"Uh… Was I asleep?"
My head spins. Wait...
"Aah! Why am I naked?!"
Right. I remember now. Something hit me.
「It didn't hit you. It entered you.」
"What? Who's there?"
That voice again. I can't remember what happened after the flames engulfed me, but I recall something rushing toward me, unstoppable.
「Put something on, you idiot.」
Ah, right. I'm naked.
I grab my bag, the one I'd tossed aside earlier. Lucky me. There's still one thing I can wear.
Damn it, just pants. But better than nothing.
That's when it hits me.
"You… Are you the Fire King?"
「Oh? You know of me?」
"…Not really. I've only heard the name. No one ever explained it."
「Humans. Always complicating things.」
"Then… could you tell me about yourself?"
「There's no reason not to. After all, I'm trapped in your body. At first, I thought I could take control of you, but… turns out, I can't.」
'Oh. So, that was the plan? To possess me? Damn it.'
「I can hear you, dumbass.」
"What? Is that because your soul is in my body now?"
「Obviously.」
"Great. I can't even curse in my own mind anymore."
「Kheeehk… Alright. Let's get this over with. I'm Stattlich, a Gryphon from Hyperborea.」
"A Gryphon?"
I know Gryphons. Four-legged beasts with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Lords of the skies and the earth. Mom's stories weren't so useless after all.
「Yes. And I'm one of the Elemental Kings.」
"Wait. So it's not just humans who can wield the elements?"
「Of course not. Humans didn't invent Shu or elements. They copied us.」
What? Humans copied other races? Then why did Raynie say the Wanderer brought Shu to the world?
"But wasn't Shu introduced by an Inanis user?"
「Him… That bastard is the one who imprisoned our souls here. He won't let us rest, won't let us cross over.」
I don't understand him. Not fully. But I sit and listen, letting his words sink in.
"What do you mean, imprisoned?"
「My soul is trapped in this world because of those damn angels. They use us as their entertainment.」
"Wait, angels? How could an angel—"
「I'll explain the details later. After you find the others.」
"How do you even know what my goal is?"
…
He doesn't answer. But I'll bet it's because his soul is inside me.
"Can I use your power?"
「Sure. But not for long. I haven't fought in ages. It drains me fast.」
Big power, big cost. Of course. It's like I'm living in a novel now.
"Well then, let's test it. I could use some food."
I step out of the temple, searching for something edible.
---
Region of Tenra, Dooms Branch—Rodrian.
Todou is training. Barehanded, no weapon. He's being forced into becoming a Mage.
BOOM!
"Aaakh!"
The fireball explodes in his hand, leaving burns.
"Why the hell am I doing this? I didn't even want to be here."
But Todou knows better than to disobey Bulk. Disobedience means pain. Again.
He doesn't even know who he'll fight. Just that he's expected to train. And fight. Over and over.
"Ugh… Was I wrong to bring him here?" Bulk mutters from the shadows, watching. "Maybe. But killing the brat outright would've exposed Dooms. So here we are."
The mages report Todou's progress—or lack of it. Three elements revealed in his crystal: Pyro, Electro, Hydro. Promising. But Todou can barely handle them.
Back in the training hall, Todou wrestles with Hydro. He's making progress. But Pyro? That's another story.
He focuses his energy. Slowly, flames appear. A small orb grows in his hand, the size of a baseball.
"Ugh. If I add more Shu, it'll just blow up again."
BANG!
The door slams open. Mages file in, followed by Bulk.
"Tch. What do you want?" Todou snarls.
Bulk grins. "You're still struggling with two elements, huh?"
Suddenly, Todou's body convulses as Bulk's magic grips him.
"If you can't master them in a month, you'll die."
"Erghh…"
"Or have you forgotten what happens when you resist?"
Bulk tightens the spell. Pain and memories flood Todou's mind. The lessons. The tortures. The near-death moments.
Unlike the Kingdom's methods, Bulk's are brutal. Rip open a Shu point. Throw him to the mages. And watch him crawl.
"Aaahh!"
Finally, Bulk releases him. "Remember the deadline." He leaves. The mages stay, ready to push Todou further.
---
Back in the forest, my stomach growls.
"Damn it. Why is food so hard to find?"
"How long were you in that temple, Stattlich?"
「I've lost track. Maybe two centuries.」
Two hundred years? How has the language not changed in all that time?
「I'm the one who had to adapt, you idiot.」
"Ah. Fair enough."
Walking shirtless through the woods feels… wrong. Like I'm some muscle-bound thug.
Not that I'm ripped. I mean, I've gained some muscle since coming here, but still—
「Pft. A construction worker could out-muscle you.」
"Tch. Shut up. My clothes burned because of you."
Rustle.
A deer darts past me, fast as lightning, pursued by a pack of Grey Wolves. They don't notice me. Too busy chasing their prey.
"Why is food so hard to find?"
A scream cuts through the trees.
"AAAGH!"
I sprint toward the sound.
"Get back! Back, damn it!"
"Shit! Attack the wolves, idiot!"
Four people, surrounded. I recognize two of them.
"Redan. Tiva."