{Zel PoV- A random place}
"For LORD FAKE!" The woman screamed as she swung the massive greatsword towards Zel, who dodged it calmly before kicking against her head to pop it.
*Splat* Bits and pieces of blood and brain matter laced his leg.
Zel sighed as he looked at the dozens of mutilated people lying amidst countless bodies.
"Lord Zel we are going to once again ask you calmly to come with us, without any resistance." An old man who stood away from the fighting and bloodshed calmly instructed Zel, without any anger or resentment at seeing the state of his fellow companions.
"Like I told you from the very start: I do not know this Prince John, I don't know anything about this soul shells you are on about and I am currently very busy to follow you. So, stop pestering me and get lost, or I will be even more ruthless." Zel lied casually hoping they would buy it.
The old man smirked hearing his answer. "Lord Zel, there is no point lying to us about who you are and your origin. We also know of your relationship with Prince John. So, you will have to come with us to answer some of our questions, willingly or not."
Zel cursed in his mind the umpteenth time. 'This is the 3rd time I am getting in trouble because of you Ez. Screw you and whatever bullshit you are up to. Besides how the hell are they even capable of seeing and finding me in the first place?'
"I guess you like to suffer before you move on don't you, old man." Zel smirked as a serious aura surrounded him, while his blood-covered clothes started to turn white and shine.
Unaffected by Zel's seriousness the old man calmly looked at Zel. "To us, death and suffering mean only one thing, Lord Zel."
"Oh, and what is that?" Zel asked as white gentle feathers soon started falling from the sky around Zel.
"Progress." The old man answered.
Suddenly the old man's jumped up high before, throwing out dozens of daggers from his blue and yellow robe.
Zel, calmly watched as each dagger pierced the heart of any and all survivors from his battle, who accepted the dagger without any resistance.
"Progress? What kind of progress did their deaths earn you?" Zel asked in confusion, just as the old man landed on the ground.
"I earn no progress in their death, Lord Zel." The old man answered with a gentle smile, as the daggers flew back into his robes.
This confused Zel even more before he suddenly saw the headless body of the woman he just killed, growing her head back and healing. Looking around he saw similar scenes as the wounded who were just killed by the dagger suddenly were having all their wound healed including the ones he inflicted.
"I see, so you make progress as a whole." Zel understood their plan was to tire him out endlessly, with them somehow able to revive themselves.
Just as everyone, who was dead a moment ago, stood up ready to attack him they paused and looked up in reverence.
"It looks like we need not shed any more needless blood." The old man along with everyone else sighed in relief before he looked towards Zel in pity.
"Lord Zel, I am asking this one more time. Will you come with us willingly or not?" Zel stood there in silence.
"Very well. Everyone retreat!" The old man ordered, and just as quickly everyone disappeared.
"What the..." Zel replied in utter stupefaction, as he saw them running like all hell was about to rain down, raising a cloud of smoke in the desert.
Zel too looked up to see if a meteor was heading his way or not, only to see the clear blue sky.
"Do they have a screw loose in their heads?" Zel asked to no one in particular, before turning around and walking away.
15 minutes later, Zel understood that although it was not a meteor nor all hell raining down, this was somewhere in the middle.
A person was accelerating from the sky at a very high speed. He couldn't make out their face due to the fire surrounding them, but he knew to see that the fiery person was heading towards him.
"Just my rotten luck to meet that jackass and have such a shitty holiday." Zel said as the person clad in fire soon appeared before him and crashed onto him.
*Boom* The loud sound was preceded by the shockwave throwing the desert sand in the air, raising a cloud of sand and dust, making it impossible for anyone to see properly in a range of 25 km.
"I am going to apply for an extension on my holiday, with the reason mental trauma due to that crazy bastard no matter what anyone says." Zel wheezed with difficulty as parts of his mangled limbs were laying around him.
Amidst the cloud of dust around him, he could see the silhouette of the person who crashed into him and got him in this state.
A woman dressed in black leather armour with white rim stood in front of him.
"Time for us to go." The woman said, stoically as if she just didn't crash land on a person.
As Linda walked towards Zel, bright white light started pouring from his wounds, healing him.
Just as wings made of pure white feather spread open behind the now standing Zel, Linda got ready for combat in her new suit of armour.
"Looks like now I have to silence you." Zel sneered towards Linda.
"He has prepared me enough to capture you." Linda replied reverently when she addressed the Fake One, just as darkness erupted from her armour shrouding the surrounding 10 km in it.
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{Ez PoV- Outside of the Imperial Court}
I walked outside of the soon to be the noisy court with the transmission device in my hand.
Ellis and Luke were waiting outside, in the hot sun with a worried look.
Seeing me, Ellis came up to me to receive the device, before asking "How did it go your highness?"
"Boring but as expected. They were floored with it." I replied boringly, as I threw the device towards Ellis.
The emperor wasn't present for the court meetings today, instead, it was headed by Albert. Guess he still did not like/want to see me.
"Is anything special happening today?" I asked, seeing the unusually busy marketplace.
"Well, today many of the travelling merchants arrive at the capital from all over the empire in order to make their annual report, this week to the merchant association. Other than that, I don't think anything else is going on." Luke replied.
"Is that so?" I replied, not expecting an answer.
I quickly made my way towards the underground facility to reward all those participated in the making of this device.
After rewarding them, along with giving everyone else a bonus for the past 1 week I departed from the facility to my store above.
Seeing the leftover fruits and milk from level 4 ingredients I decided to make some fruit ice cream.
After an hour I had 2 normal cups and an extra-large cup filled with ice cream.
Calling both Ellis and Luke, I gave them the normal cup while hoarding the large cup of fragrant ice cream all to myself, much to both their hidden annoyance.
"Let's go out for a stroll." I said as I walked out.
I only spent walking 10 minutes before I took a seat outside a busy park with my hood up, in order to not stand out and gain attention from the public.
Both Ellis and Luke blended with their surroundings. Luke sat in a coffee shop opposite me reading a book he borrowed from one of the shelves. Ellis sat leaning on a tree, fooling anyone not quite skilled enough in observing that he is fast asleep.
Few people occasionally gave me the odd and suspicious glance before moving closer towards their children.
I ignored them and made sure my hood was properly covering all of my face.
I let the chaotic noise of children from the park, couples talking amongst themselves, people going about their daily lives enter my ear.
I embraced it.
How long has it been since I have truly embraced society like this? As a powerless and helpless person?
Too long I guess.
I watched people of all sorts walking past me: Liars, lovers, beggars, teenagers, thieves, the elderly, murderer, happy family, cheaters, businessmen, nobles, a serial killer, travelling merchants etc.
Wow, it sure feels good to do this again after a long time, but with a different set of eyes and thought process.
I hummed to myself as I ate my ice cream with my small dessert spoon.
Any hero in my situation would want to go after those killers and serial killer I spotted. But unfortunately for their victim, I am no hero.
I have never been one for a long time. I have no intention of being one anytime soon as well, unless I am that bored and is in need of a challenge.
I will stay in this zone for a while longer, before moving on.
I peacefully ate my ice cream in peace. Savouring each bite of it with my small spoon, giving one the illusion that there is an infinite amount for me to scoop up and eat. Only for someone to come ruin it 10 minutes later.
"What do you want kid?" I asked the 9-year-old boy, looking at my ice cream longingly, few meters away from me.