5: We finally meet

Sage proceeded with his one-sided massacre against the trolls, but he just couldn't get his mind off the riddle.

(*swoosh*) (*clang*)

"Agh!! I just can't get my mind off that riddle, does it prehaps have a hidden meaning? or is it just me thinking too much? ethier way I have a gut feeling about this."

The more trolls he killed, the quicker they surrounded him, he felt like he was stuck in an endless cycle.

>>>>

After a while, he killed the very last troll.

[*ping*]

[*You have killed the last troll*]

[ Torlls> 500/500 ]

The one's left standing was himself and the ogre. Before they could begin their match another green box appeared.

[*ping*]

[*Kill the Ogre, but keep in mind the riddle*]

Sage pondered about the new message, he just couldn't stop thinking that there was something that he missed. The fighting commenced.

The ogre was the first to attack, it swung its club attempting to hit Sage, but he dodges it and runs in between the ogre's legs while slicing them in the process.

"I got him!!, now if I can just knock him out, only for a few seconds I'll be able to kill him."

Sage turned back to examine the situation, expecting that his strategy had worked, but he thought wrong. The sword wasn't sharp enough to leave even a dent on the ogre's legs, this was because his sabres became too blunt from killing the trolls.

"No!, what am I going to do now!? no, wait a second."

He abruptly recalled that there was a supply of swords and armour around the room, he then thought back to the last riddle.

"Back on the previous riddle, 'when needed it can be used', does it mean I can use the items here? no, wait what about the last line of the riddle? 'must it be old or new?' hmmm..."

Sage analyzed those phrases, but the ogre wasn't so considerate to let him think. The attack from the ogre continued, but Sage was able to dodge it's strike again and again until he planned out his next move.

"Okay, if I let the ogre's club knock me towards the direction of the trash items, I should be able to obtain a sword or a blade of some sort, I don't know if it's the right decision to make but I've got no option left."

Sage put his plan into motion, irritating the ogre, to strike him once again.

(*smack*)

The ogre swung its club and it came into contact with Sage.

(*crack*)

"ugh!"

The impact was too large for Sage to handle, he began to cough out blood, he broke several of his ribs and some of his organs were damaged, but he was still able to get back up.

"Cough! cough! good. My plan went smoothly, now which weapon should I choose? Cough! cough!"

While the ogre was in a state of confusion, Sage was able to scan the trash items for a blade. He noticed a black sword with blue engravings written across it. The sword emitted dark energy filled with bloodlust.

Mesmerised by its overwhelming energy, Sage picked it up.

"Yes, this is it!"

•••••

At the same period of time, The shadowed figure notice the abnormality of the sword.

(*swish*)

"What!!? why is that sword there!? this isn't good if the kid gets possessed then he'll die!! well that could just be his fate, I can always wait for another successor to come around"

Sage picked up the sword, but nothing happened, it was just a normal blade in his hands.

"Ooh! I guess he has a lot of luck, either that or he's not the one well I'll have to wait until the gam_ I mean test end."

•••••

And the fight began once again, a heated battle between the ogre and Sage. In the midst of all the action, Sage began to suffer from an intense headache, it was so unbearable that he started to scream.

"Aaaggghhh!!, what is going on with my head!!"

Sage felt like he was about to die, even with his shortness of breath and continuous blood loss, he did not feel a thing. But now with the sword in his hand, he felt like countless needles very puncturing his head right down to his very core.

His breathing became heavier and his veins became visible, his body was getting filled with an enormous amount of energy.

"What is this sudden strength I feel, it's like when I drank the water from the waterfall only this is painful, yet much more powerful. Is it because I picked up the sword? was this what the final riddle warned me about? 'But one should not be deceived by an outer appearance for this is the only way to survive.' Ah, I see."

Sage fell unconscious, he was not able to bear the pain, instead, as if the blade took control over his body he began to move as no other human could.

His body ran faster than the speed of light towards the ogre, slashing the ogre's nape in one go. In a matter of seconds, the monster's head was rolling on the ground.

The timer stopped and the green screen emerged.

[*ping*]

[*The mission has been completed*]

[ Time> 2mins:10sec remain ]

[ Reward> You have earned Logia's trust ]

Everything came to an end and Sage fell to the ground. A light shimmered underneath Sage's unconscious body, he was teleported to a safer destination, where it was peaceful and safe to recuperate. In a log cottage beside a river.

>>>>>>>

A few days had passed and Sage opened his eyes, he jolted out of bed and began to observe his surroundings. But there was no one there, he tried to get out of but felt discomfort, his muscles and bones throbbed, but he still managed to stand up.

"whoa!! what is going on?! I think I grew taller, and I feel more muscular."

Sage height had shot up like a bamboo shoot and he looked a thousand times stronger than his previous self. But it wasn't the time for Sage to celebrate, he had to figure out how he got out of the dungeon and into the cottage.

He left the cottage to look at his surroundings hoping to find clues. Upon scouting, he sighted a figure with long silver-coloured hair next to the river bed near the cottage, it was dressed in weird clothing, had long ears, eyes like the clear sky and a simple crown on top of its head, there were many butterflies gathering around it.

Sage wanted to find out what it was so he came out of hiding to ask it.

(*stump*)

"Who are you?"

Sage fell completely in love with its elegances and beauty.

The figure smiled and replied to Sage's question.

"I'm Logia, and I'm the one who brought you here."

Sage's face became pale.

"Wait, did you just say Logia?"

"Yes, oh and by the way I'm a guy."

"What!! no way!"

Sage's first love was destroyed.

And so that was how they finally met one another.