Chapter 3: Traveling
"Cold, I should've put on my jacket" I grumbled as I sat at the driver seat of the carriage. As the winter is near weather is cold, specially during sunset. Unlike cars, carriage driver has to sit outside facing against wind.
Oh right, the carriages of this world is nothing like the ones us earthlings used for transportation during medieval age.
It is far more advanced compared to that wooden box. This carriage I am sitting on is shaped exactly like a shipping container installed with french windows and has no wheels.
A hovering metal box with silvery chrome color. Made with a special metal that hovers exactly at about half meter from the ground, as long as you don't put too much weight on top of it.
A funny thing about this 'advanced technology' is that, it still requires an animal to pull it to move. They haven't invented an engine after all, and the only reason they have discovered this precious metal is that it hovered in the air naturally.
Thanks to this metal taking care of most of the weight off, its easy for the animals to move the carriage despite how much it looked like I'm torturing the poor thing by making it pull a whole house from far away.
Two days ago, Ethelon brought a gorgeous looking caribou also known as reindeer, for pulling our carriage. It is almost two times bigger than the ones in the earth and it has magnificent antlers which are purple colored.
Snow white fur covered whole of its body, except the neck where its black. It had purple eyes and glistening black hoofs. I found that both antlers and eyes glowed with purple mana during night time.
Overall the creature looked mystical enough to be called sacred beast if it was found on the earth. But here, its just a basic mount, mostly used for carrying out heavy tasks like pulling carriages.
I decided to name it 'Pumo', just because I was too lazy to think about it when Ethelon pushed the task to me.
"Kaelud, let it rest around here. Come inside and have some soup!" Ethelon's voice came from inside.
As I entered through the wooden door installed behind driver's seat, warm air gushed at my face carrying a pleasant smell of soup. Foods of this world are delicious, maybe because of the extra matter called mana.There were so many type of vegetables and meats with strange names, that I could hardly remember them.
Honestly only vegetable I recognize here was the cabbages. Another line from my isekai goals note, 'getting rich with food recipe from Earth' was scratched just like that.
I sat cross legged on the floor since I was too lazy to get myself a chair from the pile behind the curtain.
Ethelon has divided the carriage into two rooms by a curtain and threw everything except the necessities to the other side. In this side we have a sofa that turns into a bed big enough to sleep for three person, a fridge, stove and a circle wooden table with some books piled on top of it.
By fridge, I mean a big keg with a water element mana crystal in it, on its ice form. Mana crystals obtained from the beasts are used for various type of tasks. Such as clear water, fire, light, fridge etc.
Convenient stuff but pricy. Though we never lacked crystals since Ethelon hunts daily. I guess only people who live in the town or big cities has to buy them from merchants.
"Delicious" I almost groaned when the rich flavor and warmth of the meat soup spread in my mouth. Food stuff of this world combined with Diana's superb cooking skills really gets me every time.
"This Baron Methios is truly a guy with sharp pen. Half of this book is practically throwing curses at philosophers of Beu" Ethelon commented as he put two fingers thick book he was reading aside.
I glanced at the title curiously, which was written in red on yellow background with dreadly font, "Invincible knife on our throat". Got to give this Baron some credit for his excellent cliche naming sense.
Beu is one of the few school of thoughts in this world and gaining popularity in Tenger kingdom during recent times. This school of thought is very similar to communism.
But also different. Philosophers of this school teaches the riches of the world belongs to everyone and one must not own private property. The very existence of money itself is wrong for them and everything should be shared equally. Pretty crazy idea, if you ask me.
The court and the nobles despise these few lunatic philosophers whereas the poor and the slaves worship them.
At first everyone laughed as the idea was so ridiculous in the country and age ruled by aristocrats and made a joke out of them.
Nobles laughed and mocked the few madmen who dared to speak such odd words and bards traveled with full bellies by singing the pipe dream of Beu philosophers. Thanks to these songs full of mockery all the poor and slaves heard them and the sparks of hope was lit.
Realizing their mistake, the aristocrats hurriedly banned Beu and hung few old philosophers, but it was too late. Beu has been spreading by mouth and now, very structure of the aristocracy is currently in danger.
In the history books I have read, about ten years ago there was a human country which shared border with both Raso-Eason and Tenger kingdom. 'Shastaroth', also the country where Beu has originated from.
Although this country was destroyed by Dryads, and schemes of both Raso-Eason and Tenger kingdom. It is said one of the biggest reason for its destruction is internal conflict brought by Beu supporters.
"Empty dream with dire consequences" shockingly these cold words were said by Diana. I looked at her in astonishment and found her staring at the book on the table with complicated gaze.
"Misplaced hope with bad timing" Ethelon said seemingly continuing her sentence, sighing heavily.
Shastaroth, a whole country was destroyed by Dryads and it's citizens became refugees without home. Hunted by other races, slaved by fellow humans.
Immature ideals brought waves of hope for the suppressed but the destruction followed after it closely.
I stayed silent through the dinner as all of us got lost in our thoughts. Or maybe it was just me whose thought wander around too much.
Ten year old brat like me should be like a monkey, unable to stay in one place for ten seconds or shut his mouth for one minute. Yet I'm like a tree with long roots holding me tight to the ground. Silent and steady.
Symptoms of middle aged guys with no real goal or ambitions. Just continuing to live life like a robot. You do same thing every day and repeat whatever you do with no complaints. You don't enjoy it but you don't hate it too.
Since I was given a second life, I should make something out of it. I don't want my life to be so boring again. That's why I need a goal and grand ambition!
Only with goal my life will be meaningful and exciting! A man without goal is like a tree growing in the desert. Dried, thorny and colorless.
Talking about exciting life, my life and death battle with Kharbars about ten days ago was so ...addicting.
I really felt like I am alive and living in those short yet long moments! Emotions fluctuating up and down with strong will to survive pushing me on throughout the whole fight!
No wonder those protagonists loves to fight! Moments like that where your life is at risk and every decision you make is a gamble with everything on stake, are so damn addicting! Life should be like that!
Living one life as a 'good' law abiding citizen is enough! I will live this life with full of thrill!
But then again, I am just a hoson. With not a single ounce of mana inside my body! How am I supposed to fight with my body like this? Not to mention humans, I will have a trouble fighting against weakest beasts.
This is extremely suffocating, its just too unfair! I will probably die with a single poke from others around my age if they use their mana!
"Diana, keep Kaelud within your sight! We are getting surrounded" Ethelon broke the silence of the room and brought me out of my thought sea.
"Bandits?" Diana asked after standing beside me in a flash. I couldn't even tell how she moved here so fast.
"No, not humans. Basil Lizards, many of them" Ethelon whispered while he hurriedly put his leather armor on.
Basil Lizards, a beast similar to crocodiles from the earth. They have about a meter tall and two to three meter long bodies.
Powerful jaws able to squish iron like a gum and sharp teeth capable of scrapping steel like shredder. It's scales are smooth and hard, designed to protect its body from sharp objects like swords or claws.
Has explosive speed and thermal vision as well as smell tracking ability that is no less than dog's. Nomadic beasts that lives in a colony. Truly hunters of the night!
Damn ! We are too unlucky! Out of all the beasts we could encounter here, it just had to be a colony of Basil lizards! They don't stop until their casualty becomes too much and smell of blood makes them berserk!
Freaking overpowered ants with big size! Please let it be a small colony, I prayed because if its medium or large sized ones I'm afraid we are done for! I really don't want to see both Ethelon and Diana dying. Shit!
Thud! Thud!
Hoofs of the Pumo hit the ground noisily as if to warn us or maybe its trying to intimate the lizards. My heart started to beat faster and blood pumped to my head. Adrenaline rose quickly as feeling of excitement and fear in my chest raised by every second ticked.
Sound of Ethelon putting on his equipments, Diana's soft breathing beside me and rustling sounds from outside, I've caught it all in my heightened state.
Time ticked very slowly yet very fast at the same time. Strong heart beats, lungs greedy for air moving my chest up and down in a certain rhythm. My stomach muscles contracted waiting for signal from my brain while my legs are feeling weightless as if I'm capable of flying.
Sweats rolling down from my temples to my chin while my eyes catching every single details of my surrounding. This is it! This feeling like I'm living my whole life right at this moment! This is what I want to feel in this life!
"You two come out too, if the numbers are too high you must breakthrough them and escape" Ethelon instructed us with a serious tone and walked out calmly.
"Kaelud, let's go" Diana patted on my shoulder and lead me out. The outside was dark but the MunkhSar still provided enough light for us to see our foes.
Many glowing green eyes stared at us greedily giving me goosebumps all over my body.We were already surrounded by the time we got out from the carriage.
Since its dark I couldn't tell how many there were but just looking at the front, there were at least thirty to forty lizards with glistening black scales and eerily moving eyes. White vapor came out of their nostrils as they wagged their tail high in the air out of excitement.
"Don't do any sudden movements, If you don't move they will ignore you till they deal with the moving ones" Ethelon instructed and his hair started to raise in the air as if world lost its gravitational pull.
Golden light particles started to move in an unpredictable manner around Ethelon as its core. At first it was just a few but in a blink of an eye Ethelon turned into a human sized lamp with countless light particles hovering around him.
His sword attracted highest amount of particles as he stood there staring at the front. Unique gurgling sounds rang out from the throats of the lizards and the crowd started to stir.
Similarly with Ethelon's their body started to glow as well but the color was dark green close to black. Diana didn't activate her kardia probably to prevent lizards paying their attention on us.
Damn, am I supposed to be just a burden to both Diana and Ethelon? What can I do? I don't want to be like this! Always in the behind, protected. Shit! I need to calm down! If I were to act rashly here, everything may turn into more mess than it already is. Fu*k!, If only I had a Kardia like them.
While I was lamenting at my helplessness Ethelon charged forward like a lightning bolt streaking across the ground.
Boom!
The first strike of Ethelon has caused five Basil Lizards fly in the air with deep cuts on their scales. Although cut was deep it didn't manage to reach to their flesh. The damn things are so tough!
Ethelon stepped two step backwards from the impact when ten surrounding lizards jumped at him at the same time with explosive speed.
Haa!
Ethelon yelled loudly and mana particles around him pushed outwards with great force. Lizards who charged in crashed with those light particles heavily and couldn't get past it. It was like invincible wall blocking them!
Ethelon took advantage of their mindless charge slashing at their eyes with his shining sword. More lizards jumped at Ethelon from all the sides like moths to the flame, swarming at him.
Heaaaah!
Another forceful yell came and Ethelon jumped high in the air, breaking out! Then mana particles surrounding him increased in density by multiple times and he came down with crushing momentum like a meteor falling from the sky.
Boom!
Thundering sound rang out from the crash and lizards who was charging at him thrown away from the impact. The ones who was in the center got crushed deep into the earth by the force.
Roaring, whimpering and wailing sounds of lizards filled the night but even more lizards gathered around him and charged at Ethelon without hesitation giving him no time to take a break.
Once again Ethelon jumped high into the air but this time he came crashing down with multiple short hammers made out of light particles swirling around him with incredible speed.
Booom!
Earth shattering sound rang out and this time, the casualties on lizards were far worse than previous one. Some squashed to death by the impact while others lay helplessly with their eyes popped out from their sockets. Swerved tails, broken bones and crushed meat pulps of the lizards were everywhere.
The ones who took the most of the impact was already buried deep within earth while most of lizards were sent flying dozens of meters away.
Now the area around Ethelon has been cleared out temporarily and six hammers made out of mana orbited around him in slow motion waiting for the next wave of lizards to come.
Ethelon's eyes has became golden lights and he gazed down at lizards with fierceness and thirsty for more fight. His long hairs floating like there's no gravity and wind swept around softly carrying smell of blood from the victims.
Lizards circled around him but this time they didn't charge like before. They took distance of about three meters and observed Ethelon's every move warily.
Ethelon managed to kill and heavily injure about twenty or so lizards in the fight till now but there were still six to eight times that amount remaining.
The fight till now is going well but can he continue to spend his mana recklessly like that for long? Since I don't possess Kardia, I don't really know how much he is spending. But from visual alone, it looked like he spent lot.
I glanced at Diana and found her standing with expressionless face. She coldly observed movements of basil lizards and whenever one got near us she would place herself in front of me, shielding me behind her back.
Roaaaar!
Beastly roar came out from the darkness and the lizards who were circling Ethelon charged in once again! Ethelon who was standing like a battle god in the center of the beasts yelled out ferociously and enermous amount of mana gathered at his sword.
"ALTAN SELEM!" Ethelon roared two words in the common language and stabbed his sword into the ground with both of his hands on it's handle!
The moment his sword touched the ground, in the circular area of five meter radius from Ethelon, dozens of light swords shaped exactly like the one he is currently holding, manifested itself from the ground beneath the charging lizards and pierced each of them.
Just this move alone took out about a dozen of basil lizards! Though it was shocking move enough to terrify most of the living, the lizards lost their sanity because of earlier roar from the darkness and continued to charge at Ethelon, stepping on their comrades corpses.
Six hammers orbiting around him shot down the lizards jumping at him with great force while he swung his swords at the ones on the ground. Whenever his sword slashed at lizards, ear deafening sounds boomed out.
As the fight continued Ethelon's movement started to slow down a bit, while the mana manifested outside became bit thinner.
More lizards jumped at him like missiles zooming at him and six hammers barely managed to block them. On the ground lizards attacked him from all sides, some even dug the ground and popped from beneath to attack Ethelon.
Only because him moving around continuously, did Ethelon manage to dodge their relentless attacks. At this rate he will drown within their attacks sooner or later.
The obvious flaw in this battle was that, Ethelon couldn't fatally or heavily injure his opponents with his attacks anymore, maybe I should say he couldn't because their numbers are too high. Ethelon is forced to just focus on defense to keep himself alive!
We need to do something! Maybe I should take some of them off from Ethelon! If I manage to do that, it will give him some room to make fatal attacks.
But I can't do it since Diana will be the one who will have to face who knows how many of those lizards. It's one thing if it was Diana before my birth but I doubt she can handle them now.
While I was wondering what to do one sneak attack from a lizard injured Ethelon's left shin! Although he went away like it's nothing, the blood started to flow down from it. Shit! Now the situation is turning worse.
And his speed visibly went down! I looked around trying to think of a way and in the corner of my eyes I caught purple light. That's it! How could I have forgotten about it?
"Diana, come follow me!" I whispered quietly and slowly moved towards Pumo the reindeer who was still tied to the carriage.
Surprisingly Diana didn't question why, and she followed me while keeping her eyes on the surrounding lizards keeping me at her back.
I hurriedly untied the guy and mounted on top of its back. "Come up Diana, hurry!" I said while observing Ethelon who was trying his best to cope with ever increasing number of attacks.
He just continued to dodge and block the crazy attacks from the beasts with minimal amount of energy needed. Taking on countless attacks like this with least possible damage taken was already pushing his limits.
No gap for him to counter attack! If this continues he will slip up at some point and his life will be the price for it! Diana already got on, so I grabbed tightly from its antlers and whipped its side with my boots.
Letting out loud sound, the reindeer started to dash into the darkness! Unsatisfied with the speed, I hit its ribs as hard as I could with the soles of my boots!
"Diana, activate your kardia! We need to take some of them off from Ethelon!" I yelled to my back while trying to steer my mount with its antlers.
"Alright, but I got better way" she said before golden particles started to surround us. "ALTAN SUM" she yelled and many small arrows made from light particles shot off towards lizards who surrounded Ethelon.
Though arrows didn't do much damage to the lizards when they hit, it surely made a good job of getting their attention. Almost half, maybe even more of them chased after us crazily!
"Alright, little Pumo, time to speed up like its your last day, Haha!" I laughed, though I don't know why. Kicking poor guy's ribs again and again, we sped up and sprinted like there's no tomorrow.
I circled Ethelon at about fifty meter away from him, dragging lines of bloodthirsty lizards behind us! Poor caribou, probably knows what will happen to him if he were to stop, so he kept running though his lungs was about to burst.
Finally getting some breather, Ethelon started to drop them one by one. Then, "ALTAN SAR" he yelled and huge half moon shaped blade constructed from mana cut the lizards it touched in half.
Next his mana output increased rapidly and explosively making him look almost like a ball made out of light! "SHASTAR HARSHUURGA" thunderous roar came from the core of the light and huge hammers, multiple times bigger than his previous ones emerged and started to circle around him at abnormal speed!
Everything it touched exploded from the mere contact and swept away next moment by its momentum! Ethelon charged into the most crowded parts of lizard colony in this state and shredded them to pieces. "SHASTAR EXPAND" yet another yell full of vigor shouted out and hammers started to circle far away from him, in a bigger circle!
Like a god of destruction he kept charging in wherever lizards gathered, and painted ground with their flesh and blood. Body parts of lizards rained down from the sky and smell of blood filled around our surroundings.
Roaaaarrr!
That deep roar from the darkness came yet again, and the ones chasing us changed their direction abruptly, leaving us alone and dashed towards Ethelon! Uniting with more lizards who came from the darkness where the roar came from, creating huge wave of lizards!
All of them charged towards meat grinder made out of six rotating hammers mindlessly, but this time their numbers and momentum reached to the terrifying degree!
Hammers started to lose their power and speed as there were too much 'meat'. But once again, Ethelon's mana output increased and this time to the point it was almost tangible liquid!
"Kaelud, get us far from them! Farther the better! Quick!" Diana snapped me out of my shock at surprising battle that was happening.
I didn't know the reason but I steered the caribou and we got about eighty, maybe ninety meters away from the core of the fight, I heard Ethelon's cold voice speaking two words. "SHASTAR DAVALGAA"!
Moment I heard those words I looked back and saw all the hammers charging head against huge wave of lizards clashing with their charge! First hammer stopped lizards at the front momentarily when next hammer came and actually killing and pushing back hundreds of lizards! Then came third, fourth, fifth and sixth!
By the time sixth hammer struck, lizards charge was no more and few dozens of meter path of blood snd corpse was drawn on the ground, with six imposing golden hammers stood like pillars on the ground.
Remnants of the lizards gathered together near sixth hammer and stared at Ethelon, snarling and whimpering. Only one third of them survived from the ruthless attack.
Just when they were about to charge, sixth hammer near them exploded! Huge explosion blew apart lots of them. Reducing their numbers by half again! Leaving most of the remnants in extremely poor shape.
I stared at the gory sight, completely dumbfounded. These SHASTAR series of skills are so overpowered! Leaving only meat pulps, eye averting awkward shaped corpses of the enemy littered throughout the battleground.
"Roaaaaar"!
Leader in the darkness roared out again and all of the remaining lizards pulled back immediately, leaving behind squashed corpses of their comrades.
I turned caribou back, and we headed towards Ethelon who was standing with straight back still clad in his mana. Remaining five hammers flied back to his side and they started to shrink as time passed. Bit by bit mana he manifested outside returned to his body.
"Eth, are you alright? Let me see your legs!" Diana asked with concern when we reached near him.
"I'm fine, just need bit of time for my mana essence to return. I've pushed most of them out to cast SHASTAR" Ethelon answered still not moving. He probably can't move, he is standing like that for sometime now.
Such powerful skill should have put heavy burden on his body. Though he seems fine, I'm sure he's gritting his teeth to keep standing because I'm looking. Ethelon is just that kind of guy.
Maybe because I am a hoson, Ethelon always tried to toughen my mentality since I was a little. And he never showed me his weak sides since he had to be 'example'.
I gazed up at the sky where MunkhSar shines quietly then surrounding ground which turned into mess thanks to this overpowered man. Which one to call 'beast'? Lizards who charged to their death with no hesitation or this man who is capable of fighting against whole colony of basil lizards and nearly annihilate them?
What a night this was! Now I want Kardia more and more ...a pity for it's an impossible dream for me.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone