SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Elias. Can you see souls?”

The question hung in the air. No reply was given. Instead, Elias hop down from the branch, and began to walk away.

Zeal’s eye followed him.

”Have I...been misunderstanding him all this time?”

He hopped down also.

Elias got to where the boar has fallen dead, and stopped. He gazed at the scene. The ongoing struggle of the lady fighting with a boar’s corpse.

Zeal got to them.

”Get it off her, will ya?”

”No.”

Zeal sighed. He stepped forward, and with a grip, yanked it off her.

The lady gasped, gulping greedily at the air.

”I thought I was going to die!” She exclaimed, and released few coughs.

”You can’t even handle a dead boar, and you came hunting?” Zeal raised a brow.

She struggled to her feets, stretching her back.

”You’re saying it like you don’t know our proble...”

She blinked. Someone from Quora empire would not ask that question. She abruptly turned.

A man grinning at her, and a boy in a mask.

”You both are foreigners?”

”Yep!”

She observed them again.

In her opinion, Zeal didn’t look at that tough. No weapon. Broad charming smile. Eyes like the forest. Always the best.

’Probably a merchant.’

She glanced side and took a step back by instinct. Dark mask, under a dark hood.

’He’s definitely a mercenary. So scary’

Zeal waved at her face.

”Hello?”

”Ha!” She bowed. ”Thank you for saving me!”

”I didn’t,” Zeal shrugged, and pointed side. ”He di...and he’s gone...”

Elias side was indeed empty. He was already halfway across the field, arrow aimed at another boar charging straight at him.

The girl gasped.

”It’s dangerous!”

She rushed forward, but Zeal just returned her with a tug on her clothes.

”He can do it.”

As the beast got closer and closer, Elias shot it straight in the head.

”Vital arrow?!” The girl gasped. ”He’s awesome!”

She saw him in new light, her eye sparkling. She dashed out of Zeal’s grip leaving her coat in his hand.

”Hey you!”

Before Elias could understand what was happening, she had already curled around his arm.

”Come help me hunt more!”

”Huh?”

”I’ll pay you!” She began dragging him off into the forest.

Zeal stared at them go.

”Is this what he meant by ’her soul is pure’? She’s an handful.”

***

Elias ended up being dragged around into the animals hideout to hunt all day for this odd stranger. He didn’t understand what was happening.

At first, he was reluctant... slightly irritated, but then, he just went with the flow later.

His little hunting trip earned him a lot of information.

This place was called Yuta, a small town in Quora empire, one of the four empire in Coary continent. Quora empire has been shut in for two years due to a gate that appears two years ago. The gate was known to breed omnivore monsters only at night. This monsters return into the gate by morning light.

They attack any human on sight at night, and when they encounter no human, they simply devour the plants.

As a result, agriculture was not an option. The residents were forced to hunt everyday, which resulted in more shortage of food.

He had asked her why they didn’t close it.

Her answer was: ”no human can enter the gate. We tried. Closing it from outside didn’t work either. Perhaps it wasn’t created for humans.”

It was sundown before they called it a day. She piled up the spoils on a wagon and dusted her hand.

”Aah! You’re a lucky charm!”

He leaned against a tree and stared at her. Just stared at her, as she tied everything up.

”If I don’t tie it so tight, they might fall off. I am going to share this with the whole town.”

His eye widened beneath the mask.

”The whole town?”

”Yes.”

”It won’t do.”

”We can manage it for a day!” She spin around, a wide smile on her face.

He pushed himself from the tree and walk to her.

”You’re naive.”

She chuckled.

”I have had my fair share of that word,” she closed the distance, crashed into his arm and put her head on his chest.

”Thank you.”

He didn’t react. Only stared side, into the distance, at Zeal lounging on a tree branch.

”By the way,” she pulled back. ”What is your name?”

He walk pass her.

”Elias.”

”Elias!” She said it, and turned around. ”I’m Rolarza.”

At his lack of reaction, she frowned.

”Hey! Wait up.”

Rolarza ran ahead, and went around him.

”Where are you going?”

”I don’t know.”

”You don’t know? Do you want to come to town with me?” She looked up. ”it’s almost sundown too. Night here is dangerous.”

Her suggestion made sense to him. Moreover, he really wasn’t in the mood to face any creature after running around the whole day.

”Fine.” He turned back to the wagon.

She glanced around.

”By the way, where is your—”

”I’m here.” Zeal appeared behind her all of a sudden.

”Aargghh! What is wrong with you!”

He simply laughed and got on the wagon with Elias.

She smiled. ”Off we go.”

In a minute, they were galloping out of the forest into the main street. The town of yuti was deserted more than they expected. Houses left unlocked, street left empty.

Zeal calmly observed the street. It took a while before he asked.

”The gate that caused this problem. Is it in this town?”

”No,” her expression dulled. ”It opened in the capital. We’re just a small town that was based on agriculture. That was taken away from us as well.”

Zeal glanced at Elias. The boy really wasn’t reacting to anything they said. He just stared at the passing road.

He leaned closer and nudged him.

”What are you thinking about?”

”This is all too familiar...” Elias muttered.

”Familiar? Have you come here before?”

”No.” Elias eyes went to the girl riding the carriage. Zeal’s eyes followed.

”Is she familiar?”

”Yes...and no.”

”Huh?”

”Her soul... it’s familiar. It’s not her...but...”

”She reminds you of someone you can’t remember?” Zeal snapped his finger.

Before Elias could reply, the wagon slowed down.

”Umm...” Rolarza muttered. She turned, chuckling nervously. ”Can i...use your names to show off?”

They glanced forward. At the end of the street where people, about five of them with sword.

”Bandits?” Zeal asked.

”Food is the most important thing right now, but they don’t hunt. They just collects from us.”

Zeal sighed. He glanced at Elias who wouldn’t even look at the men.

”Do as you wish.”

Her face lit up immediately. She drove the wagon with confidence and stopped right before the men.

”Yes?”

The men chuckled, assessing the size of meat her wagon carried.

”It seem like useless Rolarza was pretty useful today.” One of them voice out.

”Look at all this boars!” Another grinned.

They chuckled in cruel manner. The one who seem like their leader stepped closer.

”I am feeling generous today,”

He eyed the wagon.

”Drop everything, walk away and I’ll spear your lives.”