Leo headed towards Gothia's southern gate, his mind preoccupied with a multitude of concerns. He urgently needed money; he was eager to improve his swordsmanship, and he couldn't stop thinking about Evelyn.
How could soone like him, lacking in strength, possibly survive in such a harsh world? At the mont, Leo's mind was a chaotic jumble.
"Halt there, citizen! State your purpose for leaving," one of the gatekeepers called out, bringing him back to the present.
"Equalizer, Iron Rank," Leo said, showing his GHMC.
"Ah, my apologies, Mr. Neumond. You may proceed," the soldier's deanor changed upon seeing his Equalizer identification.
Citizens were generally not allowed to leave Gothia without official permission, traveling with a caravan, or signing a waiver acknowledging the risks involved. After all, Gothia hid behind walls for a reason.
Leo nodded to the guards and inquired, "Could you tell the direction to Vulture Forest?"
One guard t the other's gaze, both hesitant to respond. Finally, one of them spoke up.
"Vulture Forest lies north along this road. It's about an hour's walk."
"Thank y—"
"However, sir," the guard interjected, "I wouldn't go there if I were you. I an, no disrespect, but we noticed you're Iron Rank."
"Yes, so?"
"Sir, it's called Vulture Forest for a reason. It's close to Gothia, and many inexperienced Equalizers go there... and don't return. Perhaps they're too lazy to find a safer location, or perhaps they're simply uninford," the soldier concluded, a note of pity in his voice.
"Vultures, huh?" Leo mused.
"It's a silver-rank zone, sir. Be careful," the guard concluded.
"Thank you. I will," Leo replied.
Leo had faith in Roland, so he wasn't overly concerned about the danger. However, the prospect of walking alone to their eting point for over an hour did make him uneasy. Bandits and the occasional leirion were known to prey on lone travelers, and Leo was still quite weak.
After a considerable walk, Leo reached a fork in the road with a small sign that read:
"Beware! Lothar Village."
Choosing the path that led away from the village, he soon noticed a dense wall of trees in the distance, marking the forest's edge. It was a point of no return. Once inside, there was no guarantee he would find his way back out.
Leo took a deep breath and stepped into the woods. After walking about 15 ters, a hushed voice called out to him.
"And where do you think you're going? That confident, are we?" Roland said, stepping out from behind a tree.
"I thought you wanted to enter...".
"Alone? That's a good way to get yourself killed." Roland shrugged. "You didn't even realize I was standing right here. You need to be more alert." He frowned.
Leo lowered his head, chastised. They headed into the forest. It was an incredibly dense woodland, and the sounds of animals and leirions constantly echoed within.
Roland instructed him to make as little noise as possible to avoid being ambushed. "Vulture Forest is unforgiving, lad. One mistake in this labyrinth of trees could be fatal."
They needed to find a clearing as fast as possible, where they could train in peace.
"How do you know the way back, Mr. Roland?" Leo inquired, his tone barely above a whisper.
"I have a magic compass. It always points towards Gothia."
"Is that valuable?" Leonard asked.
"Well, lad, magic compasses are truly expensive due to their complexity and the rarity of the materials."
"Ahhh…" Leo pondered.
While ordinary compasses existed, having one that always pointed to a specific location, rather than simply north, was an incredibly useful and rare tool.
After traversing the thick undergrowth for so ti, they encountered a large pile of rocks with a flawless, enormous athyst crystal embedded at its peak.
The athyst was stunning. "How much was it worth?" The thought flashed through Leo's mind, only to be chased away by Roland's warning.
He glanced at Roland, a question forming on his lips. Their eyes t, and Roland gave a subtle shake of his head, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He then placed a finger to his lips, silencing any further questions.
Roland gestured for him to crouch, and Leo followed suit.
They silently waited in the undergrowth, about forty ters from the srizing crystal.
Thirty seconds passed, and Leo was growing restless and confused. Just as he was about to ask Roland what was happening, a tremor shook the ground.
Leo's eyes widened, and he nearly gasped.
They witnessed the crystal slowly rise from the ground, gaining height until it towered 12 ters above them. A monstrous creature made of stone, branches, and moss slowly erged, still sleepy from its slumber. It had a gorilla-like physique, radiating strength and power.
It was a Rock Fractus, a unique species of troll with its alluring crystal.
The fractus looked around in a frenzied state, searching for sothing around him. After feeling safe, it cald down.
"It's easily provoked. Stay quiet…" Roland whispered almost inaudibly.
As long as they kept their distance, they would be safe.
The monster glanced at so branches near its awakening spot, plunged its hand into the ground, and excavated everything it could grasp, enjoying a mouthful of the debris.
Amidst the mud, branches, and leaves, the fractus swallowed two common hares whole, treating them as re appetizers.
This was the first ti Leo had witnessed a leirion in its natural habitat in such close proximity. Previously, he had only encountered deceased leirions and the infamous lycanthropes that had assaulted Besen village.
He felt a surge of adrenaline. For the first ti he grasped what it ant to be an Equalizer. Instead of fear, he felt a profound sense of distress, and instead of terror, he felt an urge to press onward.
They remained silent, observing the monster as it lumbered away, deeper into the trees.
The ground trembled with each step the fractus took. Its colossal arms aided its gorilla-like gait, toppled trees, and obliterated everything in its path. It was so gargantuan that within seconds, it had traversed a significant distance.
When the fractus was a safe distance away, Roland stood up.
"Damn, lad, that was a fractus. Be careful with those; one slap and you'll be nothing but a mory," Roland quipped.
"It's huge..." Leo was still frightened, his heart pounding in his chest.
"That beautiful crystal you saw is worth a small fortune, but it's a lure—clearly," Roland said, raising a brow.
Roland explained that it typically required a team of three or four Silver-rank Equalizers to hunt one down. A fractus was not to be trifled with. They were incredibly lucky to have seen one and escaped unhard.
Leo felt a surge of excitent. It was as if he was born for this life. He yearned to grow stronger, to fight every leirion he encountered. He had found his purpose.
After walking for another 15 minutes, they ca across a clearing where they could finally train undisturbed.
Roland carried a large, carefully folded leather tarp with him. He set up camp by pitching a tent in the middle of the clearing. Leonard assisted him with the arrangents.
After finishing, Leo stretched his back and legs.
Roland simply stood in the center of the clearing, bent down, picked up a handful of earth, slled it, and seed lost in thought.
"Co on, lad, let's have a conversation with swords," Roland said, grabbing a long wooden training sword and tossing two shorter ones to Leo.
"Yes, sir," Leo replied, catching the swords, their familiar weight grounding him.
Roland, with a wicked smile on his face, told Leonard, "Today you will understand why they call the devil's hand, lad."
Reviews
All reviews (0)