Some time later, Sara was able to take out her mouth from Marco's tail and started to talk with an angry voice.
Sara: Hey! This isn't how you treat a princess!!
Marco: Shut the hell up! I don't fucking care if you are a princess! Outside from the kingdom you will be always treated like shit, no matter who you are, if you aren't strong then you are nothing…
And then, I didn't win against Granberia. It was more like a tie, she didn't got all out and the area where I was greatly limited me. Now stop annoying me…
Then there were some minutes of silence before Sara said.
Sara: Can you at least release me?
Marco's tail that had the shape of a claw released her, and she fell on her feet and followed Marco, but was stopped from his words.
Marco: Don't move, there is another monster forward…
Sara and Tamamo stopped moving, while Marco continued to walk towards the unknown, and finally another monster came out, she was a Lamia-type, she had the lower body of a purple cobra which extended to her back.
Instead of hands she had claws, red eyes and blue hair collected in a ponytail. And was blocking their way.
Cobra Girl: Under instructions from Sphinx, I cannot let anyone weak pass. I shall eat you here.
Then the Cobra Girl immediately attacked Marco, who jumped back, the Cobra Girl made a small crater where Marco once was and looked forward, but Marco was not there anymore, the Cobra Girl panicked a bit and looked around.
Cobra Girl: ...It's up!
Then the Cobra Girl looked up, but there wasn't anyone, suddenly, she heard a step in front of her and lowered her head, finding Marco in front of her, ready to use Demon Decapitation, before the Cobra Girl could see him when he retreated, he runned around while using Sylph's power, this is why she didn't found him first.
And now, Marco used his technique, Demon Decapitation, to strike at her neck, but somehow, she dodged the hit by rearing back the head, it may be her reflex or instincts, but it left Marco open for a moment, which she used to lunge forward and bite him.
Marco grunted in pain while the Cobra Girl was penetrating his skin of his shoulder with her sharp fangs and injecting venom.
*Ding*
*Warning: Status: Poisoned*
But Mama Lucifina didn't raised a little bitch, neither did his old parents, so Marco gritted his teeth and bit her back in the neck.
The Cobra Girl's eyes widened and released his shoulder before screaming in pain, she thought that Marco would struggle, not bite her back, and incredibly hard too, she could swear she heard some bones breaking.
Marco anchored his feet in the ground and then twisted his own body while holding the Cobra Girl on his teeth, then he threw her to the wall using only his own mouth.
The Cobra Girl glowed and turned into a normal cobra, Marco sat down while taking deep breaths and massaging his own shoulder, where the injury from the cobra's bite was regenerating, Tamamo and Sara panicked and rushed to him.
Sara: Are you alright?! She bit you!
Tamamo: Tsk… She injected venom… I think I have some antidotes in my clothes…
Marco: There's no need, I am alright… 'System, status report and cure'
*Ding*
*Status: Poisoned*
*Activating Cure…*
*Venom neutralized…*
*Erasing venom…*
*Please wait 1 hour*
Marco sighed in relief and stood up, before trying to move the shoulder, which seemed alright, and turned to Tamamo and Sara, he still didn't deactivated the 2nd Gate.
Marco: Give me 1 hour and the venom will be gone.
Tamamo and Sara decided to trust him and nodded, then they followed Marco in the depth of the pyramid.
[Meanwhile]
At the Monster Lord's Castle, Alice was in her bedroom, hugging a pillow while being naked, she stopped crying a while ago, and couldn't stop thinking about Marco, she was getting sleepy because she was unable to sleep yesterday night.
Alice: 'Marco… I'm sorry… Don't go away from me…'
Alice's eyes slowly closed, unable to stay awake, finally she closed them, and started to sleep… Going to the land of the Dreams… In the past…
[Dreamscape]
Alice woke up in a unfamiliar room, unlike the bedroom she knew, the one made of stones, this was made of wood, there were many unfamiliar things that she didn't knew about, like male clothes in the floor, a wardrobe that is surely not hers, and some pictures.
In the pictures there were two people that were holding a baby, probably a small family, in another picture it was showing the mother and a child, which had brown short hair and crimson eyes, and was smiling.
Alice: 'Marco…?'
Then Alice stood up and walked to the door, she doesn't seem to be able to control the body, it got to the bathroom, in front of the mirror, and Alice's eyes widened.
There was Marco as a child at the other side, and looked really worried, Marco was fixing his hair and cleaned his face before drying up and walking down.
It seems that Alice was looking everything from Marco's point of view. And now she was looking at him cooking a chicken soup, when it was ready, he didn't took it at the table and eat it, instead, he took it upstairs, in a room Alice wasn't familiar with.
Marco knocked the door and entered, finding a woman with long brown hair at the bed, who looked sick.
Alice was able to recognize her as the woman in the pictures. Then she seen Marco leaving the bowl with the soup at the table at Lucifina's side and then leave from the house, going around the village while asking the same question:
"Can you help me?"
The question was the same, but the answer was always different…
Villagers: I won't sell medicine to an outsider's kid! Get out from this village!/ Get… Get out of here you stupid kid! Are you trying to spread whatever sickness it is to me!?/
If you come here again, I'll kill you!/ Listen… Return to your house right away. It is important that you never leave your house, no matter what./
Quick, leave this church! Outsiders aren't wanted in this sacred place!/ Don't leave your house again! Before you spread that sickness to us, die together! That is what Illias commands!!/ Let everything to Illias...
The scene that was happening in front of Alice, who understood what was happening, was heartbreaking. Especially when she saw Marco walking forward, and falling to his knees, in the mud, under the rain…
It is completely different from what Marco looked in front of her before, always smiling to challenges, fighting against any obstacles, now he was in the mud, with despair washing him like a shower.
He raised an arm and punched the ground…
Marco: Goddammit!! Then… If no one wants to help me… I will try to help her as much as I can…
With a determined expression, covering the despair he had inside, Marco stood up and started running towards a tool shop while activating 'Start'.
Later, he reached the tool shop, he checked if there was anyone inside and runned in, silently, then he checked the medicines and books about diseases, Alice knew about what would happen later, about the death of Marco's mother, but she still hoped for him to find anything…
But there was nothing about the disease Marco was looking for, nothing at all, then Alice heard some footsteps behind Marco, and turned to find the owner of the tool shop with a sharp big stone in his hand, her eyes widened, fearing for Marco's safety.
But when the man took another step forward, Marco immediately jumped to the man in the face, and before the man could scream, Marco shut him up with an hand over his mouth and used the 1st Gate.
The man was trying to struggle, and he did it faster when he felt his mouth burning due to the temperature of Marco's aura, the man was frightened when Marco finished his transformation, and seen his tail take the shape of a claw, which curled in a fist and slammed to the man's chest.
The man's ribs broke, but Marco didn't stopped there, he continued to attack, until one of the broken ribs pierced the man's heart, killing him.
Alice was a bit frightened from seeing a kid around 9 years already starting killing people mercilessly, especially when the kid was Marco, then she saw Marco dragging the corpse out from the village and turning back at the shop, to check the books, even if without results.
Later, Marco turned back to his mother with more food on his hands, the mother was awake and smiled when she saw Marco.
Marco: Here is the meal, mom…
Lucifina: Thanks… Marco…
Marco: I'm sorry, mother…. I went out to look for a medicine, but there wasn't anything to help you… I asked the church too, but they said that Illias would save you…
Alice frowned when she heard Marco lying to Lucifina, and it seems that Lucifina knew too, so she said.
Lucifina: Marco, I made you do something painful. You don't need to go back there ever again-
Marco: But…
Lucifina: ...No… Marco, you must be a Hero…
Marco: But… Why…? They continue to say 'Illias will help you', 'Illias will save your mother', 'it was Illias' will'... Tell me… Why should I be baptized from someone who does nothing to be worth being blessed from?
Lucifina smiled, and her hand touched Marco's cheek.
Lucifina: ...A Hero is decided from his actions, not from being baptized from lllias. Just… Don't hold a grudge against the villagers… I know… You will… Help many people… Save many monsters… And be a good hero…
Then Lucifina slowly brought Marco's face to her and kissed his forehead, before standing on her own bed, and closed her eyes while smiling… Leaving a crying Marco in the side of the bed...
Marco: *Hic* Alright… I'll be a… *Sob* Hero…
[Reality]
Alice opened her eyes, finding herself back on her bedroom, naked, and hugging a pillow, she slowly stood up and noticed something on her face, she put a finger at the place where that something was, and her finger got wet.
Alice: I'm… Crying?
There were some tears coming out from Alice's face, small, little, and a few, but she was indeed crying.
Alice gritted her teeth and cleaned her face, before saying with a determined face.
Alice: I'll find you… Marco…
Then she put her clothes and slithered out from the bedroom, wishing to meet again with Marco, at least for a single time, however, she would stay silent about the dream.
[SPECIAL QUESTS]
1st. Kick Gabriel's ass
2nd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans
3rd. Kill Illias
4th. Return to Lucifina's grave
5th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and Hellgondo
6th. Slap Lazarus' face
7th. Rescue the Princess Sara
8th. Find and make a contract with Gnome