NoGift

VIPER slowly rose up from the sea water and walked towards the shore of the uninhabited island where the red arrow came flying. He frowned at his wet clothes. There were rips in some places. He probably got it while swimming from his original location to this island. It was quite a long swim after all. Since the distance between the two were a bit far.

He took off his shirt, showing the upper part of his body - broad shoulders, chiseled abdomen, and firm muscles. All his clothes were enchanted, so it wouldn't decay because of his Gift. That's why he hated it whenever his clothes were destroyed like this.

Viper took another set of clothing from his space ring. He was about to wear it when a red spear suddenly came flying at him which he barely managed to dodge. The red spear disintegrated like a puddle of blood on the sand. It slowly reformed into four daggers and flew straight to him.

"At least let me wear my clothes first, you shithead!" he shouted while raising his hand. A slew of poison liquid came out and covered the four daggers. Then he immediately ran towards the forest.

He wore the dry shirt while running. He felt some kind of trajectory flying to his side. He immediately changed the direction he was running. This was seriously starting to piss him off. Once he saw the person attacking him, he'd definitely kill him. That would probably not violate the rule of the group to not kill without contract. After all, his master specifically told him to do everything he could to make sure that he would successfully execute the mission he gave him.

That must include killing people that hindered him, right?

The mission his master gave him was to make sure that some old treasure wouldn't go to the hands of a certain pesky group. It took a while for Viper to find the location of the said treasure. Because he had to filter through every blasted legend he heard and find out which one was really the truth. And then when he finally found the right one and reported it to his master, his master just easily told him the exact location of that old treasure.

Remembering that still annoyed the hell out of Viper. If his master already knew where it was, then why didn't he just tell it to him from the start? Then Viper wouldn't have to go through all that trouble of asking a bunch of old people from one village to another and hear the same legend over and over again. If he didn't have to waste so much time on that, Viper would have long finished this mission. Then he would probably be on his way now to Argent.

His master was probably still punishing him for killing that useless Gecko. Honestly, if he could, he would cut that jerk's head all over again. Because of Gecko's stupid antics, Viper had to be away from Argent for seven years. Seven years! Viper planned to constantly visit Argent and see him grow up. But he didn't get to do both. He missed the chance of seeing Argent grew so beautifully.

Viper didn't get to see how he managed to build his company, if he ever finished his sword training, or if there were people who bullied him these past seven years. Viper missed so much of Argent's life. How could he not feel resentful? Even if he managed to bring Gecko back to life and kill him over and over again, it wouldn't be enough.

He'd just have to make up for all the lost time then. Once he's done with this blasted mission, of course.

But first, Viper had to deal with this annoying attacker. He dodged again when he felt another group of flying trajectory came at him. He raised his hand and released poisonous gas towards the direction where the trajectories came from. All the trees and plants that the gas passed by immediately wilted. Viper didn't want to fight in a space where there were so many obstacles around. He preferred fighting in open spaces.

He speeded up his pace and only stopped when he finally reached a clearing. But before Viper could prepare for an attack, something caught his attention first.

On the center of the clearing, on a rectangular stone slab lay a woman. She had short golden brown hair and skin that looked like it was kissed by the sun. She was wearing a shirt and pants instead of a dress that a woman usually wore. She appeared to be peacefully sleeping, based on her closed eyes and still figure.

Viper walked towards the sleeping woman and stared at her face. He tilted his head to the side. Why did this woman look so familiar?

"Hmm... hmm... hmm..." he moved his head back and forth, thinking. Then as if a light bulb suddenly turned on inside his head, he finally remembered where he saw the woman. "Argent's mother!"

But what was she doing here?

Before he could think more, two red daggers flew towards his direction. He immediately put up a poisonous wall, the vascuous liquid decayed the two daggers. Viper positioned himself far from the stone slab where Argent's mother was lying. No matter the reason why she's here, he couldn't let her be hurt. What if Argent found out that he encountered his mother here and then he just left her? Argent would surely hate him. Of course, he couldn't let that happen.

From the direction where the two daggers came from, a figure suddenly appeared. Viper wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman. They were walking towards the clearing, wearing a white cloak and a mask that covered their face. A malicious grin appeared on Viper's face when he saw the way they dressed.

An Apostle!

Only those people could wear that ugly mask. So his guessed was right, an Apostle of Gaia was really the one attacking him. His master said that he couldn't let the Apostles get their hands on that old treasure. If he killed this guy, that meant that he would succeed with his mission. Then he could finally go to Argent!

Viper didn't really mind killing this guy. Since he immensely disliked the Apostles of Gaia. For him, they're like mindless puppets who didn't have their own wants and desires and just followed whatever order was given to them by their puppet master.

"Hey, mind telling me what that unconcious woman was doing here?" he asked. "Did she just get lost or did you kidnap her and forcefully brought her here? Because if it's the latter, then I can't give you a quick death. I have to torture you slowly since you just kidnapped the mother of my sweetheart."

Instead of answering, blood flowed from the wound on the palm of the Apostle. Then that blood slowly turned into a sword.

A maniacal smile appeared on Viper's face. "A slow torture for you then."

Then he attacked.