Chapter 39

Two weeks passed by in an instant since we started to depart for the central continent. The speed we are going is pretty slow, Much slower than going by myself but it will be safer. During our trip, We were attacked by many Monsters. Most of them are in large packs but not that strong.

Lemes being the leader guided us in the fight, While Karas and Karias followed his every instruction, I was out doing my own thing. The three of them are strong but unrefined. They have strength but lack technique in them. This is normal because most monsters in Bergaritt are monsters with tough skin and hide that feel like they're digging into a metal.

But Karas and Karias are clearly inexperienced. They work well together but lack any way to protect the carriage. Karias has strength and with his hammer, he can crush through any monsters but he lacks in tack. And while Karas may not have his strength her Broadsword which looks like a hang of metal more than anything can tear them apart too, and she didn't lack anything just there really no communication from her.

Well, it's not like I can say anything about them being inexperienced though, I myself am inexperienced too. Even though I have been an adventurer for three years now, the sheer harshness of bergaritt is unlike anything I have seen on the Central continent, The Monster is stronger than anything I have seen. The sheer size makes it more intimidating. But well, I somehow managed to survive this far.

The other two warriors, Which I learned the name is Keale and Harim. They are strong. But not up to Ghislaine or Paul. Both of them are slow as dirt but they fill it with their defense. Both of them being able to agro the monster is very much appreciated. It makes my protecting the noncombatant easier. Without having to worry much about the people, I can let loose a bit.

But even then, one person is already dead. His name is Colby, and he is from Garuna Village next to Roa.

It happened when we were taking a break. Suddenly, a group of three griffons attacked us. We were on its turf without knowing. The monster was probably stalking us for days on its own turf, Lemes said that it was very territorial, The strike was sudden. They were fast, Faster than anything I had seen on these sands. With just one swoop it takes that guy and then snaps his head with little to no effort.

Of course, we managed to drive them all away but the damage had already been done, I can't revive the dead. With no other option and no time we decide it best to burn his body to the ground lest we want him to turn into undead and wander in this desert.

This made the morale of the survivors drop harshly, and many of them began to lash out against me and Lemes's group. I…understand it. They fear it's going to be them next, even though they know this is dangerous. So the only thing I can do is to take the blame and hope that they will start to become more understanding.

But that's not going to happen anytime soon. People fear the unknown, as well as I do. I, too, fear that I will die. But I can't let that show, can I? After all, I'm the protector of these people. I need to take them back to the central continent safely. Just like how Paul and others came and rescued me all those years ago When he managed to kill the bandit that killed our entire carriage away. Paul and others give me the safety that I need, so I need to give these people the same safety. That was my responsibility, To protect the weak. Just like Paul.

"Oi, Lucy. It's time to change shifts." Karas suddenly stirred me out of my thoughts. His hands were rough, and he didn't hold back his strength at all.

"Hand off me." I swat his hand away, My right arm got a bit of bruise from his grip. Tch, Stupid warriors and their stupid strength. "You should control your strength more."

Applying healing magic on my arm, the bruise goes away like it was never there in the first place.

Karas just shrugs his shoulders and goes off to who knows where. Probably to Karias. Jumping out of the carriage I made my way to the campfire, Lemes was there staring into the sky with some kind of melancholy expression. Not that I care though.

I sat on the opposite seat, watching the flame dancing slowly, My hand was constantly manipulating mana, Making things out of ice. It was hard at first all those years ago but now it was second nature to me.

Making things from memories though, was hard. Right now I try to make Zenith face but no matter what I do it is never the same as in my memory.

"We're going to arrive in a few days. How are you going to find your family?" Lemes spoke up, his face still looking through the stars.

"I will go to the adventurer guild. That place is probably one of the few places my family will go to. After all, it is such a convenient place both to send messages and recruit people." I answered him, The ice face of Zenith bent a little. Shit, I lost my focus.

We're going to arrive at our first stop in a few days. It was a small village from Lemes's word. Smaller than Caram Village. Once there, we will rest for a few days, begin to stock our supplies, and then head out. It will continue like this until we reach a major city where we will take a week off.

With that week off I can use that time to gather more information and maybe find more victims of teleport incidents. But I fear that most of them will already become slaves. I can't help them if that is the case.

I don't have money, no connections, and even if I destroy the slave ring then what about those who willingly sold themselves? Poor people who have nothing sold themselves to have a chance at serving lords or merchants. I knew there were those types too. After all, in the Boreas estates there are at least three people like that. Although most are slaves who got kidnapped.

Lemes didn't say anything after, so I just kept to myself. Training my mana, the night went by slowly. But when the time is up I just walk out and go to wake Harim and Keale up for their turn. After making sure they are up and good to go I go back to the carriage and go to sleep.

/-\\\

More than a month had already passed by, it was fast. One moment I was in the village stocking supplies and healing the wound, another I was in the desert again.

We don't encounter anything as strong as those Griffons on the way, hence our smooth journey with no death. But some people still fell ill due to food poisoning, but quick detoxification magic and a boost from healing magic do the trick.

Right now we are at the entrance of the first city we are going to stop at. The city of Klaribin. It was...underwhelming. This city has no specialty except the Ketosis dungeon Karas spoke about once.

It was not large by any means and even the dungeons aren't the ones who pull the money to this city. No, what this city did have is the largest slave ring in bergaritt.

Just walking into the city makes me want to puke. The poor are everywhere, the smell of rotting flesh and vomit emerges from every street, and behind every corner, I could see women getting assaulted or willingly selling their bodies.

Yes, this was like a slum city. Inhabit by the poor who can't go out because of monsters, fate to either die from starvation or be sold as a slave. I could see many children roam the street in rag-tag clothing and that made my heart ache just seeing them.

But...I can't do anything. Those children need help but! But I...can't even do anything. I can't take them with me. It will increase our responsibility, I will have less focus on the fight and I may slip up and get more people killed.

The only thing I can do is glance at them and pray that they will survive. The money I will give them will be given to the adult. If I give them food they may get gang up on.

This city is a hell hole.

"Alright! I already paid for the Inn. You can do anything you want! We will stay here for one week and resupply and check for news and info. Other than that you can stay at the inn or something. Oh and don't wander off alone at night or you will get kidnapped!" Lemes's loud voice startled me out of my thoughts. Right. We come here to gather information.

I don't have time to worry about these people. I need to gather information and find my family too.

I don't bother telling Lemes I'm going out. Walking down the street, I saw many things I didn't even want to see. The stench was becoming too much but I ventured on. Finally, I arrived at my destination. The adventure guild.

There is no better place than this, if you want information. Taking in a deep breath I walk inside. Immediately the stench of alcohol assaulted me. I quickly closed my nose due to the smell but it was not done there. People...actually having sex inside.

In my thirteen years of life in this world, I never saw an adventure guild as trashy and messy as this. This is more like a rat den than an adventure guild!

A sudden hand landed down on my shoulder. " Hic! New girl? You look a bit too young!" His alcohol-filled breath makes me want to puke. This old man who looked to be about sixty with a large muscle was touching me. His hand was slowly creeping down toward my butt!

I quickly take his hand off me and punch at his face. But there was a weird feeling. My punch...got caught. For the first time in my life, someone managed to beat me with pure strength. And he didn't even break a sweat.

"Being rude aren't you, Huh! You want to play like this?" His hold on my hand tightened. Then I lose the feeling of my feet on the ground. I was lifted off the ground.

Without a second thought, I flare up my Toki and kick him in the head. He stumbles back and releases me and falls down to the ground. Yosh...I can damage him.

Screams rang out and people ran out of the door like crazy. My right hand which he grabbed was burning red, and the pain it felt was starting to get to me now that I took a closer look.

I frown at it. If I was a bit slower in flaring up my Toki then my hand would be broken.

"Tch...This bitch is playing hard to get?" The drunkard stood up. And holy shit he looks pissed. I see the mark of my kick there still beat read but damn he stood up like a champ. And from the reaction of those around this guy may be a top dog. No one even interfered in our fight.

The absurd sturdiness, the pure strength that put even the best of swordsmen to shame. I…Kind of understand now. Why does Laplace, the Demon God, fear them to the point of breeding Succubus to kill them. Well, Either that or he's an utter asshole. Might as well be both. But this does make me wonder. How strong am I against him?

"Hey." my voice filled with glee as I spoke. "Are you one of the strongest around here?"

"What is this brat saying? Of course, I am!" He stood up completely, His arm spread showing his muscle and scar from battle. "I am Glavius, The Behemoth Slayer! Not only did I kill it but I even have a Mana stone as proof!" At his word, murmur started among the adventure that is still here, most of them are just silent laughs, and one of them scoffs and goes back to his prostitute.

Waiting to see his reaction, He seems unfazed. Seemingly used to it by now. So…Is he lying or is it a joke here? I know of Behemoth, A large-size monster that most avoid. I even saw one of them while traveling here. although I only see it from afar. The sheer size of it baffles me. Even from afar, I can see its towering height, Each step it took gathered dust around with its numerous legs.

If he had slain that kind of monster, maybe he was strong after all? But judging from the reaction from others it doesn't seem to be true. But who cares? he takes my punch and still standing. He is strong enough.

My smile deepens. Somehow I feel like my heart is beating wildly right now, Even though it is not supposed to beat.

"I see…" My mana is running wildly, covering my whole body. "Glavius, you see, I come here to gather information about my family. But looking at you and the people here…" My eyes darted around the room scanning everything. Right now, I feel like I don't even care about the info, I don't even know if they will have it or not. I

"You guys won't speak that easily, So let's do this, You want the easy way where you listen to my request? or the hard way where I beat you and ask later-" HIs punch came down toward my head like a truck, I stepped away, watching as the floor he hit instead blew up and scattered wood around.

"The hard way it is." My face feels like it twists into a grin, even I feel like grinning. I feel a slow beat of my heart as my mana starts to run wild again. Looking at the drunkard, he was already punching me again.

It was slow, Slower than even Eris, I dodged to the side letting the punch fly past my face. I grab his arm and knee it with all my might, I hear a satisfying pop as I look at the broken arm.

For his credit though, Glavius didn't let out a scream, he only backed down with his broken arm. It seems the pain is making him sober up a bit. He looks at his broken arm and then using his other good arm he pops it back into place and clenches it like nothing happened.

"That was good but not good enough. Well, playtime is over." His demeanor changed in an instant, My hand was unsheathing my sword without knowing. He grabs the giant cleaver from the table next to him.

Everything becomes silent, Except for the sound of his cleaver scrubbing the floor. My eyes go toward his cleaver, The blade is as big as me, there is some chip off the blade. He probably didn't really take care of it.

The moment he raised his cleaver up, I put my sword and defended it just in time. His strikes were fast. Faster than I thought, It was almost as fast as Ghislaine's Sword of Silence! My arm feels like it's going to break off with just one strike!

Shifting my blade a bit I manage to let his blade flow down to my left side instead, the impact of his blade raises the dust around, and more wood scatters at his strength.

I used the momentum to back away as soon as the dust rose up, I looked at my arm, only to see it shaking wildly from numbness. Just from one hit and it makes my arm wobble like this. Huh, that's kind of new.

My arm glows with healing magic, and the numbness feeling goes away, moving it around to check if there is something wrong with it, I feel nothing wrong.

My eyes shift toward the walking figure, Glavius walks out of the smoke, his cleaver placed comfortably on his shoulder.

"That's all you got brat? This is kind of a time waster." his face turned to boredom.

"...your cleaver, That's a magic tool isn't it?" Instantly his face changed. "So I was right. What is it? Accelerate? Increase weight?" I probe more and more as I sheathe my sword back to its scabbard.

I don't need to use my sword to defeat him, now that I know his trick. His face seems to boil in rage as he watches me sheathe the sword. That gesture was mocking him. Eh probably, but who cares?

He raised his cleaver up again and this time I saw it. The mana stone on the handle. It flashes bright blue as his swing becomes faster.

I dodge backward slightly, letting the blade fly past my face by just a centimeter away. Dust rose as the loud impact rang throughout the Guild. I walk up to him and I watch him struggling to pull the blade that got stuck in the ground.

The moment I was out of the dust I threw a punch straight toward his lung, launching him forward and knocking the air out of him.

"Hm...His body is kinda hard…" Well, The fact that my knuckle is bleeding from the hit is proof in itself. I use around thirty percent of my mana for that, but it still makes my knuckle bleed.

Well, it is proof that I still lack mana control and it is being wasted a lot. If it was Grandma I was sure she could punch a hole straight through his chest with lower mana usage.

Oh speaking of him, where is Glavius? I was sure I punched him outside but I didn't see him anywhere.

Well, not my problem if he is not going to show up again. I turn toward those who are still in the guild with a smile.

"Is there still anyone who wants to fight-" I didn't get to finish my sentence, as my body was blown away to the counter.

The receptionist screamed in fright as I flew toward her and crashed with a loud boom.

"Is there no one to teach you not to turn your back toward your opponent, brat?!" Glavius yelled loudly, his step was heavy and filled with anger.

My body is aching all over, the hit was harder than the time I crashed into the boreas estate. Well, that was on me. Looking at him I saw blood coming out of his mouth, The mark on his chest was burning purple from my punch.

"Should have finished the job first." Standing up is a pain, I feel mana surging into every part of my body, slowly healing the broken mess that was my body right now. I can feel my torn muscles getting mend together and bone snapping back like it was never broken.

"Alright...Round two it is." Without warning ice from around my body and went straight toward him. He didn't respond in time as his body got pierced by my ice. Both of his arms and legs got pinned up in the air like a doll.

The moment he tries to move to crush my ice I decrease the temperature making his body slowly freeze. I watched as he struggled to get out of my ice, his arm was turning white, Ice slowly covering his body and freezing him from the inside.

He slowly unable to breathe as his mucus and throat start to freeze up. I watch and watch as he struggles to even move his hand. His teeth chatter, His eyes slowly lose their light and his hand stops moving.

Well, that should be enough. I let him fall down to the ground without a care. He was struggling to breathe properly, his mucus probably froze and it was close up his nose.

Walking toward him, I use fire magic to increase his body temperature. After seeing that he stopped shaking, I turned my back toward him again, but this time. I was confident that I had gotten the job done.

"Well, now that I got rid of some bugs, may we start talking now? This time, more civilized...than before." I drag my word out a bit. My smile widened as I saw them gulp their saliva.