Chapter 005

THIRD PERSON'S P.O.V.

Zero woke up to another day. However, things aren't, again, quite the same. It seems like he is thrown into a different world for the second time. He doesn't have any ounce of clue as to where he is. Everything is pure white and he can't see a single contrasting color to ease his sudden blindness.

It's too bright!

'Am I in heaven?'

Curiosity and dread both hits him squarely on his chest like a punch on his gut. A quick flash of memory from the last second he have living on his first world before having this someone's body grips his stomach and nearly giving him something to vomit about. Enough reason for his mind to supply him that he needed to pull himself out of the bed and make sense of what is happening. But unfortunately with him, he failed to move a single muscle.

'What in the world is this?!'

With his panicking eyes and fear crawling up his spine, Zero immediately draw his lids down considering there's nothing he can come out off of the white canvass before realizing something odd.

'That...I'm hearing a voice!'

It sounds just like an angel's voice. Honey-laced and impossibly soothing—yet certainly not enough to calm him from the horror he is currently experiencing.

He tried to open back his eyes to see if something has changed around him but, to his utter bewilderment, even his eyelids now doesn't cooperate with him.

"There...Don't..man...I...call...—r"

He didn't understand any single thing of what 'it' is saying. He can't hear the words being spoken clearly. And albeit having his heart hammering out his chest and mind going haywire, he still have time to process the familiarity of this angel's voice.

Where did he hear it?

Zero doesn't understand why he desperately tried to decipher to whom does this voice belongs to.

'Who is it?'

He once again tried to open his eyes to hopefully, this time, see who it is but he can't.

His whole body had gone paralyzed.

'That voice...it's too far. Why is it too far? Why can't I even understand it? Why? I...I...'

All of a sudden, a tug on his torso that felt like someone had pulled him harshly out of that bright cold room left him stumbling down on the wood floor beside his bed. With that being done, he found himself back in his own room inside his reincarnated body.

It's morning and the rays of the sun strikes through the window onto the wall. The cold breeze from last night sweeps in from the crooked window, giving him a good cool morning kiss on his bare arms. He blinks blearily up to his decorated-by-cobwebs of a ceiling as he tried to remember the things that had happened just seconds earlier.

'Another dream?'

Zero sighed.

With that thought gone in a snap of a finger, he pulled himself up to his feet and started doing his morning rituals.

As usual, with the money he got from yesterday helps him survive this day.

Before going to the agreed meeting place that was only one-sided, Zero packed his things and went to the guild.

He signed for a registration again for this day to go and collect parts of a monster. With that, he steps out of the building and went his way alone onto the forest for yet another 'slaying for a living'.

Before the sun went to its highest position, Zero continuously fought with the monsters. Everything he sees, everything that moves to charge on him—he kills them. That's how Zero swiftly ended his work. He can't possibly waste time for it is only limited for him this day because he have a schedule later due to this Casa girl.

As usual of him, he got a full bag to barter.

After collecting random items from his kills, Zero decided to go to the place where he and Casa would meet.

Sweat drips down his temples as the heat of the sun grills him about. The long wait for his recruiter lets him regain back his normal breathing underneathe the shade of a big tree. Later than expected, Casa and her teammates finally decided to show up. But he bit his tongue on why Avo is not among them.

'Did she lied to me about Avo?'

A total of five person walks over where he is resting against the tree excluding Casa. With their figures inching closer to where he sat, he stands up and made himself at least a bit presentable for one's eyes.

Casa initiated the first move to introduce him to her teammates—she called them— right after the long walk.

Zero nods along as Casa introduce him to the others. She speaks for him that's why his voice is not necessarily needed anymore, much to his joy. But he can perfectly feel his surrounding—someone's against to her plan.

Maybe he should of have just ditched them and went home. Zero sighs internally. Knowing well that it would be a futile gesture considering Casa is really keen on having him as a part of their team meaning she'll do anything—everything to have him. Yes, maybe he should of have literally lived his lie in the first place, a traveler should travel not making friends.

After the quick introduction, they decided to go deeper to the forest to practice and as a promise to himself, Zero kept his power only to himself. There, inside under the offered shades of the big trees, they saw a minautor. Much like to the one he fought about earlier but this time it is a bit bigger than the last.

Just how it must be, the six prepared themselves to fight. While him, on the other hand, moved at the background and stand there like a sore thumb.

He's definitely not going to fight.

Zero is on the back of the killing looking for the opportunity to memorize each power. He is sure he's going to use it soon.

As time went by, he can fully memorize it. It's quite easy since their magic are the same with what he have though a bit weaker than what he can produce.

Casa : A female knight from Dura.

Elemental power is fire with a strong body and a healing power.

Rox : Also a female knight, second to Casa. Elemental power is wind with basic healing powers.

Tanus : A male adventurer. His power is nature. Can manipulate trees and such

Habi : A female adventurer. Elemental power is Water.

Por : A female witch. Power is Lightning and making medicinal plants.

Lods : A male adventurer. Elemental power is Earth plus a strong body.

And, of course, him...

Zero : A male adventurer. Healing powers.

The six fought the beast though it takes a while before it falls on the ground with a low grunt and last breath for its life.

Twenty minutes to be precise.

'That's too long!'

Zero thought in bafflement. They're six and it only took him three minutes by himself. He knew Casa is strong meaning she wouldn't go on knotting ties with this individuals if they weren't also strong or a lot to improve on. He can see that there's something wrong with this six. He watch them silently on the corner as they all catch their breaths on where they stand. Eyes locked on the beast waiting if it will miraculously ascend back to life.

Their movements are completely not synchronized. There's a lot of flaws to poke on, there's a lot of holes to sew close. One wrong move and they are definitely all going meet their last light.

And with the scene that unfolded before his unbelieving eyes, Zero can't possibly refuse now. He doesn't want to neglect this group that will surely die in the Capital. He can't leave them. His conscience will eat him alive!

He knows something is off and out of balance because as far as he remember from their latest fight, these six is always clashing to each other with their abilities. This is simply only a training session testing how far can they go with their abilities with just a minautor on the other end that always charges. It doesn't think!

And they almost lost their lives if not for it being an outnumbered beast. What's more if the one they will fight at the Capital does have the ability to think and will probably have the same number of members as they are?

No one will come back alive! Not even a limb.

"Yes! We did it!"

That's Rox, jumping in joy from their recent kill.

"Huh! Of course! With my ability, it's easy enough to kill those monsters!"

And that's Lods, not surprisingly full of air in his head.

"We are definitely going to win in BigBang!"

That's Casa and Zero wanted to sigh.

"Is there any casualty?"

He asked breaking down their savoring of triumph walking out the shade of the tree to join them under the glare of the sun after seeing that they're in their breath.

With his voice the only sound except the wild, his words rings on their ears like an ear-splitting scream as they all craned their neck looking at him like he was a maniac. Zero winced, feeling bad if ever one of them marred a whiplash from the sudden gesture.

"Can you see someone other than us here?"

Lods' snaps with disdain on his tone.

Zero shrugs not bothered at all by the deathly glare he receives from the latter and casually scans the area.

"I can see blood though."

And with that, all eyes tears off him and also looked for it.

"That's definitely a blood!"

Gasps of disbelief fall in domino effect when Por shouted after finally seeing the splatters of crimson liquid on the ground. Indeed a small amount of blood seeps out their body but it seems like this one is keen on keeping his/her mouth shut to silently shoulder the pain.

Zero scans again the area where the six figures stands.

"If you can't reveal yourself then I have no choice but to refuse this invitation—"

Zero heaves out a lungful of air out his nose from the immediate retort he got from his statement.

"Then go! Nobody wants you here. You're just going to slow us down. Besides, Rox can heal us. We don't need you. We're strong enough to be wounded."

He can safely say Lods doesn't like him at all, not a single bit. And he almost let out a whine in frustration when another voice pipes up to block the words of the latter.

"No—shut up Lods!—you can't turn us down. I already filled out the form and send it. We're not going to be disqualified because of you."

Casa turned his body to fully face him as she look him straight in the eyes. Too bad Zero isn't cowering in fear, instead he crossed his arms against his chest and level her glare as he scoffs.

"Then how am I supposed to help if no one wants me here in the first place? Can't you read the atmosphere here? They can't even let themselves be healed by someone like me. That's how far they don't like me. Now tell me, Casa, how can I be in your group if no one trusts me? I'd rather go fight alone than be a sore thumb being ignored by his own party"

The aforementioned woman held her stare but didn't made a move to reply. Zero taps his forefinger on his arm impatiently.

"Besides, you told me that Avo is one of your members. Why isn't she here?"

He saw on his peripheral vision the five arching their brows in question.

"Avo's not here because she's the princess of Dura. She's invited as a guest instead as a qualifier like us."

Zero perfectly hid the sudden clench of his teeth. He didn't expect that the Avo he saved and knew is actually a princess.

'Tch. I really need to know more about this.'

"I...I-I am the casualty."

All eyes turned to look at Tanus who's holding his right hand up and the other close to his chest.

His left hand is bleeding.

"When the minautor charges, I chanted the words late. It...i-it caught me."

Tanus, from what he can see, is somewhat like a geek. He's shy contrast to his boastful appearance.

"Rox, heal him. You can fix it, right?"

Lods pinned the girl with his eyes beside him, still trying his best to pull him out the group.

"Ahh—I—y-you know I can't, Lods. I can only do the basics."

Rox lowered her head to avoid the dark stare she is currently receiving as if she has done something wrong.

"That's why Zero's here. He can do it Lods."

"You can also do it."

Zero fires back to Casa while still leveling her with one of his hard glares.

"But it can feed my mana. I can't fight without it."

"Exactly the reason why I am here."

Zero shifts his eyes to stare at Lods who in return looked like is about to attack him.

"I can heal everyone as long as I know what's the problem."

Zero then ignored him because he isn't about to waste his time to someone who isn't making an effort to be civil with him. Instead, he roam his gaze at the other five.

"I can't fight nor do something big for you but I can assure to all of you my healing ability."

He added and proper his stance to accept the invitation to him.

"As of today, wether you like it or not, I, an adventurer named Zero, am one of you."

With that being said, Zero stride over to Tanus side to heal him. Walking past Lods who gave him stink eyes before huffing and looking on the other way, not like Zero wants him to stare.

After healing Tanus, Zero stands before them as now officially a member of Dura's Adventurer.