013 - Burning

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Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

( 1 Corinthians 10 : 31 )

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White snow drifted with the chilly wind.

A violet light covered the sky as the red sun sank into the horizon. The dusk was extremely beautiful as the violet clouds mixed with the golden sunset.

His deep blue eyes seized the sunset. Today had ended, but he gazed toward tomorrow.

"Beautiful, exactly how she likes it," he mumbled.

He turned to the village with a core in his hand.

His gaze landed on the kneeling chief. His face was extremely pale, his breathing was rough, and his pupils were dilated.

His face showed that he had seen something shocking, and his brain was still processing it.

Ze snapped his fingers, and the monsters made of death and darkness, the drake's body, and the mana cores vanished into his shadow.

*Tap*

With a tap of his foot, Ze vanished and arrived before the chief.

The chief stood up, his gaze not leaving Ze, who stood before him.

Ze pointed the stick towards the chief.

"Keep your end of the deal!" Ze said strongly.

He had kept his end of the deal; now it was the chief's turn.

"Ah," the chief was taken aback by his behaviour. He was already in shock due to Ze's display of power.

"What? Are you not going to?" Ze raised a brow.

The chief felt his brain freeze at the question, his heart stopped beating, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He was in a predicament, but he did what he needed to avoid this situation.

"Yes, I will keep my end of the deal!" he said with a nod.

He couldn't remember details about the deal now, but he would figure it out.

"Okay," Ze said with a smile.

Ze pushed open the gate and strode inside the village.

The chief followed him.

Ze followed his senses and moved towards the back of the village, where a mountain protected its back. He could sense the people's fear and anxiety spreading through the air.

He slowly moved toward a small crack in the mountain wall. Ze tried to go in, but when he gripped the side, cracks spread across the wall. He had regained his strength, but he wasn't exactly in full control.

The chief looked at the crack that spread from where Ze's palm was; it spread towards the depths of the mountain.

Ze took a step back.

"I don't think it will be safe if I go in," Ze said.

The chief understood his words. He moved to the opening. The crack was small, but it was enough for him to move freely.

He moved through the narrow crack and soon arrived at a wide space. He could see people waiting with their blades drawn. Fires were lit to illuminate the cave.

"Chief!" Dame exclaimed.

The hunting party, the guards, and the other hunters were standing guard.

He was the first to open his mouth. They had already noticed him when he exited the crack, but they didn't look welcoming. Maybe they thought he was a monster or because of the sound caused by Ze.

They all just observed him, ready to strike if needed.

The chief mouthed some words to the people standing before him.

After confirming it was him, the guards lowered their weapons.

"What happened, Chief?" Curtis asked as he moved forward.

"Ha," a hollow laugh escaped his mouth.

Even as he thought about it now, he still couldn't fully stomach it.

The people who were looking at him were taken aback by his reaction. They didn't know what had happened.

"Haa, (sigh) I will explain it later. Let's go back to the village. It's safe now," the chief said.

After conversing with the hunters present, he went in further to check on the people.

He saw Siena and some others helping the children to calm down. A smile spread as he looked at his daughter, who had grown up like her mother.

She turned to notice him.

"Dad!" she exclaimed.

Her voice echoed in the wide cave, prompting everyone to look at him.

"Chief," many called.

"What happened out there?"

"Are the monsters coming?"

"They left, right?"

Many people barged in with their questions.

The chief raised his hand, asking them to stay silent so he could explain. The crowd calmed down as they saw him raise his hand.

"The monsters have been dealt with. It's safe now," the chief said.

"How? Who dealt with it?" one of them asked the question everyone had.

"Well, he is just waiting outside because he couldn't come in," the chief said.

Even though his words were vague, they didn't doubt it. He had been their chief for a long time, protecting them. So the least they could do was trust him.

The crowd followed him back.

Ze looked at the people who were coming out of the cave as he sat on a boulder. His black attire was eye-catching, and everyone looked at him as they came out.

He had a small smile as he looked at them.

"Brother!"

Ze turned towards the voice. Hula was running towards him. Ze jumped from the boulder to meet him.

"Brother, where were you?" Hula asked as he stopped before him.

"I was fighting monsters," Ze said casually.

"Really?" Hula asked.

"Yep," Ze answered.

"Wow."

Ze turned to the people who had gathered to go back. He walked to the chief, who stood before them. He stood beside the chief as he looked at the people.

"Is this all of them?" he asked.

"Yes," the chief answered.

"Now I understand why there is a village in the middle of nowhere," Ze said with a smile.

The chief turned to him with an expression asking, 'What is he talking about?' Ze just smiled as he replied.

"Since there is no rain, the seed has yet to sprout."

The chief's face turned pale at his answer.

"Don't you think it's better to cull them before they bloom?"

Ze gripped his sword.

"Demonic seeds."

In those words, the chief fully understood what he was about to do.

He was one of the empire's knights before the rebellion. After the defeat of the demonic priest and the closing of the hell gate, he escaped with the people who were meant to be corrupted.

The village was a refuge for those with the demonic seed in them.

He had protected them for 20 years, but now their death had arrived. He had seen Ze's strength, and he knew he could not defeat him.

But he would buy time for them to escape. The chief drew his sword.

"RUN!" the chief shouted.

The confused villagers looked at his face. They saw his terror. The hunters drew their weapons, and others began to run.

The chief swung his sword at Ze.

Ze vanished, and the chief's sword cut through the afterimage.

*Click*

A clicking sound echoed.

The chief turned to look towards the sound. Ze stood before the running crowd, his sword sheathed.

With the clicking sound of his sword, all the people who had started to run fell to their knees, clutching their chests. Blood poured out of their mouths.

The chief's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. The people he was supposed to protect were dead.

Ze turned to him.

"Why? WHY!" the chief roared.

He understood that they were dangerous and had to be eliminated, but they were his comrades who had fought a bloody war with him. He had sworn to take care of them after his fall.

"What did we do to deserve this?"

They were victims of the demon's scheme. Why did they have to die when they had done nothing to anyone? They had survived death only to be discriminated against by people who called them monsters.

"Nothing," Ze replied.

The chief's eyes widened at his answer, trying to understand.

"Then why?" he asked.

Ze smiled at the chief, who had a shaken expression.

"I am just keeping the end of my deal, nothing more," Ze said as he snapped his fingers.

A wave of golden aura covered the fallen villagers. They vomited even more blood, but the blood was black instead of red.

Some of them fell as they vomited blood.

The death monsters sprung out of his shadow. They moved to the fallen villagers and lifted them.

The people who were still conscious quivered in fear as they saw the monsters made of darkness and deadly green.

The monsters carried the villagers back to the village, including the shaken chief.

***

"It's tasty," Hula exclaimed as he took a bite out of the meat.

He was sitting among the children, enjoying their feast.

All the villagers were gathered in the center of the village, celebrating the happy news they had received.

They were joyful as they threw a feast with the meat from hundreds of monsters. They brought a huge pot and cooked it for everyone in the village.

They sang songs and danced, expressing their joy.

The chief scanned the faces of everyone present. They were all happy without a worry on their faces. They had always been worried, but that huge burden was lifted.

The demonic seed had been removed from their bodies.

When he was brought back to the village, he had thought most of them were dead, but they were just unconscious.

"I only culled the seed."

Everyone was shocked to hear the news. Even the best magicians couldn't do anything about it. The curse that had haunted them was no more.

But their saviour was not with them.

Ze was sitting on the mountaintop, far from anyone's sight. He looked toward the people who were enjoying themselves.

Ze turned to the rock. he was near roasted when he acquired it. He had planned to use it to create a sword, but his interests had changed.

Ze lifted the rock and channeled the mana around him into it.

The rock greedily absorbed the mana and turned white-hot.

'What are you doing? (+_+)?'

Ze kept channeling mana without answering him. Slowly, the surface of the rock melted away until only a small ball of molten flame was left.

The ball of flame wiggled as it took the shape of a burning fireball, and two white circles formed, resembling eyes.

Its white eyes looked at Ze.

A cold wind blew, and the puff of flame quivered as if it felt cold, causing its flames to waver.

Ze commanded the mana, and flames ignited in his palm, covering the puff of flame. It snuggled into his palm as it sensed the warmth.

Ze smiled as he looked at it.

The ball of flame in his hand was an elemental. Normally, it would have taken at least a thousand years for it to form, but Ze was able to accelerate its birth.

Ze brought the snuggling elemental closer. It was still young and weak.

And it was especially cute.

'What is it? (◊∆◊)?'

"An elemental," he used his index finger to gently poke the puff of flame.

"I will name you."

The puffy elemental looked at him, not understanding what he was saying.

Ze opened his mouth.

"Henceforth, you shall be called Ignit."

With each word that came from his mouth, the atmosphere shook as the mana went into a frenzy. He was using word magic, one of the powerful types of magic used by the blessed.

With the elemental now named, the mana in the surroundings embraced it, strengthening it.

Ze stood up with Ignit in his hand. The golden sun was rising on the horizon, spreading its warmth across the wild land, dispelling the coldness.

Ignite jumped up and down as it saw the sun.

Ze looked toward the dawn. His fight had yet to end.

Wings of darkness formed on his back. They flapped with mighty strength, and the winds obeyed his command, lifting him to the heavens.

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