Churned-Up Soil

Continuing Tiadam's fight with the Dragon Tooth youth, the young man first broke free of the chains, then retreated two steps. He gripped the dagger in his hand in a reverse hold and did not stop until his back reached the shop wall, then shouted:

"Come on—"

The youth bent his left leg slightly and planted his right foot forward, ready to spring. In an instant, he leaped up and slashed diagonally at Tiadam with the dagger in his right hand. Tiadam yanked the Dragon-Tendon Lock with his left hand, his right hand moving toward the shortsword hanging at his side. Using the flexibility of his joints, Tiadam drew the shortsword and beautifully blocked the blow. Taking advantage of the cramped space inside the shop, he fought nimbly, using the scrolls and ancient books within as weapons and hurling them at the Dragon Tooth youth of unknown origin.

The youth was no weaker. With two backhanded slashes, he shredded the ancient books Tiadam had thrown. Just as Tiadam prepared to throw another book as a feint, a woman's voice drifted over from behind him...

"You two... could you take this outside... The books and scrolls in my shop are very expensive—"

"O-Oyana..." Tiadam lost focus for a moment and was slashed across the shoulder by the Dragon Tooth youth.

"You two... did you even hear what I said—"

Oyana unleashed all her magic. The mist from her water pipe condensed into a magic circle, and vines twisted out from within the circle, binding the Dragon Tooth youth.

"A witch..." Before the Dragon Tooth youth could think further, he was knocked unconscious by the vines Oyana had summoned.

"As expected, against the magic-immune Dragon Tooth Clan... summoning magic works best..." Oyana continued smoking her water pipe. "Yalila, hurry and tie this brat up before he wakes. Use his own Dragon-Tendon Lock... Oh, and bring Tiadam a healing scroll for his injury. This little bandit isn't badly hurt. A low-grade scroll worth one silver coin will do."

"B-but, Master... I'm still chained up..." Yalila said in a coquettish voice. "Master Oyana... undo the chains for me first..."

"Ah~" Oyana said, pressing a hand to her forehead. "If you ever go out into the world, never say you're my disciple. As a mage, you can't even undo a mere chain... How embarrassing."

"But Master Oyana... this chain is immune to magic..." Yalila said, somewhat aggrieved.

"Didn't I teach you summoning magic?!" Oyana glared fiercely at Yalila. They looked less like master and disciple than mortal enemies.

"Oh..." Yalila's voice grew quieter and quieter.

Consciousness clung to existence, while nothingness was the end of all things. Nurturing was the cry at birth, decay linked life and death, the voice of the ancient one would be conveyed here, the threads of fate began to weave, and the hero's head would ultimately be severed by his own sword...

At dusk, an inn outside Canfoer City welcomed its most distinguished guest since opening—a merchant dressed in brocade silk, carrying a basket of fresh apples, slowly approaching from the city wall at the far end of town. His features were graceful and elegant like those of a lady, while his agile build was more valiant than that of knights who had fought across the land. His leather high-heeled boots trampled the withered grass beneath him.

"Excuse me... has anyone unfamiliar come here to stay recently?" the merchant asked warmly.

"You are...?" The innkeeper's wife, built like an ox, stopped working and wiped her filthy hands on her apron. A less-than-attractive smile appeared on her face as she faced the merchant.

"I am a merchant from the royal capital... You may call me Eliyi..." the merchant said amiably.

"Oh—you're an honored guest from the royal capital!" The innkeeper's wife smiled even more brightly, as if gold had fallen from the heavens.

"Has anyone come here to stay recently?" Eliyi continued.

"Uh..." The innkeeper's wife paused. "No one has stayed here, because recently those country folk who sold their land deeds all went to the south side of the city. Business has been much slower here..."

"Think carefully?" Eliyi offered the innkeeper's wife a clean apple. "Consider this apple your payment..."

"This..." Taking the apple, the innkeeper's wife said, "About two days ago, an old country woman came to my inn..."

"Mhm, mhm... and then?"

"Then..." Only then did the innkeeper's wife remember that Rosa Kevin had been locked in the storeroom for nearly three days. "That... country hag... country hag..."

"What is it?" Eliyi asked with a smile.

"Thud—"

A heavy sound rang out behind Eliyi. Then the inn workers, each holding a wooden club as thick as an arm, began striking Eliyi on the head. Only after nearly half an hour of beating did they finally stop.

"Boss, today's catch is a fat sheep—"

"Looks like he's dressed well... His family must have some money—" the inn workers said with grins.

"Hey, hey, hey... what are you doing?" Eliyi stood behind them, smiling. "Has the boss not treated you well? Why beat her like that?"

By the time the inn workers came to their senses, the ox-built innkeeper's wife had already been beaten beyond recognition by them...

"M-mage—"

With a buzz of panic, the inn workers scattered and fled.

"Strange mortals..." Eliyi did not even spare the woman lying on the ground a proper glance. He stepped over her body and headed straight for the storeroom where Rosa Kevin was staying.

After opening the storeroom door, he found only a wrinkled old woman in the empty granary. Rosa Kevin lay reclined in a corner of the storeroom, belching.

"Burp~ Potatoes may be cheap, but... I still think corn tastes better~ Burp~"

"Auntie, it looks like you've been having a wonderful time here~" Eliyi greeted Rosa Kevin.

"So it's you..." The evil god, full from her meal, rose unsteadily to her feet. "Aren't you a little early~ I haven't made any preparations yet... Burp~"

"It's not early..." Eliyi said with a smile. "After all, I preside over 'fate.' Many times, I must be one step ahead."

"Fine, then..." Rosa Kevin walked out of the storeroom while belching. The evening sunlight was still somewhat dazzling, and the decaying evil god squinted as she asked, "How long have I been in this storeroom?"

"According to the innkeeper's wife, about three days..."

"Oh~ That long..." Rosa Kevin drew on the divine power within her body, and a yellow-green glow flowed from her fingertips. "But thanks to all the eating these past few days, I feel like some of my divine power has finally recovered..."

"Ah—right."

Rosa Kevin suddenly remembered something. "Where is my servant? Where is my servant? Where did he go? I still have some matters for him..."

"Mhm, mhm, mhm..." Eliyi patted Rosa Kevin on the shoulder. "Auntie, I need to borrow your attendant for now. Once this is over, I'll return him to you."

"Eh—" Rosa Kevin said unhappily. "I haven't had my fill of ordering that brat around yet. How can I hand him over to you so soon~"

"Just borrowing him~ Just borrowing him~" Eliyi took two silver coins from his pocket. "This is the rental fee. I'll pay the other half once the job is done~"

"I'm an ancient evil god. You can't brush me off like this... Besides, that brat is the only slave I can order around now... This isn't appropriate, is it~"

"What do you mean?"

"You need to pay more—"

"Then... one more silver coin?"

"No, two."

"One coin and a lunch."

"Deal—" Eliyi tossed a silver coin from his pocket.

"Where am I... Where am I..."

Leichina, his consciousness restored, opened his eyes. He was now floating in a golden soup pool, surrounded by round "clumps of earth." At the slightest touch, those "clumps of earth" crumbled apart.

"My hands... where are my hands..." Although he had become a zombie, Leichina still retained some awareness of his limbs. "Why can't I stand up... Why... can't I move..."

His mind was still thinking when a howl came from above. A bloody stench entered his brain. He looked upward and saw a black figure flash past, then slaughter every living thing before it, regardless of whether they were old, weak, sick, disabled, orphaned, or widowed... Crimson liquid splashed into the soup pool where he floated, turning the originally golden water orange-red...

Only after a long time did Leichina feel himself rise from the ground. Completely naked, he hurriedly picked up a piece of warm clothing from the ground and walked out from the depths of the alley. Not a single passerby along the way dared meet Leichina's gaze, until a child shouted:

"M-monster!"

Only then did Leichina realize that he was no longer human.