Blood Rain!

Link and the rest were finally ready to head back. They each transferred their things into their storage devices and started heading towards their Kingdom on their mounts. They encountered a few adventurers on the way, either hunting Beasts or Bandits, but neither bothered the other.

On their way, Link who was leisurely flying above the squad frowned, his eyes shone as he looked north-east towards a certain individual.

"We're inside the Kingdom's territory, so i do not believe that's an enemy" Link thought for a second. "So he must have been sent by those rats!" As if answering Link's thoughts, the man started approaching the group before space distorted and he vanished, appearing in front of them.

"Why hello there!" The man had dark bags underneath his eyes, his teeth looked crooked with rough skin. He had an intimidating face as he stared at the group, flying mid air.

The squad looked at the man, then at Link without speaking. They obviously knew he was a Master Mage, so it was not within their rights to say anything before their captain.

"What do you want?" Link asked. He no longer felt like this Realm was worthy. It was not arrogance but an instinct he had. He asked without anger or annoyance unlike his usual self. His face was disinterested though.

"What do I want? Is that a polite way to talk to strangers?" The man smirked. He seemed to be confident as he spoke, as if he was talking to an ignorant simpleton while he was some sort of hidden dragon.

Link had no interest whatsoever in the man. He noticed these people watching and following him for a long time now but he never did anything about it. He had a theory of who they were, but he was unsure.

"Strangers?" Link asked with a faint smile. "I saw those fucked up teeth a couple of times when I was in the Kingdom.. You and your other rat friends"

Hearing Link speak those words shocked the squad. They quickly started to retreat knowing full well where this was going. If these two Master Mages fought and they were in close proximity, death wouldn't be a surprising fate.

The man's visage after hearing Link distorted. Be it the comment about his teeth, the fact that he already knew that they were keeping an eye on him or for calling him a rat, made his eyes turn red out of rage. He looked at Link menacingly and spoke.

"You ignorant fucking dirty peasant! You dare?" He yelled while odd but familiar dark colored Mana started circling him. "We are the Shadow Guild, one of the strongest Guilds in this continent.. We lowered ourselves and approached you first, but this is the way you speak to a superior?" After he spoke, he went silent, looking at the shocked and terrified reactions of the squad with satisfaction, but when his eyes landed on Link, he frowned.

Link floated in mid air as he held up three fingers. He looked the man in the eyes and spoke. "I knew you were a part of a Guild, I just didn't know which one, I saw many rats watching me so I couldn't differentiate. Here's the deal!" Link then moved his hand in front of his face and spoke again. "Firstly, ambushing me and my squad to make an offer then behaving like this isn't very inviting, Crooky.

Second, I am a part of the Kingdom's Army, Guilds have no rights to recruit me unless I leave.

Third, I'm not interested in joining any guild in the first place, it doesn't matter if it's the strongest in the continent or the neighborhood.

Seeing how you've been waiting there for us to pass, I'm guessing you're trying to recruit me behind the scenes... Do you really think I'll go under some Guild and take orders from people like you?"

The squad, which was a couple thousand feet away by now, were even more horrified. The Shadow Guild was a very known Guild, even they heard of it while serving in the army.

The Shadow Guild was the dominating Guild in the Continent. In the constant Guild Wars and fights, they never lost a single skirmish. Orthodox or Unorthodox Mages were welcomed with open arms as long as they reached a certain Level. This sole fact gained the Guild bad reputation, as they allowed and looked the other way when slaughters and massacres happened as long as it was done by their Guild members.

Unorthodox Mages were untalented people that found a different path to power. Be it by signing contracts with Evil Gods or barbaric ways.

Link had read a report provided by the Army on every Guild out there, which made him not hesitate to start something with this man after knowing which Guild he belonged to.

He also learned that Abby, his dwarf teacher, belonged to the Silent Rose Guild, which was on good terms with the Kingdom. That explained her appearance in the meeting at the King's castle that day.

Boom!

Mana exploded from the Mana, as its sole appearance caused the surrounding vegetation to whither and die, as if it was sucked dry of water.

"You brat.. Do you have any idea what your decision will result to?" He asked with gritted teeth. "Refusing us won't make us leave.. We can't have you joining some other Guild, or you might cause us some trouble" He laughed. "You see this beautiful Mana? This is the Mana that mutated after decades of hard work.. It allows me to take all the Life Essence from any Living Beings, isn't beautiful? This is my life's work.. The Pure Essence of Life!"

Link looked at the man, then at the Mana floating around him. His interest peaked after hearing that it was Life Essence. Link's eyes shone lightly as he analysed it.. A couple of seconds later, he looked at the man and spoke.

"That is the most dirty and corroded Life Essence i have ever seen!" Link frowned. "Many people must have died by your hands huh?"

"Haha!" The man laughed. "You have no idea! And now it's your turn, you should feel hon….."

The man's voice suddenly stopped echoing in the forest. Silence descended with the exception of a few rain-like pouring noises.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

They slowly kept increasing as the noise filled the silence.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!Tap! Tap!

The previous dead plants, grass and trees now were colored red as this liquid slowly seeped into them, nourishing them back to health. They sprouted joyously, but with nasty mutations. Some grew teeth while others had fingers and eyes for leaves.

What nourished them?

Blood!

It was blood, as the man no longer existed, turning into a mush of blood and tiny bone shards.

Link looked south, in a certain direction.

Thousands of Kilometres away, an elderly man sat on the peak of a mountain, looking at the scene he just witnessed with shock.

"This is my first and last warning!" Link spoke, as his eyes met the man's.

"Let's go" Link turned his head and faced the frozen squad members before continuing his flight.

"A..alright!" Noah was the first to wake up.

"Yes sir!"

"Yes!"

"Right away!"

They each answered, feeling their hearts beat from fear. What they just saw will stick with them for the rest of their lives.

The man floated in the air as he boasted and threatened, but the next second, in a mere instant, he was crushed mid-air, as if something squeezed him with god-like strength before the ball of flesh and blood was burnt, leaving nothing behind but the cursed blood rain.

'The captain is terrifying!'

This thought ran through their minds as they looked at Link's back.

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