"Looks like my guess was right about your weakness” Demon Lord Jortheus says216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILrnc6UEMt
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9fqyAdfOU
“Listen here, Mister Jortheus, how about you let us off the hook?” Ronin ask216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirHwCOlDYX
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrzZsnsAO3
“Why should I? This is effective practice for me. The kind of warfare I crave that the heroes lack.” He says216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrDv1aehKm
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡau6lNstnAM
Ronin exhales, shaking his head. “Oh, come on,” he says, voice laced with mock disappointment. “Surely, you’ve got better things to do? I don’t know—organizing armies, conquering the world, that sort of thing?” He rolls his shoulders as if the conversation bores him, but his eyes flicker around, scanning for an opening.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENfoHz4IuI
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jZxIr1OfN
Where is that Old Dwarf?! Do I need to finish things here and check on him too?216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVGGk0d0Ej
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg80LtSoZmP
Jortheus chuckles—low and deliberate, the kind that slithers under your skin. “You think I want to conquer the world?” He steps forward, his eyes burning like soldering embers. “That’s petty. Shortsighted.” His voice drops to a whisper, intimate yet suffocating. “I want the heavens, Ronin. The gods watch over you humans, bless you, but never us. Tell me—what’s fair about that?”
“Do whatever you want, just let us go.” I reply, my tone flat.
“Mankind grovels for the gods’ favor, waiting for salvation that will never come. I refuse to be a puppet in their cruel design. I will forge a new order. If the gods deny us a place in their world, then we shall carve one out of theirs.”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBcPw3Rs5V
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdoVEecony
“And you, Ronin, are a walking contradiction—half of the privileged, half of the forsaken. So tell me, which half should I destroy first?” he says almost making me gawk at his determination, his determined eyes, slicing throught the scene to meet mine is enough to tell me the isn’t a simpleton, but I can’t give up just yet.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd97KaijFvP
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8IABa12A1
"You’re as insane as any villain. So the gods ignored you—I feel bad for your people. But dragging everyone into your pity war? That’s a hell of a throne you’re building." I say
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5658pFLB3
I try to stay composed, but every second Warzheil takes chips away at my patience. This guy’s patience is as unyielding as an old lion’s pride.
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FA66gRR3j
Jortheus ignores the remark, his smile unwavering, his voice steady yet charged with conviction. “You misunderstand me, Ronin. I am no mindless villain driven by hatred. I am a ruler—a guide for my people. I do not kill for sport or cruelty. I fight to prove a point—to carve our place in this world, as rightful as theirs.” His final words abandon their regal weight, raw and untamed, like a prideful wolf howling against the night.
His golden eyes gleam with something almost resembling kindness before his tone turns cold. “But order demands sacrifice. If you win, I will show mercy to those connected to you. If you lose, I will erase them before your eyes—swiftly, painlessly. A kindness, truly, sparing them from the suffering the world would otherwise inflict.”
Jortheus spreads his arms, his presence growing heavier. "This is the burden of leadership, Ronin. The will to make difficult choices. The strength to act where others hesitate. That is why I will succeed where the gods have failed."
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OXhxoZk6T
This guy is not in his right mind for sure.
“So, a fight to the death? That’s the best deal you could come up with?” I say, throwing out whatever taunts come to mind, fishing for a conversation—buying time.
I’ve seen and killed plenty like him. The only difference is that this one happens to be a demon lord instead of a man. But what unsettles me isn’t his strength—it’s his indifference. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t rise to the bait. No arrogance, no wounded pride. That’s not how these so-called mighty beings are supposed to act.
The demon lord stares at me, his expression shifting from anger to confusion. “That’s strange, I have said these things to other humans too, even the heroes, they got very angry and vulnerable, Aren’t you going to yell in anger?”
“Why would I? The deal doesn’t sound half bad to me,” I answer, my voice calm.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNZrjnKoH7
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj8C4wWLUD
Not bad? MY ASS. There is something off about this guy, no one can be this composed in a game of wits against me but this monster just don’t care about my comments, as if he knows I am trying to push him into loosing control.
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoT2qwfTfB
“You are such an interesting being!. As a sign of acknowledgement, I will use my true form against you. This is truly the end.”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOflaPzgOFJ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vz1e9cn1Q
Wait wha..? Of course he would have a final form! Oldman don’t you have your final form too? Things are looking grim for me, all this time there has been this sharp smell in the air that feels like it makes my lungs burn. I really want to get this guy off me but he has latched on to me like a tick.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBRtV1Ljfz
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHynyymYN95
The air thickens, pressing against my lungs like molten iron as Jortheus' form begins to distort. Bones crack and elongate, his shadow stretching like an omen of ruin. Blackened horns jut from his skull, curved like a Taurus, their surface veined with glowing crimson. His Armor shifts with him, moulding into something grotesquely regal—designed not just for war, but for domination. He isn’t just transforming—he Looks like some final boss of a game.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlajqWytxUc
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcAdNlcXbM
I shouldn’t feel so out of it know me, but I feel like my left hand is tingly, as if reacting to something unseen yet familiar, Beneath the skin, under the hard crystalline scales, something stirs. Bubbling. Rising. Bubbling. Rising. Feeling strangely close to hunger.
“Now That-- is a being that look AND feel like a demon lord, not bad at all,” I blurts out216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZD5lv0NR0
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtRoXnKXvN
One last chance. Keep him talking—buy time.
Jortheus chuckles. “Oh? So you know how to appreciate beauty too? Consider yourself honoured; This is formally to fight against Heroes, But I deem YOU—a manaless--worthy of fighting this form of mine. Now, let’s get this fight underway.”
Without a word, Jortheus stabs his blade into the ground. The earth trembles. Then—shhkkk!—a vortex of jagged stone bullets erupts around him, spinning so fast they slice through the air with a shrill, high-pitched hum.
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdKl94QuHh
This is really bad.
Instinct takes over—I grab my spear, spinning it just like I did against Ava, deflecting the stone bullets. But it’s not enough. Too many. Too fast.
I twist midair, harnessing my previous momentum—rolling, spinning, forcing the spear to cut harder, faster. My muscles burn. Still not enough.
Damn it, stop spamming!
I dash forward, my spear a blur, carving through the relentless barrage, trying to halt his absurd onslaught. But each impact feels like deflecting a truck. My arms scream. My hair whips around, a tangled mess.
*Sound—crack.
A sharp, metallic screech. Sparks fly. My reinforced titanium spear is breaking under the sheer force of the attacks.
I underestimated him, and what I feared ended up happening, he was hiding his actual power! The book was right!
“I must admit, Ronin, I am utterly impressed by how well you are handling a staff with such skill and speed,” the demon lord says, his voice filled with admiration.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7WGWlyb8J
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFrhFmcv7Z
In the moon light I see a small ship approach from not too far in the waters of Kobe river. My ride is here, I need to end it while he thinks I’m using a staff.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpHFAR51rB
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJVDcUPPX1
As I close in, the demon lord staggers as if something inside him went missing, the ominous miasma exuding from his body disappeared. I get a feeling this might be the right chance to strike. I dart in, ready to capatalise on his reaction and vulnerability.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gtBPYzswZ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokZtQa6Ueh
This could be my key to victory.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6K9AoaGCK
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYd23BQph0
The plasma blade hums, heat distorting the air as I drive it toward Jortheus' torso. The edge meets his armor-like flesh—obsidian, reinforced by demonic power. Instead of cleaving through, the blade skids, sparks flying as if I’m trying to carve into solid rock.
I tighten my grip, forcing more power into the strike, I curl my left arm around his back to exert even deadly thrust from my spear. The blade presses in—burning, melting, and at last—cracking. A fissure splits across his chest, dark smoke hissing out like a punctured furnace.
I push forward, forcing him toward the shore, where the uneven ground will limit his footing. My head stays close to his torso, leaning inward to prevent his massive hands from curling around me. His eyes widen—not in pain, but in mild surprise.
“Not Enough!” he says as instead of grabbing he clutches my left arm and pulls it away from him, although the movement cam naturally to me, my hand must have been absorbing his power as I feel somewhat refreshed.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSY3HnNCcy
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEV6GgntYP
Just when I started to let the refreshing feeling settle,216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEFhbEgzTi
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyfHjm6wPZ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkfaMhAss0
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiwwOE0o14
I see a flash of movement the demon lord controls my movement , turning my back to the river using one of the crystal scale on my arm as handel—then ice-cold steel buries itself into my chest. I don’t feel it at first. Just pressure. Then, the pain blooms—sharp, deep, spreading like wildfire. My vision blurs at the edges. I try to gasp, but the blade must have punctured something vital—my breath won’t come.
“*Cough* Not bad, Ronin. You can even absorb, seems like whoever turned you into a half-demon knew his craft, creating a being as strong as you, a being who’s power shouldn’t belong with humans. I will ask one last time. Join me, and I will treat you well. Or else…” he says, clutching me by throat, raising me off my feet as he drags me towards the edge of the river.
I struggle to breathe but my lungs won’t move, his blade must have damaged my diaphragm.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVj7TlJk2MB
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLkzpbk33r
Jortheus’ grip tightens. He’s stronger than I thought. What do I do? As I feel myself fading, I hear a familiar voice echoing in my mind. It’s my grandpa.
“Shar…! Always remember, one’s body can be the deadliest weapon or the weakest sapling. Turn your hands into your weapons.”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW23AyJ0hC7
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqSRNZgZFh
“Ronin, This time I used a special poison, deadly against bone demons, if your surrender……” The demon lord’s voice fades as I lose myself to the darkness slowly.
I remember my grandpa’s advice for some reason, I remember my self trying to figure out what that meant, yes, I tried using my hand as blade after that advice until I got used to the pain.
“My… hands?” I whisper, a glimmer of hope igniting within me.
I open my eyes, barely able to see the demon lord’s shocked face. I glance at my left arm, now transformed into a blade, the crystalline scales glowing with energy, the yellow and red veins glowing. Slicing through his jaw and skull. He starts fading into particles.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pAH1dIreI
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ03ofwyCvR
“Imp—possible!, a half-human using Bone transformation?!--” the demon lord says as he fades.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF6cx4x7MM
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh09rNgcfJT
The rush of cold air bites against my skin—I’m falling.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EzfJDb0Af
Warzheil’s voice cuts through the haze. What is he saying? Is he angry that I didn’t come to help him?216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMR6BfHr7l
I want to listen, but he sounds distant.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGKaVs2Pgy
I try to stay awake, but my eyes won’t listen.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5p5dEloQs
I’m so exhausted… Maybe just a very short nap.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllzYA2nQOc
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOpMMzlC2e
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVw6aWuo1lD
Warzheil watches Ronin kill the Demon lord. The sky flashes as heavens witness something unbelievable.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZz3vZHnJz
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRilpqsWw6H
Warzheil grows in size, driving a massive hook into the cliffside. The rope, tethered to their ship, strains as he tries to slow its reckless descent down the river. For a moment, the boat jerks to a halt.
Seizing the chance, he catches Ronin—only to stagger under the unexpected weight. The impact forces him to his knees, but he quickly regains control, laying Ronin down before slashing the rope, freeing the ship.
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZFZW79qNG
The small ship shakes as the rope cuts off and then aligns itself with the flow of the river that’s heading west.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzilY0eDsvL
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEPgDT1hTP
“Don’t you dare die now, you bastard! Not after all this!”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9qhv4IfwV
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlUml97MAn
Warzheil grits his teeth, arms straining as he lifts Ronin’s limp form.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1oow96L8U
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcTBlKazpl
Even with his giant strength, it feels like hauling a mountain. His breath comes out ragged—whether from exertion or fear, he doesn’t know.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wfLgIsaND
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqnzaDWcC4
The crimson pooling beneath Ronin spreads like ink on parchment, and Warzheil swallows hard. “You don’t get to die on me, lad. Not after what you just pulled.”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡue1dkvVQFF
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULWDz8ls1J
After trying his hardest and some curses, Warzheil lifts Ronin and drags him to a dusty bed in a cabin under the steering of the ship.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWZyeEQG7k
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVeGl1H9vy
The cabin is dark, dusty. Warzheil pulls away a dusty sheet from the bed, revealing a cleaner one beneath it.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLW9Gs6KwF
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2OsfI5yhu
It means little because as soon as Warzheil slowly sits Ronin on the bed and lie him down, his think shiny crimson blood starts flowing, ruining the clean sheet,216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkYXLt5TFE
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIal4W8SiZ
Ronin’s chest barely moves.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUbMogfCOW
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwdSrmmVr8
Every breath sounds like air being forced through a torn flute. Warzheil grits his teeth—if the lad stops breathing, there’s no coming back.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMhIlfJ46R
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFwv20lAtf
Warzheil removes Ronin’s mask, drags a bag full of some ration near his and puts his left arm in it.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkguTayIvp2
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2AvCJq2Op
The arm does its work.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRBe7byLy5
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqz37tjIBN
The bag starts to empty out, but something is wrong,216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YSfcLQ37h
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9gN9VyYzJ
"Damn it, his body should have started healing by now!" Warzheil yells, bashing his fist on the floor, watching as Ronin’s arm absorbed the rations yet failed to fully recover. The wounds closed at first, but then the process halted.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8KW7ClkRl
“Hang it there, Lad!” He says as he shakes the dirty sheet violently before tearing it to make bandages.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCo3Ft9kemz
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEisPdiHfv9
Warzheil tries to tears ronin’s suit but its very durable and doesn’t budge, so he takes out a knife and cuts it and notices blackening around the wound.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8Gbw7IxIV
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeKT9Acr74
“Poison? This smells like…Medusa’s blood poison? No wonder he isn’t healing!” Warzheil yells in anger216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzGpLnyTBf
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFy5gTZFvU
“This will hurt a bit, lad.” Warzheil almost whispers to himself. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxI66DoUAl
he gets ready to take out the short sword.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHk2rRV61m
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BoTJ57r0o
“1…2…and…Hmph!” Warzheil says as he takes out the short sword out of Ronin’s chest in a sudden motion, still dripping with black poison.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrifC21wD5
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcWWsqOsOS
Blood splatters,216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8jw3vNtj0
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqycrLKFR28
Ronin uncoils in pain, making a very tensed expression as he hisses in pain.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaHOgcjBv3
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjvX8a2AjW
“Fuck that Demon Lord, using such deadly poison…especially deadly to bone demons no less.”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIFBmsiDCT
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseuW2kfU6l
Warzheil doesn’t waste a second and opens a jar full of honey, presses Ronin down into a stable position before he pours it around and a bit inside the wound then roughly stitches him up.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVPjF0hbBV
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsIyJG3SCa
“Damn it—damn it all!” Warzheil growls, his fingers trembling as he Takes out a medium box with some ointment in it, he presses a herbal paste into the wound. Ronin’s blood seeps through, dark and thick, unstoppable. Ronin’s breath comes in rough, uneven attempts to breathe.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7bEpOOiUK
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEwVh1ZwVG
“No. Not you. you’re not dying on me, lad!” He yanks the sheet, tearing it into makeshift bandages with his teeth. His hands won’t stop shaking.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYVtpdJmvS
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9amIJgFu70
Just when He thinks that Ronin has stabilised, He starts to cough out blood and the bandage gets red with blood.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22syBXpdth
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdofqnRpSaC
“Shit, Scrolls, Yes--the scrolls in the basement!” Warzheil rushes out of the cabin and yanks open the hatch leading below deck.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJ7NrSnrfc
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FNOKLi1zi
Warzheil goes down and summons an orb of lightning which dimly lights up the area. There are many things, Weapons, scrolls, herbs, some clothes and even potions. But there is also a goblin inside, Holding a purple crystal, saying something as if speaking to someone. Warzheil wastes not a second and bashes its face into its skull. And picks up the crystal, before dismissively putting it in his back pocket in a hurry.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAalMoaQpJX
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDIEVQ8ycS
He digs through scrolls and potions, filtering out a few before sprinting back to Ronin.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7cMqnc0UK
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRKEaJbDjn
he uses a scroll to summon a healing pixie.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgWY9fe8tL
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VL5sUJCRy
“Heal my friend here.” Warzheil says216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3R2kRKpyp
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqs6QdHQVzh
“Oh, he seem in pain, don’t worry, I will……arrgg” the pixie recoils and fall down on ground, suffering as soon as it gets into Ronin’s Anti-magic barrier.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKERzxlvkvK
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJciX5e4QDW
“Anti-magic, artifact?” the pixie says as Warzheil gets it away from Ronin.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nQwopJA5F
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOakNZZdCQl
“Insane Dwarf, do you not know how fatal anti-magic artifacts are to us pixies? Yet you did not take it off him before summoning me!” The pixie disappears before Warzheil can say anything. Warzheil’s tension turns into desperation as he gets confused in which way to go, shuffling for a second before checking on Ronin’s condition again216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HGLltVCIl
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCydz4xp9Pb
Ronin’s breathing seemed to have slowed down, as if a lion down to its last breath, still rough as he struggles, His chest is loosing the strength to lift.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c7pGNe8J5
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO2il0TyXD
In a rush, Warzheil lifts the bed such that Ronin’s legs are higher than his head, which helps in breathing.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc02bVMFt9
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWQW719Wdh
“Potions are made with herbs!”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNU6NUvQz8
“They should cure his condition! They must.” He thinks as he slowly drips one of them into Ronin’s mouth.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ses8rKatt
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBq1caHatDi
Ronin coughs weakly, but then starts drinking it a drop at a time.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtYCVhD1O0
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsXO7EJbwD
“Ronin, don’t you dare give up. Hold on!, just for a bit longer you hear me?!. Ronin!? Damn it!” He says as if trying to awaken Ronin.
Warzheil had seen death before. Too many times. But not Ronin’s. Not today. He’d be damned if he let the lad slip away. He tries to do whatever he can to avoid the old past from returning.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WhHWzN2gk
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBjQDNv6Sa
Ronin’s condition improves a little although his breathing is still rough.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACrRSfHyky
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJR2T4FejR
Seeing ronin take so much time while Warzheil’s blood throbs in his head makes him feel impatient.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1QSTex3wW
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6r6B6xwmE
Warzheil’s gaze darts around the room, then lands on a wooden bowl. An idea snaps into place.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnS6ddRDgB
He pours the potion one at a time into the bowl and brings it near Ronin’s left hand, it gets absorbed in mere seconds.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolMkdM1nyj
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeyLaewjRw
One of the potions cause Ronin to vibrate a little as if paralysed, which makes Warzheil to hold his head as if it’s all over, But Ronin’s breathing finally stabilises.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVdLtOX8a1
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvG3CvM4foN
Warzheil exhales softly, letting the tension settle down.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmmLq8ZJVW
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4Aa3wtTPN
“I should have been there sooner. He you had to face that monster alone while I was off cleaning up scraps and drinking old booze. Some friend I am.” Warzheil says, pinching, his nose and coughing as his eyes got wet.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQhvMNw4PO
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1G0Fb1SxIf
"Just hold on a bit longer Lad. I’ll get you to Sil—she’ll know what to do."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAfEkEmMBW
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYj5zb9M64
He pats Ronin’s shoulder lightly as he gets up relieved and tries to get up, but stumbles, his knees almost lost their strength.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdIv7K55Ky
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbn7faNkm1
“He actually beat that monster… And Jortheus didn’t even use his ‘Black Orb’ technique. If he had….” Warzheil thinks.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVat3gzw3E9
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzZlKl08eO
“It will be dawn by the time we reach near Newin town. I have locked the steering in mana mode, so it should hold. I need to make sure Ronin’s condition doesn’t worsen.” With this though in mind, Warzheil takes care of Ronin.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkO7GhrDbJ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqh0gWbwbD5
Throughout the night, Ronin’s breath would get strained, rough but better than before, his wound however is still as fresh. Warzheil sits with two wooden poles, carving them into hand supports to stand with.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi78ffpqPX
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFoT7TTSJH
Warzheil starts to feel sleepy, an idea pops up in his mind, he uses another scroll, this time summoning a black giant bird a bit bigger than size of his face, it tilts its head to look at Warzheil with its violet eyes.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnj6zJc5HkD
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNWaRP6QXB
“Kraaww..kraawwww” it screeches loadly.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9deSZWzORz
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7Cz1yC7Hh
“Cursed bird, tone it down! Awake me on the first ray of light.” Warzheil says216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6z6whI86Zm
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg1gSb7a6A
“Kraww-Kraww” the bird says.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLxe3YnqBm
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3BgLsaf5M
“That’s not reassuring.” Warzheil says216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUVDNliVFH
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQho0baOpjY
Not believing in the bird, Warzheil tries to stay awake but soon the clutches off sleep takes him.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlakFJ0xqCh
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KTkn0Fvxd
He falls asleep Only to snap awake216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpSx4fPuYv
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj5bB21OGf
“Huh? Time? The time!! ” he says, as he stumbles before rushing to the cabin door and busting it open.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtjcS5PdPQ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QeF0hwdQs
The sun had risen, and the shore area is about to end before the cliffs start again. He has no time to tie Ronin behind his back without missing the shores.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWkjY7uROc
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbHfdKvkQ0
“That damn bird! I shouldn’t have trusted it!” he cusses, and starts gently tying Ronin behind his back.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1co3u9N0s
**********************************************************************************216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6m1ahkod0
If we Stick with the ship longer, it will lead us to the vortex at he meeting point of rivers, I will need to climb the cliff somehow.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyfDsDVDqF
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26M1PmA68k
I tie Ronin to my back using ropes.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRZVFPOA0k
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkloPtZLBXT
I tries to gigantify but it fails, Now I know first hand why his anti-magic power is so deadly, it even suppressed the mana in my blood.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LJt8vqz2T
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIsG8WYSNH
Feeling weakness from the loss of mana I power through it, Ronin must have had It hard, this is my redemption, my responsibility.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI06Bj9NEva
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy4h8rygdR
I grip the two smaller hooks, step to the ship’s rear, and swing. The hooks catch. The ship drifts further, the current pulling hard. One slip, and we’re both dead.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEiyfMvwpb
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMj3ZXhBvB
my muscles stiffen with each pull, threathing to crash us into the water. I use both the hooks as climbing tools.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdg3HuvOH1
I almost fall, one hook loses its hold, the strain on my single hand almost makes me want to yell and cry in pain but I tough through it. I finally reach at top of one of the cliffs, but there are higher cliffs on these parts of the land.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJO5r1pMWz
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG7LWzShXn
These are the main plains of the kinlan continent.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBHgbzefMp
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6INbcGFi6g
I feel wet on my back, a strange warmth to it, I untie Ronin, realising what that warmth means.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrUNpbs51r
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdbrzOraqe
Ronin’s wound had opened up. It takes some time to find bandage in my dimensional pocket, tightening the stitches, applying fresh herb and finish patching him up with them.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3SnY9jNic
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5gaThoOUX
But this time the bleeding stopped it less effort. I hear a strange screeching voice, high above me216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hz3eAwGP0
,a familiar voice.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8r0Eoqp5I
It’s a Bawarian.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cugCQTDkB
A messenger bird species. For the right treat and a scent to follow, they can deliver voice message using mana. And I happen to have some meloberries which are their favorites.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhSw3zF8bL
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjJxJUrTYw
Kade’s knowledge is finally being put to use. By me no less.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxWgV8wLqc
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPeDIGAzFZ
I take the small orange berries out of my dimension pocket and extend my palm, which attracts it almost immediately as if it was looking at me for a while.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQR56aL1YO
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieK4H9DZGw
The bird almost half my size lands on the ground infront of me as I pour the berries on the ground.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4902qCwk7V
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uKY0RN0Qq
Most Bawarians in these plains know Kade and treat him as their guardian and provider as he is blessed with nature’s affinity.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnHo7fCpxs
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66sVOp7jLu
“Do, you know Kade?” I ask, on which the bawarian spreads its giant wings and makes a high pitch screeching sound.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbaERx5rIZ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSN3ztSKs3
It’s a sign Bawarians make to those they know, which means it know me.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih7mZXxcEx
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP5WLGD02f
“Birdy, please return to Kade as soon as possible and deliver him this message..” I continue “Kade, I have returned, I have a friend with grave injury, which he got because of me, I am near the wester coast of the river, trying to climb the cliffs, come fast.”216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwwp9ynFDJ
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwkD0YcaMZ
The Bawarian doesn’t waste another second after eating its treat it flies off.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mFSsYMXDe
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMC92s9otg
I brace myself for another climb, but my muscles are sore from the previous climb. I move away from Ronin, as potions with magic properties get steralized near him, and take out a blue potion out of the dimensional pocket and chug it down, it tastes barely sweet with a hint of a freshness in the mouth, and then I feel my strength return.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEENTmCDwBU
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1goiaaQh9
I climb again, this cliff is not so hard, but the 3rd one is very big, I climb, scaling with precision.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sENonfLXv
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ATCJDUKVE
I would have slipped normally but with ronin on my back I cannot afford a mistake.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJOXMPPdAt
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC5b19xemS
Sweat trickled down my face, stinging my eyes, blurring my vision as I reached for another handhold. The cold wind howled around me, its touch like a thousand needles raking against my skin.
Each step reassured me—this exhausting climb would soon end. My heart pounded like a war drum, every pulse a relentless reminder of fleeting time. I clung to the ledges just as he clung to life. I couldn’t stop. Not when Ronin’s survival depended on me. If I failed now, my friend’s sacrifice would be for neigh.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3kT4PTcvB
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07al3KRxXC
After minutes of grueling climbing, I was just inches from the top—then a sharp snap. My right hook shattered. Time slowed. The world tilted. The abyss below yawned, pulling at me.
A shadow moved above. A hand shot out.
“Hold on!” Kade’s voice.
I grabbed hold on instinct.
“What are you lot looking at? Help me—they’re both heavy!” he barked.
More hands reached down, and the pulling force multiplied.
At last, we reached the top of the cliff. I lifted my head, letting nostalgia wash over me. I had missed this place. But there was no time for reminiscing—Ronin needed immediate medical attention.
“Ah! He’s a demon!” One of Kade’s men recoiled.
“A demon?” Suspicion darkened Kade’s face.
“He’s not a demon. He has a story,” I said firmly. “We need to get him to Sil—only she can help.”
Their hesitation irritated me. I raised my voice. “What are you waiting for? Get moving!”
“You heard the old man,” Kade ordered. “Give him a horse. Wyran, you’ll sit with me.”
The young soldier didn’t question it, nodding as he dismounted and joined Kade.
“Isn’t he just a kid? You desperate?” I muttered, setting Ronin on the back of a Greizer—a rare breed of horse capable of manipulating gravity for speed.
As soon as Ronin was secured, the Greizer grew restless. Of course—it had just felt its mana suppressed.
“K-Kade, I can’t feel my mana around this guy,” one of the men stammered.
“Calm down,” I said. “This guy is different. I’ll explain everything, but first, we need to get him treated.”
The Greizer flicked its silver mane, its powerful form reminiscent of a warrior’s helmet. Normally, I’d use mana to guide the beast, but with Ronin suppressing all magic, I had to rely on old-fashioned riding.
I gripped its mane. “Easy, friend. It’ll be over soon.”
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztXGz2ElJj
**********************************************************************************216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOvLtwUKwa
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqO8EHQ2bN
In the heart of the Demon Lord’s domain in Saktar continent, where countless demon alliances schemed against the world, Jortheus’s eyes snapped open.
He was on his throne.
His generals stood frozen, their faces betraying disbelief—even the most composed among them.
“The King… died?” an aged swordsman murmured.
“Watch your tone, Zygrid!” A dragon-newt snarled. “His Highness teleported here! How dare you think the Almighty King—”
“No…” Jortheus interrupted, his voice laced with frustration. “The old sword is right, Hilsmyrid.”
Silence fell.
“I can’t believe it,” Jortheus muttered. “I had the upper hand. Then… his hand transformed. Just like a Bone Demon’s. His ability to absorb vitality was already a surprise, but to think… a half-human could use bone transformation?” His fist clenched. “I lost to a mere human who wasn’t even a Hero? Muraaagh!”
With a furious kick, his throne shattered into pieces.
A new voice rang out.
“I don’t believe it! My husband… lost? To a normal human?”
The throne room’s crimson-lit corridor brightened as a regal figure approached.
“N-Nyxia, my love—”
Jortheus’s words caught in his throat. His wife’s expression was unreadable, but her golden-cracked irises burned with intensity.
The court fell into a suffocating silence. The generals averted their eyes. Were they afraid? Their trembling gaze said yes.
“You dare return in defeat?” she asked. Her voice was calm, but the storm beneath it was unmistakable.
Then, she exhaled. Her expression softened, her noble demeanour reasserting itself. “Explain.”
Jortheus swallowed. “I misjudged him.”
His voice was quieter now, almost reverent.
“His name was Ronin. Half-demon, half-human. He fought on par with our magic arts. Curses didn’t affect him.”
Whispers rippled through the court.
“Even curses?” one of the Big hulking general named Genamura rumbled. “That makes no sense. The magic arts of the Unbidden Plains are unmatched!”
Jortheus shook his head. “He had an anti-magic artifact—one that outright erased any magic used directly on him. I thought I could overpower him, but he was nothing like an average human.” His eyes darkened. “He had the gaze of a veteran. He baited me, tried to get under my skin, and I almost lost control.”
The queen listened intently.
“Then he did something I’ve never seen before. A martial art unknown to our kind. I summoned demon needles—hundreds—but he deflected them all. With a spear. Without mana.”
“A martial art and an artifact no one has seen before?” Nyxia mused, her disbelief evident.
Jortheus nodded. “And then… his hand transformed. I hesitated. I lowered my guard for a fraction of a second.” His fists clenched. “A human using bone transformation—the legendary ability Rare to even the Bone Demons.”
The weight of his words crashed over the court.
A pause.
A long, heavy pause.
Then, the old demon with two swords on his left wait, one on his right, A demon with four hands but one on the right missing steps forwards.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93U5Kz84Y0
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqsQ6QMA7Y
“No matter what it takes, we’ll hunt that human down and bring you his head, my lord—”
“No.” Jortheus cut him off. His voice was sharp, absolute.
The old demon hesitated.
“Do not throw your lives away,” the Demon Lord commanded. “If he survived the Vortex—though it should be impossible—do not act in haste. He is like an apex predator. Against him, even I felt like nothing more than a noble from another race.” His crimson eyes burned. “Do not fight him alone. Not unless we secure one of the lost Martial Treasures from the human kingdoms.”
A massive demon general—Gumdhar—growled. “A human? Besting the king?” His voice rumbled like shifting boulders. “I want to meet him.”
The queen turned to Jortheus. “So, dear… what do we do now?”
Jortheus stared at his own hands.
“…We are not as strong as we thought.”
But something was different. His power had changed. His muscles burned with newfound strength. His magic pulsed stronger than before.
“I feel stronger,” he muttered, flexing his fingers.
His wife nodded. “Krysana is negotiating with the Forest Folk King as we speak.”
“It’s not enough,” Jortheus said, his voice growing cold.
He raised his hand. With the flick of a wrist, like a noble issuing a casual decree, he spoke:
“Pass this order to all other generals, demon races and alliances, also Inform the Lich….”
The court waited.
“We launch full-scale attacks on all kingdoms—except the dragons. Loot their treasures. Take everything. I am now stronger compared to the heroes, killing them takes priority. And if you do find that strange human, I will deal with him personally.”
The air in the throne room thickened as the decree set in, his voice full of threat and menace as his gaze pierces through the air into void, thinking of Ronin as the scenes haunt him.
The generals moved. Orders would spread like wildfire.
Jortheus turned his gaze toward the unseen horizon.
“Ronin…” he murmured.
Dear Reader, be kind enough to leave a comment in the chapter about it, as it inspires me to keep improving and doing better. And like if you enjoyed this chapter.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL7X8bOzRi
It hardly takes a few seconds to write "Good", but it boosts the confidence of us authors.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaYbPgsLbh
;)216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuateW7XIY
Join my Discord server If you want sneak peeks or early access to chapters of Cosmeta series. Discord Server link: http://discord.gg/Q27uA8vnfu216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSBPpC9m8l
Dive into hot discussions with the creator, meet fellow story fans. Theory crafting, story creation, all sorts of things.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVRJ7vrQCH
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDc81r8SWo
216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nxaWCD8sU
然後按「加至主畫面」