Note from the author:

The Usurpation War turns two years old today! Honestly, I'm a little surprised I've been able to keep up the momentum for this long- starting out, I never expected how much this project would develop. But now, no matter how long it takes, I'm committed to seeing this through.

By the way, the story is also being uploaded on Ao3 under the same title. There's even a companion piece along with it, containing extra bits of lore. It features a world map, as well as- coming soon- images of the main cast.

In any case, we now return to our regularly scheduled programming. I hope you enjoy... because the Inland Alliance certainly won't.

Chapter 43: Outmatched

Celia slammed the shulker box closed and stuffed it into her inventory. She seemed to have the least idea of what they were dealing with, but she wasn't about to risk leaving their supplies- and more importantly, their Genesis Cores- unsupervised.

"So, who's this guy really?" she heard Cupa asking. She and Blake were peeking out the window together at their mysterious visitor. "He sure looks like those things we fought in the mansion, but they didn't seem interested in talking."

"Come on out already, kid, I don't have all night!" the man shouted. His tone, rough and frustrated, was almost demoralizing to hear.

Celia had spent hours upon hours envisioning the Legendary Heroes when she was younger: who they were, their habits, and what they acted and sounded like. She'd always imagined a regality to their presences, powerful yet compassionate and understanding. If this rude, impatient stranger really wanted to pass himself off as a Legendary Hero, she thought he was doing a poor job selling his performance.

"What do we do?" whispered Melissa.

Felix stood up. His face was pale, and his whole body shivered, but his fists clenched as he stared into the night. "He's here for me. That's the only explanation."

"But why does he want you?" Celia asked. "You're not going to confront him, are you?"

His eyes met hers, and she could see resolve in them somewhere under the fear. "I don't know what he's after. But I want answers. I want to know what really happened in the caves.

Celia could tell there was no talking him out of it. She wouldn't pretend to understand what he was feeling- how could she possibly? Felix claimed to have died at the stranger's hands, and while the idea was improbable at best, he was never the type to exaggerate the facts. There was only one thing for it.

"Fine," she said. "Then I will go with you. I need to know what occurred as well."

"You didn't just forget we're here too, did you?" asked Melissa, already drawing a pickaxe and heading for one of the walls.

"I'll back you up," Blake added.

Cupa plucked her bowstring, then fished an arrow out of her pocket. "Count me in too."

With the decision unanimous, the five of them broke a hole in the shelter and filed outside. The nighttime air was dry, befitting a desert fringe, but Celia hadn't expected it to be so cold. She'd never visited the Scorched Sands in person, yet their name seemed ironic as she stood beside her companions with a shiver.

In the flickering light from his torch, she could see a smirk creep onto the visitor's face as he swept his eyes across the group. His arms were folded, and he didn't seem concerned by the silhouettes of mobs emerging from their burrows for the night in the distance. Nothing else had taken notice of the gathering, but Celia was on edge nonetheless.

"You're in one piece," the man said, flashing a grin at Felix that wasn't returned. "Have you stayed out of trouble like I told you to?"

"What did you do to me?" Felix hissed. "How did I get out of the mines?"

"…ah, that," their visitor replied, sounding more like he'd been discussing the weather. "I can see how that might confuse you a little. Well, don't worry, you're fine now."

"NOW?" he shouted. "After you… you stabbed me?! That was what you did, wasn't it?"

Anger surged through Celia. So much had happened since they left Tenebyss that the details of Felix's story had nearly slipped her mind. What didn't help matters was how little the man appeared to react to the accusation: he just slowly tapped his heel in the gravel, and sighed as if dealing with a misbehaving child.

"You were stuck between a rock and a few Usurper goons with no way out. I was just doing what I knew could get you to safety. Once I got that witch out of the way, you-"

"So you admit to killing Varris," said Celia.

The man glared at her. "I killed a witch, yes. I don't think anyone will blame me for eliminating a danger to mankind."

At her side, Cupa stiffened. Celia returned the glare. "She was traveling with us. As Countess of Luxmouth, I had taken her under the protection of House Lumis. And you must have been aware she was with us… because it was you who killed our horses, was it not?"

"So that's who you are, then?" he replied. "And here I was expecting the Countess to be a little older. Sorry, but the horses were necessary collateral. I didn't want the witch to escape with that… thing. You know the one, yes? The one that lets you throw around rocks? I ran into her back in Luxmouth during the raid, and ever since then I've been able to feel its presence, like it's calling out to me."

He took a deep breath. "Even now, I can hear it. It's in the hands of the invaders, in that city they have northwest of here. Not even I could get through all of their forces at once to reclaim it, though."

"And who, exactly, are you?" Blake challenged. "You seem very proud of yourself for a drifter who attacks people on a whim."

The man's expression settled into a scowl, and he took a step closer, out of the torch's light. "I'm the one who can put a stop to this invasion, who can defeat the Far Land scum and save the world. And I need two things to do it. First, I need you to stop wasting my time. Second, I need more of those items which control the environment. You've got one that can manipulate diamonds; I felt it back in the mines, and I can feel it now. I had to come a long way to find you all…"

The shulker box was still in Celia's inventory, concealing the violet Diamond Core they'd retrieved in Tenebyss, but she suddenly didn't feel comfortable with it. He didn't seem able to tell where specifically it was among the party, yet it was only a small comfort. Could he really feel the presence of a Genesis Core, even without a tracker of his own?

Then again… if he was another construct around one, like what the Illagers had kept in their mansion…

"Here's the point!" the man announced, looking back at Felix. "I gave you the ability to return to life after suffering a fatal injury, and using that gift I sent you away from the Usurpation's reach. I'd hoped you would leave behind that diamond-controlling treasure, but apparently it was stuck to you even when you died. So, now, I'm here to ask for it. I'll need more power if I'm going to stop the invaders. Hand it over, and all your problems will be solved."

Nobody said a word. The six of them waited there, amidst the sand and gravel, in a tense standoff under the moon. To Celia's surprise, it was Melissa who broke the silence first.

"Let me see if I have this straight," she began, her voice steady. "You trespassed in TOEC's mines, you killed horses to stop these people from getting away from you, you claim to have killed a citizen of a neighboring city, and the only reason you're here now is to take something which could grant you more power. And you see nothing wrong with any of it. Do I have all of that right?"

"I've gotten more convincing pitches from Ray," Blake muttered.

"What a scumbag," added Cupa. "Felix, can I shoot this guy?"

He didn't say anything, but Celia could see the sheer disgust in Felix's eyes as he stared down their guest. She, with the most venomous tone she could possibly muster, delivered their official reply. "We will be denying your request, sir. I advise that you leave before your list of offenses grows again."

The man took another step closer, his unamused frown deepening. "You heard me introduce myself to the Usurpers, didn't you, boy? Talk your friends out of making a very poor choice in whose patience to test."

"I've already told them about you," Felix shot back. "And whatever you are, 'Steve,' there's no way someone like you could be one of the Legendary Heroes."

The man's body language changed. He went almost perfectly still save for his eyes, which flicked between the five of them in rapid succession as if he couldn't decide who to focus on. "What do you mean, 'whatever' I am? You think you know something I don't, is that it?"

He fell silent for another moment, then cleared his throat. "You know what, it doesn't really matter. There are more important things at stake here than arguing with you. So, I think I'll just do as any sensible adult would…"

His fists clenched, and the blue of his irises appeared to glow in the dark as he started toward them.

"…and teach the disrespectful brats a LESSON."

"Felix! Let's play Heroes!"

He looked up from his notes, and from the crafting table strewn with bits of wood and rocks. Silverhand Crafting and Architecture been contracted to renovate the entrance hall of Luxmouth's palace, and that meant Emily would be out of the house all day. Even though Felix had just turned nine, and thought he was more than capable of looking after himself at home, his sister had dragged him along anyway.

He'd been left with a handful of materials to do with as he pleased, as usual. But his attempts at perfecting a stone pickaxe were interrupted, also as usual, when adventure came calling by way of the ten-year-old Countess offering him a training sword. It was really more of a blunt stick covered in dents and scratches from their previous escapades- it had seen more use in make-believe than in actual training, and that day would be no exception. He took it and stood up, watching Celia give a few practice swings of her own sword into the air. The pair of guards assigned to follow her stayed back, but Felix thought he saw one of them crack a grin at the sight.

"In here?" he asked. "The Duke was mad when we almost knocked over that painting…"

"O-of course not in here! We'll go to the garden instead! I think that'd be the perfect place to continue, since we got to the Dark Acres last time."

Felix thought it over, trying to recall the details of their last session. "Oh, yeah… uh, what were we doing?"

She tapped her chin. "You'd just found the magic sword Obsidian Slasher, and we were in the creeper den. I think I'd bought a map to find Alex's treasure trove, but it was stolen by the Zombie King's spies. We have to get it back from them."

"Right, I remember now… do you think Steve has any treasure to find too?"

Celia's eyes lit up. "Sure! We'll need to find it in, um… it'd be buried under Mount Shroud. That's where we can go next."

Felix twirled the sword, nearly dropping it in the process. "Then let's get going! The Nether Dragon isn't going to stop himself."

As children, Felix and Celia had played many games together. They were fighters, explorers, and world-renowned adventurers in their heads. The intrepid duo had been, in the worlds they created, modern-day Legendary Heroes whose exploits would inspire generations to come. Felix briefly thought about that time as Steve, or the person calling himself Steve, started to walk toward them.

"Stay back!" Blake yelled, drawing his iron sword. Likewise, he readied his iron axe and held it tight.

"Are those stances supposed to intimidate me?" Steve asked with a derisive smirk. "You two look like you've never faced anyone more serious than a bumbling Illager."

He wasn't stopping his advance, and was just over a chunk away. Cupa and Melissa backed up, readying a bow and a splash potion respectively, but their new foe didn't appear any more concerned. Celia took a step forward and brandished her own blade, settling into a ready stance typical of the House Lumis knights. Felix recognized it from seeing them in action a few times, and she'd put her own elegant spin on the one-handed form, keeping her body angled to the side so she was as small a target as possible, with a slight bend in her knees as if ready to pounce.

"We've faced Usurpation soldiers in battle," she warned. "Underestimating us will cost you dearly. Walk away, you do not want this fight."

"I'll be the judge of that." Steve was mere blocks away, yet if he had any weapons or armor he still hadn't equipped them. Felix got in front of Celia, raising his axe in warning.

He was on his knees a second later, the wind knocked out of him and replaced by a sharp pain in his gut. As Felix tried to catch his breath, he heard the sounds of another commotion before Blake also hit the ground, landing on his back.

Steve chuckled. "A single punch each, and you both went down. You didn't even see that coming, did you?"

Felix got to his feet with a wince, clutching his axe with one hand and his stomach with the other. Blake hadn't just fallen, he'd been disarmed- his damaged iron blade was in Steve's hand now, held as casually as one would wield a fishing rod.

Celia had circled around and taken a jab at him from the side, but there was a metallic screech as their swords collided. She pulled back and went in again on Steve's left, only to plant her foot and swing the blade in a diagonal slash toward his chest. It was a feint, one which their opponent parried just as he had the first strike. Instead of retaliating with the stolen weapon, Steve simply took a step closer and punched her in the face. She was thrown back by the blow, stumbling and falling over with a gasp.

Smirking, Steve dropped the sword at Blake's feet. "I've made my point, haven't I? Hand over that purple crystal, and I'll pretend you didn't mouth off to me. Then, once I've piled up the invaders' bodies for the world to see, you'll realize your mistake."

He actually took a few steps away from them, giving the three fallen fighters a chance to regroup. Felix's stomach was still killing him, Blake looked a little dazed from whatever hit he'd taken, and Celia's forehead had already begun to bruise over.

"Are you okay?!" Melissa asked. The potion was still ready for use, but her hands were shaking.

"Nothing too bad," grunted Blake. "But he's strong… maybe even stronger than those things in the mansion…"

"We beat a few of those, we can take him," said Cupa. "R-right?"

Steve had returned to the torch he'd placed, waiting with folded arms once more. The light shone from behind him, illuminating his outline in the darkness but leaving his face all but obscured save for his bright blue eyes. They were narrowed in impatience, bordering on anger. "What're you all mumbling about over there? You're going to give me what I want, aren't you?"

"I have slowness, strength, swiftness, and healing," Melissa whispered. "But none of them will last us very long…"

"We need to fight him off," replied Celia. "We must use them wisely."

Blake let out a hollow laugh. "So what you're saying is we're not gonna agree with him. That works for me…"

Felix, Celia, and Blake each went through their inventories in quick succession, equipping their ramshackle iron armor. The situation was dire enough that they also switched out the iron swords and axe they'd been wielding for their diamond weapons. Together, the team readied themselves for the fight to come. Five-to-one odds would have sounded good to Felix against anyone else, but as Steve looked on he just seemed annoyed rather than concerned.

"Really? We're really doing this? Okay, then…"

With that, approached again, drawing a wooden sword. Melissa dropped a pair of splash potions into the midst of the team, and the fumes swirled around everyone. Felix, in an instant, felt as jittery as a rabbit and strong enough to smash apart stone with a single punch.

Steve drew near, his pace no faster than a stroll, and brought up the sword. He looked sluggish thanks to the swiftness potion imbuing Felix, who stayed where he was in front of Cupa and Melissa. Blake and Celia stepped to each side until they had their foe surrounded again.

He scoffed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

The wooden sword was swung toward Felix, and he only blocked it from striking his chest with a fraction of a second to spare. The blade collided with his axe's handle, and even then the impact made his arms buckle. Steve raised a foot and kicked Felix in the chest, and while the armor may have negated any damage, the force behind his leg was superhuman. He was nearly knocked off his feet, gasping for breath from the dull ache left behind.

Blake moved in from the right, and Celia from the left. Neither of their attempted slashes did any good: Steve took a step back and let both their blades collide, then brought up his own sword and struck the flat edge across Blake's head. He stumbled, his iron helmet giving off a ring from the impact. Steve then whipped his arm back to drive the pommel into Celia's helmet, and she too stepped back in a daze.

"You're boring me," he sighed.

Felix had gotten his footing back- his nerve was a different story- and shifted around, trying to decide on a good angle of attack. He took an overhead swing when he saw Blake and Celia had also recovered, coming to his aid from behind. The three of them attacking all at once, from multiple sides and empowered by two potions, would have been enough to overwhelm any foe.

Any foe other than this one.

Steve was both taller and broader in stature, yet as they swiped at him it was as though their target simply wasn't there. Every thrust was sidestepped, every swing parried, and even with Steve surrounded he seemed impossible to pin down. His movements were too fast to track, like he was changing his stances instantaneously rather than fluidly moving between them.

Hoping for a disabling strike, Felix swung his axe at Steve's leg while he was preoccupied blocking Celia. The sharp edge sped toward his knee, but never found its mark: Steve raised a foot and slammed it onto the flat of the diamond blade, pinning it to the gravel. He kicked up his heel without missing a beat, and hit Felix right in the nose. He staggered, clutching his face, then tripped onto his rear.

Steve shoved Celia away, throwing the wooden sword straight into the air as Blake was moving in again. From the ground, Felix saw his eyes follow the weapon up, and the short distraction was punished when Steve launched into a barrage of punches to the stomach and head. Blake dropped to his knees, dents visible in his armor. Steve raised a hand to catch his sword, but the twang of a bowstring came from behind Felix and an arrow struck it in midair. It was sent twirling away from him, caught by Celia and hastily stored in her inventory before she drew her diamond blade again.

"S-stop hurting my friends!" Cupa said, pulling back another arrow on her string. She'd stepped around the side of Felix, and Melissa was still with her.

"Fine. It's your turn."

Steve kicked up the dropped diamond axe and caught it, swatting aside the next arrow Cupa shot his way. He broke into a run toward them, and either he'd downed a swiftness potion of his own before the confrontation or he was naturally able to move almost twice as fast as the average person. Felix scrambled back to his feet and rushed after him. The potion made him just quick enough to catch up, but lacking time to pull out another weapon his only option was to throw himself in Steve's path and stack two cobblestone blocks in front of Cupa. He might have saved her from being decapitated: Steve had swung the diamond axe her way, and it hit the stone first. Felix, taking out his iron axe again, backed away with the two girls.

"You of all people should know better than to keep this up," Steve said, scowling. "I've killed you once already, and I haven't given you the ability to come back again. Do NOT test my patience, kid-"

The distraction was enough for Celia to rush at him from behind, and the tip of her sword jabbed into his back. She hadn't left a deep wound, but it was enough to make Steve jolt. When Celia pulled away, drawing out her diamond blade, the wound didn't appear to be bleeding at all. A black vapor, barely visible in the night's darkness spewed from Steve's back and dissipated into thin air. He cringed, clearly feeling the pain of his injury, but any hope Felix might have gained turned to dread when Steve yanked the diamond axe free from the stone blocks, rounding on Celia with a wild swing. She hopped back out of harm's way, just before it could tear a chunk out of her unarmored leg.

"That's… IT!" Steve roared, his voice suddenly very hoarse. "HOW DARE YOU?!"

He stomped after Celia, bringing up the axe in an underhanded swing that Felix leaped in to block. The iron blade of his own weapon collided with Steve's, snapping apart in a single hit and leaving him holding nothing but a broken stick. Barely registering his presence, Steve drove an elbow into Felix's stomach, and he doubled over with another cough. Blake had rejoined Celia, looking much worse for wear but still standing. He bore down on them, each heavy swing of the axe barely missing its mark as they narrowly avoided him, their own strikes never landing while the pair desperately tried to keep him at bay.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE A MATCH FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OF EXPERIENCE?! YOU'RE NOTHING!"

Cupa loosed another arrow, hitting him in the thigh and causing a second spray of black gas. Steve spun to face her, just as Melissa tossed her third splash potion toward him. Yet not even an arrow lodged in his leg seemed to slow him down, and with a lunge he caught the bottle in midair, tossing it behind him at Blake and Celia while they tried to approach. The fumes of slowness engulfed them both, canceling out their swift enhancements. They returned to their normal speeds, giving each other nervous glances.

"I'M GOING TO SAVE THIS WORLD! NOBODY WILL MISS A FEW CHILDREN ONCE THE INVADERS ARE DEAD!"

Melissa and Cupa lacked armor, so Felix stepped in front of them as Steve charged again. His eyes flicked to the gravel underfoot, then back to their rapidly approaching enemy, and an idea came to mind. He dropped the broken handle of his axe and pulled an iron pickaxe from his inventory, watching Steve get closer. Six blocks, five blocks, four blocks…

Felix swung down the pickaxe, striking the gravel and digging one block deep into the ground right as Steve was nearly on top of him. He only noticed the hole when it was too late, stumbling into it with one leg. A brief look of shock crossed his face, just before Felix swung the pick again, embedding one end of its head into Steve's right shoulder. He got another spray of the black vapor for his troubles, and the opening allowed Cupa to shoot him again, her arrow lodging in his right hip.

And he still wasn't done.

Bearing injuries that would have crippled any other fighter, Steve launched himself from the hole and onto Felix, tackling him to the ground with the axe raised above his face. For a second, he was back in Tenebyss, back in the mines and facing down Commandant Red. He was being abandoned by Varris. He was watching Steve make his entrance. He was being killed too fast to even feel anything. And it would have happened again, had a fireball not streaked into Steve's back, igniting his blue shirt. He rolled off of Felix, hastily snuffing out the flame on the gravel before jumping back up with a snarl. The pickaxe came free of his shoulder in the process.

Celia stood just a few blocks away, with the shulker box right behind her and another blaze igniting around her fingertips. The situation was desperate enough for her to bind the yellow Fire Core. Her expression was one of unbridled fury as she circled around Steve.

"Get. Away. From him."

Blake was by the box as well, rummaging through it for another Core to use. Steve must have realized his predicament, because he once again switched his focus to these more dangerous opponents and ran for Celia, swiping the axe to dispel her thrown fireballs. Without the potion's effect, she would be too slow to avoid or block him.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Herobrine?"

Just short of reaching Celia, Steve's pace halted and his attention turned. He'd been so completely distracted that Celia was given the chance to counter his charge, and the tip of her diamond blade pierced clear through his stomach. Felix grabbed the pickaxe and scrambled to his feet to give chase, but Melissa was one step ahead of him. With her iron sword held high, she made a wild slash at his raised right arm- and severed it just below the elbow. Steve's hand, and the stolen diamond axe, fell to the ground as black mist spewed from his fresh wounds.

"But… you're supposed to be…"

Felix's already terrified nerves took another hit when he saw who was speaking. Blake, still by the shulker box, had dropped his weapon and stood limp, like he could barely muster the strength to stay on his feet. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to have been glossed over, replaced by pitch black voids. It was the same look they'd seen in Tara, as far back as the Luxmouth raid.

"No! He didn't bind TWO Genesis Cores, did he?!"

But something even worse had gotten Felix's attention. Despite having a shallow puncture in his back and a deep one in his shoulder, despite the sword and two arrows embedded in his torso, and despite missing his right arm… Steve was still on his feet, and wasn't showing any signs of pain. He drew back his left hand, then thrust it forward and punched Celia in the face yet again, knocking her away from him. Melissa moved in to strike, but Steve spun toward her and tore Celia's blade out of himself in one quick movement, bashing her face on the backswing with the flat edge. Felix's blood ran cold as Melissa stumbled, then dropped like a stone. Steve lashed out once more, and Celia fell with a scream, clutching a wound on her leg.

Cupa had stepped closer, taking aim again, but Steve was ready this time. He tossed the diamond sword into the air, and a stone block appeared in his hand from his inventory which he pitched at her. Felix winced when it hit Cupa in the stomach, and she doubled over, dropping the arrow. He rushed at Steve, raising his pickaxe, but the sword landed in his remaining hand before Felix could close the distance, and with one clean swing he lopped off the tool's iron head. Felix stared, frozen in terror, at the stick he was still holding before he received another kick to the chest and fell onto his back.

"You all brought this on yourselves," Steve hissed. "You stood in the Hero's way. So, guess what? Now you'll die like any other villains."

"Herobrine, stop this!" cried Blake. "We swore-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" By then, there was no trace of humanity left in Steve's voice. He spoke in a guttural, beastly growl more chilling than the drone of a zombie. "I AM NOT HEROBRINE! YOU GET TO DIE FIRST FOR THAT, IDIOT!"

Blake, with his black eyes widening, took a step back as Steve stomped toward him. He made no motion to defend himself or to flee. Felix saw Cupa drop to one knee and pick up her arrow again- she was grimacing from the hit to her stomach, and her arms were shaking, but she pulled back on the string. She seemed determined to help if she could, and so was he, but they were running out of time. The fumes around both of them were beginning to dissipate, and Felix could feel his enhanced strength and speed returning to normal. With no other weapons at hand, he picked up the severed head of his iron pickaxe and held it like a dagger, running toward his foe from behind.

A jet of flames shot between Steve and Blake. Steve stopped short and looked to the side, where Celia had fallen. Her desperate attempt to keep him away from Blake only lasted for a moment, before her tired arm fell and went back to her bleeding leg. But the diversion had been enough: Cupa shot one last arrow which hit Steve in the back, and Felix reached him a second later, leaping at him with the sharp end of his broken tool leveled toward the back of Steve's head. Against his better judgement, he closed his eyes- he couldn't watch the impact.

"NOOO!" he heard Blake shout, just after he felt the crunch of his blow landing.

Felix fell to his knees. When at last he managed to look again, Steve had gone completely still, black vapor spraying from multiple wounds on his body. He glowed a dark purple, and random items began to spill from his inventory as he disappeared, collecting on the ground in a jumbled pile. The last one to fall, once his body was completely gone, was a purple Genesis Core which Felix reached out and caught.

"Well… if you want to come with me, then we've got to call you SOMETHING, right? How about… 'Steve?'"

"'Steve.' I think I like that. Thank you, Miss… I've got a feeling we're going to go far together."

He'd expected the flash of some obscure memory, but what surprised Felix were the voices. The second speaker was familiar: he sounded just like Steve, and just like one of the two men he'd heard when he found the purple Diamond Core. But the first voice was a woman's, perhaps in her mid-twenties. Her tone was a strange one, steadfast and firm yet tinged with uncertainty. Just as he'd finished processing the thought, the Genesis Core disappeared from his palm, vanishing into the night without a trace.

"Why…? Why did he…?"

He looked up. Blake had stumbled closer, tears streaming from his pitch black eyes, and collapsed onto his knees as well, right in front of him. Felix wasn't taking any chances. He drew the Genesis Core extractor from his inventory and aimed it right at Blake's chest. Dame Petra's must have been an improved model, because there was only a quick flash of light before a shining yellow Core sat in the device's hollow center. Blake's head slumped, but his eyes quickly returned to normal and he looked up, seeming dazed as he stared at Felix.

"What… happened…?"

"We beat him," Felix replied, in a voice even he could barely hear.

"Come here, everyone..."

Melissa had come to, and was dragging herself closer to the pair of them with Celia not far behind. Cupa joined the group soon after, flopping to the ground right beside Felix and Blake. With the team assembled, Melissa smashed her last potion, and healing fumes wafted over the five of them. Their various injuries recovered quickly, but their equipment- and more importantly, their confidence- was in shambles. None of them said a word for almost a full minute, and they instead just tried to catch their breath in the aftermath.

Eventually, Cupa broke the silence. "There are mobs nearby. We shouldn't stay out here."

"Did that guy say he could sense the Diamond Core?" asked Blake, his voice weak.

As if the mood couldn't get any worse, the thought of him coming back to find them made Felix choke back a sob. His Genesis Core could grant people the power to return from the grave, and it had vanished with him. He was still out there, and he could strike again if he followed the group.

Celia stood up, nearly falling over. "Gather your things and pack up the camp. We are riding through the night, and we will not stop until we reach the oasis."

There were no objections. But as everyone prepared to move out, dismantling the shelter and scavenging what few tools they could (at least their enemy had dropped a surplus of crafting materials like wood, stone, iron, and even some gold), Felix could only think of one thing.

"That was him. It was really him… nobody else could fight like that."

They'd encountered the Legendary Hero himself, and in refusing to comply with him had made their most dangerous enemy yet.