Been a while. As stated in the previous fic I did, I'm in a burnout phase from playing Genshin and I just finished my first playthrough of DMC3 Special Edition (Though difficult to play on a keyboard while Nevan and Geryon can piss off, and how the hell did Vergil feel like a deadweight during the blob Arkham Boss Fight?)
Haven't updated due to school, and I recently got a new phone that finally made me delete Genshin from my potato laptop and I get to do a LOT of the procrastinated quests both world and Archon that I couldn't do on the laptop as well as saving a lot of primos for the banner. Paid off and Ei finally came home in 40 pulls!
Okay, so a lot of you kept asking who will be Vergil's interests in the story. After a lot of deliberation, these are the two candidates I have in mind: Jean and Yelan. Sounds strange right? But try and guess what kind of dynamic they would have. I'll leave it to your imagination.
Or I could make a sort of an 'Admirer' system where Vergil apparently has an admirer from each country, like how the Traveller had with Keqing from Liyue, Ayaka from Inazuma, etc. But they may or may not be an interest of Vergil.
Reviews:
Marcas Dammin: That's the role of V and Griffon, being the moral guide and advisors to Vergil's decisions that he wouldn't do. Apart from his experience of being a lone wolf for most of his life, having companions to guide him might make wonders for him.
Yanohada: Judging by his power level and capabilities, Vergil is indeed one of, if not the most powerful to walk in Teyvat as yet. Until we could get a glimpse of the others' powers as well.
54Godamora: Depends actually, and I have both Jean and Yelan as candidates. The reason is, that this would contribute to Vergil's growing humanity in the future.
Mobzill: Soon, and I might have him be on some scenarios in her hangout.
AnonMon: We'll see ;)
Ghostly: Let's see how the others react once he has enlightened them with motivation
winterwolf23543: Not quite, but rather on his own accord and of his own personal convenience.
fallendemon248: Cmon, he's trying to train knights, not maiming them XD
Kerrowe: We'll see.
Chapter 11: First Day, Part 2
It was silent at the forests of Wolvendom, as is the normality to those who have resided there. Its origin was shrouded by both mystery and intrigue as even the most experienced of all hunters were unwilling to venture into these lands. A place believed to be the dwelling of a primordial being, none dare to step foot into his domain if they value their lives over anything else.
Lurking in the shadows, a group of creatures watched their future prey walking the forests without a care about the world. The creatures bore resemblance to wolves, except their bodies, were nothing short of floating mutilated carcasses. They came in both a faded brown and purple color with their furs, with the small glowing runes in their 'bodies' indicating that they have the elemental power of Geo and Electro.
They eagerly watched as the man stopped, with the wind blowing against his slicked-back hair as he stood in complete silence. With their prey now out in the open, their impulses led them to move slowly but surely as they prepared to lunge against him.
Only for him to disappear in a black and turquoise flurry of clouds.
The pair were taken back, watching in confusion at his disappearance. An otherworldly sound was heard behind them, and they have been swept aside with a single arched kick from the man's greaves that were glowing white, throwing them a short distance away from him before regaining their bearings.
Their glowing, feral eyes stared at the man, who merely observed them but maintained an otherwise unimpressed visage and a lack of fear from him. Without any sort of warning, both had disappeared in a cloud of black dust, lunging in behind the swordsman as he remained still.
Only for them to see the end of a scabbard of the man when he swiped both creatures with it, sending them flying a short distance from him. Regaining their balance as they shook their heads from the trauma, they snarled in a feral rage towards him, with both creatures beginning to emanate elemental energies from their bodies.
With considerable speed, the pair lunged against him, only for the man to disappear in a black flurry once more as he stood unimpressed behind them. Brandishing a huge pair of claws each, they charged right at him, furiously attempting to cut down the man into ribbons as he moved with such precision that they could not make any contact with him. But he sidestepped every attack as he disappeared once more, appearing a short distance away from them once more.
Electro and Geo energy rose through them as they prepared to fire at the adversary that had drawn their ire. A projectile augmented by Electro spun at neck speed and hurled towards him, while a giant boulder-like projectile made from Geo came next. The man in black stood still as a pair of unknown objects began to appear beside him. Each had taken the form of a blade that was comparable to a size of a claymore, but both were spectral in their current form. Without much thought, both blades pointed and darted toward the incoming projectiles which easily cut them down as if they were paper.
The wolf creature bearing Electro felt its 'gut' being pierced by a massive force when the end of the man's sheathed scabbard collided with it, causing it to tumble like a ragdoll while he brought his unsheathed blade upwards towards the brown creature, landing a powerful arched slash towards his adversary, causing it to yelp in agony as its 'flesh' was cut open. Six smaller spectral blades formed around the swordsman where they pointed toward its target and darted, riddling the unfortunate adversary with them before it dissolved into ashes.
His 'partner' snarled in rage as it lunged towards Vergil, aiming for the kill when its claws came crashing down. However, the man in black acted quickly when a single draw of its sword severed both the creature's front paws, before its two halves separated from its body vertically, disappearing in a cloud of dust as it fell to the ground beneath it.
The man stored back his blade into his scabbard and glanced behind him, vanishing in a flurry of black and turquoise smoke where his hand reached out and quickly dispelled the barrier that a smaller creature before him had placed. The tiny mage struggled to get out of the man's firm grasp as its mask stared at him in agony, gripping his hand with his own in an attempt to set himself free, just as the man opened his mouth to speak.
"Fade. Here and now"
The swordsman never gave him a chance to respond when he threw the mage up into the air at neck speed, causing it to squeal in terror for its life. And as the mage was airborne, the man's hand went for his weapon's handle. In a matter of moments, the dimensional barriers of reality were cut through in one swift motion and the unfortunate adversary became caught in a whirlwind of unprecedented speed.
And the second the mage regained his senses, he found himself being severed into numerous smaller pieces before everything, even himself fell apart from the sky, with the man in black walking away from the spectacle. As if nothing had happened when he turned to return to his 'colleague'
After all, why would he have to mind such inconvenience?
30 Minutes Earlier...
"We're doing what we can, but we still haven't found any concrete leads at this time", Amber spoke, her apologetic tone reaching the ears of the Head of the area's Hunter's Guild. "But I promise that it will be resolved as soon as possible"
The man in front of her scratched the back of his head in uncertainty. "Some of our men from the Hunter's guild are already becoming erratic following the most recent attack", Draff spoke out in concern. "And that they would take matters to their own hands if the Knights of Favonius are unable to"
"If possible, please tell them to refrain from further action until said otherwise", the Outrider requested, feeling the fatigue of trying to calm down the citizens in Springvale ever since she had arrived. Although the initial panic had mostly died down, she was still bombarded with inquiries by the citizens of the area who were rightfully fearing for their lives. "The clues they left behind would be enough to make a head start in locating them. We only need a little more time"
Draff's response was a sigh of mild frustration, but it was better than nothing. '"Alright, but I can't make promises on controlling men in paranoia"
Any assurances would be accepted, and she gave him a nod of approval before watching him depart. Getting back to work, Amber knelt down to examine the handiwork left by wolves, or at least that's what they all claimed. Claw marks were visible on some of the buildings and surfaces, and various other tools were scattered all around, creating a mess in the process. She pinched her chin, wondering how they suddenly increased their attacks when they normally wouldn't head outside Wolvendom, which was their abode.
Amber snapped out of her thoughts as a shade loomed over her, bringing the feeling of caution and vigilance over herself. As she turned, the Outrider felt her blood freezing upon witnessing the man's calm gaze, one that had a different mood altogether.
"At ease, Outrider", the swordsman's voice rang over Amber's ears, taking a brief look around the village and inhaling the scent of Sweet Flowers scattered around. "I have been sent to assist you of your endeavor at Springvale"
Amber was puzzled at that, sweeping away her initial anxiety which is replaced by utter disbelief. "Master Jean sent you here?"
The swordman merely crossed his arms in response, maintaining his demeanor. "Consider my presence as a hired help for the Knights of Favonius, temporarily", he simply said, which proved effective in lifting her spirits at least for a little bit. "And they must have left quite the spectacle around here"
"Y-yes...", she stuttered, gathering the courage to finally breath out a sigh of relief, even though she could not wave off her earlier fears. "Judging from the marks left behind, it's believed to be made by wolves, although..."
Vergil raised an eyebrow at her hesitation. "Although?"
"It was only this time that 'wolf attacks' have been increasing in number from the past few weeks. There is also reports that carts on Dadapua Gorge have been attacked by them as well, though no confirmation wether or not it was done by other groups unrelated to them"
He took his time to register the information given to him and he looked around of his surroundings. Kneeling over to examine the marks, it wasn't long when he realized that something wasn't right about the marks. They are far too large for a typical wolf, and the claw marks were at least a few inches too wide when compared to the average wolf. But then again, considering that this world isn't the same as the one he came before, he would have to take this with a grain of salt. "What of those who reside here in Springvale? Have they given any concrete information?"
"I...", the Outrider trailed off, glancing over near the area's windmill where she glanced to find Draff and another Hunter watching a man laying on the ground, seemingly struggling to get up from whatever that had appeared before him. "I guess we could ask them over there"
Vergil stood up, looking at her direction. "An acceptable notion...", he said, prepared to head over and noticed her shifting uncomfortably. "Is there something that troubles you, Outrider?"
She snapped in attention out of her thoughts. "No, nothing really", she exclaimed, trying her best to humor the man as well as to not give any unwanted impression towards him. "It's just that...I haven't been told that you'd be helping the Knights"
"For the time being. The Grand Master and I had an agreement with regards of the order needing additional assistance ", he added, as a means for to become familiar of his presence. And he decided to at least clear a mild fog between them. "And there is nothing to be afraid off. Not now anyways"
Amber took those words to heart and backed away slightly, causing him to arch an eyebrow at his attempt to be civil with her. "You pointed a blade at her forehead, wise guy! If that's what you're asking", Griffon's voice rang in his ears, which caused him mentally roll his eyes. "And that joke was in poor taste, Chief!"
Ignoring the Familiar's ramblings, he motioned her to lead the way. Obligating, the pair went to where Draff is attending to the unfortunate man laying down in a fetal position, as if he were trying to shield himself from whatever creatures out there. "Everything's okay, lad. There's nothing to be afraid off", the man tried to assure the person in front of him, nudging his arm in an attempt to get him to stand up.
The Outrider took a closer look. "But, he doesn't seem to have any injuries"
It wasn't something serious when the swordsman took a closer look at him. This is why humans are known for their fragility at times... "Temporary paralysis caused by excessive shock and trauma", he pointed out, getting the unfortunate man to stand up by lifting him and leaning him into the wooden fences. "He should be able to give out an apt description of our adversary"
Accepting the gesture, Amber moved over to the man for questioning. " I–I've never seen a wolf in my life before today", he stuttered. "it was terrifying..."
"But do you have any details that we could use of?"
Hopkins merely shook his head in response. "I-I don't know...it happened all of a sudden that I couldn't make it out properly"
She took a glance at the swordsman, receiving a slight nod as a motion to keep moving. "All right then. We'll continue our investigation from here. Rest now if need be"
Draff and Hopkins obliged, leaving the two at their own devices as Amber placed both hands at her waist, pondering of their next move. "We'll probably have to do this the hard way"
"That will not be necessary, Outrider", Vergil spoke, earning a look of surprise from the girl. "I may have found something that may provide a breakthrough"
He led the Outrider back to their original spot, kneeling down with him for a thorough observation. "The claw marks are larger than the norm of an average wolf", he rubbed his chin, giving a thorough analysis of the marks as he traced a finger around the gaps. "Strands of brown fur are also present, not the type of wolf that we're trying to find here given the description of the typical wolf from Wolvendom as we speak. In addition, small traces of elemental energy are also present around these marks. Would an ordinary wolf be able to do something, don't you think?"
Amber placed a hand over the marks, affirming the swordsman's claims when she felt traces of Geo and Electo energy simmering from these marks. "If that's then case then...", she traced off, looking at him. "Do you think-"
"That It may be something else who raided Springvale?", Vergil finished for her, seeing that she had the gist as well. "Quite possibly, but this is not to rule them out as possible suspects"
"Quite the handiwork out there, Sherlock", Griffon piped in, a bit impressed of his Chief's intuition. "Didn't know you'd playing detective anytime soon"
Looking around the area, something caught the Outrider's eye. Rustling through a small heap of grass, she caught the object dangling around its heaps. "Have you found anything else, Outrider?"
"I did...", she presented her palm to him. "These seeds came from Wolfhook berries located at Wolvendom at Brightcrown Canyon. But given on what we just saw earlier, is it safe to presume that they did come from Wolvendom altogether?"
Even with his intuition, he couldn't be so sure either, and he found himself in agreement with the Outrider's concerns. "I'll head over to Wolvendom, and see what I could find from there", Vergil turned away from her, heading further down west where the domain of wolves have resided there. "For now, make sure they refrain from further foolishness that would impede our task"
Present time...
It was supposed to be a simple mission. Go to Wolvendom and investigate the surrounding area for any abnormalities. But it was obvious that there was something different was about the clues provided.
The first sign was the intense silence in that forest. Everywhere as to where Vergil had been in Mondstadt until now, it wasn't out of the ordinary to hear living beings going at their lives. But here, there didn't seem to be a living soul ever since he had dispatched those wolf-like creatures. But at the same time, Vergil knew that wasn't the case, not when the thought of being watched never surprised him one bit.
It wouldn't take a genius to see that those creatures are nothing like ordinary wolves. If anything for him, they had similarities to actual Demons that he had fought in both the Human and Demon World. However, other than that, the presence of the gremlin-like Mage made him question the allegiance of these creatures. It was observing those two, as if he had been holding the leash during the onslaught. It was not the first time he had encountered these creatures, as he had his run-ins with them during his trek at Dragonspine.
But as with all creatures he had faced, they were nothing more than a mere inconvenience to him. Easily taken to the slaughterhouse, though they had provided him of the background of an organization known as the Abyss Order.
And those creatures likely hailed from it as well, which means there could be a realm that could be considered as a counterpart to the Underworld in this world.
Even with this discovery, Vergil ultimately elected to have any designs onto that realm be put on hold. For now, he had other things to take care off, and one of them is finishing one of his tasks as a temporary staff member of the Knights of Favonius.
He paused, his mind shifting to his current predicament. The question as to why did he accept the Librarian's proposal knowing too well that he could simply disregard it and move on? It was something that bothered him all throughout this time, and there was simply in no way he was going to do something so trivial and unimportant at the same time. In his earlier years, he would have brushed off whatever they have to ask of him and continue on his quest for power.
But while the thought of power that could be acquired in this world is still on the table, curiousity and questions regarding this world had given a sense of intrigue of wanting to know what lies before him. But for now, his priorities lay on a simple time frame.
Finish his temporary term as a staff member for the Knights before proceeding to Liyue. And probably try and get as much power as he could that isn't from his world at the same time. He still hasn't made an appropriate agenda in regards to the Geo Country, but he'll get to that later, deciding to survey the area a little bit more.
The area of Wolvendom was something that people would rarely come over, except perhaps on the venture in collecting Wolfhooks. Even though it is not so far away from the city, the environment was untouched. It is a wild place ruled by the laws of nature, so it was something that could resemble an area made for the term 'Survival for the fittest'
"We've gotta get back as soon as we can", Griffon's voice spoke within his mind. "Now that we managed to take care of the actual bastards wreaking havoc all around the area"
Indeed, Outrider Amber's responsibilities are now diminished as we speak, Vergil replied to the Familiar, heading to the direction towards Springvale. Although I expect this would reduce whatever enigmatic tendencies she had in mind.
"Can you really blame her, Chief?", Griffon quipped. "Besides, I like that you'd go for a method that doesn't involve sticking the Yamato to someone else at the slightest moment they flipped you off"
This is to reduce any suspicions and not to complicate matters further. That way, I wouldn't have to stain my father's blade in something that is irrelevant.
"Uhuh...", Griffon trailed off, taking note on how subdued his retainer nowadays. "I kinda like your new groove. Cool break from the whole edge trope if you get to ask me"
Vergil mentally raised an eyebrow at that. What do you mean by that?
"From the looks of it, you'd chilled the fuck out since ya got back together", the Familiar explained to him. "Or you could say that you're at practicing on talking to anyone else without sounding like an asshole every now and then"
The swordsman was about to retort to the Familiar before blob-like creatures emerged from the forest, heading towards him with perceived aggression. These creatures, known as 'Slimes', are classified as elemental lifeforms made from condensed elemental energy. We'll continue this banter on another time. For now, we have unwanted guests.
Although the Slimes were nothing more than a nuisance to him, they weren't worth his time. Unless they continue to stand in his way.
"All right, Chief. You got this." Griffon obliged, withdrawing his presence from Vergil's mind as the swordsman unstrapped the Yamato from his waist.
Bringing up his sheathed weapon, a click echoed within the deep forest, followed by a a whirlwind of demonic energy that swarmed the swordsman's adversaries. A moments passed before the creatures exploded into small puddles of oozing substance. A group of five smaller slimes jumped from a higher ground towards him, but the swordsman was surrounded by a halo of spectral blades that darted towards them, sharing the same fate as the initial group.
By now, Vergil knew he didn't have to exert too much effort towards his 'adversaries'. And it had taken a substantial amount of patience as to not be consumed by sheer boredom when facing them.
A single Mirage blade was enough, but after one was struck down, two more will take their place. He scoffed slightly at these insects, and more of the spectral blades simply took them down. Just as he was about to put away the Yamato, he heard more jumping behind him and turned around just in time to see three more slimes bouncing. The slime in the middle simply started growing until it became the biggest slime he had seen yet.
Vergil sighed. How annoying...
Just as he was about to finally unsheathe the Yamato to put an end to this little game, a sound reminiscent to electricity rang through his ears and what could be described as nothing short of a lightning bolt struck right in front of him, which a shockwave caused them to be sent flying away from him.
When the dust finally subsided, Vergil gazed on what appeared to be a boy with huge gray hair in front of him, pointing a claymore at the slimes and snarling in reminiscent of a wolf. The huge weapon, a claymore to be precise, glowed with a purple light, and the sky itself seemed to have darkened with his presence.
Intrigue ran through Vergil as he looked at the boy with curiousity as the slimes fled. The boy seemed to relax a little after that. He turned around, and the swordsman could see his face, instantly noticing a pair of red eyes and the scar on his cheek.
He observed the newcomer a bit further, releasing his grip from the Yamato's handle. "There was no need for that, but I suppose it would do", Vergil finally spoke, crossing his arms. "What is your name, boy?"
The feral-looking claymore wielder stared at the swordsman, clearly analyzing the unknown man like a predator studying its prey. before his eyes narrowed at him. "I am Razor"
Clearly a boy with a few words, Vergil thought to himself. He never saw him within the city's limits, and it was quite clear that he lived in the wild. A sound of a twig being broken echoed in the forest, causing Vergil to glance at the silhouette of a pair of animals hiding in the thick woods. "Wolf friends. Do not worry", the boy spoke in a clearly broken dialect that momentarily caught the swordsman off guard. "But you are..."
"A man who merely completed his task and on his way back to his colleague", the swordsman simply said. The boy moved a bit closer, and with a gesture that did not surprise Vergil, started sniffing at him like a dog trying to know his surroundings. "And what do you have in mind?"
"You smell like Knights of Favonius.", Razor said in reply, taking a step backward from Vergil after he was done with this 'analysis'. "They are friends"
It was something that made Vergil's curiousity picqued. "You are a friend of the Knights of Favonius?", he asked, receiving a nod in reply from the boy in question. Before he could ask further, a wolf's howl was heard from a distance, which made the boy look at the direction of its origin. "Family has called", he said.
"You are part of their pack, boy?", the swordsman asked, noting his broken dialect. "They are your family?"
"Yes. They raised me. We live together. We are family." Razor then looked down, appearing disappointed. "Exposed our ambush, boar ran away."
"And so our little scuffle scared away your prey", Vergil surmised, glancing at the feral boy next to him. "Is it?"
Razor nodded at that. Without any word, a halo of blue spectral blades surrounded him that caused the boy to back away in awe of the spectacle before him. They separated in different directions in an unprecedented speed, and his ears rang when he heard squeals of multiple boars echoed within the forest. Following the directions to where they could have gone, Razor found the slain prey of boars scattered around, enough to feed the pack for the night just as the swordsman approached him.
"Consider this as a compensation of your troubles", he said, the spectral blades disappearing from the carcasses as he started at him, which led to the boy that this was not out of gratitude and that there was a condition. "But it appears that I would have to ask you a few questions in return"
Spectre: Apologies for the short chapter. But I could at least give reminder that this is not dead. And the next chapter will be released in two weeks at best. Appreciate the continued support, even though I'm beginning to struggle at writing due to a lot happening in life.