"C'mon! C'mon!"
"We'll crash!?"
"What's screaming going to do!? Stop standing around!!"
Aria overlooked the ocean from the bow.
A ship, black from aged moss, entered her sights as she lifted her head.
After a few minutes, the two sat parallel, one dwarfed by the other.
"Get a plank."
"Right away!"
"No need."
Water bridged the ships as two figures crossed.
"Aria." Levi stood before her.
She bowed at the waist while crossing her chest.
"... Have this ship circle around to the 'claws of the dragon'. I'm going directly to the wilderness."
"May I ask what I am to look for?"
"I'm not sending you to find anything. Just to take him there." Levi pointed.
"Hello!" Adam waved.
"I understand." Aria maintained her bow.
"... Are they all new?" Levi observed the hardworking crew.
"Yes."
"Bring them here for me." He waved.
'You won't even look at me? Tsk.'
"As you wish."
A few minutes later, a group of over 400 people gathered before them.
"Are they enough to run this ship properly? I remember the auctioneer mentioning something about it needing a minimum of a thousand people."
"They've learned to manage." Aria stood to his side.
"Hmm..."
Levi's mental energy flame danced as thumbnail-sized beads formed and shot into the heads of the people.
"What..."
"What was that? Who are those two..."
"Hey! What did you do!?"
"Miss Aria?!"
"They've not had the chance to come to know you as you weren't present for a time. Please don't hold it against them, young master."
Levi kept silent.
"' Young master'?"
"Wait, the only person lady Aria would refer to as 'young master' is... our employer?!"
"So it was a boy?"
"Shh! Watch what you say! Haven't you heard about him back at the inn? Throughout the imperial city?!"
"You all better watch yourselves. We're just a few fishermen and some odd people. You could say this young master holds our lives in his hands. If you get on his bad side..."
"Yeah. I hear you. But what was it he just put into our heads?"
They all went silent.
"... You work for me. You're my people. Just remember that and everything will always be ok." Levi smiled brightly.
"Look at that smile..."
"There's no way he's a bad person!"
"Oh! Young master! I will follow you anywhere!"
"You shameless-!! Stop trying to curry favor!"
"What?! I dare you to say it again!"
"You guys are missing the point. He still hasn't explained what he just did! We'll drop dead in the next second for all we know!" Someone pointed.
They paused.
"Shut up, you bastard!"
"Can't you see we're praising our saintly young master here?!"
"Stop trying to throw dirt on gold!"
"Ahhh! What's wrong with you all!? I'm just speaking-AHHH!"
"That's the problem!!"
"Don't speak anymore!!"
They bombarded the man with punches as kicks, but he had no tears to cry.
'Mom always said people hated hearing the truth. I should have listened. I miss you, mom!!'
"They're cultivators?"
"A few. Most are common people from the continent's countries." Aria said.
"Hmm."
"In any case, get them to circle around. You're coming with me." Levi went back to the ship.
"... I understand." Her brows creased slightly.
...
Minutes later.
"Bye!!" Adam waved.
On the diver's ship.
"You want us to land there? There are no settlements or anything on this side of the continent. Aside from..." Zale crossed his arms as sweat slid down his face.
"I know. Just do it."
"Miss..." He turned to Aria.
'Can you explain to this kid what I'm saying? 'Cause he's not listening to me!'
"Do as he says."
"... Fine." Shaking his head, Zale walked to the rest of the men.
"I hope you know what you're doing. The stories I've heard about the savages hiding there..." He shook his head.
"Don't worry. I'm not making you come with us."
"If a God came down and begged me, I still wouldn't go there. I like my crappy life" Zale walked off.
They began operating the ship.
...
"If... I may ask, young master."
"What is it?" Levi glanced back.
"Why did we come here? Because of your 'retrieval mission' or..." Aria gripped her hands tightly behind her back.
"... You'll find out soon." Levi looked down at the ocean.
"Yes... Of course." Her fingers loosened as she lowered her head.
...
The ship slowly came to a halt.
From the surrounding water protruded sharp rock columns of varying sizes.
"We can't go any further," Zale said.
"That's fine."
Levi looked over the thick forest before him. Something drew his gaze as he backtracked.
"We're getting off. Wait for us here for a few days. If we aren't back by then, circle around to where our ship is and stay with the others."
A wall of water snaked toward the land.
"Come." Levi held out his hand.
Aria hesitantly accepted.
"Careful."
The Qi squished and shifted under her feet.
She squeezed Levi's hand as they walked.
"... Wait for you? And what if you never come back? Wait here for the rest of my life?" Zale shook his head.
...
A foot landed on the sharp rocky land, accompanied by a gritting sound.
"Thank you." Aria released Levi's hand.
"... Stay close to me. If you're too far, I might not be able to protect you in time." He brushed aside the branch of a small tree aside.
"I understand."
The two walked single-file, shifting the random leaves and branches as they went.
"... This place has a lot of different plants." Levi looked back.
After the initial thick layer of greenery, they stood in a quiet forest. The trees rustled occasionally, and a light earthy scent floated through the air. Littering the forest floor was a variety of wild plants, along with patches of moss and grass.
"Young master..." Aria tapped his shoulder.
"Huh?" Levi turned.
"... I heard that aside from the savages, there was an abundance of both Qi dwelling herbs and mutated beasts. I guess that was true."
Standing a short distance from the two was a muscular reddish-brown wolf. It bared its sharp teeth, panting as saliva dripped from its mouth.
"So what kind of bloodline does this thing have?"
"Young master... It could be dangerous..." Aria gripped his shoulder tightly.
"I thought you didn't care what happened to me anymore." Levi advanced.
"That's not..." Aria lowered her hand.
"What can you do?"
He stepped on a twig, causing a sharp cracking sound.
The wolf ballooned instantly, blasting Levi with air as it roared. The sound echoed. Trees shook as it looked down at him with pale gray eyes.
"Down... boy!"
Levi dragged his clenched fist down. The wolf slammed into the ground, stirring up a dust cloud.
"All you can do is grow bigger? Even I can do that."
The wolf shrunk as it whimpered.
"... Is something wrong?"
Aria stood trembling in place.
"N-No."
"Should I let you go? There's no point in killing you, seeing as your bloodline isn't useful to me." Levi stroked the shiny fur.
"Wait... A mutated beast of this level would sell for a good price." Aria stumbled over.
"Hmm."
"Then you keep it." He picked it up by the back of its neck, pushing it toward Aria.
"I'll put it up for sale as soon as possible."
Levi retracted his arm.
"No. I meant for you to form a contract with it. Or at least keep it as a pet."
"Huh? But this mutated beast is worth a lot! Plus, I don't need a contracted beast." She shook her head.
"You said this wolf is strong?"
"Yes?"
"That's good, then. Keep it. I don't want situations like what happened a few days ago happening again anytime soon. Although this wolf isn't much, it could at least help you escape if something happened."
"... I'm sorry. I understand how weak I am. I'll do as you say…" She lowered her head.
"I wouldn't say that you're weak. Other people are just strong." Levi paused. " I, myself, am not the strongest person alive either."
Aria kept silent.
"Sigh. Make the contract." He lay the wolf on the ground.
"Grrr..." It growled as Aria reached out.
"Behave."
Whimpering, the wolf lowered its head meekly.
"Go ahead." Levi gestured.
Aria nodded.
She flinched as a cold blade slid across her skin. A red bead dripped from her finger onto the stuck-out tongue. A pattern similar to that of a snowflake spread out briefly before disappearing.
It looked at Levi and whimpered. Biting down on its tongue, drops of blood fell onto Aria's palm. A similar red pattern spread before vanishing.
The wolf looked at Aria. As if sighing, it lowered its head.
"She's your owner now. Be good-" Levi released his mental energy. "or I'll skin you."
The wolf trembled.
"Young master..." Aria watched the creature snuggling desperately, at a loss.
"I just 'invited' it to my inner world for a talk."
"Inner world?"
"Anyway, pick it up and let's continue. I'll change it back to its original size later."
Aria picked up the cub-sized wolf carefully, a sparkle in her eye.
With the adorable creature nestled in her arms, the two continued.
...
A few minutes later.
"Young master, where are we going, exactly?"
Levi glanced at her.
"To meet the people living here."
"But, the only people living here are..."
"Exactly so."
'Her mood seems to have improved?' Levi glanced back.
"I just hope you know what you're doing." She muttered.
"... Something's coming." Levi stopped.
"Where?" Aria looked around.
"From the sky."
Just after he finished, the loud cry of a bird reverberated.
"More than one?" His frown deepened.
Five man-sized hawks swooped down from different angles.
"There should only be one, though? What is this?" A red dome formed around the two. Small whirlpools swirled at different points.
They stuck their feet out as they swooped down, slamming into the blood shield. It absorbed their momentum without a ripple, bringing them to a rough stop.
The Hawks were being sucked into the whirlpools, feet first.
Frantically struggling, they wiggled free and flew away.
"Are they gone?" Aria asked.
"No." As the blood shield collapsed, a bright red ring formed behind Levi. It hovered behind him, leaning forward at an angle. With a paper-thin blade, a red sword formed before him.
Gripping the sword, Levi waited.
The birds plummeted at a pace that caused the wind to whistle.
"Young master?" Aria watched warily.
Levi stood still.
"Young master!"
"Found you!" Levi turned and slashed down.
A towering tree split down the middle. The leaves rustled as it fell with a resounding boom.
With a splat, the hawk fell. The remaining four dissipated into black smoke.
"They... were fake?" Aria looked around.
"Didn't I say it? There was only the presence of one creature." Levi reached for the two halves.
He did what he needed to do with the blood.
Levi looked at the bisected tree and the destruction following it, then at the sword.
He held out a tensed arm and slashed down.
Shatter!
"Why did you do that?! The bleeding won't stop!"
"It's fine. I didn't think this thing would work so well. It shattered in the end, but to cut me almost to the bone..." He faced the ring as blood poured from his arm.
"How is that fine?!" Aria grabbed the bleeding arm. "Blood clotting pill! I have a few, just-"
"You're overreacting." The blood climbed up his arm and back into the wound which, itself, then healed without a trace. The ring collapsed into a red mist as it dissipated.
'That one sword used at least 20 of my 34 levels of blood energy, though.'
"Young master..."
"Hmm?" Levi looked up.
"Don't hurt yourself. Even though it might not seem important to you... just... don't do it."
"... Fine. But how else am I supposed to test certain things?"
"I'm sure there are materials you can use to test weapons. Next time, just let me prepare some for you."
"Then what if I want some now?"
"Right now...?" The question stumped Aria.
"Ha. Let's go. Before something else appears."
"Ok." She nodded.
They started moving again.
A few minutes later, Levi stopped Aria. They stood on a small slope before a narrow path.
"What's wrong? Is it another mutated beast?" Aria stroked the wolf's head.
"..." Levi shook his head.
"I just hope that they're easier to deal with, 'cause they're a lot of them."
Levi could both hear and feel a subtle rumbling.
A figure flashed, leaving a glittering trail in its wake.
"Get back!" Levi grabbed Aria, shielding her with himself.
With crystal-white antlers crowning their heads, deer galloped majestically down the path, resembling a bursting river. As they flew by, a white substance grew on the leaves and grass close to them.
After all of them had passed, Levi released Aria as the little wolf gasped.
"What were they... I've never seen mutated beasts like that before." Aria's 'eyes' shone.
A whitened leaf shattered with a crunch as Levi pinched it.
"Is this... salt?"
"… Let's go. Who knows what else will show up here." He turned to Aria.
"Ok." She nodded heavily.
They once again set off.
'Those deer... could they turn me to salt, too?'
'... We've already run into 3 unknown species of mutated beasts.'
'As for these so-called savages. Living in a place like this... I'll have to deal with them carefully.'
Levi's pupils slimmed as a gold glow rippled throughout his eyes.