The light behind him disappeared as he entered the gate.
With it, the ring that opened the gate had returned to his hand and now sat on his index finger quietly.
A damp smell permeated the air and as Faust's eyes adjusted to the dimness, he found himself in a forest. To his left, a foul-smelling swamp was green under the tall trees and dark skies. The frogs croaked out of sight and the wind rustled the leaves of the shrubs and trees.
Faust lit up a light in his palm and tossed a few glowing orbs until the area around him was washed with soft orange.
He stood still for a few moments longer, taking in the surrounding and adjusting his senses to the new environment. The moon shone faintly from overhead. There were a lot of forest creatures here. While none of them were the kinds he'd find on Earth, they were harmless. In front, just a bit out of sight was a path that Faust knew would lead to the Dragon Servitor.
What kind of creature would the servitor be? A forest creature. Earth-type servitor? Wind? Water? There was no light in the forest besides the moon so Faust ruled out fire and light-type.
The gate would only reopen when he'd killed the Dragon Servitor and would only open for a short time. That means he had to find the rabbit-like things called vulders before he kills the servitor.
It'd been a while since he'd last killed a large monster.
However, the problem right now wasn't the servitor. It was where to find the rabbits. Faust scanned the area with his light, hoping that he could locate them as he had the first time. Unsurprisingly, there weren't any souls floating around but there were a lot hovering in trees. Most were sleeping and the others were peering down at him.
Faust waited until more of them relaxed before conjuring a small shield. As he tossed it into the air, a familiar chime reverberated softly in the air. It startled a few creatures awake and the air stilled as they all stopped to listen.
He let the sphere go and it bounced all along the forest floor before rolling into one of the bushes, a faint glow peeking from behind the dark leaves.
Faust waited patiently. The creatures waited with him and he could sense their curiosity. There was a sudden urge to laugh. Perhaps this was why Nathaniel didn't like the white gates. When the monsters breached the black gates, they were already mentally full-grown, trained to kill. But here, in the hives, Faust realized just how laid-back the creatures were.
Without the Dragon Servitor's command, the creatures behaved just as any animal would. They would protect their territory but beyond that, they weren't mindless aggressive. Faust could almost call them intelligent.
A moment later, he heard a response in the form of the sound of tiny feet slapping across the forest floor, kicking up fallen leaves, and rushing past bushes. There must be twenty of them, all rushing toward the place where his shield had rolled to a stop.
"My liege, is that you? My liege, my liege, why do you look like a walnut?" One of the rabbits picked up the glowing sphere, rubbing the surface with a small white paw. It chimed pleasantly.
The other rabbits clustered around the shield, all reaching a paw out to tap it. The lead rabbit, however, raised it high above its head. "Nobody touches the lord!"
Faust cleared his throat awkwardly. The rabbits all jerked to look at the figure enshrouded in warm light and one of them screamed until the lead rabbit slapped it in the mouth with its tail.
"A human!" it exclaimed. "A human! A glowing human! My liege, are you seeing this? It's an exotic creature!"
Faust lowered himself, bringing the light closer so he could see the screeching creatures. The rabbits all darted back a few steps. "That's not your liege but I can trade it to you if you like it," Faust offered.
"This is my liege's soul! How can you be so disrespectful—" It put a paw in its mouth. "Oh my liege, I spoke to a human. I'm so ashamed of myself."
Faust didn't know how to reply to that.
The rabbits clustered together again and had a quick muttered conversation. The lead rabbit nodded.
It turned to Faust and said, "We won't kill you since you're exotic. You should leave now."
Faust found them a bit funny. Pretending to have reached into his pocket, Faust made another shield and let it roll gently off his hand. It landed with a bright sound. "I can give you another one if you're willing to give me the oldest box you have."
He thought they were going to grab the shield but, instead, they all took another step back and huddled together for another emergency meeting. Faust could hear them very well.
"He's asking for the box!" one of them hissed.
"How did he know? Did the Light Lord send him? Oh my liege, did you send him?" The lead rabbit poked the shield it held protectively in its paws. "…My liege is not responding. That must mean no."
"But he just took out another windchime!" the first one said again. "Only the Light Lord has them. Is that a sign? Is the Light Lord coming?"
Faust stiffened. The Light Lord was the Light Dragon. Fast wasn't all that worried that his spell had something in common with the dragon but what was concerning was the giraffe asking for something the Light Dragon owned.
Was it a secret weapon? If that was the case, he shouldn't give the box to the giraffe just yet.
Faust cleared his throat again. One of the rabbits darted from the group to snatch the shield before rejoining the huddle. They were all looking at him suspiciously. A few fluttered their wings when his stare prolonged.
The giraffe was right. Their concept of valuables was different from most other creatures and since they revered the Light Dragon, it'd be an easy trade.
From seemingly nowhere, the lead rabbit pulled out an archaic chest the size of Faust's hand. The workmanship of the intricately carved details was certainly not a level done by a human. There was no visible latch and the metal decorating the edges of the wooden box had dulled and rusted over time.
The rabbit gave it to him cautiously and its tone changed. "We don't know what's inside either but this is a fair trade. Once you take this, you cannot give it back."
"I have no intention of giving it back."
"You cannot give back what you traded either," the rabbit added, holding onto the sphere protectively. "This is a very precious item to us, even if it's not the Light Lord himself."
Faust didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. If he did, he probably wouldn't be able to get the box. So instead, he said, "The shie—the wind chime is not eternal. One day it will die. It might disappear in two days, two weeks, two months, or two years. I cannot say."
The rabbit nodded solemnly and Faust almost felt guilty. "The concept of time here is very different from where you came from," it told him. "Two days here is almost a month where you are. A word of advice, exotic creature, don��t stay here too long or you'll be forgotten in your world."
Huh, it seemed like time traveled at a different pace depending on the gate. The time in the first white gate was equal to the normal time but the time in the second white gate had been significantly faster.
But two days in this one was almost a month outside. That meant that two hours was about a day. How long had he been here? Ten minutes? Half an hour?
"Since you look so pitiful, take this," the rabbit said, coming closer again and handed him a stone. "The color of this will change according to the time in the dark realm where the gate opened. Right now, it's still dark but when It starts glowing, it means the sun is rising."
Faust gingerly took the rock. "Do you want something in return?"
The rabbit shook its head. "You already gave us something. My siblings from the other hive told me about the windchime you gave them. We are traders by nature. Since you have given, we must give in return."
"...That���s awfully nice of you."
The rabbits collected the two shields and soon left, scurrying into the darkness. Faust didn't end the shields just yet, deciding that he would do it when he was about to leave the gate.
Faust weighed the box in his hand as he stood. It was a mediocre weight but when he shook it, there seemed to be nothing inside. His eyes couldn't see past the case so he let it be.
He hadn't brought a bag with him so he tossed it into the air and let the light take care of it. A bright light flashed behind him and swallowed the box.
There wasn't anything to see as he progressed down the path. As if seeing the rabbits' cooperation with him, the creatures hiding in the dark relaxed, and settled back to sleep.
The air felt misty but the view was clear. If Faust wasn't as cautious as he was, he would've thought this forest was like any other forest back on Earth where the croaking frogs and chirping crickets were nothing more than frogs and crickets and not frogs that could breathe poison or crickets that could burrow into the ground like a drill.
The path took a sharp turn to the right. His footsteps were muffled as they landed on the wet leaves. They were soon drowned out by the droning of insects and creatures. Occasionally, low but sharp chirps entered at odd intervals and maintained its presence until everything became the background.
An owl hooted and a sandpiper quickly chirped a few times. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the sound of a stream gently washing down the surface of smooth rocks and stumbling into seedlings or leaves. And then even those faded into the background as he got used to them until what remained was the feeling of sharp eyes watching him from the dark.
A strong gust of wind blew toward him and Faust raised an arm to shield his eyes. He could've thrown up a shield but he sensed no malicious intents. When he put his arm down again, a cottage had emerged at the end of the path that didn't have an end before.
Faust smiled. Right on time.
It was a single-story wooden house. Two porch lights hung on the stone walls and an aged wooden bench sat out front with a pillow set on the side. Through the curtained window, faint light emitted and colored the porch orange. It was like any other small cottage in the middle of a forest.
There was an ancient doorknob. Faust reached out a hand to turn it but stopped before he did. Some places of the door were green with moss. Through the large cracks and splinters, Faust could see the warm light from inside.
It looked like an old door so Faust kicked it open. As the door landed on the planked floor, the doorknob shivered and disappeared in a green mist.
Inside, a man sat on a low coffee table eating a large piece of meat.
It was Nathaniel, Faust recognized, but also not Nathaniel. There was no soul in this creature so it must be a conjuration.
"You are…?" Faust asked, looking at the man.
The Nathaniel-like figure turned to look at him. "Don't you know me?"
So this was the game they were playing. "I don't think so," Faust said, making a frown and shaking his head pensively. "But you remind of an old friend I haven't seen in a long time." His eyes brightened in fake recognition. "Are you perhaps…Jack?"
"Of course I am—"
"No, Jackle! No, John? John, isn't it?" Faust smiled, reaching out a hand. "Well, it's been so long, John. How have you been?"
Before the man could shake his hands, Faust grabbed his first and pulled toward him. The Nathaniel-like figure lost his balance and fell forward. Faust sidestepped easily, putting out a foot. The man's stumbling legs tripped over it and he went sprawling onto the floor with a thunderous thud.
Sorry, Nate.
Faust squatted down, conjuring a shield to trap the man within. "Are you the servitor?" Faust asked.
The man on the ground jerked violently but he was unable to break the shield pressing tightly at his back.
He didn't seem like the servitor. There was no mark that Faust could see.
Faust reached into the air. A stream of bright light lit up the space before condensing into a long, sharp sword. He stabbed it right where the man's heart was and a ghastly scream from the creature pierced the quiet night.
In front of him, the creature began transforming. The bright skin of human shriveled and wrinkled into dark green, grayish flab for hands. Its size shrank until it was barely half his height. A dark cloak covered its body from head to toe, revealing only its clawed feet and hands. The talons on them scrabbled at the floor as it tried to get up to no avail.
Faust pulled out the sword and returned it to the air.
The light around him shifted and blinked violently for a second.
He then gave the shield a bit more space so the creature could sit up. The dark cowl covered its face and all that Faust could see was pitch-black darkness beneath the cloth. Respecting its privacy, Faust didn't reach forward to take it off.
The creature sat up and hissed at him. "What are you?" it asked. A tail covered in small scales swished behind it dangerously.
"I'm Faust," he replied. "Where is the Dragon Servitor of this place?"
"Human, are you here to make a deal with the servitor?" From the darkness of its cowl, the creature cackled. Its small frame shook violently as the laughter spread throughout the room. "The servitor asks for your wish, human."
Faust started. "Are you the servitor?"
"I am the servant." It bowed its head but not to him. A churning darkness had begun to swirl around the shield Faust had trapped it in. The black mist latched onto the glowing shield like swarms of insects, crawling over the surface until every ray of light was covered.
And then the shield shatters like glass.
Faust staggered back, a hand clasped over his mouth as he tasted blood. Blood rushed out of his mouth despite his best effort but he stifled a coughing fit behind his hand and spat out the dead blood.
Broken pieces of the shield bounced on the floor before the black mist swooped them up and ground them into fine light powders. They drifted lifelessly down and became black. A gush of wind blew them out the open window before slamming the window shut again.
"A human of light…" The creature cackled again. "The servitor will like you very much."
Free from Faust's restraint, the creature stood. A knobbly claw came out of the cloak and absorbed the black mist into its hand. However, it didn't move toward him. It stood where it was and watched him.
"But you are not here to make a deal," the creature said as it retracted its claw. "The servitor does not like intruders."
"What can the servitor give me?"
"The servitor will make you a servant. Whatever the servitor has, you will have." The black mist swirled out of its hand again. "This is the power of the servitor."
Darkness? Faust frowned. Nobody could control darkness. However, he soon found the source of power as he peered at the mist. There were faint sprinkles of light in it, accompanied by occasionally tiny sparks.
Faust would've laughed if only he wouldn't cough up more blood. That wasn't darkness. It was simply smoke. An impossible amount of smoke condensed into a mist, so much that it was almost like absolute darkness.
The reason why his shield broke wasn't that the darkness had countered the light. In fact, it was simply because his light hadn't been strong enough to break through the thick smoke.
Faust placed a hand over his chest and healed away the internal damage.
"There's nothing your servitor can give me but take me there anyway," Faust said.
The creature cackled again but it looked uneasy at Faust's fading healing spell. Faust smiled pleasantly in return. While his shield had never broken so fast and easily before, this kind of injury he could suffer probably a few thousand times before it got to him. That was why he was the best supporter and not a dead supporter.
��The servitor will like your power very much," the creature finally said, laughing against as if to steel its nerves. "But since you are not here to make a deal, I will have to kill you."
"But can you?" Faust asked curiously.
The light around them dimmed and resisted violently as Faust gathered their energy. However, as he felt for the creature's soul, he couldn't find it. Faust opened his eyes in surprise. Why did it have no soul?
But it didn't matter. It made killing the creature much easier because all Faust needed to do was to destroy the body. There was no soul to keep it together.
"If you attack me, I will kill you," Faust warned. "Just take me to the servitor. That's the only creature I want dead."
The creature retracted the claw it was about to use to attack him and its tail swiftly hid beneath the long cloak. "When the liege dies, all the servant will die. Every creature in this place is a servant. Even if I cannot stop you, they will. Your body will rot here."
"Then take me to the servitor if you believe it's stronger than me. Maybe I will die. Isn't that a good deal?"
The creature took a step back as Faust advanced. "The servitor has sensed you," it said. "It will rip you to pieces and you will join us as servants."
It laughed and all the light in the cottage blew out at an eerie scream. Even the ones Faust had gathered energy from were tugged away from him. Was this the raw power of a servitor? A strong force pushed him backward and the creature took the chance to escape out the door.
Faust threw up a shield around him, putting more energy than he would usually into the shield. But even then, the shield began to splinter and crack. Violent wind and black smoke bashed at his shield and the floor beneath his feet began to break apart.
The shield wouldn't hold for long.
Untroubled, Faust reached into the air and grabbed a sword offered by the light. He stabbed it into the splintering floor and the house shuddered violently as bright light shot out from the ground and spread out in circles around him.
Waves after waves, the thundering light roared past the wind and the smoke, obliterating everything in its path.
Screams came from outside the house.
Faust immediately stopped the spell and pulled the sword out of the ground. The light sent out came rushing back to him warmly and the sword replenished with light slightly shook and broke into nothingness.
The wind had disappeared but the nightscape had fallen dead quiet as well.
It seemed like he'd killed a lot of creatures by accident. That shouldn't have happened since the light he released would obliterate only the soulless creatures. Those with a soul, which happened to be the rabbits he'd met earlier and a few night creatures in the trees, shouldn't be affected.
But to have so many of the creatures wiped out…
Faust threw a small shield that tumbled into the grass with a soft 'Tiiing'. A rabbit came quickly to collect it. It was the lead rabbit from before which Faust recognized by its distinctive red antlers. It jumped back when it saw Faust.
"You did that!" the rabbit screeched. "The light! It was you! I feel the energy on you!"
"I'm glad you're okay. Did it…hurt any of you?" Well, they were probably not just hurt. Probably dead, at this point.
However, the rabbit looked at him in confusion. "Hurt? No, it was warm for us. But it did hurt a lot of our neighbors. But that's good. They're all servants and servants deserve to die."
Interesting. Servants of the Dragon Servitor didn't have souls. Then what about the servitor? Maybe the light wiped that thing out as well.
However, Faust knew it was too good to be true since the forest was still intact.
"Do you know if the servitor has a soul?" he asked the rabbit.
"Why wouldn't it?" the rabbit questioned before disappearing into the air with a light chime.
Faust sighed. Behind him, the cottage had disappeared at the death of the creature. The creature must've been some illusionist. All that was left was an empty clearing without light.
With its death, however, the path had returned in front of him.
If the servitor was as easy as this creature, Faust believed he would return home soon. He checked the stone. It'd already been a day.