Jason rolled around, elbows bending and trembling to prop the rest of his body up. He reached the halfway point before his joints gave in and his chin slammed onto the ground.

Every fiber of his being screamed out in pain.

[Sanguine Lightning has been re-locked.]

[Your body has been put under a lot of stress. Please, abstain from any strenuous activities while you recover.]

The wisps of crimson, zapping energy that slithered around Jason fizzled out. All that was left were the sizzling ripples of pain that lit up his nerves... and an uncomfortable emptiness in his chest.

His vision spun. His head was clammy with sweat. And his breathing was coming out in ragged bursts.

He wanted to lay down, close his eyes, and rest, but Alexa was still there. And when Jason thought of the way she assaulted, something inside him urged him to reach out within that emptiness again and pull out that devastating power.

No one would have been hurt if he did so from the start.

[Raven has locked her gaze onto you.]

[Raven is feeling mixed emotions.]

He banged his fist into concrete, feeling a twinge shooting up his entire arm. 'Raven can go fuck herself.' He brought one knee up, and with a mighty push, climbed back to his feet.

The world just wouldn't stand still!

Jason's knees wobbled, his muscles protesting. He blinked the haze off his vision and slowly, with baby steps, made his way to the tree Alexa was propelled into.

Buttscratch was there, holding her hand while muttering something. Jason couldn't see the Mempa's expression with his back turned, but from the way his small shoulders were haunched back, trembling... something cold settled in Jason's heart, in his lungs.

'Please, don't tell me...'

He bit his tongue and picked up the pace. Fuck the pain.

Buttscratch, hearing him approaching, scooted to the side, a somber look on his face.

And then Alexa's weak, disheveled form came into view.

Jason's heart lurched.

She was... pale. Not that she wasn't pale before, but that was her natural complexion. Now she was pasty white, sweaty, eyes unfocused. Her breathing was brittle, blood smearing the corner of her lips.

More of it spilled out with each cough that clawed its way out of her throat.

Jason threw himself on the ground, crawling the rest of the way. He cradled one of her hands in his, looking for some sort of responsiveness, "Alexa..." his voice had never been so soft before, so concerned, "Hey, come on, girl. You're not dying, are you?"

Her eyes flickered into his, conveying a silent apology.

"Say something?"

Her lips struggled to part, to curve her words into a single sentence, but only empty air tumbled out.

Jason's hands balled into fists. He reveled in the pain of his muscles tearing further apart. It kept his mind, if only briefly, off of the fearful thought of Alexa potentially... dying.

"She can't heal herself," Buttscratch said softly, "She tried to, before."

Jason closed his eyes, mind churning, elaborating, looking for a way, anything that would help her survive. That was the worst outcome possible. Alexa might have magical powers, but her body was not built to withstand blows like that.

He knew he wouldn't be able to withstand blows like that.

Fear surged in his bloodstream.

He hung his head low, hair covering his eyes.

"Hey, Raven... you're not letting her die, are you?" it started as a whisper, but as his emotions spilled out, it got progressively louder, "Are you fucking letting her die, RAVEN?!"

[...]

Buttscratch was taken off guard, but wisely decided to withhold his words.

[Raven is not happy with you.]

Jason held onto a thread of hope; hope that Raven could help her. She was a Goddess, wasn't she? Surely, there was something she could do, even if she wasn't allowed to descend into the world and heal Alexa herself.

"Come on, Raven. Please."

[...]

[Raven expresses her regret, for she is unable to do anything.]

Jason felt himself slipping into a dark, cold abyss. His throat tightened, his breathing shallow. 'No. Fucking. Way.' A spark ignited in his stomach. A spark that threatened to call forth that same power that rendered him helpless.

And then he snapped his head to the sky, as if to make eye contact with Raven through layers of clouds and an entire dimensional plane of distance.

"Raven... I'm saying this from the bottom of my broken heart. If you don't do anything to save Alexa, you can kiss your village bye-bye, because I'll be heading there to kill them all myself."

Buttscratch's eyes widened comically, a whimper bursting out of his lips. As a Mempa, he could instinctively — more so than others — feel the well of frightening power Jason was unconsciously drawing upon, with each labored breath.

A crimson bolt of lightning surged around him. It came as quickly as it went, yet it left a deep impression in Buttscratch.

[...]

[Raven is emitting killing intent.]

Threatening a Goddess was not a smart idea, but Jason would rather take his chances with an enraged Raven than a dead Alexa.

"P-P-Please, don't do so... I c-can help you..."

A voice, a new one, suddenly broke the silence. Chains clattered. Wood creaked. And when Jason turned back, where the abandoned wagon was, he could make out a pair of hands folding around the bars of the cage.

Someone was staring at him.

Jason stood up and approached the wagon. It was worn-out, the wheels rusted. The cage the voice wafted from was barricaded with wooden planks and covered in a layer of cloth. Only the entrance could be seen, darkness engulfing the space beyond the bars.

His steps drew to a halt, his shoulders squared. And even with the bleeding gash on his chest, Jason still cut quite the imposing figure.

He couldn't show weakness in such a critical situation.

Red eyes peered at him timidly. Not quite the crimson of the ichor running down Jason's torso, but a soft punch hue. The hands holding the bars tightened, "I-I can help you," and then a face peeked out of the darkness. It was delicate, soft, feminine, yet caked in filth and blood.

The visage of someone who had gone through hardship.

Dark hair cascaded down trembling, pale shoulders. It was hard to notice due to how it easily blended with the shadows, but it surely drew attention to the owner's eyes, now glimmering with determination. Motivation.

Jason was willing to trust even the Devil himself if it meant there was the slightest possibility that Alexa could be saved, "You better not be lying," he said, simply.

The unspoken threat was delivered smoothly.

She shook her head, hair swaying around. Still, Jason could see a spark of fear in her eyes. His earlier statement must have come as quite the shock. And it suited him just fine.

Buttscratch hooted and knuckle-walked up to him, "I-I found this while, y'know, groping around that lance guy's corpse. Don't judge me, heh," and then he handed a bronze key to Jason.

He took it, turned it around, analyzed it, and then eyed the keyhole in the middle of the bars.

"What's your name?"

She averted her gaze, "It's... Caspiano."

"Caspiano..." Jason repeated softly. Definitely not a feminine name. Or maybe it was. 'It's a different world, after all.'

Caspiano screwed her eyes shut, trembling a bit harder.

Jason was in no mood to ponder the 'ins-and-outs' of Caspiano's gender. He slotted the key in its hole, twisted it, and with a click, the gates creaked open.

"You're free."

"I'm... free..." Caspiano rasped out, tentatively reaching one pale foot forward. Perhaps she miscalculated her strength, or lack thereof, and tumbled down straight into Jason's arms.

She was clothed in only a threadbare, oversized rag. It used to be a shirt, once. Now it was riddled with tears and holes and the accumulated filth of her life in that cramped, dingy cage.

Flustered, she squeaked out a sound that reminded Jason of a frightened rodent and hastily tried to back out of his arms.

"S-S-Sorry..." Caspiano stuttered, ignoring the blood now smeared across her face as she desperately tugged the bottom hem of her shirt down, to cover her modesty.

"Forget about it. Just do your thing."

[Raven is gazing intently at your actions.]

Jason walked past Caspiano, and she hastened to catch up, almost tripping down a couple of times. She had to run while keeping her shirt down, lest she flashed the entire world.

Alexa was teetering on the edge. He could almost see the life fizzling out of her eyes. Naturally, Caspiano, being more expert than he was, could discern more clearly the gravity of her condition.

"I'm sorry about the threat..." Jason started, holding Alexa's hand, "... I don't want to hurt anybody, I just want her to be okay. So please... do something."

And then he closed his eyes, as if in prayer.

Caspiano couldn't help but be surprised at the thinly veiled desperation in his voice. Strong people don't simply beg weak people. They don't ask. They order.

She briefly glanced at one of the armored corpses, the biggest and strongest one. He was the one who raided their village... who kidnapped, killed, maimed, and turned her life upside down, finding no resistance among the villagers.

Caspiano wasn't built to fight. None of 'them' were. Tragedy loved to strike the ones wholly unprepared for it.

'It's not time to think about that.'

Jason had opened his eyes and was now staring at her, deep, bottomless silver pits scrutinizing the rise and fall of her chest, and the way she, apprehensively, hovered her hands over Alexa.

A warm, faint glow bathed Alexa in its gilded rays.

A line of sweat traced a path down Caspiano's nose. It had been so long since she last cast a spell. Any attempt at drawing out her inner power would have been tagged as 'defiance' against the raiders. And any foolish to do so were decapitated and hung to a pole as an example for all to see.

Truly a gruesome sight.

And, despite the simplicity of this particular spell, Caspiano's inactivity had left her taxed and breathless already.

Alexa's eyes fluttered shut, her breathing evening out. She didn't seem to be in pain, but the fact that she had yet to wake up didn't relieve Jason of his concerns.

"T-This is the best I can do for now. She's stable and not in any danger, b-but we need to bring her back to the village," Caspiano looked at Jason, gauging for a reaction, "W-We have some herbs that could greatly help her. Umh, if it's okay with you, of course..."

Jason ignored her in favor of studying Alexa's face, even going as far as brush a lock of blond hair out of her eyes. Caspiano was once again startled by the care he was showing a Trapling, "And can you guarantee she'll make a full recovery if we get... those herbs?"

"Y-Yes... we might not be fighters, but we're great Gardeners and Potioneers."

"In that case, let's not waste any more time," Jason said, pushing himself up.

"Umh..." Caspiano hesitated. She didn't even dare to look at him.

"What's the problem?"

And then she demurely pointed at the wagon, "C-Can they come with us too, please?" she immediately hunched her shoulders together for protection, as if expecting him to lash out for such a harmless request.

Jason looked back, only to find that more prisoners had stepped out of their shared cell. Dirty rags clung to skinny, malnourished bodies. Just like with Caspiano, they were extremely androgynous, making it nigh impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

They were huddled together, staring at him, wondering what he'd do next. Caspiano mustered enough courage to look at him straight in the eyes, and he could easily pick up the desperate plea hiding in hers, like a ripple in those red pools that were her eyes.

"Caspiano," he started, softly, "I'm not going to hurt any of you."

Her shoulders drooped, releasing some of the tension.

"T-Thank you."

"Can they make the journey back?"

Caspiano nodded, "Yes, the village is not far from here... it... shouldn't be a problem."

"That's good to hear. Go check them out and see if they're ready to depart. We're going to set out in five minutes."

She nodded again, hair bobbing up and down as she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much!" and then she turned around, and with both hands clutching at the bottom hem of her shirt, she skipped back to her group.

Except that... her foot didn't find the right balance on an upturned lump of earth, and the result was her face having an intense meeting with the ground.

'Oh... Lord.'

Caspiano's tattered shirt curled up past her waist. And, because she was on all fours, Jason had a front-seat view of her... 'his' bare backside. A white, bubbly butt. Definitely the kind he'd seek out in any woman. Unfortunately, this one belonged to a guy. The clean-shaven nutsack barely peeking out of his thighs could be a testimony to that.

'This world doesn't make sense, at all.'

Caspiano froze, figuring out what was going on. He trembled, not out of pain, but embarrassment. He turned his head around, slowly, and stared at Jason, a massive blush spread across his face.

Naturally, Jason faked innocence and looked away, for both of their mental sanity.

"..." Caspiano picked himself up and quietly wobbled away, hands tugging furiously at his shirt. This time he made it back to his fellow villagers in one piece.

Jason didn’t idle. His sword was broken. Unusable. So he looked around, finding that robbing the corpses of their belongings was not quite as ‘bad’ as being the main reason they were in that state in the first place.

He filed that thought away and walked up to the dropped sword one of the knights had abandoned during his hasty retreat. He picked it up, admiring it, evaluating it. He was no expert, but he liked how it was perfectly balanced. The blade was slim yet sharp, its guard gold, and its hilt wrapped in a black cloth

And so, just like the previous two times, he swung it.

The edge cut through the air powerfully, like a guillotine ready to harvest heads. Jason absolutely loved how in control he felt of the weapon, almost like an extension of his body. Almost. Not quite there yet. Something was missing.

[Congratulations, you have received a rank advancement quest.]

[Requirement 1. Bring your ‘Reflexes’ stat to (D).]

[Requirement 2. Bring your ‘Agility’ stat to (D).]

[Requirement 3. Bring your ‘Strength’ stat to (D).]

[Requirement 4. Master a ‘Beginner Sword Art’.]

[Reward: ‘Sword Mastery’ (D)]

[Rank: Sword Adept]

[Time Limit: None]

‘A beginner sword art’?

Jason was further surprised when a flutter of glitchy lights materialized in front of him. A book, thin and leather-bound, dropped in his hands. He turned it around, staring at the silver title emblazoned across its surface.

‘A Beginner Sword Art… For Beginners.’

‘ - By Candis.’

Candis. That name, he remembered it. Hard not to when he was someone who helped in the creation of the ‘System’. Still, the requirements were quite tight. Which was fine. He was willing to work hard for that kind of power.

He looked to the side, where Alexa was sleeping peacefully.

Yeah, he was definitely going to achieve the pinnacle of power.

Jason grabbed the sheath the knight discarded in the hopes he’d run faster if he carried less weight. He strapped it to his waist and sheathed the sword, feeling a bit more confident now that he was properly equipped.

Well, not exactly ‘properly’.

He glanced at the entourage of dead knights and got to work. ‘May the Lord forgive me for this.’ Jason smiled inwardly. He didn’t want the armor to weigh him down, so he only ‘borrowed’ a pair of iron arm guards and leather shoulder guards. He even draped a black cloak over his shoulder, in case the weather worsened.

“Buttscratch, can you hold this for me? It’s for Alexa, when she wakes up,” Jason said, handing his primate friend a cloak similar to his own, and a bunch of items that’d better safeguard her.

Buttscratch struggled to hold the bundle, “A-Aye, no problemo. I got this!” he hooted confidently, “B-But what about Alexa?”

“I’ll carry her.”

Firm words. No hesitation.

“A-Are ye sure? You’re still wounded…”

“Yes, I’m sure,” mostly because he wouldn’t allow anyone else but him to take care of her right now.

Buttscratch nodded quietly.

Jason crouched down and scooped Alexa up, securing her in his arms, one hand under her knees while the other wrapped around her side. He made sure her head was nestled comfortably in the crook of his neck.

Caspiano made his way back to him, a bunch of girls, no, guys, behind him. Jason had to remind himself that the population of the Trapling Village was likely to be made entirely of… impossibly feminine, pretty boys.

After a quick round of introductions, in which Jason learned the name of the three boys; Belil, the blue-haired, shyly smiling boy in the middle; Cristiano, the quiet, blonde-haired boy on the left, and Sammy… a child.

Jason couldn’t help but feel a knot twist his stomach at that.

‘This world is more fucked up than I thought it’d be.’

He had, not even half an hour ago, murdered someone. Admittedly, it was in self-defense, so he didn’t feel particularly bad about it. He wondered if he’d get into any trouble due to that.

“Caspiano. Can I trust you and Buttscratch to lead us to your village?”

A nod was his reply. Caspiano’s expression was oddly subdued.

Just before he could ask what was wrong, Caspiano forced a weak smile and started walking, “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”

“Yeah…”

One way or another, she will be fine.

…

The sun descended past the treelines, barely keeping the sky alive with its faded orange hue.

They had been walking for hours, according to Jason’s internal clock, which, could have been wrong. His feet were killing him, but he wouldn’t stop until they reached the village, until he got his hands on those life-saving herbs.

The journey was mostly silent. A grim silence. Caspiano nearly fell a couple of times, but he soldiered on, no doubt weakened by the hunger and the days of confinement.

Belil was carrying Sammy in his arms, the child fast asleep in his bosom. Jason would hear, from time to time, Belil cooing soft words into Sammy’s ears, whenever the latter woke up and started sobbing.

Eventually, the fading ripples of acrid smoke could be seen billowing up to a darkening sky.

“We’re here,” Caspiano said, “I-I apologize… we can’t welcome you properly.”

“It’s fine,” Jason replied, “A lot has happened. I just want the day to end.”

Caspiano nodded, the shadow of a smile on his face.

The road ended at the start of a clearing, exactly where the smoke was wafting from. Sharp wooden planks surrounded the village in a circle, though most of it was wrecked, allowing a lone path inside.

Corpses were strewn all around.

Jason was not desensitized enough to confidently say it didn’t bother him. Because it did. So much death, and for what? What was the reason behind such senseless carnage?

Whatever tiny amount of guilt he still held after killing those guys was immediately smothered at the sight of the village.

“Welcome to our village, Jason,” Caspiano took in a deep breath, dropping to his knees with tears spilling out of his eyes, “A-A-And thank you for saving us!”

Belil and Cristiano also bowed their heads in gratitude.

Jason didn’t feel like he deserved such genuine words. If Alexa died, he probably wouldn’t have saved them, just to spite Raven.

But Caspiano didn’t mind the reason, he was simply thankful to be alive.

“Don’t worry…” Jason waved them off, “As long as Alexa is saved…”

Caspiano nodded, standing back up and wiping the outpouring of tears off his eyes, “Of course. I didn’t forget. Come with me,” then he turned to Belil, “Please, can you… can you check up on Lilion… maybe he’s alive?”

Belil wore a bitter smile, tightening his hold on Sammy, “Yes,” with a last dip of his head in Jason’s direction, he walked off, Cristiano quietly following him.

Without further ado, onward they went.

Wooden splinters, caked in gore, crunched under Jason’s shoes. Blood and slaughter carpeted their official entrance to the Trapling Village.

Caspiano was stone-faced, though it was forced, a mask he crafted to keep himself sane. It was, after all, quite easy to tell how much the surrounding stench of death bothered him.

Jason was also disturbed by the pile of corpses that stared back at him, every step of the way. Perhaps, it was a good thing Alexa was not awake to see this.

The village — what little survived through the wreckage — was barely more modern than what he’d consider ‘primitive’. Huts with thatched roofs were clustered together.

He caught a few heads peeking at them through the windows. And whenever he’d turn around to stare back, they’d retreat back into the shadows.

The fear was palpable in the air.

Jason stepped over a corpse, the sole of his shoe dipping in a puddle of blood, leaving crimson shoeprints behind as he followed Caspiano.

“This is what I meant, Jason,” Buttscratch whispered sadly.

The harsh reality of being weak in a world not regulated by laws and civilized people. Yes, he could see it for himself. Jason thinned his lips into a line and dipped his head in mournful silence.

“Is your species hunted down as well?”

Buttscratch let a few seconds of thoughtful silence hang between them, “Aye,” he sighed with emotion, “Y’know, mindless beasts are hunted either for sport or food… but the more intelligent species, the ones not strong enough to be ‘recognized’ are hunted for money.”

“Recognized…?”

Caspiano intervened, “T-The war between species that happened long ago almost drove each of them extinct. A-As such… a treaty was stipulated to guarantee that something like that didn’t happen again. And as luck would have it, that treaty ensured ‘peace’ only between the ‘recognized’ ones; The Seven Main Races. The strongest species that conquered a little piece of the world.”

Buttscratch continued where Caspiano left off, “Aye. The Traplings, and many other species, like the Mempas, are not… under the treaty’s protection.”

“Therefore… kidnapping, enslaving, or killing us… won’t lead to a war,” Caspiano concluded grimly, and then he sent an apologetic smile at Jason, “Sorry for interrupting you.”

“No, no… it’s fine…” Jason sighed, processing the information. His hold on Alexa tightened, “Do those… raids happen often?”

The last vestiges of the setting sun died out behind the skyline.

Caspiano bit his bottom lip, “Not too often. They don’t want to purge us, so they always make sure to do a population check, to see how far they can go before we become an endangered species.”

“You saw it, mate… didn’t ya? How they wanted to spare ya. How they wanted to kill us…” Buttscratch reminded gently.

And how could Jason not remember it?

His anger flared a bit, but he squelched it down. He couldn’t let his emotions poison his judgment. Not right now.

“We’re here…” Caspiano eventually said.

Jason looked up, only to see a lone hut. Same thatched roof. Same moldy woodwork. The door was cracked and riddled with gaps.

“Where is this?”

“To see our village head, Roxanne. I figured he’d want to see you… umh… I know it’s not my place to say this, but please, be… kind to him? He’s been under a lot of stress… umh… don’t frighten him.”

“What about Alexa?” Jason immediately asked.

“O-Oh… it’s fine… w-we can take care of her while you talk to him.”

Basically, he’d have to leave Alexa alone with… them?

Seemingly sensing his discomfort, Caspiano was quick to appease him. He raised his hands in a fluster, “W-We can heal her inside. You’ll be next to her the whole time… d-don’t worry,” and then he averted his gaze.

Jason nodded, “Sorry,” he said, apologetically, “It’s not that I don’t trust you…”

“I-It’s fine!” Caspiano forced a chuckle.

“Alright, let’s go inside then…”

“Umh!”

Caspiano tapped the knuckle of her forefinger against the door.

A beat of silence followed, before a very tired “Come in.” sounded out.

He gently pushed the door open, likely mindful of its poor condition.

Caspiano treaded inside, followed by Jason and Buttscratch.

The inside was just like the outside. Shabby. There were no decorations to speak of, only a bed, a desk that looked like it was about to fall apart, an oil lamp next to it, and a chair… that was currently occupied.

Jason stared at the one who called the shots in the village.

And he stared back at him.

Red hair, so deep that it was unnatural, fell in smooth waves down his shoulders and back. It was definitely a gift from nature. No hair had the right to look so… beautifully dangerous, like strands of freshly-spilled blood.

His eyes were dark. Darker than anything he’d ever seen. It was a little off-putting, honestly. And when paired with that hair, and that pale skin, he looked like a doll made to resemble the Devil.

“You’ve… come.”

That same tired, brittle voice was now filled with life.

Jason blinked, and blinked again when he saw the village chief, Roxanne, holding dainty, skinny hands over his mouth, lips trembling, tears building up in his eyes.

“Raven said… said that someone, with eyes of silver, w-would come and… and protect us… you’re him, right? He didn’t lie, did he?”

And then he was standing up, on weak knees, and proceeded to walk over to him, each step hesitant yet hopeful. Roxanne drank in the sight of Jason. Tall, strong, bloodied… a true warrior… holding protectively one of his own in his arms.

“You’re… not going to leave us, are you?” Roxanne asked in a soft voice. No, more like, pleaded. In a sudden act of courage, his fingers pinched the sleeve of Jason’s shirt, tugging at it, “Raven said… we’d be fine…”

[Raven is staring deeply at you.]