Awakening

He gazed sadly at his broken companion, the sword which had served him so well was now nothing but a cracked hilt barely holding together in his hand. Dropping the handle on the ground, Cedric mutters, "Farewell, old friend. You performed splendidly."

Cedric lifts his head up to look at the green portal, noticing nothing has changed nor has any monster emerged from it for the last couple of minutes since his battle ended. Deciding to take the risk, he strides towards the unknown. Taking a few steps forward, he passes through the green portal's membrane.

Appearing inside a makeshift camp surrounded by caravans and their respective owners, assumed to be merchants, all sitting on cut-up logs around a large bonfire. Looking around, he is no longer in a dry and scorching wasteland of rock and stone. Instead, the scorching heat is replaced with gentle winds caressing his hair. Feeling a strange sensation from his side, he senses the pain he usually felt coming from the cut on his side subsiding.

After a short while, the wound turns numb and the pain can hardly be felt. The campfire is situated in a large forest clearing, surrounded by large, green-colored trees. Cedric also catches the sound of water gurgling in the background, the familiar sound reminding him of a hot spring.

"Good day to you, young traveler. You are welcome to rest here with us. If you are wounded, you may use the healing spring situated not far from our camp. I suggest you clean up first and then join us. As per our agreement, we shall provide you with a suitable weapon to continue your journey."

Stricken out of his thoughts, Cedric takes a moment to recall what the middle-aged man who approached him had just said. "Agreement? What do you mean by that?"

The middle-aged man keeps a gentle smile plastered on his face, seeing no indication of the man hearing nor understanding his words, Cedric gives up. He turns to walk towards the sound of water bubbling.

Arriving at a small spring, Cedric drops down inside, discovering the water is only waist-deep. Feeling a comforting flow of warmth cover his entire body, his wound heals almost instantly, and any trace of tiredness seems to seep out of him.

"Damn, I should try using the canteen in the trial. If I could only take this water with me on my travels, I wouldn't ever need to care about rest." Throwing the thought away, deciding it was only wishful thinking, Cedric stands to move towards the group of middle-aged men sitting around the bonfire.

Upon arrival, the same old man turns to him, saying, "You have passed the first part of your trial. You may now receive your reward."

Standing to face Cedric, the old man holds his hand out. Above his palm appears a small projection, and inside it are three weapons floating about. "You may only choose one of these weapons to take with you on your journey. These weapons are what you would call 'Quasi-Copper rank.' Meaning they won't strain your spirit and are much more resilient than the mortal toothpick you were granted upon entry."

Seeing the weapons, Cedric makes out a bow accompanied by a quiver, a standard double-edged sword, and a pair of daggers.

Cedric never had a particular preference, if not including the unique style he had adapted to using with the Odachi. He had mastered the use of any bladed weapon and was also proficient in using ranged weaponry. "Hmm, I believe I should go with the longsword. Assuming I would be fighting a bunch of enemies and not just a single boss each round. The daggers would be nice to have as a backup." Glancing over at the bow, "No," Cedric decides to not even consider using it.

Cedric looks at the strange middle-aged man's brown-colored eyes and says, "I'll have the longsword."

"As you wish, young traveler. You may also choose a set of armor, also at the Quasi-Copper rank."

Stretching out his other hand, the merchant's hand shimmers as a second hologram appears, featuring three sets of armor. "You may choose cloth, leather, or metal armor."

Deciding he would not want to give up his agility, Cedric chooses "Leather armor."

"Very well." The middle-aged man waves his hands, and a gentle blue-colored light envelops Cedric. After mere moments, the light disappears, and Cedric is now covered with a sleek brown-colored leather armor, covering every part of his body with narrow strips of cloth covering the inner part of his joints.

Accompanying the armor set is a double-edged sword. "Hmm, simple yet practical. Good." Nodding towards the merchant, "I would like to continue onwards."

Lowering his head in acceptance, the merchant explodes into a radiant shine. Cedric, not expecting the bright light all up in his face, raises his hands to cover his eyes.

Lowering them, he sees the entire camp, together with the merchants, is now gone. Instead, on a flourishing grass clearing, floats a green-colored portal.

Walking through the portal, Cedric is suddenly struck with a heavy stench of blood. Observing his environment, he sees different races fighting one another. Seeing an elf cut a human in half, Cedric was expecting a gory mess. Instead, other than a few splashes of blood as a result of the fight, both of the fighters' wounds close, and they are back to fighting against each other.

Cedric takes a moment to take in the atmosphere he was dropped into. The chaotic cacophony of shouts of triumph and screams of pain, the sounds of metal hitting metal, of flesh being cut. Unknowingly, something inside Cedric stirs. Blinking, Cedric finds himself losing consciousness, something vile taking over his mind.

Suddenly, the stench of blood now appears so pleasant and refreshing. The battlefield fills Cedric up with a feeling of pure ecstasy. Slowly, an ashen-colored pattern starts to grow over his left eye.

All of a sudden, all the sounds in the environment are hushed out. A gruesome smile forms on Cedric's face.

Cedric, no, the being occupying Cedric's body opens his mouth: "How refreshing!"

With a large smile on his face, the being lifts his arms to his sides. It proclaims: "Again I appear, below the boundary in between. This trip shall be memorable." As his eyes close, he mutters, "And where I walk, blood shall flow."