Chapter 12: Chapter 1.9 (Part 2)

I exhaled and tried to clear my head. My current task is to dispatch Razorback so I can get Draven medical attention in the town.
Remember to think before and while you move. So, a recap would be that its fur is basically a shield, and its claws would be its sword. If the fur acts as that, then I should find any openings that don’t include the fur, as it would potentially be its weak point. I would hurry this up before this alder tree weapon kills me.

I rushed towards the beast, who swung its claws at me, but I blocked with the wooden sword and rolled out of the way. Observing the body of it. There was no damage at all. Is the wood from the alder tree a stronger material than Razorback’s claws?

Remember your training; God Force can be used to enhance one’s speed, defense, and attack. I took a deep breath and took one step, instantly appearing before the creature who swung its claws once more; I easily avoided it by parrying the attack from my left side and appearing behind the beast.

The fur doesn’t spread to the back of its hindlegs or the back of its neck. I took one more step and appeared in close proximity to the legs, then clashed at the creature’s left Achilles tendon, causing Razorback to stumble a bit. The creature began swinging its claws even more wildly now. I managed to block most of the attacks, but the last one nicked me on my left cheek.

Was I somehow slowing down? I could feel my arms and now my legs getting weaker. If I don’t end this now, then I’ll be helpless as Razorback finishes me off.

Razorback brought down its claws once more, and I side stepped it inside of blocking the attack, causing grazes on my left shoulder and leg. I then used the opening to strike at the right Achilles tendon, bringing the beast down.

*Crash*

As dust began to rise, the beast attempted to crawl away. Using the last of my energy, I appeared in the blink of an eye on the neck of the creature and began to hack away at the other unguarded area, which would be the nape. After making the incision with the alder tree’s wooden blade, I dropped it to avoid more of my life force being sapped away, then switched over to my damaged short sword.

Drawing it from my scabbard, I began to hack away at the defenseless beast as it began to fail on the ground and with one final strike. It stopped moving.

I let out a sigh of relief and fell to my knees in tiredness. I rested for a moment before dismounting from the behemoth and rushing to check on Draven.

He was leaned against a tree with the claw still sticking out of him.

He noticed me and said, "Congratulations on clearing the tower."

I replied, "Shut up and save your strength."

He chuckled and said, "I want you to do one thing for me." Then removed the necklace from around his neck.

I eyed him as he continued, "I want you to give this to my sister for me."

"You can do it yourself. Let’s get out of here."

I then attempted to pick him up, and he slightly pushed me away.

"Dante, if anyone attempts to remove this claw from my chest, then I am dead, there aren’t any healers in Asterisk and those minor potions won’t do much.”

I gritted my teeth because he was correct on the no healers in Asterisk part.

"What do you want me to do?"

Draven smiled and said, "Show me mercy."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I mean. Kill me now."

I hesitated and replied, "You know I can’t do that."

Draven coughed, then slowly got up to his feet with the support of a tree.

"You are now a tower capturer and will soon receive the gift of Deity Essence. The path you are on now will be filled with bloodshed due to people being killed by other people over that same power. So, in order to prepare you for that, I want you to stain your hands with my blood."

I exhaled and said, "Is this the only way?"

"Suicide is frowned upon in the elf world, so you will be paying me back for everything I taught you."

I took a deep breath and agreed.

I grabbed the claw which was sticking out of his chest and said, "Draven Vidella, I give you mercy," then pulled the object out. Blood splattered everywhere as it gushed out of the wound. I still held onto the heavy claw and Draven fell forwards into my arms.

He weakly said, "Take this necklace back to my sister please."

"Which one?"

"When you get there, you’ll know."

I sighed and said, "Even when you’re at death's door, you’re a pain in the ass."

Draven placed the necklace around my neck and chuckled, "Well, I see you’re not the same sensitive human as before."

I gave a half smile and said, "Who knows, maybe I am still to a certain degree. Just know that I won’t cry over you."

Draven smiled and said, "If that ever happens, I will haunt you out of disappointment."

A sad expression crept up on my face as my half smile disappeared. Suddenly, the room went black, and I was floating in a void. Draven was no longer there, and the only thing I held in my hands was the claw from Razorback.

There was a stillness in the air until a voice spoke. It was a female’s voice.

"Welcome and congratulations on capturing this tower."

Suddenly, a gentle light appeared and formed a beautiful woman.

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She was roughly 5'5" with waist-length fiery red hair and red eyes. Her complexion was pale, and she had a calm yet frightening aura. The strange female was clad in full bronze armor and a shield.

I eyed her and asked, "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Menrva, a goddess of war and the one who came to congratulate you on your grueling encounter with Razorback."

"Are you supposed to be the Roman equivalent of Athena?"

She nodded her head and said, "That’s correct." At the Point, all the deities reside, whether they are from old words, new worlds, or different timelines."

So, Draven was right all along when he gave his explanation.

Menrva continued, "As one of your rewards, I will now grant you a portion of Deity Essence."

As she said that, a dark purple flame appeared in her open right palm, and then she blew on it. Almost instantaneously, I was engulfed in the dark purple flames, but I felt no pain or warmth from them. A few seconds later, it absorbed itself into my body, and the show was over.

However, all the injuries and wounds I sustained earlier somehow healed.

Huh, that’s all to it?

Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation under my right eye. I quickly covered it with my right hand and demanded, "What the hell is going on?"

Menrva smiled and said, "As proof that you captured a tower, you will be marked."

I slowly removed my hand from over my eye and looked at my reflection in Menrva’s shield.

There was a small black line at the edge of my right eye. It almost looked like a tear drop tattoo.

I snapped at her and said, "Why the hell would you mark me in a place like that?"

"Based on your current emotions, don’t you think it’s a fitting placement?"

I paused and said, "I have two more questions."

Menrva motioned for me to speak after saying, "You may not ask to revive your friend."

"Did you read my mind or something?"

"No it was the most obvious thing to ask."

"I see."

"Why did the Tower Guardian end up on the lower floors?"

Menrva chuckled a bit and replied, "We just wanted to speed it up to the good part."

"Huh good part?"

Menrva brushed off my question and replied, "What's your second question?"

With a visibly annoyed expression on my face.

"That day, during the great disaster of Esbeth, who was the deity in that location?"

Menrva poked me in the chest and said, "The answer may hit close to home sooner or later, so let’s not spoil the secret."

"I dislike cryptic answers."

Menrva changed the topic once more and then said, "As a reward, you may take anything out of the tower." "You will be a very wealthy man."
I

replied, "If you can’t revive him, then I’ll take the body of my friend."

Menrva chuckled and said, "So be it. The tower will begin to disappear very shortly."

"Wait, what about the people who are still inside of it?"

"They will disappear along with the tower. It’s very simple."

I argued, "That makes zero sense."

Menrva said in a serious tone of voice, "Do you dare question a deity’s decisions?"

I glared at her sternly and kept my mouth shut.

"I’ll have fun looking at your journey from The Point. Please do entertain us while you’re at it."

With that being said, I appeared outside of the tower with Draven’s dead boy and the claw from Razorback. The tower then crumbled in on itself and disappeared.

Afterwards, I could feel the curious stares of the townsfolk staring at me.

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