The Regressed NoBody

As the shiny clusters of light sparked then shimmered and then slowly dissolved in themselves, the passage—the portal—opened itself up to me as if a black void emerged from the torn apart fabric of space slowly making a path for me, as it beckoned me forward in some stream of energy which was entailing and transporting me to some location which was entirely unknown to me. But the shiny clusters I was barely able to see before my senses dissolved into this stream reminded me so much of the beautiful night sky, where countless star glittered and enveloped the eminence of the expansive sky which filled many with hope and peace.

I felt the portal’s exponential energy shimmer and ripple, as if it was conscious of my very existence, as if the pulses it gave off greeted me, resonating with my presence in some peculiar way.

But I found it strange. Nevertheless, I didn’t pour much mind to it than a fleeting gaze.

I felt a cosy feeling emerge from with me. As if the warm light released from the sun had enveloped me in its warmth, making my insides to feel all bubbly and soothed.

After a moment which felt like a lasting eternity, I felt a shudder, then a tight nudge and I was spat out of the stream of energy which burned with power and something...subtle, which I was not able to perceive. The same was the case with the paths.

Whenever I tapped into that extreme source of energy which allowed me to teleport on will, I always felt some kind of power which was something so subtle, masked beneath those paths that I was never able to perceive before, until my understanding had increased at some point in time to barely make it out and decipher it from the subtle power the paths released.

But nevertheless, I knew I was still lacking in many ways in that understanding which I needed to improve upon, and that was the reason why I had arrived here.

As soon as the shimmering light of the portal expanded into the peripheral area and dimmed, causing the clusters to breaks off once from one another again, I found myself leaving that stream and appearing outside the portal.

A growing white light beckoned me forward, as I saw my vision distort then recover from the sharp vertigo.

As my senses slowly returned to me, first my touch, then taste, then sight and so on, I found myself stepping foot on to hard soil as I looked around me to observe the surrounding area, taking a fleeting moment to relax myself and breathing the fresh air. But...

A gut wrenching smell evaded my nostrils as soon as I took a breath, as my insides almost seethed, causing me to almost puke by the sharp smell. The bad smell reminded me so much of spoiled eggs which were dinned and seasoned with different spices and served with burned wet rubber.

It took a good minute to barely get used to the odour, as I held back the impulse to puke, again. The smell was seriously too disgusting.

Then my eyes swept across the unknown land where the portal had brought me. It was currently night time and my surroundings looked ghastly and there was some kind of thick eerie fog covering the ground a few inches above. My feet up to my shins drowned by that whitish fog which were not visible in that rising and fluttering fog, but there were some thick and long trees still visible through the fog, but barely. There was a cooing sound, one that resembled the low noise which an owl continuously made, but also mixed with resemblance of a toad and cicada.

But the thing I found the most strange and curios about was the night sky. There were no stars in the night sky, but there were two full moons which stood still in their spots having a good amount of distance in between them. One glimmered and emanating a yellowish golden light and the other releasing a shiny greenish teal, which fell above the ground, barely illuminating my surroundings for me to properly take a look at the things around me, which was already impossible by the thick fog which blanketed the surroundings.

I withdrew the sword I had asked Salvador to be made from the system inventory and hanged it above my hip. My guard was up and my senses tingling for any incoming attacks or danger. I understood one think best, this place was some distant land that the system had brought me to test me somehow, and I needed to be far more carefully than when I had entered a dungeon or a different location.

The system did worked in strange and mysterious ways to help me grow my strength, but it was always stretching an efficient helping hand to me. I don’t know who had created this thing, or if there was some being out there which had given me this system to help me, for some apparent reason I didn’t know, but I knew from experience now, that my ticket to surpassing my past self and acquiring the power I always wished for could only be achieved with its help.

Then I took a step forward, as I walked deeper into the thick fog I found myself looking around for any movement or presence but there was nothing around me. Nothing except for the low, distant sound which was made by some creature which echoed in this forest I was in.

A soft breeze blowed past me as my left hand was planted over the pommel of my sword for me to draw it at a moments notice.

The low noise of the trees branches swaying creating a grim creaking noise by the wind, making the atmosphere around me even more ghastly, as if something might just jump out of the fog in front of me, which kept me on the edge of my toes. I walked for a total of thirty minutes in this fog filled forest but I found nothing.

Shouldn’t the trial have started already or was there some kind of condition which needed to be fulfilled for the actual trial to initiate? I pondered over my thoughts as I kept waking aimlessly.

I was simply blindly walking in the fog. I didn’t know where to go or what I needed to do in order to clear this trial, as I wasn’t even provided with even a description of this trial from the system.

But, judging from the first initiation trial, I think I needed to fight some kind of beast. But so far, nothing had happened.

But just then an idea struck me, I activated mind’s eye as my vision began to darken, as I was able to perceive the world around me in shades of grey, but soon enough as I reached for the second phase of the ability, the world around me became colourful again and was enveloped by bright colours as the motes of mana and demonic energy became bare to my eye, spread all across this area.

The particles were tightly held to their aspect of change and elements. The particles of earth hovering close to the ground, the wind and water mana particles in the atmosphere, matching the oxygen in the atmosphere and the low density of moisture, and the particles of fire creating harmony among all of those. So was demonic energy floating together with them, without creating any discord among the others.

But upon closer inspection, I observed that the particles of water and wind were in abundance around me. And their deviant form was actively surrounding the area in a blanket of thick mist, lowering my sight even more, even through mind’s eye.

Even after accumulating two life times worth of fighting experience and knowledge, I knew there was so much I had yet to learn about mana and many other things.

But to correct my ignorant methods was the first step on the path I was walking.

My gaze drifted through the thick fog to search for any inconsistencies, or presence which could not be sensed alone through his fog. But even with mind’s eye, it was a tough task to find anything, regardless if my vison had heightened or not.

The fog was getting thicker as time passed and my surroundings became even‐less see through. But the only thing which I was able to perceive was the dim light of the moons shining in the starless eminence of the night sky.

But soon I caught on to an area where the fog was diminishing, a trail barely perceivable by my eyes alone. Its trail let to an area clearer from the fog and a better view. I quickened my pace and walked in that direction. The thick fog around me was receding slowly as I moved forward, allowing my eyes to adjust quickly and to look at the mighty trees which grew around me.

The size of their trunks and branches rivalling that of the skyscrapers back on earth. The massive trunks rise up like monolithic pillars, adorned with intricate patterns, etched by time itself. The thick branches coiling across and over each other like serpents, creating an intricate network of connection which connected each tree to the other, which looked beautiful and confusing, from where they started or where the ended. They seemed to reach impossibly high into the heavens. There beautiful canopies veiled by the mist surrounding.

Like a mysterious tapestry woven by the pulse of time and nature.

But looking at the mighty trees, I was greatly reminded of something similar which I had seen several times.

Yes, there form and connected overlapped network reminded me that of the pathways. It was similar, but the pathways were like gateways through which I could ride the currents of energy whenever influenced.

Under my pondering, I continued my march as my mind returned back to the paths the more I observed the barks and stretching branches of the trees.

The intricate connection which the paths had, was similar to these trees, that each point connected to every other, and everyone to that single point.

Without knowing where they began or where they ended. Like an intermingled web of energy which contained so much information about locations and which connected each destination to every other, creating a channel or gate like connection for me to bypass through to teleport to a specific destination.

But, despite the increase in my understanding and my control over the paths, I had come to realize that I may have only been able to grasp a fraction of what the paths can actually possible do. I knew I lacked in my understanding, but that didn’t stop me in anyway.

Like when I had unlocked the ability to hear and sense the paths in the inhabitant dungeon, it might have been a stroke of luck or something, but that moment allowed me to broaden my horizon and break free of the shackles of my ignorant understandings that the paths can be utilised in a more profound manner of utility.

I kept on walking for an entire hour through the thick forest, as I kept mind’s eye active and saw where the fog was the most hollowed and where the trail led to.

In the past, utilising mind's eyes would have left me drained off my mental capacity as I kept the ability active for an extended period of time, it didn’t put much of a burden over my reserves to keep itself active—rather only a small portion was required now for its activation—but now I had gotten more so used to it. As my reserves of mana grew since my regression, and as I broke through, utilising many of my abilities and powers became much easier, but the mental and physical strain they placed over my body, if used for an extended period was nonetheless annoying.

More so with acausality.

It was more like flexing a muscle and keeping it steady in the same position.

But now utilising mind’s eye with my other abilities I could use as well, had became easier and less a burden for me. All in all, this ability was far stronger and versatile than I ever could have realised in the past.

And after unlocking the second phase, which allowed me to fully utilise the skill to observe the ambient mana in the atmosphere made my utilisation of mana to make leaps and bounds, unlike my past self.

The moment I took another step forward, I saw a dark shadowy silhouette of something leaping and lurking in the thick branches of the trees, blanket by the thick mist, making its appearance ambiguous. I wasn’t able to make out of its appearance, but strangely enough, I didn’t sense any presence or mana signature form its direction.

I simply ignored that thing's presence and kept on walking, but hand steady over the hilt of my sword, as the constant creeping noise of the leaves being crushed under my feet entered my ears, and the wet muddy smell of earth evaded my nostrils.

The cluster of mana shimmered more powerfully in the area a few hundred meters ahead where the mist was the most hollow, as I quickened my pace and reached that specific location, where a broken tree was looming over the ground with its canopy.

It had been caught halfway through the air by the branches of the many trees, and the ground was filled with rich green and lush grass. In some spots even patches of black and indigo coloured flowers growing.

My eyes went up to the branches of the trees as I took a moment to observe my surroundings. There, I once again saw the same silhouette moving along the branches with unimaginable speed. But the strangest thing was that, there was no sound produced by its movements, nor was there any mana signature that I felt to understand what that thing could be.

If it was able to hide its mana and presence even from me, then its level and rank must be higher than mine. Or it had some other mean to perfectly hide its mana.

But with the speed it was moving with, it was hard for me to get a good look even with mind’s eye active. The clean and open ground stretched for at least a few hundred metres. The mist had cleared up from this point on and I was able to make out of my surroundings better.

I walked to the middle of the grass field, as I released my sword from its sheath and spoke.

“Come out already, I know you’re there.”

My bare voice echoed in the expanse of the thick forest as all movement became stiff and all sound diminished.

Then from on top of a gargantuan tree branch, I saw something leap and lung itself in my direction with unimaginable speed. The figure was a blur to my eyes, as I saw the wind mana go into a frenzy in the area wherever the dark figure moved through. I was barely able to keep up with its speed, as I spun over my heel and took a step back whilst taking a sharp swing at the creature with my sword.

My sword began to blaze with a bright light, as the mana coalesced around its sable black surface and reinforced my horizontal swing. My sword drifted closer to it as I coalesced even more mana around it, using the attribute of wind mana a shallow breeze began to lift my hair and left my sword glimmering even more brightly and made it blur from in front of me at unimaginable speed. But just as I was about to slash across the creature’s clavicle area, it twirled with a low pivot at the last moment and something sharp collided with the blade as countless sparks flew in the air, sequentially I saw thick locks of blue swaying in front of me.

I took a step back and firmed my grip over the hilt. I focused on the creature's appearance, as my eyes widened momentarily as I gasped in surprise.

It’s body was human-like, close to a human female, a slim figure, but its skin was a glistering and glossy shade of sapphire blue with dark hued tattoo like runes on its face and arms, its eyes an even darker hue which shined despite the darkness surrounding the thick forest, same with its long locks which gently tumbled down its torso. Fish like gills were growing out of its neck and two fins attached to where its ears should have been and there were two scythe like weapons prodding out of its forearms, which had wind mana coalesced around them to keep them stable and steady. There was some kind of dark tear-drop like tattoo on its forehead which was the same colour like its eyes. But having a strange shine.

“Raaaa,” the mer-creature screeched at me, a sharp screech which rang uncomfortably in my ears as it buckled its knees and shot forward with both scythe like weapons ready to launch at me.

Already taken a stance, I firmed both hands over the hilt and pushed forward, intercepting the mer-creature’s attack as sparks flew again. The fish like mer-creature snarled as if it was in pain, but I instinctively felt like something was wrong here, despite the initial strike and quick movements, the mer-creature’s strike didn’t contain much power it did so in its first attack, but taking that moment when the mer-creature was distracted by some pain it was feeling, I placed more power into the swing as the wind mana around its forearms began to fail its shape, and the shining scythes created from wind mana destroyed and became cluster of bright green light, like broken glass.

I round house kicked the beast in its rips, as it groaned painfully, sequentially hearing the noise of several bones cracking, as it went tumbling and crashing into a gargantuan tree’ truck. With a crashing thud, I reinforced the mana into my feet and was quickly over the mer-creature in a fleeting moment.

The tip of my sword held close to its throat as I looked down upon it with complete indifference in my eyes.

But my eyes went to the left flank of the creature’s body where blue blood was prodding out from. The mer-creature sank deeper into the ground, as if already having accepted its defeat and fate, and awaiting for me to end its life.

But...I waited. My sword still held close to its throat, but I began to study its physique and features.

I had never seen a creature like this ever in my life. Its level of understanding and intelligence to fight me in a one-on-one battle accurate way was something which gave me a feeling similar to fighting a human—like a monster but having a battle intellect and thinking process of a human's.

And its ability to hide its presence so perfectly despite me using mind’s eye and keeping an eye out for any possible ambush or presence was remarkable.

“Raaa....Raaa.” The mer-creature opened its mouth. Maybe it was trying to say something, but I couldn’t understand it.

Its speech was nonetheless similar to any monster I had seen.

“Raa...Raaa.” It spoke again, but my brows furrowed in confusion.

Was it trying to communicate with me somehow? I thought as my attention went back to the wounds on its side. Its hand was covered in its own blue blood and its face was twisted into a sharp frown which hinted that it was in severe pain.

But there were other wounds on its body as well. Flesh wounds spread all across its body and another deep cut near its chest through which trails of its blood flowed down its torso, now that I had noticed.

But I was getting a feeling at if it was harmless to me. But being cautious and wary of things at any time like these had become a second nature to me, and was far better than allowing my curiosity to get the better of me.

“What are you?” Finally I asked, placidly holding the strange mer-creature’s stiff gaze with cold eyes. The mer-creature’s eyes first narrowed, then widened after hearing me, but the searing pain it felt caused its surprise to be taken over by the sharp impulse to groan.

“I asked, what are you?” This time I thrust the tip of my sword into the wooden trunk, barely missing its neck by an inch which had fish like gills.

The sharp blade nicked its neck and drew a trail of blue blood which ran down its neck, as it glared at me with its dark ocean blue eyes.

“Im—Imeru.”

It spoke in a tone similar to human tongue which I understood.

My eyes widened in surprise as I keenly observed the peculiar beast.

What? How could a monster speak in human tongue? I felt my expression turn baffled and stiff as I tried to understand this peculiar moment of my encounter with his creature.

This is the first time something like this has happened to me. A creature which can speak.

No! Judging from its ability to fight in such a calculated way which is impossible for mana beasts which simply fight relying on their instincts, or how the situation allows them to kill their prey in the most grotesques way possible, was evidence that this mer-creature possessed some sort of intelligence and ability to think on its own accord, aside from merely relying on its instincts.

“Why did you follow and attack me, Imeru?” I acknowledged the mer-creature’s name and sternly spoke. My words as sharp as knives.

I didn’t know if this was a part of the trial or something else, but I needed to make sure. I wasn’t given any information from the system this time around after arriving in this strange place, and the only thing I was able to see was this...thing. This strange creature which could speak in a tongue similar to my own.

“Imeru...think...you...enemy.” It spoke with hard gasps in between as if it could lose consciousness at any moment. Its eyes gradually eyes losing focus as its chest heaved for breath, as it looked above at me. “Imeru...wrong...You...may...not...enemy.”

“And why do you think that?” I spoke with my words sharp and eyes indifferent to the mer-creature’s desperation. “Don’t you think I can just kill you right now?” I said as I firmed my hand over the handle and pulled the sword out of the trunk and brought it close to its throat again.

The mer-creature—Imeru—didn’t flinch once as its bright sapphire eyes held my gaze, as if it knew I wouldn’t try to hurt it. But its eyes shook as a sigh rolled out of its mouth with a stuttered groan.

“Imeru....don’t...know. Imeru...has...feeling...you....good.”

It slightly leaned forward as the blade nicked its neck drawing another trail of warm blue blood.

“Imeru...sorry...for...attacking...sudden. Thought...you...were...tentacle...”

Just as the last word left its mouth, the mer-creature’s eyes became sharp and bright like a predator, as it clenched its teeth, as if some old wound had just been opened.

I pulled my sword back, but still firmly held it in my hand.

Imeru grunted in pain as blue blood kept on rushing out of its wounds profusely. The colours on Imeru’s face getting paler each passing second as its breathing haggard considerably.

“What happened to you?” I asked, carefully observing the wounds on Imeru's flesh and pointing. They were quite deep but could be easily treated and healed with an intermediate grade potion. Imeru eyed me for a moment as if thinking of something before speaking again with some caution in mind.

“Imeru...show...you!”

“Show me?” I asked, confused but curious of what the strange creature wanted to show me. “What do you want to show me?”

Imeru leaned against the tree trunk and bended its head forward. Its body moving stiffly and sluggishly as if it could drop unconscious any moment.

“Swear...only...show...not...harm.” Its wording might have been broken but I was nonetheless able to put them together in my mind and form a complete sentence.

‘I swear I will only show you, not harm you.’

I was waiting for what the mer-creature would do, but it brought its forehead close to mine and closed its eyes.

‘What am I supposed to do?’ I thought kneeling as I came to eye level with Imeru.

“Touch...foreheads...together...”

I was apprehensive for a long moment, but I brought my forehead close to it and soon our foreheads touched.

Just as I came into contact with the its flesh, I felt a strange light began to emanate near its eyes, as a blinding light overcame my mind for a split second and I staggered backward and gasped in surprise.

“Alright...just...showing...Focus...mind!””

I did as instructed and brought my forehead close once again, as I again came into contact, I felt a bright light overcome my sense, but this time I allowed it to cross into my mind. A fulfilling rich warm sensation—like basking under the sun—emerged throughout my mind and body, as I felt, no vividly saw what Imeru was trying to show me.

Images ran through my mind, like a blank grey canvas being painted with several colours at once. I allowed myself to go deeper as I focused on a voice which resembled Imeru’s voice, and saw a strange creature standing in front of me now, which had tentacle like arms, but human like legs and torso, and an octopus like face with several glistering amethyst eyes. It was engaged in a battle with Imeru.

Perhaps this was some kind memory which Imeru was trying to share with me through some mental link which it could use to communicate. I felt our minds connecting, and Imeru allowed more of the memories to flood into my mind.

But it felt more like I was experiencing the memories myself. As if I could feel Imeru’s emotions and even each breath first hand as my own.

The backdrop shifted like day to night as my mind squirmed and brows furrowed, still trying to get used to the effect of this link which Imeru had created to allow me to peek into her mind and see these memories to get the answer to my question. Now I saw Imeru running away from the tentacle creature as Imeru dodged its sharp tentacles which pierced and thrust through the trees like bullets and melting the trunks and places wherever they hit.

Imeru gasped looking backward, seeing the creature who still kept on with its pursuit. Imeru barely dodged the relentless attacks of the tentacle creature which hissed as some gooey blackish liquid exuded its mouth.

Then the memory dissolved like a splash of cold water as my mind took a moment to ease the pain of my growing headache. Now the memory and event which transpired a few moments ago, when I was suddenly attacked by Imeru was shown to me.

But I was somehow able to feel Imeru’s emotions and thoughts through our established connection, and when I was attacked by Imeru it was merely a misunderstanding on its side for taking me for that tentacle creature which had attacked Imeru.

I pulled away as the glistering light dissolved from Imeru’s eyes and saw that the tear drop like mark on her forehead was shining brightly as she leaned back taking support against the tree, albeit frowning as a tear drop ran down the side of her face.

Yes, Imeru was a woman. In terms of her natural birth biology she was considered a female. I was able to get that information through our link which she had opened for me to peek into her mind.

Taking heavy breaths, Imeru leaned her head against the thick tree as her eyes started losing focus.

I took a step whilst withdrawing a fist sized round flask, which had a potent blue liquid inside, a potion bought from the system's shop.

It was an advanced grade potion. Intermediate would have done the job nonetheless, but seeing her wounds now and the condition she was in, and the scene I witnessed a few seconds ago through our link. The tentacle creature was able to release some kind of potent poison through its tentacle like arms, which had entered her immune system and was destroying Imeru’s body from the inside out.

I had experienced this kind of suffering before, while only a few weeks ago, but at a much larger scale. I don’t think that tentacle creature’s poison could even come close to or—if I were to encounter it—compare to that of a basilisk’s poison.

It was potent enough to sear away at my insides like they were melting, as the poison had licked my form.

Imeru looked at the potion I held in my left hand with a deep apprehension and distrustful expression.

“Don’t worry, its not something bad.. it will just relieve your pain, and heal your body of the wounds and poison,” I said as I gestured with my arms, my words softly rang in Imeru’s ears as she held an arm out.

Just as I was about to hand her the potion, the hair at the back of my neck stood in distress as I hastily dropped the potion on the grass near Imeru and twirled and hacked my sword at an incoming projectile launched at me with unimaginable speed.

With mind’s eye still active, I was able to perceive a few mana signatures spread across in the area around me, the sheen of their mana burning brightly. And they weren’t trying to hide themselves, unlike how Imeru had done. They had blatantly exposed their positions and presence as if to warn me beforehand.

My eyes narrowed as I saw a broken arrow lying on the ground with some blackish odourless liquid of its arrow head which had a twisted shape now.

In the next moment, something sharp pierced near my bicep, as I almost released my sword from my grasp, but the projectile launched at me hit me with enough force which caused me to be pushed back a few steps as I held on to my arm and back stepped to get into a defensive stance, as the wound began to heal and stitch itself.

【A harmful substance has entered the Host’s body】

【Neutralization in process】

【Neutralization Complete】

A cloud of dust rose from the ground where something or someone had slammed hard against the ground as tremors and cranks ran through the earth and the ground where the cloud rose, I saw a silhouette emerge from within it. As the dust cleared, I saw a small crater had formed beneath the creature’s feet as sharp cracks ran around the area it had landed.

My eyes focused on the creature’s figure and it had a striking similarity to Imeru's appearance expect he was taller and more muscular with a male physique.

A mer-creature similar to Imeru, which had the standard male biology and physique.

He was taller than me in height and more muscular, as his dark sapphire eyes shone like a predator’s, glaring at me with sharp claw like weapons prodding from his hands which were also formed through the precise manipulation of wind mana.

Two more landed beside him, one holding a rough shaped bow and a pack of arrows mounted on his back, and their companion who held a rough shaped spear in her hand, as she took a stance taking a step forward.

The glaring eyes swept away from me, but still keeping an eye out for any unusual movements and landed over the gasping and wounded Imeru, who was in terrible shape, as she weakly looked up at her brethren, barley peeking an eye open. And judging from the circumstances we were in, I could easily be mistaken for the assailant who had made Imeru like that.

“Graaa...Graaa.” The male mer-creature hissed looking at Imeru’s pitiful state, allowing his voice to roll out soft from his mouth. A tinge of concern lodged in his deep eyes, as well as his companions.

But his face contorted and darkened when Imeru didn’t respond immediately. The poison must have already spread across her body and dulled her senses and mind. Her breathing was shallow, as she leaned her head back against the trunk, her eyes rapidly closed and she went into a deep slumber.

Having lost consciousness Imeru’s head bended down and looking at the deep wounds on her body and her shallow breathing, as well as her blood on the blade of my sword, they must have thought that she was gravely injured—which she was—, and the person in question who did this to her, being me.

I broke from my stance as I saw the male creature from before lurch himself in my direction. With a twist, my sword drew an arc in the air as the blade shined illuminatingly, as he bended down and evaded the strike, whilst countering with a swift slash from the claws he had conjured around his hands with wind mana.

Parrying his attack, my sword ready and reinforced with mana, I hacked near his abdomen area. He brought his claws forward to parry my attack, but as I willed my mana to rush forward and probed it and coated my right arm, my right fist hissed and blurred in the air, as it struck him in his ribs, the speed my arm reached was faster than it could react to even with his unimaginable agility, the bones inside my arm creaked under the stress as my entire arm numbed momentarily, I groaned in the process. I heard the sound of bones crack, as the mer-creature grunted and hissed as he crashed several steps, but took a firm hold over his footing quickly.

I frowned, my arm not moving as I intended it to as the numbness only increased as time passed. This technique still needed a lot of practical control and to perfectly utilise it I needed to make out of the levels of mana and how much precisely should my body move—how to move my muscles and tendons required for the technique and coat and reinforce them to react to the precise augmentation of mana—and how much force required in each strike and the stress it puts over my body, but it was more so a blunt concept I had made after having observed Han in the past.

He was a full body martial art practitioner, so techniques such as these suited him more than they did to me. And his family’ secret martial arts were something which had allowed them to rise in the ranks quicker than their rivalling clans.

My hair on the back of my neck stood, as I dodged last minute the attack of the female mer-creature who held the rough shaped spear. Its presence hidden by its swift movements.

I twirled, striking her near the liver and below her rips with precise accuracy drawing the scabbard from my hip. She grunted, rolling over the ground and holding her stomach having dropped the spear and coughing brutally.

I could have killed her if I wanted to, but slaughtering them was not what I intended—wanted to do—, and would simply make things more complicated than they should already be. And I knew the misunderstanding between us could be cleared easily if Imeru just explained, but she was in no state to.

But I felt a few more strong mana signature hastily approaching us from the south-eastern side from where I had come from previously.

The last member of their group was standing close to Imeru, tending to her injuries. I couldn’t put any mind to the fact if she had taken the potion or not.

I caught the male mer-creature’s gaze for a fleeting second—his eyes glared at me with unsuppressed rage—before sheathing my sword and running into the thick forest and into the thick mist. Staying there and fighting all of them wouldn’t be logical. And there was simply no reason for me to fight them. It was better to preserve my strength for the trials awaiting ahead then to recklessly fight them.