Vol[2]Chapter#13 On Our Way To Dizhen

The ghoul lowered its head and cold sweat seemed to pour from its withered skin. The room remained quiet after Lowen asked but it wasn't long after that the ghoul suddenly slapped its head to the ground.

"I'm sorry it was a mistake, an accident. I couldn't have known, how could I know that snake would be there."

Lowen stared at the ghoul in curiosity.

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Eh because you're going to face it soon and the danger is too great and it's waking up, that was my fault. I didn't know what your intentions were earlier and was forced to serve you but now that I know I can talk with you, I finally see a sliver of hope. If you go head-on with that Mantha you'll for sure die and my chance will once more be gone, so please don't go."

Lowen shook his head.

"I've already agreed, besides you've seen my abilities do you still doubt what I can do."

The ghoul grimaced before speaking truthfully.

"Yes you're strong it's true and let alone a child, it's rare for even grown men to do what you can but if that's all your capable of...then I'm afraid you're still outclassed."

Lowen was a little taken aback.

(Could this Mantha really be that strong?)

This was an enemy he had yet to face and going into the fight, it was clear that this creature was already physically stronger as well as bigger than Lowen. Not only that, its skin was said to be as hard as metal. If it then also had some unknown abilities and Lowen wasn't prepared, well the results would be disastrous.

Lowen thought things over.

(Can I do this? With Tolm's men, it should be possible but our planning needs to be impeccable.)

"I'm still going."

The ghoul jumped to its feet and growled in its language.

"Don't be foolish! if you go you'll die, that's the beginning and the end of it and nothing else, can't you understand that?"

Lowen chuckled lightly. It's true that this would be challenging but with his speed, even if he couldn't defeat it, he could still outrun it. Maybe running was considered cowardly to others but Lowen didn't look at it this way. You only get one chance at life...well two for Lowen but Lowen didn't know if he would get another miracle at a new life were he to die for a third time. So why should he then risk it? The only reason he risked his life fighting Rize, was because it directly affected those around him. If he didn't finish Rize then and there, then Rize could have easily gone to Sento village and hurt Nia or Ben. This snake was a different matter, with its incredible size it was considered slow. Lowen could retreat from the battle and lead those he cared about away. Rize had a battle mage that could transport him quickly and unknown spies everywhere, while this snake was just big and strong. The dangers weren't comparable.

"No, I won't die, not if you help me."

"What?"

"Your gonna tell me everything you know about this creature, its strengths, and its weaknesses, as well as how you awoke it."

The ghoul was baffled by this small boy.

(How can this child be so confident?)

It was planning to completely ignore Lowen's request when it felt a chill crawl down its spine. Suddenly, the air seemed to grow heavy, as though an invisible pressure was weighing down on its chest, causing breathing to become difficult. The ghoul felt its knees grow weak and it collapsed to the ground. Looking for the source, its eyes darted across the room until its senses landed on the small boy in front of it.

(This feeling, this boy is the cause.)

Lowen was using his own aura to pressure the ghoul in front of it, a simple technique for someone at the aura body stage.

The ghoul gulped hard as it felt utterly defeated.

"You...you win, please stop whatever you're doing. I'll tell you everything."

Lowen let out a faint smile and the pressure from his aura immediately vanished and the ghoul felt a wave of relief wash over it.

"Good but first, tell me something."

"Wh...what do you want me to say?"

Lowen stood up and poured a cup of water and offered it to the ghoul. The ghoul, understanding his intention, settled down and took a few sips.

"Your name, it's bothersome to continue calling you it or ghoul, so tell me your name. You already know mine right? If I don't know yours it isn't really fair."

The ghoul had no clue how to handle this boy but if it was something as simple as a name, it could start with that.

"Gale, my name is Gale."

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The next morning.

The sun had risen a few hours ago and the mansion was busy beyond belief.

After having a bountiful breakfast of soft white bread slathered with freshly churned butter, fruit, eggs with veggies and salty in the best way thick pieces of bacon, Lowen was rubbing his stomach in delight.

Saying his goodbyes to Nia and the others, he also handed Nia 100 gold and told her to spend it freely. Nia holding so much money in her hand nearly fainted in fright. She frantically tried to give it back but Lowen flatly refused and ran out the door and leaped onto Tolm's carriage, waving his hand goodbye.

Nia and the others could only look on with wide eyes as Lowen and the soldiers disappeared over the horizon.

Sitting inside the carriage, there was commander Tolm, his subordinate, the battlemage named Glen, the ghoul named Gale, and of course Lowen.

Trailing behind them were around 300 soldiers in heavy armor with the symbol of their kingdom, the three-horned rhyno etched in. Each one was armed with either a spear or a heavy crossbow. Each of these soldiers was one of Tolm's elites, and each one was trained under Tolm personally. Behind them were 10 carriages, each one carrying a large cannon made from a dark black metal as well as a few other forms of supplies.

With such a large force leaving the town, many people grew worried but after a few words from patrolling guards, the people seemed to settle down. The guards had given the people a simple excuse of a military exercise and then went about their day. After leaving the town, the soldiers headed straight for Dizhen without delay.

"Commander Tolm, why not tell the people about the Mantha? As long as you direct your soldiers appropriately, you can easily dwell the citizens panic."

Commander Tolm began to shout in frustration.

"Hmph, people always panic. Whether I tell them or not, it doesn't really matter. I don't have time to hold their hand and walk them through every little thing that rears its ugly little head."

Lowen didn't expect such an outburst from commander Tolm. It seemed he has some sort of sore spot when it comes to those not military or rather those without strength.

"And I thought I told you to just call me Tolm. If you keep throwing in commander, I'll feel like your doing it on purpose."

Lowen gave a small nod and an awkward silence began to grow in the carriage.

Commander Tolm realized he had gone too far and shown a bit of his ugly side. With quick thinking, he changed topics.

"So your friend Benjamin still wouldn't agree to come along with us, even with the reward that I offer."

"No, he doesn't wish to leave his kid's side and I can't take them to the battlefield yet, so they had to stay behind, therefore he stayed behind."

(Can't take them to the battlefield yet, interesting. Does this mean, he's the one who decides when they can enter the fray? Is he the one training them and not their father?)

"Too bad, with that hammer of his, I'm sure he could really do some damage."

Tolm looked Lowen up and down.

"Speaking of weapons, were you not a mace wielder? I don't see it with you, what will you fight with? Do you need to borrow a weapon?"

The mace Tolm was referring to was the broken mace Lowen had taken from Colts dead cold hands. Although it was a magic tool, Lowen had damaged it greatly when the two fought and so he decided to leave it behind, as carrying it around as is was useless.

Lowen thought about the mace, as well as Colt's magic bracelet and Rize's sapphire ring. Right now, besides the bracelet, the other two items were unusable. Lowen decided he would sell them later on but for now, they were his to keep.

As for Tolm's earlier question, Lowen threw his arm out to the side and his sword uncoiled itself in a flash. A beam of light shot through the window and bounced off his sword causing it to gleam as though it were a holy blade. Gale, having a blade suddenly unleashed in front of its face jumped in fright and as this was a carriage, Gale had smashed its head into the carriages ceiling before rolling around in pain. Tolm and Glen, however, saw this blade and grew excited. The two inched closer and closer until they were only a few inches away from Lowen's face.

"Lowen, That's a magic tool, you actually have one! Quickly tell me, how many inscriptions does it have and what do they do.?

"Alright alright, just back up, your way too close."

Gale managed to get up from the floor and sat down painfully while listening with interest. Glen and Tolm reluctantly sat back down but their eyes were filled with anticipation.

"I thought you read the report, it should have mentioned my sword correct?"

"It mentioned you had a sword but there was no mention of it being a magic tool and when I saw you, I didn't see your sword wrapped around your arm."

(Hmm, that makes sense, it was Clovis who wrote the report and not Bren. Bren had seen my swords flexibility when I opened the prison cells but must not have mentioned it to Clovis.)

Even with all parties present, small bits of information could still easily slip past a person's report. Whether it was that or Bren not mentioning it on purpose, Lowen had no way of knowing and didn't really care.

"My sword has two inscriptions and they aren't that great so please stop looking at me like that. The first one is for sharpness, it simply makes this sword sharper and as long as it's supplied with earth energy, it will never grow dull supposedly. The other inscription is what you've already seen."

Lowen willed his sword and it began to bend and flex like rubber.

"This sword isn't too flashy but its uses have so far been invaluable for me."

Tolm and Glen seeing this, found the sword to be almost useless. What could be done with a sword that's slightly sharper than normal and can bend like rubber? The two soon lost interest but a question was bugging Glen.

"Lowen, just where did you come by such a sword? For someone to take the time and effort to, no offense, inscribe those inscriptions on there, it just doesn't make any sense."

Lowen didn't take Glen's words to heart, for he too wondered about this family sword of his. After learning that there were more than 100,000 different Inscriptions in the world, the two inscriptions on his blade seemed to be a waste of time for whoever put them there. Lowen also found the combination quite odd and felt there was something else to this sword but couldn't tell what.

(Sharp yet Flexible, why?)

Lowen pointed at a single word engraved on his sword and the two leaned in closer to read it.

[Toren]

Tolm rubbed his chin for a moment before contemplating something.

"Toren, where have I heard that name before?"