Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Jax the Forsaken Archer had never felt fear in his life. Not once. Even when he was on the cusp of death as a child, being toyed with by that giant dion elfeater, caught in its vines as it threatened to swallow him whole with its petal-like maw, he didn’t feel afraid. He didn’t panic or cry in the face of certain death. Instead, he luxuriated in it. He bloomed when the die was cast, and surviving was not certain.

And for a moment, he thought he finally learned what fear was. For a single second, when Amelia’s death-stare bore into his very soul, he almost believed he was afraid for his life. But that moment passed, and excitement took over.

He accepted the girl’s terms as she led him far away from the city, out towards the mountains of Briar Glen. They stood at the bottom of a valley, no life seen anywhere in miles. For some reason, the trees in the area had been uprooted, as if some powerful force had ripped out all the vegetation in hundreds of feet. But this place wasn’t completely deserted. There was one straggler— or a spectator— present in this barren wasteland.

Noele the Noble Spellsword followed her mentor out here to watch the duel. Jax had warned her against following, but she insisted. And since Amelia allowed it, there was nothing the elf could do to stop the blonde girl from getting herself killed.

“Are you ready to watch, girl?” he asked as he faced Noele. She was standing atop a hill, looking down at the so-called arena from afar. “Observe, and you shall see the true meaning of power.”

The blonde girl didn’t respond. She just pursed her lips as the elf grinned. He turned back to Amelia as he raised his bow.

“But before we begin, I have a question for you, Amelia,” Jax said, and she tilted her head in response. “Tell me, are you truly this powerful without a Class?”

“I am,” she replied simply.

His eyes flickered. He reached for a Bag of Holding at his side. “So I take it you are a part of the Sect of Abyssal Thorns, then?”

Amelia rolled her eyes. “Why does everyone think that? No— I am not a part of some cult.”

“What other explanation for your strength is there?” The elf peered at her as he grabbed a glass vial.

“That’s a bit of a long explanation... I already answered two of your questions, how about you answer one of mine?” she said as she crossed her arms. “Why are you doing all this?”

“You need to be more specific.” He shook his head. “Why am I doing... what?”

Amelia shrugged in response. “Why are you challenging me to a duel, I guess.”

“For the same reason I do everything else— for the same reason I chose to become an adventurer— to become stronger.”

She blinked as he smirked. Up atop the hill, Noele listened in, drawing her lips into a thin line. For a moment, no one moved. A gust of wind swept over the valley. The elf waited. And, finally, Amelia sighed.

“Whatever. Let’s just do this—” she started.

And Jax moved. He leapt back, tossing the vial into the air. He fired an arrow into it, and it shattered with an explosion of glass as Amelia just stood there and watched.

A deluge of water rained out from the vial. The Forsaken Archer had bought it from an [Alchemist] just a few hours ago. It was a clear concoction designed to turn into water a thousand times its volume when contained the moment it was exposed to air. So a torrent fell around Amelia as the elf nocked three arrows into his bow.

Amelia stared at the falling water, a puzzled look on her face. And he unleashed the glinting bolts out.

“[Ceaseless Sprout Storm],” he whispered.

And as the arrows ran through the falling rain, they rippled. The thin projectiles shifted and grew, rapidly morphing into giant vines and roots. A tangle of foliage exploded out and encroached on the brown-haired woman.

He watched the growing mass of nature threatened to crush Amelia as it grew to the size of a house. But she just raised a hand and punched up.

The entire bush of vines, roots, wood, and thorns was blown back by the simple attack and reduced to a mere fraction of what it had been. But Jax expected that. He knew that Amelia was strong, which was why he had prepared the vast amount of water beforehand.

Amelia blinked as the mass of nature started to grow back, lashing out at her once again with its thorns. The elf laughed.

“How do you like that?” Jax gloated as he spread his arms wide. “My [Ceaseless Sprout Storm] will keep growing again and again when its thirst is quenched with enough water! It will not fall no matter how many times you destroy—”

And she reached for her blade, slashing up. The entire twisted mass of vines and thorns exploded. Not a shred of it remained as she sheathed her sword.

“You were saying?” Amelia asked flatly.

Jax gritted his teeth and produced another pair of vials. “Do you think that was all I had planned?”

He sprinted forward, charging straight for the brown-haired woman. She just stood there without wavering, and he swerved out of the way at the very last second. He uncorked the vials, pouring a yellow liquid into the ground as she looked down. Jax repeated this three more times as he zipped around her at incomprehensible speeds before leaping back.

She frowned as she raised her legs, seeing the yellow liquid stick to her shoes. “Wait, is this honey?”

In response, Jax fired an arrow straight at her. She simply craned her neck out of the way, and the arrow struck the ground behind her. He sped around her, loosing more and more bolts from all directions, but she easily dodged them with ease.

“Are you even trying right now?” Amelia snorted.

“No,” he said with a smug grin. “I am trying now—” He pointed at her.

She cocked her head, and the arrows at her feet shimmered. The honey dissolved quickly, being absorbed into the fallen projectiles. She looked down right as the arrows floated into the air. They shifted, glowing a bright golden. They hovered in the air and faced the brown-haired woman from all directions.

“[Ethereal Arrow-Wasp Swarm].”

The arrows shot out all at once. Hundreds of them zipped back and forth, striking Amelia as they completely engulfed her figure. They didn’t just attack her one time and that was it— they repeatedly flew around her, an incessant swarm, like wasps. And that was not all, their sharp edges were coated with a paralyzing poison. Even if it wasn’t enough to kill her, she’d surely be incapacitated from this attack.

He couldn’t see Amelia through the hundreds of glowing arrows covering her figure, but he already knew she was writhing in pain from the constant stinging attacks. And he wasn’t finished just yet. He landed a hundred feet from her, raising a single large bolt.

It looked like the kind of ammunition needed for a ballista. It was as tall as him, and he nocked it onto his enchanted eldersage bow.

“[Sluggish Salvo].” He loosed the arrow.

It shot forward, at first moving quickly as it should, then it suddenly bulged. The arrow doubled in size and halved in speed in an instant. Jax watched as the arrow continued to slow and grow larger before raising his bow.

Amelia paused, groaning. She turned away from her apprentice and frowned.

“What is it this time?”

“I... I...” Jax breathed sharply, struggling to get the words out. His fists tightened as he stared down at the grassy ground with a blurry gaze. Mustering all of his strength, he raised his head. “H-how did you get so strong? How did...?”

The Forsaken Archer needed to know the answer. He had to become as strong as her. He stared at the brown-haired woman as her apprentice stepped up behind her.

“Noele asked me the same question, and I’ll give you the same question I gave her.” Amelia gestured at the blonde girl and spoke flatly. “I did it because I had to.”

“Because you had to...?” Jax’s pupils dilated. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” she replied simply.

The elf closed his eyes. He recalled that core memory with the dion elfeater. How he was pushed back against the wall, left with no other choice. It was what made him who he was today. The fact that a single moment in his childhood created the S-ranked Forsaken Archer.

And he opened his eyes, looking up at Amelia. Such immense power— she outclassed him in every possible aspect. It wasn’t even fair to compare himself with her. He could only imagine what she had gone through to get to this level of strength.

No... he couldn’t even imagine it. Jax tried to, but his mind refused to even begin to think about whatever trials and tribulations Amelia must have experienced. He slowly nodded as she folded her arms.

“Can I go now?” Amelia asked, and he lowered his head.

“I understand now,” he said as his lips quivered. Taking in a deep breath, he finally acquiesced. “I give up. This battle... wasn’t even close.”

—--

It was finally over. I was starting to get extremely tired of Jax’s antics. But he conceded, and I was glad I didn’t have to deal with him ever again.

Well, I did wonder if I went a little too far with how badly I beat him down. He was like a completely different person by the end of it all. And while I found him annoying, I didn’t think he was an evil person, despite what Noele said about him. After all, he didn’t kill her when he had all the chance in the world to do so.

In any case, I was glad I could finally get a proper night's sleep now. And the next day, I stood at the Adventurer’s Guild job board, looking over the same requests that were usually posted. I stood there for half an hour, wondering what I should do, when the door to the guild slammed open.

I blinked and glanced back as a familiar figure entered the crowded hall. Everyone in the room froze. Justyn was working at the counter today, and he got to his feet with wide eyes.

“Jax—” the [Receptionist] started.

“I am not here looking for a fight,” the elf snorted as he walked into the room. “I’m just here for a job.”

I narrowed my eyes, watching him come to a halt next to me. He scanned the job board before he picked out the only S-rank request posted there.

“Ruby manticores? Hmph, not much of a threat, but it’s on the way...” he murmured to himself.

I side-eyed him. “I didn’t expect to see you back in full spirits so soon after yesterday,” I commented idly, and he glanced towards me.

“Do you think I’d be sulking in an inn, drinking my sorrows away? No, Amelia.” The elf snorted as he folded up the piece of parchment and pocketed it. “I should be thanking you instead. You helped me realize I was wrong— that all my life, I was searching for something I could never attain.”

“That is a relief.” I smiled, glad to see he was acting less insane now. I almost thought he was a complete lunatic when he couldn’t change after I beat him a dozen times in a row with a single hit but he still persisted. “And what did you learn?”

He shook his head. “Grow stronger? That is but a fool’s quest. Even if the seraphims themselves descend from the heavens and bequeath me with their power, I will never be satisfied. I will always desire to be stronger.”

“So what are you going to do now?” I saw the request he had pocketed and raised a brow. “Are you going to fight for the sake of others? For money? For fun?”

“No—” He chuckled as he held my gaze. “I want to become the strongest.”

I blinked. Twice. “Uh, what?”

“You are right, Amelia.” Jax the Forsaken Archer raised a hand, staring into the back of his palm. “I wasn’t fighting because I had to. At any point in time, I could retire if I wanted to. There is nothing forcing me to fight— to grow stronger. It is all because it was what I wanted to do. I accept that— I understand that. And now, I want to do something different. I will do something different. I will become the strongest.”

“But... why?” I asked, utterly befuddled.

The elf just smirked. “Because I wish to one day return to face you in combat. You are the strongest in all of Vacuos— there is no questioning it. And I want to surpass you.”

I stared at him as he raised his head. He placed a hand to his chest, lips curled up as he was smiling to himself. I didn’t understand this. I couldn’t understand him. But he seemed satisfied.

“This request to exterminate those ruby manticores is but the first step surpassing you, Amelia. Once I am done with that, I shall travel to Mount Arkais and train amongst the deadly monsters living there. I shall become an SS-rank adventurer and challenge the Elder Dragon residing in that mountain to a duel. And when I finally defeat him, I shall return to challenge you once more.”

Jax the Forsaken Archer nodded at me reassuringly. But I didn’t feel reassured at all. I just stood there, staring at him, unable to find the words to even say right now. He spun around, marching out of Windrip’s Adventurer’s Guild as he bade me farewell.

“I will return, Amelia. I can promise you that.”

“Please don’t,” I said, but he was already gone.

I rubbed my temples as the double doors swiveled. The Forsaken Archer left Windrip, heading for Mount Arkais at the other side of the continent. And he left me dreading his eventual return. Sighing, I muttered under my breath.

“Sorry, Grat-ra’zun. I think I just sent an insane person your way.”

MelasD

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