Downtime

"You okay over there?"

"No need to bother with us, we're fine."

"Where did you get the kid again?"

"He just tagged along, so to speak.''

Along the road towards a goal, our three main heroes trek side by side with each other, well, so to speak. The little boy with the pitch black hair was engrossed in his studies, the woman riding a carriage was staring at the third, a supposed Mage wearing a black robe while carrying a large twisting staff in his left hand.

"Well, you're taking care of him or something?"

"Sort of?"

The Mage was, quite frankly, tired of the conversation as he let out an audible sigh out of view. He was traveling with a crew, something not done in countless years. He was alone, his entire saga was a solo of death and conquest. Doing it with others once more is an experience quite foreign to get used to.

''...''

The three traveled for hours on end, none of them getting tired, well maybe the woman is.

"...This is boring."

"...Yeah."

By near sunset, they decide to set up camp for the night. Traveling under the cloak of darkness only invites misfortune to bite.

They didn't have much to use as firewood, so the flame was little and feeble but provided necessary light to the surroundings. Amidst the cozy fireplace, two individuals met eye to eye.

"..."

"..."

No words were exchanged, but the intention was clear. The boy, once engrossed in his studies, leaves the book's pages as he looks at the Mage who saved his life just the day before. The book, keeping its promise, only tells him what was the basic knowledge of the Mage. His true identity, however, was teased to the boy indirectly.

"I'm going to go away for a bit, be back later."

"I'll follow you, it's dark out right now."

"?? What's with the sudden-"

But, before the woman could get her piece of dialogue into the sudden conversation, the two were already up and left. She was left watching, as the two walked away and into the shroud of darkness. There, once out of view, the Mage created an illusion to hide away what's about to happen at this very moment.

"...So, I guess you wanted something from me, child?"

"Yes, you're referred to as a Mage, a Magic Caster?"

"Indeed, but not the conventional type. What is it that piqued your curiosity?"

"The book— I mean, Mijiru-san also told me that you're a Shinigami? A, reaper?"

"..."

The Mage didn't speak, his eyes calm and serene, thoughts unreadable by the boy. He was forced to wait in suspense, waiting for something to satiate his planted curiosity. The Mage, being even more complicated, decides to answer with a question in return.

"Tell me, child. How do you define this, 'Shinigami', of yours?"

"A manifestation of Death, something or someone that kills when the time is right, or sometimes completely at random."

"I see, a peaceful executioner, and a common street thug looking for his next prey. Is that what you've said in your previous statement?"

"...Yes, absolutely so."

The boy's eyes squinted, animosity was clearly present. Though it did not violate the previously stated set of rules, this development somewhat piques the Mage's interest in the boy's background.

"Tell me, child. I know of your origin, not of this World of course, and I am intrigued as to how you came to acquire the name of something like a Shinigami. You're clearly Human of Race, nothing too special. Though, a hint of trauma can be picked up from you."

"I am here to test out my strength, I wish for you to be my sparring partner."

"...Physical injury is allowed, I presume?"

"Yes, it won't be much of an experience if there isn't a fatal mistake to learn from."

The offer the boy suddenly pulled out was immediately accepted by the Mage. He went along with this charade, not hoping for much. The boy, on the other hand, expressed thrill and dissatisfaction at the same time inwardly.

The two created space, as they're both ranged combatants, and started the spar immediately upon reaching the tenth step from where they previously stood.

"Blessings of Strength, Vigor, Magic!"

"..."

The Mage, unlike the boy who shouted his Blessings and combat ready at the moment, was relaxed as he turned around. His adversary, a child just shy of adulthood, was like a rabbit who can be killed, burned, disintegrated, decapitated, exploded into billions of flesh bits, with just a snap of his fingers.

"Magic Missile!"

"Elementary."

With one wave of his right hand, a burst of flame conjured using Mana scanned the air and eliminated the incoming projectile like squatting a fly.

"Earth Rumble."

"You do know that my Spell can't contain your terrain havoc, right?"

The earth shattered and crumbled, reducing the surroundings to a mess of dirt and stone. But even so, this did little to the Mage as his ground was safe for some reason. It stretched no further, and this made the boy click his tongue.

"Fight back, why don't you fight back?"

"There's no point, your Spells are all over the place, your Blessings do little to make a combo, and it serves no purpose to bully a child with no experience. It's not fun, for a shorter explanation."

The boy gritted his teeth, bared his fangs, and his eyes became bloodshot as he forced his Mana to circulate rapidly. A young force of malice spread from the boy. Lightning crackled from his left hand, the heat rising slowly.

''Come, I will give you one last try. Impress me, and I shall return it in kind."

The boy swiftly raised his hand forward and a blue Magic Eye appeared.

"Focus Lightning!"

A bolt of white electricity shot out from the Magic Eye like a gun. It was aimed at the Mage's chest, zigzagging across the air as it traveled.

"Magic Barrier."

The lowest tier defensive Spell. The bolt of electricity bounced off of the hexagonal defensive formation of Mana plates.

"Flame Pillar!"

Then, in the next moment, the blue Magic Eye turned red and the boy raised it upward facing the sky. Underneath, a similar red Magic Eye appeared and a scorching heat began to build up.

"..."

The Mage stood there, looking at the boy with emotionless eyes and then smiled, incredibly wide.

A pillar of flame engulfed the Mage's entire body and broke the Magic Barrier from the inside. No screams were heard, not even a whimper amidst the crackling flame. The boy was staring silently at the giant pillar, his mind complicated by the result.

The pillar soon diminishes and fades, and there stood the Mage without even a burn mark on his clothing.

"Very good, child. Now that's how you properly link Spells, or did you just randomly cast them in succession?"

"..."

Stunned into silence, the boy readjusted his thought that's in disarray. That was the highest tier Spell he could use at his level, tier 4. His Mana capacity cannot go any further, and he didn't have enough Faith to cast the other Blessings

Right now, he should be on the ground without his consciousness. A tier 4 Spell usually consumes Mana in the thousands, leaving just about anyone to wheeze their lungs out if they're not powerful enough.

"Then, just as I've promised, I will repay your attempt of struggle with a small sliver of my power. Be careful not to die right away."

The Mage raises his hand, a simple gesture but one that spreads an ominous sense of foreboding. The boy was tense, cautious, and most of all suddenly fearful of his consequence.

"Blessing of Holy Protection!"

"Magic Expansion, Frost Enhancement, Gale Breath!"

A Magic Eye that first formed as a grey colored one, turned a light blue color and was more than twice the size of the little boy.

A sudden gust of wind appeared and the temperature took a sharp drop, a piercing cold penetrates the Blessing after just a few seconds. The Magic Eye was spinning slowly, and the force of the wind was oppressive enough to keep the boy where he stood.

'Kuh, this is… bad!'

It didn't take a genius to see that. The boy's protection was weakening at a rapid pace, stripped away by the cold sharp winds. Death was breezing against his neck, waiting to claim him. But, he endured the cold and the feeling of dread, steadying his mind to the present and anchoring it in place.

'I must… endure this. Sister, I, I will not let your Wish be in vain!'

A determination sparks within the young boy who was barely an adult. His determination provided the necessary push to overcome this ordeal, for now at least.

"You're doing great, try a little bit more."

Unfortunately, the road ahead was a long one. A few more minutes passed, and the boy's Blessing completely wore off, now at the mercy of the piercing cold winds.

"Ugh… Kuhg… Fhuu…"

His eyes started to quiver, threatening to shut close. His breath was white mist, his body screaming and joints aching. Terrible frostbites started to occur on his skin, and yet his mentality stood unwavering.

[Warning! Your Contract is breaking]

'...'

The Mage, after a full 10 minutes of using the Spell Gale Breath enhanced with Frost, stopped his offense and let the boy fall down to the ground.

"Ugk, kuhhhh."

"...Good job, boy."

.........…

It was the eleventh day of my trip. The boy whom I have decided to shelter under my shadow is currently inside the carriage. He is resting from last night's test.

'A curious little fellow.'

He was able to invoke the Blessings, meaning a good Stat number of Faith, and cast Magic of the 4th tier. It proves that the boy is from somewhere that's bountiful in Mana and is a Faith-related occupation.

'The boy's clothes looked modern, similar to the ones in the 2000s. A modern setting with a fantasy-esque theme…'

The boy exudes an Aura of trauma, even now. I could see it even in my first encounter with him, and it was much stronger than it is now.

'I can pry, but it wouldn't be as rewarding as getting closer to him.'

In this situation, if I didn't have to take care of him for a long time, I would've probed him for every single little secret that lay dormant in his subconscious. Embarrassing, or horrifying. It is to properly understand how he functions, and control him at my whim with my vast array of illusions.

'But, it's a shame. A real shame…'

I didn't get tired since I have the Deceased Ring currently equipped. But, it seemed like the smell was getting on my other companion's nerves.

"...Man, how long did you go without taking a bath? You stink like a sewer Gol."

"...Apologies.''

If I didn't have the Deceased Ring equipped, I'm afraid my mortal physique would fail me on this walking journey. I have Items to sustain myself, recovery potions, talismans, charms and whatnot. But, unnecessary attention is unwise, especially in a World where Gods exist and could be watching at any moment.

'And I am a Mage, that would place me in their lists of interesting shows.'

I continue onward, my plan unchanging even with this new unforeseeable development. The World Rune, my key to explore the outer reaches of this World.

'This is embarrassing… the number 1 having to be the noob that can't even leave his own World yet…'

A secret that should and would never be known, less I want my fame to be reduced to ashes. Some of the Gods I saw in the leaderboard were vaguely, if my intuition is correct, similar to what I would've described 'them'.

'Damn… why am I worried about my image?'

Probably because that's been the position me and them were in for years. An inferiority complex of sorts, I believe, is developing within me as I thought of the possibility.

'.....'

And, yeah. It's pretty uninteresting for now, at least.

.........…

'...Huhuhu.'

Inside a dark room that seems to stretch on until oblivion, a beautiful creature stands before an orb that shows the view of our protagonists. This creature is known through a lot of names, Kinslayer, Death Seeker, World Devourer, an Outer God that doesn't belong anywhere in any conceivable World. A force of destruction, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and unleash untold chaos.

'Your journey starts once more, Death. Now, free from the restraints of that blasphemous False World, I wonder what the possibilities are…'

The creature, Vermillion is his true name, wonders of the numerous things and possibilities that might and could occur within the time that Death is alive in a mortal, God-like form.

'My precious…'

His eyes, normal brown eyes just a second ago, distorted to a pitch black one with a horizontal red slit.

'Will you prove to me, that Death truly exists for all…?'

An Outer God is a life that's filled with hopelessness and despair. The never-ending Life of an Outer God, a condition that not even the most powerful of Curses or Blessings can destroy or relieve. Once you've lived untold years that transcends even the False World, you'll wish to have a moment to lie down and forget all of it.

'A wish… I guess, it is a far-fetched wish.'

It is still a long way, for Death to truly claim this Outer God's Soul. But, I have patience. I've been patient for my entire life. It's unwise to forcefully accelerate things.