CHAPTER 36-MURDER

The sub-continent, also known as the Natanolian plateau was considered a place where survival was tough, and the few cities that did manage to survive in this horrible ecosystem were founded by great warriors and had knights affiliated with the Kingdom of Europa, despite not being a part of the nation.

The hot, humid climate that caused people to sweat regardless of physical exertion, small patches of tall grasses that served as hiding places for fearsome predators being the only vegetation, and the hard rocky ground with sharp edges that pierced through flesh, it truly was worthy of its reputation. However, compared to the Rahasan desert, this place was like a playground.

The burning hot climate of the plateau felt cold to the people who came from a desert. The occasional drizzles of cool rain felt foreign, the animals that could rip humans apart with one swipe of their claws felt weak. After all, a single desert Scorpion would be enough for them.

X trudged forward, sweat dripping off his forehead. His hand was resting on the hatchet that hung around his waist, his eyes constantly looking around for threats. Two days ago, they had faced off against a pack of steel jaw hyenas, and that was enough for him to be alert. Luckily, their jaws could not snap Brik's bones, so the fight did not even leave a mark. But it was a tiring one, and since then they had received no rest.

X felt like he was about to fall and crash into blissful sleep, but he had to stay vigilant. He whispered the words "Immortal Tree", and his eyes glowed bright pink, allowing him a few seconds of extra clarity vision, and a temporary improvement to all of his senses. He could see the pink strings extending from himself to his friends, and the string that connected himself to the sky, but he could not see the string he had seen a week ago.

The other string that descended from the sky just like his, stretching out into the forest right in front of him. His eyes stopped glowing, and more sweat trickled down from his forehead. Maintaining Immortal Tree in his current state was a nightmare.

There was a town near the entrance to the Forgotten Forest, a small self-reliant town that did not have knights, not once it's history. The forest kept them protected ever since the demons left, and since this place was of no value economically, it remained as it was for decades, undeveloped and without contact with the greater world.

The children who were born here thought of this place as the entire world and had never stepped out of this town. They never had any visitors, much less knights who wielded amazing powers, so when the three knights arrived at the gates, the whole town entered into a frenzy.

The adults were busy panicking around, trying to set up a fitting party to honor the first knights to enter the town in years, the elders were reminiscing about the times when they had seen knights strolling around, and the children were busy acknowledging that their whole life was a lie. X, Brik, and Aqua were guests of honor, so important that they barely got any time to rest sufficiently.

Brik had never felt so important. Back when he was at Rossenberg, he had a big mansion and was considerably rich, but that was only because they had sold all of their valuable family heirlooms for money and his short temper never allowed him to live a life fitting that of a rich person.

When he was participating in the Royal Academy's entrance exam, he had gotten second place and was considered a prodigy during the second phase of the examination, but then all he had been feeling was the rage he harbored toward his best friend over the death of his father figure, Uncle Ken.

When he passed the exams and becomes a member of the Academy, he was almost worshipped by small kids who wished to enroll in the prestigious academy, but he was always considered the third most important person, after X who obliterated him in the competition, and Aqua who did not even have to fight people in the first place. 

He liked the attention, and after a while almost wished that he did not have to leave. The atmosphere of awe was just overwhelming, and Brik was taking in every bit he was receiving. A small kid, around six years old ran up to him and hugged his leg while asking him.

'Brother, could you show me some magic.'

Brik smiled, and for a moment, his temper felt non-existent.

'I can't do magic, but I am very strong. That girl can do magic'

'What sort of knight does not do any magic.'

The kid said, then ran off, his small legs taking in long strides, his face filled with joy. Brik continued smiling for a moment, digesting the fact that a small kid had just insulted him. His face turned red with rage, and he screamed out.

'You idiot, how dare you tease me.'

He crouched low and was about to pounce on the kid when he felt a trembling hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see his best friend standing there, with an expression on his face that just screamed out fear. Brik had never seen X make a similar face, not even when he almost lost his life to the demon back in the desert. Brik stood up, forgetting about the kid, and walked alongside X to a quieter place.

The village elder joined them, an old man with a long white beard which reminded them of the Tower Master. Brik could see Aqua in the distance, playing with the kids by making items out of water. That annoying boy was there, laughing out loud with his peers, probably at some lame joke she must have cracked.

'Sir, we are honored to have you here in our town. I am Altan, the elder of theis town without a name. It has been a long time since I saw knights. The last knight I saw was a famous Stage 3 knight, called The Demon-Slaying Axe.'

X seemed shocked at those words, and his lips trembled as he tried to say something. Brik held his shoulder, trying to support his friend. X thought about how Brik and Aqua held conversations with the desert tribe, and after taking a deep breath, opened his mouth. A scream was heard.

Aqua heard the painful scream coming from the place where her friends had gone, and quickly telling the citizens to return to their houses, she rushed forward, the air beneath her feet causing the rocks on the ground to roll around. In a few seconds, she arrived to see the elder standing near her friends, their faces morphed with fear and concern.

X was helping a person she had never seen before to sit down in the chair he seemed to sitting in, a young man of about twenty-five years of age. A deep gash was present near his right shoulder, which constantly oozed out blood. Judging by his well-maintained physique and hardened muscles on his arms, Aqua could easily tell that he was a knight, probably at a similar power to herself. His body had many small cuts like he ran through a net of barbed fences. 

'Run... run away.'

Brik spoke out in a concerned voice, one she had never heard or expected him use before.

'Why should we? What happened?'

'Demons.'

The man spoke in a terrified voice. Aqua had a sudden urge to protect him since he looked similar to her brother. Just then, two more people bounded out of the woods, their bodies mauled similarly. Both the men spoke out in a single, quick, high-pitched voice that sounded like ice cracking , one which X seemed to recognize.

'Run away.'

X was shocked and recoiled back at those words. He then spoke out in a low voice, addressing Aqua and Brik.

'The woman in my head who helped me win the exam.'

Brik understood what he said, and nodded. X's eyes glowed pink as he helped the injured person stand, and spoke to him.

'Guide us. We will fight these demons.'

The black string he had seen over the forest a week ago had returned.