Chapter 44: Tension

The convoy made its way across the unregulated lands. Anything in between the major kingdoms were not overseen by any order. A multitude of bandits, criminals, and ex-convicts thrived in such places. There was no need to worry about a pursuing force most of the time. Of course, there were exceptions.

If a highly prioritized criminal was outside of governed lands, a task force would be sent after him or her. It was still safer for these targets to lay low even in these rebel towns. At least if they wanted to live.

Barely any time had passed since their departure, and Shu had already cut through a plethora of magic beasts. The aura of the starvanium was too attractive to the wild creatures. Eating the ore was only one of their goals. Jina and the other warrior now known as Glem, had fought together with him.

There was one thing that bothered the young samurai. Every now and then, his katana would resonate with the load of material, causing his weapon to vibrate with a low hum. Such a thing was only possible when two objects were of similar quality. Luckily, the lazy swordsman did his best to hide it during those random moments.

Nothing good would come out of his weapon quality being discovered. It would only put a target on his back. A week had already passed and the caravan found a good moment of peace. The large group had decided to stop for the night beside a beautiful waterfall. Everyone was mentally tired after being on alert nonstop. Especially for the others, since the young samurai only joined them on the return trip.

Shu could be seen with the stem of a leaf in his mouth. The actual leaf swayed in the gentle breeze. He leaned against the rockside as the water crashed beside him. The katana rested on his lap. It was a relaxing moment. His eyes were drooping, the sleepy man on his way to dreamland.

"Sleeping in the open? You must be pretty confident in your abilities to do so." A gruff voice rang out. The young samurai slowly turned to the source.

Turd was standing nearby, with his feet in the small lake of water. Shu closed his eyes once more. Only then did he respond.

"...I cannot help it." He mumbled.

"I'm just pulling your leg, buddy. You are incredibly strong. I almost feel bad for the enemies who cross your path." The dwarf revealed.

"Mnn." Shu hummed in response. Turd could easily tell that he wasn't in the mood to converse. They were near the kingdom of Laria, and the tension was high.

"Just know that regardless of how the other dwarves act toward you, they appreciate your battle prowess."

"...."

After saying his piece, the old dwarf walked away. The sleeping swordmaster had already left the realm of consciousness. Hours went by and the sun began to set. An orange hue covered the sky. At some point during Shu's rest, Jina and Glem had found their way beside him. The mercenary sat on the edge of the pool, while the red haired woman went for a swim.

She would occasionally glance at the sleeping man before going about her business. It almost seemed like she wanted to catch him waking up. Glem noticed her antics and beckoned her over. A frown could be seen on his face as she approached.

"Stop it." He growled quietly.

"What?" She responded in confusion.

"Don't get too close to him. He is NOT the person you think he is."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He may act kind, but I've seen eyes like those before. He'll cut you down without batting an eye."

"Don't you think you're being paranoid? We're all working together on the same mission. Why would he do that?"

"I said what I said. Do what you will with that information." Glem spoke before leaving the area.

It was unknown where he was headed. Jina only shook her head. She could take care of herself. Who did he think he was?

After a good amount of time, the young samurai woke up. He couldn't help but stretch. His bones popped from the effort. The first thing he noticed was a basket of fruits beside him. How nice!

Shu casually took a chocolate covered strawberry. For some reason, the image of a beautiful middle aged woman with broken, depraved eyes appeared in his mind. Her hollow eyes made her unique. Something in the depths of his soul told him that it was her favorite fruit. But who was she? How did he know that? A sudden feeling of nostalgia flooded his senses.

"I knew you'd probably be hungry when you woke up, so I prepared these for you." Jina called out.

Shu looked down to see the big breasted woman a step below him. Her body was damp as if she'd been in the water. He smiled sleepily.

"...Thank you. They're delicious." He said.

"They'd better be. I put my heart and soul into them." She joked.

"That's no good. Your heart should stay inside your body at all times." He quipped. Jina rolled her eyes.

"Stop being dense. I have a question, though."

"Speak."

"You're part of the Golden Circle, right? What is it like?"

"Mnnn…It's okay, I guess. Lots of missions."

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"That's it? So is this just another mission to you? Will I be able to see you again after?"

"...Whatever do you mean? Come, we should check on Myrrh's research. Let's see what she's found."

"Changing the subject? Fine. I'll let it slide for now." Jina relented.

The two got up and approached the carriage that contained the ore. Many dwarves glanced at them as they strolled through the camp. Shu popped another strawberry into his mouth as they traveled.

"Myrrh isn't going to be happy about our intrusion, you know. The only person she talks to is Turd."

"She'll survive." The young samurai commented.

Upon entering the carriage, they immediately found the cold elf, who was busy typing into the holographic keyboard. There were bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days. The room was flooded with the aura of starvanium.

"Hey, Myrrh! I see you're working hard as ever." Jina spoke.

"Leave." The elf responded without turning from her work.

"I want to see what you've discovered though." Shu spoke up.

The lazy swordsman appeared beside the cold woman and peered at the screen. Honestly, he had no idea what he was looking at. It was just a bunch of complex numbers and equations.

"Y-You! Back off, Sword Demon!" Myrrh yelled upon seeing how close they were. She closed the screen so he couldn't see any more.

"What's the problem? Can't I take a look?" He asked with a slight smile.

"No! Who said you're allowed in here?!" She continued. The anger could be seen on her face.

VRRMMMMM

At that moment, Shu's weapon let out a soft hum. It began to vibrate uncontrollably. He quickly increased the strength of his grip over the sheathed katana, stopping its movement. Myrrh and Jina both looked at his blade with suspicion. Before they could question it, Shu's gaze darted toward the wall. It was as if he was looking through the structure.

"Shu?" The red haired woman called out.

The mana breather immediately closed over his mouth and nose, hiding the lower half of his face. He instantly vanished from his position. Both women stared at each other for a few seconds before bolting out of the room.

…

…

…

On a high cliff above the waterfall, a large group of figures could be seen. There were at least thirty of them. Each one of them were covered in red cloaks, a hood masking their features. They were silent as they stared down at the invisible caravan. It was as if they could see it.

The leading figure put his hands together in prayer. His companions followed his gesture. There was a slight murmur from each of their lips.

"Praise be to the Most High. Glory to Bhadyx, the god of death. May we bring honor to your name today."

"Praise be to the Most High."

"Glory to Bhadyx, the god of death."

"-May we bring honor to your name today."

Once the chant was over, a single figure took action. A distorted grin rose from his sunken lips as he leapt from the high place. The mana core inside him grew brighter and brighter as he fell from the sky. Right before the glow reached a critical point, a thin line appeared in the middle of the core.

SLASH

The figure's body was bisected, the top and bottom half severed in two. Shu then appeared on the cliff like a ghost. The sheath was in his left hand, the blade in his right.

"Did your superiors know that they were sending you to your deaths?" His distorted voice rang.

The other figures grinned eerily. Shu couldn't help but frown at that reaction. The severed body continued to fall, until it landed on top of the caravan's barrier. Both portions of the body lit up with mana.

BOOOOOM

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