JOURNEY

Chapter 2

28.

Demonic Black Scythe is a weapon that lingers for centuries. It doesn't have primary stats, rather, it replicates the user's stats. It chooses its owner in order to unlock its full potential. The Demonic Black Scythe does not settle for less, it consumes the wielder's life if it is not satisfied by the strength of the wielder.

"The Scythe suits Kane in my opinion" Akari said.

"Well he is now living up to the title Nightreaper" Reiko added.

"Let's test your new weapon!" Ryuu suggested.

"Hold on, let's run some test" Kyap intervened.

*Kane handed the Scythe to Kyap*

"Hmmm, it's weird, when I use my skill Item identifier while I'm holding it, the stats are mediocre but when Kane wields it, it shows 6 digit stats…" Kyap said.

"6 DIGITS?!" Akari, Ryuu, and Reiko reacted.

"It's way stronger than me! How is that even possible?" Ryuu questioned.

"Maybe that's an error?" Akari asked.

"I think it replicates my stats" Kane hypothesized.

"SO YOUR STATS ARE 6 DIGITS!?" Ryuu shockingly asked.

*Kane nodded*

"Kane is 10 fold stronger than us, I'm not even surprised to be honest" Reiko responded.

"That can explain why the stats change, it's an outstanding discovery HAHA! I should add this to my record, My book will contain the Demonic Black Scythe and the Adamant Sapphire! THIS WILL HELP THE INVENTORS IN OUR TOWN!" Kyap enthusiastically stated.

"We should test it to have further info!" Ryuu insisted.

"Kyap-san, do you have a fitting quest for us?" Akari asked.

"There's an A+ tier quest posted on the job order. I think that suits the scythe" Kyap said.

"What is the quest?" Reiko asked.

"It's about the haunted mansion on Lacreyn. Undead and Ghosts, live there. It is said that they lure strangers in and feast on them. There is also a rumor that a Demon's heart resides in that mansion, spawning ghosts and undead inside." Kyap explained.

"I think that's a bad idea…" Ryuu said.

"People in Lacreyn can send requests to other guilds? I thought townsfolk can only send requests to their respective guilds" Akari asked.

"Territorial takes place on the discussion. If the location of the request is inside the territory of Mechtown, the sender should post the job on Mechtown regardless where they are living. In Lacreyn's case, they can file a request anywhere because the villages there do not have a Guild. That is also the case for other villages or towns without a Guild." Kyap answered.

"I see, so that's how guilds work. That is actually systematic, if I want coal or minerals, I can just post a job order on a Guild that has mining on their territory, then collect and pay after." Reiko commented.

"Yeah, Let's just explore other caves" Ryuu intervened.

"We accept the quest on Lacreyn, Let's go" Kane said.

"OY OY OY! SERIOUSLY CAPTAIN?" Ryuu shouted.

"Still afraid of ghosts?" Reiko teased.

"Of course not!" Ryuu denies.

"That quest is actually good. It's near Mechtown, we can go back immediately, and it's the best place to test the Scythe I think" Akari mentioned

"Then it's settled, we'll head out" Kane said.

"BUT CAPTAAAAAIN!" Ryuu shouted.

The party wasted no time, they rode the wagon and Taurus pulled it to reach their destination. After some hours, they arrived at Lacreyn. The party observed the surroundings since they were not able to explore the place when they first visited.

Lacreyn looks like a deserted place. Abandoned houses, broken infrastructures, it's a mess all over the place. There are some who still live at Lacreyn but most of them were outlaws or refugees since no one is governing the place. At first, it was an empty place, then people started to build their own shelter. It was peaceful before but when the population on the location grew, conflicts arrived. Without laws to regulate them, everything falls into pieces.

"So this is the infamous town of outlaws... Quite living up to the name" Ryuu said.

"I can feel some random stare at us while we are travelling…" Akari responded.

"It's beside Mystic forest right? No wonder why they are not running out of supplies for the predators…" Reiko mentioned.

"Relax, they are all avoiding us" Kane said.

"Well if I were them, I would hide as well when I see someone with a glowing scythe on his back" Ryuu responded.

"They are outlaws after all, they probably know that you are the Nightreaper by now hehe…" Akari added.

In the middle of their travel, a kid jumps in front of them, pointing a knife towards them but her legs are shaking.

"D..dro.Drop! Your th..things! I haa..have a Knife!" The kid stuttered.

"I'll give you 5 seconds to get out of the way" Kane said.

The kid looked at Kane and when she saw the Demonic Scythe on Kane's back, fear froze her like a stone.

"Don't be like that, she's just a kid" Akari said.

"Fine, 10 seconds" Kane replied.

"Yow yow yow Captain, chiiiill, she can't even stand up straight" Ryuu mentioned.

"Maybe she's hungry? She looks pale and skinny" Reiko added.

"What's your name?" Akari gently asked.

"I… I don't have one.." The kid answered.

"Why won't you come with us? We have food inside the wagon" Akari offered.

"REALLY? You won't kill me or sell me or enslave me?" The kid questioned.

"Does that normally happen here?" Akari asked.

"Some rich people consider this place as a human farm. They'll just get whoever they want then do whatever they want with them. Others tried to fight back but rich people always have strong bodyguards, we can only steal from some travelers passing by or kill each other just to survive." The kid answered.

"Ride the wagon, we won't do those things, we can continue this discussion after you eat" Akari responded.

Due to desperation, the kid trusted Akari. She does not have much of a choice since hunger will inevitably kill her. She rode the wagon and ate some foods that the party had, while Taurus continued to pull the wagon. It's the first time she had a full belly, the kid proceeded to sleep and let her guard down that moment.

29.

Shortly, the party arrived at the haunted mansion. At first glance, it looks like a regular mansion which attracts some travellers or outlaws who don't have any idea about the place.

"Is this the mansion? It doesn't look haunted" Ryuu asked.

"Well the details on the request clearly indicates this location, maybe it's different inside" Reiko responded.

*the kid woke up*

"W.. what are.. we doing here? Please don't feed me to the Ghost! I'll do anything!" The kid begged.

"Relax, we are here because we are hired to defeat the ghosts inside that place" Akari said.

"Really?" The kid asked.

"Don't worry, Nee-san will protect you" Akari softly said.

"From that guy?" The kid pointed to Kane.

"He is actually the one who protects us hehe…" Akari responded.

The party went down from the wagon and approached the mansion.

"No no no.. Let's just call this mission off.. There's a lot of other places to te..test that scythe!" Ryuu bargained.

*Kane pressed the doorbell*

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT CAPTAIN!" Ryuu yelled.

*The door slowly opens*

"I knew it… the door will automatically open coz it's haunted.. I knew it.. Then we'll enter, then the door will close, then we won't be able to get out" Ryuu complained.

*Kane, Reiko and Akari with the kid entered the mansion*

"Aren't you guys listening? HOLD UP! WAIT FOR ME!" Ryuu said as he entered as well.

"Let's see what you got" Kane wields the Demonic Black Scythe

The Scythe glows as it absorbs ghosts nearby. It started to laugh as it gained more soul inside of him.

"The scythe is laughing! Now I don't know which one I should be afraid of!" Ryuu yelled.

"The blade is turning violet, what does it mean?" Reiko asked.

"Look out! the undead are coming!" Akari warned.

*Kane swing his scythe, slashing the frontline of the undead*

"THEY ARE TURNING INTO ASHES AFTER THE SLASH! THAT IS SO AWESOME!" Ryuu shouted.

"It absorbs souls and when the blade glows, it can erase an undead? I wonder if it works the same way on living creatures" Reiko said.

"Told you Kane will protect us, you can now lower your knife" Akari said to the kid.

"With an all black costume, a Demonic Black Scythe that laughs every kill, absorbs souls which hypothetically can be used to empower it… Captain looks like the villain of this world…" Ryuu commented.

"I think this won't end. We should look for the reason why undead and ghosts spawn here" Reiko suggested.

Akari cast a mild light on the surroundings. The party moved and continued to go deeper inside the mansion. Using Kane's scythe, they cleanse every area. Kane noticed that every soul that the scythe absorbs, the sharper it gets. After some time, they finally reached the basement. A glowing black orb, shaped like a heart, sits in the middle.

"What is that?" Ryuu asked.

"It looks like an organ or some sort" Reiko said.

"Look! The ghosts come out from that orb!" Akari mentioned.

"Should we destroy it?" Ryuu asked.

"Kyap said we can attach a talisman in order to stop it from spawning ghosts." Reiko answered.

"Where's the talisman?" Ryuu added.

"Kane already put one, look" Akari pointed at Kane.

"Where and when did he get a talisman for that?" Ryuu questioned.

"Are you still not used to Kane? At this point he could pull out a rabbit from his pocket and I won't be even surprised" Reiko responded.

"Mission complete, let's head back" Kane said.

"What are you going to do with that, Kane?" Akari asked.

"I'll use it as a ghost supply for this Scythe" Kane answered.

"Captain will use a Demon's heart as a sharpening tool…" Ryuu said.

"That's Kane 101 for you" Reiko responded.

"Ahm.. Nee-san, is Kane planning to conquer the world?" the kid asked.

"He is trying to fix it, the rest of us also help him." Akari replied.

After completing the mission, they head back to Mechtown to claim their reward. They told Kyap about their initial conclusion about the test of the scythe. Kyap is fascinated by the happenings, he laughed when the party told him about how Kane will use the Demon's heart.

"HAHA! As expected from Kane, by the way, who is that kid?" Kyap asked.

"She doesn't have a name" Ryuu answered.

"She has no place to go, we let her tag for now" Akari added.

"Hmmm, why won't you give her a name?" Kyap suggested.

"THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S TIME FOR ME TO SHINE!" Ryuu stated.

"Here we go again…." Reiko disappointingly responded.

"Georgia!" Ryuu proudly said.

"Is that some reboot version of George?" Reiko asked.

"You tried naming Taurus with George, now naming a child Georgia?" Akari added.

"How about Stevania?" Ryuu suggested.

"HAHA! Ryuu sucked at giving names!" Kyap commented.

"HEEEEY! You are just under the influence of these 2 girls" Ryuu argued.

"You are just entirely bad at giving names" Kane intervened.

"CAPTAIN!" Ryuu yelled.

"Nee-san, please give me a name" the kid asked Akari.

"Even the Kid doesn't want you giving her a name" Reiko said to Ryuu.

"Hmmm, How about Hikari? I combined my last name Hinata and my first name Akari, how's that sound?" Akari asked.

"I love it!" the kid joyfully stated.

"Yosh! From now on, your name is Hikari" Akari said.

"It suits her better than Georgia" Reiko teased.

"MINE IS STILL BETTER!" Ryuu yelled while the rest laughed.

"Now that she has a name, what are you planning with her?" Kyap asked.

"We are not bringing her" Kane stated.

"That is a bit cold but Kane is right, we might endanger her life on our journey" Reiko added.

"Anywhere is better… I don't want to go back to Lacreyn…" Hikari sadly said.

"Why won't you hire her in this guild? She can be a receptionist or waitress or a maid?" Ryuu suggested.

"That is like exploitation" Akari responded.

"It's more of a labor than exploitation, I mean she'll be earning her own money to help her live, it's not like we are going to force her and overwork her without payment" Ryuu argued.

"I think that's better than making her threaten other people's lives for food. Plus we can visit her if she's here, we can trust Kyap as well" Reiko added.

"Hmmm.. We are a bit short on maids recently, it's fine by me, if Hikari wants it" Kyap said.

"I guess she's safer here at Kyap's guild, we don't know what other people might do to her if she gets caught by other nobles… What do you think, Hikari?" Akari asked Hikari.

"Ahhmm… Is Kyap-san will protect me from bad guys?" Hikari asked.

"Of course I will, this mental arm is not just for show! HAHA!" Kyap said.

"You heard him, we trust Kyap as well, it's your decision to choose" Akari softly said.

"Then… I will accept the offer, THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME" Hikari said. Her tears slowly came out as she finally saw a light of hope for her life.

"Yosh yosh, be a good girl and someday you'll be whatever you want to be" Akari comforted Hikari.

"Are you crying?" Reiko asked Ryuu.

"Of course not! My eyes are sweating!" Ryuu denies.

30.

The following days have been peaceful. After a whole week, Kyap made progress. He finally created a base that can wield the adamant sapphire. It turns out, a high precision of water pressure is the only thing that can cut through the said stone. Because of the discovery, Kyap is able to create 5 pieces of it and put 4 of those on an iron bracelet. The stats are still the same even though it was cut into pieces but it also doesn't change even though an individual wears all of the bracelets.

The party was astonished when Kyap announced his accomplishment. Kyap said that he wanted to put it on a better base, with more detailed design but Kane ordered him to make it dull as much as possible, to avoid thieves. Kyap thought that everyone would be disappointed due to the lack of artistry on the accessory but the party already expected that Kane would make unexpected measures. As per their deal, Akari, Reiko, Ryuu and Kane received the bracelet for free while Kyap will have the remaining piece in return.

"I love it! We have matching bracelets!" Akari mentioned.

"Feels like it's a little bit of a wasted opportunity but Kane is right" Reiko added.

"Trust me, my craftsmanship heart is breaking while I'm making those bracelets. I have so much design inside of my head but Kane has a point" Kyap disappointedly said.

"It's surprising that you are artistic despite those muscles and a robotic arm. At first I thought you are more of a brawn over brain type" Ryuu commented.

"HAHA! Don't judge too quickly kid! I always love punching someone but my heart belongs to craftsmanship! It's the beauty of knowledge, persistence, and creativity!" Kyap responded.

"He wouldn't be crowned as the greatest Blacksmith if he is not skilled" Marvs added.

"HAHA! Don't flatter me like that!" Kyaps replied.

"By the way, now that you have your new accessory, what do you want to do?" Marvs asked.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Ryuu asked.

"I think we are~" Akari and Reiko answered.

"IT'S TESTING TIME!" Ryuu, Akari, and Reiko shouted.

*Kane walks out*

"Wait Captain! Where are you going? You should join us!" Ryuu asked.

"To an open area, we cannot test here" Kane replied.

"YOSHA! Come on guys, let's follow Captain!" Ryuu responded as he immediately followed Kane.

"Wait for us! Akari let's go" Reiko said.

*Akari smiled*

"Coming~" Akari responded.

They all went to an open area, the same place where they trained before.

"Yosh, I'm gonna push this huge boulder to test it" Ryuu said.

"I don't think it affects our strength" Akari stated.

"We'll never know unless we try" Ryuu used all of his strength to push the giant boulder.

"It's not moving, even an inch" Reiko commented.

"Okay I give up, let's try another test" Ryuu said.

"Reiko-chan, let's target those boulders using our magic" Akari suggested.

"Okay, Water Blade!" Reiko casted.

"Fireball!" Akari followed.

After casting, the party assesses the boulders to see if the damage is amplified.

"Hmm.. the damage of our magic is still the same" Reiko said.

"So it doesn't give as strength, nor magic damage." Akari mentioned.

"Let me try if it affects movement speed. I'll run!" Ryuu suggested as he sprints around the area.

*After running*

"Nooooooo, my speed is still the same…" Ryuu disappointingly said.

"I wonder what it does.." Akari responded.

"It's for mana" Kane answered.

"Mana?" Reiko clarifies.

"It's like an energy booster that will help you either cast more magic or fight longer" Kane explained.

"Oh I see, so it does not solely benefit the mages but it also helps the swordsman… I LIKE IT!" Ryuu responded.

"Akari, you have that one shot delete skill right? Let's test if you will faint after casting that" Reiko suggested.

"Hmm.. the meteor? Is it safe to do it here?" asked.

It's an open area, there are no civilians here so just do it HAHA!" Kyap answered.

"Okaaay, if you guys say so. I call upon this land, a scorching death to my target… METEOR!" Akari casted

The ground erupts as the humongous ball of flame strikes down the area.

"I'm glad that I am Akari's friend" Ryuu mentioned.

"That is like a cheat move" Kyap added.

"Akari, are you fine?" Reiko asked.

"I am fine, feels like I can cast that move 3 times..." Akari said.

"3 TIMES? THAT IS INSANE! THIS ITEM IS OP!" Ryuu commented.

"Hmm.. if it dramatically boosts its mana… Yosh, it's time for me to use that skill" Reiko said.

"What skill?" Akari asked.

"It's called Water dome. it can deny all incoming attacks for a short period of time. I couldn't cast it because I lack mana but I guess I can do it now" Reiko answered.

"WHY ARE YOU GUYS GETTING THOSE INSANE MOVES? WHERE'S MY HIGHLIGHT?" Ryuu jealousy responded.

"Then let's test that skill. Akari, launch a meteor to Reiko. Reiko, use your water dome to deny it" Kane said.

"That is a bad idea, it's deadly!" Akari opposed.

"Don't worry, I'll be beside Reiko. If I saw that her dome can't deny your meteor, I would immediately carry her away" Kane responded.

"That is still dangerous! Ryuu, what do you think about it?" Akari asked.

"I trust Kane but it depends on Nee-san's decision. If she doesn't want it then I don't want it and if she wants it then I want it." Ryuu answered.

"Let's do it..." Reiko stated.

"Are you sure about this?" Akari clarified.

"We need to know if I can block a tremendous attack so that someday I can protect you guys. I don't want to go to a scenario wherein I cannot heal you anymore. Prevention is better than cure isn't it?" Reiko argued.

"Well if you say so." Akari said.

Reiko and Kane positioned far away from the rest. Without further ado, Akari cast her magic once more.

"I call upon this land, a scorching death to my target… METEOR!" Akari chanted.

"The power to heal and protect, defend my surroundings, WATER DOME!" Reiko casted an immense swirling water around them.

The meteor directly hits the water dome and in that instant a huge steam is created due to the impact, blinding everyone's sight.

"REIKO! KANE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Akari worriedly shouted.

"WHERE ARE YOU GUYS? STILL ALIVE?" Ryuu added.

*The steam settles*

"Oh there you are! I'm glad you guys are fine!" Akari said.

"So how was it? Do you guys dodge it or was it successful?" Ryuu asked.

"It's amazing! The dome can nullify the meteor! But it wouldn't be enough if there's a follow up attack after the meteor" Reiko said.

"THAT'S IS AMAAAAAAZING!" Ryuu replied.

"Well I doubt that there is someone who can cast 2 of those simultaneously hahahaha" Akari responded.

"We are not certain, we'll know when we get there" Kane responded.

"Come on Captain! Why are you so killjoy" Ryuu teased.

"At least I don't stink like you" Kane replied.

"OOOY! Wait… I do stink right now" Ryuu said.

*Everyone except Kane laughs*

"Let's call it a day, we learned a lot today!" Akari happily said.

"My research gains a milestone just watching you guys HAHA!" Kyap responded.

"Wait, where's Marvs? I thought he was with us?" Ryuu asked.

"Nah, he went to the dock while we were on the way here. He really wants to help my crew in building his ship" Kyap answered.

"Anyways let's proceed to the inn now, Ryuu really needs to take a shower" Reiko intervened.

"HAAAII~" Ryuu, Akari, and Kyap replied as they headed back to the town.

-A lot of events are happening lately. I hope these happy days will continue as we course through our journey.