“A traveler must train their wits.

All is easy at home. They who know little

Are a laughing stock amongst adventurers of the world.”

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the trees, tracing a dance of light and shadow in front of him, Avaln unfocused his seventh sense. Much like when sharpening one’s hearing or sight, keeping such level of concentration up would eventually wear one’s senses down, yet up until then he saw himself forced to do so, due to the absolute darkness in which he had departed from Gale.

However, it served him to test his limits, and led him to realize he could keep his seventh sense out for about half a night. Such a discovery was bound to be useful if he were to ever see himself in a situation like his arrival to the Demon Boar Mountain range.

A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

Such an event seemed like it had happened so long ago…

It was only then, when the notion of time appeared on his mind, that a question he hadn’t asked himself before, took hold of his thoughts.

How far away was Greenleaf?

It just never crossed his mind to ask, nor to wonder. His idea had been simple: as long as he were to follow the path, his steps should eventually lead him to the city, or worse case scenario, to a guidepost of some sort. Yet now that he thought about it, the path wasn’t straight, and his gaze was unable to catch even a hint of the city’s surrounding walls.

And he only packed rations for a day.

“I think… I may be an idiot.” He said out loud, then when noticing it, chuckled to himself.

If Ran were to know his situation… he wouldn’t hear the end of it. And Arthur would tell him to focus on what’s beneath his feet instead of what’s flying over his head, which was to say he shouldn’t daydream so much but rather get on with his life as best he could. Avaln never agreed to it though, thinking that people could dream for a reason.

To risk one’s life for one’s dream… isn’t it normal? Maybe because Avaln was painfully aware of the tough situation Arthur was in due to his own stubbornness, he never told him his true thoughts: that he was certain to live a tough life chasing after his dreams, was preferable to live a comfortable one that any other could live as well.

And the fact that he had held in his hands the means to achieve his dreams for ten years…

Avaln shook his head, and returned his consciousness to the path.

And his gaze, only found surprise.

“Friend, do you come from Gale?” Asked a robbed, male stranger, the closest one of a group of four. Through the hood Avaln glimpsed some blond strands and a pair of blue eyes.

“That’s right. Why?” He inquired in return, cursing internally at his reverie. Even if the path made turns, he should have been able to notice them before they got so close. He let his seventh sense swirl out then, skimming through the group, only to further curse.

“See? Told you we were on the right path.”

Another robbed figure stepped forward then, and uncovered his face. It was a male, probably in his thirties, with a black ponytail falling from his shoulder to his chest. He stared at Avaln with a pair of narrowed brown eyes. “Do you live in Gale?”

Avaln lifted an eyebrow at this. “What does a group of adventurers need to do in a dot on the map like Gale?”

The hooded figure with the blond strands reached for Avaln’s shoulder, a gesture from which he felt no harming intent, yet his reaction was still to take a step back to avoid it. He saw teeth shine in a smile. “Oh, I’m sorry. Don’t be afraid. We are reinforcements! We heard the barrier surrounding the Demon Boar Mountain range has yet to be repaired, and we got dispatched from Greenleaf four days ago to see why it is so. Have the previous adventurers returned yet?”

Avaln shook his head in response. In his thoughts, it was best to comply for now.

For through his seventh sense, he knew the four figures were Tempered Essence realm adventurers, and even if hidden, they carried weapons. The reason the blonde guy gave him was plausible, and they had yet to reveal any hostility, but Avaln couldn’t help but keep his guard up.

For the Essence circulating in their bodies was full of the demonic attribute. If born with it, each should possess a unique trait… but their Essence had the exact same hue as the demon boars. Demonic Essence was extremely corrosive, and had the tendency of invading a person’s body if exposed to it during long periods of time. Which meant…

That group, most likely, had already visited the Demon Boar Mountain range, repeatedly. And if they did so… how come they didn’t realize the barrier was down the moment it happened?

The whole issue Gale had to face happened precisely because Greenleaf took too long to notice something was wrong.

Of course, it could be because they just weren’t inside when it happened, but neither Avaln’s, nor Rei’s Essence became even slightly corroded despite spending a week in there, two in her case, and they weren’t in the Tempered Essence realm like them.

As such, they should be more vulnerable.

How long would one need to remain inside that place, for one’s Essence to become as black as theirs?

Or rather…

How deep?

“Do you live in Gale or not?” Asked the man who uncovered his face, this time a bit more forceful.

Avaln shook his head again. “I’m on an errand. I’m to sell a few materials to Greenleaf's smith and bring back a list of ores they need back at Gale’s forge.” He shook the shoulder carrying his spear a bit, which right now couldn’t be seen due to the rug covering it.

If Avaln’s assertions were right, they shouldn’t be able to discern what’s inside through their seventh sense, not yet.

“I see… “ The lie seemed to convince the male with the ponytail. “Thanks for answering with honesty, friend. May Astraea keep you safe on the road.”

The man made a gesture, and the entire group stepped aside, making way. Avaln nodded back, and not lowering his guard, he walked through the group and turned to look forward, while his seventh sense remained on them and their every movement.

What did they want to do at Gale?

What was their real purpose?

Those were the questions in his mind… when his body reacted to the sudden, fast, too fast lunge of the guy with the ponytail, sword at the ready.

In the time the slash crossed his back, splitting flesh and bone, all his hands managed to do was to bring his spear from the back to his front. The idea had been to ready it and deflect… but the gap in their speeds was just that huge.

Avaln had been so focused on their attribute and on not letting his guard down, that he never made the attempt of comparing their Essence refinement levels… and that figure was undoubtedly the highest.

He met the ground with a dull sound, his legs unresponsive, the rug cradled between his hands. The burning pain and the shock prevented him from moving, and all his options were narrowed to looking sideways at the approaching figure, which crouched by his side. “You may wonder… why?”

“Why was I sneak attacked?”

Avaln didn’t answer.

“Well, there are many reasons really. And it’s not like hearing them is going to save you, nor grant you respite… but I want to indulge myself.” The man leaned a bit closer. “First, I didn’t like the way you looked at us. Second, I didn’t like the way you treated us, as if we were equals. And third, and most importantly… How did you know we were adventurers?”

Avaln cursed internally. The words had escaped his lips then, but as soon as that man pointed it out, it made sense. He was just at the Nascent Essence realm nobody, and even if at the peak, he shouldn’t have been able to recognize them as such. His seventh sense, after all, shouldn’t be developed enough for that, in fact, most people in his realm don’t even possess a seventh sense.

The man stood up then, and walked back to the group.

“Not gonna finish what you started?” Someone asked. A female voice Avaln hadn’t heard before.

“Remember our job. If I deal another blow, someone may realize he was killed by an adventurer. If we leave him like this, the demonic Essence will end him anyway.” The man with the ponytail answered. “And once dead, some beast will wander in and bite some of his flesh off. Should look convincing enough for Greenleaf to scratch it as just a wandering demon boar victim.”

“What about the rug? The guy seemed to want to protect it. Maybe we should take it.” Another voice.

The man released a sigh, and the sound of a slap reached Avaln’s ears.

“What did I just say? If what he said was true, he’ll be expected to be carrying something on him. Tell me… have you ever seen a demon boar rob their victims blind?”

Ah. I’m glad I told that lie… Were Avaln thoughts then, his hearing fading, his sight blurring. From their steps, he managed to understand the group was walking away.

Then, the pain invited a darkness whose embrace he didn’t dare escape from.

Morning had arrived, and Rei was still sulking.

She expected him to leave a note, or something like it at the very least.

“Heartless.” She muttered, slicing the bread with an intent edging on murder. “Master Avaln is heartless.”

“C’mon, little Ri. Adventurers travel as birds migrate through Essence seasons.” Said Jeff, cleaning his nails. “I’m sure he wanted to go back home, visit his girlfriend or something.”

A loud dull sound was heard next, then an object flew and drove itself into the table. It was a knife. A few fingers away from Jeff’s hand.

“Uncle Jeff, could you go sharpen that for me? To the forge. I’m afraid I just misused it and spoiled the edge.” Jeff lifted his gaze to find Rei smiling at him, her eyes closed as if incredibly happy.

“O-Of course. Right away.”

“Thanks. Grandma Mira should be back soon. The breakfast will be ready by then.” She turned around, and her hands moved towards the cheese… yet had nothing to cut it with. She sighed, and with lowered eyelashes, she thought about asking Avaln to hand her something on the other side of the kitchen, the beginning of a gesture motioning her arm...

Heartless. She thought again, and leaned against the furniture, no longer willing to lift a hand.

She knew her time in his life was limited… just never expected it to be so short.

As she crossed her arms, for a moment, she allowed her mind to wander through possibilities, worlds of chance where nothing tied them down, where their paths met and became one. She imagined herself watching him train, his muscles moving behind intent and purpose as the sunset drew their volume. Her gaze would trace his profile then, wishing to meet his purple eyes, wanting to mix her fingers with the strands of his black hair…

You could see he had cut it himself, but strangely enough, it suited him.

She sighed, then looked at the door, outside her reverie. “What, uncle Jeff?” Her voice lacked empathy, and her eyes were tired.

A kind smile appeared on the old smith’s face. “Wanna come with me? Some air may do you some good.”

She took a breath to think about it, her eyes skimming through the cheese she couldn’t cut, and nodded. On her way out, she wondered about the possibilities in front of her, thinking what her answer would have been if a certain someone had asked her to go with him.

Yet… she wouldn’t know.

She would never know.

Old man Ji came out of his home at the same hour he always did, his bent knees aching beneath the weight of his body and years. A few steps away from him, Jeff’s forge laid empty, which made him shake his head, as he had looked forward to saying hi to him. There weren’t many people he was friendly with, but that didn’t matter when you lived in a village where there weren’t many people anyway.

His daughter was married, and that was a good thing. He could live in peace the rest of his days without worry, yet his son… his son’s children, his grandchildren, had gone to the forest about two months ago and never returned. The loss was still aching in his heart, much like his knees, yet he also knew which pain had better chances of being healed.

A part of him blamed Greenleaf. They sent the request as soon as they noticed the barrier began to behave strangely, yet it took them a month to actually send someone over. By then, the demon boars had already claimed more than a few lives, some of his friends included.

The mountain range was supposed to be their territory, why did they have to suffer because of it?

Yet the other part of him knew they were to blame as well. It was their responsibility to take care of the younguns, to tell them not to do something rash, yet they didn’t. Some of them expected a new generation of adventurers to rise in their dot on the map, bringing in a brighter future for everyone. Old man Ji, among them.

Like vultures, they waited for them to do what they could not, and then shifted the blame when the time of consequences came.

He sighed, as his left knee stung him a bit more than usual.

Despite it all, he still woke up every morning, said hi to the people he was friendly with, kissed his daughter on the cheek whenever she felt like being his daughter for a while, and hugged his son after a few drinks.

He still had a few years on him anyway, and maybe, who knows, maybe Diana would bless his family with one or two more grandchildren, and he’d die happy.

Then again, it’s not like Diana was worshipped anymore, not after that happened. If Legends were to be believed, no one would do so, yet to him those were just that, legends, tales, stories invented with ill-purpose.

His mother told him Diana was the goddess of childbirth, and when his wife became pregnant, he prayed to her every night. And both his children came out healthy, and were now living a good life. He couldn’t ask for more.

Such were his thoughts when a male voice called out to him, “Hey old man. Is this Gale?”

He furrowed his brow upon hearing such a rude way of addressing a stranger, yet he still nodded. “That’s right.”

“See? I told you this was Gale.” Talked another male voice, from behind the first one. The elderly man could not distinguish their faces due to the sun being right behind them, but he counted four figures.

“Shut the fuck up. You know shit! Last time we got lost for a week because of you!”

“C’mon guys, we are here, that’s all that matters.”

“You shut the fuck up too, or I’ll shove my dick in it, slut.”

“With what you have I can’t even clean my teeth.”

Old man Ji felt the group was only going to bring trouble, so he quickly spoke up. “We don’t have anything for you here, get out!”

The closest man turned around and simply said, “Old man, hold on to this for a bit, will ya?”

He furrowed his brow at this, yet never saw the man hand him anything, and so he took a breath to repeat himself… yet his lungs found no strength to do so.

He tried again nonetheless, but all that he actually managed to, was to spat a mouthful of blood.

Dumbfounded, his gaze followed the fall of that crimson liquid, from his beard, all the way down to the sword hilt protruding from his chest.

The warning had been a quake.

And it came in a rain of stones, flesh, dust and blood.

The burnt rock cracked, then with a thought-deafening sound, the cave-in blocking the entrance exploded, followed by a huge shadow… and a tender figure flying through the air, then impacting the ground with a thud, rolling lifeless on the uneven rock.

“Alary?!” Alice screamed as soon as her gaze recognized the body of her friend, gnashing her throat, rushing to her side with no care for her safety.

“Squad leader!”

“Miss Dothein!”

Alice’s knees met the rock in pain, yet ignoring it she held Alary whose eyes were closed. Under hurried inspection, she found dry blood on the corners of her lips, and despite her attempts to wake her, she saw no reaction.

Harold cursed and ran through the yellow curtain, his towershield ready to meet the huge shadow whose bloodlust had yet to be quenched. “Demon boar?” He recognized its fangs, that red glow from its eyes, yet… it was about two times his size.

Beast and man clashed, and with a splintering sound, the shield gave in. Muscle, rage and momentum impacted Harold’s arm with a crack, and as if annoyed, it shook him off, tossing his burly body against one of the ruined temple walls.

Garry’s face paled. I’m not going to get there in time. “Miss Dothein, Squad leader!” He shouted as his short legs tried to reach them, aware of how the huge beast’s advance had been barely slowed.

Despite his outer stoicism, Garry was internally flabbergasted. How could a demon boar, no matter how big, just hurl a Tempered Essence veteran like Harold aside?

Alice heard the warning, yet it was already too late. Her gaze met that red glow engulfed in darkness and her mind went blank. All she managed to do was to hug Alary’s body as tightly as she could, and brace herself against the loss of life.

Yet the pain never arrived.

All she heard was an ear-piercing squeal, and when she dared to look up again, she saw how the beast was dragging its nose through the ground, as if trying to get something off.

But what really woke her up… was the wind brushing her cheek.

“I-It worked. It worked!” Gallathorn shouted, arms in the air. He had no weapon, so the only thing he managed to do was to pick his spear’s blade and throw it. At first, he thought his desperate attempt would meet no mark, yet mid-flight the projectile changed course and went straight into the beast’s nostril.

Alice, however, looked down her arms, and her vision began to blur as soon as she saw a scarlet gaze meeting hers. “You idiot.” She shook her head. “You fucking idiot.”

Alary smiled in a wince, her voice coarse against her throat. “Nice throw, Gallathorn.” The makeshift arrow would have never hit anything if not for her help, but it was the fact that he tried that allowed her to manipulate the wind and change its course just in time.

In front of them, the beast kept thrashing about, dragging its big nose through the rocks, hitting other smaller demon boars that had rushed in with it. At the same time, the whole entrance became covered by entrails and fresh blood from the unfortunate beings that had been in its way.

“What happened? How are you like this?” Alice asked, her voice rough from her previous exertion.

Alary had reached the Manifested Essence realm, how could a mere demon boar leave her like this?

“I clashed against it right before reaching the outside.” She answered, placing a hand on her friend’s chest, partly to calm her down, partly to be able to look her in the eyes. “It’s so big it left me no room to move, and despite my best… “ Her features grimaced in pain as she tried to sit straight. “Despite my best efforts, I only managed to slow it down.”

Alice stared at her dumbfounded. She was wounded all over, Alice’s seventh sense could not lie to her, and given the time between her departure and now, her friend must have fought as much as she could against all the beasts on the way. She shook her head in disbelief “You fucking idiot.”

Alary nodded. “I know.”

The spellcaster hit her in the shoulder. It had been a tap, but given her condition it made her grimace in pain again. “No, you don’t.” She stormed her satchel then, throwing papers and empty bottles out, not caring if they may break, then grabbed a red vial sealed with a cork, which she quickly pulled out. “Here.” Her slender fingers grabbed Alary’s mouth forcefully, opening her lips, then emptied the content of the bottle inside. Her friend’s features scrunched up, and her throat swallowed the liquid quite quickly, as if trying to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Right after, a red mist began to come out of her body, and after a few breaths, she felt her muscles relaxing, no longer in pain. “A health potion?” She asked, surprised.

Alice didn’t answer, and after seeing Garry arrive by their side, she stood up and shouted, “Gally, bring me my staff!”

Gally? Alary stared dumbfounded at her for a half-breath, but when she saw Gallathorn’s expression, she realized it was the first time he was called as such. The man, however, far from complaining, just did as he was told, and soon arrived by the spellcaster’s side. Alice grabbed the staff then, closed her eyes while placing a hand right above the crystal, the latter emitting an orange light which grew intense and blinding, before handing it back to him.

“What do I do with this?” He asked, almost offended.

“That’s The Fire-Shaper, a gift from my teacher, so don’t mistreat it.” She turned to Garry. “Go see if Sir Ferrou is still alive, then check if he can still fight. If not, take him behind the temple’s barrier.”

Garry nodded, and without a word, ran to the collapsed wall.

Gallathorn shook his head. “That’s not what I meant!”

Alice brought a hand to her temple and sighed. “What weapon do you use?”

“A spear.” As soon as he said those words, the blinding orange light coming from the staff’s crystal took form, its flame licking the air, waving itself into a blade. “Oh…”

“Fire. Shaper.“ Alice repeated, staring into his brown eyes. “It doesn’t have much mana left though, so use it wisely to get rid of the incoming little ones.”

This time, he only nodded.

Alary smiled, marvelling at her friend, then moved her shoulder to check the state of her muscles, and when she felt only a sting of pain, she nodded to herself. In front of them, the beast had finally managed to get rid of the spear’s point, it’s blade now bloody and covered in mucus on the ground. “Alright, people. Let’s kill a boss!”