Chapter 71
Monday, December 22.
In the corner alley of Menniree, right at the edge of the main road of Fire and Silver. Where an old house stands firm, perhaps calling it "old" is not entirely accurate, and a row of uninhabited houses beside it creates a frightening and isolated impression from the outside area.
At the very corner house, both in front and on its left side lies a small forest filled with various plants and lush trees. There stood a black-haired man wearing a classic outfit, a black coat over a white shirt, his gaze serious, the air around him seeming to slow as he was doing something to the upright piece of wood in front of him.
Not long after, the atmosphere faded as a woman with her black hair tied back along with a blond-haired man approached him, bringing a calmer presence than before.
"Why are you here?" Felina asked calmly.
"I'm just curious since there's nothing I can do."
Zavi was conducting a test and modifying his way of fighting, and was forced to explain what he was currently doing, even though he twisted it slightly.
"Just a little test," he replied while looking at the two of them.
'Aaron Kwok, he is a fugitive with a fairly high bounty from me and is being pursued by important organizations and groups in Havanuheta. The previous fight was just a misunderstanding and we both have already explained it. But, his ability is extremely deadly for Mr. Mudelk, who has become the servant of his strange creature.'
After thinking for too long, Zavi knew that Zuhen was an ordinary human. And the power he possessed and had used to attack him came from the creature that followed him, Recipestele.
"I don't know why that creature is following him," he whispered reflexively, unknowingly saying it out loud.
"Huh? What did you just say?" Felina's brow furrowed as she asked.
"It's nothing," he dodged calmly.
'I also just realized how severe the condition of half of Niki is. And strangely, why is the western side of the area always fine? Is there something wrong that must be investigated as soon as possible? Ah right, I just heard that five other districts have taken refuge in the west of Tezny. So for the two of them... it seems I don't need to worry about them and I together with them will find out who is behind this destruction.'
After thinking for too long, Zavi stretched his body before walking past them to enter the house to check whether Zuhen was still unconscious and chose to ask for his help again.
He was surprised after learning the truth from Aaron when he extracted the poison; even though the poison caused an electric shock sensation throughout his body, it was enough to carry out such a reckless act.
Meanwhile, the two of them still stood in silence watching Zavi leave without saying a single word.
Felina growled when Aaron looked at her, and eventually she walked away, leaving him alone among the tall trees, creeping plants, and high bushes surrounding the area.
"Tch, if it weren't for that man, I would have left this place long ago."
After muttering to himself, his jaw hardened, he cursed in annoyance and kicked the ground with the tip of his brown boots.
'Is this just a coincidence? To meet someone who also has a bounty and is being hunted by underworld groups and dangerous organizations. Thinking about it again, that man's plan seems very beneficial for me.' Aaron thought as he walked steadily toward the house.
One days earlier.
"Hey, stalker," Felina said, confused and annoyed.
"Are you seriously waking up the person who attacked us?" she asked, her expression hard to describe.
"Be quiet! I'm focusing." Zavi did not hesitate to save Aaron, even though he had fainted because of him.
Two minutes after Felina kept nagging nonstop, Zavi succeeded, although it had the effect of extreme exhaustion because he used it with several parts of his body moving.
Aaron Kwok. A man with grayish blond hair, and the fact that he was here, he was not someone born and raised in Moran; he came from the Delisca Empire, south of the Norn Kingdom, and no one knows how long he has been wandering to save his life from the pursuit of that group, although he has one trusted friend who lives in Niki.
Even when he first rose from the brink of death, Aaron immediately launched an attack that could have been deadly for Zavi with his right hand shrouded in shadows and sharp claw-like shadows aimed directly at his neck.
However, Zavi showed no sign of resistance nor avoidance. His breath was held, his hands slightly trembling as he felt the pressure emitted by Aaron that intimidated him.
He knew when he looked at his face, his gray pupils shrank, his jaw tightened, his teeth chattered; the response of someone showing dislike toward another person, and a face that held uncontrollable anger as he stared intensely.
He knew that look, it was the face he had when he first entered the prison cell and realized the punishment he received was completely unreasonable.
Zavi smiled bitterly, he took a deep breath and spoke in a tone lamenting his present and past self;
"I know what you've been through, but one thing is certain; you won't be able to bear the suffering that I've gone through, and likewise, I won't be able to bear what you've experienced. So honestly, I am not your opponent here. So just relax."
Aaron immediately straightened his hand and released the shadow covering his right hand. "I guess, you have the same fate as me, right?"
Zavi slightly shrugged. "You could say that."
'You could say this is the second time, damn, ah damn it.' he added while cursing in annoyance for being the target of someone else's slander.
Without any hesitation, and feeling that he had no advantage at all. Aaron immediately expressed his thoughts before the moment disappeared like mist carried by the wind.
"Quickly tell me what you want?" he asked while trying to stand, but couldn't because his legs were trembling badly.
'That's the question I've been waiting for.' Zavi thought with a faint smile.
He glanced at Felina who stood on his left side, then shifted behind him toward Zuhen who lay unconscious.
"It's simple," he said while taking out a rough rectangular piece of paper.
"Make me three types of talismans and... heal the man you attacked. And I, uh I mean we, will do what you want. As long as the request is reasonable of course." Zavi looked at Aaron who was thinking over his words with a calculating expression.
"Alright, if that's what you want," he replied while staggering toward Zuhen.
....
Meanwhile, the three of them had entered the empty house.
The window on the right side of the living room, with its broken glass wide open, let the wind in and provided light as illumination because a lantern alone was not enough to light the room.
Realizing that Zuhen's recovery process would soon be finished, Zavi considered his earlier words with Aaron. He did not know whether Zuhen would agree with him, and if not, he would not think twice about leaving him.
3:15 PM. The process should have been finished, Aaron's mind was suddenly filled with confusion upon realizing that.
He didn't know. It should have worked, but why not this time?
But then, he realized he had forgotten something important. About when he set up the shadow curtain and pulled it back, he immediately informed the two of them while carrying Zuhen's body to that place.
A few minutes later, Zuhen, who was still unconscious and in his perspective saw the world filled with shadows, heard nothing from outside except the sound of his own heart.
After Aaron performed the extraction on the creature trapped underground and shrouded in shadows, Tell, it succeeded.
Zuhen saw the world as usual again, his consciousness seemed to be forced back in as a little girl appeared at the same time afterward, startling him and making his breath rise and fall as if he had just woken from a dream of falling from a height.
"My task is done," Aaron said while wiping the sweat on his forehead. "And... for the talismans you asked for, I can give you mine first." He extended his hand and handed over paper talismans with complex symbols and rough patterns upon touching the skin.
Zavi accepted the talismans happily and this was more than enough to test an efficient fighting method.
"Thank you, Mr..?"
"Just call me Aaron," Aaron said while turning away with a flat expression.
On the other hand, Felina only glanced at the two of them, not knowing what they had been planning since that day. But what was certain, seeing Zuhen wake up and able to see her was already enough to relieve her heart, that alone was more than enough.
"Are you alright, Sir?" she asked, her expression which was flat when speaking to others, turned feminine and gentle when speaking to him.
Zuhen exhaled deeply before answering in a hoarse voice, "I don't remember much." He glanced to the side while clicking his tongue. "Why do you appear in the form of a little girl?"
'This is bad, if the two of them see me with a little girl, they'll definitely think strange things. And who is that person? I feel like I've seen him somewhere.' Zuhen thought anxiously while also being wary when seeing someone who felt familiar.
The two of them stepped firmly closer to him, and because the time they had was very limited, they then decided to head southwest to investigate the group responsible for the destruction of this city.