The air was clearer than I remembered. It was fresh and my lungs felt cool. I haven't had fresh air in such a long time.
Aaron was spinning around, even though he looked at about our age, he was still a child inside. "This. Is. So. Fun!" he laughed.
He stopped and pointed at Terose. "What's that?" he asked me. "That's Terose, this world's sun.". "It's orange and warm." he smiled. He was such a child.
The mouth of the Harulo had a small grassy area, surrounded by a forest. Aaron had left the chest in the center of the grassy area. Luna and I approached it.
"I wonder what's inside ..." Luna said, prodding at the chest. "It looks like it needs some sort of key ..." I stated as I inspected the lock.
My cloak's pocket felt slightly heavier. The cloak only had inside pockets so it was easy to get to. In my hand lay a silver key, mana was pulsating from it. "Silver?". "No, Mythril" Luna corrected me. "You know a lot about your ores and gemstones.". "Of course, I am made of some." Luna said.
I opened the lock on the chest and opened it. There were 5 items, a book, a mage's staff, a ring, a scroll, and a item bag filled with blacksmithing materials and equipment.
"Mine" Aaron said as he picked up the ring. It was silver with a purple gemstone. "I feel safer for some reason, it must be the ring." Aaron stated.
Luna picked up the staff. "May the water spirit guide me and absorb all. [Water Vortex]" she chanted. A vortex materialized above some trees and sucked them in before popping out of existence.
"Isn't it 6 lines? Instead of 1?" I asked the suspicious Cat. "You see, uhh you can shorten chants down by cutting out unnecessary words. Almost all mages don't do it because it can produce disastrous effects." Luna explained. "Like as you can see, that shorten version made the spell last less time but upped it power, it's a delicate balance of what you want. Also an edited chant costs way more mana than if you normally chant it."
"Interesting." I said as I eyed the book. It had a brown leather cover with no writing on it.
I picked up the book and opened it. "Common Sense by H. Harulo" it read.
"You're from another world, Cason. This book I made was from observing regular people over the years(I was bored, you'd understand if you were underground for a few thousand years).
It'll help you out a lot, and before you ask, this book is written in your native language so no one but you, me, and the others summoned at the same time can read it.
First, Soulmite, the black gemstone to you, turns grey whenever someone other than you or Luna hold them. The reason for that is because of it's special ability, [Soul Search]. This ability allows the gem to read the holder's soul and if someone perfect for the soul is nearby, it turns black. For this reason it is very expensive and can sell for a lot, for what they call "Soulmate Searching". Whatever you do, DO NOT SELL IT. If you do you will gain the interest of the high ranking and rich.
Second, do not make Luna or Aaron turn into their weapon form in front of people. I'd recommend just using Aaron as your main weapon now, and Luna for emergencies.
Third, join the Adventurers Guild, it'll help you for identification.
Fourth, you will eventually have to help fight in the Demon War, like you were summoned to do in the first place. There you will meet your classmates, as they're called. They were summoned to fight in the war not too long ago, a very dire emergency.
The fifth and final major point, always wear the cloak I'll leave behind. It is very useful, it will hide your face if you have the hood up. It can also comply with your wishes, like it can summon the key or fold to become a sheath for Aaron's weapon form. It will still be a cloak but with a pocket for Aaron.
Now for the smaller stuff ...." the book continued to smaller stuff that normal people should know.
The final page told us to not use Luna's fortune quickly. That was common sense I already knew. Powerful and rich, what is there not to fear.
I yawned as I closed the book. "How was it?" Aaron asked me. "It was good, very educational. Now we need a plan -" I said before Aaron interrupted me. "What about the blacksmithing scroll, materials and equipment?" Aaron asked me. "Let me see them." I said.
I put them and the chest in my [Item Box V]. "There we go." I said, "What to do now?".
"We can enter the forest to find our way ..." Luna pointed out. "Let's do that." I said as we stepped into the forest.
............
"Dead in one hit ..." Aaron said as he was in his weapon form. He was a blood red longsword, absorbing the blood of the low rank monsters. His special weapon ability, [Blood Edit], allows him to absorb blood of his fallen enemies. He can then use them to boost himself in sharpness, sleekness, weight, length, to a certain range as long as he has enough blood to support it.
"They're only F and E rank, and the occasional D and C." I explained. "I know that but why do they have to be so weak.?" he said with a sigh. "Because we are overpowered." Luna sighed.
"I expected more exhilarating battles, not one shot kills." Aaron huffed. "You can become blunter and duller to see if they can last longer..." I said. "I need a few more kills for that..." Aaron said.
"Stop right there!" A voice came from behind us. "Hand over your money and you will not get hurt! Be some good adventurers for us." a deeper, different voice said.
Me and Luna turned around, Aaron was still in my hands. There stood 2 men, a lanky one and a burly one. The lanky one had brown hair and had black clothes, meanwhile the burly one had fiery red hair and only had shorts on.
"Put down your weapons!" the burly one said as he showed off an intimidating looking steel axe. "I'll only say this one last time, hand over your money." the lanky one said.
I smiled, "What if we don't?" I asked with a fearless grin. "You cocky adventurers, you will pay if you don't." the burly man said."Oh really?" I said as I put down Aaron on the floor. "What are you doing?" Luna asked, I only winked. 'Follow along' I mouthed. Luna put down her staff.
"Good adventures, now hand over your money!" the burly man said. "[Terror Smile]" I smiled. "Wh-what's this? Magic?" he growled. "No, a skill." I kept smiling. "You want to see real magic?" I asked with my crooked smile. "No no no no!" he screamed. I snapped my fingers.
He exploded, blood and his guts falling all over the lanky man. He froze in place, terrified of me. "Now now, no need to be afraid. I'll let you live if you tell me a few things." I said without dropping my smile. "Wh-what d-do you wa-want to know?" the thief gulped. "Good thief" I said.
"My first question, are you affiliated with any bandit group? It's worth your right hand~." I asked him as he sat on the ground. "Y-yes, The Belvus Bandits." he answered with no hesitation.
"Where's the closest town?" I asked him with a bright smile. "5 MegaHexals (km) in that direction." he pointed in the direction we were already heading in.
"One final question, where's the Belvus Bandit's hideout?" I asked with a crooked smile. "I can never give that away, kill me now." he said with no fear in his eyes. "Loyal, I see. I won't kill you, in fact I'll curse you so you can't die. But there's a catch." I gave him my evil grin.
I got right next to his ear and lowered my voice. "These one part of your body you'd hate to lose. I have healing magic so I can close the wound immediately, but what to stop the cursed pain forever. You lose it and your life will be ruined forever, what's to call you a man anymore." I chuckled. I got Aaron and stabbed him into the ground in between the man's legs, just barely missing.
"You don't believe I can curse you? Look over there." I pointed to a dead C rank monster I had just killed. "[Resurrection's Curse]" I simple said and the corpse rose. It swiftly ran away, never to be seen again. I later found out it became a dragon's lunch believing it could take it down with infinite lives. Then it became infinite lunch.
"Now do you believe me~?" he nodded. "When you reach that town go North until you hit a mountain. There should be a cave entrance near the base of the mountain a little on it's southeast side. Can I go now?" the thief pleaded.
I smiled. "You just sold out your team, for all I know you're going to go warn them. It's better for you if you die here and now" I said without dropping the smile. "But what you said-" he pleaded. "I don't make promises with criminals." I said.
He tried to get up and run but I tore Aaron out of the ground swiftly and cut the man's head clean off. He collapsed as his blood squirted out of his neck, covering the earth in his blood.
"That was ..." Luna had begun to say. "Heartless? Inhuman? They were also heartless and inhuman so they got a taste of their own medicine." I laughed as I slid Aaron on my back and trotted to the next town.
"Wait for me!" Luna said as she picked up her staff and caught up to me.
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Finally someone (That someone being vackyzengenz1) did art on Cason, it's now the cover. There's the picture!
It's been a fun ride here, uhh Glass_Reaper typing off!