"It seems like it.." As Paul holds a strand of his hair he had just plucked.
"How old are you anyway? You seem to young for a homeless man." As he stretched his head, he is still on the ground sitting.
With no idea for a reply, Paul thought for a split second what is his age, he was never was good at mathematics. "Not so young and not so old..." the only answer he could provide, he soon realized the bruises the boy have, he went closer and looked at the arms of the boy.
"Ah!.." he twitched for a second as Paul's hands wrapped into the bicep of the kid. "What had happened to you anyway?"
The boy felt puking, he smells the odour of Paul, luckily he resisted it and continued on. "L-long story! Uhm. I think you need a bath..." Paul realizing again he was stinkily released his hand and backed off for a moment.
"It may seem you need healing, your body will heal but it is much faster to get medicine."
Surprised about the words of the unknown homeless man, "Medicine? A homeless man could be a doctor on the spot here?"
"No silly boy of course not! You just need a bunch of herbs to be put into your arms and cold water or ice and it will heal much quicker than the natural healing of your body. Anyway's I know I smell so why not we look for a body of water somewhere here?"
The boy only nodded as he stood up, he looked one more time to the knocked out bodies of the men who dragged him here, he also looked at the broken sword he once wielded on the ground. Paul noticed this, " Ever wondered why the sword you stole broke and craked?" He said.
With no idea, the boy didn't reply but his face was sad and sorrow he felt weak and does not have knowledge of a real warrior. " *Sigh* It's because the sword choses it's wielder, not the user. Come on!" As he flung his arms signalling they should go already.
The boy realizes this and so he went back from his sense, "There's water here just straight up." He said and then he took the lead and they walked.
*
"You never said, your name..." He asked Paul, although the tone of his voice, it seems something bothering him. " Hei," Paul replied, he thought of his dummy name already before, he knew he'll be asked for his name. " Soon Joo." He replied immiadietley, Paul searched for some herbs he may use to heal some of the bruises Soon have. He constantly looks out every grass or leaves while walking down the forest.
"Can you teach me?" Suddenly Soon Joo Stopped walking, he saw Paul crawling out of the bushes. He rolled his eyes. " Hey!" He shouted. Paul was startled so he imoadiatelely pulled back and stood up, he also pats his dirty clothes because it jas dirt on it. "I said can you teach me?" He said yet again, " What should I teach you?" In a joking manner, " how old are you anyway? Tell me you age, exact age. I'm 18"
"Older than you." He shruggered, he puts some herbs in his pockets. " *Sigh* I'm from a sect here, I'm timid, shy. Weak! I never deserve being in that sect." He rambled on and on.
"Which sect are you from? Dark Sect?" He joked, only to regret it.
"How do you know that?" He questioned, Paul soon realized he should've said that. "Well I just know thing ok, I live here!" He said as an excuse.
"Live here and doesn't know there's a river around? He must've been faking all along." He said into himself, " Well you probably know Dark Sect is the top 3 Master Sect's that protect this Capital alongside The top 2 which is Fenix Fire Sect and the top 1 GodFist Sect."
"Yeah,- I know- didn't know actually I just knew that now hehe..." he scratched his head pretending to don't know anything.
They continue walking on until the seemed to arrive at the river just below until Soon stopped before even Paul could go past him.
"Can you please teach me, you seem to know things I don't or any normal homeless man know." He looked desperate. "What should I teach you? You're from the top sect, if I would teach you, you'll be ridiculed and be an embarrassment from your sect!" Paul said in a quite loud tone, he didn't agree with the perspective of Soon.
"I don't mind! As long as I become stronger, I don't mind being ridiculed by others." He sighed heavily and just continued on the walk, he gave up and just didn't minded. "I'll do it if you prove something..." Paul said, Soon stoped for a while and just nodded, "You're not just weak but you easily give up..." Paul said into his mind, he continued following Soon only to realize they are already here.
Soon sat under a tree while Paul rushed into the river, he stripped his clothes, dropped his sword and immediately dive into the water making splashes everywhere, soon got wet also and took a peak he imiadetley regretted. "Must be nice to have this cold water.," Paul said into himself as he continued relaxing, being at the bottom of the river, only silence could be heard, chirping of the birds and the clashing of the leaves of the tress. It was such peacefulness indeed.
Paul bathe for some time until he felt refreshed, he also scrolls around his system as he didn't know how to open his spacial ring, he is aware there are some extra clothing inside and also a towel. The bone fragments of his Knights were also inside. He looked his ring tried tapping it to work but to no prevail. "Hey Soon, have you heard of a ring called Spacial Ring?" He asked Soon for a belief he may know it because only the nobles are given social rings. You could but them but they are indeed expensive
"Yes, they are inventory like in the system, spacial rings are better as they provide more storage access. They can also house human beings or animals." He replied, he never showed his body, he didn't want to see Paul naked in the river.
"System? What system? You mean The Diabolical System?" He said out loud. As he was shocked to hear Soon, swords" What?! Diabolical System?! What are you saying Hei?" Soon was clueless at the name Paul has given.
"Then what do you call it?"
"DiaTONIC system, you know like from music theory Diatonic Scale. It appeared 2 years ago. Although the only people who got them were noblemen and powerful figures. Some of our sects also got this type of game system." He replied, but also confused, even more, he was curious about why a simple homeless guy, asked for seemingly questions no human being asked or even knew the answer.
"You ever know how to open one Spacial Ring?" Paul asked one more time, he was all processing this information, he didn't know that his system is different. "I got to see This Diatonic system." He said into himself as he continued to struggle thinking away to activate his ring. "Well, you gotta need a droplet of your blood in order for the ring to know it's the owner." He replied.
Soon grew curious about why Paul was asking, he was about to take a peak. "Give me my sword," Paul said calmly, the sword was just beside Soon so he picked it to pull it out from the belt and threw it into the river, of course, he didn't saw Paul, he covered his eyes.
"We're men anyway you know" Paul realizes that Soon was embarrassed, even though soon never showed his face, he was indeed embarrassed. Paul picked up the shiny sword before it will run because of the strong current of the river, he then proceeds to cut his right index finger and drop a single droplet on his ring.
"Surely a homeless man doesn't have such precious thing with him right?" Soon pouted and was quite confused yet again, and all of the sudden a light flashed. His eyes widened like a ball, he wanted to see what has happened but still, he remembered that Paul was still naked. "What was that?" He questioned instead.
"Nothing." Paul calmly replied, and so a fresh clothes were floating on his side, it was encased with again ar orb like a transparent bubble, a white towel was also in the bubble. "So there is a system in this world, but why is it called Diatonic? Does that mean there are some features I have while the others don't?" He said into himself, the bubble floated into the side. Pull picked the towel and dried himself before putting this red comfy long traditional clothing he always likes to wear even when he was "Paul".
"Hey Soon, could you tell me more about this system?" He questioned as he ties a belt so his long clothes won't slip.
....
Suddenly the vibe became quiet, Paul expects Soon to reply but he never did. He rushed to see the tree where he should be but he went.
[ Ominous Vibe Detected]
A window popped in front of Paul, he felt something was wrong.
"Hei!!!" Suddenly a scream from Soon echoed through the forest, Paul picked and drew his sword and bolted to where the sound came from, he realizes that somebody dragged him away, the way the tall grass were just suddenly dampened by something. He continues to run until he arrives at an open area of the forest.
"Mghmmhhh!"
A giant spider was webbing Soon! He continued to struggle wiggling his body but to no prevail. "A giant tarantula?" He said, it has sharp fangs easily could kill anybody.
Suddenly hissing could be heard from right to left, Paul felt he was surrounded, and then Small spiders at the size of a dog appeared left to right. Some spider tried to bite Paul from behind but was sliced, Paul sliced the spider turning for a split second, it sliced the spider into two halves.
The big spider seemed to be pissed, he stopped from encasing Soon with its web just enough to let him see and breathe.
"You fall for it Stupid Mother Spider"