Chapter 23: The Newcomer
POV Ren:
Smoke still covered the forest.
The remnants of the explosion from Marcus's and my combined attack made the air tremble, hot, and metallic-smelling. Dry leaves were scorched, and the ground around them was full of black cracks.
Ding!
[You have gained 2000 EXP for killing a demon for the first time!]
[You have gained 1200 EXP!]
I ignored the notifications—for now.
Marcus stumbled, plunging his sword into the ground to support himself. I gasped, small bolts of lightning still dancing at my fingertips before finally fading.
The blinding blue and gold light slowly dimmed, leaving behind the sound of the wind rustling.
"...Is it... over?" I murmured weakly.
Marcus stared at the large crater in front of them. There were no signs of Calez. Only whirling dust fogged the air.
"Haah... Yes... it's over..." Marcus replied weakly.
I looked at the old man. His armor was shattered, his head and body covered in blood. I took a deep breath, "Old man, are you alright?"
Marcus glanced at me sideways, "Don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself," he said. "And you are very strong—no, the word 'very strong' still underestimates you."
I shrugged and chuckled softly, lying down on the ground. "I know, I am strong."
'And it's strange... I've been wondering why the mission complete notification hasn't appeared? Is it not over yet?—No way, right?'
But before either of them could rest longer—Suddenly, a dark, repulsive aura filled the forest.
Tap... tap... tap...
The sound of footsteps was heard from the direction of the forest. Each step sounded heavy, menacing—and made the air hold its breath. Both of us immediately stood up.
From behind the trees, a silhouette of a person emerged, wearing a long black robe that covered most of his face.
His steps were calm, but each stride created a new aura of pressure in the air.
Ren straightened his body, though it was trembling. "Who... are you?"
Just then, a system notification appeared:
Ding!
[Mission Updated!]
[Rescue > Survival from the Demon Order Commander!]
Difficulty: Very Hard!
Reward: 4000 points | 4000 EXP | 50 stat points.
Failure: Death!
'Damn it! I knew this wasn't over!' I cursed inwardly.
The person stopped exactly 15 paces from us. I gripped my sword tightly, ready to flee. Our strength was almost completely spent.
Marcus stepped forward in front of me, drawing his sword despite trembling because his strength was exhausted. I stared at his back, glaring.
'This... this is the soul of a true knight!' I muttered in awe.
'But we're in a crisis situation, you idiot! Don't prioritize a knight's pride right now!' I cursed inwardly. I wanted to run, but look at this old man, challenging his enemy despite being weakened.
'Or should I run alone? No, no, no! I am not a coward!' I knew that sounded a bit hypocritical, but the situation wasn't favorable for either of us.
Marcus and the person looked at each other—but just then, the robed figure spoke, "You are the one who finished off my subordinate?"
After a brief pause, Marcus spoke—
"Yes, I killed them because they strayed from the path of light—" he pointed his sword at the transformed man, "—and I will purify you too in the name of the light."
I winced and slapped my forehead hard, albeit internally. 'We're dead...'
The air suddenly felt heavy. The wind stopped blowing; even the sounds of forest animals vanished as if everything was holding its breath.
Marcus raised his sword, while I endured the pain in my chest, my mind spinning rapidly, searching for a solution.
The person slowly lowered his robe's hood—revealing the face of a man with dark gray hair and blazing red eyes.
A circular black magic symbol was scarred around his neck, pulsing as if alive.
"I am Lucen Dalvar, Commander of the Black Demon Order," he said calmly, yet every word felt like poison spreading in the air. "And you have made a great mistake by eliminating my subordinate."
Marcus tensed his jaw. "High Grandmaster..."
Lucen looked at Marcus coldly. "Oh? Are you scared now? Too bad, but it's too late to apologize."
I gripped my sword tightly, but my mind was spinning like a wheel. 'Find a solution, find a solution!, find a solution! Come on, think faster!'
Lucen glanced at me briefly, his expression flat. His eyes glittered slightly, and he gave a thin smile. "You are strong for your age too. Very interesting."
"But let me show you what true power means. After all, both of you are going to die."
Instantly, a black aura burst from his body. The ground beneath him shattered, and the surrounding trees warped outwards as if rejecting his presence.
Marcus groaned, but he remained standing—before anyone could react, the air split. Lucen arrived and struck Marcus with immense force, sending him flying.
Dooom!!
Then Lucen looked at me and stretched out his hand. I jumped backward. But before my feet could touch the ground, my neck was clutched by Lucen.
"You, boy... You are suitable for my experiment, so I won't kill you."
I grimaced. "Experiment my foot."
I raised my sword, lightning flashing. My sword aimed straight at his heart, But—he released me in the air, causing me to lose balance. And with a quick movement, he punched my stomach, sending me flying deep into the forest.
I screamed in pain, hitting trees in my trajectory. I balanced myself in the air. Raising my sword, I plunged it into the ground to stop my body.
"Damn it!!" I cursed. My [Instant Regeneration] immediately healed my wounds from his attack. After stopping, I took my technique stance:
[Lightning Breathing Technique: Third Form!]
[50x Speed!].
POV Abel:
Right now...
Luna and I had exited the forest and were running toward the city of Lumen. On the way, I stumbled several times. Tears streamed continuously from my eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Ren!" I said while crying.
Luna was ahead, pulling me to keep running. She spoke to me without turning around, "This is not your fault, Miss."
"B-But Ren is in grave danger!" I snapped, still crying.
This time, she turned to face me. She looked into my eyes and said, "Do you remember what he said back then?"
"..."
"He said he would return and be safe," Luna said. "If you keep crying, do you not trust him, Abel?"
I fell silent, hearing her. Luna turned forward again. We continued running along the path. Then in the distance, we saw someone.
Luna and I exchanged glances, nodding in unison. We kept running, hoping he was not a member of the attacking group.