"I'm starting to get restless, it's been two hours since I entered this forest, and not a single creature in sight." Avion leaned against a tree to rest.
"People in Eterion said this forest was teeming with monsters, and even some unique creatures besides regular monsters. Yet I haven't even seen a goblin. I suppose I'll keep going." He continued on for six straight hours.
"It's already dark, I think I'll just set up my tent here." As he was pitching the tent, a sound caught his attention, and he rushed toward it.
Ahead, he saw a Dullahan riding a massive black horse with flaming eyes, locked in battle with a sea serpent on a vast lake. The Dullahan held his head in one hand and a sword in the other. Avion crouched behind a tree, watching the fierce fight unfold.
"Wow, looks like I won't be bored now."
The sea serpent lashed its tail at the Dullahan, but he stepped back and delivered a critical strike, severely wounding the beast. The serpent tried to dive deep into the lake, but the Dullahan raised his sword toward the sky, and a bolt of thunder and lightning struck the water. The force was so immense that it incinerated the serpent completely and wiped out all the other fish in the area.
"That... what was that? It felt so powerful," Avion murmured, eyes wide.
"You can't hide from me. Come out." The Dullahan's words made Avion's legs go numb; fear gripped him, and he stepped into the open.
"Uhm, sorry if I disturbed you. I was just admiring your strength. I have no intention of fighting you."
"Fight? Insolence. Between us lies a gulf as vast as heaven and earth. My steed's breath alone would be enough to end your pitiful life."
What should I do now, this monster doesn't intend to let me live. Avion then spoke in a calm voice,
"I have no intention to die here. I don't care how strong you are or how weak I seem. I will not go down without giving a fight." With a steady hand, Avion withdrew the Phoenix Sword from his hat.
"Courage does not alter destiny. Stand, fight, struggle. Your end will come all the same." As the Dullahan spoke, Avion shot a hundred-meter-wide Carnivale at him.
The Carnivale blasted with a massive explosion, vaporizing the entire lake and raining deadly particles down. The particles killed every living being within a hundred meters. When the smoke cleared,
"Oh… a good attack, child. It even left a tiny scratch on my armor." Avion tightened his grip on the sword, disbelief and amusement flickering in his eyes.
Sorry, Deon… it seems I won't be able to bring you back. Both charged toward each other.
Suddenly, the Dullahan stopped. Darkness filled his eyes as they glazed over the gem embedded in Avion's sword.
"Child… why do you possess the Infernia? Answer me!"
What is he talking about? But it looks like I have a chance now. Avion lowered his sword and said,
"Infernia? What are you talking about? I don't have anything by that name."
"Do you think I'm blind? That blade you hold can only be obtained by defeating a phoenix. Tell me how you got it. Someone as weak as you could never defeat a phoenix, and you cannot steal it. The Infernia is bound; without the permission of its true wielder, it will consume your body and burn your soul until you are erased. Answer me: why do you possess it?"
"First, I am really grateful for the information, and second, to answer your question, why I have it, it was given to me by a friend of mine."
"Tell me the name of the real owner of the Infernia."
Looks like my answer will determine if I live or die.
"Deon Bloodzec." The Dullahan stepped down from his horse and knelt before Avion.
What…? Why is he kneeling before me? Avion, confused, asked,
"Wait… why are you kneeling?"
The Dullahan rose to his feet. "Lord Deon, the one before whom all of creation kneels. His very name is enough to make the heavens tremble. I, Greysen Sudworthe, apologize for my earlier act. May I ask your name and your purpose?"
Am I dreaming? Deon… who are you really? You stopped time, and now a follower of yours is kneeling before me.
"I am Avion. Before I state my purpose, can you first tell me about your relationship with Deon? And can you also tell me more about him, since he didn't tell me much?" Avion and Greysen sat down under a tree and continued their conversation there.
"I can't tell you everything about Lord Deon if he himself hasn't shared it with you. But I can tell you about some of his past. Lord Deon is a fragment of Absolute Nothing. His fight was against Absolute Authority, which had become corrupted and began determining fate, removing all uncertainty. From Nothing, Lord Deon arose to fix this chaos. He destroyed five of the six Divine Athers, which were essential for the creation of new verses, including universes, multiverses, omniverses, and so on. At the end of everything lies Absolute Nothing, from which Lord Deon was born. The destruction of the Athers restored uncertainty.
In this battle, he was not alone. Thousands of the strongest beings from all verses fought alongside him, including me."
"I can't believe all this. I mean, I can't even understand what this Absolute Authority is or what Deon wants from me." Avion replied, his face full of confusion and irritation at the complexity of the matter.
"Now tell me how you know Lord Deon, and he surely didn't give you the Infernia without a purpose."
"It's a long story, and I'm already sleepy. But I will tell you this: he gave me this red orb and told me to feed it the hearts of seven ancient dragons. Also, can I call you Grey? Your name is too long." Avion's eyes grew heavy with sleep.
"So that's what it's about. Then I should accompany you on this journey."
"Huh!"
Wait, this could be a good opportunity. He can train me while we travel, and someone as strong as him will surely be a huge help in slaying ancient dragons.
"I'm okay with you accompanying me on my journey. I also have a request. Can you train me? Deon gave me this sword, but I don't know how to use it."
"I accept your request. This journey will surely be interesting." Grey laughed.
"But what about your appearance? You cannot just enter a human kingdom like this."
"Don't worry about that. I have a cloak that can create the illusion of me as a normal human."
"Well then. Let's begin our journey tomorrow morning. I need some rest now." Avion went back to his tent to sleep. Grey didn't need sleep, so he simply remained sitting under the tree, gazing at the moon.
The sun rose, filling the forest with warm light. Birds chirped, and a cold breeze ruffled the leaves, waking Avion. He stepped out of his tent and saw Grey standing in front of it, waiting.
"Grey, do you want to eat something first before we set out on our journey?"
"I don't need to eat or sleep. I will wait here. You can eat."
After Avion finished eating and explained their destination to Grey, they continued their journey on Grey's horse. After traveling for an hour, they reached a river. Grey spotted a Zorathis nearby.
"Avion, I have found a good opponent for your first training lesson. Get your sword ready." Avion drew his sword from his hat.
"I'm ready, but I don't even know how to swing a sword properly. And who is my opponent?" Grey pointed toward the Zorathis, and Avion looked in its direction.
"Are you playing with me? What is that thing, and how am I supposed to kill it?" Avion's voice was filled with fear as he gripped the sword tightly.
"That is a Zorathis, a human-like figure with three eyes, a mouth on its back, and four legs. It's not very powerful," Grey explained.
"Thanks for the explanation, but now, how am I supposed to kill that thing?"
"First, fix your stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, sword raised. Second, movement is crucial in a fight. Move forward, backward, or sideways to control distance. Third, predict their moves. Use tricks, like pretending to strike one way and attacking another. Timing and patience are key. Lastly, believe in yourself."
As Grey taught him, the Zorathis noticed them and charged at incredible speed.
"This will not be easy, but here I go." Avion took a stance as the Zorathis approached. Suddenly, its upper half rotated, and a mouth opened on its back, revealing a human head inside, with a tongue writhing like a serpent.
"What the fuc—"
"Now!" Grey shouted to Avion.
Avion stepped back as the Zorathis charged. When it came within range, he swung his sword and cut off its head. He thought it was over, but suddenly, the human head shot out of its mouth, stretching like a snake. It laughed.
"Hahaha… hrngh!" The human head laughed.
Avion leapt into the air, aiming for the head. Suddenly, a strange glow appeared within it, and a beam of darkness began forming in its mouth. Reacting instantly, Grey sliced the head from behind, stopping the attack before the beam could fire.
Avion fell to the ground. "Ahh!"
"Don't be reckless. You should always be cautious with your enemy if you don't have enough information about them."
"What are you talking about? You were the one who didn't tell me that the monster possessed powers like that," Avion said angrily.
"Don't whine. That's precisely why I didn't tell you. I needed to see your level of recklessness."
"Who are you calling a child? I'm twenty years old. Anyways, we don't have time to waste on arguing. Let's continue our journey."
They continued their journey through the forest, unaware that they were being watched by someone.
"Found you!"