Chapter 79: Starborn

"MY LADY!" The scream of remorse from one body guard barely cut through the haze of my lingering consciousness.

"We can't let them take the body," Asmund grumbled.

No… no, no, no. "DON'T YOU DARE," I whispered, every word laced with the max amount of venom.

He ignored me. "HAHAHA! GREAT JOB, YOUNG MASTER! A TRUE PRODIGY AMONG CULTIVATORS!"

I've made my decision. Asmund dies next.

"You should kill this guy before he gets us both killed," Luna chimed in.

"Good, we're in agreement." It was nice to be on the same page.

"How are you feeling? You might have to fight in a moment."

"Impossible. I can't summon my gauntlets, Luna. Or use any attacks."

"YOUNG MASTER, SHOW THEM YOUR POWER WITH ANOTHER FORCE ARROW!" Asmund was still putting on a show, and to his credit… one moron actually turned tail, sprinting away from the fight.

Asmund chuckled. "Alright, kid." He pulled me up against my will.

I definitely hate this man.

"I do have two charges left… one for him and one fo—wait." Luna suddenly thrummed in disappointment, dissatisfied with her poor math. "Just touch your enemies. I handle the rest. No need for gauntlets or techniques. Just survive."

"Time for battle." Asmund whispered.

The other two opponents stood ready. One wielding a longsword, the other a spear. Great. Both have reach, and I have nothing to block with.

I shot Asmund a glare, frustration boiling over. "We could've just waited!"

He ignored my obvious displeasure, flashing a wide grin. "Payday, boy."

He was just about to charge when I stopped him. "Can you distract both? I just need to strike them once, then…" I left the rest unsaid, he had already seen what I could do.

His grin widened. "GREAT!"

I was hoping he'd wait for them to charge first, but either he was a greedy idiot or he knew something I didn't. I'm going with the former.

Without warning, he grabbed my arm and slung me over his shoulder like a hostage.

"AHHHHH!"

He roared as he charged forward.

This is it. This is how I die. Exhausted, barely able to move, and stuck with a lunatic who cares more about 'payday' than survival.

As we closed the distance, my heartbeat pounded faster, but I forced myself to stay steady on Asmund's shoulder.

We clashed. Asmund swung a burst of wind, deflecting the extended weapons aimed at him, or rather, at me. Thanks to his ridiculous theatrics, he wasn't even the main target.

But credit where it's due, he could move.

After two thrusts were batted away by his wide swings, Asmund closed the gap on the spearman first, shifting himself to the opposite side of the swordsman.

Smart. He was cutting off angles, making sure they couldn't easily reach me.

The spearman lifted his foot to strike, but almost like he had his own future domain, Asmund mirrored Kaz's movement, lifting his leg in sync.

Except Asmund didn't stomp down to prevent the attack like Kaz did to me. Instead, he drove his foot straight into the spearman's knee.

*Crack.*

"AHHHH!"

The man screamed in agony, obviously not satisfied with the new bone realignment.

The swordsman retaliated, thrusting from behind his ally. But once again, Asmund moved impossibly fast for his size, twisting his body and deflecting the blade with just one hand on his axe.

Then I felt his other hand grab me, and before I could protest, he tossed me right into the not very loving arms of the still-crying spearman.

"YOU BASTARD!"

"Peter! Your hand!" Luna's urgent yell cut through my outrage.

I extended my right arm and this time, like an actual glove, Luna wrapped around my hand. It was... soft, surprisingly soft.

I landed perfectly, my palm pressing against the spearman's face.

Twitching. Spasms. A flicker of resistance and finally death.

*Crunch.*

I turned just in time to see Asmund ripping his axe from the swordsman's skull.

I had seriously underestimated this guy. His combat ability, his speed… How much deadlier would he be if he didn't have so much... body to carry?

"Oh good! I have one more use just for him!" Luna chirped excitedly.

I sighed, already regretting my next words. "We shouldn't actually kill him… he might get us first. He knows the skill exists already."

Luna clearly didn't like that answer, but after a moment, she relented. "Alright. Let's just get somewhere safe soon. I'm getting tired from all the excitement."

Asmund, meanwhile, had already wandered over to the woman who had unleashed that ridiculous star of fire. After a quick examination, he turned to me. "How did you manage something like this? And how were you able to tell the attack was coming?"

I shifted, trying to sit up and slide off the dead guy beneath me. "We can't have our secrets?"

He narrowed his eyes. For a second, I thought he might press the issue. After all, I was helpless, wounded, and clearly at his mercy. If he wanted to, he could take everything. The loot, information, even my life. How often do brand-new mercenaries actually survive long enough to matter?

But instead, he shrugged. "You can. But if it can help the group, I highly suggest you share your methods. The rewards will be worth it."

Just like that, he dropped the conversation, bending down to search the young woman.

He rummaged through her bag, then her robes. Suddenly, he froze.

He released a sharp gasp and pulled something free. "I—I don't believe it."

A circular metallic emblem, engraved with a single word. "Starborn."

"Peter, you—YOU'RE A LUCKY CHARM!" Asmund's face lit up like a kid who just won the lottery. He bolted toward me, grinning like a madman.

Please no.

"I can do it, Peter. Just one touch." Luna's voice was eerily calm, too serious.

"No, Luna."

"Your loss."

Before I could even brace myself, my limp body was suddenly flung into the air.

Way up.

I soared so high, I could see details of the battlefield in the distance. Bloodied bodies, clashing warriors, scattered fires.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed all the way down until two massive arms caught me mid-fall.

"Asmund!"

"A Starborn, Peter. A damned Starborn!"

Then, before I could process what was happening, he spun me around and jumped in circles, joyously twirling me like a dance partner in some nightmare waltz.

I could do nothing to stop it. I swallowed hard, forcing down the bile rising into my throat.

"As—" Nope. Swallow again. Gross. "Asmund! Please. Just put me down!"

Thankfully, he finally stopped. Then he gasped again, as if realizing something. "We have to get out of here." Before I could even react, he slung me over his shoulder again, then grabbed all three of the others.

Two went onto his other shoulder.

And the guy with his head split open, still bleeding?

Right on top of me.

"Ugh."

Then came the bouncing. A lumbering mass of a man, carrying an ungodly amount of weight, bounding across the land in massive, effortless strides as if the ground itself were made of rubber. With each jump, meters vanished beneath us in an instant.

"You were right to hold me back," Luna commented.

"What? Why?" I managed, still doing my best not to turn green.

"You should take his secrets first." She sounded far too pragmatic about it.

"You've been scaring me recently."

"...Why?" Her voice was so innocently confused that it actually caught me off guard.

I sighed. "I've been kidding… well, mostly, about killing him."

"Oh! OOOH! You shouldn't joke about things like that." Then, as if switching gears instantly, she added, "Plus, he's dangerous. Just consider it a bit more."

I gave up. "Yeah, I'll do that." Maybe it was just hard for grass to feel camaraderie with a human it had no connection to.

Several grueling minutes later, I started to hear familiar sounds in the distance. The chatter of men and women, the clanging of utensils, and the steady rhythm of axes chopping food.

We stopped.

*Ooof.*

I hit the ground hard, landing with a solid thud. Zero effort was put into making my fall more gentle. I groaned and pushed myself up, taking in my surroundings.

A multitude of pale tents stretched before me, groups of people sitting at tables, eating and talking.

Beyond them, a wooden gate loomed, tall and spiked.

Guess this is base camp.

"Asmund, is that you?! You're back early."

A lanky man in black robes strode toward us, sparing me a single glance before turning back to Asmund.

"Don't tell me your assignment—" he gestured at me, "—forced you back."

Then his gaze flicked back to me, eyes narrowing. "Tired already?" He smirked, mockingly.

"What's with you running into so many jerks lately? Do you have trouble making friends?" Luna asked, her voice genuinely concerned.

"What?! No. I have lots of friends! And who are you to talk?" I paused. "Though… you're right. The people I've been meeting recently…"

"No. Lester, this is not a normal new recruit." Asmund cut off the conversation in my head, stepping forward in my defense. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he held up the medallion.

Lester's expression shifted instantly. "That… Asmund, don't tell me."

Asmund nodded. "That's right. A Starborn."

Silence rippled through the camp like a shockwave.

The first few who heard stiffened, eyes widening before beginning to whisper. The murmurs passed through the crowd, spreading like fire.

Lester swallowed. "I—I'll get the captain! You'll be handsomely rewarded." He turned to run, but Asmund called after him and tossed the medallion over.

"WAIT! Make sure he knows the boy is the only reason we pulled this off." His voice was firm, making sure I got the credit.

Lester hesitated, then shot me a glance and gave a quick nod before sprinting off to get the captain.

Whoever he was.