“This time for sure, you’ll die…”, the shadow muttered as it jumped from building to building like a ninja. ‘I have finally found your whereabouts, this time you won’t escape!’

The shadow leaped from building to building in just mere seconds, since the status system exists beyond human capabilities were possible. If one has a high ‘Agility’ stats that does not just increase someone’s speed it also increases ones move ability.

“Found you!”, the shadow arrived on top of the Inn. ‘Kukuku, how does it feel like to know you’re life is about to vanish any instant.’, if someone could see the shadows face the they would be able to tell that it had a smug look on it.

The shadow found a open window and entered the facility, the room was empty and the window was simply open to freshen up the room.

The shadow took out a ring and placed it in one of its fingers, the shape of the cloaked shadow suddenly disappeared.

‘Just as I thought, these magic rings are really handy!’, the shadow was using a magic item to not just conceal its presence but appearance as well.

The shadow went downstairs, and searched the private files from the employees. Every time someone rents a room, their names are written down to make sure that they wouldn’t allow anyone else inside the rooms without key. Unless the person who rented it authorized it then they could enter the room.

‘… here it is ‘Shiro’, so this is where you are.’, the invisible person remembered the room number and headed towards its destination.

It tried to open the door to the room, but it was locked. The shadow took out a lock pick and effortlessly unlocked the door.

‘Now die!’, the shadow threw a dagger from its cloak, the dagger hit the wooden walls instead of hitting its promised target.

“Huh? Where is he? I’m sure he’s supposed to be here.”, the shadow took out its ring to cancel the invisibility and searched the room for clues.

Eventually it found a letter under the sheets, it was a curled up paper with something written on it.

‘Knightfall’ was the location marked on the map, the shadow let the paper fall down and fell to its knees.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!”

 

 

 

“Achoo! Sniff… I wonder what this thing will do to me?”, I was looking at the bluish white glowing liquid inside the potion flask. Every single time I glanced at it my temptation to drink it grew.

“What are you talking about master?”, Athena seemed curious as to what I was talking about.

We were already leaving ‘Ashen’ and moving towards the town ‘Knightfall’, the name was a tribute to the hero who was known for his incredible sword display. It was the town where the hero had lost its life in and that’s why they’ve called it ‘Knightfall’

I had everyone pack their things and get ready for journey, I ordered a carriage to take us there. It would take around three days to get there, including the stops we would have to make it will take almost four days.

“Is that the rest of the reward that the alchemist promised?”, Alice asked. She was the one who came with me and did the quest after all.

“Yeah… maybe I should’ve asked for a second one.”, I regretted not having demanded for more, I would’ve felt bad if I asked for more but maybe it would’ve been for the better.

“What does it do?”, Athena asked. “Yeah that’s the problem, I have no idea what it will do.”, I said.

“Then why did you take it?”, Alice was doubtful whether it could be taken as a reward at all. “Well if I use it on humans it’ll heal them, but it might work differently on other races though and that’s what I’m scared of, or rather wary of.”

I opened the bottle and used ‘Liquid Manipulation’ to take out a very small portion of the potion. “I think potions are made to be drunk fully not just one drop.”, Alice told me.

“Yeah, I know but maybe even a small drop would be Abel to do some effect.”, the small drop of the potion entered my mouth. I gulped it down despite it being eh smallest drop possible.

“Meh, nothing happened.”, I felt nothing changing not even a skill going up nor do I feel any signs of healing. “Told you.”, Alice said as if she knew it would happen from the beginning.

“Okay, we’re making a stop here to let the horses rest.”, the driver announced and the carriage stopped moving. Willow was asleep so I left him in there and went out together with Athena, Alice and Azure.

“Fuaaaah!”, Alice  stretches her body, inside the carriage it was sort of cramped thus the feeling she must be having right now must be amazing.

“Wow, I’m sort of jealous.”, I said. “What are you jealous of?”, Alice asked because she felt my gaze being directed at her.

“Of having bones.”, I spoke those words as if it was the most normal thing ever. “That’s what you’re jealous of?!”, Alice overreacted. (In my perspective)

“You know, being a ‘Soul’ like being isn’t as fun as it sounds, I can barely feel my bones, it’s like they’re dull or something. Though I can feel my body completely fine.”, I told her my complaints when suddenly Azure came in.

“Hey Master look! Don’t I look cute!”, Azure spin around showing her new clothing. She was wearing a long skirt that almost reached the ground and a tailor shirt.

“Yeah, you almost look like a nobles daughter.”, I praised her style and Alice smirked. “Of course she does, I was the one who chose it for her.”, Alice was proud of herself.

“Woo-hoo, congratulations. What you want now? A cookie?”, seriously I wish I could destroy that small pride of hers.

“So may I ask why we’re going to ‘Knightfall’?”, Alice brought up a topic I haven’t touched. I haven’t told them yet the true reason as to why I chose ‘Zeltram’ as the country I fled to.

It’s not that I didn’t want to tell them…. it’s because I forgot. “It’s because a relative of an old friend of mine is in danger you could say.”, I told her.

Alice realized what I meant and sighed. “Is it from your village?”, she asked and I nodded as a form of confirmation.

“Master, I want to do something.”, Athena suddenly said breaking the tension. “What is it?”,

“I…”, Athena seemed to be struggling to speak out, but then she clenched her fists and said. “I would like to duel you!”

‘Huh? Why? Ehm… why, saying it again, why?’, I was confused by her sudden request. “Uhm, why do you want to duel?”

“Master, would you please accept.”, Athena requested me to accept and dodged the question, even Alice and Azure were quite confused. “Fine, if that’s what you want.”

I accepted her request and walked towards the fields and prepared to fight. “So, are we just going to use ‘Swordsmanship’ or is magic allowed too?”, I asked her about the rules.

“We’re mainly fighting with swords but the use of magic is allowed. We’ll fight until one of us gives up or is incapacitated.”, Athena set the rules and took out the magic sword she received from Willow.

Alice and Azure sat down and watched to see if it would be entertaining. Even Willow who was asleep could be seen through the blinds in the carriage, watching us with curiosity. “Make sure you don’t get hurt Athena.”, Alice cheered for her friend.

‘Why did she suddenly want to fight? She was never like that…’, Alice thought before Azure started the countdown.

“Alright in three, two, one…. And go!”, Athena activates her Magic Sword and a torrent of flames were shot towards me like a flamethrower.

‘She’s going on the offensive already.’ I had to react fast or I would be turned into beef! I used ‘Flame Manipulation’ shot out a similar torrent of fire towards her.

Two flaming colors collided each other, but the fiery red one was overtaken by the barrage of pitch black flames. Athena dodged it and ran towards me.

I materialized my blades and collided them with hers, the strength coming from my opponent wasn’t as much as I expected by the entrance caused by her.

I used my second sword to attack, but she broke my calibration by swinging her sword upwards to stop the impact but it ended up throwing me back a little.

‘For some reason I think she wants to kill me!’, I made small fist sized ice cubes and shot them towards Athena, she dodged three out of five and the other two had hit her in the leg and stomach.

She fell to one knee and held her hand in front of her stomach to hold the pain. “Are you alright?—“, I reached out to her but she swinger her head left and right in denial.

“Let’s continue.”, Athena stood up and pointed her sword towards me.

‘Now I’m eighty portent sure she wants to kill me.’, I joked, I went back to position and prepared myself.

This time I went on the offensive, I used the spell ‘Strengthen Body’ to make myself stronger and faster than before. Unlike the spell ‘Body Enhancement’, this one is more like adding knuckles to you fists or making yourself less heavy to be able to run faster.

I clashed my swords once again with Alice, we clashed again and again, however in this fight it seemed more like she was being pushed back.

It wasn’t that I was stronger, though that is also a factor in our fight. It’s because I have a higher skill level that made me better at fighting. It’s like when you just hit a stick with stick you don’t always hit in the same position you change the ways you fight with a sword to overcome your opponent.

Athena was struggling to keep her sword at a level where she knows she won’t get hit but the position and the way I fight with my sword changed after every hit.

‘It feels weird, I’ve never done these movements before yet they come as if I’ve always known them… weird.’, I thought when suddenly I heard something crack.

The sound came from my swords, they started to crack due to the insane barrage of attacks. My swords were made from a new metal that had not existed before due to the consumption of ‘Dark’ attribute mana. They may have gotten a small upgrade but that doesn’t mean it’s stronger than any metal.

“I give up, I lose.”, Athena put her sword back in its scabbard and walked back to the carriage.

The driver had been watching as well and was quite impressed by the display, Alice was astounded by her friends skill and Azure seemed to be very excited.

“I want to fight master too!”, Azure exclaimed but I wasn’t really feeling like it anymore. “No thanks I’ve had enough for today, I don’t want my clothes to get anymore dirty than what they already are.”

We were fighting with our casual clothes and not our armor we had bought.

Athena went back inside the carriage without saying a word, I couldn’t even tell what her expression was anymore after that fight.

“Anyway, that was that and this is this.”, I walked towards Alice and looked at her in the eyes.

“You’re useless.”, I told her straight in the face.

 

<< The levels of 'Mana Manipulation', 'Dual Soul Blade Technique', 'Flame Manipulation' and 'Liquid Manipulation' have increased. >>

 

 

 

After that I started training Alice, she was sort of useless in combat the best she could do in her state is cast buffs for the team like a healer.

However there was also one more thing I learned from her is that… she has no talent whatsoever. She can’t even swing a sword correctly, it took me the the whole trip to just teach her ‘Swordsmanship’ I was thinking about giving her my staff but it would be useless in her hands.

“Don’t worry Ali, I’m sure there’ll be something you’ll be good at.”, Azure comforted Alice who was looking down. ‘Ali’ is the nickname Azure have her in our journey they were both being trained unfortunately it didn’t seem like Azure was any better at ‘Swordsmanship’ either.

“We finally arrived here! Took us long enough, I was startin’ to feel my legs go numb!”, Willow stretched, he didn’t want to learn any fighting skills in particular so he chose to do nothing the whole trip.

Athena was dead silent the whole trip, there was something definitely wrong but I wasn’t really sure how to address the situation.

“I have to leave here, Willow I know I’ve been making you do a lot lately but could you find an Inn for us to stay?”, I asked of him another request. “Ya really need to stop apologizin’ it’s startin’ to get annoying.”

Willow nodded though despite his remark. “Thanks, I’ll be going now I see you all later.”, I said goodbye and walked off into the distance.

I looked back once again and I still couldn’t tell what Athenas expression was.

I looked at the map Helena sketched out for me and found the shop of the guy named Gill.

I was about to open the store, but the door was opened from the other side. “Are you Shiro?”, the voice asked and I nodded since he could see me from the other side.

“Get in.”, and so I entered the store, it was similar to Helena's but this one was more organized. “I heard you from Helena, she told me you needed assistance in finding an acquaintance of your who was sold as a slave?”

I was shocked by how on mark he was. “Oh don’t worry, any information that you want to keep among us will stay that way.”, he said the same thing as Helena, alchemists seem to get a ton of different type of customers even those who are here for possibly illegal stuff.

“I’ll show you the way, come with me.”, he said opening a door form the back of his shop.

‘Wow, I haven’t even said a single word.’, I simply followed him without saying a word.

“Oh, sorry if I am speaking a lot. I am simply nervous to come here again.”, Gill said, he suddenly stopped and turned right. “This is as far as I’ll be able to guide you, I don’t want people to see me here it would damage my reputation quite a bit.”, Gill said.

“Thank you for guiding me here.”, I thanked him and he shook his head. “No need to thank me, I’m just doing a favor for a friend of mine. Oh yeah one more thing before I go.”

“The slave trader is known for being sort of weird so watch out okay, see you later.”, Gill left without giving me a second to even question him.

From the back of his shop we walked down a dark alley until eventually I was in front of some sort of door that would lead me to the slave trader.

I opened the door, and found myself on the other side. The inside felt more like I was in some sorts of ruins. I suddenly felt weird, it was as if all mana around me suddenly changed.

“Hahahahaha!!! Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!”, a voice came from the end of the hallway. I slowly walked towards the source of the voice and found myself within a huge and open room.

“To think ‘you’ would be present here today earlier than what expected. This must be no mere coincidence, it simply cannot be. The fact that 'you' are here means, hahaha!”, the source of the voice presented itself before me.

It had a elegant suit and blood red eyes, pale skin and fangs that looked like they were meant to drink blood. “I see, so this must be ‘fate’!”, the vampire made its presence loud and clear.