but he could not feel anything, other than the heat that was coming from the ball of fire.
Suddenly, something comes to his mind. During his first battle with the monstrous wolf, he remembered that his hand had been broken by only the wolf attacks. He couldn’t remember when his arm was fixed, but his memory of the pain of the broken arm was burned in his mind, so he couldn’t have mistaken it.
He’d grown more confused and frustrated, realizing that there are more things he couldn’t understand about the world, and he had more to learn, if he wants to venture even more into the world he’s in.
Starting to feel a bit tired, he decides to throw in the towel early, and go to sleep. He’d put the fire out, and made a thin wall of dirt, covering him from the outside world, so he could sleep in peace.
His vision slowly fades, and finally, he falls asleep. Hours in, he started to feel restless, so uncomfortable that it almost woke him up. A soft voice of a boy whispered.
“Wake up.”
Illumi awakened, and his instinct is telling him to run away as quickly as he physically could. And he would do just that, jumping out through the thin wall of dirt he made, barely avoiding a stomp from a giant beast so big, he could barely see its face at the top, as it was covered by the darkness of the night.
Illumi started to panic, and ran away without having any destination in mind. The giant monster didn’t give chase, and continued on his way. In a state of shock and panic, he couldn’t stop, but ran in a straight line, screaming in fear.
Hours of running, and the sun started to rise. Illumi was still running, and was really exhausted, but he keeps on moving, like his life depends on it. Reaching his breaking point, Illumi passes out in the middle of the forest.
The strong heat from the sun was baking Illumi alive, and as so, awakened him. He recovered some of his stamina back, but he was still tired, thirsty, and starving. Taking in his surroundings, Illumi looks around, and realizes he’s lost, as he probably strayed the path that he took, after running for hours in panic.
Illumi struggles as he gets up, his dry throat and rumbling stomach driving him crazy. He couldn’t think of anything else other than looking for something to drink, or eat. He’d drag his body deeper into the forest, looking for anything to eat. Luckily for him, he stumbled upon a familiar bush of berries, though not much, he filled his belly as much as he could, quenching his thirst with a ball of water he conjured.
He took a thirty minute rest, recollecting his composure, and keeping himself calm. And after some thinking, he’s set in completing the request no matter what, so he would no wonder off from his goal, and strengthening his resolve.
He had a look once again on the information given to him, of the request. The information given on the monster was very detailed, as it had been recorded through multiple encounters, but no hunter or adventurers wanted to be involved with the monster, as it is as strong as the city’s strongest adventures.
It also included the area the monster would most likely be in, and its preferred hunting ground. As so, Illumi started to move out, searching for a similar place, as said in the information he had been given.
He’d spend a few more hours searching for such a place, but couldn’t find any. Moving from area to area, he’d go deeper into the forest, and into the unknown. Before he realized, he’d stumbled to the edge of the kingdom. Walled off by a dark smoke, but it only reached a few meters up, as a glass like wall is preventing the dark smoke from seeping through the side he’s in.
Curious, he tried to get closer, and hovering his hand inches from it. A brief moment of familiarity, as if he’s gotten close to someone he knew. But that moment ends abruptly, as fears and disgust start to seep through his skin, as though a poison is entering his body. He quickly pulled his hand off, fearing for his life.
He had learned his lesson, as to not get close to the walls ever again, until he uncovers even more truth that existed.
Illumi continued his journey, walking for hours had made him exhausted, with nothing but berries and water to keep him going. He felt frustrated, and wanted to give up, but he’s still lost, and went towards the south west, from where the sun is setting, believing that it’s the way leading back to the city.
The sky is getting darker, and the air is getting colder. Illumi got worried, not wanting to survive another day with nothing but berries and water, and sleeping on the ground with nothing but a bunch of leaves as bedding.
Rumbling of his stomach, had set Illumi’s mind on hunting a small game. And as so, he started to use the things he had learned from everyone’s teaching, to track any animals that he could get his hands on.
He’d walk down paths made by small animals, and track through feces and fallen branches.
The night was quiet, not even a chirping of a cricket can be heard, and he had been tracking for quite a while, and not even a rustling of bushes was heard.
Illumi started to look around in panic, fearing that he might be hunted by a beast, strong enough to scare off any other animals around. He called off his hunt, and started searching for a safe place for him to sleep for the night.
Illumi’s eyes keep closing on their own, feeling exhausted as he had no nutritional food digested for a long time. Settling for a nearby hollowed tree, he quickly sat down inside, leaning on the bumpy tree stump, and sealed off the hole with a wall of dirt.
Not even an hour passes, and once again, a small voice whispers.
“Run…”
Illumi didn’t wake up, far deep in his sleep. But the voice grew stronger, and started screaming.
“Run… Run! It’s going to attack!”
His body felt breezy, as though a strong gust of wind was blowing directly at him. When he opened his eyes, he was high above the ground, his body flung, as if he had jumped as hard as he could, avoiding whatever it was, striking the ground below him. Landed on his feet a couple of meters away, the dust that was blown started to settle down. A giant tiger-like creature, with an extra pair of paws, stretching from its shoulder, and a horn-like bone, extruding from its forehead.
A chill went down Illumi’s spine, and an immense pressure is pushing him towards the ground, making him unable to move.
The creature takes a stance, and is ready for an attack, as the pressure surrounding Illumi wears off. His instinct is telling him to run like hell, but was still partially tired, and could move very well. As so, he runs, as fast as he could, not even a peak behind him.
Thinking that he had run enough distance, he took a single glance, but the creature was nowhere to be found. Illumi was a bit relieved, thinking he had outrun the creature, but he had not given up on running. His sprint was cut off, as he sprained his ankle, stepping on an uneven ground.
He screams out in pain, cursing out every slurs he knows. His fear has not subsided, and the sense of danger has not left his body, telling him that the monster is still around.
Groaning and grunting in pain, Illumi sat down to gain some stamina back, as he tried to ease the pain, by massaging the sprain ankle. Everything was still horrifically silent, as only his heartbeat, echoing his mind.
“T-The creature probably didn’t chase m-me, because it wasn’t interested in me!” Illumi whispered to himself, trying to calm himself.
Catching his breath, Illumi calmed for a bit, looking around frantically, convincing himself that the monster indeed didn’t chase him.
A strong gust of wind blows from Illumi’s back, almost as if it’s a really big and powerful sigh.
A rough, loud and clear voice, resounding behind Illumi. “What a let down.”
Illumi’s heart skipped a beat for an entire 4 seconds, and those seconds felt like eternity for him. Nothing but fears, rushing through his entire body. Knowing that he is at the mercy of the creature. Illumi’s head turns instinctively, as though the creature is demanding him to, without saying a word, facing the creature.
“I’ve been waiting for months, with nothing to do. And they send some nobody to hunt me. Such an insult towards me is unacceptable. I’ll move closer to their home. Maybe then they’ll take me seriously.” the creature spoke once more. Though his mouth didn’t move an inch, its thoughts flowed inside Illumi’s head.
Its eyes glow golden purple, shining as bright as the sun, piercing through Illumi’s retina.
“Y-You spoke…” said Illumi. Though his mouth keeps trying to close, as if the body is stopping Illumi from talking.
The creature looks a bit confused, a bit amused even.
“Haven’t seen an intelligent beast before? God you’re pathetic.” the creature speaks pridefully.
“A-A-Are you- A-Are you one of them!?” Illumi tried his best to talk, but as though his teeth were being glued together, he had trouble speaking.
“One of what?” the creature asked, intrigued by Illumi’s words.
“T-T-Those-C-Crazed-B-B-Beast…” Illumi continued.
The creature’s grin turned into frown. He no longer finds it amusing, but instead, infuriating. Raising one of its paws, he pinned Illumi on the ground, crushing his bones.
“Not only you humans insult me by sending the weakest piece of shit ever. That weak piece of shit is insulting me… Right in front of my face!?” the creature growls in anger, releasing it on Illumi, in a form of crushing pressure.
Illumi’s yelling in pain, grunting as his body is slowly and painfully being crushed.
“Die… Maggot.” the creature proclaims. Crushing half of Illumi’s body.
The creature took his leave, leaving Illumi’s lifeless body behind. It found itself in an open space, on top of a cliff, and took its prideful stance, releasing a very loud growl that echoes through the forest. But nothing replied back, as the creature took it as, nothing was brave enough to take its challenge.
It lay on the cliff, basking in the bright lunar light, grinning. But it quickly turns into disgust, as he sees the miasma climbing through the sky, trying to seep through any crack it finds.
Scoffed at the sight, the creature closed its eyes to sleep.
“You haven’t answered my question yet.” a creepy voice whispered close to the creature’s ears.
Sensing danger, the creature opened his eyes, and leapt to the sky, dodging spikes of hardened dirt, extruding from the ground. Its eyes swiftly glanced at the ground, looking for its attacker, but what caught his attention was a strong evil aura coming directly next to the place he was lying down. It prepared to attack, but it couldn’t even land safely, as a barrage of hardened dirt spike flew towards it. The creature dodged them all mid air, stepping on the air, as though it was solid.
In an instant, the creature disappeared from the sky, and reappeared behind the attacker. It opened its mouth, as energy vacuumed inside its mouth, ready to blow a strong blast towards the attacker.
The attacker turns its head, shocking the creature. It was Illumi, alive once again. But the creature felt something different coming from him, and it made it even angrier, and released a loud growl, accompanied by hyper sonic wind, slashing everything in its path. Neither the dirt, nor the tree was safe, as was Illumi, who was pushed far from the creature. The creatures were once again, shocked, Illumi not only doesn’t seem hurt by the attack, everything behind him had not been affected by it as well.
111
“Tell me… Why did you attack my friend… The boy’s family… Why!? Why do they have to die!?” said Illumi, covered in darkness, as the moon is hidden by the clouds.
“You’re confusing me. I thought you were weak, but it seems like I was wrong. I’m sure I killed you, I mean, no living being can survive after being crushed like that. And what confuses me even more, is your moronic questions…” the creature was genuinely confused as he asked. But it couldn’t help but being angry.
“Don’t lie to me, beast… I already figured it out… You crazed beast worked like a hive mind. You think alike, you move in sync. And what’s more, you have been targeting me, for some reason…” Illumi continued asking.
“Moronic… Such a waste of my time. If you want to know more about the crazed beast… You should be asking yourself…” The creature took an attack stance.
The cloud started to clear out, revealing Illumi, standing still, with a big stretched smile, and his eyes glowing bright red. Illumi started laughing maniacally.
The creature launched itself towards Illumi, swinging both of its right paw at Illumi, an attack so strong, it left a huge hole on where Illumi stood. But he had already dodged, standing behind the creature, still laughing maniacally.
“Doesn’t seem like I can kill you without taking this seriously. Whoever you are, I will purge you from this world. You are dangerous…” said the creature, before his body started shrinking twice its size, his aura and energy condense, and letting out an even more stronger pressure, strong enough to destroy a boulder near it.
It stands itself right up, with its two legs, its body morphs into an anthropomorphic version of itself.
Its face is semi human, with its golden fur that shines with the help of the moonlight. Its stature is that of an mesomorph male, standing at the height of 230 centimeters with 2 sets of hands.
“I hope you’re ready to die.” said the creature, as he prepared for an attack.
Illumi is still laughing from afar, making the creature more agitated. Instantaneously, the creature stood behind him, throwing a single punch, but was blocked by Illumi, who raised both of his hands. But the punch was so powerful, it launched Illumi through the open space, blown by the creature’s first attack.
It seems the attack affected Illumi, as he stood in daze, and a loud ringing reverberated inside his skull. The creature didn’t give Illumi any time to recover, and continued its barrage of attacks. Illumi couldn’t do anything but block it physically, with the help of hardened dirt to soften the blows.
His expression slowly started to change, as though he was back being himself, but the creature couldn’t care a bit.
Regaining a bit of his consciousness, the only thing he could see and feel, is the hardened fist of the creature, hitting him multiple times. At times, it is as though Illumi had died many times, but quickly regained his life, only to be pummeled to death, again and again.
The creature backed off for a bit, as he loses stamina bit by bit with every attack.
“It doesn’t seem like death… would kill you. Funny thing to say, but it makes no sense. No one is powerful enough for such a feat. As I said before… You are too dangerous to be kept alive. I will keep on killing you, as many times as it takes!” said the creature exclaiming his intention.
Leaping with a great force, the creature continued its attacks on Illumi, who couldn’t do anything but to accept his fate.
“Stop… please…” Illumi spoke softly, begging for mercy.
“You might regain your consciousness. But it changes naught. With how easily the evil miasma affects you, you are nothing but a bomb, waiting to explode, and do something far worse than the hateful magistrate. I was right about you being weak all along. Mentally.” said the creature, continuously throwing its punches with 4 of its hands, not holding back.
What felt like years, could have been a few minutes, but it matters not for either party, as they both wanted it to end. The creature once again backs off from Illumi, collecting his composure, as he starts to show fatigue. Illumi collapsed to the ground, most of his body beaten to pulp, with shards of bones sticking out, through his muscles and skins.
“As my attacks don't kill you permanently. It seems like the only way is to exterminate your whole being. With this final magic that I will cast, using all the energy that is left inside me. I will obliterate you. May it be the thing that killed you. Or may the gods and goddess show mercy on everyone’s soul.” the creature said, raising all of its hand, with the palm encircling a space.
The energy surrounding, and its own, started to concentrate between his palms, forming into a dense ball, glowing a bright shade of purple, as thunderous bolts sparks from the air surrounding it.
All of the sudden, a figure of a woman glows brightly of light, appearing behind Illumi, hugging him, as if she’s protecting Illumi, who’s already lost his consciousness, once again.
The creature was stunned, though as if he’s seeing someone it knew, and hesitated to attack.
“Y-You’re still around… Yu–” the creature called out to the glowing figure.
But his words were cut off, as he turned to his side, and seeing almost half of its body had disappeared, leaving a large sphere-shaped wound. He saw a glance of Illumi, having one of his mangled hands raised towards it.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
With 2 of the hands that was keeping the dense ball of energy contained gone. It had gotten unstable, and exploded instantaneously, destroying everything, in a 100 meter radius, with a large mushroom cloud expanding through the sky.
The explosion had affected the area surrounding, with vegetation shaved off from the ground, and a huge crater carved into the earth, and the air was filled with sparks of lightning.
Hours passed as the storm of dust started to settle in, and the sun started to rise from the east. There was no sign of life anywhere, not even in a kilometer radius. The wind started to blow quite hard, and the gust blew away the sandy ground, revealing a sizable glass like shield, and underneath, was Illumi, with his body slowly, regenerating itself.
As it seems, the glowing figure had protected Illumi from the explosion. But she’s no longer in sight, leaving Illumi alone on the ground.