“Where are we placing him?” Yadina asks.

“My tent.” Zotoady replies with any hesitance, Yadina helps him by holding up the tent’s gate, Zotoady walks in, places Erhart onto what looks to be a tree trunk carved into a bath tank.

“Wrap him up with that green stuff over there. Do not cover his nose and mouth.” Zotoady orders, pointing at long strips of sea weed like plants hanging up on a drying rack to his left.

While Yadina immediately got into action, Zotoady leaves the tent, soon coming back with Erhart’s green sword in his hand, he shakes his head and lays the blade next to Erhart on the side of the tank.

“I am done.” Finishing up her last knot. Doing just what she was asked to do, leaving Erhart’s scorched nose and mouth open.

“Thank you.” Zotoady ducks down, filling up the tank up with seemingly endless bottles of pink solution. Finally when he sees the water had covered most of Erhart’s body. He let out a sigh of relief, stretching his back while walking out into the clearing taking a good deep breath. Staring up into the sky, seeing the sun gradually walks the last bit of its path, fading into the horizon. Looking back, realising Yadina is still inside of the tent sitting down cross legged next to the tank, Zotoady says,” You don’t need to stay with him the whole time. He will wake up by tomorrow, let’s go find something to eat.”

Yadina looks towards Zotoady for a second or two, then she shakes her head signalling that she will stay with Erhart for now.

“Ok then, I will return with some food. See you later.”

…….

Following a few explosions of flame pillars and ice spikes, along with a few powerful shock waves, Zotoady walks out of the forest carrying what looks to be two slain wild boars. In just minutes, Zotoady skilfully skins the boar and dices the meat neatly with a black dagger, so skilled in fact not a single drop of blood stained onto his hands nor his cloak.

Dumping the heads and some other body parts of the boars into the newly lit camp fire. Consecutively, stacking the good meats onto a few metal stands. Grilling them, turning the rod every so often, while gently painting the meat’s surface with some spices and seasonings.

After roughly fifteen minutes, the smell of the delicious, crispy meat travels across the camp site, attracting a group of [beasts] along with a starving Yadina, who decides to betray Erhart for a while for some delicious food she just smelled.

“Here.” Zotoady says, adding few pieces of meat onto a piece of plate sized leaf and hands it to Yadina. Instead of eating himself, he watches Yadina devouring the food with some unknown pleasure and……….as well as, a sense of sadness hidden deep within him.

“More?”

“like, YEchi, Plz”

“Calm down, no one is competing with you.” Looking at those almost half crying [Beasts] with a face written with “begging” all over. Zotoady throws a few crystals into them. They shake their head in disappointment, seemingly unpleased by the fact they did not get the meat. But ultimately seeing Zotoady have no intention of sharing, they pick up the crystals and emerges back into the forests.

“Your cooking, is , like, better than Erhart’s” Yadina compliments, seemingly have allowed what Zotoady have done to Erhart and her slip for now.

“No, the only thing I can cook properly is grilled meat. I fail at basically everything else.”

“Like, How so?”

“Let’s just say practice makes perfect. After you have done this for a long time you will be good at it.” Zotoady says, bitting his lip.

“I see, like, do you like, travel a lot?”

“Good question, emmm I once did travel a lot, but it’s not like actually loved travelling or anything. I just needed to get from a place to another, then when I created Recall Flasks and Wormhole Potions, I travel less and less.

“Then how do you like, practice cooking then?”

“Because she likes it.”

“What?”

“Nothing, just most of my friends can’t cook, so yah, and I don’t want to starve myself to death in the wilderness.” Attempting to cover up, Zotoady says waving his hands in the air, only making Yadina more and more suspicious, then a silence fall.

“Black haired [Human]?” seeing Zotoady had been sitting motionless on the ground looking at the flame for quite a while, Yadina speaks.

“Sorry, also my name is Zotoady.”

“Zotoady? Like, What do you know about Erhart?”

“Nearly everything after I read his memory.”

“YOU WHAT?”

“Wanna hear a story?”

“Not particularly.”

“I will tell you one anyway.”

“There is once a young [Human] alchemist inside of a world where knowledge is [Human]’s best weapon.”

“How can knowledge be used as weapons?” Yadina asks, according to her grandfather, best weapon is your fist and according to her grandma her grandpa is an idiot. ‘Maybe like, knowledge can make grandpa less an idiot and use like, he can fist as a weapon more effectively.’

“Well.” Zotoady says turning to the direction the tent Erhart is currently in, he gives out a grin and continues on, “The young alchemist is one of the most talented and hardworking youngster of his time, in just a few years with the help of his teachers and friends. Combining with his efforts and of cause luck, He is able to publish a report on a small research task he had done, which may not necessarily have seemed very impressive, yet take accounts of his age, ultimately he was apprenticed to a famous laboratory nearby.”

“Like, what is a laboratory.”

“I don’t really know either, I presume it is a place you alchemists do sacrificial rituals and experiments in.” Zotoady rubs his head, he says unsurely.

“Then he got poisoned to death.”

“……”

“Like, you are terrible at telling story.”

“I will tell you this story in detail later, I suddenly realised that I wanted to ask a question.”

“But you have like spoiled the ending.”

“Have you figured out what my blood does yet?”

“No?”

“I see. Do you want to know?” breaking out a smirk as he says so.

“sure?” Yadina answers unsurely.

“My blood” “dedededeedededededen” drumming his lap as he reveals, “is useless.”

“……..” if one’s stares can kill, Zotoady would have died a hundred times by now.

………

“Try this, use [Fairy] race’s [Teleport] first, while immediately trap the target with the [Elven] race’s [Thorn Burst] and spam [Demon]’s [Death Bolt].” Zotoady explains.

“Like, what is ‘spam’?” Yadina yawns, stretching her arms, after staying seated next the unconscious Erhart for the whole night, she feels ache all over her body.

“Fire continuously.”

“OK, like can I have a try.” Rubbing her eyes.

“Sure. I will be the test dummy *Buff all*” with the sounds of countless crystal bottles shattering inside of Zotoady’s cloak. Around his body seven layers of multi-coloured shields are generated on top of his skinf. “Please proceed.”

Yadina nods, with the blink of an eye she disappears and reappears behind of Zotoady, ducking down and slams her left hand onto the ground, while points her right palm at Zotoady. Soon a green aura gathers around her left hand, evoking all the plants of the surroundings. Immediately trapping Zotoady with a newly grown, arm thick creeper that is decorated with some yellow spikes. Simultaneously, she aims and sends out three violet fire bolts one after another, not only hitting the target but also igniting the creeper at the same time.

“15.31 seconds. Too slow, too predictable.” Zotoady sounds disappointed, walking out of the flame unscratched. He asks, “Do you know what can you improve?”

“Emmm, fire the [Death Bolts] quicker?”

“And?”

“Errrrr, like, like, I don’t know.”

“Ok, first, I need to know how many time can you use this combo?”

“About, like thirty times without resting?”

“Good,” clapping his hands together, Zotoady asks, “Now let’s break your combo into parts, first why do you use [Teleport]?”

“To confuse your enemy.”

“Excellent, and as your stamina, mana, [ewa] whatever you call it sustains, instead just using one time teleport, tp as much times as possible until you find the right opportunity.”

“Like this”, Yadina did what she was asked to, shifting her position for two times.

“Yahhhh.” Zotoady speaks unsurely. “Every time you teleport stop for a second before you tp again.”

“Why?”

“Cause anxiety towards your enemy, enrage them, anger them, piss them off. Of cause, it would be better to annoy them even further, if you can tp and throw and throw fire ball at same time.”

“Ok?, emm So, like, what should I do?” Yadina asks unsurely.

“Teleport, fireball, teleport, fireball, teleport, trap, three fireballs. Complete all those actions within 10 seconds.”

“I can’t, like cast that many [Death Bolts] that fast.”

“Precast them.” Zotoady says lightly,” Instead of releasing them in an instant, control them, maintain them, use them when needed, preserve them around you.”

“Like, like in a snowball fight, like I store up snowballs, instead of make one and throws it out immediately?”

“Yes. That’s the idea, Actually, it may feel In some way similar to how you controls your domain.” Zotoady nods, Yadina closes her eyes with some uncertainty, activating her [Demon Bloodline], controlling her energy output. ‘Just like controlling my [Domain], this is my flame, my power. I am its ruler’ As she gradually raises her hand, a spiral of violet flame begins to formulate, growing larger by the seconds, radiating out breaths of intense heat. Finally, when it reaches the size of a small watermelon. The flame bolt stopped growing, under Yaidina control, the bolt starts to move.

 At first randomly in the air, hitting a rock and a tree every so often. But soon the bolt is gradually tamed by Yadina, circling in a uniformed fashion around her body. Another bolt is quickly generated, and another after it. Yadina breaks out a satisfying smile, she opens her eyes, sending all three bolts consecutively towards Zotoady, pausing just a few centimetres in front of his face.

“How is that?” Expecting to see a surprised face and be showered by compliments, Yadina speaks.

“Good job, now, try casting the three bolts quicker. Keep on practising until I come back, you are doing a good job.” Zotoady compliments, giving Yaidna a thumb up. Rubbing his chin, seems to be distracted by something else. Without saying anything further with the girl. He walks off, towards his gigantic bundle.

 As he passes by Erhart’s tent he grabs a few books that Erhart had with him. Cracking his knuckles and takes in a deep breath, Zotoady unpacks the bundle. Simultaneously as he did so, countless swords, spears, axes, armours and other accessories covered in complex circuit like dark lines floods out of the package and onto the ground. Zotoady takes out a pen, along with what looks to be a 21st century note book still with its price tag on. In just minutes, he scans through the books he borrowed without permission from Erhart and begins writing.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

“Where am I?” Rubbing his eyes, Erhart says. Expecting to hear a reply from either Yadina or Zotoady.

“Hell, this is where you are at and where you deserve to be. Not heaven.” A soft, yet familiar voice echoes into his ear.

“Is that so.” Erhart help himself up, eyeing towards into the direction of the voice, a beautiful, young woman enters his view staring down at him with eyes filled with rage.

“Yuna.” Erhart says, breaking out a faint grin.

“Erhart. Why did you kill me?” Yuna questions.

“I am sorry.” Erhart apologises.

“Sorry?” Yuna sounds displeased, she continues, “If you really is sorry, you should have saved me. I trusted you. But you didn’t, you are weak and useless. You cannot even protect the person you cared about the most. It is quite funny isn’t it, I know you had that power, yet you still did nothing with it. You are not even half of the man I was.”

 “Is that so?” Erhart says lightly, his face darkens, one step after another, he drags himself in front of Yuna. Inside of his mind the Yuna’s phrases bounces back and forth, replaying over and over again.

“You coward!”

“You are as bad as a killer.”

“Why did you let me die? Why didn’t you save me You kill...” Yuna speaks once again, her glance pierces through Erhart’s skin, stabbing deep into his heart like razor sharp blades.

“I am sorry.” Erhart says, He looks up, staring into Yuna’s eye. With a swift and abrupt movement, he dashes forward. Wrapping his arms around the young woman, squeezing them tighter and tighter by the seconds. Tears floods out of his eyes, he continues repeating himself,” I am sorry, so sorry, sorry for everything.”

Yuna gradually silenced, stunned in place, she did not struggle. Slowly lowering her head, she stares down at Erhart, she sighs. “You know I am not real.”

Erhart nods, his master had reminded him time after time that he will be facing his worst fear and guilt after the Divine punishment. So from the start, he knows that Yuna is not real.

“Then, why? did you not break out of the illusion?”

“Because I just want to hold onto you a bit longer, even if it is just your shadow and even if it just for a second or two.”

……..