With great panic, Erick looked toward all sides, blinking hard as if trying to wake up from this dream. His sword, which had always been with him until now, had simply disappeared.
Looking all around, Erick noticed a small stone path that rose above all the grass of the forest. Feeling a small curiosity and with nothing else to do, Erick followed the stone path.
The path guided him through old oaks and dense moss that was beginning to cover everything. As he advanced, he felt how his body, although healed, felt heavy, as if he had lost half of his strength.
Finally, the stone path ended. Erick arrived at a small clearing. In the center there was a large stone, where, curiously, there was a perfect indentation for placing a sword. Approaching closely, he saw how some letters were engraved on the stone, but scratched out, which prevented him from reading anything.
Bending down on one knee, Erick ran his hand over the rough stone. Just then, a small animal walked nearby. The animal was a fusion between a rabbit and a cat, but with the great particularity of a horn on its head.
"Cute," Erick said, seeing the animal walk.
Remembering what he was doing, he looked around again in case there was something else to look for, but he saw nothing interesting.
With nothing else to do, Erick looked at the stone path from before. It was then that the animal near him let out a painful screech.
Turning his head, Erick saw how the animal stood up and screamed in pain, only to explode into a great bloodstain, something that greatly frightened Erick. Paying attention, he heard how the entire forest began to screech in the same way.
Right at that moment, the sky, previously blue like Erick's eyes, opened up with a golden tone, illuminating the entire forest.
[A god has descended to look for his piece]
A text window showed up to Erick, something that also scared him. The number of things happening at once greatly overwhelmed Erick's mind.
Looking at the sky, from between the clouds, a crucified being descended, but something was strange: this being was upside down, and where its eyes should be, there were stitches, as if they were trying to silence it.
As it opened its mouth, a divine choir was heard in Erick's ears, a choir that screamed the notes with anger, further stunning Erick's mind.
The being in front of him forced its eyes open and, slowly breaking the threads that covered them, showed red eyes that looked directly at Erick.
It was then that, in total shock, Erick couldn't help but vomit in that world. Falling to the ground, he saw how, instead of the previous green grass, a dry and ash-filled ground appeared. Turning his head toward the forest, what greeted him was a burned forest.
"When did this happen?" Erick tried to speak, only to feel his mouth disappear.
The being in front of him stopped the divine choir, looked at him, and Erick returned the gaze.
*Kboom*
With an explosion, Erick's senses returned. Opening his eyes, he saw how he was at the stall from before.
Clutching his eye tightly, he felt his body trembling, but he also felt the sword, as if something inside him was telling him that it was there.
"How lucky," the vendor said.
"Shut up!" With a shout, Erick stretched out his hand.
In his hand, with a small explosion of wind, a sword appeared, with its usual shine, slowly comforting Erick's mind.
The shine was certainly absolute, but contrary to what Erick thought, no one around him turned to look. The merchants continued shouting their prices, and people moved as if nothing extraordinary had happened at the small stall.
"It's as if this place were... hidden from others," Erick whispered.
"How clever you are," the vendor replied, taking off his hood.
As he removed the hood that concealed him, a wrinkled face showed up, along with a wound that went across his entire right eye—an ancient and silvery scar. Looking at the young man, the old man smiled. Next, he stretched out his hand and with a sigh showed a dry tree leaf.
"Your destiny is marked, it is a shame," the old man said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Erick asked cautiously and without lowering his sword.
Pointing at Erick's sword and then looking at him, he just smiled, with his crooked and yellowish teeth.
"Well, at least I will help you, consider it the grace of an old man." With his usual smile, the old man took out a small bottle.
With a gaze that almost expelled fire, Erick looked at the bottle and then at the old man, but he saw no traces of lies in him. It was then that the status window showed up to Erick and with recognition told him what the bottle was.
[Bloodline improvement potion]
With a jump, Erick was surprised. The light of the screen left him speechless, but something in him told him that he should take it.
Without any doubt, Erick stretched out his hand and opened the bottle to drink it. Although nothing strange happened at first, seconds later, an unbearable pain struck Erick's body, and with a small stagger, it knocked him to the ground.
*SWORD POV*
"You son of a b… why do you take what a stranger offers you!" the sword shouted, remembering its old life.
"Did being handsome destroy your brain!" the sword continued screaming, still knowing that no one could hear it.
"No, seriously, what kind of person thinks of taking something offered by a stranger who seconds before had shown you they were dangerous?" the sword continued with its shouts. "What kind of idiot do I have for a bearer!"
If swords had hair, this one would be tearing it out in frustration, seeing how its bearer was passed out in front of an old man whom he had been glaring at moments ago.
"What kind of reincarnation is this. God, have mercy on this your sword, son!"
That was one of the sword's worst days, there was no doubt about that.