blesi see that yuuki was in a bit of blue, he can sense the atmosphere wasn't like usual, he look around as the other seems to also in the same mood, he look at the map thinking maybe it is best to hunt some monsters, out of nowhere yuuki hand suddenly pointed the south to the salamander, blesi look back seeing yuuki sigh before she smiled as she said "let's go fight some scorpions, if were lucky some small boss"
the other wonder as yuuki from the outside looks rather fine, deep down they all know she is recovering but nori simply said "well if that what you want then let's go"
09:30am
dragon valley
passing through small pass with hills beside them, it was a one way path that will lead them to an opening of the desert, blesi was beside yuuki while the others are behind them, he see yuuki seems to remain silent all this time, he look back for a bit and he can tell they are relying on her to do something else since he is the closest to yuuki at the moment
blesi look back, but before he can speak yuuki hand stopped in front of him, looking in front he see they had reach the opening, but he see a man fighting some monsters
he couldn't see much but he only see he was using a simple sword, that was used by begginer players, yet every attack he did manage to do damage equal to that of a skilled player
"how is that possible !?" yuuki said as she wonder if she was seeing things, but no it was the truth, the man was salughtering his foe in one slice
all the monster was gone as the silhouette getting clearer, as yuuki and blesi recognize who it was
"if it isn't you two" he said before ragnar revealed himself he look around the others before he said "where's the white one ?" though yuuki simply ignore his question and asked "how did you do that ?"
"this ?, well it's nothing" he chuckled as he sheathed his sword before walking toward yuuki and blesi "so have you made your choice yet ?" hearing this yuuki was confused "what choice ?" she said before the general cut her off said "i'm not talking to an imp, i'm talking to one of my own" he said looking at blesi
but nori had enough as she said "hey what with the rude comment !?" but he simply look at blesi awaiting his answers while ignoring nori as he began to walk to the sand pulled out his sword said "if i win, this red one will have to join my army, if i lose, he'll free to go"
blesi heard this he quickly pulled his sword for yuuki to stop him pulling his sword "let me" as she push blesi arm to putting his sword back to his sheath, before stepping into the sand, pulling out her purple blade, as ragnar see this he simply gave her the invite, a screen pop up and yuuki quickly press it, the timer was set 30 seconds
the two prepared, with ragnar warm up himself, while yuuki preparing her usual stances, but the look of ragnar was very calm but behind the calm look she can sense that he had plotting something, as he had a hand behind his back, judging from what she see, there is nothing on his back, but looking at his stance, he seems to be using the sword like it was a fencing sword eventhough the sword doesn't fit to even be used like a rapier
the timer slowly reached to zero, yuuki suddenly see the man plunge his attack for the head with his pommel going towards her which yuuki quickly dodge, she see an opening for an attack but she realize that he had a fist ready as now the fist was quick, before she knew it she was knock back a few feet, she look to her healtbar good thing it only deal 5%
she look to ragnar as he chuckles said "zekken, said to have won many duels like musashi himself, is that all you got ?" he said as yuuki was prepared, before unleashing her 11 hit combo, mother rosaria, as she ran she unleashes some of it toward ragnar, who attempt to block it result in his healthbar getting lowered slowly, 100%, 98%, 95%, 93%, as yuuki continuiously attack before unleashing the last blow as ragnar health dropped to 90%
yuuki was suprised that someone can suprised that with only 10% damage, as he brush of the sand on him said "that's it ?" as yuuki began to ran and unleashing more attacks, continuously unleashing stream upon stream of attack, as he was dodging some of them, most of them were hitting toward him
before yuuki unleash another 11 hit combo, he was pushed back his healthbar reaching 75% "not bad, now it's my turn" he said before began to slash toward yuuki as yuuki try to block the attack, the strength this man had was herculean before she knew it she was pulled and slammed to the sand as he about to plunge yuuki quickly react and roll as ragnar continue his attack before yuuki got a chance to got up and push back a bit
she look to her hp, as it was around 80%, she look to her opponent, seeing he doesn't attack often she decided to take her chance chipping as much hp as she can charging towards him, as he managed to block out and parry a few but most of them had hit the target, she look to see he hp had reach 70% now it's time to unleash mother rosaria, as she with a quickly attack putting all 11 attacks into ragnar, before with one last strike, ragnar was pushed back as his healthbar reaching only 60%
yuuki see the opportunity, she with her full strength unleashes another wave of mother rosaria,within 10 hits 9% health decrease, as now for the final blow, she made one last plunge to the chest ending the duel quickly, only to see ragnar block out the attack with the flat side of his blade, with some of the attack got to him, while most are wasted because of this
yuuki see his healthbar were still 1% away from winning, as ragnar grab to her wrist pulling her to the side letting her back exposed, as he quickly ready for the final blow, yuuki the one who had never lose a duel though this would be the day she will be defeated, but then, she heard two shot fired, as she turn around she see blesi with his two crossbow shoot to ragnar hand, showing that he was disarmed and one of them got to his hand
before soon ragnar healthbar reach 50%, just as it turned yellow, before she knew it, the duel was over and she had became the winner, ragnar look to the bolt and said "well well well, isn't that interesting" as he pulled the bolt out of his hand before looking at blesi smiled "you had sadly cheated, blesi" before looking at yuuki "sadly he'll have to work for me for this"
"what !?" yuuki said as blesi came down realizing what he had done, ragnar simply smiled as he said "if it weren't for him helping you on this, i would have let him go scott free, but now, consider that he had help by using these, sadly now he has to join my army"
blesi simply sigh as he said "didn't expect that this day would came earlier than i anticipated" yuuki hear this look to blesi wonder what he had meant by that, as blesi gazed at yuuki he said "i had been thinking of joining them for sometime, but after what happen to jakul i decided maybe it's best to not talk about it for now, i don't want you to see you coping over us brothers leaving you suddenly, now *chuckles* i regret shooting that bolt in the first place"
yuuki remained silent before she look to ragnar "ragnar, may i have a few request ?" ragnar hand crossed judging the request yuuki will make "how many ?" yuuki quickly replied with "two, to be exact, one was giving us three days to prepared, at the very least let us have some time to bond before he leave with you" ragnar simply nodded in agreement "what about the other ?"
"if blesi wanting to leave himself, you will not forced him to stay, afterall, i wouldn't have agreed if blesi didn't say he is willing to join you, it is his choice, so i wish you may give him this choice if he want to" ragnar went silent for a bit before said "fine, think of it as a deal we had for the duel" before turn around looking at blesi as his finger suggested three "three days, meet me at this desert after three days" as he left the place
yuuki see the other came to her, before blesi turned around and said "sorry" with yuuki shake her head jokingly said "no need, either way will end with you joining them, but at the very least this bolt had me secured a deal with him, otherwise i don't know when will they let you go" blesi quickly pulled out a healing potion and gave it to yuuki as he asked "you wanna take a rest ?"
"i'm alright" yuuki said as she was limping from the sudden slam ragnar used, nori decided to carry her by putting her arm around her back, as blesi simply ask "you sure ?" hearing this yuuki reversed her grip as her sword was now a support to kept herself standing
"yes, i'm fine" yuuki said as she about to take another step but seeing her condition, blesi look to others hoping to at the very least convincing her to take a rest, tecci came over said "yuuki, there is no need to force yourself, you can take a rest here while we go fight the monsters, blesi would you mind be the one kept an eye on her ?"
"sure" he said as nori brought her to a nearby tree, as blesi lean onto the tree, pulling out a water bottle "want some ?" yuuki took the bottle drank it with big gulp, in a matter of seconds she gave the bottle back to blesi, though blesi was pretty suprised it was already empty, before chuckled as he put it back
he quickly sat under the tree seeing the other fighting some scorpion monsters in the distance, while yuuki look to them, wondering how the team would do without her she then look to blesi curiosly asked "blesi, is there a reason why you want to join the salamander army ?"
"reason ?, well at the very least, let many know more about this guild, i hope that many people in this game would one day remembered that there is a girl by the name of yuuki konno in this game" blesi said smiling seeing it as an opportunity, while yuuki suprised originally expecting a different answer but she smiled said "if that's the case, thank you blesi"
meanwhile
jakul was wandering to the freelia seeing many marketplace, with shops that is no different from the others except for the fact they have performance with dragons and some tamed beast of the wild, which explains why he wasn't able to find even a single one of them, but at the very least he see a restaurant nearby, he might as well get something to eat
quickly got to the second floor he look out the window looking down at the people wondering around as he waiting for his order, which consist of a bowl of noodle and a glass of green tea, he simply pour a small cup of water looking down he notice one man, and from the look of how people see him, he isn't the only one who think the same
he see a man carrying a coffin behind his back, that is taller than him as he see him wearing a straw hat to hide his faces, the though of him walking around like this simply seems pretty odd, when he see his noodle arrive he look out once more, as there seems to be someone walking by, jakul could easily mistaken him for the previous man as he is wearing the same straw hat, but he seems to be carrying a wooden folding fan, though something was off about him when something were reflecting from the wooden fan itself
he simply kept himself busy by continue his meal, though the two seems to be in suspicion, he quickly finished it before he got out of the place, paying the food as he look at the direction turns out the man who is carrying a coffin was also heading north, like he was
with a quick step he followed his path but before he could start he was stopped to see some guilds "hey, have you seen a guy carrying a coffin around his back" jakul pointing to the direction, with them all following to where jakul had pointing at
seeing he was also heading for the same direction he decided to see how far they've gone before following their trail
they arrived to a grassy field, with only a tent like place far from the field, with some monster roaming around the place, jakul see the man carrying the coffin being followed by the guild and himself, he quickly hide to nearby woods, as he see the guild began to surround the man
"mr tingyun, i suggest you surrender now" the guild said weapon ready on their hand as the man simply put down the coffin "are you all coming to kill me ?" the man said calmly
"what do you expect; after an insult caused the death of a friend that helped you, and another insult by a soldier, mr tingyun, i'm sure all of alfheim heard of what had happen"
"i'm pretty sure now you know why i killed the soldiers" the man said as he had his hand on the coffin "yes, and knowing your intelligence i think you know why were here" they said as they are ready while jakul just observe it from the nearby tree
the man look around his surrounding with a simple chuckled as he kick the coffin with the door shoot out toward one of the man, a spear appear with his hand quickly grab it before swing it to give some force as he pushing the main coffin itself, imbued his spear with the sylph element he easily push it to the front
giving himself an opening before seeing the guild all charging toward him, he quickly pushed the spear behind hitting one of them behind him, as he push him back a few feet before end him with a large swing, he look to the rest of them as all were surround him, circling him, he pointing his spearhead down behind him
letting his body exposed the guild began their attack only for the man to suddenly pull up, the spear glow green unleashing a gush of wind, from jakul point of view he see him using elemental magic to let him unleashed a dragon made of wind, he see them all got to mid air, before they can even reach to the ground they had already dissapeared into dust, leaving behind a few small fire on the ground
the man look to the coffin door as he approaching it close, seeing the man struggled to lift an inch of the door crashing on him, he walk slowly, approaching him with his intimidating presence
he put the spear on the head, looking down on him, before he let the spear slide down toward the man face, in a matter of seconds he stopped moving and dissapeared into dust, he took a deep sigh before he said "i know your there, kiddo"
jakul hear these word having no place to hide, coming out of the woods while the man put the spear into the coffin before putting the lid back to the coffin itself,
"why following me ?" he said as jakul seeing the flame fading around him "those people were the one to ask me, got a feeling they don't have good intentions i decided to came just in case"
"i appreciate your care but that is unnecessary" he said as he about to carried the coffin "why are they attacking you ?" jakul asked curiously with the man remain silent as he wondered should he said it to him or not
he simply turned back and said "well, what's your name, kiddo ?" he asked though jakul had his hand crossed said "not before you gave me an answer"
"tingyun, wen tingyun to be exact" he said looking at jakul replied simply "jakul" tingyun look around him before look to the tent, as he look dissapointed, mind changed as he had his hand on the coffin before tying them by the rope only to lift it with one hand
"aren't you going to the land of pooka ?" jakul asked seeing him began to walk to the opposite direction "no, i just simply dangling a reward in front of them, a place to let them think they are so close to getting me, to say the least"
jakul look to the land of pooka wondering what tingyun meanth by the prize was, just as he look back tingyun was already far gone on his own journey, he don't know where he will go nor will they ever met a second time, but with his though to himself as he looked to the land of pooka before continued his journey to it, hoping he could got a small hint or clue to some question in his mind not to mention the two insults he heard of him