Oscar Loremi Lvl 35

  Class: God Herald. -Path Of God Sword-

  The room smelled of ashy air, mixed with the metallic taste of blood. Dozens of Lizardos' bodies sprawled with deep, gushing sword wounds.

  A man drank from a soda-filled cup, he let out a satisfied grin as he chucked it down. His blade rested aside of him, blood still dripping down. Excitement thrummed inside him, drumming harder as each second passed, as if trying to stop him from his break.

  "You're right, Master.." Oscar mumbled. He raised the cup above him. "Drink is best after slaying monster."

  Oscar remembered the phrase his master always said to him, he crushed the cup tightly under his palm. He finally doing it.

  Master!

  'Go on journey, Oscar. ' His master always said it. When he had tea in the dojo pavilion, watching the orange sky slowly turn into night.

  Oscar loves those moments, practicing until nightfall every day. To the point, his hand felt the shadow of a sword's handle when he did not hold one.

  "I will Master"

  ________________

  "Are you hungry?" Lera eyed him, she had been peering at Elend like some penguin. Eyeing him up and down as she walked through the hallway.

  "Yes, and no. The sword did not fill my stomach," He grumbled. this is her seventh ridiculous question.

  (Blade In Mouth)

  (Fusion In Progress. 5 Minute)

  (2X Short Sword. Grade C)

  "I'm just curious," She muttered.

  "You made that pretty clear."

  "It's not every day seeing someone swallow a sword," She huffed, defending herself.

  "Anyway, does your friend have any insight on the Red portal? I could swear they're not supposed to spawn in people randomly like what happened to me," Elend asked, all the information he knew was from the internet. There's no way to verify unless you go into the red portal yourself.

  "She never entered a red portal. But, in the podcast I listen to, Nella Saki said..." She named a S rank Hunter, "Red portal works the same as Blue portal does, the only difference is that Red portal's monster works together and will always eventually invade within a week at least."

  "Nella Saki.." Elend tries to remember, "Ah, she is the one stationed at Stampede Zero."

  Stampede Zero is an entire land full of red portals, The island is swarmed with monsters. Humanity lost the land a hundred years ago, to an S-rank puppet dungeon that broke out, eliminating an entire kingdom off the map.

  Although these days it's treated as the nineteenth world wonder rather than a threat.

  Monsters are busy fighting each other there red dungeon after red dungeons appear on the island. The last invasion by the puppet was 98 years ago. And they repulsed during their beach assault.

  "She is one of the leading S-ranked Hunters in the reclamation effort," She hummed, making her admiration obvious, as if talking about her own sister. "The island is full of Red Portal, even the puppet cannot claim the entire island, although they control more than half of it."

  "Her information can be trusted, then," Elend nodded, Then this dungeon is a special one? Did him getting his Path have something to do with it?

  He stopped at a familiar dead end, grasping the door handle, he hesitated. Fear slowly crept inside him, and a sudden jolt raced within him, reaching up to his head.

  They will be fine, right?

  Elend rushed in, startling Lera back. He scans the room, it empty? His heart jolted, a body sprawled, bleeding upon the stairs. He noticed the dark red carpet from a blood spill. It's the body of a kindly big man, Elend had promised to take him on another raid.

  "No.." His body froze, white cold blanking him.

  Elend steps closer; he has to be sure. He reached down toward the body, his hand slowly grasping Tower's face.

  His face is so peaceful. did he die smiling?

  "Tower.. I'm sorry," Elend muttered. The word left his mouth before he knew it.

  "Elend!" Lera screamed. He looked at her summoning Ice Crystal in front of her, aiming toward the upper-tier seating. Following the direction, he saw a Circus Blader standing there without any weapon.

  Hot-blooded anger thrills inside him, and he grasps his Thread Sword, bringing it up. Elend jumped upon a chair, newfound sense of balance alive within him. He will challenge the Circus Blader to their own advantage.

  First, he will steal its weapon. Elend extended his hand toward the Circus Blader.

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  (Sleight Of Hand)

  A blue prickle of light sparked inside its trouser pocket. The weapon materialized above his palm, and a kitchen knife appeared.

  His kitchen knife.

  How? His eyes bulged, he had given it to…

  "Ron? Is that you?"

  A hand slowly reached to the mask, and he grasped it. His hand was shaky as his whole body followed. Ron's face is brimming with tears. He tried to speak, but he choked on his words. His legs give out, Elend rushes in toward him.

  He found Ron kneeling with his palm covering both eyes. He cried, his whole body shaking as he did so.

  Elend dropped his Thread Sword, steadying Ron on both shoulders.

  "It's those Circus Bladers.. We're doing fine with the Lizardos respawn, even level up two levels, both of us. But suddenly, two of those damn ninja just come walking in.." Ron sobbed, he continued to recount the story "Tower tackle one of them and I kill it with a shot, we tried the same thing again, but I missed. It.. it inserted his blade into Tower's neck."

  "It's not your fault," Elend muttered. he noticed Lera crouch beside him, removing her mask.

  "But it is Elend! Not just for missing! But, for choosing to be a coward and stay here!"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I can tell, we've been friends since we were four. I call out your name and hesitate, remember? Tower threw me a glance back then. He recognized I wanted to just holed up here, but I also recognize what he wanted! I saw it in his face, he wanted us to go with you."

  "Ron, you cannot be sure of that."

  "He wants you to take him into another dungeon after this, didn't he? He says he not giving up on being a Hunter. I know he wanted to keep going. But I.. I bog him down.. And now he is dead," Ron repeated. "He is dead, along with Ronald and Kevin. We've been friends since kindergarten, four of us."

  All possible words died inside Elend. What was he supposed to say? Losing four of your best friends is a pool of horror he couldn't even begin to dip his toe into.

  "I'm sorry, I leave both of you," Elend said, his mind told him to apologize. Not knowing what else to say. It seems to him that anything but silence is better.

  "You did not leave us," Ron said through his sob. "You want us to come with you, even when we will be a burden to you."

  He never sees it that way. Does Ron decide to stay because he is worried they would be a burden? Does that play a part in his decision? Or is he just scared? Elend knew well enough not to ask that.

  "Come with us," a voice said softly, like threading water. It was Lera, he nodded at her to continue. Elend did not know what to say. "It might be much safer together."

  That sent a wave of guilt pang toward Elend, he winced. Would Tower still be alive if he had stayed?

  Lera caught his eye, her face perked up in realization. "I didn't mean it like that," she whispered. Elend just nodded; he knew asking questions like that would just send him down a spiral of questions full of self-loathing.

  "I know," Elend replies to her.

  "I cannot go," Ron said, lightly pushing off Elend's hand.

  "Ron.."

  "I cannot leave his corpse alone, Elend," Ron said, smiling at him. A terribly forced one that is.

  "Cremation." Lera mutters. "Elend can breathe fire."

  Elend nods eagerly. That will enable Ron to come with them. They could make a proper one with all these sofa chairs.

  Ron's eyes downcast, "He is a devoted follower of Damua."

  Damua, the water goddess, her followers would want their body to sink into the ocean.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't know that." Lera looked at Ron apologetically.

  He smiled and waved her off.

  "I do have a favour to ask though."

  "What is it?"

  "Can you guys help me make a barricade here?" He pointed toward the two stairs that lead to the highest tier, where they are. "I will keep shooting them every time they spawned."

  "That will be easy enough, we can just rip some of these lower-tier chair," Lera mused.

  "And also," Ron said, he closed his mouth, hesitating to ask for another favour. "I want to bring my Kevin and Roland bodies here, these Lizardos they would eat human bodies."

  --------------

  The Lizardos did spawn. Ron easily shot it in the head with his bow, from their makeshift barricade, no less. If it were just Lizardos, he probably would be fine alone. But the risk of Circus Blader walking in is still there.

  They made their way to the ticket-selling booth. A place filled with death. According to Ron, the Lizardos are not going to spawn in for at least twenty minutes. So they had a brief window to spend.

  Ron knelt upon Kevin and Ronald's bodies, both still in the same condition. He was relieved there were no Lizardos here yet. There's body with its skin ripped apart by sharp teeth. The Lizardos might simply have had their fill.

  "There's a drink bar and popcorn machine there," Lera pointed. She tugged on Elend's bag. He gave her a questioning look. "I will get food and drinks, and some of the bodies might have potion or something."

  "Oh," Elend nodded, they should have done that before. "Sure, here," he handed her the bag.

  "We should have done that before," Ron muttered. Lera went toward some kind of popcorn machine.

  "This dungeon sure is weird, technology like a projector inside," Elend said. A dungeon is not supposed to be like this.

  "There was a brief window to return, you know, the Blue Portal did not close instantly," Ron mused, his eyes far away.

  "Don't think about that, there's no point."

  "You're right," Ron's mouth quirked in a grin. "Look at you, picking up a pretty girl when we fight."

  Elend coughed, staring at him.

  "You're the one who wanted to talk about anything else," he brushed a hair off his dead friend's face.

  Elend follows it, there's peace in talking about normal stuff. "She is pretty," Elend muttered. "I make sure to save her out of a row of full of dead humans".

  Ron blinked at him.

  Elend wanted to punch himself, mentioning a dead body in a situation like this.

  "You're bad at this," Ron sputtered. Covering his mouth with a hand.

  Elend smiled, not bothering to fake it.

  "I heard that you two!" Lera shouted. Her eyes gleam with mischief.

  Ron and Elend laugh at themselves.

  ______

  The barricade is a simple thing, they just rip open some of the chairs and stack them upon the stairs leading to the final tier. Turns out Lera could freeze stuff, they just found out. The ice barrier is complete.

  "I think I should stay," Lera muttered out of nowhere.

  Elend nodded, "I'm thinking to stay as well."

  "What! No, absolutely not! Elend you want to find your friend. And you," Ron pointed toward Lera. "It's dangerous here."

  "I could help you with my missile skill, if you missed, you will be forced to go into close combat, wouldn't it be more reassuring if someone else could do it for you? Or at least fire a projectile when you choose to go for melee," Lera explained.

  "That.." Ron relented, "Make sense.."

  "If I'm here, then you don't have to worry about them getting close," Elend added

  "You should go, Elend," Lera said. He looked at her. Eyes staring at him. "Find your friend, and free us from this dungeon."

  "What? But the Circus Blader.."

  "If those ninjas come again, I will kill them," Ron said, his eyes shining with determination.

  "They could jump between chairs,"

  "I will freeze solid the door, so none can come in," Lera said. "Ah, if you send any survivor toward us, just tell them to knock five times or shout."

  Elend's mouth gaped, about to protest.

  "Tell me, Elend," Ron cut in, "What do you truly want to do?"

  "I want to find my friend and get a higher level," Elend blurted out. Not bothering to lie.

  "There you go." Ron shrugged, his lips curved in a knowing smile.

  "If I go with you, I would just be a burden," Lera muttered, her hand tightening on the hem of her shirt. "I still want to be a Hunter."

  Elend gulped, uncomfortable hearing someone say that. Tower said it before he died.

  Ron was also taken aback by this.

  "But, I will still be one. That is why I'm being realistic here." She grasped his hand, head bowed in formal thanks. "Thank you for saving me. I will never forget what I owe you. Someday, I will pay you back, I promise."

  Ron grinned at Elend, enjoying his startled face. "That is right, Elend, find your friend, and kill the dungeon core while you're at it."

  Clapping Lera's shoulder, she looked up and let his hand go. She and Ron have so many expectations of him.

  "I'm not as strong as you both seem to think."

  They both stare at each other. Lera coughed, looking at him. "Of course not, you're in the process of being one."

  "If I did not leave..."

  Ron coughed this time, obviously making it loud to cut him off. "Who said it again? There's no point thinking about the past."

  "Besides..have you forgotten already?" Lera smiled. "Both of us live because you're reckless." She gave him a wide grin. "Kill the dungeon core, Elend! And all three of us will suddenly be transported together."

  "This is a bit too much expectation." He muttered under his breath, to which they both chuckled.

  "You're not alone. Go find those three dojo kids. They would be very strong by now." Lera reminded him, she pushed his bag toward him, full of food and water she had found.

  He scanned both of them, seemingly unwilling to hear any other argument from him. "I will, both of you better survive," Elend said, still full of apprehension, as he slung the bag around. "Oh! I almost forgot."

  (Blade In Mouth)

  (Complete)

  (2X Short Sword. Grade C)

  Elend reached inside his mouth.

  "What the hell, Elend?" Ron shouted.

  "Ah! He did it again," Lera exclaimed

  His mouth coiled around his hand, and he found the handle and pulled it out.

  (Short Sword. Grade B)

  "It went up an entire Grade!" Elend exclaimed. The potential is amazing. if he gets another Grade A Sword and combines it with the Thread Sword, what would happen? He grinned at what could be.

  "Here," Elend hands the sword to Lera. Ron seems befuddled, he stares from the corner.

  "What was that!?"

  "Can I have it?" Lera asked, her eyes shining. She clearly wanted it.

  "I would rather both of you survive than have a little bit more advantage"

  Lera smiled, eyes glossy. "Ah, not to be ungrateful. But can you wipe it first?"

  -----------

  Elend closed the door, he slumped against it. Steeling himself, he breathed a deep sigh.

  He will proceed to the next floor, but not before he hunts every Circus Blader on this floor.

  Chapter 9: -Pain And Promise-