Chapter 1120 [Rank: DemiG.o.d]
Arthur nodded at the old man and went to see what the offering was. There was a small statue of a warrior carrying a large tray, with blood traces on its edge. The old man followed after him weakly to explain.
"Don"t be concerned, sir, this is nothing major. We just have to offer it some blood from everyone here, and it would just be a small wound compared to what monsters would do to us."
"This item does not only take away your blood, but also your spiritual energy," said Arthur with a sigh. "This is the only way to establish a portal to transport me here. The runes in this artifact are not self-renewable and there is no mana for them to activate here."
"Does that mean you can help us, great hero?" asked the old man with confusion and concern after hearing Arthur explain something so complicated. "We are willing to offer more blood if that is necessary."
"There won"t be a need," said Arthur as he stretched his body. "My powers have been restricted to be the strongest this realm can handle, but it should be enough to contend against monsters."
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" said the old man as he bowed again, and the rest followed. Arthur noticed that most of them were children and women, looking malnourished and defeated. His heart ached for them.
"When are the monsters coming?" asked Arthur with a smile as he patted the man"s shoulder. "I will help you obtain food until then."
"The monsters will appear when the sun is the highest in the sky, which should be in an hour," said the old man with confusion. "You don"t need to help us with food, Great Hero…"
"A small gesture of grat.i.tude for offering your blood," said Arthur with a smile as he looked around. "I sense that there are some wild animals there. Give me a few minutes."
Arthur then walked through the parting crowd who all watched him leave their village and head toward the forest. After a few seconds that he went into the forest, shrill howls reverberated through the entire town. Then, the ground began shaking.
The shaking continued for a few minutes before the people saw something come out from the forest. The trees bent outward as Arthur returned while dragging a giant wild boar the size of a house. Their jaws dropped as they saw him make his way to the center of town, dragging the house-sized corpse behind him.
"The meat should be enough to last you for a few months," said Arthur as he looked at the giant boar. "I feel bad for killing this animal, but some things have to be done. Store this properly or it would get rotten. A good way is to salt the meat and dry it."
"We will take care of it, sir," said the old man with shaking excitement as he raised his hand, not knowing what to do with them. "Hurry, everyone! Kneel on the ground!"
"There is no need," said Arthur, but everyone was already kneeling on the ground. Arthur sighed and then proceeded to skin the boar. His dagger arts allowed him to dissect it easily, separating skin from bone from flesh.
After that, the people began to carry the slabs of meat and wash them in the nearby river. Some women lit the bonfire and placed a giant pot. Soon, the pot was filled with water, some vegetables, and meat.
The aroma rose in the air as the children sat around Arthur, looking at him with starry eyes. All of them wanted Arthur to tell them heroic stories, so he had to think for a while before telling them about his story in Ilios and its capital, Selene.
Food was soon ready, and the children were given bowls of stew that were filled with meat and vegetables. Arthur was offered one as well, but he refused, since he has just eaten earlier with his friends. As they ate their food, the townspeople listened to his story against the fake Light Emperor.
The bonfire died down eventually, but the aroma spread to the surrounding forest. Growling echoed from within the forest, forcing Arthur to cut his story short, reaching the point where he had to fight against the emperor and a calamity.
"Monsters are here!" shouted one of the children with fear, almost dropping her bowl from her hands. Arthur patted her head, reminding her of his existence.
"And they will soon be gone."
Arthur rose from his chair, taking out his dagger. Although he did not have his mana or stats in this place, he still had something boiling within him. Wrath originated from the lower realms, and it did not care how low a realm was.
Nightmare unleashed a cry of wrath that shook souls as Arthur walked toward the moving forest. The monsters emerged after a few seconds, walking on all fours, full of fur, and with long arms and legs. Their heads looked like basketb.a.l.l.s with red eyes and wide jaws.
As their saliva fell on the ground, it released a horrendous stench that made some townspeople gag. Arthur raised his eyes toward them, seeing that their sharp teeth were still stained with blood. It enraged him.
"A group of creatures that spread fear and havoc do not deserve my mercy," said Arthur with wrath as he gritted his teeth. "I will exterminate you from this world, leaving no traces behind."
The monsters might have understood his intentions after sensing his killing intent, making them issue a shrill cry before rushing toward him. Their long limbs dug through the ground as they clawed at Arthur, seeking to kill him.
"G.o.dslayer Art… Light Seizer."
Arthur muttered as his dagger absorbed the light from the world, turning daylight to night. Then, he dashed forward, pa.s.sing through the incoming monsters with a light br.i.m.m.i.n.g with light. As the light exploded, nothing could be seen anymore.
After the light faded, the townspeople opened their eyes and saw that the monsters had burst into flames. Their death came instantly as they fell to the ground, burned to ashes by the searing light.
The monsters came in a horde, numbering at least forty. However, all of them died at the same time, leaving the townspeople confused. It was their first time that a hero killed the monsters with such ease or even hunted food for them.
[You have completed the first test of bravery. You can use the altar to enter the next test.]
"How is this bravery?" said Arthur with a laugh, but he did not care. He used his wrath to overcome the tower"s rules and conquer it as fast as he could. He turned toward the people, who stared at him dazed. "I have to leave now."
"Please, great hero, let us give you something…" said the old man with complete helplessness. "I have nothing to offer except this… it belonged to my daughter…"
The old man took out something from his pocket, covered with silk clothes. Arthur was confused as the old man took it out, which seemed to be a crystal necklace.
"I have no use for this," said Arthur with a shake of his head. "Keep this in memory of your daughter, good man. I will see you again soon. Keep the altar close to you, and I will come back to save you once I defeat the tower."
"What tower, sir?" asked the old man with confusion. "I don"t understand how the world works anymore, but I want you to take this as a gesture of grat.i.tude. No hero has ever been able to kill all monsters, and this means that we will be safe for a long time!"
"I really can"t take it," said Arthur, but the old man hurried to shove the necklace into his hand, clasping it tightly around the crystal. Tears gathered in his eyes as he looked at Arthur.
"Let this old man be stubborn, Great Hero."
Arthur paused as he stared at the old man"s eyes, which began filling with tears. Time did not let him rest as he seemed wary and hammered down to his bones. Arthur could not help but nod and take the necklace with him.
The townspeople gathered around the altar as they sent him off. Arthur climbed the steps and sat in the middle, watching the runic lines activate to take him back. As he looked at the townspeople, Arthur promised them one last time.
"Give me just an hour, and I will take you toward a safer place."
As they heard his promise, the townspeople smiled but said nothing. Arthur felt his body get lighter before the world disappeared, replaced by a white canvas. As he sat in the white world, he wondered if they believed his words.
Arthur a.s.sumed that an hour would be all they feel in their world, given that the tower was on a higher realm. Thus, time would flow differently.
[The next test in the Trial of Heroes is to see how many legendary creatures you can defeat.]
Arthur felt his body falling down, and he looked down to see a point below him. The point got bigger as if Arthur was descending toward it, until he landed inside a colosseum which used to be that dot.
[You must defeat ten enemies to pa.s.s this trial]
[Rank of summoned enemies: DemiG.o.d]