I opened my eyes groggily, waking up from what felt like a hundred-year nap. I blinked, waiting for my vision to focus and my strength to return. The soft crackle of a campfire and its radiating warmth did little to settle my nerves.
What had happened? Werent we fighting that elephant when oh. On the other side of the campfire, I saw a man sitting down. He was roasting a savanna critter on a stick by holding it above the open fla, paying little attention to , or the sleeping figure of Eri that lay huddled up beside . From the mana he gave off, he had comfortably stepped into tier 5, a level of strength that we couldnt escape from, let alone defeat. As things stood, we were at his rcy.
Once he heard stir awake, he looked at with a pointed stare. The mans eyes were ghastly, haunted, even, but his lips twitched upwards into an inviting smile. He had an unkempt beard and wild mane of hair, which fluttered in the savanna wind. His clothing, a long cloak that parted in the middle, was a combination of obsidian and violet, reminding of the gravity powers the elephant had used the day before.
My apprehension must have been visible on my face, because the middle-aged man chuckled a bit.
Is that fear I see on your face? he drawled lazily. Dont worry, had I wanted you dead, you already would be. He said seriously, not even a hint of cody in his tone.
I nodded, but stayed silent. The man seed unfased and continued the one-sided conversation without a care in the world.
So whats your na kid? Mines Dalius. He said. I noticed he paid careful attention to my facial expressions while he said that, but I couldnt figure out why
Havent heard of , huh? Figures
Since I now felt safe enough to converse with this stranger that had saved our lives, I decided there was no reason to continue my silence.
I havent, sorry. Should I have?
No. I should hope not, anyway.
Thanks for saving us. Can I ask what led you to attack that creature just as we did?
Hah! Scared Ill steal your credit, kid? No, I just so happened to be in the country when this one started using my signature mana to show off. I couldnt let that stand, see?
So youre a gravity user.
I am indeed. The one and only Dalius! he said, pointing to himself with both thumbs. Thats .
Did you want anything in return for rescuing us? I asked seriously.
Dont overestimate yourself. I didnt kill that big-eared cow for your sake! Bust since you ntioned it How about this: Once you reach my tier, fight .
Fightyou?
Thats right! Fight ! You seem tough, for your tier. That girly too, for that matter. I could always use another sparring partner. With how many people are settling for diocrity these days, our kind have to co together, you know? he said whimsically.
Our kind? What the hell was he talking about? I didnt want to suddenly piss him off, so I just agreed with him.
Yeah, I get ya...
You have no clue what Im talking about, do you?
Not a clue. I affird.
He gave an intimidating stare, and an invisible pressure bore down on . I felt like I was sinking into the earth ever so slightly. Thinking that a fight was about to break out any second, my hand went to my sword, when the pressure suddenly disappeared.
Hah! I like your attitude! Ignorance is only a sin if youre unwilling to learn! Im talking about our kind, kid! The ones that pursue greatness, no matter the cost! How many people have you t that are satisfied with their assigned roles in life? Its damn near everyone! So many slaves to the system, pissing on the efforts of the true heroes!
I nodded laly, unwilling to even ntion that my parents fell into that category.
Now you, on the other hand, youre exactly what I like to see in a young person! You use dark mana, dont try to hide it he said threateningly. But you dont let that dictate what kind of person you should be! You decide for yourself! Thats what life is all about. Those who give up are already dead, is what I always say.
Right I affird, though I had my doubts about his rhetoric. While I would like to agree with that last part, I wouldnt say that people who stopped leveling up had given up on life. Hells, my mother and father had to work every single day of their lives to put food on the table.
Hahaha! Thats what I like to hear! he shouted, before gulping his roasted critter down in one bite. Now then, its ti for to go. Dont like to stick around in one place for too long, see? Well et again, Im sure. He said as he stood up. With a final wave to say goodbye, he shot into the sky with a loud howl, a purple haze enveloping him as he flew to the horizon. Within monts, he flew out of sight.
The noise had woken Eri up, who, thankfully, seed to be okay physically.
What happened? she murmured as she stirred awake, trying to figure out what was going on.
You know, I just t the most interesting guy. Im not sure if I like him, though
Once I had caught Eri up on what had happened, we took a few more minutes to rest and regain our bearings. Fighting the cursed Elephant had been a tough cautionary tale for us, in the sense that we clearly werent ready yet to fight beasts of such power.
This ti, we had bitten off more than we could chew, and only survived because of a stranger that happened to take offense at the creatures mana-alignnt. A stranger that we could only barely trust, to boot.
The only good thing that had co of this situation, was that we had gotten quite a bit closer to our destination in the process of this request. On top of that, our fight with the cursed beast was bound to have scared off most of the other monsters in the area, which ant that we would make good ti from now on.
Suddenly, Eri rembered sothing.
Wait a minute Where is Swahili? she asked.
The captain of the guards that had guided us here had warned us of the creature that had nearly killed us, and promised to reappear once it had been defeated. I found it strange that she hadnt approached us yet, especially now that Dalius had departed.
Unfortunately, Swahili chose just that mont to clear things up. I say unfortunately, because instead of a warm welco, Eri and I found ourselves surrounded by two dozen guardsn.
Several carried bows, blow darts, and throwing knives, all of which were aid right at . Oh oh.
Swahili appeared out of the shadows, her sword drawn.
Step away from the heretic, chosen one. She spoke, addressing Eri.
Swahili, Eri began, lifting her hands up in surrender, I think youve misunderstood, the man that defeated the cursed beast has already departed! If you have so kind of grudge against him
I do not misunderstand, chosen one! she countered harshly. We hold no grudge against the man that saved your life. But this heretic, that has ensnared your mind with his wiles, seeks to use you for his own ends! Step away from him, so we may free you from his clutches.
I grit my teeth in frustration. Though I had learned to expect things like this, it still hurt to be judged. To be fair, 99% of people with my affinity were lunatics. They were bound to have low expectations at this point. I could tell Eri still hoped to salvage the situation though, so I kept my mouth shut. Unfortunately, I didnt share her optimism. This was only going to go one way.
Arthur is a good person! He isnt controlled by the system like so many others with his mana alignnt! If you make an enemy out of him, you make an enemy out of , too.
We shall free you, chosen one. You shall thank us in the end. Swahili finished, determined.
At that mont, we all knew what to do. Eri pulled her spear from its straps on her back and I drew my sword from its scabbard. None of these people were tier 5, so I felt pretty confident in testing their strength, at least.
Without any further hesitation, chaos erupted.
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