Chapter 152: 152. HERO
Near death experiences. An event that usually only happens once or never in the lifetime of the average human.
Events that could traumatize the best of minds, rendering them into mere cry babies, or fearful existences….
A hard breath escaped Jon’s bloody lips. It had been a very long time since his body had been in such a state. So long that he had almost forgotten the series of events that led to that point.
But the village had saved him, and even helped him eradicate his killers. Today he placed his life on the line for the same village, and he felt not a shred of regret doing so.
Glancing at his body, Jon swept his gaze across the now damaged suit of armour. Blacksmiths could repair it, but there weren’t any Individuals with such skills for tens of miles.
His chest area featured a series of deep cuts that stretched all the way to his abdomen. Blood oozing from those wounds.
His face had endured many tiny cuts, which piled up until his eyes couldn’t be seen through the red blood, and his hair stuck to the partially dried blood. A metallic smell ravaging his nostrils.
His right arm featured a deep long slash that spanned from his shoulder down to his wrist, causing it to go limp. Within his body, his organs featured Injuries that would kill any normal human. Some of them felt close to shutting down.
Jon’s pitiful figure knelt weakly in the middle of the cultivators, who had gathered roundabout him. Their confident smiles had long returned while they watched him struggle for his life.
A tinge of respect sprouted in the minds of each cultivator after the fight which had barely lasted three minutes. The head of Enil had an incredibly amount of resilience, and he deserved recognition.
Not until his mana had run out without the opportunity to drink potions, did they manage to inflict such deadly injuries.
By normal standards, he would die eventually. But that would only be if he didn’t have in his possession, pills meant for healing physical damage at their level.
Though such pills were pricey; they couldn’t rule out that possibility. Or was it due to the tinge of fear they felt for him; that caused them to want to kill him immediately they were finished with their mission.
“Pitiful…,” The head of the village of Nila, spat at Jon. “We could have arrived at a favourable agreement, but you chose to waste your life,” The man said, slowly circling Jon’s near-dead figure.
“You can still keep your life, if you hand over all that your village has,” The head of the Mera village butt in, but he received glares after his words ended.
The man looked to be in his mid-forties, had short brown hair, and a pair of green eyes. His defined jaw-line gave him a premium masculine look, coupled with his already handsome features, and the mature vibe he radiated, all emphasizing his charming nature.
Jon glanced weakly at the person that had spoken to him, his head facing the charred and uneven ground a moment after.
The bald village head didn’t seem to like Jon’s lack of response, since a kick descending on his head, sending his face digging into the ground.
Then In quick succession to the first kick, another landed on Jon’s side, lifting his figure up by a few feet, afterwhich he flew backwards, tumbling on the ground, breathless.
“If you will not comply, we’ll have to make you,” The bald man announced with a cruel smile. “Reveal yourselves. There’s no reason to be afraid!,” The expert spoke, his voice being empowered by his aura.
No response came for a few seconds, then a voice rang out a few tens of meters from their position, and Jon’s body shook to no end when he recognized it.
“Fool! We were only supposed to be revealed after he had summoned the young cultivator,” The elder that teased Noah a few days back, cursed!
Snapping his head towards the figures walking slowly towards his position, Jon felt his throat dry up Instantly.
He felt his already ragged breath get rougher and rougher as memories of the past twenty years flooded his mind, then he saw them shatter, all seemingly lies.
Pain flooded his mind in ways he never thought possible, and he hated it. He felt the intense desire to die on the spot. He didn’t want to listen to anymore of what they had to say. He didn’t want to learn the cruel truth, he only wanted to escape that place.
But alas reality wasn’t so generous to do his bidding. With a pained heart, Jon watched the figures of his supposedly five most trustworthy elders, and his two trainees walk towards him.
Jon’s head spun at the realization that he had been alone in his quest to protect the village. But how long it had been that way, he wanted to know.
“How long?,” Jon’s voice shuddered as those words exited his lips, “How long have you harboured such emotions towards me?,” He said.
The irritated expressions on the elders, couldn’t be more obvious, but his gaze wasn’t on their figures. He kept his face on the ground for the fear of breaking down in front of them.
“Oh child. It all started when you, an outsider became our leader,” The same elder spoke. His voice oozing Intense contempt and disdain.
A powerful tremor spread through Jon’s body at those sharp words, “That long!,” he muttered softly, but they heard him.
“Yes it’s been that long,” The elder replied walking towards the bald cultivator, the others simply ignoring his existence as they discussed.
“Even you guys….,” Jon felt a burst of pain so powerful that warm tears ran down his cheeks, as he pondered on what had actually went wrong that even his trainees would turn on him.
“Why?…..You all agreed to it. Why is that your reason for sabotaging the village?,” Tears interrupted his voice but it mattered not.
One of the elders glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, his voice ringing out.
“Of course we agreed to it. The villagers all adored you. We had no choice but to allow an outsider lead us,” The elder explained, “We should have never saved you that day,” His sharp tone slammed into Jon’s ears.
“Then our carefully thought of plan to gather as much resource as we could to improve in power and leave this damned place met an obstruction. You!,” Another elder spoke.
“Who asked you to play hero. Did we ever protest about the missing goods, or the hijacked carriages to you. No! You were the one who decided to play detective and solve every mystery. Only you!. We simply played along, and this is what you get in return,” The elder calmed himself down, regaining his composure.
Silence unintentionally reigned after those words. A sense of inner peace surprisingly swept through Jon’s mind afterwhich he stopped sobbing, he still held not regrets for what he did.
“Enough chit chat. Summon Will, and let him face his death. I desire to see the look of despair when he’s paired against five cultivators his level,” The elder that teased Noah spoke, a disturbing amount of cruel excitement existing in his voice.
“Yes. He killed our men. I desire to watch him die slowly,” The bald cultivator shuddered with excitement. A cynical smile ever so evident on his face.
“Now summon him. After he’s dead, you’ll give us the space ring,” The same elder ordered.
A troubled expression appeared on Jon’s battered face at those words. Could he call only Noah? Would the monster of a man be enough to take down five tier 3 cultivators? He couldn’t take the risk, the young man was currently the only person on his side, at least due to their transactional relationship. He preferred to summon both of his trump cards.
A glowing communication amulet appeared in Jon’s hand, then he suddenly crushed it.
The existences gathered around him wondered what that action was meant to achieve, but were also prepared for any attack, since he remained an inscription master.
Contrary to their expectations of being attacked. The sound of earth collapsing on itself spread from outside Enil’s back gate. Clouds of dust rising to prove that something had actually happened.
The ground trembled when Jon’s building also suddenly collapsed, startling the cultivators.
During the construction of the underground cave and his pet house. Jon had utilized, or rather the constructors who swore an oath to never mention the project beneath the ground, had utilized techniques to compress the space between his office and the underground cave, to allow easier access to the pet house and the cave.
The job had siphoned a large amount of village funds, but he had worked double time to regain them.
With uncertain expressions, the group of 12 waited for the arrival of something or someone. And exactly that did they received.
An immense aura swept the whole village immediately halting every activities going on within it. Some weak tier 2 cultivators directly died from the aura’s pressure, causing fear and panic to spread amongst the troops.
Before their senses could react to the now deadly situation, a massive shadow; barely visible in the darkness of the night, barrelled out from underneath the remains of Jon’s office, and arrived a few meters beside the group of experts.
The ground shattered upon impact and two of the elders died as soon as multiple sharp rocks pierced their weak bodies.
Everyone scrambled for their lives when their minds affirmed the reality of their situation. A middle-staged tier 3 Beast had landed beside them, and it radiated an aura of anger!
But that wasn’t even all. To the mind reeling shock of everyone including Jon.
A calm and slightly amused voice rang out from atop the large beasts’ head.
“Oh….What have we here?,” Noah giggled when his consciousness swept the scene. The smile on his face never decreasing in intensity, even after he noticed Jon’s bad state.
“You all should consider yourselves dead….”
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
Adamoforder
I’m sorry for the late release.
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