Chapter 27
New Path
Good luck Lucy, you will need it.
That was the last word I heard before waking up. It was already morning and I feel more refreshed than I ever have in the past years.
As if something finally clicked in place.
Holding my hand toward where my heart is I feel that it is still not beating. Smiling wry, I get up from the bed and begin to clean myself up.
It was Sunday, So It was my weekend off.
It took me around 10 minutes to get myself ready. I walk out of the mansion with the steel longsword that I Bought from Lyne's place some time ago.
It was not the Blackheart. I still need a bit more gold before I can buy it. (I could buy it around a month ago but I spent all of it on rare spices…)
Walking toward the same old almost Empty guild. I See the same receptionist as always. "Hi! Annette! I came to get a job!"
She responded positively by handing me a paper with some info on it. A C Rank request for some Saraku Herb. The one that is used for numbing the pain and healing light wounds?
I know that it grows deep in the forest but it shouldn't be that difficult that it is a C-rank request? What's more, the reward is kind of absurd. 1 gold coin for just 1 kilo of the herb.
"What's wrong with the forest? Why did this request get this much reward?" I ask Annette. I finally learned her name after failing for more than 2 months.
"Ah? You see the black orb that starts floating around the town? After that thing appeared 11 years ago the monsters inside the forest became more violent and some even saw one of them mutating. It just happens that this month is the breeding season for some animals so we will see a lot of monsters and maybe some mutated ones." Annette gently explained to me.
The black orb...I know that it is floating in the sky and the Chaos Breaker is watching it closely for some reason. 11 years ago...That was around the time I was Born...but what is it then? Is it related to me? Then why hasn't Grandma or Anshia informed me about it?
Tch, This is going to give me a headache! Better leave it at that, it is not even doing anything after more than 10 years.
"Then I will go grab the herb. See you in the evening." I bid her farewell and made my way out of the town.
A short walk from the guild to the gate and I already arrive at the entrance of the forest. Looking around I do see a lot of animals. Some of them are going through the process of transforming into monsters too.
This forest really has a lot of magic. Killing the still transforming beast I make my way into the dark forest.
It is still noon but damn the tall tree is really blocking all the sun. Good thing I bought a Light Spirit scroll with me. Drawing the magic for summoning this thing is quite annoying.
Pouring a bit of magic there the scroll soon got destroyed and popped out a ball of light. It floats in front of me and gives me a lot of visibility. I want to thank Gesse for teaching me about these things.
Going deeper and deeper more monsters start to come out more and more. I cut them down with no problem but the sheer number is scaring me quite a bit.
Endless pack of Assault Dogs. Honestly, how did they keep transforming into monsters? Was the mana here really that rich? Or was it the influence of the black orb?
"Then...what if it's because I was reborn here?"
Roar!
A sudden Roar startled me out of my thoughts. Looking in front of me I found a terminator Boar. No...it was bigger than that. It was at least 4 meters tall! Its muscle is bulging to the point that I thought it would pour out a mess of meat.
The tusk is large and sharp like it is ready to pierce someone's stomach and get a power-up from it and then...it stands on two feet.
Holy shit it stands on two feet. And what's more, one of its hands is holding what I think is a log of wood.
This is...a fiend. Mutation of monsters and becoming more intelligent. Most fiends don't harm humans but this thing is not quite there yet. It still has the instinct of a monster which is why it is looking at me like a hungry beast.
Roar!
"God! Your mouth smells fucking bad!" I blurt out at the sheer smell of rotting meat and veggies. "Easy there boy? Girl? What's your gender? Nvm, I don't want to know."
Still joking around with this situation I slowly unsheathe my Longsword.
Seeing me unsheathe my sword it lunged at me with a surprisingly fast speed. I almost couldn't react in time but I still dodged it.
it rushed at me again while slamming down the wooden log in its hand on me. I activate my Touki and slash it back, cutting off its hand along with the Log.
It roars in pain as its eyes continue to lock on me. Finally, it gets on all fours and starts to kick the dirt with its leg.
Not waiting for it to get ready I just used an Ice spear on the ground and pierced through its stomach with ease. It seems surprise but with just a moment of its life left, it lets out its last roar and slumps back into eternal darkness.
"...well, that was underwhelming. But it is a lot stronger than I thought. Probably around a party of C rank adventure."
Cutting off Tusk I store it with my backpack and continue the journey through the forest and finally come across a River where Saraku Herb. Taking about 1 kilo of the herb I leave the rest so it can grow back more.
Making this another job in my belt of achievement.
…
Making my way back to the guild in a good mood I open up the door with a bang and gather the attention of everyone in the guild.
Somehow it was silent, unlike the last time I did this. I normally hear people laughing or drinking. Maybe some newbie joined and thought I was just a kid playing and got their ass kicked in return.
But no, there is none of that. Instead, it is absolutely silent. Looking around I saw a familiar figure. A figure that struck the first fear into my heart.
"My my what a coincidence. Who knows you are an adventurer." A sweet old voice accompanied by the same gentle-looking face.
"W-water god R-Reida." My voice is cracking and I feel like the air is about to leave my lungs. I can't even feel my breath.
"Grandmother? Are we going to go back?" A cold yet gentle voice came out from the kid in armor that was with her. Reida took a second to ponder about things before she nodded.
They began to walk toward me. I was standing in absolute stillness. As they walk past me I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"If you want to learn the Proper Water god Style then come to Ars, I will be there." With her last word. She and her grandkid walk away from me.
The feeling of getting choked is gone and everyone in the guild releases a sigh at the same time. Every veteran knows it. The pressure she releases is not even noticed by normal people only someone who trains in the art of sword would understand.
I...want it. I want to be like that. I don't want to be scared of her. Ah...this feeling? What is it? Why is it coming out with the feeling of fear? I should not have felt like this before the talk with Grandma but after that. I feel like something inside me is finally clicking in place.
Whatever it is I know that this is the feeling that strengthens my will. It makes me feel refreshed like never before.
Making my way to the receptionist I placed down all the requested items and got my money before walking out of there.
I know what I want to do. I know what I need to do.
Running to the mansion I took the training sword in my hand and started to activate my Touki. Grandma once controlled my soul. So that means that the Soul is just A mana that forms into a clump of consciousness.
But what makes them form an Ego? Intellect? That's right. But that doesn't mean smart people are good with magic. There is another factor that I didn't notice before.
But the answer lies in grandma's words.
Even I didn't expect to recreate this close to the real thing.
The view that is created from her memory. Like my classroom, the hospital, or that snowy mountain.
Memories. But if your memory is lacking then what? The answer is Imagination.
No matter how good your memory is there is always that bit of thing that didn't seem real yet you swear you remember them.
That's right, Imagination fills in the hole in your memory.
So what if...I use that imagination to create something else? I know that imagining things plays a role in casting magic without chanting.
But what if...It was an original magic? Not a magic you learn but something that comes from your own imagination?
Slowly, I weave my mana around the wooden long sword covering it in a thin layer of my Touki.
Imagine something that is stuck in your memory. A fire. A campfire that we use to sit and talk about our adventures that day.
Slowly it began to heat up. From the blade to the cover guard the fire starts to heat up. From hot red flame to the point of it turning blue from the sheer heat of it.
I open my eyes and watch in fascination at the wooden sword that should burn along with the fire but no. It stays on and lets the burning heat cover it.
Swinging it left and right the fire did not die down. Only when I stopped supplying it with mana did the flame die down.
The wooden sword is still intact with no burn mark on it. But touch the blade I can feel a bit of heat still left in it.
Clap clap clap!
The sudden clap startled me. Looking around I see Ghislaine, Eris, and even Rudy clapping for me!
"That was a good display of Touki control," Ghislaine said.
"Ne! Lucy, teach me! Teach me!" While Eris just came and clung to my shirt wanting me to teach her what I just did.
"That was amazing Lucy!" Rudy on the other hand is just simply amazed by it and watching the long sword in my hand.
God, it was so embarrassing! Arg! I'm going to die of embarrassment! I didn't know that they would still train today!
"K-wa-! Kya!" My scream rang throughout the mansion that day. It was the first time I ever screamed like a girl too. I ran straight to my room with all my might. Needless to say, I hole up in my room all night while Eris is knocking on the door aggressively for me to teach her what I just did.