Chapter 82: The Gate and the Spirit part 2: Chapter 80
It has been an hour since the whole scavenger hunt started and already the students have made quite the progress with the activity.
Sarah and her team were already able to obtain half of the needed materials. Things like plants, monster organs and minerals like rocks found in specific caves.
Martha, Ranzy and Iris on the other hand were almost finish with their collection. With Ranzy's knowledge towards gates, Iris's ability to have a keen eyesight and Martha with her great flame prowess, they were able to collect them with ease.
While the rest of the students were having a hard time looking for the materials. At one point, some teams were able to meet one another and which caused a bit of conflict because of how one claimed to have found the material first rather than the other. The conflict was either solved by conflict yet again or that one had to play a simple game of rock paper scissors.
This happened to the team with Sarah as they came upon a certain one of the hardest needed material on the list.
"There it goes, Catch it alive!" said Remmy as he ran across the forest, chasing down a deer-like animal that had golden horns and blue fur.
"On it." said Sofia as she used her ice magic to block of the path of the beast.
"!!" the beast tumbled in shock as the ice was about to envelope its body, but just as it was about to, a big ring of fire suddenly erupted from the ground and it surrounded the animal.
"What the!" Sofia was surprised to see the flames come out of nowhere.
What followed next was a ball of flame suddenly falling down from the sky and landing just right next to the animal with ease.
*Boom!*
"Hmm, I finally caught you." said a female voice that was seemingly engulfed all over with flames.
"...Um, excuse me, but that's our hunt." said Remmy as he stops to approach the burning lady.
"Hmm?" the lady turned to face the boy and soon extinguishes her flames, turning her back to her normal form. The girl revealed herself to be none other than Martha
"!!" to the boy's shock, he was meet with a beauty, one that was comparable to that of his current crush.
"Hey, What are you doing with our hunt!" screamed Sarah as she points her sword at Martha.
"Hmm?" Martha then saw Sarah complain.
"We've been hunting this Oxile deer for a few minutes now, and you just came in and swoop down at it like it was your to begin with!?" said Sarah with a mad expression
"We found this first from out in the south, look we even got our mark here to prove. We just lost this a few minutes ago because we were hunting a different animal." said Martha as she pick up the deer and points at its bottom were an arrow was found deep buried in.
"That's not our fault that you lost it, it now ours the moment we began chasing it down. Give it up." said Sarah.
"..." Martha stared at Sarah with an agitated look, but soon realized that she somehow looks familiar to her.
Soon, Ranzy and Iris came rushing into the area with Ranzy gasping for air.
"What's going on?" asked Iris as she looked at the conflict.
"...Nothing, here." said Martha as she handed the Oxile deer to Remmy. She didn't want to cause trouble with these people, since she knows for a fact that they were friends with Hamil. It took her time to figure out who they were, but she remembered the time when she asked for them to thank Hamil for what he did.
"..." Remmy approached the Oxile deer and grabs it by the horn. But as he did, Martha spoke out a question.
"...Where is he?" asked Martha as she held on to the deer before letting it go for Remmy.
"What?" Remmy was confused of the questio.
"Where's Hamil?" asked Martha.
"...umm, he's not here with us. He went on solo on the scavenger hunt." said Remmy as he tried tugging on the deer, trying to get it off of Martha's grasp.
"Oh, I see." Martha left the group after releasing the deer. She looked like she was disappointed, as if her hopes of meeting this particular person had been dashed.
Seeing her expression, Ranzy was curious as to why Martha was acting this way. But it wasn't her right to pry on what seemed to be a personal matter in the forest, so she had to ask this question later on, when it felt right.
Iris also showed a look of disappointment…but in a more complex manner. As her eyes showed an expression of surprise, her feeling of wanting to see Hamil was both exciting and somewhat scary to her. So seeing that she wasn't able to meet him today, made her feel both relieved and downcast.
Sarah, Sofia and Remmy on the other hand was a bit happy, knowing that they were almost close to finishing the list. With that, they separated themselves with the Class A and made their way to another location.
"..Hmm, we're almost finish. I wonder How Hamil's doing with his list." said Sofia as she pondered on with this question while looking back to Martha's group.
The question itself was simply curiosity at its work. What Hamil was doing could simply be told by that of a spirit that watched him from afar.
She could still see him wander in a straight line into the fog, but to Hamil, this lunacy of endless wandering felt tiring to his will. It seemed as though he was not making a sense of progress…
"*Sigh…*"
'I've been walking for hours…and it feels like days has passed…fuck'
Doubt continued to pile on in his mind, but for whatever reason, his step to walk forward never fleeted. As if each step he took, a lingering ambition planted itself down at the soil. He knows he could not turn back now…for how far he walked, it felt like if he gave up now all of his efforts would all be for nothing.
To numb the feeling of the soles on his feet, and to burn a sense of life in his pointless walk, he started to pace himself on running.
Running was a way to express the burning passion of man in his journey to whatever path he took…he knows that for each path he chooses to take, there was always going to be a finish line on the other end. The only key material needed for that finish line to be crossed was the deep and Strong will of a man and his desperation to achieve such an ambition.
Hamil ran and ran and ran…and through his run, he began to see illusions of images popping unto the fog, as if a few figures stood…figures of people who he was very familiar with.
One figure was a man with a spear who stood with such an intrepid figure under the shadow of a tree. Under the shade of a tree, a man wielding a spear stood with such courage. Through the thick fog, the boy could see him, and his presence alone gave him hope that overcame all of his fears.
Another Figure that came was a woman with a bow and blindfold who was smiling behind a tree. With her stare, a sense of truth showers down on him to him, expressing his desire to win.
Next was a man that carried a sword over his shoulders, as he stood with such a resolute figure. He showed the boy that the stand alone was enough to show power and ordeal.
And finally a man who was found sitting at the roots of a dead tree, he was without a weapon…but his scraggly beard was somewhat reminiscent to the boy…his expression alone was filled with hope and arduousness.
After seeing these figures, He was ever so determined to never give up because of these four people, the people who were his source of inspiration and strength.
And with such figures, his pace began to fasten and a smile started to creep out from him.
'Bring it!' say's his expression as the fog was starting to become thicker and thicker. It was as if the his mood alone was changing the fog's current.
It was to a point that nothing was seen in his perspective…but that didn't stopped him from running against the fog.
He ran and ran until to a point that for once, he was finally starting to feel progress made his way.
He smiled even more when he realized that this small sign of progress was a sign of hope for the end.
With notice, he saw a light appear in front of him as he dashes against the fog. A light that was as small as that of a firefly.
'There!' seeing the light appear, he could not let go of such a chance.
'Apolo!' calling out to his spear, he instantly grabbed the staff and his speed began to increase as lightning began to engulf his skin and body.
Going way pass the speed of a bullet, he ran closer and closer to the light…until finally, the light was caught by his hand.
"Gotcha!"
The smile plastered on his face was showing such a joyful expression, but it didn't last.
As the light was covered by his hand, soon the fog was slowly starting to circulate around the boy, and without reason, the light in his hand was fighting back to be set free.
"!!?" Hamil struggled to hold on to the light, but not even with all of his strength was he capable of holding the light.
*Pew*
It burst out of his palm like a small rocket and it flew out unto the sky. As it expressed its freedom, not a second later it was left only to explode like a firework.
"Wh-what?"
The tiny light, which looked like a small firefly, engulfed the entire fog with its shining ray, quickly devouring and erasing any fog beyond the boy's comprehension.
The light dazed Hamil briefly, yet soon as it dispersed, he was left remaining in a field of blossoms that he could only express to be so lovely. As if this field were being cared for by nature itself.
"...damn." he said as he expressed his reaction to the beauty. He was tired, yet he knows full well how rewarding the view and accomplishment was.
Exhausted by his run, he could not help but let go of his spear as he lays down on the field with a calm and satisfied expression on his face.
With his eyes in rest, he waited for what was to come next of this event. Soon, what he waited for, finally came to approach him.
'!?' but to his surprise, what awaited him in his rest was the look of childish spirit that stared at him as if she had found something amusing to play with.
Her smile was not as innocent like that of a child, but instead it showed a smile that was ever so creeping.
"..." As the spirit greeted him with a friendly creeping smile, Hamil began to act cautiously.
He didn't want to offend the spirit while it was showing an uncomfortable expression to his way, so slowly, he stood from his rest and he faced the spirit without any intention to act rashly.
"Welcome, King without a crown." as the soul expressed these words, Hamil was stunned to hear her remark… the strange remark that spoke with the characteristics that he had conveyed were stressing. He did not know how to respond to her words, so he questioned her for the reason.
"King without a crown…? What do you mean?" asked Hamil as he approached the Spirit a step closer.
He tried to Attempt to take a second step closer, but he was stopped in his tracks by her gesture to not come closer. With her arm raised up front, Hamil stayed in his place.
"You don't seriously intend to act that way to me, are you? Are you so ignorant of your position that you seemingly act this way to a simple spirit like me?"
"I don't know what your talking about." said Hamil.
"Hmm, the fog was able to tell such a story from your actions…it was able to tell your sole wish…how is it possible that you were bestowed with such an authority?"
"..." He became agitated when he heard the spirit criticize Hamil's actual authority and question its applicability.
"Who are you…what are you?" asked Hamil.
"I'm but a spirit that wants to play with those who has good intentions…and punish those who act like their high and mighty…but for you…a king without a crown, this is a first for me." said the spirit.
"...I came with good intentions." said Hamil.
"Good intentions? Hmm, I doubt that."
"..."
"When a simple person steps into the fog, it would be common sense to walk away from such a frivolous trap, but yet here you are, so willing to pass through it…I can only assume that you have other intentions."
"..." Hamil stood in silence as the spirit went on about Hamil's behavior during this test.
"you know that I gave you the one thing that you wanted, yet you never even accepted my gift. You doubted my act of goodwill. Did you think that I would be happy knowing that someone like you rejected my offer?" her vice was starting to go deeper and deeper, as if she was turning malicious.
"...So the tulip was real." said Hamil as he saw the spirit smile even more creepily, as if she saw the guilt appear in Hamil's eyes.
"...Well, I'm not actually mad per say…not to a king no…I shouldn't be. In fact, I'm enjoying our time together, my king." said the spirit as she turned away from Hamil, expressing a soft smile.
"...What is it that you want from me?" asked Hamil, wanting to get straight to the point.
"Hmm, are you that eager to win my favor? How touching. For a king to show such compassion to someone like me, I could only adore in the attention your giving me." said the spirit with a playful smile.
"..." Hamil stood in disbelief as the spirit looked to him with a sly look.
"Well, to be frank. I don't need anything from you..."said the spirit.
"..."
"But you do need something from me, so lets make this encounter worth while." said the Spirit.
She wasn't like this at all from the novel. There, she was written like an innocent child who just wanted to play with Arthur. But with Hamil's interaction, it was completely different. Almost as if she was a teenager who was simply out to talk with someone, but she was quite playful and threatening for some reason.
"...you simply have to make me one holy item." said the spirit with a smile on her face.
"...What?"
"A holy item." said the spirit.
"W-what!?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Simple_Thought
Simple_Thought I just went and posted a chapter, hope you guys like it.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone