The Villain's Story

Chapter 698: [698] Kizmal(10)

Alan had yet to return to the platform, and the group was simply tired, bored even. There was little to do on the platform but stare at the sea beneath it, or study the array carved into the wall above the tunnel.

Though he was taking longer than usual, no one besides a few cared right now. They knew who he was. Nonetheless, the boredom was hard to shake off.

Everyone dealt with it in their own ways, Maxwell spent his time working, on whatever he was dealing with, there was always a stack of papers beside him. Kazikato was busy trying to fall asleep, Azmakul had healed his wounds a long time ago, and he had not even attempted the trial again, but...his body still ached.

The feeling was still there, and it was quite hard to forget that sort of experience. One didnʼt have the opportunity to get to fight a thunder giant and live so often. ʼHow does boss do it so much...ʼ

He was in awe, if he was being honest. He knew about Alanʼs regeneration, but even then he had a hard time believing he would still go in there again and again and again. This time, he was taking a lot longer as well.

He was a dragon as well, and even he healed faster than others, his regeneration was nothing compared to Alanʼs, still his mind could not fathom how Alan could still keep going.

Nevertheless, he was waiting for Alice to be finished with whatever she was cooking before falling asleep, he could survive for days on end without food and water, but it didnʼt hurt to eat. Besides, it smelled good.

Edward was being treated by Emma, the injuries he incurred from the duel were long gone, He was simply training against Alexander. Alexander only accepted because he was bored.

Olivia was with Sabrina, who was studying the array above the tunnel that lead to Kizmal.

With his heightened senses, he could hear everything they were saying, easily, too. ”What did you do for a year?”

Olivia asked, a hint of boredom and frustration visible on her face. She was usually a calm girl, but spending a year training was bound to do something to someone, both physically and mentally. Worst of all, she had to endure her spiritʼs odd jokes as well.

He had the worst sense of humor ever. Sabrina didnʼt share the same sentiments. After all, unlike Olivia, she was training in a field she enjoyed.

Olivia had simply tried to learn how to fight with spirits, spirit magic, and other things, but she had to learn sorcery, and not just one, but three types of it. ”Magic, thatʼs what I did for a year.”

She responded, her gaze did not avert from the array above, but even with the knowledge she had, she had no clue what it did, simply because it didnʼt follow anything she had studied.

Every type of sorcery had some sort of basis, a foundation from which everything was built, this one had nothing. It was not runic, circle sorcery, and neither was it the sorcery of names. ”Seriously, come on... you know it was a bit more than that!”

However, Olivia was not satisfied with the response. Sabrina sighed and looked at her in the eyes. ”Whatʼs wrong?”

She asked. ”Huh?” ”Your not yourself, your more angry than usual, and over the edge.”

Olivia didnʼt respond for a moment, instead she stayed silent and also looked up at the array, lost in thought.

Sabrina calmly waited for her to let it all out. ”Iʼm frustrated. I had to learn something entirely new, something I didnʼt even focus on because I didnʼt think about it too much, something someone told me I was talented at, and for a year too.”

Her voice was filled with frustration, anger, and... denial. ”I mean, like, alright, Iʼm apparently talented at this sort of thing, so I did it, a year too! I didnʼt mind it because I know it was making me stronger and better, but come on! I do it all, and for what?” ”I did it all, and for what, I still canʼt even come close to Alan, and that isnʼt even the thing I mind! I knew itʼs hopeless comparing myself to him and the rest. I canʼt even hold a candle to any of Masterʼs students, not Alex, not Lucas. I came to accept it, I donʼt have Alanʼs regeneration, his mana, Alexanderʼs unique attribute, and I certainly donʼt have whatever drives Lucas, but thatʼs alright, so what did I even do all of that for!?”

Her voice had gotten a bit louder, and this time, not just Kazikato, but almost everyone could hear it. However, they kept it to themselves, they simply listened.

Sabrina placed a hand on her shoulder, but Olivia wasnʼt done. ”All of that, and only to hear I am not needed, and wonʼt be of any help. I fucking hate it. Couldnʼt he have done it in a better way? Like, I donʼt want to hear Iʼm fucking useless, just rest for a bit, you arenʼt fit for it, itʼs nothing something you need to do, anything else, but you are useless.”

Certainly, it would not have hurt it Alan broke it down to her in another, less derogatory way, but in her anger, she was forgetting Alan too was frustrated at having lost to Kizmal for so long.

She had trained for a year, but that did not mean Alan stayed idle, it certainly did not mean that. Not at all. Though for Alan it wasnʼt as long, it certainly was as arduous. Not only did he have to invent a new spell to take down a pillar Azmakul constructed, he had to travel the surface of Lanekia until he found the colossal spear.

And when he did find it, he had to climb it, endure the effects of the mysterious, nebulous fog and try to keep his body whole, regenerating continuously from the pain of the winds tearing his body apart.

And when he had finally reached it, he had to fight Azmakul, he also had a year worth of fighting, the basics of fighting as a Soara shoved in his mind.

And to add to that, Kizmal was no easy foe, he had still yet to even uncover half of his abilities and had been reduced to nothing but his heart many times. He was as frustrated as she was, maybe even more. ”Well, I am pretty sure he had his reasons.” ”Oh yeah, of course you would take his side.”

She simply smiled in response, and stated. ”Hey, come on. You really think he doesnʼt care for you? Iʼm pretty sure heʼs afraid Sir Oliver and Master Arken would skin him alive if he let something happen to you.”

The moment she said that, somewhere in the back, Alexander flinched, he silently nodded.

Olivia didnʼt answer, she instead stayed silent, Sabrina took out a box of chocolate from her inventory and offered it to her. ”I donʼt like chocolate.” ”I donʼt either, but Alan does, he has a sweet tooth, use it as a bargaining chip.” ”How would that work? He can literally go back to Earth and buy dozens of these in seconds.”

It was then, that Sabrina chuckled. ”Not these. They are special.”

She couldnʼt understand that, how would Alan be unable to get these? He was still rich, the spatial ring business generated a lot of money after all... It didnʼt make sense to her how Alan could not buy these.

She didnʼt mind it much, and it put it in her own storage, Sabrina did manage to calm her down, however. ”So, what is it?”

She asked her, Sabrina had been glued to the array for hours, and since all she did was study magic, she had to know what it was. ”I donʼt know, it doesnʼt follow anything I learned.” ”What do you mean?” ”Itʼs something new, something Iʼm going to learn. Isnʼt it exciting? Something I canʼt understand at all, yet I have all the time in the world, Itʼs like itʼs calling to me, wanting me to understand it!”

She silently distanced herself from Sabrina, and went back towards the group, offering a piece of advice. ”Or... you could ask him.”

She pointed at a large figure staring at the blue sea, his hands behind his back. Azmakul had remained silent ever since he had healed Kazikato, the only he did was simply stare into the sea.

He was mysterious in many ways, but Sabrina knew him better than the rest. ”He knows what I am doing, He will give me a hint if I appear troubled.”

He was the type to not interfere as often as one would expect, but would put you on the right track if you made a mistake.

Olivia sighed, and went back towards the group, towards Alice, hoping to get a bite of whatever she was making, and it was then. ”You know what, You are right.”

The dragon turned around, and looked at everyone. ”I think it is time for me to give you a hint, or a demonstration of what that array really does.”