The man in the red cloak disappeared. He literally disappeared.
It wasn't a case of moving super fast and leaving everyone's vision. Emery was sure of it, he really disappeared.
Where had he gone?
They got their answer soon as he reappeared next to the giant wyvern and gave it a lacklustre punch to the side.
This seemingly useless punch sent the creature flying back several metres. Then the man walked forward, forming his hand into a small blade-like shape. A curling mist appeared around the man's hand.
Emery held his breath in anticipation to see what the attack did.
An ominous atmosphere engulfed the surroundings at once as the mist curled out, extending its reach across the ground and everywhere else.
"Killer Mist." the man said.
A large spear made from the ethereal substance formed at the man's fingertips, and shot out without delay.
HIIISSS~!
The snake responded. It curled its body back before giving itself one swift launch forward. Purple balls flew out of his wide-open maw, but he dodged each one of the attacks with relative ease.
His spear, though, still maintained its original trajectory. It pinned the large snake to the ground soon after and ended the fight there and then. A large hole had opened at the centre of the snake's guts, but it was still alive.
"For an anomaly, you're quite weak," the man said, walking closer. "If not by virtue of your special race, I would have chalked you up to nothing but a slightly stronger snake."
Emery envied that kind of power, but in his envy, he realized something important.
'I still haven't completed the mission!' he quickly glanced over to the mission timer. 'Twenty-five minutes left. That might have been achievable but not in our fucking present states.'
Elyn sat by his side, weak but barely managing to open both eyes.
He couldn't pass up any chance to grow stronger.
Then he thought of something.
"Sorry, sir, can I be the one to end its life?" he spoke softly, hoping those wouldn't be his last words.
"Hmm?" the man cocked his head and stared pointedly at Emery with his strange dull-grey eyes,. "Weird request, but sure, why not?"
Emery cheered and got up far too quick, but quickly returned to his previously docile state soon enough. Walking proved to be more difficult than he'd expected, but he did so resolutely.
He clutched the kitchen knife as he finally stood in front of the beast.
Right now it seemed so docile, staring with those slitted yellow eyes of it. Not anything like that rearing beast that had almost killed him and Elyn barely five minutes ago.
Its scales had lost their glimmering tint, now covered completely in blood.
If Emery didn't know better, he would just assume this to be one of the Class 10 beasts they had baited to kill. But he wasn't going to allow himself to fall for that delusion. He burned the thought into memory as he lifted the sword.
His humiliation at the creature's hands.
The injuries inflicted on himself and Elyn.
And the power necessary to end creatures like this.
So he burned all those thoughts into his mind…
And then plunged the blade down.
[Ding!]
[Host has Killed a Class Nine Threat!]
[100 Exp awarded!]
[100 exp awarded to host and summon]
[Level: Two…Exp: 185/300]
[Mission Completed!]
[Criteria exceeded! Bonus rewards being calculated]
[Calculating…Calculating…]
[Ding!]
[Original Rewards: 20 Energy. 150 exp. Random offensive skill.
Recalculated Rewards: 30 energy. 150 exp. Random offensive skill. Specific skill. Job equipment]
[Level: Two…Exp:300/300]
[Ding!]
[Host has levelled up!]
[Summon has levelled up!]
[Rewards will be delivered later]
Emery let out a clearly audible sigh of relief as that happened. Finally.
"I won't ask you why," the man said, interrupting his thoughts, "But best know that others won't be as kind."
The man's red coat flapped slightly in the wind. He flicked his wrist and the corpse of the giant snake floated slightly in the air above him.
Emery recalled something and asked before the man left. "You said you were going to Hemp's men, sir?"
"That's right," he nodded. "I'm in need of a nice gamble to get rid of some steam. Need some credits. Like the Romans used to say, no gambling without money."
He was heading to Hemp's camp, which was a good thing. Now Emery hoped the mind truly was as kind as he acted.
"It might be too much to ask, but can you help us carry a few bodies there too?"
"Sure," the man shrugged again, "Lead the way."
Emery rejoiced happily, but he was stopped by the man's voice soon after.
"I was going to help with that anyway. Your friend looks like she might need some help standing. Really kids and their clothes these days," he shook his head, talking about Elyn's clothes.
Emery ignored that fact and quickly rested his vision on her now unconscious figure.
"I'll do it, sir. Please, I can't let her die."
"Jeez relax kid. She'll be fine. Venom like this usually only causes death after a few hours. And stop calling me sir. I'm only 26. You can just call me Barion."
Emery quickly nodded as he carried the heavy girl across his shoulders. Nothing of his weak physique should have been able to do that, but he somehow managed to log her all the way to the front of the forest where they picked up all the Class Ten corpses.
Barion was chatty.
Extremely so.
He'd never realized how far the city was from the forest until after the conversations he had with Barion in that time.
'I somehow wish I was Elyn right now,' he sighed to himself as they moved along.
Ten minutes later, they finally reached the city. Two minutes after that, they finally reached his short-term destination goal.
Hemp's camp.
After they got the money from here. Everything would finally change.
Everything.
****
Author's Note: Ten chapters but our growth has massively stalled this past day. Come on, we can do it! Reviews and power stones will award extra chapters if you know what I mean xD. Link to the discord server will be in the synopsis soon.