Chapter 53: Let's Make a Deal

The muddy air, rising up like a vent, drifted towards Ned's nostrils. Aside from the Gate's lustrous light, the forest was shrouded in darkness. The twigs crunched under Ned's feet as he tried standing up. He then looked up, and the trees were skyscraper tall. Beyond, Ned hoped to see a glint of a star, it would at least give him hope. To his disappointment, no stars caught his attention. He looked down, and to his left was the body of the bleeding mage. Lying down together with the ghastly fern that pockmarked the muddy floor. All this copious vegetation, high kicking tress, endless sky, and stale air doesn't matter. For Ned, all that matters now was his Master, shoulder bleeding, blood flowed like a river. Ned adjusted his grip of the Butterfly. He was ready to give his all. "ICE activate Over..." he paused. Hearing Sir Edwin's vengeful voice. "Master? Killed his brother?"

Master Will knelt back on the ground and thought a moment. "Rolon the Quiet," muttered Master Will. "Of course, who could it be if not, Rolon."

"At least you remembered my father's name," Sir Edwin said. "But I'm warning you, that's the last time you invoke his name, for that, I'll make it a quick death."

Master Will shrugged his shoulders and said, "You don't know a thing, knight, you were blinded by your Master's pretentious valor."

Sir Edwin pulled his shoulders back, breathing deeply, he leaned forward and said enraged, "Father thought me everything, the day you took everything away from him was the day master found me, an orphan. He trusted you, yet! You deceived him! You killed him to stole the Mark! And you're telling me I don't know a thing?!"

With his sword in the open, Sir Edwin charged to stab the kneeling old man. "For what you've done! You don't deserve to live any longer!"

The sword that was aimed towards Master Will's chest was countered with a force that made both swords sparked in unison.

"Kid," whispered Master Will. His pupil dilated in surprise.

The sound of the sword clashed midair reverberated the surroundings, stopping only when the scream and wailing of the ghouls inside the trapped barrier started once more. Nevertheless, the sound proved to be successful. Stopping the attack of a Diamond Level Hunter.

Blocking the stab, Ned was oozing with a steamingly hot mist, body and face turned red. Wounds and grazes started to heal in the naked eyes. Making the knight leaped backward in surprise.

"You! How did you!" cried the knight. His veins popping out his forehead. His breathing was rapid. Yet his stance was in order.

"Master," without looking behind, Ned muttered, loud enough Master Will could hear. "Throw me everything you've got."

Ned in a squatted position stood forward. He waved the Butterfly in a measured motion. Left and right, the forest-green light from the sword illuminated the area bravely. Ned kept on waving his sword until it blurred. Moments later, the steam that oozed from his body burdened the vision of the knight. Ned stepped forward, stepped once more, towards the surprised knight. The third step didn't reach the ground. Instead, the knight heard Ned's voice, a skill rabbis were using. "Leap!" Ned cried. His last leap was Coupled with his system's Overclocking, Ned vanished in front of the surprised knight.

Danger rattled behind the knight. He raised his sword to hastily parry Ned's sense defying thrust, and just in time to stop piercing his neck. Sliding the Butterfly off his neck it went straight to his shoulder, making a scrape. The tip of Butterfly went straight inside the gap of his shoulder padding. Making a flesh-tearing sound.

"Kid!" cried Master Will. He mouthed a magic spell, raised his hands, and threw skills towards Ned.

With the shout, Ned took it as a signal. He vanished and appeared in between Master Will and the Knight. Ned then caught the skills Master Will kept on throwing at him.

Fireball after fireball, fire lance after fire lance, Ned kept on absorbing and discharging the skills. His door remained on the ground, but his hands blurred out of swiftness.

The knight kept on evading and blocking all the magic spells catapulted towards him.

Eventually, the combo of apprentice and master made the knight took a step backward. To think that their attack would make him step behind. He was even more surprised by Ned's show-off of strange fighting style. "He wasn't moving like this before, the kid, what in the Maker is he," jagging his thoughts, the knight evaded fireballs after balls. "To think that my revenge will put to a halt!" Sir Edwin cried out his thoughts. "Vis Tempestas!"

With the shout, aside from the ghouls screeching, the surrounding turned silent, then a wind formed, circling the Knight's body. Just like Master Will's barrier of fire, the knight stood still. Deflecting all the fire spells Ned and Master Will hurled toward him. The sound of recoiling spells echoed the forest. Buzz, and boom, the knight remained standing. "Let's put an end to this, " Sir Edwin said.

Space where the knight boomed, then whistled. The moment he appeared, behind Master Will and Ned, the wind magic surrounding him disappeared.

[Overclocking disabled.]

[Predictive Combat Emulator disabled.]

[Decreasing adrenaline supply from 15% to stable.]

[Energy is at 1%.]

Before Ned could collapse on the ground, wind magic whistled, then stab, pierce, cut, and slice his entire body. Hundreds and hundreds of cut made its way throughout Ned's body. The cuts weren't deep, but enough for a human body to recognize what fear was. Ned's body collapsed on the ground, making a thudding sound, and then blood sprayed out his body.

[Warning. Multiple wounds were detected.]

[Warning. Multiple wounds were detected.]

[Notice. Nanites redirected to mend wounds.]

Ned heard his system gave him the warning he deserved. Fighting someone stronger than him, for the first time, Ned fought for his life. Fought an individual even he and his Master combined didn't stand a chance. Ned was lying on the ground, blood flowed out his wounds all over his body. Making the muddy ground turned to crimson.

"Don't worry, I'm not letting you die, kid," Sir Edwin said. "I just want you to remain idle for a moment, it seems that whatever enhancements you used, your body can't handle the recoil.

With Master Will on his knees, sweat started to form on his forehead. He breathes rapidly, his hand straightened in the ground, supporting his self not to collapse. The moment Master Will heard a whistle behind his back, he knew, his destiny was certain. "Not in front of him, " he said and smiled sadly to Ned.

"No...no!" Ned cried, crawling his way towards his Master. "Take me! You need the Mark? Take me! Just"—striking the mud with the Butterfly and used it to pull himself—"don't, not my Master, not him, not...again, no!"

"You will give me the Mark kid, with or without your Master," Sir Edwin said in a vengeful tone. Raising his sword, his eyes remained focused at Ned. Eyes full of revenge, anger, and defiance. This kind of eyes Ned wanted to avoid after coming into the world of Earflgard. The kind of eyes, the day Kamma died. Under the mask of the Emperor, Ned saw his eyes the day he crystallized Kamma.

"Kid, you'll be fine, " Master Will said, he smiled and closed his eyes.

Ned saw the knight behind his Master raising his sword, he kept on crawling and crawling, this must be the fastest crawl Ned ever made.

Struggling on the ground, Ned realized fear. Fear of losing his Master. Yet the man causing it can't be reasoned with. He did everything he could. He trained, he followed his Master, yet in the end, no matter the time, the planet, the body, the ending was the same. Everything he cared about died.

Sir Edwin spun his sword so that the tip pointed right into Master Will's head. With the old man on his knees, exhausted and determined. Sir Edwin stabbed his shoulder without a second thought. Blood surge, and some sprayed right into Ned's face. Master Will's blood ran through Ned's emotionless eyes.

The stab went into Master Will's right shoulder, it went deep almost half, of the meter long, a sword was visible. But the knight wasn't finished yet, with the sword deep into Master Will's body, he yanked it left and right, making sure it went even farther deep inside.

With the yank, Master Will spout a mouthful of blood. The blood made a pond then Master Will opened his dying eyes, looked at Ned, and smiled. "This...all my...fault kid... do not...make revenge...to justify...all this," Master Will stuttered before he closed eyes.

Ned remained unmoving, with the blood running down his cheeks, he was shocked. Not even a tear made its way out his eyes, he couldn't move, nor shout. He was fixed on the ground with the nail of despair holding him.

"Fret not kid," the Royal Knight said. "Let's make a deal."