---This chapter may trigger the audience, read at your own risk---
As Dante opened his eyes, he saw himself standing in the darkness again, yet this time the darkness stood as still as a lake. He looked around, this time it didn't try to latch on his body, it just stood there, as if looking at him.
His body didn't shiver or have any reaction this time, it only felt a kind of cold seeping into his skin very gently. Freed from his fear, he could now look around, discover this place which seemed endless. He looked around, only to see a small candle like white fire swaying in the dark without a care in the world.
He approached it slowly, he wasn't worried about anything for now, he felt safe, until he saw something emerge from the darkness. A small dark mass showed its self, just as he was about to do anything it's started taking shape, a human shape. Dante, at a loss for word, just decided to observe it.
The shadow just sat in front of the candle like fire, totally unaffected by its light, contrary to the darkness. It turned its head toward him, as if asking him to sit as well. Just as he was about to sit too, the flame before him flickered as he was jolted awake by the noise coming from the lobby.
*Knock knock*
The sound resounded again, he got up from his bed and walked toward the door. Behind it was the white haired girl from before, looking at him. Just as he was about to greet her, she cut him off, « Change your clothes to a training suit, we're going. » She then entered his apartment and made here way toward his kitchen, where she started making tea. Dante looked at her for a while and then made his way toward his bedroom where he started changing in an already prepared suit.
As he finished wearing it, he entered the lobby again, only to see Sylph sitting on the sofa while gracefully sipping her tea. Dante went to her and greeted her, « Good morning. » Which she responded by pushing a coffee teacup toward him and saying, « Drink this, you're not entirely awake. » He took it and started sipping it too. The silence wasn't awkward, it was even soothing his nerves.
After they finished, they headed outside the dorm, they could only see a few people, mostly teachers about to prepare their classes. As they walked toward what could be described as a huge entrance, they met 2 armored guards. Both looked at them but didn't ask where they were going. They for some reason looked at me with eyes full of pity, Sylph noticed their gaze and voiced, « I'm not gonna do 'that' don't worry. » Both guards looked at me as if trying to confirm something but heaved a sigh of relief when they saw my totally unworried expression. They freed the way and opened the heavy armored door.
Sylph and I started walking toward the long road, toward what seemed to be the capital.
The academy gave off the feeling that it was almost a world of its own with so many facilities.
« What were you talking about? They seemed pretty concerned.. » I asked. She didn't look back as she continued walking. After a while she finally spoke, « The academy doesn't allow bullying or unauthorized fights or duels, so the students tend to go outside to do what they call, bloody 'brawls', where one of the students most of the time get beat up half dead, for being weak. That's why I could not bring you to the healing facility, too many wounded » She finished her answer as we approached, what seemed like a magic train, it was adorned in silver decoration, and it floated a little above the 'railway'.
It was very populated and lively where we were. All these people laughing and the kids playing in the park made me for some reasons cringe inside, I wonder why.
Now I could see what the outside world really looked like, it was medieval yet advanced because of magic. It looked like middle age earth if magic existed instead of science. As we walked on the train silently, we felt it move.
After what felt like twenty minutes, I asked, "Where are we heading to?". But was met with silence.
After some time, the train stopped again, yet this time Sylph alighted the train. I followed suit, where we had stopped looked like a rural area, there were still houses but they were way less. The population was small as well, we could see a lot of green vegetation like trees and bushes. But what made me somewhat anxious were the walls, they were standing there as if even the end of the world wouldn't even scratch it. Why were they here?
There was an open entrance, we started its way.
As we were about to cross it, Sylph started accelerating and then started to run. I followed suit, I thought that she may be trying to test my capabilities, see my limits before doing something. Maybe I was just overthinking, but my instinct told me otherwise. I just started running as well, knowing my stats, I wasn't gonna last long.
After a few minutes, we already had reached a dense forest. Its trees completely blocked my view, it was the perfect place for an ambush, but I wasn't worried that she did kill me, she would have done so long ago. I was starting to tire out, panting violently. I couldn't eat anything before and after sleeping, so I was hungry, tired, and sleepy, my 'daily' 14h of sleep wasn't complete.
The running white haired girl abruptly stopped, she didn't look tired at all, not a single bit of sweat could be seen on her face. She opened her small pouch and took out three weapons and then laid them on the grass. It maybe was a spacial storage.. After looking at my face, she asked," Which one will you choose?"
I looked at her, then on the ground and could see 2 daggers, a sword and a bow. I took the sword and a dagger. She didn't seem to mind and even approved of my decision. After I took a look around, I heard some noise. More like giggling of kids, I tried to ask Sylph what was happening, but she had vanished.
I knew something like this would happen, but not like this, fweeeh... I took my weapons, took the dagger in hand and the sword on my back. Even tho people make swordsmen carry their sword on their backs, it's stupid, you can't sheath your sword like that. I only put it on my back, so it wouldn't make noise or hinder my legs.
Carefully, I approached the source of the kid like laughs, without making a sound, I approached a bush. The noise was getting louder and louder until I was close enough to see what was beyond the bush, what I saw wasn't what I expected...
Two small humanoid green creatures were poking what looked like the corpse of a woman with sharp spears. The corpse was covered in cuts and holes, it was covered in blood and white matter. I presumed that they must have defiled her corpse.. Maybe they had baited that women with their voice, it sounded like that of a child's, which made the scene even more disturbing for a human. The woman was old, maybe around forty~fifty, she had brown hairs with white strands, she had some wrinkles.
One of the creatures which I presume (clearly looked like) was a goblin, started walking toward my way, where a bush separated us. It started untying what looked like a cloth to cover its lower body. It turned around and was about to prepare and take a dump. The moment it started bending its legs, while holding my dagger upside down, I thrust it on the side of its head, where it was the most likely to penetrate its cranium. Before it could make the slightest sound, I grabbed its throat with my forearm to block its breath. The goblin started shaking and shivering, after a few seconds, its body went limp..
Where the corpse was situated, the goblin looked at it. It then started taking off the cloth covering his neither region to do at it again. Before it could crouch, it felt its body went limp. Just as it started panicking, he saw a young boy with disheveled messy black hairs, and sharp red eyes walk from behind. The boy without any emotion on his face, stood before him, looking in its eyes. Then a smile bloomed on his face as he asked, "How does it feel? Feeling your body become unresponsive to your thoughts. Isn't it great to not be able to feel anything but pain." As he said that, he took the dagger stuck in its neck. This caused the small creature to let out a child like scream, which made it more disturbing.
The boy wore a displeased look on his face, he then grabbed the small amount of hair it had and then stabbed the dagger into its jaw, locking it against its upper mouth. He then asked again, this time amused, "I'm sure the lady over there had the same reaction. What's the difference between you and her? I wonder too.. Let's play a game, if you can walk up to that tree, I may let you go." As his smile grew wider, he pointed at a tree about ten meters away.
The goblin, as if understanding his words, started getting up, a green aura was covering its body. It got up very slowly, struggling to stay on its two feet. After a while, it started walking, albeit it being extremely painful and unnatural. In the goblin's eyes, this person was merciful, it thought that he wanted to steal his prey. He could have just killed him, but decided to spare his life and for that, he was grateful. In this world, the strong's will was law, the weak had to abide.
Just as it was about to touch the tree, it felt pain in its legs. It then felt the sensation of falling, as more pain invaded its mind, it then looked at its legs. They were missing, lying a few centimeters away. Next to them was the red eyed boy, looking at him with a satisfied smile and a sword at hand. He then spoke, "Magnificent, such a low class level possesses such a magical skill! How wonderful! Healing such a wound to the cervical nerve, this world is fun actually! There I thought I had to learn spell casting, I thought about taking this life away. How dumb of me..".
The goblin watched the boy lightly slap his head as he approached him with a grin, "You and I are gonna be best friends from now on, right ?"
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