Chapter 15: Fate or Coincidence? (7)
The monsters chanted in unison, voices reverberating in fierce devotion: "For the glory of the Demon God!" "For the glory of the Demon God!" "For the glory of the Demon God!"
***
"Alright, that's enough rest," Tristan said, standing up. Eclipse jolted awake, his small nose twitching as he listened intently to something. "Kyu kyu kyu!"
"What's wrong, Ecy?" Tristan asked. Eclipse made a quick sound and darted forward, glancing back as if urging Tristan to follow.
"Ecy, wait up! What's going on?" Tristan chased after him, watching as Eclipse's trembling form indicated fear. "What is it, Ecy?" Tristan's gaze followed Eclipse's stare. Realizing the threat, he quickly picked up Eclipse and ducked into hiding. "Damn, it's the Troll and Ogre we encountered in the forest before."
From a distance, Tristan strained to listen to their conversation.
"Hey, hold your ground, big guy," the tough-looking Ogre grunted.
"I can't wait to taste human flesh," the Troll growled, saliva dripping from its mouth.
"Patience," the Ogre replied. "We can't make a mess before we're given orders."
"To hell with orders!" the Troll snapped, only for the Ogre to release a fierce aura that silenced him.
"I said, hold your ground, you dim-witted Troll."
Seeming fearful, the Troll relented, "Alright..."
"That's better," the Ogre replied, then smirked. "But at least you can feast on the human hiding just up ahead."
The Troll's eyes gleamed with anticipation, drooling again as he stepped forward, heading out of the Cursed Forest's boundary.
"Damn, they found me. How could they sense me? Was it something like the Ogre's aura just now? I have to get out of here. Let's go, Ecy."
Eclipse growled in the direction of the Ogre, a deep, hateful rumble.
"What's wrong, Ecy?" Tristan asked. "Gggrrrhhh..."
"Were they the ones who… killed your parents?" Tristan whispered softly. Eclipse turned to him, sadness filling his gaze, and answered, "Kyuuu."
"Do you want revenge?"
"Kyu," Eclipse replied firmly, determination blazing in his small eyes.
"Alright then," Tristan said, determination filling his voice. "There's no way I'm letting my friend take revenge alone. I'll help you. But we move according to my plan, okay?"
"Kyuu kyuu," Eclipse responded eagerly, his resolve matching Tristan's.
Tristan took a deep breath, then stepped out from his hiding spot and called out to the ogre and troll. "Hey, how did you manage to find me here? I thought I was hiding pretty well."
The ogre, a mix of surprise and curiosity, looked at Tristan and replied, "You're no ordinary kid, are you? Any child would be terrified and crying at the sight of us. Who are you?"
"Of course, I'm just an ordinary kid. Why would I be scared of creatures that'll soon be corpses?"
The ogre scowled, visibly irritated. "Oh, corpses, huh? Just wait, and I'll tear that mouth of yours wide open."
"Well, see you around, corpses," Tristan retorted before sprinting back toward his cave.
Frustrated, the troll and ogre took off in pursuit. "I don't care how you do it, but you'd better catch that little brat!" the ogre shouted at the troll.
"Alright…" the troll grunted, determinedly following after Tristan.
The troll and ogre sprinted after Tristan.
Earlier...
"Ecy, I want you to go back to the cave now and wait for me there, remember the trap that we made before with your bone? 'kyuu' Good, put a corrosive spell on them and I'll lure the ogre and troll toward the cave and see if they're alone or if they've got more reinforcements." 'Kyu kyu', Eclipse run towards the cave.
As Tristan ran, he glanced over his shoulder. "Alright, looks like it's just the two of them. I don't know if they're alone because they're overconfident in their abilities or just looking for some fun, but either way, this is a perfect chance to finish them off."
Tristan arrived in front of his cave, followed closely by the ogre and troll.
"Are you done running, boy? Or are you just relying on these petty traps to beat us?" sneered the ogre.
"Can you see through everything? Not a single one of my traps managed to hit you!" Tristan asked, feigning frustration.
"Hahaha, these weak traps are instantly detected by our mana sense, kid. If that's all you've got, then prepare to die."
The troll charged at Tristan, but just as it reached him, it plunged into a hidden pitfall trap Tristan had prepared. "Grrrooaahh!" the troll roared as it fell.
"Pffft, so this was your 'detection'?" Tristan taunted.
"What? How did I not sense the trap there?" the troll bellowed in confusion.
Eclipse dashed up onto Tristan's shoulder.
"That's thanks to my friend here," Tristan said, patting Eclipse's head. "Though, a mere pitfall isn't enough to hurt a troll with its thick skin and insane regeneration."
"Well, let's see if it can withstand this. Ecy, bombard it with your corrosive bone shards!"
"Kyuuu," Eclipse replied eagerly. It opened a series of small portals in the air, corrosive bones rained down on the troll trapped below.
"Grrrooaahh!" the troll howled in agony, desperately trying to claw its way out of the pit as the acidic bones seared into its flesh.
"How could a troll's regeneration fail?" the ogre exclaimed in shock.
"Who said it isn't working?" Tristan replied, smirking. "It's regenerating, but the corrosive power from those bones is outpacing its healing."
The troll managed to claw its way out of the pit, its eyes blazing with rage as it glared at Tristan, still writhing in pain from its corroding wounds. Seeing the opening, Tristan seized the moment, charging forward with his father's sword in hand and slashing the troll's neck in one swift strike. The troll's massive head toppled to the ground as it collapsed, defeated.
The ogre, witnessing this, looked on in astonishment.
"What do you think of me now? Not too shabby, huh?" Tristan taunted, provoking the ogre.
"Not too shabby indeed, for a brat who can take down a troll with a single slash," the ogre replied, face twisted in anger and frustration. "But how could a kid like you cut through a troll's thick, hard skin?"
"Hmph, it's actually simple," Tristan explained coolly. "I channeled mana into my sword, making it vibrate at a speed too fast for eye to see. So, when I cut once, it's litterally like I'm cutting thousands of times in an instant."
"What? How could something that impossible even happen?" the ogre stammered, bewildered.
"That's the power of knowledge, old ogre," Tristan replied, his tone mocking yet calm.
The ogre mulled over Tristan's words, thinking to himself, "I've faced hundreds of human warriors, some far stronger than this boy by levels, and I've always slaughtered them alongside that rotten troll. But now, this kid defeated him in a single slash like it was nothing. What level is he really? And isn't it strange for a child to survive alone in a forest like this?"
"Um, hello, Mister Ogre? Done with your analysis?" Tristan's voice pulled the ogre out of his thoughts. "If so, I have a question for you. Do you recognize my friend here?" He gestured toward Eclipse.
The ogre sneered. "I've slaughtered countless creatures; how could I remember every weakling I've crushed?"
"Are you sure about that? Your answer will determine your fate, so think carefully," Tristan warned, his voice icy.
The ogre scoffed at Tristan's words. "You've got a big mouth, kid. Oh, wait… I remember now. I found a nest of creatures like that once. I ate all their younglings in front of their dying parents. Left them alive just so I could come back for another meal later. Hahaha!"
Eclipse stared at the ogre, rage burning in his eyes as tears began to well up.
"Stay calm, my friend. I'll make him pay a thousand times over for what he did," Tristan whispered reassuringly.
With a trembling, sorrowful voice, Eclipse responded, "Kyuuuu."
"Why did you ask such a thing? Could that creature be the parent I left alive back then? Oh, wait... because of its small size, could you actually be the one child that survived? Did I miss you?" The ogre laughed heartily. "Well, who cares, hahaha."
Tristan's gaze darkened. "Alright, your fate is sealed, Mr. Ogre. You killed my friend's family, so it's only right that he's the one to end you."
The ogre burst into laughter. "How amusing! How could he possibly kill me when I've already butchered his whole family?"
Tristan chuckled coldly. "You know, over the past two months, I've been practicing a lot of magic. There are some spells I could only visualize because I lacked a proper target to try them on. This one's inspired by a pirate comic I read. You'll be the first to experience it. I call it the Hall of Void."
Tristan extended his hand, channeling mana toward the ogre. Instantly, a dome formed around the creature, trapping him in the center.
The ogre scoffed, "Hah! Is this the magic you were talking about? Just another mana shield like I've seen a hundred times."
Tristan grinned. "Sure, it looks similar, but it works differently. I was originally going to rip out your heart, but I changed my mind. I'll give my friend the chance to exact his revenge himself." He then muttered, "Shrink."
The dome began to shrink, closing in on the ogre.
"This is nothing! I'll break through it with my bare hands!" The ogre roared, throwing a powerful punch against the barrier. However, the dome didn't budge, absorbing his blow effortlessly.
"Haha! Guess I just need to put in more strength!" the ogre muttered, doubling his efforts. He unleashed a powerful strike, only for the dome to remain unscathed, completely unaffected by his blows.
"Wha...what is this? What kind of mana shield is this?" Panic crept into the ogre's voice. He went berserk, repeatedly slamming his fists against the shrinking dome, only to watch helplessly as it continued closing in on him. His mind raced, "My bare fists alone can shatter boulders, and in berserk mode, I've punched clean through cliffs. But this...it's like my strength is being drained somewhere else."
The dome continued to shrink, pressing tightly against the ogre's body until he could no longer move.
"Why…? Why is this mana shield so strong? I'm one of the captains of the ogre army, undefeated in battle, and now I'm going to lose to a brat like you? You insolent little... I'll kill you!" the ogre roared in fury.
Tristan's gaze was cold and unyielding. "Regret every harm you brought to my friend's family and pay for it with your life. Ecy, he's all yours. Do whatever you wish." He spoke gently, stroking Eclipse while meeting his gaze with a look of sadness.
With a sorrowful yet grateful expression, Eclipse looked up at Tristan, whispering, "Kyuu." But then, Eclipse's eyes shifted, becoming fierce and wild. He approached the bound ogre, growling, "Grrrghh."
Eclipse began by biting into the ogre's leg, each bite releasing a corrosive fluid that burned through flesh, making the ogre scream in agony. Slowly, deliberately, Eclipse continued his revenge, gnawing through the ogre's body, inch by inch, as his torment echoed into the depths of the cursed forest.
Eclipse continued devouring the ogre, thoughts of his parents and siblings flooding his mind as silent tears streamed down his face with every bite.
Tristan watched the horrific scene unfold with a cold, unflinching gaze. Finally, only the ogre's head remained, and with its last breath, it managed to snarl, "My kin will avenge this..." before falling silent, lifeless.
Then Tristan turned to Eclipse and asked, "How do you feel, my friend?"
'Kyuu,' Eclipse replied, his eyes filled with gratitude and renewed energy.
"Good to hear. Finish your meal; I'll take a short rest."
'Kyuu,' Eclipse responded, then resumed his grim task with quiet resolve.
Tristan lay on the cave floor, his mind heavy with thought. "Thankfully, my mana has grown enough to let me create spells I've never attempted before, thank you for the elixir that father's left before. But why is it?, even after witnessing such brutality, I feel nothing? No horror, no disgust, not a trace of emotion. Will I lose other feelings as I grow stronger?"
He sighed, the question lingering unanswered. "Well, for now, maybe it's a good thing. I can stay calm and rational in any situation. But... even if I don't feel anything, my mind still feels tired."
And with that, Tristan drifted into sleep.
*Level Up* *Level Up* *Level Up*
*Tristan Ciyane-Level 40* *You reach the specified level, you unlock new skill* * You unlocked Class Specific-Skill*
*Unlocked Skill: All-Knowing Sight-Level 1*
*Skill Level Up* *Skill Level Up* *Skill Level Up*
*Skill: Cold Blooded-level 12*
*Skill Level Up* *Skill Level Up* *Skill Level Up*
*Skill: Mana Control-Level 20* *You reach the specified level* *The effects of abilities that use mana have doubled, and mana consumption is reduced.*
***
Summary of Tristan Ciyane's Abilities:
Name: Tristan Ciyane-Level 40**
Skills:
1. Trap Setter-Level 22*
2. Throw-Level 15
3. Observation-Level 15
4. Thrust-Level 7
5. Pain Resistance-Level 18
6. Cold Blooded-Level 9
7. Strong Will-Level 10
8. Swordplay-Level 20*
9. Crafting-Level 16
10. Cooking-Level 10
11. Meditation-Level 4
12. Tracking-Level 1
13. Stab-Level 9
14. Enhanced Vision-Level 1
15. Mana Control-Level 20*
16. Passive Skill Double-Level Max
17. Passive Skill Poison Immunity-Level Max
18. Tamer-Level 1
19. Regeneration-Level 20*
20. Spell Creation-Level 5
21. All-knowing Sight-Level 1