Chapter 4

I went back to my inn as I thought about that healer (he will be an important asset for me later on but first let's make our self strong) as I thought my skills level is too low at the moment with only two of them at the middle level and they won't help me a lot at my fights now I can see that my win against Liger was only because he lost control over his emotions when I let him see his families {I need to raise my level over them fast} I don't like things to happen just like that I have to be sure I'm able to win against most of the people if I want to be this countries face I went to sleep after that thinking about that gate keeper who didn't realize I was a human being until I removed all the blood from my face I laughed at it and it made my sleep more relaxing the next day I was looking at the missions at the table looking for something that will help me out then someone called for me I looked at my back I saw that healer as he was wearing his white rope and have a staff at his hand he didn't have it yesterday but I can figure that searching for some herbs doesn't need any wands or the like {hey seems you agreed with my proposal from yesterday} he smiled at me {yeah I thought about it and I didn't have anything else to lose anyway I would be dead meat if it wasn't for you} I looked at him put my hand at a paper as I took it this will be today's mission it's a bit farther from my usual few hours missions but now I won't be afraid of being injured like the usual {okay then let's announce our group and I have the mission} he nodded to me the two of us went into the reception and the elf was there waiting for someone to look after him {how can I help you} I got the paper {I would like to take this mission and I would like to get this guy into a party with me as the leader} the elf looked at the healer and nodded to me he took his name but before he wrote it I caught his hand {no you won't use your normal name from now on you will be called Raphael} he tilted his head {why can't I just use my real name} I wrote mine there {you will understand later now just right it our journey is long already} he looked at me with annoyed face but still wrote the name Raphael with me being the leader of the group the two of us went outside of the city I looked at the road that we will head to as Raphael was holding a map at his hand {okay it's this way we will go with the road until we find a boulder then we will change our route into the forest} I nodded as the two of us started to move {shouldn't you be the one who read the map mister leader} I raised my shoulders as I said {I don't know how to read them} (well because I'm from another era) but of course I won't tell him that well not for now I might tell him later on as he sighed at me {I'm already regretting getting into a team with you} I smiled at him I normally don't use the blocking status skill other than when I enter the dark forest to preserve my Mana so I can still be the same person {what do you want to go back you still have a chance} he looked at me with annoyed face as he brushed my hand from his shoulder {thanks but I will pass I will stick with you for now odd balls should stick together right} {then shouldn't we already recruited that crow} there are total of three oddballs at our branch the healer and now known as Raphael the crow and me the crow is always hiding his wings and holding a sword at his waist he never try to talk with anyone else so he got the title of an oddball like the two of us {we should scout him later} I nodded to him {but just if he is worthy of being with us} he looked in front of him {what are we a famous group now} I nodded to him {well yes so that you know the two of us were famous on our way and since two oddballs went into the same group it's normal for us to be famous right} he thought for a second but then nodded to me {yeah you are right we should be famous enough to be more arrogant but let's do it in moderate okay} I nodded to him as the two of us walked with leisure without any problem with each other we aren't that different after all he told me his skills and they all tend to be on the support part {hmm even if we combine your support skills I'm not that strong myself I'm at the side of finding and killing the enemy using their weak points so we need someone with high firepower} he nodded to me {yeah if it wasn't for the demonic bird you would have your ass kicked} I looked at him as he was looking at the map once again {you don't have to say it like that you know} he folded the map and went by the side {it should be around there and why shouldn't I say it you would have lost anyway without either me or the big guy right} this one I might hit him later on {yeah let's but I will make it back to you later on so remember it} it's already after noon as the two of us found the boulder we stopped the chitchat and looked series as he got his staff at hand and I summoned my swords today's mission is to get to search for a missing girl who should be around here {is this the right spot} Raphael nodded to me {yeah the merchants said that they spotted a sound of young girl coming from around this area} I nodded this is going to be troublesome if I got this kind of illusion at me since the plants here seduce the people into coming inside before sucking their life force out of them Raphael here can remove it with one of his skills but if we can't recognize that we have it to begin with we are done for so I activated my low level blocking skill as I looked emotionless i moved at the front while Raphael moved behind me we moved with caution since we might die at any problem we do a plant appeared by the side but my sword already cut it's eye before it made eye contact with us that's our plan with my skills I will remove any hesitation from within my body and cut them right away while Raphael keep his eyes closed while clinking to my clothes and heal me whenever I'm infected so he will open his eyes every five minutes to check on me before closing his eyes once again and we proceeded without a problem until we heard a sound of a young girl coming from far away {she is near} I nodded {let's be more careful now we heard that there are many people who died at this part of the forest} he nodded to me as he clinched his staff tightly we moved forward as I killed another flower before It opened it's eyes (there are way too few around here) as I thought about it the two of us heard the cry of that girl once again but I flinched from it since she shouldn't be that close yet {careful Raphael something isn't right here} as I looked forward a head came looking for us it should be the young girl but the head doesn't have any hair {yeah I know just be careful} as he said and she was smiling at us I got my swords to jump at her but her smile didn't move an inch {damn it it's a trap run} as my swords tried to cut her but then four tentacles appeared and destroyed my swords by the time she looked at us the two of us were running away from this spot as she moved from behind the bushes and a head came out with a very long neck that is stuck with a giant flower the flower ran toward us as the girl pleaded for us {help me please help I'm scared} I stopped looking back as I sensed some flowers at the front I send four swords to cut them down Raphael was beside me at the time he is slow the flower will reach us soon like that I clicked my tongue {get faster or you will be eaten} but then I saw his eyes are still closed he can't open them because he can't heal himself fast enough after all I'm the one at fault for not getting it faster I clicked my tongue once again as I conjured a chain and got it around his wais as I started to use the trees as foothold with my feet as I conjured steel pikes at them we started to get away from the tree as my Mana was consumed I stopped running and looked back my skill wasn't activated any more so we stayed at the ground {w-what the hell was that} I looked around us but it's not good without my blocking skill my sense are coming to my emotions once again I can't sense them around us {I think he is a boss and he uses the voice of the young girl to lure people inside} {what is a boss} I looked around us and prepared myself as I saw the bushes move {it's a monster that is the same type of the others at the same area but much stronger than the others} he looked around {so that boss thing is a ruler since it's the same description} so they call them rulers at this world well it's than not calling them anything {tell me what happen if we killed the ruler here} he looked at me with strange eyes {killing a ruler with only the two of us is clearly impossible this isn't the time to joke around Michael to kill one ruler you need a fully prepared Platoon and one of the alliance to be able to kill them and the cost will still be far too great and in top of that the ruler will get changed even if you kill it with some kind of a miracle and the new ruler will have grudge against you and I don't think it's a good thing} so it's better to run away than to actually kill them even if they increase my reputation I more likely die at the next ruler's hand or at this situation tentacle {okay then let's go back we more or less completed the mission as the young girl wasn't alive at the first place} he looked around as he got the map at his hand but he then kept looking left and right at the map I was surprised by it so far he was very good at telling the directions {d-don't tell me we are lost} he folded the map and raised his shoulder {sorry I can't see anything that can tell our location} {and that's what we needed right now amazing how things get worst by the second} as I said that the head of the young girl appeared from within the bushes Raphael looked at me {you had to open your big mouth} and the two of us started to run right away but since I don't have enough Mana this time I only cut the flowers that came toward us but the ruler is coming closer by the second right now {he is catching up with us} as I looked at the back I found a head right in front of my eyes with the smile at the young girl's face {did you come to help me} I opened my eyes wide as I conjured a sword at my hand and cut the head a loud voice from behind us and the ruler flower started to rampage around like crazy (is the big neck it's weak spot) as I got the sword at my hand to rush toward the flying neck but the tentacle hit it I looked in front of us {he isn't coming after us now is our chance} I said that and Raphael nodded to me as he chanted something a light appeared around my body as my Mana got recharged by our tank I caught him I don't have much even with his help I don't think I can withstand it for a lot of time my body is still tired from all the running so I started to jump around as fast as I can before I collapse but the flower didn't leave us as it rushed toward our direction as Raphael screamed I felt pain coming from my back did it hit me already but the injury got healed right away thanks to Raphael's healing that is still at my body I can manage but my speed is still not enough to outrun him at the moment so I clicked my tongue {sorry to do this} Raphael tilted his head I looked back I gathered my full strength and threw Raphael toward the giant flower and it dodged him (good it's target is clearly me now) as I started to run once again {go and call for help I'm counting on you} as I ran away from the giant tentacles that is coming from every direction and barely dodging them until I couldn't see Raphael anymore {oh goddamn it all I will face it if I will die I will die fighting} as I conjured two swords and the four swords that I got them to kill any flower I can see went flying toward the giant flower they cut it's eyes (good now I can move more freely) as I jumped from one of the tentacles I tried to cut it as I was jumping but my sword was the one that got destroyed I clicked my tongue (my skill is still very weak) as I continued to dodge a loud roar came from the giant flower as it got four of it's tentacles flying toward me {ahh I give up already} I can't keep up with this monster I rushed forward {I won't lose to something like this goddamn it I wanted to live longer} as I jumped right in front of the tentacles I cut one tendon from the flower but then two tentacles hit me I was sent flying to a nearby tree which I went through and hit the one behind it as I looked at the tree I saw it falling down (my luck suck today) I rolled to the side since I can't feel most of my body at the moment that's the best I can do even though I dodged the tree my left hand still got crushed by it the pain got me to scream my lungs out as I heaved what few breaths I still have I looked at the giant flower as it moved closer to me as it already won it's like it's strolling toward my direction as another head came from the long neck with a young girl looking more humane with long golden hair and kind face as she looked at me with a smile {please die for my growth} as she said that a tentacle came from above I tried to use my right hand to stop it and closed my eyes from the fear this one second started to feel like a decade already I might actually die here but then nothing touched my hand as I opened my eyes I saw a man standing in front of me with his body fully hidden with fur as that guy pushed the tentacle away Raphael came beside me he tried to remove the tree but couldn't but that guy with one hit of his leg got the tree to fly away from my hand that was crushed clearly {you withstood a ruler all that time all alone you did good Michael I see you improved greatly from the last time I saw you too} as his face finally got clear in my eyes it's the leader of the wolf tripe one of the alliance Dalf he smiled at me but I didn't see it as a smile since his look more like a wolf who found his prey amusing Raphael started to heal my wounds but I doubt that many wounds will be healed fast as I looked at the fire at the giant flower as it keep moving it's tentacles all around but wolf fighters stop it's every more as I saw one of the wolves who wear a stronger armor ordering them {keep the fire strong stop it's movement don't let it run away circle around it magician start the attack} as he said that Dalf looked at me {I have to go now} I touched him using my leg since my hands are no good at the moment {cut the long neck with the human head first} he looked at the giant flower the human girl couldn't be found but he smiled at me {got it just rest now} as he rushed forward and the leader of the wolves shouted { the commander is at the area everyone get ready to finish it} as they howled at loud voice Dalf rushed forward with a silver claws and shouted at them {back me up I don't want anything touching me} and a two groups came around his body as the tentacle felt him as a threat it used the four tentacle attack that it used against me Dalf jumped and cut two of them that came from above his body is way smaller than the tentacles but as he cut I could clearly see a giant claws appearing within thin air while the two flanks stopped the two coming from the sides as the magicians set them on fire Dalf howled loudly as he started to climb the giant flower and in an instant he was at the head of the flower as he jumped at the air he went inside of it and after a second the flower fell down without moving an inch and Dalf came from within a hole that he made himself with the neck with a human head at it's end and the heart at that is still pounding at the other end as he crushed the neck both the heart and the face exploded and that's as much as I can remember as I fainted after that