Morsh charged at Jake but halted midway to dodge a fireball. He then sidestepped an arrow aimed at him and found Jake standing in front, sword swinging for his neck.
Morsh leaped, causing the sword to cut his chest horizontally, but the wound healed almost instantly. More fireballs and arrows came towards him as Jake stepped back.
Morsh fortified himself with dark energy, absorbing the attacks upon impact. Moving with incredible speed, he appeared in front of Jake, catching him off guard. Jake swung his sword instinctively, but Morsh swiftly grabbed his wrist and neck.
Just then, a fireball approached. Morsh used Jake as a shield, and the fireball struck Jake's back. Morsh then positioned Jake to intercept a mana arrow, which also hit Jake's back.
Chris and Iris hesitated to attack, concerned about harming Jake.
Seeing an opening, Morsh threw Jake towards Chris. As a mage, Chris couldn't dodge and was knocked down, rolling back with Jake.
Turning his attention to Iris, Morsh calmly approached as she fired arrows at him, all of which were absorbed by his dark energy. Just as Iris attempted to retreat with a backward jump, Morsh swiftly grabbed her leg and slammed her down to the ground.
Meanwhile, Jake and Chris struggled to stand up.
Morsh, still holding Iris's leg, hurled her towards Jake and Chirs, Iris crashed onto them, causing them to collapse once more
Turning his attention to Sofia, who lay on the ground, staring up at him with fearful eyes, Morsh approached calmly.
Sofia, "You are not Pete, Who are you? Where is Pete? "
Sofia managed to speak, her voice trembling, "You're not Pete. Who are you? Where's Pete?"
Morsh seized Sofia by the neck, lifting her off the ground. His voice was cold as he replied, "Ask your goddess who I am when you meet her..."
Sofia clutched Morsh's hand tightly with both of hers, and a radiant golden light emanated from her hands, flowing into Morsh's grip, causing it to slacken slightly.
Taking advantage of the moment, Sofia shouted desperately, "Pete, I know you're in there... come out! Don't let this monster control you!".
There was no immediate response. Morsh's grip began to tighten once more.
Sofia gasped for air, her body writhing in distress, her eyes wide with fear.
Suddenly, Morsh's hand went limp, and Sofia collapsed to the ground, taking deep, ragged breaths.
Morsh's soul was forcefully pulled back to his soul space,
Pete took over the body,
He immediately noticed saw Sofia, lying on the ground, struggling to breathe. He quickly knelt beside her, his voice filled with concern, "What happened? Are you okay?"
Sofia embraced Pete as soon as she recognized his familiar voice, her words choked with tears. "I don't know what happened, but you seemed like someone else... you attacked us, nearly killed me."
"I called out to you with all my heart, pouring my love, and you listened... you came to rescue me."
Pete, now comforting Sofia, blushed at her embrace.
Jake Iris and Chris, seeing this scene also approached cautiously, their weapons aimed at him.
Jake pointing his sword at Pete and asked, "Why did you attack us? "
Sofia stood in front of Pete, protecting him, "It wasn't Pete who attacked us... it was someone else."
Iris countered, "What are you talking about? It was clearly him!"
Pete interjected, his voice firm but compassionate. "I didn't attack you guys... It was Morsh."
Morsh, "Don't tell them about me."
Pete, "No, they deserve to know who is trying to hurt them. "
Sofia's concern deepened. "Who are you talking to, Pete?"
Pete hesitated briefly before responding, "There's a guy imprisoned in my body by the goddess. He takes control of the body sometimes."
This revelation struck Jake, Iris, Chris, and Sofia with shock. They exchanged uncertain glances before turning back to Sofia, who asked with a furrowed brow, "How did this happen?"
Pete explained with a solemn tone, "Apparently, his soul was dark, so the goddess imprisoned him in my body."
Jake processed the situation, looking at Pete with a mix of understanding and concern. "So it wasn't you who attacked us?"
Pete nodded solemnly.
Jake pressed further, "Then why did he attack us?"
Pete turned inward, addressing Morsh within. "Why did you attack them, Morsh?"
Morsh remained silent, frustrating Pete.
Pete continued, frustration evident in his voice. "He must be jealous of me, because I found teammates like you."
After a moment of contemplation, Jake decided to change the subject. "Let's go. We need to reach the city."
The group resumed their journey without further discussion, pushing through the night without stopping as they traveled relentlessly towards their destination.
As the first rays of dawn spread across the landscape, they crested a hill and caught sight of the city ahead. Nestled in a wide valley, the city was encircled by sturdy stone walls that shimmered in the morning light. Tall towers and spires punctuated the skyline, bustling with the activity of its inhabitants even from a distance.
Jake, "This is the Silverkeep city, Pete "
As they got close, they could now see the high and formidable walls, with guard towers positioned. banners flutter from the battlements, displaying the city's emblem, a silver shield with a blue lion.
The main gates are massive and reinforced, Guards in polished armor stand vigilant in front of gates.
The group approaches the gates, where a line of merchants, travelers, and citizens wait to enter. The guards, recognizing the adventurers and their urgency, wave them through without delay.
Inside the walls, Silverkeep is alive with activity. Cobblestone streets wind through bustling marketplaces, where vendors shout their wares and shoppers haggle for the best prices. Children play in the alleys, and artisans work diligently in open-air workshops.
Sofia, "Come with me, Pete " she says gently. "We should prayer to thank the goddess "
Jake with a deep sigh, "We will go and inform the guild "
After parting ways, Jake, Iris, and Chris headed towards the guild to report about the orcs. Meanwhile, Pete and Sofia made their way to the church nearby.
The church is an impressive structure, with high vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows that depict scenes of divine intervention and protection. The interior is serene, filled with the soft glow of candles and the scent of incense.
Sofia leads Pete to the front of the statue of the goddess, where they kneel in prayer. "Take a moment to speak with the divine,"
Pete knelt in prayer, his heart earnestly pleading, "Goddess, please show me a way to prevent Morsh from hurting anyone."
A gentle golden light enveloped Pete, and he heard the voice of the Goddess resonate within him, "I grant you the power to prevent him from taking lives. His soul shall face consequences if he commits murder."
"However, his ability to fight is impressive and necessary for your journey. Therefore, I grant you the ability to allow him control for a limited time."
Pete bowed his head once more, then lifted it with excitement, turning to Sofia. "The goddess has granted me the power to control Morsh."
Inside Morsh's soul space, Morsh flared up with anger when he heard Pete, 'So you want to control me, huh... '
Sofia's eyes widened as she asked, "Really?! That's excellent... What power did the goddess give you?"
Pete's expression turned serious. "Morsh will get punished if he kills someone."
Morsh seethed with rage, 'Huh... I will make you regret it '
Meanwhile, Jake, Chris and Iris, make their way to the Adventurers' Guild. The guild hall is a large, bustling building filled with adventurers of all kinds, warriors, mages, rogues, and more. The walls are lined with notice boards covered in quests and bounties.
Jake strode into the guildmaster's office, where an elderly man with white hair sat behind a cluttered desk.
"We've encountered a significant number of orcs heading towards the city," Jake reported urgently. "We managed to fend off two waves, but there may be more. The city needs to be prepared."
The guildmaster nodded gravely, his expression becoming serious. "Thank you for the warning. We'll mobilize our forces, send scouts, and coordinate with the city guard. If there are more orcs out there, we'll be ready for them."
After the report, Jake and his companions exchanged the orcs' tusks as proof of their encounters and left the guild hall. Outside, they found Pete and Sofia waiting, Pete's demeanor noticeably uplifted.
Curious, Jake asked, "What happened to you, Pete?"
Pete beamed with happiness. "The goddess granted me the ability to control Morsh. He won't hurt anyone now."
Jake smiled in relief. "That's good news."
Pete eagerly responded, "Yes, so what did you do?"
Jake explained, "We informed the guildmaster about the orc threat. He'll be sending out scouts. In the meantime, we can start accepting quests."
Excited, Pete nodded. "Let's go accept some quests!"
Jake then asked, "Have you registered with the guild yet?"
Pete shook his head. "No, but is there a way to sign up?"
Jake replied, "Yes, let's go to the guild first."
They all returned to the Adventurers Guild. Pete and Sofia sat down while Jake and the others handled the necessary formalities for Pete. In about an hour, Pete's adventurer card was ready.
Jake explained, pointing to the card, "Here's your adventurer card. It has your basic information like name, age, and rank. I have already enrolled you in our party, "
He continued, "There are seven ranks: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S. You're starting at F rank. Your rank will increase as you complete quests."
Iris approached with a paper in hand, announcing, "I think this quest is a good fit for us, it involves rescuing some girls from bandits."
Jake examined the quest details and nodded decisively. "Let's go with this one."
"Alright, I'll accept this quest," Iris affirmed, taking the paper with her as she left to finalize the acceptance.
Jake then retrieved four gold coins and handed them to Pete, "This is the reward for the orc tusks "
Pete's face lit up with delight as he accepted the coins eagerly.
Jake continued, "We'll meet tomorrow morning at the city gate. You can enjoy your time today."
With those words, the group disbanded for the day, each going their separate ways to attend to personal matters.
Even Sofia bid Pete farewell, saying, "I have some work at the church. I'll see you tomorrow."