Chapter 13

"Pass to me!"

"Don't shoot Max!"

"No!"

...

"YES!"

"That was amazing!"

"Hahahaha, sorry I'm a selfish guy."

"Hey, as long as you score. We're gonna win this cup."

The crowd cheered in the stadium. It was a breathtaking environment.

At the end of the football match...

"Great job bro." Max's brother said.

"Thanks. Let's go celebrate at a VR cafe. I'll call the bros."

"Warfield?"

"Yeah."

"Have you heard about the new VR game coming out?"

"Huh? No."

"I'll show you later. It's the most ambitious game I've ever seen. No VR game comes close."

"Oh fuck."

"Max!"

A woman was approaching him.

Max's wife.

"You were amazing." She gave him a kiss.

"Where are the kids?"

"They're with Alex and his kids."

"Okay, I'll call him. We gotta celebrate somewhere."

***

Max woke up alone in a large bed. A book was beside him.

'Another dream... Damn it.'

Even after five minutes, he was still lying in the bed with a clear mind. It's a habit he should cut.

Max managed to get up reluctantly and went to the bathroom to refresh himself.

Cities like the one he's currently in all have running water. No electricity anywhere in the world though. Candles and lanterns only.

Max looked out the open window at the city below him.

It was a grey, cloudy day today. Trees were waving their leaves in the refreshing wind.

Minutes later, the player was sitting and eating breakfast at the hotel's restaurant with Manuel. Thomas hasn't come down yet.

"I heard from Thomas you met each other in a raid."

"Yeah, I saved him after he got pierced by some plant mini-boss."

"Hey...I wonder, what will we do after finishing this quest?" Max asked.

"Had enough of this world?"

"Not yet. We should probably check those Anima out before we leave, might be something important. Oh and the Ring Village too."

"After something else."

"What?"

"We should go back to Kasia."

"Why there?"

"I heard about a tournament that happens on the Emperor's birthday. The best warriors from all around the world come. The second prince will participate as well. I think you could win it. There's a reward too."

"Huh. "

Max was silent for a moment.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go."

"We'll be there watching you."

"How many more days do we have?"

"Enough, don't worry. If we keep this pace we'll make it."

"Alright."

A man was looking at them. He looked to be in his thirties. His hair was black and he had a short beard. Basic clothes of this kingdom were on him.

Max avoided his gaze but then he started approaching him.

"Hi." He said.

"Hey."

"You're that player, right?"

"Yeah. So you're a player too."

"Hahaha, yeah. I just wanted to say hi and tell you that you're amazing."

"Well you're not."

"What?"

The man had a surprised look on his face.

"You're a coward. You're identical to the NPCs around us. You ran away from the game's challenge."

"I'm...sorry."

"I hope you'll change your mind and become a brave warrior."

"...Okay. Thank you for telling me that."

With that, he went away. And at that moment, conveniently, Thomas came down the stairs and into the restaurant of the hotel.

To be honest, Max didn't expect anything from that person. He has no hopes for him. It was just a way to end the conversation quickly and make him go away.

After about fifteen minutes, they were on the streets again.

They stopped by a brewer to buy a few more potions.

***

"Kill them!"

"Yeah!!!"

"Fucking criminals."

"We hate you! Die!"

The trio heard a crowd chanting these hateful words and checked out the source. They were near the gate of the city, in a district called the Execution Square. It appears this is where criminals get killed.

On an elevated platform stood a large, imposing knight holding a greatsword. Below him, on the platform, was a forcefully prostrated man awaiting his doom.

Max looked at the other criminals nearby. They were all handcuffed in a metal that forcefully kept your aura deep inside your body, unable to have any effect. In other words, they were harmless compared to the Morning Knights guarding them.

Usually, criminals would be doomed to slavery, not execution. Which meant these people were the worst of the worst.

Max's eyes went from the handcuffs to their faces.

Then...

"What the fuck?" Max said in shock.

"What is it?" Manuel asked.

"I know that guy! The one with purple hair!"

'I barely recognized him because he used to have black hair before. He colored his hair to match his aura color. What a weirdo.'

"Oh, you wanna save him?"

"Yeah."

Max thought for a few seconds.

"Alright so here's what were're gonna do. Thomas, you're going to go to that alley over there and fly high up. Wait until you start hearing or seeing combat down here. We're going to attack the knights while you fly down and pick him up. Got it?"

"Damn, okay."

"That fucking fool. What the hell did he do now?"

They split up. Max and Manuel approached the knights.

The two players moved through the crowd forcefully.

Manuel held his shield and spear and Max held his two swords. They imbued themselves and their weapons with aura while they went through the crowd.

The two managed to force their way through the crowd quickly and after they did, they also equipped their wings.

The knights noticed them and grabbed their weapons.

Then, all hell broke loose.

Max bolted to the nearest knight, who was unaware and facing away from the two players, looking at the crowd. Hearing the screams of his comrades too late.

The knight was decapitated in one, smooth slice.

The Morning Knights were mostly mundane, but they were very close to being Awakened. Then again, not even Manuel and Thomas are Awakened.

The superiors existed of course. But there didn't seem to be any Awakened here.

Thomas saw the battle happening and bolted down from the skies.

Two knights attacked Max at the same time from left and right, but he was simply too fast, too strong. He bolted towards and pierced the right knight's skull with a devastating stab that utilized his entire enhanced Awakened body.

The skull of the knight slid on the sword and got to his hand. Rotating, Max lodged the sword out and clashed with the left knight.

He took a step back, then sent an aura slash, which disrupted the knight's movement, and the two other knights' who approached behind him.

Then, he sent a barrage of metallic, armor-piercing sharp feathers from his blue wings.

Manuel used his ability from the wings to send a barrage as well, behind Max. It was devastating.

Screams, sprays of blood and terror painted the square.

***

The archer slowed his descent in order to not crash brutally, and reached the prisoner in about ten seconds after the battle began.

"Whoa!" The purple-haired criminal said in surprise. His eyebrows were raised.

He couldn't fight back so he just accepted what was happening to him.

The prisoner couldn't see Max in the violence, so he could only hope that it was a rescue.

"Thanks. If you're saving me, I mean."

"Thank Max."

"Max?!"

His mouth dropped.

***

[You have defeated a mundane...

Max and Manuel flew away after seeing the rescue and followed Thomas.

They flew far away from the city in the direction of Rinea. They simply had to go with the flow of the river that goes through this valley city to get to their destination.

About one or two minutes later, they descended and landed together on a hill over a dozen kilometres from the city.

"Max?"

"Eliyah, you fucking retard. How did you get in that situation?" Max asked.

"I defended myself when the son of Sir Tasmon attacked me and killed him."

"Tasmon?"

"The strongest Noble Knight. He serves the Engel family that rules the city we were just in."

"How did...Whatever. Forget it. It's good to see you again."

"You too man. Congrats on killing the secret boss."

"Thanks. Let's get you out of these cuffs."

Max started infusing his Virtonia sword with his aura. He also enhanced his own body.

It took a bit to fully infuse the sword. Once it was, Max swung down on the metal. And damaged it significantly. Another swing and it was severed.

"Thanks a lot."

"So you wanna come with us?"

"Of course. I have to repay my debt. I'll help you with anything."

Max gained yet another companion for his journey.

***

"Sir! The killer was taken from us. We are so sorry."

The Noble Knight had a dead look on his face.

"Celestials, why have you cursed me? What did I do wrong?"

He started weeping.

One person was blessed with an absurd amount of luck by being saved from execution, and another was cursed terribly by having his son's killer escape from execution and live another day, while his son rots in the ground.

A large cavalry unit was sent to look for them but it was unlikely they would ever find the flying humans.