Chapter 161: Dalius.

Chapter 161: Dalius.

I opened my eyes groggily, waking up from what felt like a hundred-year nap. I blinked, waiting for my vision to focus and my strength to return. The soft crackle of a campfire and its radiating warmth did little to settle my nerves.

What had happened? Werent we fighting that elephant when oh. On the other side of the campfire, I saw a man sitting down. He was roasting a savanna critter on a stick by holding it above the open flame, paying little attention to me, or the sleeping figure of Emeri that lay huddled up beside me. From the mana he gave off, he had comfortably stepped into tier 5, a level of strength that we couldnt escape from, let alone defeat. As things stood, we were at his mercy.

Once he heard me stir awake, he looked at me with a pointed stare. The mans eyes were ghastly, haunted, even, but his lips twitched upwards into an inviting smile. He had an unkempt beard and wild mane of hair, which fluttered in the savanna wind. His clothing, a long cloak that parted in the middle, was a combination of obsidian and violet, reminding me of the gravity powers the elephant had used the day before.

My apprehension must have been visible on my face, because the middle-aged man chuckled a bit.

Is that fear I see on your face? he drawled lazily. Dont worry, had I wanted you dead, you already would be. He said seriously, not even a hint of comedy in his tone.

I nodded, but stayed silent. The man seemed unfased and continued the one-sided conversation without a care in the world.

So whats your name kid? Mines Dalius. He said. I noticed he paid careful attention to my facial expressions while he said that, but I couldnt figure out why

Havent heard of me, huh? Figures

Since I now felt safe enough to converse with this stranger that had saved our lives, I decided there was no reason to continue my silence.

I havent, sorry. Should I have?

No. I should hope not, anyway.

Thanks for saving us. Can I ask what led you to attack that creature just as we did?

Hah! Scared Ill steal your credit, kid? No, I just so happened to be in the country when this one started using my signature mana to show off. I couldnt let that stand, see?

So youre a gravity user.

I am indeed. The one and only Dalius! he said, pointing to himself with both thumbs. Thats me.

Did you want anything in return for rescuing us? I asked seriously.

This time, we had bitten off more than we could chew, and only survived because of a stranger that happened to take offense at the creatures mana-alignment. A stranger that we could only barely trust, to boot.

The only good thing that had come of this situation, was that we had gotten quite a bit closer to our destination in the process of this request. On top of that, our fight with the cursed beast was bound to have scared off most of the other monsters in the area, which meant that we would make good time from now on.

Suddenly, Emeri remembered something.

Wait a minute Where is Swahili? she asked.

The captain of the guards that had guided us here had warned us of the creature that had nearly killed us, and promised to reappear once it had been defeated. I found it strange that she hadnt approached us yet, especially now that Dalius had departed.

Unfortunately, Swahili chose just that moment to clear things up. I say unfortunately, because instead of a warm welcome, Emeri and I found ourselves surrounded by two dozen guardsmen.

Several carried bows, blow darts, and throwing knives, all of which were aimed right at me. Oh oh.

Swahili appeared out of the shadows, her sword drawn.

Step away from the heretic, chosen one. She spoke, addressing Emeri.

Swahili, Emeri began, lifting her hands up in surrender, I think youve misunderstood, the man that defeated the cursed beast has already departed! If you have some kind of grudge against him

I do not misunderstand, chosen one! she countered harshly. We hold no grudge against the man that saved your life. But this heretic, that has ensnared your mind with his wiles, seeks to use you for his own ends! Step away from him, so we may free you from his clutches.

I grit my teeth in frustration. Though I had learned to expect things like this, it still hurt to be judged. To be fair, 99% of people with my affinity were lunatics. They were bound to have low expectations at this point. I could tell Emeri still hoped to salvage the situation though, so I kept my mouth shut. Unfortunately, I didnt share her optimism. This was only going to go one way.

Arthur is a good person! He isnt controlled by the system like so many others with his mana alignment! If you make an enemy out of him, you make an enemy out of me, too.

We shall free you, chosen one. You shall thank us in the end. Swahili finished, determined.

At that moment, we all knew what to do. Emeri pulled her spear from its straps on her back and I drew my sword from its scabbard. None of these people were tier 5, so I felt pretty confident in testing their strength, at least.

Without any further hesitation, chaos erupted.