Chapter 12
After leaving the forest behind, Percy found himself standing before a vast plain. It was covered by a layer of green grass, gently swaying in the wind. Here and there, he could see flowers like roses, tulips, and sunflowers dotting the landscape. A peaceful, almost surreal sight.
Percy paused for a few moments, admiring the simple beauty around him. Something inside him calmed as he gazed at the scenery. However, after a minute or two, he forced himself out of this trance and started walking again.
He didn't know exactly where he was going. The destination was uncertain, but even so, there was a strange feeling guiding him. A sensation almost like a whisper in the back of his mind: "This way… No, you fool, turn right…"
It was something like that. Strange, but he moved forward.
The important thing was that he was on the path to something that, in some way, seemed like the only thing that could truly help him. The blades. Percy didn't know exactly how, but he knew he needed them. It was almost ironic to think he was blindly following, walking with his own feet towards these weapons.
"The Blades of Exile…" Percy thought, certain that was the correct name.
There was something familiar about these blades. He knew the original owner had wielded several versions of this kind of weapon, but these, in particular, belonged to this world. He felt that. Maybe it was the memories that surfaced from time to time, coming from the other life that now coexisted with his mind, or maybe just a hunch.
Percy had been walking for some time when hunger started to gnaw at him. His stomach growled, demanding to be fed.
He stopped and thought, "My regeneration should handle this, right? So why am I so hungry?"
The answer was simple. Even though his regeneration sped up the healing process, it came at a cost. And that cost came in the form of insatiable hunger.
"This regeneration could be my salvation, but it might also kill me if I don't find food soon…"
Still, Percy had another card up his sleeve: his adaptation ability. An underestimated skill, in his opinion, but incredibly powerful. It wasn't just about adapting to combat; it was about adapting to life. And humans had always been masters of survival.
With that thought in mind, Percy looked for a comfortable place to rest. He spotted a small tree offering enough shade and walked over to sit down and open his provisions.
There wasn't much left.
During the week of intense battles, his regeneration had been working harder than usual. Once, he even lost an entire arm during a fight with a basilisk. "And that hurt more than anything I could imagine…" Percy thought, remembering the moment.
He looked at what was left of his food. Not much. Percy unwrapped a small package beside him, revealing a blue cake his mother had made for him. It was impressive that it was still in good condition, but that was thanks to a new ability Percy had developed: dehydrating his food.
He removed all the moisture from the food, preserving it for longer. The cake was still delicious, and with three large bites, Percy devoured it entirely.
"This should've lasted longer…" Percy thought, sighing in defeat. He still had a few more cakes stashed away, but he knew his food was running out quickly. He needed to find a city soon.
It was at that moment that something inside him stirred. A sensation. Percy furrowed his brow, feeling something strange in the air. It was as if an enormous mass of water was rapidly approaching him.
Closing his eyes for a second, he focused on the water currents around him. Beneath his feet, he felt the same tranquility as before, with veins of water flowing calmly through the earth. But above his head… something was wrong.
"…There it is."
Percy opened his eyes. Even without seeing it, he knew something was approaching from the sky. The sensation was like the water in the air around him had changed. And then he heard it: a distant sound, like the beating of wings. Large wings.
He didn't know how, but his mind recognized it. Perhaps it was the memories that weren't his, or maybe it was just his adaptation kicking in. Either way, Percy knew before he even saw it. He had a few seconds to prepare.
"Damn, this isn't good."
Percy quickly stood up, dropping the other cake he was almost eating out of gluttony and drawing his sword. Harpies (today's monster) weren't extremely dangerous monsters, but they could still be lethal, especially if they caught him by surprise.
Luckily, he already knew where it was.
Thanks to his new ability, he had sensed it long before the collision of its attack.
The harpy tore through the sky towards him, a black shadow with sharp claws moving swiftly, but Percy was ready. He turned at the last second, dodging a deadly strike.
With an agile spin, Percy slashed with his sword, striking the harpy before it could try another attack. The monster let out a sharp scream, crashing to the ground right in front of him. Percy stepped back, ready for another move, but didn't need to. The monster was already dead.
"…Huh?"
Percy was a bit surprised. I mean… normally they get back up and say something like, "You'll pay for that!" And then I kill them for real.
He took a deep breath, feeling his heart race only now, after the danger had passed. "That thing should've attacked me without me noticing, but I sensed it long before… what's weird is that this ability is normally active… but this time it was almost like…"
Percy crouched down, observing the harpy's lifeless body. The monster quickly started disintegrating, returning to dust. He shook his head, letting out a sigh. "If it weren't for my senses, I'd be in trouble right now…"
Even though he came out victorious, he knew the danger was always present. This wasn't new, but the constant feeling of being on high alert was starting to weigh on him. He needed to keep adapting, honing this new sense. "I should train this more… maybe I can detect other monsters before they attack, or maybe even a kind of passive sonar? Yeah, that would be great!"
After one last glance at the harpy's remains, Percy stood up, closed his eyes, and focused again on the point beneath his feet. He felt the water veins flowing as before, peaceful, and summoned one of them.
With a powerful surge, the water shot up from the ground, forming a small waterfall in front of him. Percy stepped under it without a second thought. He didn't care about his clothes. The contact with water always made him feel at home.
After a few minutes, he stepped back and, with a mental command, dried his clothes instantly. He gathered his things, looked ahead, and took the first step towards his goal.
The destination?
The Blades of Exile.