Chapter 9 - Unwinding
After picking up my lost item, I left the ruin and it automatically self destructed, leaving no trace behind.
I then decided to think about what to do next.
"Now then... Should I return?" I asked myself.
However, I wasn't feeling tired or sleepy. After awakening, it has been non stop movement for me, but my body doesn't feel fatigue for the most part. If I return to the inn I would most likely have to wait till the next day before revisiting the Auction house since their business time would be over.
"Here I am, in a foreign region of this new world. Maybe I should try exploring it a bit" I thought.
That wasn't a bad idea. It would be better for me to obtain even more information about the new world I found myself in. The memories of the soldier didn't prove to be very valuable as he was merely a low ranked soldier.
"I'll need to catch a big fish." I said.
To my knowledge I was still in the Western Continent. I wasn't sure of the region though, and so I had to explore.
The night felt cool as I breezed through the plains. It felt nice, being out in the open in this brand new world, better than a crowded city or a bug infested forest. However, this still doesn't compare to the Heavenly Realm, not in the slightest.
"You all must be living it up there uhn?" I said, thinking about the traitors i had for siblings.
I looked ahead and saw a very large mansion. It was a few hundred kilometers, not too far for me to dash toward, though I could warp there if I desired.
"Let's have some exercise" I decided.
Picking up pace, I ran straight toward the huge building, nearly resembling a castle. The owner must be an affluent person, good. This would be a worthwhile trip, no doubt.
In a few minutes I was at the gate of the very large compound. I could tell that the entire building, including the compound was blocked by a barrier.
"Hmmn, an item's effect?" I said, noticing the source of the barrier emanated from a single spot within the garden.
It was located at the center of the compound, however it would be impossible to reach by normal means since it is inside the barrier. For the owner to own such an Item, they must really be well off and powerful.
"They call them Relic these days don't they?" I said to myself.
In this world, according to the memories I took, humans do not possess any special ability in any sense. Other than their ingenuity and wits, they are a normal species, just like I remember them in the past. Unlike Fairies, Elves and other beings who can to some extent manipulate their Aspects and that of their environment, humans do not have such things.
However, unlike before, humans have gotten power from Arts, one of which is Hex. I do not know of others, but I would like to find out. Other than Arts, those who do not have the ability or discipline to learn Arts rely on special items to protect them or fight. These are known as Relics.
Though, the useless memories I obtained had very little information on Relics, I was able to piece a few things together from what I learned.
Relics are objects imbued with the power of Aspects, granting them various abilities. These include weapons or even mere objects used by gods. In fact, any item from the Heavenly Realm is a Relic, no matter of insignificant it is.
It seems due to the war I caused 3,000 years ago, quite a number of these objects scattered all over the world as a result of the damage dealt in the Heavenly Realm and the other worlds. These Relics have empowered humans, causing them to evolve further and even given them an edge against other races since humanity has always been creative.
I smirked, looks like I caused quite a bit of trouble for the suckers even in my death.
"Well, lets see what kind of man we have here then" I said.
"Hex #95" I casually raised my hand.
Immediately, a black orb akin to a black hole materialized in front of me.
"Swallow all" I smiled.
The orb was launched to the barrier and as it touched the barrier, it negated the orb and it sizzled. After a struggle between the orb I created and the barrier defending the building, the barrier prevailed to my surprise.
"Looks like its stronger than I gave it credit for." I said in amazement.
The Hex I casted was one of even higher quality than the one the Imperial Knight used against me, however, it wasn't as though that was the highest It could go.
"How about this then" A smile formed on my face.
Many orbs of similar properties and size appeared in front of me at the same time.
"Lets see how long it'll last" I said, launching seven of the orbs I had prepared in midair.
The seven simultaneously bombarded the barrier and shattered it immediately. Since the barrier wasn't strong enough to fully counter all of them, the five orbs which were left bombarded the compound, destroying the grounds like bombs set off.
"Looks like I went too far" I winced at the loud sounds they generated.
Fortunately, I positioned them in a way that none of them went near the source of the barrier. I wanted to investigate it further. Casually, I walked into the compound. It was a very tasteful one, filled with lovely plains and a lush garden, though it looked like a mess due to the five Hex orbs I used.
I walked to the jewel which generated the barrier. Cutting down the pillar which raised it up, I used my hand to catch the Relic as it fell. It looked like a blue Jewel. It shone brightly before when the barrier was still active but it now looked dull.
"Maybe its out of energy" I said to myself.
I started hearing noises from around the compound and within the mansion itself. Looks like the commotion I generated had brought company.
"Intruder!" I heard the men say from a distance.
"Should I confront them?" I thought to myself.
Since I was bored, I decided to take my time. If I ended it too quickly then I would have nothing left to do.
In no time at all I was surrounded by the guards of the manor. I was impressed by the formation they took, they must be well trained. A person who looked like the leader came forward and pointed his sword at me.
"Are you the one responsible for this assault?" He asked me in a rude tone.
What is it about these guards that make them think they can act so defiantly before me?
I calmed myself down, If i lost it I might not take enough time to appreciate and enjoy the night breeze.
"And if I am?" I asked him.
I heard the guards murmuring among themselves.
"Impossible, he looks like a kid"
"How old could be possibly be? 18?"
"He broke the barrier?"
"There's no way a young lad his age could cause this much damage"
"I see you like to crack jokes. Tell me boy, who put you up to this?" The Chief guard said.
I remained silent.
"Answer me! Do you not know that merely trespassing in this territory is akin to treason, yet this much destruction has been made and you claim to be the sole culprit." He told me.
I sensed a tone of pity in his voice. He must think I'm in big trouble.
"If you confess and mention your allies in this futile attempt then at least your life will be spared" The man ventured on to say.
"A young man your age... You still have your life ahead of you... Don't throw it away. Now stand down, surrender and do the right thing" The Chief Guard said.
I felt nauseated by his self righteousness, I had had enough.
"Distasteful" I said silently.
"What was that, young man?" He said to me, not properly hearing me.
"Urgh, you disgust me" I glared at him.
He sounded like my siblings, so pious and self righteous, however... When you look under the surface they all show their true colors, totally distasteful.
"Begone" I said, summoning one of my orbs and launched it at him.
The dark orb sucked at everything as it neared him. I saw his face as it depicted terror. It started with his armor, then his attire underneath it and then it got to his body. His flesh began to get sucked into the orb as he screamed. They peeled off his body as the orb demanded more. His eye fluid, his tendons, his mucus, everything was sucked dry, down to his bones. After it had sucked him, of course it exploded, scattering the blood and flesh of the Chief Guard all over the area.
The Guards who stood witnessed all this before they could react. As soon as the blood splattered on the grass, some on their own armor, they stared hard at the ground, at the blended body of their leader and then their faces turned to me. Their murmurings turned into deadly silence and their unserious faces turned into looks of terror. Their expressions contorted into that of total despair and fright. I loved it.
"Arghhhhhhh" The shriek filled the air.
"Who's next?" I asked, summoning more orbs around me.
The Guards shook their head in fear, dropped their weapons and took to thier heels. They screamed as they ran. The clanking sounds their swords made as they touched the ground was mixed with their cries of despair.
"I could just let them go" I said to myself, after all they are all fodder.
"But..." I was a bit bored. " I have to entertain myself a bit"
I launched several orbs at my fleeing enemies and as they got decimated before my eyes I felt my tension being relieved. It isn't everyday one gets to see people desperately trying to escape but being ripped to shreds by mini black holes. Their blood and flesh sprayed everywhere and their terror filled the air. Since their bones were grinded by the orbs, they all came out liquid or close to it.
"Ah, finally. Talia's positivity and overbearing attitude was getting too tiring. With this I can unwind a bit." I said, smelling the night breeze filled with scent of blood and death.
Soon, the noise quieted down. The screams stopped.
"Are they all dead?" I asked, too caught up in my own moment to have noticed how quickly the bodies went.
"Oh, one escaped though" I noticed.
"It seems he went to inform those inside. Interesting... Good. Let's unwind more.." I said, approaching the front door of the lovely mansion.