Act II

The midday sun welcomed my rising. I stretched my refreshed body and left our rocky abode in search of provisions. Chloe was resting on the makeshift bed we had built from shrubs and foliage. This had become routine. The last few days had been strenuous for my companion of misadventure. After running around the village trying to convince the now-fallen folks to leave their homes and directly facing the succubus queen, one of the most powerful in this world, her body and mind were completely depleted.

I hunted and got water, to ensure she'd be fed regularly. I had taken her under my wings and going back on a promise was not an option. The given word represented my will and my will was everything that mattered. I got back with several horned rabbits dangling from my side and began to butcher them. Although I had never really focused on this profession, I had studied most of the tongues my species had come across in its journeys. Several reported example sentences dealt with the subject and my brain made it possible to piece things together.

After preparing and washing the meat I put it on a plain rock table over the fire. The flavour was questionable but the nutritional properties were satisfactory. I heard Chloe wake up at my shift and I turned to her.

"Good morning," I gave her a nod.

She rubbed her eyes before giving me a wide smile, as her expression brightened up.

"Good morning to you, Mr Doe," her cheerful voice resounded in the cavern.

I approached her and helped her outside of the cavern. I had her sit on top of a smooth rock and supplied her the food in tidbits easy enough to swallow for a fatigued patient. A great crimson scar ran through the forest, but the singing of birds livened up the scenery. The life of this world was both fragile and resilient.

I rose up from my seating place and took Chloe in my arms. She reacted with a small gasp and a smile as she let me bring her back to the bed. I knew she had already recovered enough to stand up on her own, but after the difficult choice she had made, I decided to honour her by indulging in her whims. After all, it was the last time. The guests from the east would soon arrive.

And right on time, less than an hour later, the group of people I had seen running around the landscape finally found our abode. A group of seven people, adorned with different attires and equipment, each one suited for a specialised role. There was a stout and solid dwarf armed with a shield larger than himself, covered in armour so thick he resembled an automaton more than a living being. There was the archer, a slick elf with focused eyes encompassing everything they were laid upon. There was an individual donning a tunic with incredibly refined motifs and around whom mana danced at her every breath, an elegant elf whose crystal clear eyes betrayed knowledge and millennia of experience. There was a gentle-looking woman, with blonde air, warm eyes and candid clothes adorned with symbols that showed she was the one beloved by her maker. There was a proud muscular beastman, whose lion's mane showed the pride of a true warrior. There was a smaller man cloaked in dark, with obsidian eyes as sharp as the edge of his daggers.

And then there was a tall blonde man, clad in shining armour, a sword which glowed in gold dangling from his hips. His turquoise eyes seemed capable of piercing through anything and his mere presence screamed all around that he was the one chosen to save the world, the one and only hero.

It was exactly as I had expected them to be. Their background was loyal to the major motives of the genre. The design of the women was made to cater to the male eye, with slim figures and sinuous bodies.

I stood up at the arrival of the guests and approached them outside the cave, leaving Chloe behind. The dwarf had already prepared his shield, the archer knocked an arrow in her bow, the rogue gripped his daggers and the beastman growled.

My eyes became two thin slits and darted across all those that dared to show me hostility. I gritted my teeth and prepared for a confrontation. I would not let anyone get away with such disrespect. It was unthinkable that someone would threaten me as a first approach.

The hero's expression suddenly stiffened and his previously calm demeanour changed as he gripped the hilt of his holy sword.

"We are here to talk!" the blonde woman suddenly exclaimed looking at me, positioning herself between the group and myself, and raising her arms wide.

"Elena! Come here!" the hero shouted, stretching his hand towards her, his weapon beginning to leave its sheath.

"Everyone, put down your weapons now! This is not how we do things!" the saintess continued undeterred.

"He reeks of blood," the beastman growled.

The anthropomorphic lion stretched his hands, extracted his claws and pounced at me.

"KARNAK!" the saintess and hero cried out at the same time.

I retracted my head, barely avoiding his claw gouging out my eye. I opened my hand and shot it towards his sternum. I felt some resistance offered by his fur, but mana dispelled and my fingers sunk through his skin. He opened his eyes wide and as I was about to push further an alarmed cry made me stop.

"Mr Doe!" Chloe's voice rang in my ears.

Concern painted her face as she looked at the blood trickling down on my hands.

"Please, let's wait for just a bit," she spoke in a small voice.

I suppressed the grumble coming up my throat and reluctantly retracted my hand. The shocked brawler looked at his pierced leather armour and pushed himself backwards while roaring at me on his fours. As he was about to pounce at me again, the elven archmage put a hand on his shoulder.

"Step aside Elara! This is my fight!" the beastman glared at her.

"This shouldn't have been a fight in the first place!" the saintess stomped on the ground.

The rest of the hero's party kept their guard up, waiting for my next move. I relaxed my muscles and closed my mouth, although I kept my gaze focused on their movements. Chloe came to my side and stared at the saintess.

"May I ask why did you pounce at Mr Doe? Is it your local custom to assault those you meet for the first time?" she addressed her with a hint of reproach.

"No, it's not like that! We just… wanted to talk…" the saintess lowered her gaze.

"Don't be too hard on Elena. She is not at fault," the hero hid her from us by embracing her.

My eyes narrowed and Chloe intervened once again to try and diffuse the situation.

"I apologize if my words hurt Miss Elena. I see she is a gentle soul at heart. Nevertheless, it still stands that Mr Doe had to suffer unprovoked insult," she spoke more eloquently than I expected. It appeared the strict upbringing she wished to leave behind could still turn useful.

The hero raised his hand and his companions put back their weapons. Even mana came to a standstill. The only one still reeling for a fight was the wounded beastman.

"Don't listen to them! That man is trouble!" he stood up.

The buckles of his armour rattled. His body began to grow in size and turn more leonine as his fur became thicker and his claws lengthened.

"Please, wait a moment!" Chloe exclaimed, her expression darkening as I began to stretch the muscle fibres of my calves.

"... Let's hear them out…" a powerful whisper cut through the air brought onward by mana.

Every member of the hero's party widened their eyes in surprise, even the seemingly apathetic rogue. The beastman furrowed his brow and put an end to his incomplete transformation, returning humanoid.

"It is pretty rare for Elara to express herself so clearly. Maybe we should all calm down and start from zero. Is that fine?" the hero intervened.

Chloe looked at me with pleading eyes. I voided my expression of any emotion.

"Fine," I yielded in the end, letting go of a golden opportunity to vent out my frustrations.

The saintess freed herself from the hero's embrace, cleared her voice and brushed her clothes, before addressing us respectfully.

"I am truly sorry for the… discomfort we caused. Karnak can be hot-headed at times," she bowed her head. The beastman emitted a low growl of dissatisfaction but remained silent nonetheless.

"May we ask the reason for your presence here?" Chloe questioned her with a gentle smile, finding it easy to approach someone with a temperament similar to her own.

"Mana burst," the cloaked rogue suddenly intervened.

"Excuse me?" confused, Chloe furrowed her brow.

"A few days ago, our archmage detected abnormal amounts of dark mana coming from this region. We came to investigate and found destruction everywhere. And if it wasn't enough, we also found one of the husks of the First Progenitor and the butchered body of the Queen of Rouge," the hero explained with wariness in his voice.

"... is that surprising?" Chloe reacted uncertainly.

"Surprising! Are you for real?!" the elven archer spat out brashly.

"Please Thalorin, calm down," the saintess tried to soothe her.

"Calm down, you say?! We are in front of the ones who slaughtered one of the Four and broke another one and you want me to calm down?! You all have seen what happened to the village! Completely destroyed! There must have been at least a fifth of his heart inside that husk," her short temper didn't die down.

"Do not jump to conclusions Thalorin, we still don't know if it was indeed the two of them who took care of the Progenitor and the Queen," the hero lent a hand to the saintess.

"I did it," my sharp voice cut through the conversation. I was getting tired of these useless back-and-forths and wanted to clear everything up, even if it meant wasting Chloe's diplomacy efforts.

Everyone froze. They stared at me, trying to decipher how much truth there was in my words. The saintess turned to Chloe incredulously. The two could relate to each other, so she was more inclined to believe her than me. Chloe simply sighed and nodded while amazement covered the saintess expression.

"Now, you just explain why you disturbed me," I didn't give them more time to process the information I had relayed.

"We came here only to find out what happened and take care of any threats," the hero was the first to regain his bearings.

"No threats here. Now go away," I scoffed at him.

"You disrespectful…" the lion man intervened, a vein popping from his forehead.

With a single movement of her hand, the elven archmage wrapped the beastman's mouth in a shining layer, preventing him from speaking. She took a step towards me and then another one, stopping only once she was a few inches from my face. Her party members readied their weapons to intervene at a moment's notice, but with a flick of her wrist, an opaque dome of mana divided us from the rest. Only the five of us, Chloe, the saintess, the archmage, the hero and I remained inside there.

"What are you doing Elara?!" the hero exclaimed furrowing his brow.

"... Talk things out…" she said, before positioning herself near the dome's walls.

She was leaving space for the rest of us to discuss how to proceed. I gazed at her with curiosity. She understood things better than her colleagues. The dome appeared resilient, but it wasn't clearly meant to endure forces applied from the inside. She didn't wish for anyone to feel constrained. She was being considerate by saving my ears from the noises of the outside disturbances. I appreciated it.

"Was it a lie you are the one who defeated the two heavenly kings?" the hero was the first to break the silence.

My eyes flickered and I ground my teeth. The hero held my gaze and prepared to unsheathe his sword.

"You must understand that people of Mr Doe stature do not lie. What may seem like an innocent question to you, is a great insult to him," Chloe tried to salvage the situation.

Her explanation was mostly correct. It would be too embarrassing for me to resort to something so low as lying and his mere accusation was an affront. But the real reason why I was so keen on taking him on was the foul golden stench coming from his weapon. It was so imbued with Her pure essence I wanted to destroy it right in that instant.

But it wasn't an appropriate time to let temperament take the better of me, so I relaxed my expression and returned to a semblance of indifference. The hero sheathed his weapon once again but kept his gaze fixed on mine.

"Would you lend us your help?" the saintess suddenly intervened.

I turned to her, intrigued by her sudden show of courage, while the hero barked her name in alarm.

"Elena! What are you saying?! We can't trust them?!"

The saintess flinched at the sudden hero's anger burst but continued on undaunted.

"Lucius, the Demon King grows stronger by the day. You have seen it too: he can vanquish the darkness. We can't afford to antagonise anyone else. We need all the help we can get," the saintess' eyes shone proudly.

The hero wavered. His eyes darted between me and her. He sighed. As he was about to speak his mind, I opened my mouth.

"I won't. Now, let us be," I spoke calmly.

I stretched my hand towards the ground, took a stone up and hurled it at the walls of the dome. It popped like a balloon, freeing us from its embrace. I took Chloe's hand and guided her back toward the cave.

"Please wait! If he isn't stopped, the Demon King will destroy everything in his path! He is a being of pure darkness and hate!" the saintess' emotional words fell on deaf ears. She tried to run behind me, but her party members held her back.

As Chloe and I were returning a whiff of mana reached me.

"... Think it over…" the whispers of the archmage brushed my ears.

We returned to the false safety of the cave we had learned to call home and sat down on our bed. Unsaid words lingered in the air. I waited for Chloe to find the will to express herself as I went over the options that had been presented to me.

I had already confirmed that two of the four greatest servants of the official enemy of the world had their beings fueled by a distorted form of Her power. I didn't know how it could end up like that, whether it was corrupted by the users or appositely modified in origin to ensure good and evil were distinguished, but that wasn't relevant. The only thing that mattered was that it was easier to metabolise as it was made to be weak against things such as my ichor.

Taking part in the hero expedition would let me confront the demon king and in all probability devour his strength. I didn't know my enemy and there was a risk of defeat, but I had to take chances.

A possible alternative was instead to hunt down the hero's party. Its strength seemed to rely on their number and coordination, both things I could make quick work of. I could start with the rogue, the more vulnerable of the bunch and the more disadvantaged against an enemy whose senses he couldn't fool. The archer would be a little bit trickier, but I doubted her weapon could actually hurt me. The beastman and the dwarf would prove more challenging but I could leverage on their lack of movement speed.

The last three could spell my demise, though. The saintess appeared vulnerable, but I could tell at a glance she reeked of golden power to the brim. She may be able to heal up her allies or even bring them back to life. The Veil still weighed on me and the characteristics of my species were dampened.

The archmage was the wildest card in their arsenal. She was clearly a powerhouse. I may be resistant to mana, but the environment was not. Being dragged into the depths of the earth by some unknown spell would be inconvenient. I still didn't trust the strength in my legs enough to face the matter with complete peace of mind.

And the hero. That awful sword made me gag. It was clear She was the one who had made it. I knew that hateful thing could put me to sleep if it managed to cut me up - and I abhorred returning to oblivion.

Moreover, the saintess and the holy sword would most likely cause me indigestion. The power She imbued into them was extremely pure.

Chloe appeared to have sensed somewhat my stream of thoughts as she found the courage to voice her opinion.

"Mr Doe, couldn't we help them?" she asked timidly.

"Why should we?" I pushed her to continue.

"It's just… it's just the right thing to do…" she looked down, seemingly embarrassed by the heritage of her upbringing.

Like late Isaac, she had been brought up as straight as an arrow. Modest, kind and with a strong sense of justice that set them apart from the rest of their species. Their way of processing information was indeed extremely peculiar from my point of view. Even if we were in the Otherlands, she approached the world with the same perspective she held in our own land.

"So you think it's better for me to aim at the evil of this world rather than to its good," I replied sharply. I had already discussed with her my findings about her Mother's essence and how I could devour it. It wasn't difficult for her to understand the two options I had been contemplating. Nevertheless, interestingly enough, the news I could consume Her power had made her strangely giddy.

Chloe barely held my gaze. She still found it difficult sometimes to look me in the eyes. Even if I didn't put much weight on it, we weren't formally equals. She had come under my wings by forsaking her Mother and accepting me as a substitute. The hierarchy was still there, even if in my eyes she was equal to Jonah, Lily and Isaac. People I had to take responsibility for and for which I felt affection.

She finally opened her mouth.

"If I may, I'd prefer you not to consume humans, Mr Doe. It disturbs me," she candidly admitted.

I furrowed my brows. Her reasoning was different from what I had expected. I paid more attention to her demeanour and deciphered her emotions. Her eyes were filled with reverence towards me. She didn't want the image she had of me to be sullied. Her care for the hero's party members' well-being was secondary.

A chuckle almost escaped my mouth. She reminded me somewhat of Faye. She too had grown up with a somewhat distorted sense of morality if compared to my original world. I missed her. Faye always knew what passed through my head and always wanted what I wanted. Our will was one.

Instead, Chloe wasn't so in tune with me. If she was, she wouldn't be suggesting me to take sides. The idea of helping Her chosen ones disgusted me. I would have rather waited for the final battle to occur, just to swoop in at the right moment and take what I needed.

Nevertheless, I had promised to value her as one of my own and our relationship had gotten particularly close. I had to behave accordingly. Moreover, I already formulated an idea. I rose up from my seat and stared at Chloe. She finally held my gaze.

"I'll do as you ask. But there is one condition they must satisfy," I spoke.

"What is it?" she asked expectantly.

"A contract," I said with a smile.

The darkness of the night wrapped the land. No sound could be heard. Only the crackle of a campfire disturbed the sombre atmosphere of the hero's party. The gloomier of them all was the beastman. He was completely overwhelmed. He let rashness control him and almost met his demise at the hands of an enemy he hadn't correctly evaluated.

But more important matters were at hand. Once again, the archmage flicked her wrist and a dome of absolute silence enclosed the four of us, the saintess, the hero, Chloe and me. The hero was the first to open his mouth, his voice resolute and his eyes focused.

"What brings you here?" he went straight to the point.

"For a price, I will help you defeat the Demon King," I responded with the same straightforwardness.

"A price?" the hero furrowed his brows.

"Either your companion must yield her powers to me or you yield your weapon," I explained calmly.

The saintess's expression turned to a shocked one. The hero's eyes became two thin slits. His grip on the hilt tightened.

"Wait Lucius!" the saintess intervened, trying to avoid a battle to ensue.

"We can understand your reaction, but Mr Doe's proposal is fair," Chloe also interjected. She was more diplomatic in her approach, as she cared enough to be.

The hero relaxed his grip and turned to Chloe.

"Do you truly understand? The holy sword and the saintess' mandate are the blessings bestowed upon the world by the goddess herself. They are not something that can be given up," he chuckled.

"They can," I retorted.

The hero focused his gaze on me and suddenly widened his eyes in surprise. He saw the honesty in my gaze. Although the hero and the saintess were characters following a script, they were part of the main cast. The Veil which She made to constrain the archs held great power and could be used to do marvels, even against what She intended. It was also within my rights to counter Her authority.

Everything boiled down to how my world functioned. My world originated from a mix between Her and my authorities. Matter came from Her, while form came from me. She manifested mana into the world according to my original design. A few were blessed with the ability to spellcast, only because both of us permitted them to perform feats that others could not.

Everything was in balance and based on some sort of compromise. The Legions of the past could exert my authority through my soul fragments, but I couldn't do the same as She directly antagonised me. In the same manner, She couldn't directly rule out the archuman's right bestowed by me to explore other worlds and so She shaped the Veil, using the Genai King as a conduit. The construct She birthed infringed upon my authority, but at the cost of letting it infringe upon Hers too. It was a reasonable agreement.

The hero didn't know how to react to my proposal. I could sense his wariness and a slight hostility. He was gauging me out, but I remained relaxed as he showed no signs of trying to slash at me.

"You're telling me you have a way to overtake the rules of this world," he spoke incredulously.

"It goes with me and my people," I corrected him.

"What are you?" his question remained unanswered.

He exchanged glances with his companions. Mana fluttered in the air and I could almost see the words they were exchanging between the three of them. After a long period of deliberation and a few nods of confirmation, he finally held out his bare hands to me.

"If you help us against the Demon King, the holy sword is yours. But only after and if we succeed," he set the conditions for the contract.

"The weapon must be untampered. You'll treat us as friends," I looked at his open hand, adding my own terms.

"Nothing can tamper with the holy sword. Anyway, until the end of our journey, I'll treat you as any other of my companions"

"Until we leave this land"

He sighed, frustrated by my continuous rebuttals. It didn't need to be perfect, it wasn't a deal with the devil, but precision was still important. He could not see what was going on, but reality was vitrifying around us as our souls were bound to inescapable terms by the Veil. This deal was a double-edged sword. I could free myself from the weight of the Veil, but to do so I had to bind myself to it. If I didn't hold my side of the deal, I would suffer severely. This was one of the reasons why I wasn't keen on taking this high-risk-high-reward manoeuvre.

"You'll be official party members until we part ways. I expect you to perform your roles dutifully. Anyway, I'll have your back and you'll have mine. Once our journey is complete and the Demon King is defeated, I will give you the holy sword. Do you agree?" he spoke solemnly.

"I do," I finally shook his hand.

A form of mana, alien to this world but native to mine, filled the dome. It wrapped itself around both of us and permeated through our skin. Our bodies glowed golden. My ichor boiled and my glow darkened considerably as our authorities intermixed. All of this lasted only a few instants. The dome of silence shattered and the starry skies appeared to our eyes.

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden show of power. They couldn't understand what had just happened, but it wasn't important. They could only trust my word that the deal had worked correctly.

The saintess clapped her hands and showed me and Chloe a warm smile.

"I welcome you as friends. Let us introduce you to the others," she chirped cheerfully.

"Let's wait for the morning. Let everyone rest. Also, please, get some clothes," the hero interjected.

I nodded, took Chloe in my arms and disappeared into the night, ready to show up at the crack of dawn, but only after receiving an appropriate attire.

"Absolutely not!" the beastman cried out infuriated as he saw my face first thing in the morning.

I felt the need to whack him on the head but held back and instead showed a generic indifferent smile. There was no need to become friends, we just had to cooperate until the final opponent was dispatched.

"I'm sorry Karnak, but this isn't up for discussion," the hero put his foot down.

While the two continued to argue, the saintess introduced us to the rest of the team. The elven archer was called Thalorin and was the marksman of the group. She could call upon spirits to imbue her arrows with elemental powers. The human rogue Silas was in charge of scouting and assassination. More than once he had proved himself critical on the battlefield and he synergized well with the archer. The dwarf Durin had the ability to deploy his stony mana to form almost impenetrable warriors. On the battlefield, he was the wall that protected the saintess from any danger. The saintess Elena had the duty of keeping her allies safe, by healing and strengthening them through her holy power. The beastman Karnak was the more straightforward of them all, a brawler with exceptional physical strength and the ability to transform into an even more powerful feral form. Together with the hero, he was always in the front confronting the most powerful foes. In the past, the frontline consisted of three people, but the third person had fallen at the hand of the first heavenly king more than one year before.

The most interesting of them all was the elven archmage Elara. She performed a variety of roles, from healing to battlefield control, as her mastery of mana made her the most versatile of the bunch. Due to the different properties of the two sources of power, she couldn't receive the saintess blessing, but her inherent might more than made up for it. She couldn't deliver the same kind of concentrated firepower the blessed Karnak or the hero were capable of, but she was instrumental in large-scale battles. The human-allied forces severely lacked magical capability when compared to the demon army, but her presence alone could balance the scale ever so slightly.

Everyone showed enmity towards me, but I let it slide. The deal signed with the hero constrained me, even if it displeased me. Their behaviour troubled Chloe. She didn't like being treated so coolly. Her eyes darted around trying to find some way to befriend them. Her eyes lit up as she found her opportunity.

"What are you doing, wench?!" Karnak ranted at the approaching Chloe.

She flinched for a moment but ultimately continued undeterred. I clenched my right fist trying to send a message, but the hero interjected for me.

"Karnak, I already told you that they are our companions now. You can try to be nicer," he spoke amicably but firmly.

"I just don't know what she is trying to do," the beastman snorted.

"I'm trying to heal you," she mumbled, stretching her hands towards his abdomen.

I batted my eyes in surprise as her warm aura left her body and enveloped him. It made no sense. Since the link with her Mother was severed, she should have lost her spellcasting abilities. Yet she was performing her usual feats as if nothing had happened, even if I couldn't find any trace of golden power in her entire being. A different essence was mixed in with her aura, one that felt oddly familiar.

Karnak recoiled back in surprise at the sudden show of light, putting space between them and getting on guard on all fours. He held a roar back in frustration under the watchful gaze of the hero. He finally stood up, removed his armour and opened his eyes wide in utter surprise. No sign of our scuffle remained.

"How?!" he exclaimed dumbfounded.

"How?" the saintess parroted him in a whisper.

I looked around for an explanation and met the serious gaze of the hero.

"Elena was able to close the wound you inflicted on him, but she couldn't make it disappear. You two are truly…" he shook his head as if giving up trying to understand.

I let him be as I also didn't have an explanation. I tried to focus my senses on Chloe but found myself unable to delve deeper into her being. I didn't expect my eyes to fail me, but something inside of her was hidden even from me. Nevertheless, I wasn't concerned. On the contrary, I felt somewhat cheerful. I opted to trust my instincts and returned to the matters at hand.

After Karnak was able to calm down, the hero called all of us to attention. The other party members still looked at us with distrust, but also with a hint of curiosity. It was the start of a more amicable relationship.

"As you all know, we have orders to eradicate a Blood Nest. Vampires are proud beings, so it is likely their security will be lax internally. Nevertheless, considering…" the hero began to speak but stopped while looking at me.

"John," I reintroduced myself

"Yes, considering John's recent exploits we can't be sure, so let's be careful. Our aim is to locate the progenitors and eliminate them. As usual, we'll divide into three groups: Silas and Thalorin will scout the interior and assassinate the progenitors they come across; Durin will stand by Elena's side and protect her as she maintains the blessings on all of us; Elara will bombard the Nest from the outside while Karnak and I slowly make our way inside following what Thalorin will report to us. Everything clear?"

Chloe raised her hand.

"What should we do?" she asked candidly.

Deep in thought, the hero furrowed his brow. After a brief contemplation he finally opened his mouth.

"I don't know yet where your expertise lies, nor if it will synergize with the rest of the group during battle. We all have been fighting side by side for a long time, while you two are new. This is an extremely delicate operation, we can't afford something to go wrong," he spoke drily.

"Oh. I understand," Chloe lowered her hand disheartened.

The hero's judgement was reasonable. It was unwise to suddenly change approaches and tactics just to cater to new additions. It could interfere with the balance of the group and result in havoc. Moreover, Chloe still had an aversion to spilling blood. Given her physical and healing capabilities, she could have been a perfect frontliner, but her indecisiveness in battle made her unsuitable. She was slowly changing, but for now she would have to sit this one out.

But his reasoning couldn't apply to me and the hero appeared to have an instinctual understanding of it as he addressed me immediately.

"John, will you be capable of creating a secondary distraction somewhere else?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered drily.

He gave an understanding nod and pointed at a location beyond the mountains.

"Let's start moving then," he exclaimed, clenching his hand.

After a couple of hours of walking through the plain, we found a wagon, if it could be called that. It was an elegant mix of wood and metal, large enough to accommodate everyone together with a large number of crates containing everything from food and everyday articles to weapons and tools necessary for their maintenance. Thick ropes of an unfamiliar material were tied to the carriage, although they rested limp on the ground.

As if it was natural, the hero's party got on the carriage, with the dwarf helping Chloe on. I stared fixedly at it, waiting for an explanation. It wasn't needed as it became immediately clear. The archer put her hands together and started to speak in a language I didn't bother to translate, while the archmage closed her eyes and gathered a huge amount of mana towards her.

The winds began to blow violently, forming powerful vortexes which coalesced in the form of six huge winged horses. Their see-through bodies were not made of flesh and bones, but of intense gales which took a deep-green hue.

I lightly tapped against the ground and jumped aboard the carriage. I made myself comfortable against the walls and looked outside, savouring the scenery.

"Onwards!" the hero shouted.

The wind horses neighed loudly. Their hooves rhythmically beat the ground, the thick ropes tense under their push, and the carriage began to accelerate. They ran and ran, until they spread their wings and gave to the sky. Chloe suppressed a surprised yelp and looked at the receding ground with awe in her eyes. I looked at her in amusement. It was most likely her first time flying so high up into the sky. She reminded me of myself the first time I took an aeroplane. The sudden memory soured my mood. It was a past I would never get back to.

Our companions showed no reaction at the sudden departure from earth. They were used to this manner of transportation. The saintess looked at me with curiosity for a brief moment, most likely wanting to know why my and Chloe's reactions were so different, but she didn't ask anything in the end.

We travelled for two days and two nights, only returning to the ground for sleep. Nothing remarkable happened, except for the archmage trying to strike a conversation with me, before giving up immediately and going to bed away from me.

At the dawn of the third day, we left the carriage behind and continued by foot. The scenery changed dramatically in less than an hour, going from a verdant plain to a crimson desert without any sign of life. The pungent smell of blood filled my nostrils. I turned to Chloe, but she remained mostly unperturbed. She wasn't used to taking lives, but she was used to lives being taken.

The hero turned to the archer and she gave him a nod. She whispered in the same language as last time. Wind enveloped the team and their steps became silent. Nothing changed for the human rogue, as he was already as silent as one could be. The effect of the spirit magic on Chloe was reduced, and it was completely ineffective on me. I could almost hear muffled screams of horror resounding in my ears as the pixies responsible for the spell effect fled from me.

The archer seemed taken aback by what had just transpired, but a single look from the hero silenced her.

"Our people are resistant to mana, and Mr Doe is even more," Chloe tried to break a lance in my favour, but no one paid attention to her.

"John…" the hero began to speak, but I interrupted him.

"I'll wait here for your call. It will work if you don't cast the spell directly on me. Chloe, stay beside Elena and Durin," I gave directions.

A little annoyed, the hero shut his mouth and the beastman growled, but everyone ultimately moved as instructed. I sat down on the red sand, waiting for the call. It took less than an hour for it to arrive. A messenger bird made of wind perched on top of my shoulders and relayed the archer's voice in my ear.

"Six miles north-west. Silas and Thalorin infiltrated. Karnak and Lucius from the south. Attack from the north," the bird vanished in the wind.

I slapped the ground and propelled myself to a standing position. I flexed my quadriceps and launched myself high into the air. I scanned the horizon looking for my objective and I soon found it. A blackened cocoon birthed from the ground like an uncontrolled tumorous growth. Its bony exterior was dirty with red streaks of blood and innumerable skeletons were piled around and on top of it. I compared its position to that of the sun, identified the northern side and began to run as soon as my feet touched the ground.

I rejoiced as my sight filled with flames of ionised air. I wasn't yet as quick as I used to, but I was finally free from the shackles of weakness. A mature arch was finally walking on this earth.

I circled around the structure. The saintess was far away, inside the dome forged by the dwarf, deep in prayer. A golden light emanated from her body and so did the dwarf and most likely the rest of her companions. The only one not shining was Chloe, who sat by her side with a composed expression. For a moment, I saw the frown and the widening eyes of the dwarf as he saw me passing by, but I also saw Chloe's delighted smile.

The hero and the beastman in feral form were fighting a horde of vampires and thralls, the formers slightly sizzling under the light of the morning sun. The hero was shining like a star, cleaving through the enemies with slashes of light which travelled through the air, while the grown beastman, now resembling a lion more than a man, cut them and tore their bodies with his claws and teeth. They were two powerhouses and held the advantage, but the great number of enemies was stalling their advancement.

The mayhem was too much to allow me to study what was going on inside the structure, but it was likely that the rogue and archer were going around snuffing out the lives of the progenitors. I could tell as much because I saw several thralls collapse in seizures before they stopped moving. The saintess had explained that the bond between progenitors and their servants was one of life and death.

I soon reached the northern side. A great opening showed itself in front of me. No light could penetrate, devoured by flows of dark mana. Numerous red eyes glistened in the dark and soon I found myself submerged by a multitude of deformed and malnourished humanoids.

Their nails broke against my skin and their teeth shattered when pressed against my bones. Their flesh gave out to my hands and their blood covered the ground. My clothes were ripped apart but I had gotten used to going around without them.

I calmly stepped inside the structure, while ignoring the multitude of aggressors. Sometimes a vampire came out of the bunch and I paid it heed for a fleeting moment before returning its body to the earth. Few managed to wound me, but not a scratch would remain just a few moments later.

The vampires' nest was an infinite collection of tunnels and halls thick with darkened mana and no shred of light whatsoever. The environment was extremely cold, so much so that even infrared light was scarce. I had to rely on sound, touch and odour to orient myself, but it would take a while to get a complete three-dimensional mental image of the surroundings. The nuisances attacking me were instead unimpeded by the darkness, making it more difficult to move around freely.

It took a while for me to notice, but the nest was quite empty. Even if there were hundreds of attackers, the sheer size of the nest suggested there should have been an order of magnitude more. Nevertheless, there was no clue to why that was the case. I continued to delve deeper through the tunnels, finally free from nuisances. I found myself in a hall with a single dead vampire in its centre, a wooden arrow impaling it through the heart, his throat slit. Beside it, there were the human rogue and the elven archer, the former with an inscrutable expression and the second with a bothered one.

They looked at me, surprised at my sudden appearance.

"Other targets?" I questioned.

"None," the human rogue reported.

I nodded.

"Did you notify your leader?" I continued.

"I already sent a message to Lucius," the archer replied, refusing to look at me.

"What now?"

"After a clean-up, the Blood Nest must be destroyed. Let's go out," the archer explained, turning towards a tunnel.

"Understood. Get out," I told her.

She was about to reply in annoyance, but the human rogue grabbed her by the shoulder, making her desist. The two stepped out of the hall and made their way to the surface. The place was deep underground, far away from the rays of the sun. My eyesight began to adapt to the darkness. The thick mana was dispersing as no progenitors remained. I waited until I felt no sign of movement in a wide radius and then got to work.

I had considered avoiding standing out in order to maintain the tactical advantage, but I had immediately scrapped the idea. Not only did the archmage would have a good grasp on what my capabilities were, it would have been bothersome and unenjoyable. I didn't want to feel weak anymore.

And so I jumped, through walls, floors and ceilings, until I saw the light of the sun again, and the bewildered expression of my companions. I plunged into darkness once again, accompanied by a flaming orb which lighted up the tunnels and halls. I kicked around and let my arm go loose in furious joy, reducing everything I encountered to rubble and dust.

After a while, nothing remained, only an open-air theatre with broken stands. The red sand fluttering in the surrounding air was swept up in the process and softly fell back to cover what was once home of many creatures.

I got out of the crater. Chloe welcomed me back cheerfully, without words but with gleeful claps. The hero showed me a sombre expression, while the beastman face had darkened. He seemed to be replaying in his head what he had seen, trying to evaluate if he could achieve something similar.

The saintess was taken aback, the dwarf was frowning and the archmage was completely expressionless. The rogue's eyes had become two thin slits while the archer's mouth was hanging wide open.

"The f**k?!" was the only thing she managed to speak out. Her utterance caused more shock in her companions than my exploits.

"Next mission?" I called everyone back to attention.

The hero cleared his throat and got back in control of the situation.

"Usually, it takes at least a couple of days to take care of a blood nest. This one was strangely empty and, umh, the demolition proceeded quicker than expected. So for now, we wait…" he said, when suddenly a gust of wind came down from the sky.

Everyone looked up. A great wind phoenix was scrutinising us from the sky. It opened its mouth and a solemn voice resounded in the open land.

"Hero. Shadowguard Bastion. Now," its message thundered and the bird disappeared.

Everyone's expression suddenly became serious. I made eye contact with the saintess, waiting for an explanation.

"It's the last stronghold in front of the demon king's territory," she whispered.

"Everyone move!" the hero commanded and everyone heeded him.

We got back to the flying carriage and headed west. We flew for two days straight without rest, but had to stop temporarily due to the archer's exhaustion. Spirit magic was mana-efficient, but mentally draining. We set up camp in the middle of a glade. They all fell asleep soon enough, only the archmage and me the only one awake. Chloe was dozing with her head on my shoulder and my arm wrapped around her to keep the blanket from falling off of her. More than usual, I felt I had to take care of her.

Nevertheless, there was another matter at hand. The archmage was sitting on a log a little further on my right, contemplating the campfire. No one else was currently awake. It was a good opportunity to have an in depth conversation, and she seemed to hold the same opinion.

"I imagine the holy sword to hold great significance. Why did you convince the hero to give it up?" I broke the ice with a calm but inquisitive voice.

The archmage turned to me, her usually aloof demeanour disappeared and her eyes deeply focused.

"Fear," she candidly answered with a sharp voice.

I raised an eyebrow. A myriad of thoughts ran through my mind until I came to a conclusion. A smile formed on my lips.

"You know my kind?" I asked cheerfully.

She continued to stare at me with the same resolute expression.

"Not exactly. Although I heard stories long ago, it runs deeper: it's a natural reaction. Like some beings foreboding earthquakes"

"Or like when animals recognize predators. Then why are you the only one to?" I questioned with even more interest.

"Only the older species possess such a trait. The younger ones didn't need it"

"So my people reigned even here. Fascinating," I spoke full of pride.

"So, what species are you?" I continued.

The archmage wavered under my inquisitive look. She hadn't tried to mask her true nature. She must have known I had noticed the thick layer of mana covering her body at all times, or at least that I had other ways to recognize her. She could have been able to deceive me had she been a little more thorough with her disguise. It wasn't noticeable to the touch, but her thermal trace revealed her different body temperature.

"Don't answer if you don't want to. It doesn't matter. Let's return to the original question," I chose leniency.

"The holy sword will lose its power after the final battle," she answered right away.

My brow twitched and she flinched. A bitter taste filled my mouth and I recognized it as my blood. I had clenched my jaw so hard my teeth had displaced and my blood was shed. I forced myself to calm down.

"I see," I replied in a calm voice.

They had successfully deceived me. It bothered me, but there was nothing I could do. The deal had already been signed and the holy sword was an extra. After all, the real target was the Demon King.

I stretched my head to the right, just in time to avoid the dagger aiming for the back of my throat. I waved my harm to my back and sent the aggressor flying through the woods. The sudden commotion woke everyone up and in less than a second they were up and ready for battle. Only Chloe remained by my side, safe in my embrace.

"What's going on?!" the hero shouted with all his might.

The archmage didn't utter a sound, having returned to her silent persona. She was hiding a secret from the others and didn't want anyone to pay much attention to her. She was their mysterious aid.

"One leash got loose," I chuckled, turning my eyes to the wounded human rogue.

He was holding his broken arm. Blood flowed profusely from his cut forehead and blood emanated from his glistening eyes. He pointed his dagger towards me and readied himself for a second assault.

"Silas, don't move!" the hero ordered him, but the rogue ignored him.

In less than two steps he was in front of me once again. He thrusted his blade towards my abdomen. I grabbed his hand and prepared to plunge my hand in his throat, when the hero's slash parted the two of us.

"What?" I snarled at the hero.

"Calm down," he commanded.

"Fine," I replied, pushing the blade away.

I pounced on the fleeing rogue, forced him on the ground and grabbed his wrists. I applied pressure and my fingers bit into his flesh. The rogue didn't show any reaction at his hands being mangled, soliciting a modicum of respect from me.

The hero looked like a dog ready to bite at my throat, with only the saintess keeping him from acting up.

"I made him harmless. You are welcome," I passed by the hero without looking at him.

Nobody said anything. The saintess approached the rogue, but simply shook her head. It was beyond her capabilities. Chloe looked at me as if asking for permission and I let her. She approached the rogue and put an end to his bleeding, before returning to my side. The hero's hand became white while gripping the holy sword, but the archmage dissuaded him. The hero sent a quick look to every member and, as if nothing ever happened, they returned to sleep. They only showed some troubled looks while tying up the rogue as per the hero's orders. Only the dwarf approached me. He gave me a wordless nod, before departing once again.

We took to the sky in the early morning. Silas was left behind, unbound but with no weapons. He should have been interrogated, but he wouldn't talk even under torture and everyone seemed to believe the situation at the stronghold to be too dire to lose time with him. The archmage cast a spell on him to ensure he couldn't recall the conversation of the prior night. It was in her interest he remained silent about her identity. The hero and saintess appeared to know about it and let her do what was deemed necessary.

"Was it truly necessary?" the archer addressed me inquisitively during the flight.

"Your companion tried to murder Mr Doe. He was shown more mercy than he deserved," Chloe spoke sharply.

"Listen little girl, who do you think you are?!" the archer yelled back at her.

"You will not disrespect her," I intervened, speaking calmly and matter-of-factly.

The archer flinched and was about to retort but the dwarf interjected.

"Thalorin, Sir John's behaviour is without blemish"

"What?!"

"Such a dishonourable fellow. He should have never been with us," he continued.

"Durin, there's no need to be so harsh," the saintess tried to mediate.

"I agree with the dwarf. Honestly, I'm relieved we got rid of the slimy guy imposed on us by the human royals. He always smelled of bloodlust. He was going to slit all our throats in our sleep after everything was over. We all know how humans are after all… No offence, saintess," the beastman stepped in the conversation.

"Come on, you can't be serious! Lucius, tell him he is being paranoid!" the archer addresses the hero.

He didn't respond and kept his cold expression. The archer widened her eyes but utter no word. Our journey continued in silence. We finally reached the Shadowguard Bastion, a monumental castle entirely made of white stones. The external walls encompassed a wide stretch of land, enough to shelter thousands upon thousands of soldiers and civilians. But all around it an interminable sea of troops had taken camp. Elves, dwarves, humans and beastmen. Preparations for a great battle were currently underway. The expression of my companions darkened. They showed no surprise at the number of soldiers present, but the great commotion clearly surprised them. The final battle was not far off.

We returned to the ground and made our way inside. Awe filled the eyes of the soldiers we passed. The hero was such a great existence in this world. A few gazes lingered on me, curiosity filling their eyes. The archmage told the truth, the youngsters of this world didn't have an adequate level of perception.

We made our way in the main tower of the castle. There was great chaos, people running around with piles upon piles of documents and messages. We entered the central hall and a wide room filled with officials of various species discussing war plans appeared in front of me.

"Hero!" a senior beastman with lupine characteristics called everyone to attention.

"General Varka," the hero addressed him respectfully.

"It's good you came so soon! The situation is extremely dire, hero,"

"What happened?"

"A messenger came from the Demon King's territory"

The hero flinched.

"Come again?"

"Read it yourself," the wolfman handed him a skin parchment.

The hero's expression darkened as he read it out loud.

"'One week. Surrender or perish,' signed, the Servants of the Great One"

"Does it mean…" the paled saintess covered her mouth with her hands.

"It most likely means the four Heavenly Kings have assembled," the wolfman confirmed her suspicions.

"The time has come, hero. The time to vanquish the darkness is here," he turned to the holder of the holy sword.

The hero gripped his hand. Resolve filled his eyes as he turned to his companions.

"Friends, will you stand with me one last time?" he spoke.

"I wouldn't lose it for anything in this world," the beastman spoke.

"I will protect the World Tree with everything I've got," the archer spoke.

"My place is by your side, hero," the saintess spoke.

"I am a shield. I will never crumble," the dwarf spoke.

"... To end this madness…" the archmage spoke.

"Ok," I spoke.

They all gave me a strange look. The eyes of the officials in the room converged on me. Confusion filled their eyes as they became aware of the presence of a stranger. They truly had an awful perception.

"Who may this gentleman and lady be, hero? Now that I look at it more closely, where is the… member of the royal shadow force?" the wolfman asked. Irritation transpired from his voice while referring to the absent human rogue.

The more I listened to the people here, the more the role of the rogue, at least in the original version of the story, appeared to be to dispose of the hero's party after the war ended. What a useless thing he was.

"Their names are Chloe Ortiz and John Doe, general. She is a talented healer and he is… just someone really strong," the hero said with a sigh.

The wolfman raised an eyebrow but ultimately gave the hero a quick nod. He stepped in front of me and offered me his hand.

"Welcome, John Doe. Talented people are always welcomed," he showed me a smile.

I kept my usual expression and held his hand. His brow wavered as he judged my strength. He immediately let go of me, turned around and returned to the table. The hero accompanied him to discuss tactics for the war on the horizon.

"What do we do now?" Chloe asked the saintess timidly.

"We rest," the saintess held her hand.

"Rest?" I asked for confirmation.

"Oh oh oh! I admire your courage, Sir Doe! But our forces are not ready and even with the saintess' blessing, we won't be able to fight thousands alone!" the dwarf slapped me on the back.

I stared at him emotionlessly for a moment, before turning my gaze to Chloe.

"Chloe, what do you wish to do?" I asked for her opinion. She had renounced her Mother in the name of freedom, so I wished to heed her will if possible.

She looked me fixedly in the eyes.

"I want to help," she said.

I nodded.

"Good. Let's start your training then," I spoke.

"Pardon?" she seemed taken aback.

"We have four days. More than enough," I smiled.