Home

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A big, bright light appeared in the belly of the forest. It's my first time using teleportation, but I think I've got the knack for it, Zereth thought.

As soon as the Boaroth and some evolved Survarin saw Zereth and the others, they rushed to greet them.

They all bowed.

"The only ones that give me the attention I deserve," he whispered.

I'm beginning to think they see me as a god or something, Zereth mused.

Some of the residents noticed the humans among them. Their curiosity was too great, and they scanned the newcomers intently.

"Ahem," Zereth cleared his throat, catching their attention. "These three are Zain, Juan, and Shawn. They are half-dwarf and half-human. From here on out, they will be helping us, so I hope you'll give them all the assistance they need."

It was an unprepared speech, and as someone who always thought carefully before speaking, Zereth looked a little happier than usual.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. We hope to get to know you," the brothers said in unison as they bowed to the monsters.

Zereth felt a little relieved. While humans and other races had likely killed some of the Boaroth and Survarin's brethren, the residents weren't hostile toward them.

I thought they wouldn't take it easy, but it seems seeing humans up close is a first for them, Zereth thought.

Looking up at the sky, the forest was beginning to clear. In a few months, people will come and go from this place as they please, he thought.

"The more reason we have to get to work as soon as possible," he mused.

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(Current Info)

Name: Zereth

Race: Oni

Protection: Oni's Pride

Skills: Abyss Devour, Null, Sovereign Pact

Extras: Flare Magic, Spatial Magic, Delusion

Resistances: Heat, Cold, Paralysis, Poison

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Looking over how the others were bonding, Zereth thought, They seem to be enjoying each other's company, so I'll hold off on the work talk for now.

Aeltheris was playing with her hands, avoiding Zereth's gaze when their eyes met.

"What do you want now?"

Aeltheris looked away. "You said if I carried you guys, I would get a peek at your memories."

"I did?" Zereth asked, playing dumb.

"You promised," she replied. Without waiting for a response, she jumped up, holding Zereth's head and using her illusion to enter his mind.

Zereth stood still, thinking, Some memories are better left unseen.

"Aha!" she exclaimed.

"What did you find?" Zereth asked, looking at her. He couldn't help but laugh. "Manga?"

"Yes," she replied, holding up volumes she created using her illusion technique.

"Back when we fought, I said I looked into your memories. You see, back then, I couldn't turn into my human form, but I caught a glimpse of this and released all the energy I possessed."

"I didn't know that," Zereth replied. She wants to use manga to get stronger?

"No," she said, confidently.

"You just read my mind, didn't you?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm not planning to get stronger with this. I'm already strong as it is. I want to learn how to control my energy—I kind of lack in that department. I also want to awaken a skill like you."

Hmm, it goes deep, Zereth thought. "Good luck with that," he said, heading into his tent.

Sitting on a chair he had taught the residents how to make, Zereth folded his arms in thought. The sound of his heartbeat echoed faintly in the room.

"The Knights of the Round Table and the dimensional rifts... they feel like something out of imagination," he mused.

Leaning back in his chair, letting it hit the ground as he moved his legs, the sound calmed him.

"Well, the story is somewhat similar to the first event of the game, but this time, the cardinal heroes are the knights. Their names remain unknown…" He hissed in frustration.

"Is something troubling you?" Zain asked, hearing the hissing from outside and stepping in.

"It's just something I've failed to figure out."

"Is it something I could help with?"

Looking at him, Zereth considered it. Maybe he might have information, but I doubt it.

"The heroes and the rifts," Zereth said, continuing to rock his chair.

"What about them?" Zain asked, sitting on the next chair.

"Are they real?"

"Ah, yes," Zain replied quickly.

The chair stopped mid-rock.

"The rifts and monsters appeared back in Dwarven territory. They were visible and killed quite a number of our people. But a few hours later, everything was fixed—the damage undone, the dead brought back, and nobody retained any memory of it."

"Do you happen to know the names of the heroes?"

Shaking his head, Zain said, "No. Although the last standoff happened in Dwarven, I couldn't see even a single hero."

"I see. It's getting late," Zereth said. "We'd better go dine with the others."

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The sun had already set. The villagers had arranged logs for seats, and the brothers were helping organize the meal. This feels like a campfire night, Zereth thought.

"They're all happy," Zain said.

Nodding, Zereth took a seat. Everyone was smiling and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Maybe we should do this every once in a while.

Taking a piece of meat from the fire, Zereth thought, Finally, something cooked by humans.

As he bit into it, the meat was soft and tender, his teeth sinking in easily. The only thing missing is seasoning, he mused. I could make some gourmet dishes earth-style. Is there a way to get spices? Of course, there is. More experimenting to come.

Raising his meat, he called out, "Let's all have fun! Celebrate the beginning of our home and new friends!"

"Yeah!" everyone cheered in unison, the festivities growing even livelier.

"This place has everything," Shawn said. "We won't be lacking in materials."

"All of high quality to boot," Zain replied.

"And we have to show our ability," Juan added. "Let's give it our best!"

Zereth chuckled, looking at the visible stars. I've really grown as a person. From your average background character to someone everyone looks up to.

"Whoever gave me a second chance, would you say it was worth it? I would," he muttered to himself. "I'm already far better than I was."

"Did you say something, Lord Zereth?" Missanya asked, looking at him.

"Ha ha, no, I didn't."

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Morning arrived quicker than Zereth expected. He wasn't tired, but what greeted him when he left his tent was a sight to behold.

The three brothers, along with some Boaroth residents, had already started cutting down trees, lifting fallen logs and large stones.

"When did they start?" he asked himself.

Did I oversleep? No, my oni body can withstand strain and be less tired. Smiling it off, Zereth thought, This is it, huh? The beginning of everything.

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