Chapter 7: A Moment of Rest

The perpetual sunset was slowly coming to an end. Countless stars made their presence known, shining even brighter now that the sun was falling. Contestants had traveled all across the land by this point. Places of rest were found and created, while some were stolen from others. The count of participants had decreased even more.

Shu and the new addition, Faye, could be seen standing at the edge of the mountain range. His destination had almost been reached. The meeting point could already be seen in the distance. Funnily enough, the constant roars of powerful beasts had vanished. It was eerily silent.

"Shu?" The freckled girl tugged on the samurai's kimono. Her expression was one of nervousness. Her little hands were clammy.

"Hmm…" He grunted in response.

"Why did you want to come here?" She asked quietly.

Shu stared at his sheathed katana which rested in his left hand. The black battle armor peeked from under his flowing sleeve. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"...Do you think it was a bad idea to come here?" He spoke calmly. Faye nodded her head. She wanted to turn around and flee.

"That's what most people would think. When there are a lot of powerful monsters in one place, the apex predator would be the ruler. Do you know what that means?" He continued. It had been a while since he'd spoken so much.

"What does it mean, Big Brother?"

"It means that plenty of safe spaces exist in this mountain range. Especially near the stronger monsters."

"But wouldn't we have to fight a strong monster then?" She questioned.

"...I'm sure my friend has already handled it."

"Friend? Are we meeting someone, Brother Shu?"

"...Enough. Let's go."

The two began to ascend the rocky path. Lightning danced across the clouds which resulted in booms of thunder. Faye clutched her magic staff tightly. Besides the natural habitat, there were no sounds of living beasts.

After traveling through a narrow path which hugged the side of the mountain, the ground shook. A massive rock tumbled down from above and shattered onto the path behind them.

BAM

"Kyaaaaah!" Faye screamed. Her eyes were shut as she swung her staff through the air. She waved it back and forth like a club.

"Stay away, monster! Kyaaah! Goddess Satva!" She cried.

Shu crouched down to her level and gazed at her with a slight smile. He watched her antics without making a sound. After a few more seconds, the innocent girl opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were warm silver eyes. The sleepy swordsman had his chin resting in his hand.

"...Are you done?" He joked quietly.

Faye's face turned red like a tomato. Her green eyes began to water from embarrassment. Right before she yelled with anger, Shu's hand softly patted her head. The innocent healer felt warmth again. Why was he so nice to her? This big brother was the best!

Shu's hand stopped at her cheek. His thumb gently caressed it for a second. A moment later, he pinched it.

"Oww! Uwuwuwu…" She hummed as the man stretched her cheek.

"Let's keep moving." He said after releasing her.

The young man continued on the path. Faye watched his back for a few moments. Her face became red once again. This time, she fell into her thoughts.

'This big brother is…this handsome big brother is…Oh Goddess!'

A plethora of images appeared in her head. Steam was erupting from her ears. She couldn't help but swoon back and forth. This man was a blessing! Thank Satva for allowing them to meet!

"Faye." He called out sternly. The girl immediately snapped out of her daze and ran over to catch up.

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Time passed as they ascended the path. Not a single monster stopped them on their journey. This either meant one of two things. The hierarchy had changed, or the beasts were dead. If it was the first option, then a new apex predator was in town.

Eventually, they reached the meeting point. The duo were almost at the peak of the mountain cliff. The temperature had gotten much colder due to the height. Their breath could be seen with every exhale. After walking for a few more minutes, they reached a clearing. The sound of someone humming reached their ears.

"Hmmmnn… Hmmnhmnnn…hmmmnn…"

Both Faye and Shu raised their eyebrows in surprise. A colossal red dragon laid in the middle of the ground. Its body spanned the entire area. There were no signs of life coming from the elder beast. The powerful aura hadn't left the corpse yet. It radiated the presence of a Supreme level being.

What made the scene even more insane was the figure sitting on top of it. A boy with curly white hair and a black cloth over his eyes sat on the dragon's corpse. His legs swung back and forth as he hummed a beautiful tune. The aesthetic made everything much more sublime, as the stars twinkled overhead.

Shu calmly approached the figure. He was barely stepping over the massive tail when the humming stopped. The blind man didn't turn his head.

"So you survived. Good to see you, Shu." He said.

"...Eldan." Shu responded calmly.

He sat down against the hulking beast and gazed at the skyline. The cliff allowed him to see everything in the vicinity. From the lost civilization, to the barren wasteland, he could see it all. It was saddening but beautiful at the same time.

"Your heartbeat is calm and serene…You are uninjured. An incredible feat that is. But of course. Only the best for a man with Legendary potential." Eldan commented.

"Mnn…"

Faye, who was still near the entrance, swallowed her fear of the eerie scene and approached. It didn't take long for her to reach Shu. Eldan finally looked away from the skyline and focused on her.

"A new arrival? How quaint." He said. The girl bowed to the young man sitting on the dragon.

"Greetings, esteemed sir. My name is Faye."

"Faye…It is nice to meet you. I am Eldan. May you find solace in the Violet Evercroft."

The freckled girl frowned in confusion. She didn't understand it at all. Not bothering over it, Faye sat down beside the lazy swordsman.

There was another moment of silence. Shu heaved a sigh of relaxation and closed his eyes. The girl was totally confused by the situation, and finally spoke up.

"So…what now?" She asked. The blind man smiled.

"Now we wait until this test is over." Eldan answered.

"Really? That's it?"

"That's it."

Faye stared at Shu and Eldan in disbelief. It was over just like that? Who was this new guy? Did he really kill that dragon? There wasn't even dirt on his clothes!

"Eldan." Shu called out. His eyes were still closed.

"Shu." The white haired boy responded with his name.

"...you can keep singing."

The blind man couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise. That was the first time anyone requested something like this. It was a bit refreshing. Eldan turned back to the skyline.

"Hmmm-Hmmnnhmmnnn…Hmnnnn."

The beautiful tune continued. It was a forlorn and melancholic tune that portrayed the rise and fall of life itself. It evoked feelings of peace and sorrow. Tales of despair and the recent Starfall of this plane, only cemented this feeling.

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