Chapter 4: Live In Fear
Well, there's the third test, which is about endurance, something about facing pressure from the chieftain, but it's merely a way for him to flaunt his might.
If you manage to pass the tug of war, then you're already good to participate the ceremony.
Now it's time to take a good nap.
Bang-!
Someone suddenly swung a wooden bat at the back of Liam's head, causing him to fall to the ground, and then I blacked out—well, only for a moment.
'This mere force isn't enough to knock me down… It's just that I am too sleepy right now, so I just keep closing my eyes and let them bring me somewhere.'
If some bastard is trying to murder me, then they should just stick a knife into me, not strike at the back of my head, so chances are they are kidnapping me somewhere.
The reason I knew it? Well, it's tied with the title Blood Axe, where at that time, the quests were not that hard to solve.
Now, he just needed the dizziness to embrace him and lull him to sleep, which might take a while, but it will eventually. Only after having a good sleep would he teach these bastards a lesson.
As he felt his body being lifted, he could faintly hear the sound of the kidnappers whispering to others.
'Well, that was easy."
"What do you expect? He is all skin and bones. Capturing a chicken would be easier than capturing him."
A mental note was made in Liam's mind before he entered his sleep.
'Ah, I will kill those little shits the moment I wake up.'
"So much for the wonder boy, huh? Well, let's do this quick before going to that Thomas guy's parents."
"I believed he told me to kill the father and kidnap the mother."
"Real low from an elder, huh? If the pay is good, then—"
But before he could finish his word, he felt something gripping at his throat, and before he could do anything, the grip tightened, following up with a snapping sound.
The guy carried Liam slumped down to the ground with blood leaking out of his mouth and his neck twisted to the side.
"W-What—"
Before the other guy could react, the skinny young man he thought was asleep was standing up with his hand released from the neck of his friend.
"B-bas—"
He tried to pull out a knife from his pocket, but the bloody hand was already at his throat in an instant, giving him no time to react.
"Now, listen here."
The voice of the man was just the same as when he was talking every day, yet to the kidnapper, it felt so alien and dreadful!
"You will lead me to whoever is behind this, and then I will leave your corpse intact."
At the same time, the body behind him had already turned into a rotting corpse with bones slowly exposed, and it just kept rotting at a quick pace.
*****
After the last test ended, there were about thirty participants left standing.
"Good job, my child. Now let the light of wisdom descend at this place, and let the ceremony begin."
As Astella raised his hands, everyone, including the participants and the villagers, grew quiet, creating a silence that enveloped all.
Thomas was getting nervous; he didn't think that he would be able to reach here at all, not after offending Rednos like that.
'Where are they?'
Thomas looked left and right, but he saw his parents weren't there. Did they not believe in him? Or did something happen?
'T-that fat tomato! He-He is smirking.
He could recognize that red face even from a tomato garden!
He could see the bastard is mad and yet he is smirking at the same time. Thomas didn't feel too good about it.
"N-no, he didn't—"
Thomas stopped thinking for a moment; behind that red face are the people he knows, the ones he is looking for.
'Ah, I have jumped to a conclusion too soon.'
He finally stopped trembling, his back straightened up, and his eyes were now full of courage and resolve.
'I'm not afraid anymore.'
From above the red sky, white clouds gathered around, and then a rainbow shone from the clouds down to the earth and right at the participants.
As the rainbow enveloped them, their eyes turned hollow, their mouths opened wide, and one by one they sat down with their legs crossed and placed their arms at their abdomen.
The villager knew what was going on since they had seen it a couple of times, but after another hour passed by, their expectation slowly dwindled, but they kept on waiting, believing that there would be a miracle happening this year.
If Liam were here, he would scoff at the sight of this and go back to sleep.
But this time, something happened!
People caught on to strange details that occurred within the participants; the giant brown tunic Dorian wore bulged, the iron sword that Lilina held vibrated crazily and black air slowly leaked out of Thomas's mouth.
The chieftain, seeing all this, waved his hand and unleashed his aura in full force right at those three, causing those phenomena to stop.
"I-is that!"
"I-It's true! The ceremony of the Spirit Bearer is true."
"Why did Thomas become one? It should have been me, not him! It's not fair."
The only one who grew despair from this is Rednos; he hugged his head with his teeth gritted and looked at Thomas with anger but also fear.
His father just sent his goons to kidnap and then kill Thomas's relatives and friends, but now that Thomas has become a Spirit Bearer, he could easily order his entire family to be killed!
This is just how it works; the strong stomp on the weak.
Just a moment ago, his father was an elder of this village with authority surpassed by most villagers here, so he could get away with killing if discovered.
But it's simply a false seat of power, unlike Thomas, who is now the Spirit Bearer; his strength will increase over time, and with his ability, he could easily kill all of us himself!
"R-Run, I should r-run away—"
"There's no need for you to do that."
"?"
From behind him, a familiar voice that shouldn't be here resounds in his ear.
Rednos turned his head and was shocked to see Liam unscathed and just casually walking toward him.
'Isn't he supposed to be dead? Why is he still alive?'
"Though I do say, you got lucky."
"W-What?"
Despite being the same Liam he had just met an hour ago, Rednos felt suffocated when standing near him.
Then our eyes met, and within those emerald eyes of his lies a darkness within, and then Rednos felt something he had never felt with such intensity.
The feeling of terror is rotting him from the inside.
"I would have killed you and the rest of your family so that there's no one to hurt him."
"K-"
"Though I have to say I'm sorry, I have already killed your dad, so whatever power you have left has gone to dust now."
"Kergh—"
"And don't even try to find them."
"Kergh, argh—"
"You won't even find their traces, let alone a corpse."
"ARGHH"
Unable to withstand the dreadfulness that was suffocating him, Rednos screamed crazily and used his finger to claw out his eyes, but before he could do any serious damage to himself, Liam struck him at the back of the neck, causing him to faint.
"I have always lived in pain, but I have never lived in fear."
Then Liam looked at Thomas, who was still in the enlightenment state. Just when he focused on him, he saw the system screen change.
Liam grinned, with his smile reaching his ears, before walking away.
"And so is he; that's why he is there and you're not."
*****
After the ceremony ended, the village celebrated the emergence of three Spirit Bearers by throwing a massive party that roared on until the end of the night.
"Ah, even at midnight, the party is still going."
Gushing down his throat with some beverage, Liam burped before he looked at the lake in front of him.
At the same time, the water surface rippled and he could feel his throat turn dry despite just having drunk something.
"Well, the noise should be able to block all of our sound."
And the chieftain isn't here right now, for he is returning to the Empire to bring a team back to test the new Spirit Bearer.
So he could fight to his heart's content.
Pulling out two dual axes from his waist, Liam licked his lips before retreating and hiding himself within the bushes.
"Now, I will kill you, foul spirit, whether it's the truth or not. Let's find out!"
His system screen also changed, but not to blue, but to a creepy purple color.
*****
| The Path Of Spirit Calamity |
[Stat]
Title: Spirit Of The Sadman Lake
Age: 2
HP: 100%
Category: Lesser Spirit
Threat Level: 3
[Spirit Devoured]
Spirit Of A Moment Grief (Lesser Spirit)
[Ability]
Water Draining: Capable of draining out water from anything through touch.
Water Limbs: Controlled water to act like your arm.
Weeping: You are capable of making one to "weep."