Chapter 29: Suspicious.
The old wolf stood up, sticking out 2 fingers and pointing at Kazuka and Takeshi.
"Enough talking, you guys sit on the ground and cross your legs, close eyes too."
Takeshi and Kazuka followed what he said and sat a distance apart.
"Kazuka, feel the surrounding energy, do you see five different colors?"
Kazuka closed his eyes tight, in his subconscious, light spots with different colors appeared and flew around him. There were five colors flying around him: black, white, blue, yellow, and purple.
"I see them."
"Find the blue light source and absorb them."
"And brat Takeshi just keep absorbing energy for me to see."
"Let me explain too, those five colors represent five different races, but only as representatives, for example purple is of the demon race, but we humans can also have purple energy. Generally a minority, the majority still carry the same color."
The old wolf walked near where Airi was sitting and sat down, putting two elbows on his legs and intertwining his hairy wolf hands, gaze still directed towards Takeshi and Kazuka.
"Don't you plan to practice?"
Airi also directed her gaze towards Kazuka and Takeshi.
"No, I hate practicing."
"I have also heard about you vampires, but so what."
Airi turned her head to look at the old wolf still directing his gaze forward.
"Say whatever you want to say, I don't like that way of speaking."
The old wolf smirked.
"Do you think you have practiced enough? Or are you too strong?"
Airi directed her gaze back to those two.
"I don't want to practice, that's all."
"So you want to let those two brats get stronger and protect you? You want to go with them but won't put effort into anything, so what do you want to do?"
Airi's gaze flickered with a hint of sadness.
"I don't know, but I hate studying."
"Even the strongest person even if one foot in the grave still studies, you are a vampire with a huge age yet doing pointless things?"
The old wolf's voice changed slightly as if to emphasize.
"Your journey will only last a few decades, you must understand yourself, they are humans. I think you should do well what you do."
"You said it then I noticed, perhaps our journey will be very short? So what must I do?"
"You ask me what to do? You see clearly already, this world needs strength. In this world strength is much greater than money, if your strength is great you will protect them, and when they get strong they will also protect you."
"Basically you only need to be strong, even if there's a battle between you and another race if you are strong, you still live, a few strong ones in history you probably know already. That's all."
"But you also need to live for yourself a bit... Sigh... actually strength will bring you great power and great power will bring you everything."
Airi nodded as if to accept.
"I understand."
Suddenly something made Airi and the old wolf's expression become extremely surprised, eyes opened maximum looking at Kazuka. Both stood up and ran closer. The old wolf was the first to speak.
"What the hell? The energy this brat is absorbing, why is it mixed with a bit of black?"
Airi and the old wolf were now vaguely guessing something.
"Could it be..."
"Could it be..."
Takeshi sitting nearby also felt something abnormal, he immediately stopped absorbing energy and opened eyes, turning his head to observe Kazuka, then turned and saw Airi and the old wolf's expression very surprised looking at Kazuka.
The old wolf walked close with his right hand carrying a very large blue energy source. The old wolf punched through the abnormal energy layer surrounding Kazuka, the punch hit straight into his stomach. He cried out an "umph" and fell back in pain.
He sat up with a bit of difficulty, clutching his stomach showing clear pain.
"What was that? Why did you punch me?"
The old wolf walked close with an interrogating voice.
"Hey brat? When you absorbed energy didn't you feel anything normal?"
"I didn't, on the contrary, felt very good, felt even better than before."
"Fine, you all sit down."
Everyone sat on the log once more. The old wolf spoke.
"Hey brat, where do you come from?"
Kazuka grimaced, hand still rubbing his stomach in great pain.
"I don't remember clearly, only remember coming from the East."
"Only remember that? Can't remember more clearly?"
"Is this brat lying? If what I'm thinking is true, interrogating him with force is impossible, I'm already too weak."
"So, does your relative have anyone very strong?"
"Of course, my grandfather is very strong."
"Who is your grandfather?"
"My grandfather is Hiroshi."
"Say both first and last name, brat."
"It's Shimizu Hiroshi."
The old wolf's eyes opened a bit wider as if just remembering something.
"Does your grandfather have no eye in his right eye? Like it was gouged out?"
Kazuka nodded in agreement.
"Right, but I asked him several times and he didn't answer."
"So that's it, I once met your grandfather."
Kazuka was surprised at what he just heard, he jumped up, voice louder, expression carrying excitement.
"Are you serious? Tell me?"
"Fine, let me tell."
Airi sitting nearby carried confusion.
"Does it have anything to do with that energy source?"
The old wolf nodded.
"A little, if it's true then this will be a super deduction clue to what we are thinking."
"About 15 years ago, then I was still a human."
Hearing this, all three jumped up and shouted in unison.
"What? You were a human?"
The old wolf got angry and shouted loudly.
"Shut up, I'm telling so no speaking, did you guys forget?"
Being shouted at, all three sat down and were silent, eyes carrying curiosity.
A young man appeared with a tall, solid stature as if born to stand in the middle of a battlefield. On his body he wore a shiny white armor, each armor piece hugging the body finely forged, refracting sunlight shimmering like silver. The armor wasn't clumsy, but both strong and carried the elegant lines of a royal knight.
Behind his back was a large greatsword – also carrying a silver-white color – with swirling patterns like a flow of light. Patterns were carved delicately, carrying an ancient and solemn breath, as if that sword was once created for a legendary hero. Each step he took, the sword gently swayed, emitting a gentle metal sound hitting the armor behind.
His face made people look back – noblely handsome and attractive. Healthy white skin, high nose bridge, sharp facial lines but not too cold. Golden hair like bathed in morning sun, slightly ruffled by wind, further highlighting deep blue eyes – a blue like a lake surface under a clear sky, both warm and harboring something distant.
He stood there, no need to speak, but knightly aura radiated from him strongly and brightly, making it hard for the person opposite to look away.
Walking into the adventurers' guild with all the gazes of people around. The young man with white armor entered, each heavy and decisive step echoed on the floor tiles, creating deep, powerful "thud" sounds. Light reflected from his armor made a corner of the room bright, making people who were talking suddenly silent. All eyes in the guild simultaneously directed at him.
He didn't look side to side, nor needed to speak. Those deep blue eyes directed straight forward – where a group of eight people sat as if waiting for him beforehand. Large wooden tables, beer mugs still foaming forgotten in others' hands, all were now just the background for the moment the ninth person appeared.
Three out of those eight people were women – each carrying a distinct beauty and aura. One wore a magic cloak with a long staff radiating pale purple light, one wore two curved daggers at her waist, eyes sharp like a wild cat. The remaining person wore light armor, hand placed on a short sword hilt at her waist, gaze cold as if evaluating every threat.
The men in the group were no less impressive – from the one carrying a huge shield behind his back, to the person quietly adjusting a long bow next to the chair. They carried diverse weapons, representing different roles in the formation, but all had one thing in common: all turned back to look at the person who just entered, and no one appeared surprised.
His steps didn't hesitate, as if this position naturally belonged to him. And when he approached, one of them – perhaps the leader – nodded slightly, blooming a hard-to-see smile.
"Finally here, you always go late, Kibaou."
Contrary to the handsome look radiating cold aura, Kibaou laughed loudly.
"Sorry, I overslept."
From a distance there was a middle-aged man, tall stature but not bulky. On him was a long black cloak reaching his heels, heavy and old as if it had gone through countless battles with him. Each step he took was steady, carrying the cold and decisive aura of someone who had walked through life and death.
On the left waist, a long sword lay quietly in its scabbard. No redundant patterns, no brilliant metallic shine, but just by looking people also felt the lethality hidden in each steel grain of that blade – as if it only waited to be drawn to cut everything.
His face was serious to the point few dared to approach. Sharp angular lines, deep eye sockets and clear wrinkles on forehead and around mouth showed this was the face of someone not easy to smile – even forgot how to smile long ago.
But what made everyone notice... were the eyes.
His eyes – cold, deep and normal like many others, but always kept a sharp gaze making the opposite person shrink. And on the right… no eye. Not closed, not covered. There was just a dark space, a hollow black hole – as if that eye had once been ripped from the face by something leaving an unfillable hole.
Light could not reflect into that void. It sucked in every gaze, making anyone who accidentally looked in feel a chill down the spine – as if in that darkness a memory was hidden.
That man said nothing, just stood silent in the cloak's shadow, but his presence was enough to make the whole room silent and heavy.
Stepping closer to Kibaou's group, and standing next to Kibaou, seeing the right had no eye made Kibaou startled and back away.
"Eye... Your eye...?"
The person appearing to be the captain sitting outside when seeing that man then reached out a hand to introduce.
"Everyone get acquainted, this is Shimizu Hiroshi, he will go with us in this exploration into the perilous vein this time."
"I will speak quickly and we will go immediately. This perilous vein time we follow a group of other adventurers who explored to the 30th floor and died there, this time we will go to the 40th floor. Spoils of war we will divide equally, Mr. Hiroshi here needs money so decided to go with us."
"So let's start going now."
Kibaou's voice rang out like a true storyteller.
"Indeed at that time I was the strongest in this city, but that brat's grandfather was even stronger."
Kazuka's voice cut in.
"Oh my god, then my grandfather was so cool."
Kibaou's group was sitting in a cave with glowing stones pinned to the wall. Everyone had slept, but Kibaou and Hiroshi were still awake, the two sat next to each other without saying anything. Kibaou held a water bottle and took a large swig then wiped water drops on his mouth.
Because everyone was still sleeping, Kibaou spoke quite softly but enough to hear.
"Hey, you are really strong, even stronger than me. Earlier if not thanks to you slashing those large dogs I would have died, and even one path left, if it were me I probably couldn't do it."
Rotten mossy stone walls, cave ceiling jagged with sharp stone points, while the ground was ulcerated, cracked as if once crazily clawed by something. Gusts of cold air exhaled from deep below like the breath of a sleeping giant creature.
Kibaou and everyone were walking, alertness clear. They followed a square formation, with a healer, sorcerer and archer in the middle. Passing through not intact carcasses of the previous adventure team that unfortunately had to lose their lives here.
A pack of large wolves with bodies only one gray color, eyes thirsty for flesh and blood and tails like a sharp and large dagger. They lunged out attacking everyone.
"Indeed at that time very hard to fight, with that small cave, if we used energy it would collapse immediately."
The battle was in tension, Kibaou just launched two slashes making the large wolf's head drop. Kibaou had been separated from everyone and surrounded by them. The cramped cave space made those wolves with sharp teeth only a small distance from Kibaou. Gritting teeth with annoyance.
"Damn it, this tunnel segment is also an energy tunnel, just as long as I emit strong energy outward then this sensitive cave will automatically collapse, sorcerer and archer on my side if not using energy then how to support me?"
Suddenly, a very fast figure blurred past making those wolves' heads immediately drop. Kibaou opened eyes wide in disbelief. It was Hiroshi with an extremely fast figure stepping forward.
"Are you okay?"
Returning to the cave where everyone was resting. Hiroshi with a calm look.
"It's nothing."
Kibaou turned with interest.
"But hey, why do you need money to go with us, I'm also quite curious about your right eye."
"Actually I need money to do some things."
"As for this eye, do you know the information from 4 months ago? Information that the demon king's son was hunted by his own father?"
Kibaou with an expression as if recognizing something and nodded.
"I know."
"I am the last survivor in the group of people hired by the demon clan to hunt Kagurei and Hatgetsu."
Kibaou was even more surprised, eyes immediately opened wide.
"Really? So the information is true, only one person went through the teleportation gate and returned with a pile of wounds on body, turned out to be you?"
"It's me."
"No wonder you are so strong."
"And if you guys want to hear about why I currently became a wolf then let me tell."
All three people spoke in unison.
"Tell it."
"After exploring with your grandfather for a few months then that day, we decided to go to another perilous vein."
"In that exploration, we entered a room."
The scene shifted to a dark corridor, Kibaou's group each held a glowing torch. Still the old tactic, a man holding a shield went first and remaining people would surround the group's mainstay.
They reached a large door. The man holding a shield touched his hand to this large black door and turned back.
"Should we keep going?"
Everyone stood for a moment thinking. Another man in the group raised his voice.
"I think should keep going, we have fought many monsters since entering here, this time we know the danger so also prepared energy stones to prevent. And still more than half left."
"The rule everyone uses is: if too quiet should return, but along the way, we have fought continuously and solved many traps. I think likely inside there is treasure."
Everyone seemed to respond to the man who just spoke. The girl holding the staff responded.
"He's right, I think we should try entering, but still must keep alertness."
Kibaou then channeled energy into the door, after a while, the large door was opened, everyone stepped in with extremely high alertness observing around.
Suddenly a wolf wave from afar lunged like a giant pillar. The girl holding the staff immediately erected a barrier surrounding everyone, that smoke wave immediately vanished.
"Everyone be careful."
Suddenly the ground beneath their feet crumbled, a black smoke wave lunged out surrounding everyone. Those standing in that smoke wave immediately showed a strange mark.
Kibaou too, clutching head in pain and backing away, the group leader and a man with a kind look being a healer were not in the smoke, immediately supported Kibaou lunging out of that smoke wave. The leader panicked calling loudly.
"Hey... Hey... Kibaou are you okay?"
The healer sitting nearby, saw something glowing from behind Kibaou's neck. Lunged over and tilted Kibaou's head to one side. It was a strange symbol like a wolf. Kibaou still clutched his head screaming loudly.
"It hurts, it hurts..."
The others in the smoke and Kibaou were gradually transforming. Someone turned into a giant snake, someone turned into a bird with large size... And Kibaou turned into a wolf.
A pack of other monsters from afar lunged over, everyone panicked and ran towards the door. Kibaou still lay on the ground in pain and looked at his wolf hands, raised both hands to stroke his face in panic, tears were gradually flowing from eye corners.
"What the hell have I turned into?... I... I am a monster?"
That respectable leader seeing he still could talk and still had consciousness screamed loudly.
"Kibaou, if it's still you then run."
But running not very far, everyone now were monsters being torn apart by other monsters. Kibaou ran with the leader and healer outside the door turning back in fear. But they had to keep running.
Running for a segment Kibaou in wolf form stopped. Leader and healer also stopped accordingly.
"What are you doing Kibaou? Why not keep running?"
The leader and healer suddenly opened eyes wide, they seemed to realize something.
"Could it be you..."
"Don't do that, whatever the form we still accept, quickly run on."
"What's the point of you two accepting me? What about everyone? Must I live in the forest?"
The healer spoke up advising Kibaou.
"Don't worry, you are loved by everyone, if explained they will accept."
"Who would accept a wolf, you guys go back, I think from now on this cave will be my home."
The leader drew sword from scabbard, that friction sound echoed in the cave. Raising it to neck and screaming at Kibaou in anger.
"Kibaou, if you don't want to live then we will also commit suicide here."
Kibaou drifted teeth, wolf teeth made chilling sounds.
"What the hell are you doing? Get lost, why suicide?"
"Come back with us, we won't go anywhere without you. We promised: 'we will help each other even when doing wrong and against everything' did you forget? Now we help you, if no one lets you stay here then we will go to another place, if you don't go then we will die here."
Wolf eyes flowed tears and ran towards them.
"You idiots."
"Afterwards they helped me explain to people around, then truly very hard, but luckily I was finally accepted. Partly also thanks to the adventurers' guild helping me."
"Then they used the group's common money to buy me this hill and the forest, the remaining money they went to other people's hometowns to give to their families. Then they also went to their hometowns."
"Unexpectedly I turned into a werewolf, werewolves once had many grudges with vampires, so the first time I met Airi, all my nerves fell into a state of alertness."
The old man smirked as if laughing at himself.
"Seems I am almost no longer human."
Airi spoke "turns out that is the reason being a werewolf but having human energy."
Sunset was glowing from afar carrying an indescribable sorrow. Takeshi and Kazuka with sad faces lowered faces to the ground. The old wolf stood up turning away.