Marc was engrossed in his own thoughts. His gaze fixed on a stain on the wall in front of him. He repeatedly clicked a pen with his right thumb. The company's balance sheet was open on his computer. He had finished more than forty minutes ago, but he was waiting for an email from his boss approving his work so he could send it to the general management.
Someone nudged his chair, pulling him out of his world. It was his coworker David.
"Hey, did you see the new coworker came in?" David said with his characteristic smile.
David was a man of about thirty-seven, married with two children and another on the way, which annoyed Marc so much.
"Are you talking about the one the boss introduced us to a while ago? The one who came to do her university internship?"
"Yeah, what do you think?"
I never get involved in other people's lives; everyone should do as they please, but this jerk really doesn't give a damn about his wife and children. I wish the female coworkers would report him to HR. I'm sick of him.
His computer beeped with an incoming email.
"I got an email from the boss. He said he urgently needs me to send the balance sheet," Marc said, hoping David would take the hint.
"Sure. I'll let you work then."
Saved by the bell. I hope he doesn't come back.
Marc finished sending the email to general management. Now he had to finish reviewing the invoices sent to him that same day, before the end of the workday.
"Excuse me," a voice said to his right. It was the intern.
Please, not again.
"Yes?" Marc replied in a kind tone.
"The manager asked me to request your help in showing me how to prepare some invoices, which are necessary for giving to the clients."
I'm the person they give the most work to in the office, and they still want me to always take charge of training the newcomers. There are so many people who are generally free, doing nothing, like right now. Seriously, the boss is an idiot for distributing the workload this way.
"Of course, no problem. Just give me ten minutes to finish something urgent, please. As soon as I finish, I'll show you how to issue invoices."
"Ah, no problem, of course. Thank you."
The only good thing is that the system does almost all the work; it will only take me a few minutes to teach her.
Marc continued reading the invoice displayed on his monitor.
A growl coming from his left side caught his attention. It was an enormous white wolf, whose body was half-burned.
"You cannot die," said a voice to his right.
It was the intern, standing three feet away from him, with a face that reflected no emotion.
"Demons don't die; they only return to hell," she said, staring at him.
At that moment, his coworkers burst into flames, one by one, and immediately after, the entire office began to burn. Marc felt a heat rising in his feet; he looked down and saw his own body beginning to burn with devouring flames.
He woke up startled, shaking his hands. For a moment, he still thought the flames were engulfing him. He calmed down when he realized it had only been a dream.
What the hell! I don't remember ever dreaming about my old job before. I guess it makes sense that it was a nightmare.
He looked around: he was in his cabin, lying in bed. He didn't remember how he had gotten there, and a new worry was born in his mind.
The last thing I remember is that I was hunting... That's right! A figure I couldn't distinguish was approaching me; I saw everything blurry.
Did that person bring me here? And how the hell did they know where I lived?
Marc got out of bed. He stood on both feet and noticed that his right leg no longer hurt. The wolf bite marks had completely disappeared from his leg and right arm. It was as if the wound had never existed.
Was this done with healing magic? I read in the grimoires that advanced healing magic could sometimes cure even fatal wounds, but the scars always remained. Why did it leave no trace? Or maybe my injuries weren't as serious as I thought.
"Hello?" Marc said out loud. "Is anyone here?"
He got no answer.
"Thank you for helping me. I know if you're human, you might be a little scared of the fact that I'm a demon, but it's obvious I won't harm you, much less after you helped me."
Marc opened the bathroom door, but it was empty inside. He left the cabin and walked all the way around it, looking everywhere. But he found no trace of anyone.
In the back of the cabin, he found the wolf meat already cut and ready to be cooked.
Hmm. There's no one here, but the person who saved me not only healed me and brought me back to my cabin, but also took the trouble to cut the wolf into pieces. Maybe they went somewhere and will come back later.
Marc entered the cabin, but everything was in order; nothing was missing. He only found evidence that someone had made tea, but they had washed what they had used.
Will they really come back? I would have liked to thank them, but above all, to talk to someone from this world for the first time.
I'm curious to know what the people here are like, but there will be time for that later, when my adventure begins.
In the following days, Marc continued training normally. Although, from time to time, he checked his surroundings and the forest near the cabin. He wanted to know if someone was watching him and if that mysterious savior would return at any moment.
I don't want to get paranoid, but I hope that person doesn't return with more people with the intention of killing me or stealing my things. But it makes no sense that they would have saved me if they wanted to hurt me afterward, and they had all the time to rob me, even though I don't have many valuables.
Still, I must be alert and not let my guard down; if my confrontation with the wolves taught me anything, it's that I still need to improve a lot. I mustn't be complacent.
He had cooked a steak with the wolf meat, but it turned out to be tough and had a strong, almost metallic flavor that Marc disliked. The only thing he could think of was to prepare it differently. He meticulously proceeded to eliminate all visible fat from the meat and prepared a wolf stew with vegetables in wine.
That venison meat would have been delicious. Damn wolves! I know it's the law of nature, but they can go to hell, they ruined my plan for a tasty steak.
After dinner and an arduous day of training, Marc got into the hot tub to relax.
I still wonder if a bathroom like this exists in the rest of the world. To me, it doesn't fit a fantasy world, but maybe it's more modern than I thought it would be. If I had gotten to talk to that stranger, I would have asked them many things. One of them would be about the bathroom.
Hmm, what if that person doesn't live far from here? I've been assuming all this time that I am far from any civilization, but maybe that's not the case.
The only structure around here is the temple, which I haven't visited.
It's not time to go back to my world yet, and I doubt anyone lives there, but maybe I should stop assuming things and go check. I'll have to go tomorrow just to make sure, and then I'll be more at ease.
The next day, Marc got ready to go to the temple, taking all necessary precautions. The temple was not that far away, but he didn't want to risk running into any other mishap. He had no weapons, but he advanced with extreme caution, alert to his surroundings and the sounds coming from all directions in the forest.
After a few minutes, he reached the temple. It wasn't hard to find, as it stood as a monolithic structure of dark stone, much larger than the cabin. The walls were covered with moss and vines, but its foundation was firm, built to last an eternity.
It will still be standing after a thousand years, won't it? Like Amir said.
The entrance was a wide arch. The air felt strangely stagnant. Upon entering, Marc found a vast and surprisingly clean interior. A large white marble altar stood in the center, polished to a silky sheen. The altar was perfectly cared for, with no cracks or dirt, contrasting with the ruinous exterior. It was clear evidence that someone still visited or lived very close to that place.
Maybe the same person who saved me is the one who has been maintaining this place, and it would make sense that I ran into them in the forest not far from here. That person is skilled in healing magic; they must be someone special.
In the interior of the temple, there were no signs that anyone lived there. Marc walked around the exterior, inspecting the structure and the surroundings, but found nothing that would help him solve the mystery of the stranger, nor any sign of life. He decided to go inside one more time and wait a few hours, hoping someone would appear.
The God Amir said that when I defeat the hero, I can return to this place and simply express my firm will to return to my world. But he also told me that if I wished to stay longer, even more than a thousand years, I could do so.
I don't know how long I will decide to stay; only time will tell. But I'm almost certain that I won't want to return to my world after defeating the hero. The temptation of being able to live for so many years and with incredible magical power is very strong. Here I could live almost an eternity, something no human in my world could ever aspire to.
I guess maybe if I ever got bored with this world, I would want to return, but the life I would go back to is not something I like.
I think the only reason to return would be if I ever decide I've lived long enough and wanted to spend my "final years of life" in my old world.
Marc waited four hours inside the temple, practicing some magic to kill time, but he was starting to get desperate.
I should have at least brought a book to kill time. But I didn't know what to expect when I left the cabin this morning; I could have run into someone as soon as I arrived.
I could start searching the surroundings for the person who looks after the temple, but the forest seems vast; it would take days to find someone, and I might even get lost.
Besides, the person who comes to look after the altar might not come every day. I'll come back tomorrow, hoping to find someone.
He left the temple disappointed. But he was determined to return the next day, and this time he would bring a grimoire with him to continue practicing magic while he waited. He had no time to waste on his training.
He took a few steps, dodging deep roots on the ground next to a large tree outside the temple. When he looked up, he saw a person standing not far in front of him. The old man wasn't moving; he seemed to be waiting. His presence was so calm that Marc doubted for an instant if he was hallucinating.
He was a man of about seventy, with white hair and beard. He was dressed in a brown leather priest's cloak and carried a simple wooden staff as support. His grayish-blue eyes showed Marc profound kindness and wisdom.
"Good morning... or perhaps it's afternoon already," Marc said, approaching the man cautiously.
He scared me; for a moment, I thought he was a ghost.
"Good morning, young demon," the man replied kindly.
Right, it's true. I'm a demon and he's a human. The God Amir already warned me of their differences.
"Excuse me, I didn't mean to enter the temple without permission, and I apologize if this offended you. I was wandering through the area and this structure caught my attention. Are you the keeper of this place, or something similar?"
"It could be," the stranger limited himself to saying.
Does he suspect me? I'm a stranger and a demon, too, so I understand.
"A few days ago, I hunted a deer not far from here, but a pack of wolves attacked me and left me in bad shape. I passed out, but someone helped me get back to my cabin and healed me. By any chance, was that you, or someone you know?"
The stranger began to approach Marc, standing near him. "I am the only person who wanders this forest, apart from you, young demon, of course."
That doesn't answer my question.
"I understand. So, you can't think of who might have helped me?"
"I think that is irrelevant."
"What do you mean?" Marc asked, confused.
"What should really matter to you is how a simple pack of white wolves did so much damage to someone with such powerful magic."
A simple pack? I think he must be joking. But that means this old man saw me fight the wolves.
"Thank you for the advice, I'll keep it in mind. But how do you know so much about me?"
"In the forest, I could see the nasty scene you left behind. You received your power directly from the God Amir, didn't you?" the stranger said.
How does he know that?
"Why don't you answer my questions, and I'll answer yours?" said Marc.
I must be cautious about what I tell strangers in this world, especially regarding the God Amir.
"The power you carry cannot be taken lightly: it is a responsibility. Not only knowing how to control it, but also how to use it."
"My power is my problem, sir," Marc said seriously.
This man is starting to annoy me.
"Do you think you already possess great power?"
"My power is much greater than that of most in this world, if not greater than everyone's. Few people could face me and be lucky enough to win. Maybe there are none who could."
"How about you test your power against mine?"
This man must be joking. Maybe he's already senile.
"I don't mean to offend you, sir, but I wouldn't want you to get hurt. Besides my magical power, I am a demon and I have a strength greater than that of hu..." Marc couldn't finish the sentence.
An invisible force struck his stomach with great violence, leaving him breathless and lifting his body into the air.
Marc crashed onto the ground about fifty meters away. The dry impact left him breathless, feeling that the invisible force had crushed every internal organ. He writhed on the grass, desperately gasping to reintroduce air into his lungs. His body convulsed and he vomited violently a stream of water and acidic bile. He tried to stand up, supporting himself on an elbow, but his muscles were flaccid and disobedient, leaving him defenseless and trembling on the ground.
"It is true that your body is stronger than that of a common human; that blow would have completely crushed your chest if you were weak," the stranger's voice was heard saying a few meters from Marc.
That son of a bitch! I swear he's going to pay.
"Did you do that, gramps?" Marc said, still having difficulty breathing normally.
"Well, it's just that you wouldn't stop bragging about your great strength; I just wanted to check if what you were saying was true," the stranger was now standing next to him.
"And that gave you the right to hit me like that?" Marc said, furious.
"And if not, how else would I know that what you were saying was true?" the stranger replied.
"Yeah, whatever. The humility lesson is clear, old man. You don't have to keep up the sarcasm, it's just that it wasn't necessary to go to this extreme," Marc said, gradually calming down as he stood back up.
"I apologize if my actions seem a bit extreme for the young demon with the greatest magical power in the world."
"I said you could stop with the sarcasm. I get it now."
"No, it doesn't seem to be quite clear to you yet," the stranger said.
"And what is your name, oh wise man of not-so-extreme actions?" Marc asked, returning the sarcasm.
"And what is yours, young demon with blue horns?"
"I asked first, but I don't mind telling you. I am Marc."
"I have never heard of a demon named Marc."
"There's a first time for everything. You still haven't told me your name."
"I am Silas, the priest of this temple, with whom you were disrespectful practicing magic inside it. And let me tell you that this temple is built in the name of the God Amir."
So, he is related to the God Amir. Did he know about my arrival at that cabin?
"Why did you say that the God Amir had given me my power directly?"
"There are several things I can know thanks to God."
"You were the one who helped and healed me, weren't you?"
"Yes, it was me. God instructed me to watch over you and help you when necessary."
That God didn't mention that to me.
"So you have been watching me all this time. I never felt your presence."
"Because that was my intention. I was hiding it on purpose. I only have to intervene when necessary."
"And was the intervention of sending me flying through the air necessary?"
"It was," replied Silas.
No, it wasn't, old man.
"What about the cabin and the garden? Did you have anything to do with that?"
"That was my home for many years, before your arrival."
That explains why they looked like they had been cared for by someone.
"And why did you give it to me? Didn't you mind having your home stolen?"
Maybe the blow he gave me was for revenge.
"It wasn't a robbery; it was a direct request from the God Amir, and I had no problems doing it," replied Silas.
"And where do you live now after God asked you to give up your home?"
"I built myself a small hut about an hour away."
"How did you know I needed help that time?" Marc asked, wanting to clear up the doubt.
"I went to check on the cabin and noticed you weren't there. So I followed the trail you left into the forest. That's when I saw you returning to the cabin in bad shape, carrying that wolf."
So it wasn't a coincidence that we met. What luck he was there! He arrived at the precise moment and his healing magic was truly very good.
"So you are skilled in healing magic and... wind magic?" Marc asked, intrigued.
"I know you have many doubts, but I don't plan to answer all your questions right now."
"And when do you plan to do so?"
"Everything in its own time. The most important thing is your training," replied Silas.
"Do you plan to help me train? I thought you were only supposed to intervene when necessary."
"I have been observing your training for days, and believe me, it is necessary that I intervene," Silas said in a serious tone.
I've been following Zylos's training. Does he think it's not good? Wait... the Zylos book was in the cabin. Does that mean he left that book there?
"The Zylos book, did you leave it in the cabin?"
"All the books in the cabin were mine. So yes."
Now that I think about it, Zylos and Silas... are similar names. Could they be related, or is Silas Zylos, but he didn't want to reveal his true name? Well, that will be a topic for later, when he decides to answer my doubts.
"If you don't want to answer all my questions right now, that's fine. But how will you help me train?"
"That question will be answered tomorrow. I will come to your cabin first thing in the morning, I hope you are already up when I arrive. The real training begins tomorrow."
Having said that, Silas, the priest, walked away from Marc toward the temple.
"See you tomorrow, I guess," Marc said.
I don't know how capable this priest is of teaching me powerful magic, but it is true that the blow he gave me was very powerful and I didn't even see it coming. It's obvious he has Zylos's influence, as he didn't pronounce any spell when he cast that magic on me. If I can learn anything from him, I won't refuse his help with training. Tomorrow, I will test his wisdom.
Marc returned to the cabin. When he arrived, he began reading Zylos's book for the rest of the afternoon.