Clash of Titans

Xu Chen, Aragorn, and Haldir left the forest behind and walked towards the dirt road that curved around the hills. It surprised Xu Chen that a road would be so close to the Eternal Green Sea; after all, wasn't it a Mystery Zone? But on second thought, this was a cultivation world. Those who traveled probably faced dangers regularly, and traveling near a Mystery Zone would only seem like a minor danger compared to the overall danger of traveling.

Arriving at the road, Aragorn knelt down and inspected it, "This road is used frequently in both ways. See those impressions? Even carriages use this road." Aragorn said as he pointed at the faint wheel marks in the dirt.

"Which way do you want to go?" Aragorn asked Xu Chen as he stood back up and looked down both ways of the road.

Xu Chen was conflicted as he also looked down the road. One way led away from the forest and went into the hills, while the other seemed to follow along the forest's borders.

"Haldir, can you see anything more along the road that goes around the forest?" Xu Chen asked Haldir, who shook his head, and said, "No, I cannot see where the road leads." Xu Chen was not disappointed since at least it confirmed this road went on for a long distance along the border of the forest.

"We'll follow the road that goes into the hills. Avoiding the Mystery Zone is our best course of action." Said Xu Chen as he looked at Aragorn and Haldir, who both nodded in agreement.

They were unfamiliar with this world, so the first course of action would be to get more information before deciding on their next moves. Going away from the Mystery Zone was probably the best chance they had at finding a town or city.

"Before we begin down this road, let me buy a few things from the Store." Said Xu Chen before opening going into the Store and purchasing a few items.

These items were bedrolls, a small cooking set, a few knives, canteens of water, and a complete set of ranger clothing for Xu Chen to replace his torn up and disgusting robe. He felt much better after putting on his new clothing, below which the Chainmail was once again entirely hidden.

He exited the Store and gave Aragorn and Haldir a bedroll and two canteens each. After which, they set off down the road.

As they traveled along the road, Xu Chen practiced his very rusty archery skills. However, he had to use Haldir's arrows since his own were coated in the poisonous blood of the Bane-Blood Rabbit he'd killed before, and he didn't feel like wasting them on regular animals.

Under Haldir's guidance, Xu Chen managed to hunt a few regular rabbits grazing in the bushes and one animal that looked extremely similar to a fox. He kept three of the rabbits he hunted, each of them carrying one, for food instead of relying on the lembas bread.

Although the lembas bread was incredibly nutritious and actually tasted pretty good, it cost credits. Xu Chen would rather use his credits for better things than food, which is why he bought the cooking set and the knives.

They continued down the road for three hours before coming to a stop and setting up a small fire off to the side of the road. Xu Chen skinned one of the rabbits with a skinning knife and then cut the meat off in small strips, which he placed on a grill above the fire. It took a few minutes for the meat to cook, but they tasted pretty good once it did. Xu Chen felt happy about eating meat again after only eating berries and lembas bread the whole time he's been in this world.

After the group ate, they entered the Store. Under the Merchant's gaze, they rolled out their bedrolls and made themselves comfortable. Although the Store wasn't very warm, it was still better than sleeping outside, where they would've needed someone to stay awake and keep watch. They did, however, have to bear the Merchant's gaze when they slept in the Store.

...

The following day, Xu Chen was surprisingly the first awake. He stood up and did his stretches before waving good morning to the Merchant and headed off outside.

Outside, he again started the small fire while looking around to see if there was anyone on the road. After looking around for a bit, he didn't spot anyone on the road, so he returned to the fire and skinned another rabbit. He also took out one of the lembas bread, which he now had all placed in the storage, and cut it into three pieces.

As Xu Chen was cooking the rabbit meat, Aragorn and Haldir came out of the Store and sat down by the fire.

"Was there anyone on the road?" Aragorn asked Xu Chen, who shook his head.

"No, there was no one. I really do hope there's a town or city nearby." Said Xu Chen while keeping a close eye on the meat.

The trio quickly ate their breakfast and set off again along the road. Xu Chen kept practicing his archery again whenever he saw the opportunity. His skill rapidly improved as he got used to using a bow again. He'd been quite proficient in using a bow for hunting in his previous life, although he'd been best with a rifle. Sadly he didn't have any access to a gun, so he had to brush up his bow skills.

They continued down the road for two hours before the terrain slightly changed. There were fewer hills ahead of them. The road also turned and followed along a relatively large river that snaked through the hills. It was a welcome sight since settlements were often built along rivers or around lakes, so there was a good chance they were now approaching a town or city.

However, as soon as they saw the river, the sky turned dark!

Thunder roared through the skies, and lightning fell all around incessantly! Xu Chen, Aragorn, and Haldir were all horrified by the sudden change. It was as if the apocalypse was coming!

"ZAO SONG!" A furious voice thundered across the skies, the lightning growing more intense along with this wrathful shout!

The trio were once again shaken when a shadow impacted on the other side of the river, causing the land to tremble! Lightning started pummelling the crater hundreds, if not thousands of times!

"What kind of dreadful power is this?!" Aragorn asked in alarm as he'd never seen such a sight back in Middle Earth.

Before anyone could answer. A man shrouded in a white robe, and thick snakes of lightning descended from the sky towards the crater. The lightning strikes stopped as he hovered over the hole.

"Zao Song! You dared to try and kill my son‽" The man wrathfully shouted into the hole, but the only reply he received was a red wave of light that pushed him back as the lightning snakes around him tore the light apart. Following this, a figure rose from the hole, and it struck Xu Chen with utter terror!

'It's that damn Skeleton!' Xu Chen recognized it quickly from the strange grey color of its bones.

"ZAO! SONG! I WANT TO SEE IF THE LEGENDS OF THOSE IMPERISHABLE BONES OF YOURS ARE TRUE!" The man madly screamed as he lifted his hand towards the sky that rumbled as if it was going to tear apart.

The man's voice was filled with so much power that it blew the trio back dozens of meters, and it also felt like it was crushing them at the same time!

The lightning in the sky was condensing in a single point in the black clouds that boomed as more power was gathering. The air was growing heavier as there seemed to be no end to the man's power. The lightning snakes coiled around him detached and expanded to mountainous proportions!

Xu Chen, Aragorn, and Haldir felt as if a boulder sat on their shoulders and could not move their feet at all. It was an unreal scene to all of them as they wondered if they would die here caught in this clash of titans they did not even understand.

The Skeleton also seemed to be gathering power as red light flowed freely from his bones and gathered around him to create something that was very similar to something Xu Chen had seen in his previous life!

'How is that possible‽ Isn't that a Susanoo from Naruto‽' Xu Chen thought fearfully as he realized there was no way they would survive the clash between these two madmen! And he wasn't ready to die again just yet, so he stored both Aragorn and Haldir and tried reaching out for the Store's door, but his arm wouldn't move!

The colossal lightning snakes hissed at the enormous shape taking form around the Skeleton!

"Ah! Do you think your Devil's Shadow will be able to stop me from destroying you?" The white-robed man sneered at the Skeleton as he gathered more and more power.

Both the heavens and earth were now trembling under the two's power, the lightning snakes were still growing bigger, and the ball of lightning in the sky was now massive. It could only be described as a pure ball of plasma at this point!

During this time, Xu Chen had managed to move his hand up slightly and tried opening the door but found that no knob appeared, making his mind go blank.

'Why isn't the door appearing‽ Is that man suppressing space‽' Xu Chen thought as he feared he would genuinely die here!

He tried again and again, but there was no response from the Store as the air began buzzing as if it was about to be ripped apart from the overwhelming amount of energy these two were gathering around themselves!

Just as Xu Chen was about to lose all hope, something changed! The space before him began folding and purple light radiated from fractures that were forming in the space in front of him! This, however, did not go unnoticed by the man and Skeleton.

They both looked over, causing Xu Chen to feel like he was getting strangled, but that feeling only lasted for a moment as the door of the Store came out from the fracture, its knob firmly in Xu Chen's hand!

"Who are you?" The man's shouted at Xu Chen, but Xu Chen ignored him and immediately entered the Store, closing the door before either of those two could come over.

The Skeleton only cocked its head as it looked at that familiar door and turned its attention back to the man who it noticed was very distracted by the door's appearance. Hence, the Skeleton took the opportunity to strike first!

"ARGGH! BASTARD SONG! I'LL MAKE A THRONE OUT OF YOUR BONES!" The man howled as he felt the attack coming at him.

Finally, the white-robed man controlled the plasma ball straight into the Susanoo-like shape around the Skeleton. The moment it impacted, the world was illuminated by a bright flash of light!

***

Away from the fight, Xu Chen was still trembling from the overwhelming sight he'd seen from those two!

'What kind of mad cultivation world is this?! How could anyone become so ludicrously powerful?!' Xu Chen thought fearfully as he recalled how it seemed like the world was coming to an end under the man and Skeleton's power!

"Heheheheh... saw something scary, Stranger?" The Merchant askes with a laugh as he looked deeply at the shaken Xu Chen.

"It was the scariest thing I've ever witnessed..." Xu Chen replied absently to the Merchant as he sat down and rested his sweaty back against the door.

'Is this how my life is going to be from now on? Constantly fearing for my life? No! I've got the Store! One day I'll stand at the top of this world! And I'll live as I please!' Xu Chen resolutely decided! If there was a peak, then he would reach it and stand above all others upon that peak!

Moments later, Xu Chen quietly fell asleep while resting against the door, his heart determined to live in this world as he desired.